-Has just been ordered. 10 days processing, then shipping. Assuming it looks good, I'll then be taking orders for hard and softcover copies of the 2nd edition! Remember, you locals will save big on shipping be ordering through me when I do my big order.. that is, you wont pay ANY shipping.
I'm kinda rushing myself so that I'll have a small stock on hand for the Vancouver Sci-Fi convention. I'm also going to be ordering a couple posters for the con- specifically updated versions of these 2:
Alisia Glow (Text updated from this version to reflect the new shorter title)
Regan's ZombieKiller Illustrated cover (Lower left barcode thing changed a bit)
I'm gonna get em in 20"x30" for display/sale. If anyone else local wants a copy of one of those, or any of my posters available, order though me NOW to make me eat the shipping cost for ya!
Lemmie rant about costs of some of those nonsense...
Gripe#1- shipping to Canada-
Lifehack 2nd edition softcover is $19.95
Shipping that book to canada: almost another $26. And THAT is why I have my stuff shipped to the US and a fraction of the cost, then get my wife to bring them back on her next trip across. Even after gas, it's a big saving.
This is also why I wanna order a bunk batch for anyone local who wants a copy. (That, and then you don't have to deal with paypal, or online shopping, or waiting for the shipment)
Gripe #2-
Retail markup-
For world distro, there's a markup applied for the 'end' retailers, which means the physical store you would order them through, or buy from. (Not that barns and noble or any big store is ordering my stuff- they don't even know I'm out there unless a customer asks for lifehack)
The retail price of the hardcover Lifehack is 39.95. About HALF of that is the retail markup! I had heard 30% was a typical cut for a store, which I can understand... but 50%? Yeek. I WAS hoping to retail the hardcover for 29.95- which I can still do for copies I'm selling locally myself, but yeesh. 39.95... Who's gonna pay that? Well, it's a good thing there's the softcover for $19.95. Much more reasonable and competitive. Thanks to some changes to the guts of the publisher, I can get the price that low, about 7 bucks cheaper than the first edition. The 2nd edition softcover is the version I plan to promote, the hardcover is mainly for a handful of 'collectors'.
Joseph Picard's writing projects and life ramblings including the kiddos, and life in a wheelchair.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
EXCITING NUDES!
Er, I mean news.
I may have mentioned before that the 2nd edition of Lifehack will probably be carried in a comic book store, and a games (board games, pen & dice games, etc) store. I was in the games store yesterday, and got yapping.
It turns out that the fellow that runs the games store, and the fellow that runs the comic store, might be sharing a table at the Vancouver Sci-Fi convention. which happens in october. I mentioned that I'd considered going to a convention before to sell the first edition of lifehack, but the cost of setting up, coupled with the lameness of having a table with one product... well, I never could find someone to share a table with..
I was quietly fishing for an invite, and I got it. (Subject to comic book guy's approval, and them actually deciding in concrete that they ARE going.)
... but it sounds good! I might see if I can bring a couple posters along. I only have a couple "in stock", and they're my personal posters... so I might just bring those along to decorate the table.. OR, if the guys go for it, I might have a few printed up just for the occasion.
Ah, by the way, fedex says the first copy of the 2nd edition will arrive (at our PO box south of the border) on the 15th. The cost in shipping is just horrific to Canada, I'm afraid. That's why I like to order a bit of a stockpile, save on bulk shipping, and sell locally from that pile, instead of referring people to the website. - and for the customer, it's instant gratification, instead of waiting for delivery. Anyway, I'm not sure when I'll be able to get it in my hands, but yeah.. on the 15th, the ball's in my court again.
I have no idea how many I want to order.. how many books does one sell at a convention? (especially if you're an unknown... the last name PICARD might catch a few eyes at a sci-fi convention though.. heh.) I don't expect to sell many in Pitt Meadows, since it IS the same story as the first edition, (even if it's more polished, better formatted, and has some new content..) the typical reader isn't going to want the same story again. Maple ridge has been under marketed though, and Coquitlam is next for me to invade....
