What will happen next in The Rifter? discussion

Hey there!

First, I'm gonna say I will cross post this on Ginn's group, so sorry if you've already seen this.

Okay, we finally have the first two volumes of The Rifter up for preorder on our site!

http://www.blindeyebooks.com/rifter.html

Here you can order book one, The Shattered Gates, book two, The Holy Road or there is a third option for international (meaning outside the US) readers. If you preorder both books I will bundle and ship them together so you only pay shipping once for the two.

(I'll be shipping these once The Holy Road is printed, probably sometime in January.)

And, in addition to that, Ginn will be autographing the first 100 preorders from our site.

So step right up and get your red-hot Rifters!

Thanks for posting this, Nicole! I ordered mine right away. :)

Thank you Nicole. So each part will be printed separately?

Four print volumes will be made. The first has the ebooks 1,2 and 3. Volume 2 has ebooks 4 & 5.

Johanna wrote: "Thanks for posting this, Nicole! I ordered mine right away. :)"

I got your order. Thanks Johanna!

Fantastic! Thank you Nicole!

Yes, it’s time to preorder at last! Though I’m pretty sure I totally ordered wrong and hit the international option, because this is what happens when you shop for books before dawn.

4 am! The perfect time to make financially sound decisions!

I’m sorry. x.x

Em-nat wrote: "Yes, it’s time to preorder at last! Though I’m pretty sure I totally ordered wrong and hit the international option, because this is what happens when you shop for books before dawn.

4 am! The per..."

If you live in the US you should have been charged the US shipping rate, regardless, but if PM me the name you ordered under I'll make sure you don't get charged the extra $$.

Nicole wrote: "Okay, we finally have the first two volumes of The Rifter up for preorder on our site..."

Hi, Nicole!

I saw only now this (holidays), and 30 seconds later I tried to pre-order ;-).

But somehow the Paypal button ''buy'' for The Shattered Gates doesn't work. I thought if I buy The Holy Road only I won't get the discount for the shipping costs for international shipping. Am I the only one with this problem?

Something else: I imagine that most of us will buy all books. Couldn't you make a rough estimate of the costs and offer a package to be payed in advance? You would get the money at once and the faithful readers could maybe have a small discount? ;-)

Antonella wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Okay, we finally have the first two volumes of The Rifter up for preorder on our site..."

Hi, Nicole!

I saw only now this (holidays), and 30 seconds later I tried to pre-order ;-)...."

Oh noes! We just redid our website last week and I guess the link here is broken. I'll get it fixed.

About discounts: we will be offering 25% off preorders for each of the books. I'm hesitant to do a 4 book deal because it's going to be a year between the first and 4th books and I'm scare of taking money that far in advance. ^o^

Nicole wrote: "Oh noes! We just redid our website last week and I guess the link here is broken. I'll get it fixed."

Thank you!

You know, if someone has to worry, it is the people giving money, not the people taking it ;-). Anyway I would gladly pay in advance. And see that you get enough for the shipping costs as well: I remember that the first time I ordered books by BEB you had to send me two parcels, but I had paid only for one!

Hi, Nicole!

I saw just now that the link is fixed, so I preordered. But I have to protest... on your behalf ;-): are you earning money with this offer? It looks very cheap!

drarrygirl wrote: "Ok I didn't order from BEB's because I was buying a couple of things in print...anyways I felt the need to confess that. I got an email from Amazon stating my Book 1 would be delivered Monday. Isn'..."

Sorry for the late reply. It seems I'm not getting some notifications. (Email cloggled with election spam, alas.)

Well, to answer your question,amazon.com does what it wants to do, and sells books when they arrive from the manufacturer regardless of actual release date. I've just received the books myself and will also be mailing preorders taken directly from the site.

drarrygirl wrote: "The Shattered Gates contains books 1 - 4? I'm assuming since the next print book is called The Holy Road, which is book 5 of the ebooks. I'm just looking for clarification since I flipped through m..."

Hey! Okay, Shattered Gates print version contains Books One, Two and Three.

Holy Road will contain Books Four, Five, Six and Seven.

The final book, whose title we have not determined yet, will contain ebooks Eight, Nine and Ten, in addition to a bunch of cool extras including timelines and family trees and illustrations and a bunch of cool stuff like that.

And I'm sure you noticed during that answer that we have changed the number of Rifter volumes that will be released from four to three. (It just worked out that way, page-count wise.)

I hope you like your print copy!

drarrygirl wrote: "Nicole wrote: "drarrygirl wrote: "The Shattered Gates contains books 1 - 4? I'm assuming since the next print book is called The Holy Road, which is book 5 of the ebooks. I'm just looking for clari..."

No problem! Glad you likes it.

Nicole wrote: "The final book, whose title we have not determined yet, will contain ebooks Eight, Nine and Ten, in addition to a bunch of cool extras including timelines and family trees and illustrations and a bunch of cool stuff like that."

