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Stormlight 4 Update #6


dantlee

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Now comes the toughest part of the push for me. I’ve got just under two months left before January first, which is the deadline by which I’ll need to have the rough draft done if we want to publish in 2020. Since the book is looking really good, and the outline is solid, I’m confident that we won’t run into any problems. 

 

Please give us this Christmas gift :D

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I’m curious how much a difference  a tour really makes on book sales (especially for a established author). You would think that the sales division on the publisher would have many ways, in this digital age, to get the word out and people interested without the author traveling. He is absolutely correct and it is much better for him to be working on another Stormlight rather than touring. I appreciate him telling the publisher that the book will sell well without me and not giving in the pressure they must of put on him. 
 

I’ve never met Brandon and probably never will. I now live and Tulsa and it takes a lot to even get me to drive two hours to Oklahoma City. I don’t really see Brandon visiting My town anytime soon. I don’t need to meet a author to really enjoy their books.

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Does anyone know why January 1 is the deadline for publishing in 2020?  As opposed to, say, early January or Jan. 8 or something?  I mean, clearly the whole proofreading/editing/publishing process takes time, but I'd think that especially this time of year, taking an extra week or so to finish up would dramatically decrease the time pressure he must be under.

4 minutes ago, bdoble97 said:

While hes wrights the book how much of the in book art is getting done or do you guys think the art doesn't get worked on untill the books is all written 

I doubt the in-book art even gets started until much later.  He's still in rough-draft mode.  No use commissioning art for a scene that might need to change before publication.

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1 hour ago, galendo said:

Does anyone know why January 1 is the deadline for publishing in 2020?  As opposed to, say, early January or Jan. 8 or something?  I mean, clearly the whole proofreading/editing/publishing process takes time, but I'd think that especially this time of year, taking an extra week or so to finish up would dramatically decrease the time pressure he must be under.

I doubt the in-book art even gets started until much later.  He's still in rough-draft mode.  No use commissioning art for a scene that might need to change before publication.

Great point 

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1 hour ago, galendo said:

Does anyone know why January 1 is the deadline for publishing in 2020?  As opposed to, say, early January or Jan. 8 or something?  I mean, clearly the whole proofreading/editing/publishing process takes time, but I'd think that especially this time of year, taking an extra week or so to finish up would dramatically decrease the time pressure he must be under.

I doubt the in-book art even gets started until much later.  He's still in rough-draft mode.  No use commissioning art for a scene that might need to change before publication.

I have thought about this too. @Ammanasis generally knowledgeable about book stuff, so he might have an educated guess

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There is a different time table for “big” authors instead of the “smaller”. With a Brandon Sanderson I know that Tor will move mountains to get it ready to be published quickly so everyone can line their pockets. The quickest turn around that I’ve ever heard of a author completing a final draft and publication was about four months. That was Martin’s Dance with Dragons. That situation was unique because he was turning in sections as he went and it was being edited as they came in. Brandon will want to do multiple drafts and this is now Tor’s flagship series. They will probably want extra time to get publicity out for the release. I’ve noticed recently the publishers want more time to”build up” anticipation and get the word out (for their big money makers).Tiamat’s Wrath by Corey was delayed by about three months just for that reason. 

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A publishing company has to release so many books a year, and has to release them at certain times.  And they only have so many slots per year.  At any point in time, they're working with many, many authors to get their books out there.  If an author can't hit the deadline, but other authors can, then the authors that make the deadline get put in that year's line up.  It's not fair to the authors who got their books in on time to have another author come in and take a publishing slot, even if it's Brandon.

That said, it's Brandon, so they'd definitely give him priority.  But there's no guarantee after Jan 1 that he'd be done by Jan 8.  He could say Jan 8, and then he's not actually done until late February, in which case the publishing company has lost its chance to put another author in the slot slated for Brandon's book.  

 

Having a hard Jan 1 deadline helps make sure the publishing company is still releasing books and the authors are taken care of. 

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7 hours ago, galendo said:

Does anyone know why January 1 is the deadline for publishing in 2020?  As opposed to, say, early January or Jan. 8 or something?  I mean, clearly the whole proofreading/editing/publishing process takes time, but I'd think that especially this time of year, taking an extra week or so to finish up would dramatically decrease the time pressure he must be under.

Perhaps it is part of whatever contract he has with his publishers.  Perhaps it is just an artificial deadline he imposes to keep things moving at reasonable speeds and to give everyone something resembling a schedule to work with.

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11 hours ago, Ammanas said:

I’m curious how much a difference  a tour really makes on book sales (especially for a established author). You would think that the sales division on the publisher would have many ways, in this digital age, to get the word out and people interested without the author traveling.

I could see a book tour having some modest impact, simply because people will buy hard copies of the book (rather than e-books, which are usually cheaper) specifically so they can have it signed. I got to meet Brandon at a con shortly after The Rithmatist was released, and people were buying copies of it in the dealers' room so they could get it signed. I'm sure a lot of them would have bought it anyway, but with the popularity of e-readers today, they might have gone for electronic copies instead. Or they might have borrowed it from a library instead of buying a copy. The dealers' room also had copies of all Brandon's previous works prominently displayed, and people were buying those too.

