Random thoughts...

[Dave1442397]

Yeah it's all still a gamble--depending on what's published. The paperback book club is interesting but not something the traditional CD customer base gets fired up about. It's the signed limited editions that get people into the CDCC. The first dibs and the discounts. The last CDCC I was in was the one that deposited $10 a month into our account balances and that credit stayed there forever. That's a no-brainer when they were putting out the great editions they used to publish.

Right. I don't care about the paperbacks at all. I buy the 99c e-books, 'cause that's a bargain, but I don't need more paperbacks in the house. I have eight boxes of books ready to haul to the library, and I'll have many more. All those Amazon boxes are coming in handy.

[jeffingoff]

In the past they have done it both ways. I remember once they offered coupons each month that were valid that month. That offer would simply not work for me with CD's current offerings. They also offered monthly credits as digital gift cards in the past that was applied to your balance each month. That would work for me. I believe the two scenarios have different accounting challenges but am not sure with current tax code. The end of the email I posted from mentioned possibly doing something different and I have received an update.

"I think we will send two $120 ones 6 months apart!". I also asked about expiration, and it was stated that both would be valid through 2024. So, I would be committing to making two purchases both equaling $120 or more to utilize the benefit and if I only use one the offer actually pays for itself. I am now undecided but since I was a hard no previously it is movement.Â

Yeah it's all still a gamble--depending on what's published. The paperback book club is interesting but not something the traditional CD customer base gets fired up about. It's the signed limited editions that get people into the CDCC. The first dibs and the discounts. The last CDCC I was in was the one that deposited $10 a month into our account balances and that credit stayed there forever. That's a no-brainer when they were putting out the great editions they used to publish.

[Martin]

Thanks Martin.

I thought when Brian was still around and they did something similar, the credit was just added to your balance? Wonder why it's different now?

I too can't see myself buying something every month - the last few years have had the same promise of "this year is our best year and we have so many awesome things coming!" which hasn't panned out.

In the past they have done it both ways. I remember once they offered coupons each month that were valid that month. That offer would simply not work for me with CD's current offerings. They also offered monthly credits as digital gift cards in the past that was applied to your balance each month. That would work for me. I believe the two scenarios have different accounting challenges but am not sure with current tax code. The end of the email I posted from mentioned possibly doing something different and I have received an update.

"I think we will send two $120 ones 6 months apart!". I also asked about expiration, and it was stated that both would be valid through 2024. So, I would be committing to making two purchases both equaling $120 or more to utilize the benefit and if I only use one the offer actually pays for itself. I am now undecided but since I was a hard no previously it is movement. 

[TacomaDiver]

Thanks Martin.

I thought when Brian was still around and they did something similar, the credit was just added to your balance? Wonder why it's different now?

I too can't see myself buying something every month - the last few years have had the same promise of "this year is our best year and we have so many awesome things coming!" which hasn't panned out.

[Martin]

I don't know how many CDCCs I've purchased, but I know my 2023 membership didn't do much for me at all so I wasn't going to sign up for 2024, but like Martin said above, I just saw the $20 per month in credit and that sounds promising for some random one off purchases.

Here is the response I received to my email regarding the monthly $20 credit.
"well they will be coupons so you won't be able to use more than one on an order... I don't think our site allows that. But I'm not sure if we should consider doing it a different way because of that. Hmmm..."

And with that I am probably still out. I just can't envision 12 different items coming from CD in the next year that I want. I am still looking for a reason to jump in but am just not finding one. If they treated it as a $20 Gift card and I could basically build up a credit for something I want this would push me back in.
 

[TacomaDiver]

Also, I just saw here about Kim at Camelot - sending all of the positive energy her way. She's always been a great person to work with and beyond accomodating.

[TacomaDiver]

I don't know how many CDCCs I've purchased, but I know my 2023 membership didn't do much for me at all so I wasn't going to sign up for 2024, but like Martin said above, I just saw the $20 per month in credit and that sounds promising for some random one off purchases.

[Martin]

I have asked this question via email. Since the CDCC has been a topic here I thought I would ask it here as well. Today the offer for the 2024 CDCC was modified to include a $20 credit for each month of the club for a $240 credit. My question is, will the credit be cumulative as or does the credit only remain valid for the month it is issued? 

[RonClinton]

Really sorry to hear this…Kim has always been a wonderful person to communicate with. I wish her and Tony all the best.