Hey, this sounds exciting! Very cool!!! :)

Johanna wrote: "Hey, this sounds exciting! Very cool!!! :)"

I thought the same, and then I forgot to write it here ;-)

Antonella wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Hey, this sounds exciting! Very cool!!! :)"

I thought the same, and then I forgot to write it here ;-)"

It's okay. I've been working so hard on the print books I've forgotten to write anything here for months!

Nicole wrote: It's okay. I've been working so hard on the print books I've forgotten to write anything here for months!"


That’s alright. I haven’t been around much either because of REASONS (having to do with the covers of other people’s books). But now I’m super psyched for the last (unnamed mystery title!) book of The Rifter, particularly because of all these “extras” and additional illustrations I keep hearing about. @.@ All your hard work shows. The print addition of Shattered Gates is beautiful. I’m a sucker for awesome book design, and the illustrative embellishments on the inside make my heart melt (uh, silhouettes of Ginn dancing with goats? Ginn “Dances with Goats” Hale. It’s a totally legit name).

We'll always have "I'm on a Boat"! D:

Hey Nicole - Quick question, and I apologize if it's not appropriate but I couldn't find any other place to ask. Do you know if Astrid is going to release an annual Chanukah story? I really love those and was hoping for one this year, but I haven't been able to find anything about it. Would you happen to know? (And again, sorry for posting this here, but I didn't know where else to ask.)

Bluesimplicity wrote: "Hey Nicole - Quick question, and I apologize if it's not appropriate but I couldn't find any other place to ask. Do you know if Astrid is going to release an annual Chanukah story? I really love th..."

I do happen to know--the answer is no she isn't. She's busy writing a book for BEB this year and couldn't fit time in her schedule.

I also hope she writes more of those. They're cool.

Nicole wrote: "Bluesimplicity wrote: "Hey Nicole - Quick question, and I apologize if it's not appropriate but I couldn't find any other place to ask. Do you know if Astrid is going to release an annual Chanukah ..."

Aw, darn it. That's too bad. I really love those, so boo! But a new book for BEB this year - YAAAAAY!! But I really love those Chanukah stories, so boo, etc, etc, etc.

Either way, thank you so much for getting back to me, and I CAN'T WAIT to read Astrid's latest book, whenever it comes out.

I've got the two books today, and they are autographed by Ginn! Thank you so much!

I love to be able to go back and fort and in general to hold the books in my hands. No Kindle can give that feeling!

Antonella wrote: "I've got the two books today, and they are autographed by Ginn! Thank you so much!

I love to be able to go back and fort and in general to hold the books in my hands. No Kindle can give that feeling!"

Thanks for letting me know! I always wonder how fast the international mail actually gets there.

The second volume of the Rifter was just GORGEOUS!!! And nice and thick too. (Er, no pun intended.) Any idea when we'll be able to pre-order the third volume?

Bluesimplicity wrote: "The second volume of the Rifter was just GORGEOUS!!! And nice and thick too. (Er, no pun intended.) Any idea when we'll be able to pre-order the third volume?"

As soon as our webmaster gets some issues solved with the website. I'll definitely make an announcement.

The Rifter books really are beautiful — I just got mine. Thank you so much, Ginn and Nicole!

Just like Antonella wrote earlier, it's such a joy to be able to hold the books in my hands and just... admire them. I'm quite fascinated by the maps, too. I can't wait to revisit John's and Kyle's world. :-)

Johanna wrote: "The Rifter books really are beautiful — I just got mine. Thank you so much, Ginn and Nicole!

Just like Antonella wrote earlier, it's such a joy to be able to hold the books in my hands and just......"

Book Three's gonna have LOTS of cool stuff in it. :)

Nicole wrote: "Johanna wrote: "The Rifter books really are beautiful — I just got mine. Thank you so much, Ginn and Nicole!

Just like Antonella wrote earlier, it's such a joy to be able to hold the books in my h..."

Oh yay!!! :)

Nicole wrote: "Book Three's gonna have LOTS of cool stuff in it. :)"

**starts to bite her own nails** I CAN'T WAIT until we're able to preorder...Seriously guys, BEB just puts together the most beautiful hard copy books, and The Rifter is basically my favourite story of all time. (Seriously - I must have read it a good 10 times already) so I can't wait to have the entire series on my bookshelf.

Bluesimplicity wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Book Three's gonna have LOTS of cool stuff in it. :)"

**starts to bite her own nails** I CAN'T WAIT until we're able to preorder...Seriously guys, BEB just puts together the most be..."


Okay! Here's the preorder link for everything Rifter, including Book Three.

http://www.blindeyebooks.com/rifter/

Nicole wrote: "Here's the preorder link for everything Rifter, including Book Three.

http://www.blindeyebooks.com/rifter/"

I've seen it just now and preordered it.

I didn't realize you were losing money with the shipping to Europe!

Nicole wrote: "Okay! Here's the preorder link for everything Rifter, including Book Three."

WOO - HOO!!! I just placed my pre-order!! Between GRL and Book Three coming out, I can't wait until October!!

Antonella wrote: "I've seen it just now and preordered it.