...but that's kinda off in the future, and doesn't help me decide how many to get now..
In other news, in the livingroom, my nephew, aka fireball (red hair, too much energy) is currently playing mario kart advance on my gameboy, because despite my tidy little collection of games, he refuses to play anything that isn't vehicle based. He's obsessed with cars. I tried to show him contra, figuring the shotting giant monsters and blowing things up (WITH MASSIVE CHEATS, TOO!) would appeal to a 9 year old.
"Is there any vehicles?"
"No, but take a look at.."
And he was off in the corner looking for remnants of his hotwheel collection. What kind of 9 year old boy doesn't want to play games with guns?! What is the world coming to?! That sounds kinda bad, but I've seen this kid drive. We'd all be much safer if he had an obsession with guns instead.
I may have mentioned before that the 2nd edition of Lifehack will probably be carried in a comic book store, and a games (board games, pen & dice games, etc) store. I was in the games store yesterday, and got yapping.
It turns out that the fellow that runs the games store, and the fellow that runs the comic store, might be sharing a table at the Vancouver Sci-Fi convention. which happens in october. I mentioned that I'd considered going to a convention before to sell the first edition of lifehack, but the cost of setting up, coupled with the lameness of having a table with one product... well, I never could find someone to share a table with..
I was quietly fishing for an invite, and I got it. (Subject to comic book guy's approval, and them actually deciding in concrete that they ARE going.)
... but it sounds good! I might see if I can bring a couple posters along. I only have a couple "in stock", and they're my personal posters... so I might just bring those along to decorate the table.. OR, if the guys go for it, I might have a few printed up just for the occasion.
Ah, by the way, fedex says the first copy of the 2nd edition will arrive (at our PO box south of the border) on the 15th. The cost in shipping is just horrific to Canada, I'm afraid. That's why I like to order a bit of a stockpile, save on bulk shipping, and sell locally from that pile, instead of referring people to the website. - and for the customer, it's instant gratification, instead of waiting for delivery. Anyway, I'm not sure when I'll be able to get it in my hands, but yeah.. on the 15th, the ball's in my court again.
I have no idea how many I want to order.. how many books does one sell at a convention? (especially if you're an unknown... the last name PICARD might catch a few eyes at a sci-fi convention though.. heh.) I don't expect to sell many in Pitt Meadows, since it IS the same story as the first edition, (even if it's more polished, better formatted, and has some new content..) the typical reader isn't going to want the same story again. Maple ridge has been under marketed though, and Coquitlam is next for me to invade....
...but that's kinda off in the future, and doesn't help me decide how many to get now..
In other news, in the livingroom, my nephew, aka fireball (red hair, too much energy) is currently playing mario kart advance on my gameboy, because despite my tidy little collection of games, he refuses to play anything that isn't vehicle based. He's obsessed with cars. I tried to show him contra, figuring the shotting giant monsters and blowing things up (WITH MASSIVE CHEATS, TOO!) would appeal to a 9 year old.
"Is there any vehicles?"
"No, but take a look at.."
And he was off in the corner looking for remnants of his hotwheel collection. What kind of 9 year old boy doesn't want to play games with guns?! What is the world coming to?! That sounds kinda bad, but I've seen this kid drive. We'd all be much safer if he had an obsession with guns instead.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Lifehack releasing soon, intenationl student stuff, and chaos, chaos.
Well, Lifehack, (2nd edition/revision of AZU-1:Lifehack) is finalized. It has an isbn code now, and a copy is headed my way for me to look over and approve before it officially can go up for sale on the interweb. Shortly after I approve it, I'll be setting up the hardcover version as well. I won't be ordering a huge stack of books this time, since I don't think too many people will feel the need to buy a slightly updated version of a book they bought 2 years ago- soon I'll be asking about 'pre-orders', so I can order an appropriate number of copies for the local crowd, and save us all a lot of shipping charges. Anyway, more on the (still undecided) launch day as it draws closer.
