Trudi Canavan's Blog, page 20

Ebook Availability Check

It's been 11 months since I first checked the availability of my books as ebooks in Australia and the last time I investigated was in May, so I thought I'd see if anything has changed.

Amazon – All books except Priestess of the White and Voice of the Gods

Amazon UK – All books available

iBookstore – All books except The Black Magician Trilogy, Priestess of the White and Voice of the Gods

Kobo – All books except Voice of the Gods

Angus&Robertson – All books except Voice of the Gods

Borders – All books except Voice of the Gods

Dymocks – No books available

eBooks.com All books except Priestess of the White and Voice of the Gods

Barnes&Noble Nook – All books available

In summary, iBookstore is still lagging far behind the rest. Whether that is the fault of the publisher or iBookstore is impossible to know without me chasing them up. (See this post for some of the reasons why this happens.) My more recent books, published by Orbit, have made it onto all sites except Dymocks (which has none of my books) while older books, published by HarperCollins Australia, are the ones most likely to be missing. In particular, books from the Age of the Five trilogy are still unavailable via Amazon US, Kobo, Angus & Robertson and Borders.

eBooks.com doesn't show any territorial restrictions now, so hopefully this means you can buy my books from Australia through the site. The fact that Priestess of the White and Voice of the Gods have disappeared actually supports this possibility. They're the two books most often failing to appear in other ebook stores.

The last time I looked into the Nook, the site said the books weren't available outside of the US. This time it didn't, all books appear and I could find no information about territorial restrictions. Ironically, the fact that all of my books are showing up makes me doubt that the 'if the book shows up you can buy it' assumption is right here. If you try to buy Nook versions of my books from Australia, let me know the result. If it works I'll note it, and if it doesn't I'll take the link off.

Once again, I must add that I am not interested in a debate on pricing. That's a topic for another place and time. To keep any feedback to this post on subject I won't be approving whiny complaints about the cost of ebooks. The purpose of this post is to keep Australian readers informed on where they can buy my books as ebooks.

Goodreads and The Traitor Queen

Alas, The Rogue didn't make it into the next round of the Goodreads Choice Awards, but some fine books did so go vote for your favourite. Thanks to everyone who voted for The Rogue. I was chuffed just to have a book in the running, and for it to make it to the second round.

In the meantime, I'm still working away at the polish of The Traitor Queen. I'm over the two thirds point now, so on track to finish at the end of the month, more or less. I've reached that point where loving the book is counterbalanced by just wanting to get to the end and have a good long break. And ideas for the new trilogy keep creeping in.

Patience, grasshopper.

Thanks!

… to everyone who voted for The Rogue in the first round of the Goodreads Choice Awards – it made it into the second round!

The second round includes the five new nominations. The top ten will make it into the final round. Voting for the second round ends Nov 20, and for the third Nov 30. That's a lot of remembering to go back and vote again, so I'll do a quick post when the third round begins (whether The Rogue is in there or not).

In other news… well, there's not much going on here because I'm steadily working my way through the polishing of The Traitor Queen. I've been working so hard I've given myself RSI (repetitive strain injury), so I'm trying to avoid using my hands for anything except working on the book. That means keeping away from the computer as much as possible. But the best part of working through The Traitor Queen again is I can see that I had an awful lot of fun writing it, and every time I reach one of my favourite scenes I can't wait until readers encounter it.

2011 Goodreads Choice Awards

I'm absolutely gobsmacked to find that The Rogue is included in the opening round of the Goodreads Choice Awards – fantasy division. You can vote for it, or one of the 15 books, or even nominate a book not on the list.

I'll be watching this one go through its rounds, because not only am I excited to have a book in there, but it looks like a good list of books to try. (I did buy Patrick Rothfuss' first book while I was in the UK, but it was in the one parcel that never arrived.)

Indonesian Voice of the Gods

The Traitor Queen is going well. Last week I passed the big conclusion and this week I'm writing the aftermath and consequence chapters. I managed to squeeze in a bit of work on the Sekrit Projekt and write an outline for short story set a few years after The Traitor Queen, but otherwise I'm not getting much done but writing, writing, writing.

