Failure
Well I've been thinking about the reception and 'impact' of Anywhere but Earth which I published via coeur de lion publishing in November last year. And I have to admit that despite loving that book and having three stories shortlisted in the Aurealis Awards for SF short story (one of which won - thanks Rob!), ABE has been a bit of a failure. Of course I didn't expect to make money out of the book, so I wasn't particularly looking for commercial success. But critically, I think it's...
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Thanks, Thoraiya. At least Adam's book will be shorter! :)
I love Anywhere But Earth. But it's a big book. That means before you can review it, you've got to dedicate some serious time to reading all of it, and I think that's harder with lots of short stories than it is with 6 novellas. If you live somewhere far away, you've got to be motivated enough to pay postage for a book of short stories, when you can get excellent short stories for free at Apex and Lightspeed and Clarkesworld and Tor.com (not always Australian stuff, though, and that makes a difference, but the Ben Peeks and the Peter Balls and the Patty Jansens do pop up there now and then).
Novellas, though. Novellas you don't want to read online. Novellas you want to hold in your hand (or e-reader). You should wait until Australia's bottom drawers have filled up with more nasty, compelling novellas and then put out another call. X6x2. X6^2. X12. XX36. Whatever ;)
P.S. Note apparent crazy success of "Ishtar."