The hardcover version WILL be available on the net, but it's not really the type of book that usually does hardcover. This version will be mainly for collector types... myself, a few members of my family, and Carrie Shannon, who's request for a hardcover version caused me to create a whole new revision in the first place.
Alas, Carrie's store, 'Heron's book store and coffee shop', is no more, largely due to an awkward location. Lots of regulars will miss it. I don't know where else I should loiter now!
That's not entirely true... beside the starbucks-wannabe store half a block form heron's, (ew, it's SO dull and cold) I actually do a lot of loitering at the local community centre now. Besides being the new HQ for the MeadowRidge Optimist Club, there's also a fun drop-in thing in the gym 2 days a week, where I can go with Caitlin, (who turned 1 since the last blog post) and play on big toys, and meet other little ones.
The optimist club had a big showing on Pitt Meadows Day, and we were in the parade as well. So was Caitlin, strapped into my lap as we wheeled the route.
Frig, there's so much I could write about. 'Ping' left for China, maybe to return for a short time when she comes back to the area and looks for a place to stay closer to university. 'Radar' will be back for her grade 12 after spending the summer in Korea. 'Asuka' (from germany) is visiting with us right now for 3 weeks, which is awesome. She's the 2nd student to come back just to visit, (the first being Rei from Japan) suggesting that we're not jerks. In the summer, we will also be hosting two 10-year-old korean girls for a month, which is going to be a new experience for us, hosting for students so young. We had planned to do that last year, but ended up with the teachers, 'Snoopy', and ... oh, I forget the other one's code-name... then in september, we will be getting an all-new german student, as well as Radar coming back, as I mentioned.
Bah, so much to write about.. this is what I get for neglecting my blog for 2 friggin months. I should do separate entries for Caitlin's birthday, the new little assistants I have for taking care of her, my becoming the new 'primary caregiver', shine more of a spotlight on Optimist stuff... so much stuff going on.. now that I have a 'bonus' 3 hours of 'free time' 4 times a week, I might get more regular with blog posting... so much to do, so much to do...
The hardcover version WILL be available on the net, but it's not really the type of book that usually does hardcover. This version will be mainly for collector types... myself, a few members of my family, and Carrie Shannon, who's request for a hardcover version caused me to create a whole new revision in the first place.
Alas, Carrie's store, 'Heron's book store and coffee shop', is no more, largely due to an awkward location. Lots of regulars will miss it. I don't know where else I should loiter now!
That's not entirely true... beside the starbucks-wannabe store half a block form heron's, (ew, it's SO dull and cold) I actually do a lot of loitering at the local community centre now. Besides being the new HQ for the MeadowRidge Optimist Club, there's also a fun drop-in thing in the gym 2 days a week, where I can go with Caitlin, (who turned 1 since the last blog post) and play on big toys, and meet other little ones.
The optimist club had a big showing on Pitt Meadows Day, and we were in the parade as well. So was Caitlin, strapped into my lap as we wheeled the route.
Frig, there's so much I could write about. 'Ping' left for China, maybe to return for a short time when she comes back to the area and looks for a place to stay closer to university. 'Radar' will be back for her grade 12 after spending the summer in Korea. 'Asuka' (from germany) is visiting with us right now for 3 weeks, which is awesome. She's the 2nd student to come back just to visit, (the first being Rei from Japan) suggesting that we're not jerks. In the summer, we will also be hosting two 10-year-old korean girls for a month, which is going to be a new experience for us, hosting for students so young. We had planned to do that last year, but ended up with the teachers, 'Snoopy', and ... oh, I forget the other one's code-name... then in september, we will be getting an all-new german student, as well as Radar coming back, as I mentioned.
Bah, so much to write about.. this is what I get for neglecting my blog for 2 friggin months. I should do separate entries for Caitlin's birthday, the new little assistants I have for taking care of her, my becoming the new 'primary caregiver', shine more of a spotlight on Optimist stuff... so much stuff going on.. now that I have a 'bonus' 3 hours of 'free time' 4 times a week, I might get more regular with blog posting... so much to do, so much to do...
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