Lois McMaster Bujold's Blog, page 14
March 6, 2022
new e-cover for The Spirit Ring
Coming soon to a vendor near your reading device. Just in time for its 30th anniversary of publication, I note.
Art again by Ron Miller, http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
And I finally have an in-spec Fiametta on the cover of her own book! (And bonus Thur.)
The Spirit Ring has long been my lab rat for publishing experiments, in part for its lack of series entanglements. I'd held it back from renewal one cycle due to an idea of trying it on a YA publisher, but alas, they didn't want a lone book, only if it were to be followed up with six more, which I wasn't going to do. So it was still sitting around in inventory in late 2010 when my agent in NYC attended a seminar given by Amazon to agents to introduce them to this new thing, Kindle publication, and learned the how of it.
Looking over what I had on hand to try out, it was this and a few stray novellas, so we got them up. Our first covers were pretty home-baked, using public domain art off the internet and available design programs my Spectrum e-wangler had access to. We got better with practice, but it gradually became evident the e-pubs were going to make enough money to justify buying professional art, and I happened to know an artist...
Persons much into the indie pub scene claim it's a good idea to re-cover older work about every five or ten years, to keep it from looking too dated. This may be a holdover habit from print publishing, but who knows. Five years seems unfrugal to me, but I can see ten.
Ta, L.
Later: Some poking around discovers that the Japanese edition has also had a reissue with new art.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/%E3%83%...
That is not the original cover art for the original Japanese printing (2001, I think) which I have on my shelf. (It had Fiametta sitting looking pensive, and Japanese, with the lion ring.)
Lower on that page are pics of the two Penric volumes. Amazon.jp can give one a tour of many of my other Japanese covers, which tend to be good art.
L
Art again by Ron Miller, http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
And I finally have an in-spec Fiametta on the cover of her own book! (And bonus Thur.)
The Spirit Ring has long been my lab rat for publishing experiments, in part for its lack of series entanglements. I'd held it back from renewal one cycle due to an idea of trying it on a YA publisher, but alas, they didn't want a lone book, only if it were to be followed up with six more, which I wasn't going to do. So it was still sitting around in inventory in late 2010 when my agent in NYC attended a seminar given by Amazon to agents to introduce them to this new thing, Kindle publication, and learned the how of it.
Looking over what I had on hand to try out, it was this and a few stray novellas, so we got them up. Our first covers were pretty home-baked, using public domain art off the internet and available design programs my Spectrum e-wangler had access to. We got better with practice, but it gradually became evident the e-pubs were going to make enough money to justify buying professional art, and I happened to know an artist...
Persons much into the indie pub scene claim it's a good idea to re-cover older work about every five or ten years, to keep it from looking too dated. This may be a holdover habit from print publishing, but who knows. Five years seems unfrugal to me, but I can see ten.
Ta, L.
Later: Some poking around discovers that the Japanese edition has also had a reissue with new art.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/%E3%83%...
That is not the original cover art for the original Japanese printing (2001, I think) which I have on my shelf. (It had Fiametta sitting looking pensive, and Japanese, with the lion ring.)
Lower on that page are pics of the two Penric volumes. Amazon.jp can give one a tour of many of my other Japanese covers, which tend to be good art.
L
February 20, 2022
Assassins of Thasalon upcoming this summer from SubPress
Subterranean Press just posted their page for it, pub date June, so I can show you the lovely cover art at last. By Lauren Saint-Onge, again.
https://subterraneanpress.com/assassi...
It WILL be available at Uncle Hugo's and Dreamhaven, when the time comes. I'm sure they'd appreciate preorders, too.
I'm very pleased with this rendition of Penric, very in-spec for the character (admittedly a somewhat fuzzy set) both in terms of features and expression. Also a nice dramatic scene from the book, so bonus points for that.
The 1300 sheets to sign for it should be arriving soon, which will give me a nice dead-brained task for a while.
Ta, L.
https://subterraneanpress.com/assassi...
It WILL be available at Uncle Hugo's and Dreamhaven, when the time comes. I'm sure they'd appreciate preorders, too.
I'm very pleased with this rendition of Penric, very in-spec for the character (admittedly a somewhat fuzzy set) both in terms of features and expression. Also a nice dramatic scene from the book, so bonus points for that.
The 1300 sheets to sign for it should be arriving soon, which will give me a nice dead-brained task for a while.
Ta, L.
February 3, 2022
January 24, 2022
Italian Ivan upcoming
My sometime-Italian publisher Urania is coming out with an Italian translation of Captain Vorpatril's Alliance. (I'm not sure of the pub date. ) It's described as "the kiosk edition with La Gazzetta", a term which someone more up on Italian publishing is invited to interpret for me.
Visual aid just in:
Ciao, L.
Visual aid just in:
Ciao, L.
January 11, 2022
Bujold reading-order guide, again
My periodic post of my suggested reading-order guide for all my books, useful to new folks just wondering whether, and how, to dive in, and to those who wish to help them do so. Feel free to repost the link wherever those questions occur. Updated to the current latest work.
https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...
