[SIZE="3"]Today I dipped my big toe into the realm of self-publishing: I took the first steps toward creating a POD trade paperback edition of “The Peabody-Ozymandias Traveling Circus & Oddity Emporium.” It's something I've wanted to try - just once in my life - and this seems like a no-risk project. It will be a no-frills edition with simple cover art and no interior illos. Readers have been petitioning for an affordable edition, so that's what I'll be serving up. It should be available early next year.[/SIZE]
This post was last modified: 11-14-2008, 01:52 PM by fpw.
FPW
FAQ
"It means 'Ask the next question.' Ask the next question, and the one that follows that, and the one that follows that. It's the symbol of everything humanity has ever created." Theodore Sturgeon.
[SIZE="3"]Here's the story behind the The Peabody-Ozymandias Traveling Circus & Oddity Emporium...
All this started with a book called Freak Show. This was one of three theme anthologies contracted by HWA to put itself on firmer financial footing. Rick McCammon, Ramsey Campbell, and I were chosen as Editors. Rick’s Under The Fang came first and was a disjointed collection of vampire stories with the premise that the undead have taken over – now what?
I was up next. I spent the early months of 1990 mulling a theme and a structure for my anthology and decided on a traveling circus / freak show. I boned up on circuses and such (in libraries, folks – no Google back then) and talked to Harlan Ellison about his experiences when he ran away from home at age 13 to join a circus but wound up in a freak show, and Dean Koontz about his sources for Twilight Eyes.
And while I was doing this, Bob Weinberg called in April, asking for a story for the 1990 World Fantasy Convention program book. As writer GoH that year, I was expected to contribute some original fiction. Well, I was knee-deep in circus lore, so why not use that setting? And since Bob’s wife Phyllis was the world’s number-one Repairman Jack fan at the time (the only Repairman Jack fiction extant in 1990 was The Tomb and the novella, “A Day in the Life”
I decided to write a Jack story and dedicate it to Phyllis.
Thus, “The Last Rakosh” is the first appearance of Oz and his troupe.
On May 30, the first 20 letters went out to the biggest name writers I knew personally and felt I could work with. I wanted Freak Show to be more unified than Fang, so I included three pages of guidelines outlining the background of Oz and company, and how my connecting story would run, plus the general circular route the show would take around the country.
I asked for a description of each writer’s freak and an outline of the story. This was necessary to avoid duplication of characters, locations (I didn't want three stories in Chicago or LA) and plot lines. It also pretty much guaranteed that once I approved a proposal, I'd buy the story.
Many of the invitees – including Stephen King – turned me down. A number said they found the guidelines too restrictive; others blasted off and came up with great stories. I opened it then to the HWA membership and was inundated.
After the synopses were set, I began tying them together – solidifying an overall story arc and adding interstitial material to link the individual pieces. I also circulated descriptions of all the freaks to the contributors to encourage cross-fertilization (a passing mention of this freak or that in other stories).
This took a year of my life and interfered with my own writing projects. But I was 90% satisfied with the outcome.
The paperback, published September 1992, was truly ugly and disappeared very quickly – yet has become something of a collector’s item. I’ve done a number of online searches and can’t find a copy for less than eighteen bucks. Borderlands Press did a hardcover limited edition signed by all contributors, and I can’t find a copy of that for less than $75.
Fine and good. That was that. Until 1998 when I incorporated “The Last Rakosh” into All the Rage. This got me thinking about Oz & Co. again and wishing my story and interstitial material were available to my readers. After all, it was linked to the Otherness and the Adversary Cycle.
But I was too busy to cull out my sections and rewrite them into a presentable whole with no prospect of finding a home for it. (It would never be novel length, and back in those days the small presses were publishing only novels or fat anthologies and collections.) So the idea lay fallow for more than a decade until Don Koish approached me and asked if I’d write a novella for his Necessary Evil imprint. I wanted to – I’d been blown away by his deluxe edition of Tim Lebbon’s Dead Man’s Hand – but had no time for anything new.