I didn't realize you were losing money with the shipping to Europe!"

Really? You are losing money when shipping the Rifter books to Europe?

Dear Ginn and Nicole!

I'd be happy to pay extra, so you won't lose any money when sending my book to me! Seriously.

Johanna wrote: "Really? You are losing money when shipping the Rifter books to Euro..."


Don't worry about it this time. But yeah, the cost of shipping a book abroad has gone up to $23.95 so after His Sacred Bones is released we're going to have to charge the real mailing rate for shipping books internationally. :(

Okay. Thank you for your answer, Nicole. I really appreciate Blind Eye Books doing this. Thank you.

Johanna wrote: "Okay. Thank you for your answer, Nicole. I really appreciate Blind Eye Books doing this. Thank you."

My pleasure! I thought it would just suck to be able to get the first two books and then have the third one cost, like $53. (!)

Nicole wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Really? You are losing money when shipping the Rifter books to Euro..."


Don't worry about it this time. But yeah, the cost of shipping a book abroad has gone up to $23.95 so after..."

Hello! I've been trying to resist temptation for a while now (until at least I get my paycheck, haha!) but like everyone else, I just couldn't say no to Rifter hardcopies.

I ordered the lot today (pre-ordered the third book, as well) and I'm going to be one of those people who'd talk money (I'm sorry!) but the lot about cost me $17 in shipping. I live in Asia, and normally I pay $19 PER book.

I'm just going to ask, How is this possible? D: Like the poster above, I'd gladly pay extra, because?

eatingfireflies wrote: "I'm just going to ask, How is this possible? D: Like the poster above, I'd gladly pay extra, because?"

Well, we used to subsidize international shipping because it seemed sort of like a fair thing to do for our readers abroad because we did not do ebooks at the time and the price difference was only about $5 to us. But international rates have skyrocketed, alas, so we will have to charge the real rate once The Rifter is done.

Nicole wrote: Well, we used to subsidize international shipping because it seemed s..."

Ah, this is really cool of you guys. ;__;

Hi Nicole,

A bit of a strange question, but I was poking around the Blind Eye Books website and didn't find anything. So I was wondering - do you guys have a cafepress store or anything of the like? Say, I wanted a Rifter coffee mug, or an Irregulars t-shirt - is there anywhere I can go to purchase something like that? (Your covers are just as amazing as their books, so I was just wondering.)

Thanks in advance,
Michelle

For sure they had wonderful postcards, for ex. of ''Wicked Gentlemen'', but they came with the book.

Antonella wrote: "For sure they had wonderful postcards, for ex. of ''Wicked Gentlemen'', but they came with the book."

I don't remember seeing those, but I bought my book from Amazon. (This was before I knew the difference in revenue both a publisher and author makes when buying from Amazon or directly from the publisher itself.)

I just LOVE the covers from the entire Rifter series. They are so rich in colour and vibrancy, and I can't help but think what wonderful t-shirts they would make. **wantswantswants**

HI Nicole,

I live at the bottom of the planet, so I was thinking of ordering the books so they shipped altogether, but I'm guessing that will just be three times the shipping rate?

orannia

orannia wrote: "HI Nicole,

I live at the bottom of the planet, so I was thinking of ordering the books so they shipped altogether, but I'm guessing that will just be three times the shipping rate?

orannia"

Hi! So sorry! I didn't get an alert on this one. I'll message you privately.

Hey Orannia,

Couldn't message you, but no, that's not the case. If you email me at editor at blindeyebooks dot com, I can go ahead and let you know the rate for all three titles.

NK

i am sorry, i do not quite understand, please accept my apologies:
is it better for the author to buy via amazon or directly with blindeye?
freight costs considered and all..
sorry, i just want to make this right - waiting for number 3 ;-)

Hi tizi,

Well, your question is a complicated one. Generally speaking it is better for an author if readers buy directly from publishers because authors are often paid a percentage of net rather than a percentage of cover price.

Here at Blind Eye we pay our authors a percentage of the cover price for print so the author is paid the same amount no matter where the book is sold.

Did that make sense?

ok thank you. seems a bit complicated, but i think i understand.

tizi wrote: "ok thank you. seems a bit complicated, but i think i understand."

I know and it's even more complicated because I just realized I never explained what "net" means. :)

"Net" refers to the amount of money left over after the retailer and distributor take their cut.

So if the cover price of a book is $10 and it is sold on amazon.com (which pays 50% of cover) the amount of money paid out to the publisher is $5. If an author is paid 10% of net (common print percentage) that means she earns 50 cents on each book sold by amazon.com, $1 on books sold directly from the publisher, perhaps 60 cents from some other venue, etc.

Whereas if she is paid 10% of the cover price she will earn $1 no matter where it's sold.

For digital books, the author is always paid on net, so it's always more lucrative per download for an author for readers to buy directly through the publisher's links.

That said, having high sales on amazon.com actually sells books because of the "people who bought this also bought that" function they have.

I guess the upshot of this is--I think most authors don't really mind where readers buy their books so long as they actually pay for them. :)