Subterranean Press

[sholloman81]

Just received my copy of Joe Lansdale's "The Events Concerning" purchased last week via the SubPress dinged newsletter offerings. Took four days to get here which is great for SubPress. Just unpacked the box, and I honestly have no idea how this book is considered dinged. I literally cannot find a single issue with it. The cover is perfect, the binding is tight, not seeing any bumps, and the signature page is there. I wouldn't have taken this one back from the other retailer if I was SubPress, but their loss is my gain!

[dannyboy121070]

I really don't think that it's just you. I didn't see it first time I went through. I think it's just the way that's it placed in the email--or the formatting or something--that makes it incredibly easy to skim over.

Yeah, it isn't just you. I missed it too, even after reading about it here. I think we just get so used to the way that the various promotional e-mails that we get are formatted that we just skim them automatically. Any disruption to the format just goes unnoticed.....

[Sock Monkey]

Jesus. I read though it again and didn't see it...then read though it again (for what must be my fifth time, because I was sure my email was somehow different than everyone else was saying because that sale...just...wasn't...there) -- and then I see it. How I had such a blind spot for that area I have no idea. Thanks to all who kept redirecting me to it...I'm sorry I doubted you all!

I really don't think that it's just you. I didn't see it first time I went through. I think it's just the way that's it placed in the email--or the formatting or something--that makes it incredibly easy to skim over.

[RonClinton]

It's actually not at the end of the email. It's in the second section right after the first that is offering a selection of books at a 20% discount. I didn't see the dinged books section either until I went looking for it after sholloman81's post.

Jesus. I read though it again and didn't see it...then read though it again (for what must be my fifth time, because I was sure my email was somehow different than everyone else was saying because that sale...just...wasn't...there) -- and then I see it. How I had such a blind spot for that area I have no idea. Thanks to all who kept redirecting me to it...I'm sorry I doubted you all!

[Sock Monkey]

Thanks for the links, I'll give these a look. Very weird...my email from Sub Press today (I hope I'm assuming correctly that it was today's email you were referring to) ends with Sarah Langan's interview...there are no dinged books listed on mine.

It's actually not at the end of the email. It's in the second section right after the first that is offering a selection of books at a 20% discount. I didn't see the dinged books section either until I went looking for it after sholloman81's post.

[TacomaDiver]

Side note- SubPress also recently had a title from another publisher that they were selling as a pre-order and they decided to mark up the price due to what they believe they can get for them on the after-market. I'm trying to remember the exact title, I think it might be the "Dresden File" books being done by Grim Oak. I have no skin in the game as I don't collect that series, but it's the first time that I can ever recall seeing SubPress do that and it rubbed me the wrong way for sure. That being said, I'm still a big SubPress fan. Their service is top-notch and I purchase any books that catch my eye!

They've done something similar a few times in the past - finding additional copies of some editing, selling it at a marked up price, but then stating proceeds were for a charity. Seems like icky that way.

[RonClinton]

Hi Ron, They were actually a little further down in the email. Just checked and it's still available. Below are the links for the email for the dinged section...

Thanks for the links, I'll give these a look. Very weird...my email from Sub Press today (I hope I'm assuming correctly that it was today's email you were referring to) ends with Sarah Langan's interview...there are no dinged books listed on mine.

[sholloman81]

I'm tempted with these dinged books and the prices are great for reader copies, but, on the other hand, I'm tempted to just pick up the un-dinged copies to ensure a "clean" copy for my collection. As usual, I'm sitting on the fence.

In other Sub Press news, it looks like there's some sort of controversy around the third printing of Gardens of the Moon? I got the email stating that the order date has been pushed back due to customer feedback and also included some verbiage about sending further feedback to Bill to review. Anybody have any idea what this is about? Is it just due to an additional printing? If that's the case, I can understand because I'm not a big fan of these second and third printings of supposedly limited edition books. And I use the word "supposedly" because how limited is it if the publisher is just gonna crank out another 1000 or so copies? I'm a little more lenient if the publisher does another edition that is at least different aesthetically or adds some significant new material, for example Centipede's new edition of The Search of Joseph Tully has a different version of the previous edition's cloth binding and a dustjacket and the new edition of Falling Angel was only sold as part of the two-volume slipcase set that includes its sequel, Angel's Inferno. Anybody have any thoughts?

For me, the Lansdale book was never a must have, especially since I already have one of the two novellas; so, I originally passed. There being a dinged price knocked me off of the fence for sure. I've also received many dinged books from SubPress, and in almost all instances, I could never find an issue, maybe the slightest of bump; so, I don't mind SubPress dinged books at all.

In terms of Gardens of the Moon, I don't have any direct knowledge of the issue. My own feelings when I saw the original book announcement was, "Holy Crap, that's super expensive for a third printing, practically two Suntup AGEs". No way was I ever going to buy that book at that price. I'm sure a lot of other people felt the same way. Also, like others, with very few exceptions, I think it's complete garbage when multiple printings are done for a limited-edition book. At the very least, it better be an anniversary edition far into the future and should include something well beyond what was offered the first time around.

Side note- SubPress also recently had a title from another publisher that they were selling as a pre-order and they decided to mark up the price due to what they believe they can get for them on the after-market. I'm trying to remember the exact title, I think it might be the "Dresden File" books being done by Grim Oak. I have no skin in the game as I don't collect that series, but it's the first time that I can ever recall seeing SubPress do that and it rubbed me the wrong way for sure. That being said, I'm still a big SubPress fan. Their service is top-notch and I purchase any books that catch my eye!