Aussie Post has been working hard, though, bringing me this:

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Indonesian readers can now read the conclusion to the Age of the Five trilogy. I hope they enjoy it!

A Quick Update

Things are getting busy here now. I'm aiming to have The Traitor Queen first draft finished by the end of October, then have it all polished up and ready for delivery by the end of November. Writing the final chapters of the final book in a series has got to be the most exciting part of the process. I can finally bring together all the elements and plot lines I've been building. As I head towards the big conclusion the writing gains an irresistible momentum.

At the same time, ideas for the next series, Millennium's Rule are simmering away at the back of my mind, occasionally demanding to be written down. That, too, is one of the best parts of creating a story. I can't wait to start writing it and get to know the characters Tyen, Vella and Rielle. And I can't wait to introduce you to them, their worlds, and the new system of magic that I'm developing.

The Sekrit Projekt: Stage One

I had an idea a few months ago, which sprang from some discussions I had with people I met while on the Tour, as well as a few thoughts that had been swimming around in my head for a year or more. Actually, I had several ideas, but this one looked like the most do-able within the time I can put aside for a side project.

I'd like to tell you all about it, but this idea has a core of do-ability, and an expanding aura of 'well, if that works and I have time then maybe I can do this as well'. I'd love to share some of the fun with you along the way, but I'm keeping some details to myself because if I set a specific goal and don't reach it… well, embarrassing public failure is not something I relish.

That's why I've called it my Sekrit Projekt. At the very least, it'll be a fun adventure I'm sharing with readers of my blog. If it amounts to something more, then that'll be a bonus.

So, what can I tell you about it? Well, some time before I wrote the Black Magician Trilogy I did a pattern-making course. I used what I learned, and what I knew about some traditional clothing construction, to design the top part of the magician and novice robes. I made the novice version, which I got a friend to model for the cover illustration I did for The Novice.

The first step in the Sekrit Project was to design a pants pattern, make a pair to go with the novice robes, then make a set of magician robes. I started with the pants pattern, which I based on Japanese farmer pants. I did a test version with some bargain priced fabric which, while not glamorous or fashionable, turned out well enough to be comfortable around-the-house pants:

Then I finished the novice robes by making pants and a longer sash:

I wanted the robes to look like a cross between a martial arts uniform and something more 'wizardly'. In my 20s I used to walk past a regalia shop on my way to work, and I wanted that sense of drama and richness in the robes. And they also needed to be comfortable and uni-sex. I figured, at the time, that if I didn't like how they turned out at least they would be good pajamas.

Well, the novice robes would. Not the full-length magician robes. The formula is supposed to work for all heights and sizes, male or female, so I used a friend's husband as my test subject. That way I got to try out the formula on someone tall and male. Unfortunately they're much too big for me to model:

So you'll have to wait to see a pic of someone wearing them. I was very happy with the way they looked, last time I subjected my friend's husband to a fitting. They look exactly like I imagined. And my friends have given me some great suggestions, like how to tie the sash (thanks Kerri).

Will I make this pattern available? I'd like to. My main concern is that it is nothing like a modern commercial sewing pattern. It's a formula. It's not for beginner sewers. I don't have time to tackle emails asking for help working it out. I'll definitely seek out test sewers before putting it online. Then perhaps someone might set up a discussion group somewhere so people can help each other work out the pattern. For the moment, however, it's just a few sheets of drawings and notes:

Turning them into something decipherable will have to wait. Stage Two has greater priority. But that's for another post.

Five Tips for Being an Author on the Internet

I love Twitter. I love it's brevity. Currently it is the easiest and most efficient way to keep up with what's going on Out There, through following links tweeted by people who are interesting in the things I'm interested in, without it taking up a whole lot of writing time.

