Eddis, Attolia, Sounis

I think we can easily say that Green Willow (and HarperCollins) love us because we have pretty much ensured that this series sells fairly steadily, despite the large gaps between books. This is one of the things they can rely on to make them money, no matter what. Therefore, I'm glad they are giving credit where it's due.

And I agree with what many people have said up above about wanting the next book before the tenth birthday. (Although if you look at publication dates for the past novels, it looks like it might be 2016, which is SIX years. But at the same time, there is that persistent rumor that keeps coming up where KoA was split in half, which would hopefully mean a decreased wait time.)

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And this is partly why I want to work for Green Willow some day. (The other reason is Diana Wynne Jones.)

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harlyn.livejournal.com

There's only ~650 members, and CoK definitely sold more than 650 copies (though I like to think that our collective, consistent cheerleading helps :-D)
I like the tongue in cheek remark about when the next book comes out--hopefully MWT doesn't keep us wondering about what happened to Costis for that long. On the other hand, if she'd published all her books within a couple years, I would have read them straight through and forgotten them, instead of it being this saga stretching across half my life. Anyway, YAY SOUNIS!!!

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katecoombs.livejournal.com

I was wandering alone in the wilderness, thinking I was the only person who was overwhelmingly impressed by these books, and then... I discovered Sounis! Go, Gen! (Also MWT, sure, why not?)

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I keep getting this vibe that "devoted" is code for crazy

Among other things...

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We also buy multiple copies of the books, and recommend them (throw them at) to anyone and everyone we meet. Plus, we walk around with t-shirts, handbags, and license plates that advertise the series, and... and... WHY AREN'T WE GETTING PAID FOR THIS?

I'm banking on four, and since Megan may have the plot outlined already since it's an extension of KoA, I'm hoping for three. Don't ruin my day with reality.

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And we've loved having you here.

Also, I get to brag I talk to Kate Coombs.

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Greenwillow rocks! It's like they cater to our every whim. Except, I suspect they may be a little scared of us "devoted" fans, but hey... That makes things so much more fun!

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Hahaha, can you deny it?

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They want to pacify us so they don't have a stampede of rabid Gen fans running around. Better to cater to our every whim so they can keep us in check, channel all that energy ;) And I must say, I'm admiring all your user pics now that I've actually seen the shows referenced :D

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Hey, never denied that I was crazy, just pointing out that I think random people on the internet are calling us crazy.

This is a proud day Sounis.

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Oh, come on... We were just joking about that whole fire thing. Honest...

Ha ha, thanks. The WC one is new, because after talking to you, I realized I didn't have one. Travesty, right? So I found this really cute one of Neal and Peter bickering. The Leverage ones are for declaring my love of Parker, the highly functioning sociopath. Who doesn't love Parker?

But actually, unless you've also seen Skip Beat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Beat#Plot), Noir (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl8z5N3VQP4), and Veronica Mars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNuqjuDWngI) (which are all series I highly recommend) you can't understand all my icons. And that is not at all a subtle hint that you should watch those. That is assuming you watch and enjoy anime, of which the first two are.

The Homework Procrastination Fairy strikes again.

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they "hope" to publish book FIVE before sounis turns 10 in 2015? Not very reassuring, or even nice. She does not write fast, we know it, I don´t mind waiting, but geesh they did not have to rub it in.

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I think they were trying to be reassuring, but now I wish they'd said nothing. Because now, all I can think of is that New Horizons will reach Pluto in 2015.

*glazed over look*

Maybe, I really shouldn't be comparing the progression of a space mission to the publication of a series, but it's getting harder not to.

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Oh Homework Procrastination Fairy, I used to be a good student, but then you recommended all these shows...

Parker is ADORABLE! I just watched the one where she was on the jury and that gal told her that she cheats on her diet and Parker got all excited and was like "You told me a secret, that's something FRIENDS do!!! *grins*" You just want to give her a hug, she's so adorable.

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katecoombs.livejournal.com

Thank you!!

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katecoombs.livejournal.com

Mm-hm! Thanks to you, I watched ALL of the Veronica Mars episodes this summer--and while Buffy is still number one for me (almost always surprising AND well written), Veronica M runs a close second now.

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Your welcome, Kate!

I'm so glad you enjoyed VM. When you said you liked BtVS, I thought you might.

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You're already that far into the first season? I'll take that as a good sign. And... Oh, shiny tomato! I forgot to tell you that the episodes were not aired in their original order. Here's the original order via John Roger's blog.

1.) The Nigerian Job
2.) The Homecoming Job
3.) The Wedding Job
4.) The Snow Job
5.) The Mile High Job
6.) The Miracle Job
7.) The Two Horse Job
8.) The Bank Shot Job
9.) The Stork Job
10.) The Juror #6 Job
11.) The 12 Step Job
12.) The First David Job
13.) The Second David Job

Hope that helps. The TNT episode order doesn't really make sense.

