Well, this is gratifying. The paperback edition of SIR APROPOS OF NOTHING is on the Locus Bestseller list for a second month in a row. And the sequel, THE WOAD TO WUIN made the runner-up on the hardcover list.
Not bad for a book (and its sequel) that was dismissed by most every publisher in the SF world.
PAD
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Congratulations Peter, Well deserved. Can you give us some info on http://www.BillJemas.com. I was upset that he used your little doodle on his website, than found out you own it.
Hey, as far as the rejections go, remember, Dr. Suess was repeatly turned down by one publisher after another, before someone finally bought “To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street”. Same thing happened to Bill Watterson with Calvin & Hobbes. So you’re in good company.
Re: Jemas’ site: At least the doodle links to this site. I’m also assuming that the quote is from PAD.
A WHOIS search on the domain lists Peter David as the registrant (via GoDaddy), and Glenn as admin contact, so I think the doodle is used with permission. 🙂
Woo and hoo! Congrats. As for those snooty publisher people… well, they clearly don’t know what they’re talking about. Both the Sir Apropos books are absolutely brilliant, my all-time favourite fantasy works, and the fact that they’re now on the bestseller lists proves that I’m not the only one out there who thoroughly enjoyed them.
Did I mention I’m kinda a fan? Yeah… you rock. 🙂 *hides and tries not to sound so fangirlish*
PAD,
I have started to read Sir Apropos of Nothing (I’m on the fifth chapter). So far, it seems pretty good. Peter! When will the next Star Trek: New Frontier paperback be out?
My guess is that Peter and Glen got together and bought billjemas.com and linked it to peterdavid.org just to slam him. Hence the “Want to make Jemas crazy- link this” and come here to Peter David and see the truth about what retailers and saying and such.
PAD,
As a helping hand to us aspiring writers (particularly those of fantasy novels), can you give us an indication why those troglodytes–uh, I mean, those experienced and talented publishers–initially rejected Apropos?
Peter did indeed register billjemas.com, as he states in his BID column for this week.
I have to agree with Greg about wanting to know the backstory about trying to get “Sir” published.
Maybe it’s time to update that BID column you once did about how to be a writer. Then perhaps you could add one about how to get published.
If it just me, Peter, or was your second novel, Woad to Wuin, not as heavily advertised as your first novel? I didn’t even know the second book was out until I went on your web site and found the link (which I promptly bought and reading now). Which brings another question, when is your sequel to Knight Life – Dead of Knight – coming out?
You’re reading the link?
Very much enjoyed SIR APROPOS, but I can kind of understand the publishers’ reasoning. I mean, why would anyone want to publish a solid, well-crafted story by an established writer with a large following?
(In other words, who ARE these people? What kinds of things do they LIKE? My GOD…0
Editors felt the lead character was simply too unlikable for anyone to give a dámņ about. Furthermore, they firmly believed that no one would be interested in giving the book a chance on the basis of my name, because–and this is a direct quote from one–“only Star Trek fans read his novels, and Star Trek fans won’t read anything except Trek novels.”
And one publisher who did make an offer offered what they pay beginning novelists. My agent was told that all my previous work “didn’t count.”
So basically a 20 year career with over 50 novels and hundreds of comics published was meaningless.
PAD
M. PAD,
I don’t think it could be said better than in the words of your colleague, Harlan Ellison,
“Writing is an occupation in which you have to keep proving your talent to people that have none.”