What's a fair price for a 500-page trade paperback?

[rah]

well, I started reading it yesterday. Only got a a few dozen pages in. (I was tired so not an editorial comment on the book)
I can at least say, I've read books that I've quit by that many pages and I'm still reading. And even reasonably looking forward to it.

I'll post my reactions. If nothing else, it'll keep bumping this thread and maybe encourage others to buy the book.

[Lorizael]

(I think, based on FB, that Elok is on one of his religious break thingies right now.)

[rah]

I guess he'll see it eventually.

[Elok]

It's midnight, fast is over. Glad you're enjoying it! Or did ten days ago.

[rah]

I haven't had much time to read but about 2/3 of the way through it. Do yo want me to post my opinions on line or would you rather get it through a PM.

It was a slow start, and I almost put it down after 100 pages. It took awhile to get into it.

IT REALLY COULD HAVE USED A MAP. One of my biggest pet peeve on longer books that pretend to be epics.

And I'm not a big fan of the style of using journal entries and reports.

IT could also have used an appendix to help remind people of some of the concepts and definition that you use.

But now that I'm into it, I'm enjoying it. We'll see if it holds up to the end.

[Jon Miller]

It was a slow start, and I almost put it down after 100 pages. It took awhile to get into it.

IT REALLY COULD HAVE USED A MAP. One of my biggest pet peeve on longer books that pretend to be epics.

And I'm not a big fan of the style of using journal entries and reports.

IT could also have used an appendix to help remind people of some of the concepts and definition that you use.

I do agree with all of those things (I think I got into it quicker though and didn't intend to put it down). The slowness was due to the uniqueness of the setting and the style, I think.

However, there is an appendix in the back.

It might be my favorite SF book in the 'journal entries and reports' style..

JM

[rah]

Yes, I stand corrected. Just pulled the book out of by briefcase and low and behold there is an appendix. I swear I looked for it but didn't see it. Old and feeble for the win.
It would have helped me.

I think his technique using the J and R style still needs more work. But in all fairness, I'm not a big fan of that style because it is rarely done well. It makes me think the author was too lazy or didn't have the chops to just tell the story. But again, just my personal preference.

[Jon Miller]

Everyone seems to like Freedom and Necessity and yet I bounced twice from it because of the style... so I consider it as a style for some people and not (in general) for me.

JM

[rah]

Well I hyped the book at another site, so maybe he'll sell a few more. Every little bit helps.

[Elok]

Thanks for the feedback (and the hype)! I figured a map would be good, but ruled out including one for a couple of reasons: one, I didn't really have the working budget to get a professional-looking one made, and two, the way Corban is laid out it would be extremely difficult to get a map (even one confined to the southern regions where the story takes place) that would be both accurate and legible. A while back I sat down with the geographic appendix and made a crude map in MS Paint. Here it is:



The dark grey parts are the heights, the rest follows normal cartographic conventions. So, if you see the triad of green blotches in the center left, the Tabrin rift where the book opens is the tiny green line between the one on the bottom and the one on the right. The one on the bottom is Shone, Yunise's homeland, with Tassemere on the right edge of the blue sea inside it. Fierdasa is an invisible speck in the blue inside the vaguely star-shaped area near the center of the map. The brownish mass on the right edge is Haykum (Nurayah's homeland); Sau Margen is along the left edge. The mostly blue area southwest of there is Tez, Ponsifar's amirate, and the blue loop in the south is Cregor's native Runk.

As for the format, it's kind of odd that you thought it was a lazy way out; it was actually hair-pullingly difficult compared to telling the story straight. It allowed me to tell the story from three perspectives with minimal artifice, but also constrained me from giving out any information the characters either don't know themselves or wouldn't naturally mention. Thus, for example, I couldn't have Yunise stop and give a straight description of Tassemere in her diary, since she's been there her whole life and would have no reason to, and Nurayah has to be silenced almost entirely for that section since she only writes for the Amir to read (it'd be out of character for her to keep a diary). Also, tracking the chronology of who wrote when is a PITA. If I'd known what I was getting into at the beginning, I probably wouldn't have dared.

Pretty much all readers have agreed that the first hundred pages are hard. I couldn't think of a way to fix that, short of scrapping it and telling it all over from a more omniscient perspective, but I did my best to alleviate it. There was just no way of avoiding dumping the reader into the world to sink or swim. When I finally get around to the sequel, I'll probably need to include a clunky synopsis at the start.

[rah]

One way to make the beginning easier on the reader is a more mundane start. (while some may consider that more boring, it does give the reader a chance to settle in, so to speak and gives you a chance to explain things.) Your start was more plot related so explanations seemed secondary and easier to brush over so they weren't committed to memory or understanding (i'll admit that if I saw the appendix when i originally looked, it would have helped)

And I'll agree that you did take advantage of your telling style a few times that I really liked, but overall, still not a fan of it. (which doesn't mean it was bad, just not my preference) Please remember that I'm just being picky for discussion purposes. For most books I don't even bother but since you're here, what the heck.

And If I'm being real picky. Month 0 was quite annoying. Not necessary and was a distraction. Yeah, really picky.

On the map, you could have done what others have done and just done a small one of the first few areas covered. It would help people get immersed and by the first 100 pages. Seeing the early progression can be helpful. A professional map is not necessary. (Lord of the Rings is a perfect example) A simple sketch would have been sufficient.

I'm up to about page 350 so I hope the ending is acceptable. You had some really humorous bits in the book, and it probably could have used a few more. (just my preference and others would probably say otherwise) but over 500 pages you need a few of them.

My only other issue was that I liked almost all the characters except Yunise. I didn't dislike her, but she is not a anti-hero so I prefer a bit stronger one, even for her youth. (again personal pref)

Please take all these comment in perspective. I'm enjoying the book (after the start) and I've read over 3000 books, so I have read enough to have an opinion. I've read enough bad books. I'd say a good first one and I wouldn't have recommended it on another site if I didn't truly believe that.

[Elok]

Oh, I'm not offended. What's the other site?

[rah]

CFC and another smaller site that I frequent.
Let's hope you get a few more sales. I've read a lot of bad books that got more pub.

So how far are you into the next one?

[Elok]

I've written some small bits, but not much, and nothing serious. I know the rough plot, but the ideas have to percolate into something that makes sense and works dramatically. It's getting closer; I have some books I want to read for inspiration first.

For now I'm writing a history of Byzantium for children for use by Orthodox homeschoolers; there's demand for it (no existing English version), we'd need one anyway, and we'd have the means to market it. I'm up to Heraclius, just before the rise of Islam.

[N35t0r]

Just bought the Kindle version. This really seems like a book I will enjoy. Will comment when I get to read it.