Re: Convention fundraisers

From: Rick Meints <rjmeints_at_D0DvzhahdY-L6C-TGKwfswNVsmj-ENLhNoxEzmZbRiD9s93cGVYLDHqxtDP7G27Lq5p>
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 15:29:25 -0000

• Brian Curley wrote: "I think the decision to publish this in such limited quantities was catastrophically bad whatever the reasons for it were. The parties involved should have anticipated that it would cause hard feelings, as it clearly has. Now they may not have cared, but I prefer not to think that of people I regard as friends, but I'm a person who believes in not causing such negative reactions if there's any way to avoid it."

Brian,

I see two important discussion points when it comes to this special hardcover 2nd Age book and how it was published:

1. Making sure people know that the information will be more readily available in a mass market publication about 3-6 months after this very rare first edition is published.
2. That people may not like having to wait for the inexpensive version while a few people get the early expensive version because they are well connected or are willing to pay a lot of money.

The first point is the easiest to solve. Better communication would have eliminated the whole problem. The second point is where the intense debate can happen. Some people don't want to wait. Some people equate having to wait with being an outsider or being a second class citizen.

It's not a perfect anaology, but I feel it is worth mentioning that this is somewhat like how many books get published. The pricier hardcover edition of a book comes out first. The cheaper mass market paperback comes out maybe a year or so later. I know that the price differences and print run sizes aren't as big an issue for regular books, but the similarity is still there. I don't like having to wait for the paperback version to come out because I don't want to pay 3 times its price for the hardcover version. Some people are lucky enough to have a book signing in their city while I do not. That said, I live with it and don't rant at the world about it. I didn't email Harry Turtledove and call him an elitist bastard because he sold signed first edition hardcovers of his book at the Origins convention last year instead of in my home town.

Standing by to be shot down,
Rick