However…
We made a deal. I took my original Freak Show material and fleshed it out, adding new characters and situations. In the process it wound up fifty percent longer than what I’d started with. I called it The Peabody-Ozymandias Traveling Circus & Oddity Emporium. The 500-copy Necessary Evil Press edition ( http://www.necessaryevilpress.com/tpotcoe_book.html) sold out before publication and is almost impossible to find. Readers have been requesting a reasonably priced edition. So… since I like to see my work remain in print…
NB: For those interested in interconnections, the story takes place about a year or so after All the Rage, in the summer before Nightworld. Oz's father and the Device will appear in the 2nd YA Jack novel.[/SIZE]
All this started with a book called Freak Show. This was one of three theme anthologies contracted by HWA to put itself on firmer financial footing. Rick McCammon, Ramsey Campbell, and I were chosen as Editors. Rick’s Under The Fang came first and was a disjointed collection of vampire stories with the premise that the undead have taken over – now what?
I was up next. I spent the early months of 1990 mulling a theme and a structure for my anthology and decided on a traveling circus / freak show. I boned up on circuses and such (in libraries, folks – no Google back then) and talked to Harlan Ellison about his experiences when he ran away from home at age 13 to join a circus but wound up in a freak show, and Dean Koontz about his sources for Twilight Eyes.
And while I was doing this, Bob Weinberg called in April, asking for a story for the 1990 World Fantasy Convention program book. As writer GoH that year, I was expected to contribute some original fiction. Well, I was knee-deep in circus lore, so why not use that setting? And since Bob’s wife Phyllis was the world’s number-one Repairman Jack fan at the time (the only Repairman Jack fiction extant in 1990 was The Tomb and the novella, “A Day in the Life”
I decided to write a Jack story and dedicate it to Phyllis.Thus, “The Last Rakosh” is the first appearance of Oz and his troupe.
On May 30, the first 20 letters went out to the biggest name writers I knew personally and felt I could work with. I wanted Freak Show to be more unified than Fang, so I included three pages of guidelines outlining the background of Oz and company, and how my connecting story would run, plus the general circular route the show would take around the country.
I asked for a description of each writer’s freak and an outline of the story. This was necessary to avoid duplication of characters, locations (I didn't want three stories in Chicago or LA) and plot lines. It also pretty much guaranteed that once I approved a proposal, I'd buy the story.
Many of the invitees – including Stephen King – turned me down. A number said they found the guidelines too restrictive; others blasted off and came up with great stories. I opened it then to the HWA membership and was inundated.
After the synopses were set, I began tying them together – solidifying an overall story arc and adding interstitial material to link the individual pieces. I also circulated descriptions of all the freaks to the contributors to encourage cross-fertilization (a passing mention of this freak or that in other stories).
This took a year of my life and interfered with my own writing projects. But I was 90% satisfied with the outcome.
The paperback, published September 1992, was truly ugly and disappeared very quickly – yet has become something of a collector’s item. I’ve done a number of online searches and can’t find a copy for less than eighteen bucks. Borderlands Press did a hardcover limited edition signed by all contributors, and I can’t find a copy of that for less than $75.
Fine and good. That was that. Until 1998 when I incorporated “The Last Rakosh” into All the Rage. This got me thinking about Oz & Co. again and wishing my story and interstitial material were available to my readers. After all, it was linked to the Otherness and the Adversary Cycle.
But I was too busy to cull out my sections and rewrite them into a presentable whole with no prospect of finding a home for it. (It would never be novel length, and back in those days the small presses were publishing only novels or fat anthologies and collections.) So the idea lay fallow for more than a decade until Don Koish approached me and asked if I’d write a novella for his Necessary Evil imprint. I wanted to – I’d been blown away by his deluxe edition of Tim Lebbon’s Dead Man’s Hand – but had no time for anything new.
However…
We made a deal. I took my original Freak Show material and fleshed it out, adding new characters and situations. In the process it wound up fifty percent longer than what I’d started with. I called it The Peabody-Ozymandias Traveling Circus & Oddity Emporium. The 500-copy Necessary Evil Press edition ( http://www.necessaryevilpress.com/tpotcoe_book.html) sold out before publication and is almost impossible to find. Readers have been requesting a reasonably priced edition. So… since I like to see my work remain in print…
NB: For those interested in interconnections, the story takes place about a year or so after All the Rage, in the summer before Nightworld. Oz's father and the Device will appear in the 2nd YA Jack novel.[/SIZE]
This post was last modified: 11-14-2008, 05:10 PM by fpw.
FPW
FAQ
"It means 'Ask the next question.' Ask the next question, and the one that follows that, and the one that follows that. It's the symbol of everything humanity has ever created." Theodore Sturgeon.
fpw Wrote:[SIZE="3"]Here's the story behind the The Peabody-Ozymandias Traveling Circus & Oddity Emporium...
