Favorite Old CD Titles

[Dan Hocker]

I will say this isn't about paperbacks. Kinda a unique line. It's an idea I had that isn't really being done by anyone else in the small press world. The idea is for cheap editions that are kinda a "novelty" item. As far as "holding value" to be honest no ones editions do unless the books are by a handful of specific authors. That said this isn't really about collect-ability of the older titles. I don't really want to get into details since nothing is set in stone. If we move forward with it you'll see and I think people will be fairly interested in it.

[jeffingoff]

I will say this isn't about paperbacks. Kinda a unique line. It's an idea I had that isn't really being done by anyone else in the small press world. The idea is for cheap editions that are kinda a "novelty" item. As far as "holding value" to be honest no ones editions do unless the books are by a handful of specific authors. That said this isn't really about collect-ability of the older titles. I don't really want to get into details since nothing is set in stone. If we move forward with it you'll see and I think people will be fairly interested in it.

Hmmm. Sounds interesting. Kinda sounds like a CD series of Little Books. I'd be excited for that. And just because I'm not actively looking for older CD editions, doesn't mean I wouldn't be interested in this line.

[Martin]

I will say this isn't about paperbacks. Kinda a unique line. It's an idea I had that isn't really being done by anyone else in the small press world. The idea is for cheap editions that are kinda a "novelty" item. As far as "holding value" to be honest no ones editions do unless the books are by a handful of specific authors. That said this isn't really about collect-ability of the older titles. I don't really want to get into details since nothing is set in stone. If we move forward with it you'll see and I think people will be fairly interested in it.

The ones I listed are all titles I want to read, but do not have.

[slayn666]

If I can throw in a quick Devil's Advocate thought...

If the thought is to reprint previous CD titles in tpb, I do have to wonder if it might be economically difficult to make a line of tpbs work for this reason: For whatever reason and *generally speaking*, I don't think it's a secret (though it certainly is puzzling) that CD titles do not hold their collectible value well on the aftermarket. Search "Cemetery Dance signed" on eBay and it's apparent that many titles are readily available and run $15 to $25, one-third to one-half their original cover price, and even at that I tend to see those same auctions stagnate unsold.

That said, I wonder then who the customer is who would buy a new tpb reprint that is presumably priced at $14.95 to $19.95 when that customer could instead pick up that same book in signed/limited hardcover off eBay, et al for basically the same price. I certainly think a $9.95 pb reprint series would work well (though I suspect such pricing is not feasible for smaller reprint runs), but once the price for the tpbs starts inching up to the cost that better, more premium HC copies are being offered at on the aftermarket, I have to imagine it's going to be a tough sell.

That (also) said, I'd then suggest that the titles to be reprinted be those that have comparatively held their value better than others and are thus more scarce and expensive on the aftermarket. To be frank, I don't know that those are as I haven't kept abreast of the values of my CD books...maybe F. Paul Wilson's expanded MIDNIGHT MASS? Maybe the early novel by Norman Partridge, SLIPPIN' INTO DARKNESS? It'd probably take some cross-referencing of titles on eBay with eBay's real-world values (not ABE or Biblio where the sellers are often rather optimistic), but I think that kind of prep research would be invaluable in ensuring the titles selected for tpb reprint are those with a demand that won't be eclipsed by what's already available to the buyer at the same price in S/L HC.

Those're my two-cent thoughts.

I don't necessarily disagree with the spirit of this post, but I feel it should be pointed out that the a whole lot of older, OOP CD titles are already available in affordable paperback editions. Take my own recommendation, Live Girls. It's an older CD edition that has held it's value very well (for the most part), but if you just want to read the book, eBook and paperback copies are readily available. I suspect you'll find this is the case for most any book that gets a recommendation, regardless of whether or not the CD edition has held value.

That said, both our points are moot as Dan's pretty clear that it's not a paperback line .

[RonClinton]

That said, both our points are moot as Dan's pretty clear that it's not a paperback line .

That they are. :-D. I’m curious to see what the project is all about.

[Martin]

That they are. :-D. I’m curious to see what the project is all about.

