I was at Borders tonight, and I was glancing through the OSC books, as usual, and I picked up The Memory of Earth. I have been wanting to read the back of this book for some time, seeing as how normally, they are missing this first book of the series. So as I am looking it over, I notice how on the front cover, it says, "Bestselling author of Xenocide". Is this comment for The Memory of Earth's sake, or Xenocide's?
Edit: Also, another topic I've been meaning to bring up, is anyone else annoyed by how ridiculously expensive paperbacks are these days? Eight bucks! Now that I think about it, I would have been cheaper for me to just get a signed hardcover of The Crystal City, rather than a not-signed paperback for four cents more (excluding shipping costs).
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
1. At the time Memory of Earth came out in paperback, Xenocide was my most recent novel that hit the NYTimes also-ran list, which is only listed online and within the industry, NOT in the top twenty that's published in the paper. But you always put the name of the most recent bestseller on the new book in hopes of picking up readers who liked it.
Unfortunately, judging from the subsequent sales of Children of the Mind, only nine people liked Xenocide. More than that BOUGHT it, of course ...
Sometimes it turns out that without meaning to, I wrote it for myself alone ...
2. As for the price of paperbacks - that's the result of the collapse of the mass market about a decade ago. The distributors who used to put mass market titles in grocery stores, etc., all folded into a couple or three companies, and THEY decided to stock only the genres of books that sold the most - women's romances and bestsellers. At that point, you no longer had economies of scale in mass market sales; a lot of books now don't come out in mass market at all. Instead, they come out in hardcover or trade paper (paperbacks the same size as a hardcover book, but ... paperback) and that's it.
And adjusting for inflation doesn't help - the price really IS higher. Back when hardcovers went from seven bucks to eight, paperbacks were about a buck fifty, if memory serves me right. And it might, for once. Now that paperbacks sell for about a third of the price of the hardcover, it does make you nostalgic for the good old days.
But ... I could be completely wrong in that memory. So ... does anybody know about a site that lists prices from different years? You know, what a list of things cost in 1950, 1960, 1970, etc.?
Posted by Hamson (Member # 7808) on :
We all love Xenocide and Children of the Mind, but for different reasons than the other books. They just make you think quite a bit more... which is why general public tends to stay away from them.
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
I must be one of the nine
Xenocide was the first book of yours that I read...and I then kept reading your books. Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
quote: But ... I could be completely wrong in that memory. So ... does anybody know about a site that lists prices from different years? You know, what a list of things cost in 1950, 1960, 1970, etc.?
Something like this? Posted by CRash (Member # 7754) on :
I don't see any books at that link.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
I couldn't find one with books. I found one that had selected foods cost though. Want that one?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:We all love Xenocide and Children of the Mind, but for different reasons than the other books.
d00d, speak for yourself.
j/k. They're not my favorite, but I don't have a serious aversion to them like I do to, well, I'm not going to go there.
Posted by Hamson (Member # 7808) on :
Thats a nifty little link Boon.
Haha KQ Posted by Oobie Binoobie (Member # 8059) on :
Back when Xenocide and Children of the Mind were being published, I didn't have the budget for hardcovers. So I bought used paperbacks from the book trader store.
But I loved the stories and I go back and reread them periodically.
NOW, when I have sample chapters on hatrack and the money, and (without putting too fine a point on it) a wife who also loves your stories, OSC, we buy hardcovers on or near the release date.
So, the idiot publishers really *should* keep making mass market runs of your books. Some of us don't come into money until after the hardcover run is finished!
Posted by DF2506 (Member # 6847) on :
I love Speaker For the Dead and Xenocide. Those are, right now, my two favorite OSC books. Of course, I don't own them. I got them from a library loan one time. I'd love to buy them some day though.
I also want to get the Bean books and the Alvin books.
And yes, in paperback. Which is STILL, imo, much, much, much, much more cheaper then hardback.
Heck, if Shadow of the Giant was already out in paperback, I'd pick that up later this month instead of the hardback. But its not, so I'm getting the hardback.
Hmm. You know if I have the money, I should pick up Speaker For the Dead too!
DF2506 " Wonders to self when the next Alvin book is coming. Master Alvin! Looking forward to that alot too."
Posted by lurkerq (Member # 8236) on :
Sorry i no this is totally irrelevant, but how do you netpic?
Posted by Mark (Member # 6393) on :
Xenocide is my favorite book by you Mr. Card, you should keep this "writing for yourself" thing going!
Posted by Clarifier (Member # 8167) on :
i have to say that ALL of the enderverse books are my favorites, just depends on which mood im in.
the bean books are fast paced, political, and exciting, speaker/xenocide/CotM are thoughtful, philosophical (cultural (or species) relativism anyone?), and incredibly creative. OSC, you are defenitly not only writing for yourself, and please dont let that thought postpone the writing or release of the books taht continue that series, becasue i absolutely cant wait for them
Posted by poselito (Member # 8228) on :
"Sometimes it turns out that without meaning to, I wrote it for myself alone ..."
Ok, I will bite. We all love Xenocide and Children of the Mind.
It would just be funny to imagine a ficticious battle school add touting the training of Rose da Nose. Sure he was one in a million just to get into battle school, just knowing that Ender also came from there, it would be a funny add.
Posted by OSTY (Member # 1480) on :
Well I couldn't find a website as mentioned but being a used bookstore buyer and collecter of many copies of the same book I can give you a price break down on the price of C.S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew over the 40 years.
That is good resources osty, good for you
Posted by eyetell (Member # 8229) on :
I'll remember you
Posted by OSTY (Member # 1480) on :
Yes I think the guy at the used bookstore love me lots cause I take a lot of his paperbacks off his hands...and some of his hard to sell hardcovers too..but then he holds all the new OSC books till I come in and tell him if I want them or not...always a good person to know is your local used bookstore man!
Posted by eyetell (Member # 8229) on :
my b. i thought u worked there
Posted by OSTY (Member # 1480) on :
I am there enough I should work there. LOL
Posted by theamazeeaz (Member # 6970) on :
:: picked up hardcovers of Treasure Box, Homebody, and Memory of Earth for $2 a piece at the local free library booksale last night:: Posted by kaioshin00 (Member # 3740) on :
quote: and THEY decided to stock only the genres of books that sold the most - women's romances and bestsellers.
Women's romances? Pleh.
Posted by OSTY (Member # 1480) on :
That is awsome Amaseeaz...I am still hoping to find Treasure Box in hardcover! Plus I assume they are library editions!
Posted by theamazeeaz (Member # 6970) on :
Nope. not library editions. Hardcovers that somebody donated to the booksale. :-)
Posted by OSTY (Member # 1480) on :
Still very kewl and nicely priced...I think on average I have paid about $4 for each of my used hardcovers.
Posted by pwiscombe (Member # 181) on :
Y'know how in the back of a lot of old paperbacks, theres a page listing books by the same author and others in the genre.
Most of them have prices and an order form. You might be able to pick up a copy of your favorite paperback for a buck and a half...
Posted by BryanP (Member # 7772) on :
Let's not feel too sorry for Mr. Card, now. He was just fishing for a bit of reassurance there, with that Xenocide/CoTM comment, and I for one have no sympathy.
Anyways, not counting people on this board, everyone I personally know who has read the original Ender Quartet enjoys them more as the series progresses, so CoTM is the all around fave (and I'm talking like 4 people other than myself who have read them).
Posted by eyetell (Member # 8229) on :
really..... that's fascinating
Posted by Hamson (Member # 7808) on :
quote:Originally posted by OSTY: ...but being a used bookstore buyer and...
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