Howdy-

If you haven't already got your copy of Ray's new book, here is a chance to order a signed first edition from a great bookseller:
http://www.mysteryandimagination.com/

or direct link:
http://www.mysteryandimagination.com/?page=shop/item&si=39427.10

I just ordered mine (and cancelled my Amazon order).

I can personally attest to the outstanding folks at this book store. Enjoy.....

Thanks for the tip. If I can get one signed for the same price, why not?

I went to our two large Barnes and Noble stores here in the Dallas area today to get copy, and neither store had shipped it from their distribution centers! What the heck were they thinking?!? I chastised them, but it did no good!

Bummer!

Although later than I wanted, I will get an autographed copy.

Speaking to the difficulty of finding this book - I believe there was a grand total of ONE copy here in Reno. Luckily I ended up with it. I wonder why the book wasn't more readily available on the day it was released?

Pretty disappointing, isn't it? If I were running the stores, I would have made sure I had copies on the release date, and I would have pushed for a display. If the publisher didn't have any, I sure would have displayed it prominently in my store. To help promote sales, I would probably run a two-week heavy discount deal on it to try to expose more people to his work.

I'm kind of surprised at the lack of any kind of publishing/publicity fanfare tied to this book.

My daughter tells me that not everyone has my love of Bradbury. Well, I feel like that is THEIR problem -- not mine! :-)

I wonder if ordering a bunch or Ray's books, then "forgetting" to pick them up, forcing the store to put them on shelves, would be a reasonable thing to do?!?

It's remarkable how few titles the local stores here have in stock. Borders, Barnes & Noble & Waldenbooks might have a cumulative total of 10 titles available. It's too bad.....

If nothing else, it's representative of a very weak marketing/publicity effort on the part of Ray's publisher. There was the one mixed review (I thought it had some pretty good stuff to say) by the LA Times, but not much else has come out that I've seen.

While it's possible that his publisher sent out gobs of info to the press and bookstores and no one picked up on it, I find it hard to believe that a real effort on their part would have been so poorly carried out at all levels.

Did they just assume it would automatically sell?

Well, thank goodness for Amazon.com. I had pre-ordered this with them. Yesterday I got email notification that they completed my order, and the blessed text arrived TODAY -- just one day after its release! Very good service. My copy's in great shape!

From the introduction:

"I've never been in charge of my stories, they've always been in charge of me. As each new one has called to me, ordering me to give it voice and form and life, I've followed the advice I've shared with other writers over the years: Jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down."

"I was so busy rushing headlong into the future, loving libraries and books and authors with all my heart and soul, was so consumed with becoming myself that I simply didn't notice that I was short, homely, and untalented. Perhaps, in some corner of my mind, I did know. But I persisted -- the need to write, to create, coursed like blood through my body, and still does."

Pretty cool.


[This message has been edited by Mr. Dark (edited 08-06-2003).]

Actually, from a publicity perspective, this site (the Books section) still shows "An Illustrated Life" as 'coming soon', and does not list the new "100 Stories" collection at all.

If Dandelion ran that section, I bet it would be current!

Yesterday I went to the Barnes & Noble outside of Pittsburgh and bought my copy. I believe I saw six copies total. Well, this evening I went back with my wife, and all of them had sold -- I even asked to make sure they hadn't been moved. They had to reorder immediately. An encouraging sign!

Greg

Andrew--What an evil mind you have, and I think I'll just go to Borders tomorrow and order a dozen copies!! I love it!

Mr. Dark--Thanks for the quote from the introduction. Most authors' introductions are boring, but never Ray's. Even his introductions are lyrical!

Greg:

That IS encouraging about them selling out so quickly. I hope that is a national trend.

Also, I received your book ("Big Cicadas". Gardenia Press) from Amazon.com the other day. I'm anxious to read it. It looks great! Congratulations!

You're now officially in my reading queue along with Ray Bradbury, the Dalai Lama, Virginia Woolf and John Irving. Pretty danged good company, I'd say!

Andrew:

If Ray's publisher had any brains, they'd immediately hire you to do their marketing!




[This message has been edited by Mr. Dark (edited 08-06-2003).]

Mr. Dark - I'm glad you mentioned the book list on this site. Since I've been coming here I've wondered what the deal is with the listing. Someone new to Mr. Bradbury may do the obvious & type in raybradbury.com in an effort to get some information, only to be faced with an inaccurate, partial list of books.

I agree. There's no excuse for this site not to be current.

Andrew -- You're absolutely right. It's a shame that those in charge of this site are so lazy. I wish Dandelion ran everything! THEN things would get done.

Mr. Dark -- Thank you! I'm glad you got the book safely and truly hope you enjoy it. Assuredly, there is no better company for it than that which you described. I'm humbled.

Best,

Greg

Thanks for the compliments, guys! I haven't known "who's in charge" since December and despite inquiries I still don't. Greg, your book arrived but no indication on time to read it. You're behind at least Harry Potter, and we are talking Harry Potter number THREE, which I am only halfway through, while the rest of the world, it seems, is already halfway through number five for the second time--*that* gives you an idea of how far behind I am!