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So after a very fulfilling day (I passed my comprehensive exam and will officially get my master's in may) I decided to reward myself with my favorite author's new book. Like I wouldn't have bought it anyway. So i go to B&N and it is nowhere to be found. Not at the front of the store, not in the fiction section, and not in the sci-fi section. So I go ask the helpful lady at the customer service booth and she can't find it either. She finally found me a copy in the back that was somewhat beat up (aggravating) but I took it anyway after the wait. So my question is...Did no one else in New Orleans look for this book today at B&N? How sad! But I'm happy I at least have my copy Posts: 124 | Registered: Apr 2006
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I hope that that particular B&N had already sold out all the undamaged copies.
Still, the major chains ordered copies of the book based on sales of my other non-Ender novels ... plus a few, because TOR was really pushing it.
That means that once the stores run out of copies, it will be a while before their computers notice it and place reorders (if they reorder at all). Which means that TOR won't get those reorders until the shelves have been empty for some time.
Hard to build "bestselling" momentum when the stores don't even notice they've run out.
That's why it's easy for established bestselling authors to hit the lists - there are enough copies in the stores!
So if Empire is to become the breakout bestseller that some of us hoped it would be, it will take persistent word of mouth. The people who hate the book for absolutely trivial reasons (they don't like mechs, for instance, because they are unable to see the advantage of a vehicle that can step OVER cars that are jamming city streets) seem to be doing all the talking, even on my own website. Those who read the book I actually wrote (i.e., one about people, not machines, and one promoting moderation and civil discourse instead of fanaticism and hatred) are strangely silent. So maybe the book is doomed. That'll be the last time a publisher bets on my being able to break out of genre.
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Orson Scott Card: So if Empire is to become the breakout bestseller that some of us hoped it would be, it will take persistent word of mouth. The people who hate the book for absolutely trivial reasons (they don't like mechs, for instance, because they are unable to see the advantage of a vehicle that can step OVER cars that are jamming city streets) seem to be doing all the talking, even on my own website.
It is probably vain of me to think this was directed at me, but I would like to set the record straight just in case. I didn't hate the book. I loved it. In fact I joined the forum because I enjoyed it and wanted to discuss it. My complaining about the mechs was just pointing out something which I don't generally care for. In Empire the mechs worked. If anybody is interested we could debate the merits of mechs at some time but any such debate would be trivial with concern to Empire.Posts: 212 | Registered: Nov 2006
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Same thing happened to me when I went to Borders today. I looked everywhere for it. I asked someone that worked there and she looked everywhere including all of the displays but didn't find anything. She then called some guy who told her to check the back of the store and found one there for me. While I was at the register I heard the guy saying that they need to bring out the Orson Scott Card's from the back.
So yeah, I'm not sure if they sold out all of the ones that they brought out originally or they just forgot to put them on display. Hopefully the former.
Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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It took a little searching in different bookstores to finally find Empire... but I managed to find it yesterday and bought it at a Barnes and Nobles (sadly it was hard to find and there were only two or three copies).
However, I did talk to the people working in the store and they loved the premise of the book (plus OSC's other works).
Posts: 3 | Registered: Dec 2006
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I know that Empire is displayed front and center at the Borders that I work at. Last I saw there was a shelf that was full of only Empire. The books were right next to the "major big" table that people see when they come in the store. I'm planning on getting a copy soon.
(I work at a Borders in DC)
Posts: 33 | Registered: Jun 2006
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I haven't had any luck finding it in the Dayton area. I haven't searched exhaustively for it, but I've been actively looking.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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at a Boarders in dc they had little sheets of paper with new books on them split up by genre and Empire was third on the list for sci fi/ fantacy. Posts: 28 | Registered: Nov 2006
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haven't gone out to look for it yet, going today, when I hit the theatre to see Babel. I'm flying tomorrow and the last two times I flew I played my DS until my fingers were sore, did all the crosswords and sudokus in the flight magazine (had to correct all the wrong answers) and/or drained my ipod battery, looking for something a little more low-tech this time.
btw, I was told by a former publisher that all it takes to make the bestseller list was getting the book into airports--which is damned hard (seriously what was the last non-King, non-Rowling genre book you saw in an airport?). Is that still true?
There's another way for you to get Empire on the bestseller list real quick.
Have your agent set up an interview with Rush Limbaugh. He really liked your world watch article. Oh. that might be a bit tougher, eh? Besides, you might be able to out talk Rush, and he probably wouldn't like that. You certainly dominated the conversation on the podcast linked on the front page. Posts: 128 | Registered: Aug 2006
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Really! who is else is from here? I'm actually in Metairie, but people don't know what that is, but it's a suburb of NO so i just say NO. oh and by the way, hatrkr81 is my only name on here. awesome.
Posts: 124 | Registered: Apr 2006
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I work in Metairie (though I'm currently commuting from Hammond). pH goes to Loyola, Shanna lives in Monroe (I think), and avadaru lives in Baton Rouge.
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Awesome. I go to LSU Health Sciences Center downtown. In grad school for rehabilitation counseling. Always good to find other OSC fanatics nearby Posts: 124 | Registered: Apr 2006
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Got my copy of Empire last night! The last copy they had left i'm so psyched. I read the first chapter and a little into the second on my way to work and I must say, i'm excited about reading more on my lunch. Definately the best $25 i've spent this month.
Posts: 97 | Registered: Jan 2002
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I'm not sure how I missed this coming out, I must have been too busy working. I breezed through the online chapters but now I have to wait for Amazon to ship it to Afghanistan for me. Gotta love the military mail system (because no, you do not have a choice - but it is pretty efficient).
The reviews on Amazon are pretty hilarious, particularly the people who admit they didn't read the book, but regard it as [insert ideological epithet]. The "extremists" are demonstrating the premis of the book just in their reactions.
There is no doubt that OSC knows exactly where the Borders on Route 7 (Falls Church, VA) is, I've met and listened to him there at least once.
There are strong parallels between the premis of the book and what is happening on the ground in Iraq right now. In Iraq there are a very small core of extremists that incite violence to perpetuate chaos, while the population at large genuinely just want to rebuild their country in peace and live their lives.
It's been a long day and I'm rambling. I need time to plot a way to convince OSC that he really needs to come out here for a book signing.
Posts: 1 | Registered: Dec 2006
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Definately the best $25 i've spent this month.