[dannyboy121070]

I'm tempted with these dinged books and the prices are great for reader copies, but, on the other hand, I'm tempted to just pick up the un-dinged copies to ensure a "clean" copy for my collection. As usual, I'm sitting on the fence.

In other Sub Press news, it looks like there's some sort of controversy around the third printing of Gardens of the Moon? I got the email stating that the order date has been pushed back due to customer feedback and also included some verbiage about sending further feedback to Bill to review. Anybody have any idea what this is about? Is it just due to an additional printing? If that's the case, I can understand because I'm not a big fan of these second and third printings of supposedly limited edition books. And I use the word "supposedly" because how limited is it if the publisher is just gonna crank out another 1000 or so copies? I'm a little more lenient if the publisher does another edition that is at least different aesthetically or adds some significant new material, for example Centipede's new edition of The Search of Joseph Tully has a different version of the previous edition's cloth binding and a dustjacket and the new edition of Falling Angel was only sold as part of the two-volume slipcase set that includes its sequel, Angel's Inferno. Anybody have any thoughts?

This is giving me flashbacks to the old Shocklines message board, where I last weighed in on a publisher doing second printings...I ended up getting banned from buying that publisher's books, and Joe Hill told me to "drink a nice tall glass of shut the fuck up!".....Good times!

I'm not 100% sure what the Gardens of the Moon issue is, but Bill is a good guy, and seems to be, as always, taking his customer's wishes into consideration.

[Sock Monkey]

I'm tempted with these dinged books and the prices are great for reader copies, but, on the other hand, I'm tempted to just pick up the un-dinged copies to ensure a "clean" copy for my collection. As usual, I'm sitting on the fence.

In other Sub Press news, it looks like there's some sort of controversy around the third printing of Gardens of the Moon? I got the email stating that the order date has been pushed back due to customer feedback and also included some verbiage about sending further feedback to Bill to review. Anybody have any idea what this is about? Is it just due to an additional printing? If that's the case, I can understand because I'm not a big fan of these second and third printings of supposedly limited edition books. And I use the word "supposedly" because how limited is it if the publisher is just gonna crank out another 1000 or so copies? I'm a little more lenient if the publisher does another edition that is at least different aesthetically or adds some significant new material, for example Centipede's new edition of The Search of Joseph Tully has a different version of the previous edition's cloth binding and a dustjacket and the new edition of Falling Angel was only sold as part of the two-volume slipcase set that includes its sequel, Angel's Inferno. Anybody have any thoughts?

[sholloman81]

Odd, I didn't see any mention of dinged books in today's email, just 20% off a half-dozen overstock titles. A shame, I would've loved to pick up a $15 EVENTS CONCERNING... title, as I skipped that one upon release since I already had one of the two novellas.

Hi Ron, They were actually a little further down in the email. Just checked and it's still available. Below are the links for the email for the dinged section...

• [*=1]The Carnival and Other Stories (Charles Beaumont);[*=1]Collectibles (edited by Lawrence Block);[*=1]Bradbury Weather (Caitlin R. Kiernan);[*=1]The Secret of Insects (Richard Kadrey);[*=1]The Events Concerning (Joe R. Lansdale);[*=1]Under the Hollywood Sign (Tom Reamy);

Belladonna Nights (Alastair Reynolds);

[RonClinton]

Just noticed as a part of the latest SubPress email newsletter, that their latest "dinged books" offering included "The Events Concerning" by Joe Lansdale. Pretty much an impulse buy, but I decided to grab a copy. I'm a huge Landale fan but had to pass on this when it was first announced, and also the dinged price of $15 works much better for me for this book than the full-price. One of the few times that waiting actually seems to have paid-off!

Odd, I didn't see any mention of dinged books in today's email, just 20% off a half-dozen overstock titles. A shame, I would've loved to pick up a $15 EVENTS CONCERNING... title, as I skipped that one upon release since I already had one of the two novellas.

[sholloman81]

Just noticed as a part of the latest SubPress email newsletter, that their latest "dinged books" offering included "The Events Concerning" by Joe Lansdale. Pretty much an impulse buy, but I decided to grab a copy. I'm a huge Landale fan but had to pass on this when it was first announced, and also the dinged price of $15 works much better for me for this book than the full-price. One of the few times that waiting actually seems to have paid-off!

[Scoogs]

I know printing costs have increased a lot, but I also wonder how much of the cost increase is driven by the licensing costs.
Andy Weir is a bigger name now. Did the contract for the rights to publish the third book cost significantly more than they did for the first book?
Obviously that would not justify a general price increase to all books, but there's more to it than just material and printing costs.

[Sock Monkey]

I also wonder how having rights to future books plays into any potential price-increases. For example, because I purchased Hill's Full Throttle from SubPress, I was offered Late Returns early. I ended up passing on that book and am now assuming that I may not have rights to the next Hill title from SubPress. Taking that into consideration, I wonder how often a publisher considers that when deciding on price, especially if the book is a part of a series. Did SubPress price Late Returns so high under the assumption that all the Full Throttle purchasers would automatically buy it regardless of price to keep their rights to the next one? Probably never know, but I do wonder...Â

That's interesting to consider. I'd like to think that a publisher wouldn't jack up the price due to something like that, but it could be one of many factors that could be taken into consideration. Or similarly, the publisher might take the chance on publishing something that requires a higher price point due to materials, etc., because some of the risk might be reduced knowing that some of the buyers will bite the bullet on the price to keep those rights. Interesting to ponder.