Oh, gosh... Don't even get me started on Parker. One minute she's a sociopath displaying epic thieving skills, and the next she's a little kid who's never had a real friend. My favorite Parker moment is probably from that episode. I PUT A RAZOR BLADE IN THAT APPLE! That shouldn't remind me of Irene and her wine glass, but it does.

I think you would really enjoy VM. It's a little darker than WC or Lev. but it's still full of snarktastic mystery fun! You can find out more about it from my post here. (http://community.livejournal.com/sounis/312908.html)

SB is hilarious and crazy, yet still an amazingly profound story of self-discovery. It's not in this country yet, so you would have to watch it online with subtitles.

Noir is the only one I am wary about. It's very subtle and tends to confuse people who lack the patience for such a complex story and are unfamiliar with Japanese pacing methods. It's a pretty short closed one season arc - 20 something half-hour episodes. I know the trailer didn't tell you much, so here is a summary courtesy of yours truly.

Noir.
It is the name of an ancient fate.
Two maidens who govern death.
The peace of the newly born.
Their black hands protect.

Arriving in her apartment one Paris morning, Mirrille Bouquet, an ace assassin for hire, receives a mysteries message.

Make a pilgrimage to the past with me.

But it's not the email that spurs Mirrille into action, it's the included audio file that plays a melody which Mirrille obviously recognizes. What horrible memories does Mirrille associate with this melody, that is enough to make her jump on a plane and track down the sender? Thus begins Mirrille's journey through a labyrinth of mystery, betrayal, murderer, secret societies, and love to find out what really happened to her parents that fateful day in Corsica. The morning that turned her into the killer she is today.

But Mirrille is not the only one searching for her past. The sender of the message, a young Japanese girl named Kirika Yuumura, wakes up one day with a fake ID, a gun, a mysterious musical pocket watch, and no memory of who she is. All she knows, is that someone wants her dead, and she's willing to trade anything, even her own life, to find out how she got there and why she can kill with no remorse.

But are the powers that be, the powers that want them dead, really trying to kill them, or are these two girls being tested for a greater purpose? A purpose that neither of them understands, yet has directed their lives since the day they were born. And above all else, will they be able to answer the one question that haunts them the most... What is Noir?

That pretty much sums it up. I shouldn't have to say that this series is not funny, but HOLY SMOKES IS IT POWERFUL. In an... okay... wow, I did not see that one coming sort of way. As you can imagine, it's violent, but not gory. Blood is actually never shown on screen. It's all very plot and character focused. I must have watched it like five times. It's so awesome! Kinda like the Bourne Identity except with girls and in Japanese.

The Homework Procrastination Fairy, corrupting good students everywhere since 1992.

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thesehnsucht.livejournal.com

Hope? Not very reassuring... and lately I've been having nightmares that MWT is going to outlive us all... and still be publishing this series at the speed of gastropods. And we'll Never. Find. Out. What. Happens. At. The End.
noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

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Hey guys...MWT has yet to wish Sounis happy birthday!!!!!

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Oh my gosh, I laughed SO much at the "razor in tha apple" scene. Well, that's ONE way to convince someone they'd rather have an orange. Ahahahaha. Just NO heasitation, that's the first thing to pop into her mind. LOL.

Why do you do this to me HPF? You really are out to get me. That's it, next time I'm at the store I'm picking up some fairy repellant. Oooh, but I do love my Robert Ludlum... Might have to investigate this. Thanks!

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I have an orange. You have an apple. Now convince me that I want the orange. *bites into apple*

I PUT A RAZOR BLADE IN THAT APPLE!

BEST SCENE EVER! because it's just so Parker! Sophie's reaction was hilarious, "You fell for that?" Then Eliot goes and eats the apple anyway. It does show that Parker understands a certain part of human nature. People, particularly Eliot, think her capable of pretty much anything. He would totally believe she'd put a razor blade in his apple. Now, we all know she'd never do that. I think...

That scene really suits her too. Parker is charming in a strange way, but she wouldn't be able to persuade people like Sophie does. She's uses an alternate set of tactics. The scary kind.

Oh, you don't need to buy anything. All you gotta do is say, I don't believe in fairies!

*drops dead*

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Lol, yeah, he eats the apple, but then he gives it this look like "No... she wouldn't... would she? *nom nom nom anyway*"

Oh no! Don't die! I DO believe in fairies, I do, I do!

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That's EXACTLY what he looks like. She's joking, right? Then again, it is Parker... Eliot's so cute. There's very few things he's scared of, but I do think he's a little scared of Parker.

Eliot: Oh, she's running a con. That's why she's dressed like a nun.
Nate: You thought she was dressed like a nun for no reason?
Eliot: It's Parker.
Nate: Fair enough...