I wish more and more to read it - don't forget to let some copies available for Europe!
Trying to be nice
I'm so happy that I can read these stories now (well, next year). Thanks Paul!
Stephanie
Stephanie
Abe's raised eyebrows caused furrows in his extended forehead. "Five in twelve hours?"
"Oh, and like you've never had a cranky day?"
fpw Wrote:[SIZE="3"]Today I dipped my big toe into the realm of self-publishing: I took the first steps toward creating a POD trade paperback edition of “The Peabody-Ozymandias Traveling Circus & Oddity Emporium.” It's something I've wanted to try - just once in my life - and this seems like a no-risk project. It will be a no-frills edition with simple cover art and no interior illos. Readers have been petitioning for an affordable edition, so that's what I'll be serving up. It should be available early next year.[/SIZE]
Please explain self publishing. Are you putting it out through a small private publisher like iUniverse?
Its funny you bring this up. I was just thinking about self-publishing over the past couple days. Any info you could offer would be appreciated.
Can't wait to read them, btw.
![[Image: hope.jpg]](http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr307/compendiumofsrem/hope.jpg)
Guns Don't Kill People, ATF Agents Do!
Legion Wrote:Please explain self publishing. Are you putting it out through a small private publisher like iUniverse?[SIZE="3"]
Its funny you bring this up. I was just thinking about self-publishing over the past couple days. Any info you could offer would be appreciated.
Can't wait to read them, btw.
It's one episodic story and runs 30k words -- too short for Tor/Forge to publish as a stand-alone and too long to be included in Aftershock & Others. So I didn't see much choice.
I settled on Booksurge because it's owned by Amazon and I figure it will be around awhile. So far the experience has been excellent. My only complaint is that they set a minimum price of $12.95. I can go higher if I wish but I was hoping to price it lower. I'll see If I can get them to set a discount price.
Even at $12.95 it's a helluva lot cheaper than the original limited edition, one of which is for sale now on eBay:[/SIZE] http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...0007266686
FPW
FAQ
"It means 'Ask the next question.' Ask the next question, and the one that follows that, and the one that follows that. It's the symbol of everything humanity has ever created." Theodore Sturgeon.
fpw Wrote:[SIZE="3"]
It's one episodic story and runs 30k words -- too short for Tor/Forge to publish as a stand-alone and too long to be included in Aftershock & Others. So I didn't see much choice.
I settled on Booksurge because it's owned by Amazon and I figure it will be around awhile. So far the experience has been excellent. My only complaint is that they set a minimum price of $12.95. I can go higher if I wish but I was hoping to price it lower. I'll see If I can get them to set a discount price.
Even at $12.95 it's a helluva lot cheaper than the original limited edition, one of which is for sale now on eBay:[/SIZE] http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...0007266686
Thanks.
That's probably who I will go with then. For that price I am assuming it is to be in Trade Paperback form. Often Self publishers such as this put them all out in Trade. I don't think I have ever seen a mass market from companies like this.I will definitely be looking into them And you are probably right about going with a company connected to Amazon. The only reason I would consider iUniverse is because they're now owned by Barnes and Noble so they carry their books in-store.
Guns Don't Kill People, ATF Agents Do!
Legion Wrote:The only reason I would consider iUniverse is because they're now owned by Barnes and Noble so they carry their books in-store.
[SIZE="3"]Probably just as good. If you're at ease with .pdf files and want to lay out your own book and cover, you can cut your start-up costs by 60%.[/SIZE]
FPW
FAQ
"It means 'Ask the next question.' Ask the next question, and the one that follows that, and the one that follows that. It's the symbol of everything humanity has ever created." Theodore Sturgeon.
fpw Wrote:[SIZE="3"]Probably just as good. If you're at ease with .pdf files and want to lay out your own book and cover, you can cut your start-up costs by 60%.[/SIZE]
pretty much and I have an advantage, as my wife has a degree in graphic design. After doing some more research Lulu looks like the best bet for my wallet.
One thing you may want to consider, however, is that they ARE owned by Amazon. During my research I came across alot of complaints about booksource. Apparently the connection to Amazon results in people finding it at lower prices and going with them to the point of the author loosing money. This might not be a problem, though, until after the initial sales.
Guns Don't Kill People, ATF Agents Do!