With a book tour, you've also got incentive for people to buy the book right now, instead of going, "Eh, I'll wait for it to come out in paperback." I don't know if publishing is like the movie industry, where your numbers on "opening weekend" are A Great Big Storming Deal, but I can imagine it making at least some difference.

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i think it's mostly an artificial deadline and won't change much if brandon finishes by early january. on the other hand, it may also be moved later if revision takes longer than planned. even after they announce an official release date, that may change.

but for now, january 1st to finish the first draft is to decide whether to set the planned publication for earlier or later. even if they can still move the date afterwards.

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2 hours ago, The Kraken's Daughter said:

but with the popularity of e-readers today, they might have gone for electronic copies instead. Or they might have borrowed it from a library instead of buying a copy. The dealers' room also had copies of all Brandon's previous works prominently displayed, and people were buying those too.

E-readers are also cheaper to produce.  Also they are becoming less popular according to a new york times servery.

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regarding book tour sales, i'm a bit puzzled by its impact on sales; if I go to a release tour, it's because i already know the author and i already want to buy the book. sure, i may let myself be persuaded to buy a hardcover instead of a paperback, but that's it. if i'm enough of a fan to go through the hassle of attending a release party, then it's likely i'm paying the hardcover already.

I know i think different from most people, but i have a hard time picturing someone going to a release party for a book he doesn't want to buy and buying it. or someone not buying a book he wants to buy because there is no release party.

especially when it's a sequel; if you liked book 1, then you want to read book 2. if you didn't, then you won't read book 2 no matter what.

buying hardcover instead of paperback, or instead of ebook, i can totally picture, and perhaps it's the greatest profit for release parties.

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3 hours ago, king of nowhere said:

regarding book tour sales, i'm a bit puzzled by its impact on sales; if I go to a release tour, it's because i already know the author and i already want to buy the book. sure, i may let myself be persuaded to buy a hardcover instead of a paperback, but that's it. if i'm enough of a fan to go through the hassle of attending a release party, then it's likely i'm paying the hardcover already.

I know i think different from most people, but i have a hard time picturing someone going to a release party for a book he doesn't want to buy and buying it. or someone not buying a book he wants to buy because there is no release party.

especially when it's a sequel; if you liked book 1, then you want to read book 2. if you didn't, then you won't read book 2 no matter what.

buying hardcover instead of paperback, or instead of ebook, i can totally picture, and perhaps it's the greatest profit for release parties.

This is just an off the cuff guess, going from my own experience. Basically there have been times I have gone to a book store, and as I walk through, there are big signs stating "such and such author to do reading from their new acclaimed book at such and such time!". Sometimes I completely ignore it. Sometimes I go, "hmmm what does this person write?". I look it up, and if it is in fantasy, I read the synopsis, and decide if I want to give it a shot. Not all signings of Brandon work that way, but I could see it as being a form of advertising to those who happen to be in the area/place. 

 

edit: actually to take things further, it would benefit even more in locations he is unheard of, or there is only a small fandom as his books will go from the corner of the fantasy section that people may just pass by, to on display by the entrance advertising the reading/signing going on that day. 

Edited by Pathfinder
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Guest Edonidd

I think I'm the only one, but I am actively hoping he doesn't get it done by his goal date.  First of all that takes any pressure off, so theres the small chance that we get a better book.  Although admittedly it would be like 5-10% of the book that was affected, and that 5-10% of the book might be 1-2% better.

 

The bigger reason I'm hoping for 2021 is because Brandon has said he wants to do 2 Stormlight novellas and that one of those is Rock's story.  Also Brandon has stated that the Rock novella "kind of needs" to come out before book 4.  This would let him push back book 4 a couple months, wouldn't affect us much in the long run, but he might feel obliged to bang out one or even 2 stormlight Novellas to sort of make it up to us.  I know some people are eagerly waiting Mistborn or whatever he's gonna write next, but I'll personally take Stormlight over anything else.  And I think this would be the way we get the most Stormlightthe quickest.

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2 hours ago, Edonidd said:

The bigger reason I'm hoping for 2021 is because Brandon has said he wants to do 2 Stormlight novellas and that one of those is Rock's story.  Also Brandon has stated that the Rock novella "kind of needs" to come out before book 4.  This would let him push back book 4 a couple months, wouldn't affect us much in the long run, but he might feel obliged to bang out one or even 2 stormlight Novellas to sort of make it up to us.  I know some people are eagerly waiting Mistborn or whatever he's gonna write next, but I'll personally take Stormlight over anything else.  And I think this would be the way we get the most Stormlightthe quickest.

I am pretty sure he writes Novellas when the major works are going through editing or while he is on tour.  I don't think they slow him down significantly.

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1 hour ago, Karger said:

I am pretty sure he writes Novellas when the major works are going through editing or while he is on tour.  I don't think they slow him down significantly.

He wrote Edgedancer during focused writing time I think. But I do think he will have a contingency plan in case Rock novella cant release before SA4. 

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7 hours ago, Edonidd said:

The bigger reason I'm hoping for 2021 is because Brandon has said he wants to do 2 Stormlight novellas and that one of those is Rock's story.  Also Brandon has stated that the Rock novella "kind of needs" to come out before book 4. 

Oh, that's very cool! I would love to read a Rock-focused story. Aside from Kaladin himself, he's my favorite member of Bridge 4.

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