Stories So Nice, We Published Them Twice! (Or More)

Posted on August 24, 2012 by ogresan

I’ve had recent news of a couple of reprint sales, so I thought I’d pass those along. “The Ghost of Shinoda Forest” will be reprinted in Best of Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Year 3. Should be out in a few months. Also, “Sanji’s Demon,” likewise first published in BCS, is going to be reprinted in The Mammoth Book of Angels and Demons (edited By Paula Guran. Sanji comes down on the demon side) in the UK, probably sometime next year. I’ll give out some firm dates once I have any.

I like reprints. It’s like being published the first time, only without having to write the story again. It also gives readers who missed the story the first time another chance to find it, so it’s all good.

While I’m here I probably should mention that The Heavenly Fox, which I believed out of print at the beginning of the month, is apprently back in print, or at least for a little while. Amazon had four at the original price this morning…though now they only have one. Regardless, the publisher found a few more somewhere. No idea how many or how long these will last.

Yamada Monogatari: Demon Hunter

Posted on August 22, 2012 by ogresan

Now that everything’s more or less settled, I’m officially announcing—very loudly, in fact—that my fourth print collection will be a compilation of the Lord Yamada series, Yamada Monogatari: Demon Hunter, and is scheduled to be published by Prime Books in February. That’s not too far away. I’ll try to put up a cover image once that’s been sorted, but in the meantime here’s a list of the planned contents along with a reference to the story’s original appearance, if any:

“Sanji’s Demon” Beneath Ceaseless Skies #38-39, © 2010

This material covers the first story arc of Yamada’s career. I’m not done with him yet, but there is a progression and resolution to these stories. What isn’t here will be in the Yamada novel, To Break the Demon Gate, from PS Publishing, also scheduled for February. Next winter promises to be a fairly busy time.

Going, Going, Gone

Posted on August 2, 2012 by ogresan

Three days ago, Amazon listed two copies of The Heavenly Fox for $19 each direct from them. As of yesterday there are still two listed, only one’s listed new at $197 and the other is listed used and priced at $99. Yeah, good luck getting those prices, but it does demonstrate something I was rather anticipating—The Heavenly Fox has sold out it in both published states. There was a 100 copy signed, numbered and DJ’d run, which sold out several months ago. I checked with the publisher and, sure enough, the second, unsigned state has also sold out. Since both were limited runs I’m not too surprised. I’m just glad it didn’t take longer.

I’ll know in a few days who it lost the Mythopoeic Award to, but in the meantime I’m getting used to the fact that, for the first time in about five years, I don’t have a single book in print at PS Publishing. Good thing the Yamada novel is coming out from them next year.

Your Prose Sings. Too Bad Your Audience is Tone Deaf.

Posted on July 31, 2012 by ogresan

Having been subjected to all the fuss about Stephenie Meyer’s TWILIGHT series, I managed to pick up a copy and read a few paragraphs. Stephen King was right–she can’t write for beans: Her prose doesn’t sing, it mumbles. Clumsy phrasing, line after line of words that weren’t incorrect, but worse—they were wrong. Terrible stuff.

That’s it; I’m done. My slagging on Meyer’s prose is now officially over. This is not a plucking of sour grapes because Meyer’s gotten rich on stuff I wouldn’t read if you paid me. It’s not about her or even the crass commercial (I.E. Trying to Survive) publishers. This is about you. Not everyone who reads this blog is a writer, but some are. Most if not all of you would be horrified to think that someone will read something you’ve written and have the same reaction to your work that I did to Stephenie Meyer’s.

So why do you care? Probably for the same reason Stephenie Meyer likely does, and I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt here, because—outside of a few pranks pulled on PA and the Bulwer Lytton contest–I’ve never heard of anyone who deliberately set out to write badly. Continue reading →

Lord Grant Me Patience and I Mean Right Now! Wait…On Second Thought, Nevermind

Posted on July 16, 2012 by ogresan

I sold another story recently and I’ll give details when something’s official (as in the contract is signed). One side-effect of the sale, oddly enough, was to get me thinking about rejections.

Specifically, how bloody long they often take. The truism is that it “always takes an editor longer to say yes than to say no,” but I’m here to tell you that’s a load of baloney. Continue reading →

Richard Parks

Author, Unrepentant Storyteller, "Relative Anomaly."

Category Archives: Publishing