OK, I just read books 2 and 3 of the Cassandra Palmer series by Karen Chance so obviously I need books 1 and 4 -- which seems to be the all of them, or so I gather from the listings on GoodReads. Because I currently have much the poor, I look on eBay to see if I can luck on someone selling the two books I want for something that feels especially affordable.
There were some for maybe a dollar off bookstore prices after you factor in shipping, but no really exceptional deals. Which is reasonable I suppose. People don't have to sell used books at prices that convince me to have ramen for a day so I can convince myself that I'm not dipping into the grocery money in an attempt to overfill my bookshelves. Now I'm able to resist the splurge and wait till I can afford to get it new (unless I stop having this allergy dizziness so I can drive out and see if they're available at the local used book store). But I'm still really confused about the auction with books 1-4, for 32.99. All four books, it exclaims, but new these books are 7.99 each. Times 4 makes it 31.96. You can buy it for MORE used on eBay than you can new at your local store.
On eBay, you might avoid taxes, I suppose, but you're probably also avoiding sending money to the author. If I go to my local store, they might not have all 4 on the shelves, but every time I've asked, they order the rest. And they don't charge shipping either. It costs 7.99 on the shelf. It costs 7.99 when they order it for me. And because they buy it from the publisher the artist gets paid for this copy.
Why on Earth would I pay more for a set of books I enjoy in a way that doesn't even pay the author for writing them? Why would anyone? But then why would they auction it at those prices if they didn't think they could get it?
In other news, if you search Cassandra Palmer on eBay, you'll see a bunch of Art listings. Someone drew all the characters. They aren't exactly the images I have in my head what they look like, but they're interesting to look over. If you've read the series, go look, then tell me what you think of the Pritkin picture.
If you wonder about my own writing progress -- I had an idea. I had been wandering back through the zombie story, but wasn't thrilled about the idea of spending nearly 4 years straight on that one story (except for a few shorts and a few other beginnings). But I have a new idea (unlike all my other new ideas with 10 or so pages each) that I'm researching nymphs, sirens, and ondines for. I have a rough idea of the world and the Main Character and what changes she's going to go through in the book, though I'm not absolutely sure how I'm going to accomplish those changes.
I'm getting excited about writing it. Now I just have to make the excitement last. Or muscle through anyway. What was that quote? The writer who sat down every morning at 9 am to wait for inspiration. But if it didn't show up by 9:05, he started writing without it? Like that.
Last minute thought -- for those who don't catch the title automatically... When I was young we had records, but no radio. And by records, I mean vinyl. The song in my head when I wrote that was Carpenters "The End of the World". Here's a youtube clip so you can hear it.
ReplyDeleteMy parents had a giant record player embedded in a cabinet contraption. I remember long hours playing with that.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're getting excited about writing. Have you ever entered the Writers of the Future contest?
Pausing to go look up Writer's of the Future -- not that I've entered any contests so far.... Oh, hey, my Web of Trust thingamajig (one of the Chrome add-ons) says "This site has a poor reputation." I wonder how that happens. --Go anyway.....
ReplyDeleteLooks like the new year started a few days ago. I think that means we could enter anytime between now and Jan? Or I suppose anytime, really, since it's a continuously running contest. 4 per year. You wanna add this to our to-do lists?