[jeffingoff]

Just saw on Camelot's Home page that Kim is dealing with some tough medical issues. I've always loved Camelot as a customer and Kim has definitely taken good care of me in the past. Even though she may not see it, just wanted to shoot some positive karma her way!

"12:00 noon Kim just went back for brain surgery! This just came up all of a sudden, needless to say we are not going to be shipping or answering many e-mails this week, believe it or not that was Kim's biggest concern with all this. I will post updates as we get them, please keep her in your thoughts!"

OH no! I'm so sorry to read this! What awful news. I hope she makes a full and speedy recovery. Life is precious!

[Ben Staad]

That is just sad news. Kim is the best.

Just saw on Camelot's Home page that Kim is dealing with some tough medical issues. I've always loved Camelot as a customer and Kim has definitely taken good care of me in the past. Even though she may not see it, just wanted to shoot some positive karma her way!

"12:00 noon Kim just went back for brain surgery! This just came up all of a sudden, needless to say we are not going to be shipping or answering many e-mails this week, believe it or not that was Kim's biggest concern with all this. I will post updates as we get them, please keep her in your thoughts!"

[Martin]

Just saw on Camelot's Home page that Kim is dealing with some tough medical issues. I've always loved Camelot as a customer and Kim has definitely taken good care of me in the past. Even though she may not see it, just wanted to shoot some positive karma her way!

"12:00 noon Kim just went back for brain surgery! This just came up all of a sudden, needless to say we are not going to be shipping or answering many e-mails this week, believe it or not that was Kim's biggest concern with all this. I will post updates as we get them, please keep her in your thoughts!"

So saddened to here that. Camelot is a small business that understands customer service. Hopefully she is on her way to full recovery soon!

[sholloman81]

Just saw on Camelot's Home page that Kim is dealing with some tough medical issues. I've always loved Camelot as a customer and Kim has definitely taken good care of me in the past. Even though she may not see it, just wanted to shoot some positive karma her way!

"12:00 noon Kim just went back for brain surgery! This just came up all of a sudden, needless to say we are not going to be shipping or answering many e-mails this week, believe it or not that was Kim's biggest concern with all this. I will post updates as we get them, please keep her in your thoughts!"

[Sock Monkey]

Thanks for the response! Unfortunately, it was about what I was expecting. I was secretly hoping that maybe their might have been some sort of surprise LE book(s) announced in 2023 via the club that might sway me toward 2024, but it doesn't sound like that happened. Definitely passing on 2024 unless, as you mention, CD makes some sort of detailed announcement regarding future plans and if they plan to continue publishing hardcovers/LEs.

P.S.- Hope no one thinks that I'm being negative toward CD or anyone who does want to purchase CDCC 2024. Was just trying to gauge how 2023s club went as I have never been a part of the CDCC.

I don't think your inquiry is being negative at all. Instead, I find it to be a reasonable question as to if the cost of the CDCC would pay off for someone with your specific collecting parameters, especially considering that there wasn't any specific information about future plans beyond "BIG things planned for next year," which, to be honest, is kinda what they say every year.

[dannyboy121070]

Thanks for the response! Unfortunately, it was about what I was expecting. I was secretly hoping that maybe their might have been some sort of surprise LE book(s) announced in 2023 via the club that might sway me toward 2024, but it doesn't sound like that happened. Definitely passing on 2024 unless, as you mention, CD makes some sort of detailed announcement regarding future plans and if they plan to continue publishing hardcovers/LEs.

P.S.- Hope no one thinks that I'm being negative toward CD or anyone who does want to purchase CDCC 2024. Was just trying to gauge how 2023s club went as I have never been a part of the CDCC.

I think that negativity would not be out of the question right about now. I was on-board for the CC since the beginning, mostly for the exclusive books, some of which I'm sure I am still owed. I stayed a member because there was a series from another publisher that I was collecting, and I wanted to make sure I didn't miss a book, and my matching number. When I stopped collecting the series, I dropped out of the CC. I still get CD e-mails, but until I read these posts, it hadn't really hit me that they've basically published nothing in quite some time.

I'm just about at a point where I'm ready to ask for a list of what I've pre-ordered, and seeing if it's worth trying to get a refund. It seems like CD has become an e-mail outlet to endlessly plug Richard Chizmar's newest book, which is fine, if they were still an active press, but they seem to have lapsed into one of their occasional dormancies that led me to not renew my magazine subscription and stop pre-ordering, and without Brian Freeman around, I wonder if they'll ever awaken from this one.