Probably, indeed, the larger part of the labor of an author composing his work is critical labor; the labor of sifting, combining, constructing, expunging, correcting, testing. This frightful toil is as much critical as creative. ~T.S. Eliot
The real secret of magic is that the world is made of words, and that if you know the words that the world is made of you can make of it whatever you wish. ~Terence McKenna
Tell the readers a story! Because without a story, you are merely using words to prove you can string them together in logical sentences. ~Anne McCaffrey
The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon. ~Robert Cormier
If you don't feel that you are possibly on the edge of humiliating yourself, of losing control of the whole thing, then probably what you are doing isn't very vital. If you don't feel like you are writing somewhat over your head, why do it? If you don't have some doubt of your authority to tell this story, then you are not trying to tell enough. ~ John Irving
Sometimes making stuff up feels a lot like Coyote* running across the empty space between one rocky pinnacle and the next, and as long as you keep moving you're fine. When you stop and look down, it's suddenly all too apparent that there's absolutely nothing underneath and that you're keeping in the air by a peculiar effort of will.
And then a good day comes, and you start running through the air once again, and, if you're smart, you resolutely don't look down. ~Neil Gaiman
I read, I think on Andrew Wheeler's blog (editor at SFBC) that the new Harry Potter book will cost $34.95. Ouch. (can't currently find the post though). Any confirmations out there?
I went to go check on Kalahari.net (where I buy my books) and their estimated price is around R310, which works out to $43.60. Wow are we getting screwed.
:(
I think I'll wait a couple of months after the release for the prices to drop.
That sounds about right - but figure most people will preorder and get it for a much lower price. Others will get it discounted with various bookstore memberships or through discount chains. Others will wait until it gets to the Price Clubs, and also get it below cover price.
Hardly anyone will actually buy the book for cover price.
Well, my LFBS is selling it for somewhere between 20 and 25 dollars, and he is beating the prices of all but one local retailer for it. No idea what the MSRP is for it, but there aren't a lot of retailers selling it for that much since Amazon, B&N, and Walmart are selling if for much less.
When the last two books came out at Kmart, they were under $20.00. If you are not planning on going to a midnight release, I would just order off of amazon.
:(
I think I'll wait a couple of months after the release for the prices to drop.