For an added bonus, here's a link to my compact awards bibliography, likewise useful as an answer to the oft-encountered question "Louis who?"
http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...
My Goodreads "Ask the Author" column is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/1609...
Ta, L.
https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...
For an added bonus, here's a link to my compact awards bibliography, likewise useful as an answer to the oft-encountered question "Louis who?"
http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bu...
My Goodreads "Ask the Author" column is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/1609...
Ta, L.
December 24, 2021
Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths fundraiser
Signal boosting...
The Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths is having their year-end fundraiser in support of metals arts and artists. Contributions are tax deductible, something many are thinking about this tail-end of the year.
https://go.dojiggy.io/inclusiveblacks...
Scroll down at the link -- lots of interesting pictures and details.
Supporting the arts by supporting the artists, Lois.
The Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths is having their year-end fundraiser in support of metals arts and artists. Contributions are tax deductible, something many are thinking about this tail-end of the year.
https://go.dojiggy.io/inclusiveblacks...
Scroll down at the link -- lots of interesting pictures and details.
Supporting the arts by supporting the artists, Lois.
December 15, 2021
Knot of Shadows is released on Audible
More information on the audiobook here:
https://www.audible.com/pd/Knot-of-Sh...
Ta, L.
(The Assassins of Thasalon has been out on audio for a while, in case anyone missed it.) https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Assass...
https://www.audible.com/pd/Knot-of-Sh...
Ta, L.
(The Assassins of Thasalon has been out on audio for a while, in case anyone missed it.) https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Assass...
December 4, 2021
Masquerade in Lodi will be out soon
Just a reminder, Subterranean Press's signed hardcover edition of "Masquerade in Lodi" will be out at the end of this month.
https://subterraneanpress.com/masquer...
It is listed as "in stock", but I haven't received my author's copies from the printer yet, so it may not be ready to ship yet. But in any case, soonish.
Lovely cover art by Lauren Saint-Onge.
Uncle Hugo's and Dreamhaven will also have copies for sale in due course.
Ta, L.
Addendum 12/13: my author's copies arrived today, and they look great.
https://subterraneanpress.com/masquer...
It is listed as "in stock", but I haven't received my author's copies from the printer yet, so it may not be ready to ship yet. But in any case, soonish.
Lovely cover art by Lauren Saint-Onge.
Uncle Hugo's and Dreamhaven will also have copies for sale in due course.
Ta, L.
Addendum 12/13: my author's copies arrived today, and they look great.
November 24, 2021
Goodreads Choice poll eligibility
I note in passing, since Goodreads seems to be drumming up business for their Goodreads Choice poll right now, that my two eligible works this year are The Assassins of Thasalon and "Knot of Shadows", both fantasy. They don't seem to have a category split out for short work.
Ta, L. Not actually suffering an awards shortage.
Ta, L. Not actually suffering an awards shortage.
November 21, 2021
holiday Bujold bookshopping reminder
A reminder, most of my books are available, signed, mail order from Uncle Hugo's online bookstore, and from Dreamhaven Books & Comics both online and in person, here in Minneapolis.
http://www.unclehugo.com/prod/gateway...
http://dreamhavenbooks.com/
Personalizations available by request, but remember to build in more lead-time.
There are quite a few titles that are now hard to find, including most of the Penric & Desdemona novellas from Subterranean Press except, alas, the first ("Penric's Demon"), in the leather-bound deluxe or, sometimes, the trade hardcover binding; the last three Sharing Knife volumes in hardcover (also alas missing the first, a perpetual problem in series publishing); Paladin of Souls and The Hallowed Hunt in hardcover; and the otherwise very hard to find SubPress "The Flowers of Vashnoi". Some will be standard price, some rarer out-of-print ones will be (higher) market price; look, or ask.
Ta, L.
later note: I see "The Flowers of Vashnoi" is not on Hugo's website for online ordering, due to its intermittent availability and floating market price; you'd need to inquire by email. Ditto any other special items, including a random few foreign language titles; again, you'd need to specify what you want and then find out if it can be had.
http://www.unclehugo.com/prod/gateway...
http://dreamhavenbooks.com/
Personalizations available by request, but remember to build in more lead-time.
There are quite a few titles that are now hard to find, including most of the Penric & Desdemona novellas from Subterranean Press except, alas, the first ("Penric's Demon"), in the leather-bound deluxe or, sometimes, the trade hardcover binding; the last three Sharing Knife volumes in hardcover (also alas missing the first, a perpetual problem in series publishing); Paladin of Souls and The Hallowed Hunt in hardcover; and the otherwise very hard to find SubPress "The Flowers of Vashnoi". Some will be standard price, some rarer out-of-print ones will be (higher) market price; look, or ask.
Ta, L.
later note: I see "The Flowers of Vashnoi" is not on Hugo's website for online ordering, due to its intermittent availability and floating market price; you'd need to inquire by email. Ditto any other special items, including a random few foreign language titles; again, you'd need to specify what you want and then find out if it can be had.