There's a lot of information, opinion, advice and fun to be had. But its way too easy to go from one article to the next blog entry and forget to take a step back and ask 'says who?'. This is probably most important with advice. It takes me back to the days when people first realised they could type their symptoms into a search engine and get a whole lot of medical advice. The best advice then was: make sure the website is a good source. The same should apply to writing advice and opinion. Though obviously what one person regards as a good source will vary from another's, and nobody's life or health is at stake.

Keeping this in mind that has made me spot a peculiar little problem with the way some authors present themselves and their books on the internet (and I'm talking about book/short story authors here). It's as if they're concentrating so hard on being cool and interesting and opinionated in their blogs, weighing in on the latest scandal, and writing up lists of five or ten or twenty pieces of advice, that they've forgotten that what makes them an author is the fact that they've written stuff like, well, books.

I've lost count of the times I've followed a link to an author's blog, or read an article by or about them, and thought, 'this person is interesting: what have they written?' and then can't easily find any information about their work.

Oh, I can go look them up on an online bookstore, but online bookstores don't necessarily tell me what series the books belong to and what order to read them in. I can go to Wikipedia but, well, much as I love Wikipedia it isn't always accurate or up to date. I can go to a publisher site, but I may not know what the author's publisher is, and they may have more than one publisher, or the publisher doesn't keep their site up to date. Maybe the author is self published. Even more reason for information to be easily available.

Obviously, there are authors sites (and blogs and twitter feeds) that just scream LOOK AT MY BOOKS! It's possible to take it too far in the other direction. I'm just saying that if a person types an author's name into a search engine they shouldn't remain mystified about the books that author has written. It's really not hard for an author to have basic information like titles, covers, series, and maybe a bit of a blurb up on a web page, or somewhere obvious on their blog. (Doesn't have to include a release date – believe me I know how hard it is to get accurate release dates.)

So here's my list of five effective ways to be an author on the internet:

1. Makes sure when someone looks for you they immediately find clear information on your books

2. See no 1.

3, 4 & 5. See no 1.

Once you've covered that base, go on with being cool and interesting and opinionated and writing all those top ten lists of advice. They might be the reason someone wanted to find out about your books in the first place, but at least make sure that person comes away armed with the information they need to actually buy your books.

(Oh, and if you came here looking for info on my books, it's all under the Books menu above.)

Spoilt for Choice: Aus/NZ Events 2012

I know, I know, it's only August, but since I don't plan to make any big overseas trips next year, I decided to look at what's on the local sf/f event calendar in 2012. It's quite a list:

Perth, Apr 5-9: Swancon 37: Doom-Con

Melbourne, Apr 13-15: Supanova

Gold Coast, Apr 20-22: Supanova

Sydney, May ?: Aurealis Awards

New Zealand, Jun 1-4: Unconventional

Melbourne, Jun 8-11: Continuum 8: Craftonomicon

Sydney, Jun 15-17: Supanova

Perth, Jun 22-24: Supanova

Canberra, Oct ?: Conflux 8 (This is currently showing Conflux 7, but will switch to 8 when 7 is over.)

Oh my. What a list. If you wanted four fun weekends in a row you could start in New Zealand and visit three Aussie cities.

I don't think I have the stamina, and there's a small matter of getting the next book written, so I'm going to have to pick and choose. I'd love to go to another Swancon, want to frock up for the Aurealis Awards, and do at least one Supernova, and there's no way I'm missing Craftonomicon – not just held in my own city but, well, you had me at 'craft'.

Looks like next year is going to be a lot of fun.

That's a Lot of Zeros!

Yesterday morning I woke to some amazing news: Orbit has officially broken the 1 million mark for total sales of my print books through UK Bookscan!

Thanks to everyone who bought them, gifted them, sold them, borrowed them from libraries and recommended them. And a tip of the hat to the Orbit crew, who really put themselves behind my books from the start.

You can read about it here at the Bookseller.

(And, yes, the last paragraph has some errors. I haven't yet written the Millenium's Rule trilogy and the 'Ithania series' referred to is actually the Age of the Five trilogy.)