It's an audiobook line. The stories are being read by Dan while he is packaging other books for shipping. You will just need to excuse the background noises.

[pumpheel]

It's an audiobook line. The stories are being read by Dan while he is packaging other books for shipping. You will just need to excuse the background noises.

To be perfectly honest, I would rather see the books we've been waiting for (in some cases years, like "Turn Down the Lights" 6 years) to be published before another project started.

[HumphreyBear]

Yeah, I saw it and clicked on it and was ready to answer but I really couldn't answer. I don't think there are any old editions I'd like to see new editions of. Mainly because I'd like to see new books more. Apart from a few Lansdales, I haven't been on the lookout for past editions.

This is EXACTLY what I thought.

[Dan Hocker]

To be perfectly honest, I would rather see the books we've been waiting for (in some cases years, like "Turn Down the Lights" 6 years) to be published before another project started.

I understand your sentiment here, but new projects don't really put old projects on hold. Or really slow down the process on those things. Usually when something has taken that long, it's typically due to some other unforeseen complication in the process.

[Brian861]

I love series of things even if I necessarily won't read them. CD's Signature Series, Novella Series, Graveyard Editions, etc. Although the Select Series and Gold Seal series have yet to make it off the ground. Borderlands Little Book series and so on. I'd be down if they are reasonably priced.

[Dan Hocker]

I love series of things even if I necessarily won't read them. CD's Signature Series, Novella Series, Graveyard Editions, etc. Although the Select Series and Gold Seal series have yet to make it off the ground. Borderlands Little Book series and so on. I'd be down if they are reasonably priced.

That's the plan. I think we're hoping for no more than a $30 price point. I've gotta pick some titles and get some quotes before I can nail that down though.

[RonClinton]

As a long-time customer (since mag issue #2 and the first book) and owner of a lot of CD books with real and/or imagined collectible value, I’d suggest/ask that whatever the new items are they should be designed to not impact that value of the original edition. A signed 2nd edition is bound to have some impact (though of course it’s tough to say how much) and could be seen as CD undermining the value of its own customers’ editions.

Without knowing what it is, this too could be a moot point and concern, but FWIW...

[Martin]

Is the idea to always use stories previously published by CD?

[slayn666]

As a long-time customer (since mag issue #2 and the first book) and owner of a lot of CD books with real and/or imagined collectible value, I’d suggest/ask that whatever the new items are they should be designed to not impact that value of the original edition. A signed 2nd edition is bound to have some impact (though of course it’s tough to say how much) and could be seen as CD undermining the value of its own customers’ editions.

Without knowing what it is, this too could be a moot point and concern, but FWIW...

At the price point Dan's suggesting, I can't see these new printings having any impact on whatever collectible value older CD titles may have. Going back to Live Girls (what can I say, I love this book!), I can't see a potential new edition in Dan's line having a slipcase by default (which is not to say it won't be an add-on for an additional cost), nor will it have the soundtrack CD. And, to be honest, at a max price of $30, I don't see it being signed, either.

My guess is that will be similar to the Bentley Little line, with CD producing a nice trade hardcover edition with new cover art. No specific limitation, no signature page (though I can see direct preorder copies being signed as a bonus)... Just something with a nice shelf presence at an affordable price.

[Dan Hocker]

Without giving the gimmick away (so to speak). The thought here is these will be unsigned editions. They may be numbered (haven't decided yet), but they'll probably have much more in common with say a trade hardcover than our regular limited editions. I'm also thinking that the run size will be set by preorders + a flat amount for some extras. So for example we would open preorders up for a month then the run would be preorders + 100 or something like that after we close the preorder window. If we do that though we probably won't be numbering them, as it'll make matching numbers impossible for numbers that are towards the end of the run. All of this is still brainstorming and this thread is full speculation / spit balling anyways. I have the core gimmick locked down in my head, but none of the fine details yet.

As per what Martin asked about them being previously published by CD. I think that's where we're going to start, we may branch out later into other stuff, but I suspect the entire line would be reprints of books that have already been published before. My idea isn't really well suited for brand new books.

I'm probably gonna stop elaborating, at least until plans are set in stone.