Robin and I have been having a little disagreement. Don't worry, it's nothing serious, but Robin is the consummate champion for the readers, and as such, she is always advocating for signed copies and other perks like custom bookmarks (and having those signed as well). Personally, I can't imagine that anyone cares if I sign a book or not, but, hey, that might just be me.
As some may know, we took an extraordinary step and got the remaining copies of the Age of Swords hardcovers from Del Rey's warehouse when they put that title out of print. Over the course of two trips, I've signed more than 1,200 books (500 of which were Age of Swords), but there are still 2,700+ to go. Robin wants me to add my John Hancock to all of them, and I'm certainly willing to do so, but it does take time away from writing, and as I said, I'm just not sure whether people care.
That's where "the experiment" comes in. Below you'll find an order form for Age of Swords at the unprecedented price of $15 (which includes FREE US shipping). These will come straight from our fulfillment center without Robin or I touching them, so no signature, no bookmark, just the book and only the book - but it'll be nearly 50% off and since we are picking up the bill for shipping and handling, you'll get it for a fraction of the $33.99 this book usually sells for when buying directly from us.
The hope is that many of you will take advantage of this incredible offer, providing a win-win for both of us. You'll get the book at a low, low price. They will leave the warehouse, so we don't have to pay for storage. We'll earn more money than when these books were bought from the bookstores, and I won't have to sign as many of them.
Maybe Robin is right, and people really want signed copies, but I also think there are those who just like hardcovers, period. And if they can get a quality one at a great price, this will be a great opportunity. In any case, we'll see. If nothing else, Christmas will be here soon, and this would be a great chance to get a book for someone who loved Age of Myth but hasn't yet jumped into Age of Swords. I'm sure there are some people out there that fit that category, right?
Maybe Robin is right, and people really want signed copies, but I also think there are those who just like hardcovers, period. And if they can get a quality one at a great price, this will be a great opportunity. In any case, we'll see. If nothing else, Christmas will be here soon, and this would be a great chance to get a book for someone who loved Age of Myth but hasn't yet jumped into Age of Swords. I'm sure there are some people out there that fit that category, right?
Hardcover Edition
US ONLY &SHIPPING INCLUDED Regular: |
For those who are curious, I'll post the results of this little experiment in the future. Oh, and anyone who DOES want signed copies and bookmarks and what not, you can get a signed copy at 20% off until the end of the month as part of our Fantasy Fall Sale. You can buy Age of Swords (and all my other hardcover books) from here.
And one last note. For those who are curious as to why this is only for the US...well, shipping overseas costs more than we are selling the book for, and our out-of-pocket costs for this would be $31.06. So, we'd be losing $16.06 for each overseas order. We are assuming that if people are going to pay the high cost of overseas shipping, they'll want a signed copy with the other bells and whistles. Like I said, this is an experiment, and if enough overseas people write us and want unsigned books, we'll run something similar for you as well.
So, that's it. I hope some people take advantage of this offer, it'll mean I have less books to sign, but if it turns out that Robin is right, I'll be more than happy to keep signing away. Either way, we, as always, thank you for your support.
I already have a copy of Age of Swords, so I won't be participating in your experiment. I will say that while I love to have signed books, the price of the non-signed would probably be a big factor for me. We don't have a huge book buying budget, so when I can find a good deal, I will almost always take it.
ReplyDeleteWe're somewhat local to each other, so I always hope I'll hear about a signing, then I can have the best of both worlds :)
Somewhat local? That's cool. If you are ever in the Luray VA area, drop us a line and we'll have you over for a snack or a drink. Then I'll sign anything you need me to ;-)
DeleteI love signed books. I have two copies of The Death of Dulgath. People ask me, "Why do you have two copies of the same book?"
ReplyDeleteMe: One's super special. It's signed! And hardback! And limited edition!
People:...but it's the same book?
Me: Well, yeah, but it's BETTER!
That's great! I take it the "other copy" is the paperbak?
DeleteI'm not in the US so I can't jump in, but I go crazy for signed books. I just recently bought 2 copies of books I own and another I never imagined I would pick up because I spontaneously discovered a live signing for Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufmann and NEEDED something for them to sign.
ReplyDeleteI purposely go out of my way to get signed/exclusive/collector's editions. I'm actually hurt when I look at shipping prices force me to stop. When I get preorder gifts that have signed stickers or bookplates, I actually put them inside the book on the blank front pages. It just makes the book so much more personal and special, especially when it's from an author you LOVE.
You might not think anyone would care about having your signature, but they really, really, REALLY do. My hope is to one day have a signed copy of every book you've ever written/will write.
Hey Amy, thanks for weighing in with your perspective on that. I'll keep it in mind.
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