I also love the scene when she hugs him in The Twelve-Step Job. Thus, the icon. I still don't know why she hugged Eliot first, while throwing her bag at Nate. I wonder if she was suppose to be mad at Nate.

You have to clap too. Haven't you ever read Peter Pan?

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The hug was soooo cute! I love Eliot!

*claps belatedly*

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well, at least she is writing those - I am waiting for A Dance with Dragons since the last milenia. And there was this other series where the newly rebranded author just quit and went to work on tv instead, leaving a sort of cliffhanger hanging and forget about the rest of the series.

But hope the next book is out on less than 5 years, geesh, it does not sound good. Particularly when I really disliked how long it took them to actually start selling the book, with tons of ARCs flying and manuscript being finished some 9(?) months before. If they had tons of ARCS many months before, they could have published it much earlier!

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Not necessarily.

When a publisher takes a book, they have to plan out the time line very early, which includes truing to include times for unforeseen delays (such as storms in the south Pacific that mess with the shipping schedule so that the books can't get from the printers to the distributes in time....it can be a nightmare)this is all the distributes fault. Distributers often want the books several months before hand and there is nothing we can do to change how the distributers work. And just because they get a book x-months ahead, does not mean that it is ready is some short amount of time. Besides the distributers, publishers have to do all the various edits, from developmental to copyedit. Then it has to be designed (and re-copyedited). And then there's marketing (icky, icky marketing) where they have to sit around, write a lot of summaries trying to convince bookstores to actually take the book, do research on who to market to (which is where the RAC's come in). They also use the RAC's to collect the blurbs on the back cover. And despite the RAC's being out, they are still working on the design and the editing (as I understand it there are changes (very expensive changes) between the RAC and the final in this case). They probably also waited as long as they did between the RAC and the final because of the gap between the books. They wanted to get the hype up so that it would be more than just Sounisians buying them. And apparently it worked, since the book got 6th on the New York Times best seller list.

So, yeah. There's no way to hurry up the publishing industry. (And it doesn't help that they like to be really secretive about what they do...)

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I am not particularly impressed at the delay or your justifications. Other really eagerly awaited books have had much shorter wrap up time, including just a few months. ACOK took ages, it felt frankly ridiculous.

And the whole masses of ARCs flying around might have contributed to doing *good* on bestseller list ( if 6 is good) but it might have done as well without that. The moment I heard about the book I was emailing friends and commenting on othe sites, lots of people wanted it as soon as possible, just at the news of it. Not sure if giving ARCs to every corner book blog of book 4 in a series is really going to make much difference, nobody will buy it if they have not read the rest of the series! Might work for book 1. And some on, giving hundreds of ARCs to collect blurbs is ridiculous, they will not put book blurbs, they just need to give a few, even manuscripts to authors whose name will look respectable on a book cover. It is sort of pitiful to put blurbs from websites or random people on bookcovers.

Maybe I am just bitter I hated the delay and how many ARCs were flying around, it made me paranoid about spoilers, and destroyed that feeling of fandom reading a book at the same time and everybody discussed it at once.

so here´s me HOPING that when MWT does finish book 5 that the publishers do their best to put it out as soon as possible, without that stupid delay and "marketing" stuff. It will book 5, nobody will buy it if they do not want to buy it already.

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I disagree about the marketing thing. They need to to the marketing so that BOOKSTORES will stock the book. Books do not magically appear on those shelves. The bookstores have to be convinced that a book is worth their while, buy them, and then they sell them to us. And if the book doesn't sell, it gets shipped back to the publisher after a month. So they need to build up the hype to make that month worth it.

And they also know that we are rabid fans and that we will disappointed if the book is less than perfect.

(And it's still the fault of that contract at the very beginning where they have to state the release date then get the books to the distributer one to two months early, depending on the distributer and I know it's stupid, but that's the life of a book.)

(And with blurbs, they don't use all of them, and not all of the people they send the book to gives blurbs. Apparently they were scared no one was going to respond this time.)

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And, all of the books so far have received honors. They have a standard to maintain. Therefore they will take the time to make sure that standard is met.

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The publishers had a book cover and blurb on mid June 2009 for an April 2010 release. I think that is slow and not a service to fans. When compared with some other eagerly awaited series like Harry Potter ( more at the beginning, before it was so gigantic, the wait for GoF or PoA) or the new GRRM books, it is pathetically slow.

We don´t know for sure, but I do think the series is popular enough, on its own slow-steady-burning way that trying to market it as if it was book #1 by generic new author is sort of a disservice. Lots of people, not involved on fandom, will buy book number 5. Lots of ARCs or blurbs will likely not change anything.

so I do hope publishers do a better job for the next book. Faster turning time, and no ARCs hopefully - I like getting a book at the same time as everybody else. Though of course, if I could get it first I would probably waver about that!

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