Stargate Novels

[fems]

You mention American Amazon and how expensive shipping is - why haven't you tried Amazon UK? I'm assuming that would be cheaper shipping?

I am very disappointed with Fandemonium. It started out so promising. I've read here where readers write to them with no response. In the early days, Sally Malcolm, herself, would respond. The last response I got from her was to my complaint about the book Valhalla. Her tone seemed annoyed at my criticism of the book. (I can understand that but I had hoped my complaint would make them aware of how we true fans feel about books by authors that don't really know the characters.) I wish they would hire fans to beta the transcripts - shoot, there are some of us who would do it or free!

I haven't read any of the books (mostly because books like these usually disappoint and they're not even available in my country) but to be fair Sally Malcolm was a fanfiction writer, a pretty good one at that! She wrote under the name of Sally Reeve and you can still find some of her (Sam/Jack) fic online.

Although I have no idea why she would respond to the criticism on Valhalla; I thought someone else had written it? Or did the authors just reply to anything, even if it was about something they hadn't written themselves? Maybe you weren't the first person to have complained about the book and she was starting to get annoyed?

[RamonaThePest]

Sally Malcolm owns Fandemonium. I read her fanfiction years ago. I've read her history somewhere of how she went to MGM about Stargate novels and they gave her the go ahead. She is the author of several of the books, some under her own name a couple under a psuedonym with joint authors. But you are right, she is not the author of the book I complained about.

[RamonaThePest]

Here is a link to Sally Malcolms interview with Gateworld: http://www.gateworld.net/interviews/..._success.shtml

And btw, general consensus is that her books are counted among the best of the Stargate novels.

[GermanAstra]

You mention American Amazon and how expensive shipping is - why haven't you tried Amazon UK? I'm assuming that would be cheaper shipping?

Technically, it would indeed. But I did not mean American Amazon. The newer books can't be found as real books at any Amazon website, be it German, UK or US. I tried them all. They are there only as e-books. If I want a real book, I need to order from Fandemonium themselves, they are print-on-demand. At least that's how I understand it. What I don't understand - they are going to print just one book for me? Isn't that much more expensive than printing several at a time? Or do I need to wait till six other people have ordered one? Or sixhundred?

This all sounds very complicated to me so I haven't followed through with ordering from them yet. Granted, I never came as far at the page to see how much the shipping costs are in the end, my assumption is just based on other things I got shipped from America in the past. So maybe I should have a look first how much it really is before I complain further. Point taken!

Still, in any place it will be more expensive than the zero Euro I would pay from German Amazon. Which was actually a real improvement that we could even order the books over here, as in the beginning (due to copyright?) the books were only available in the US, UK and Australia.

I am very disappointed with Fandemonium. It started out so promising. I've read here where readers write to them with no response.

There are two threads where writers responded here on Gateworld. The first one was very lively and several authors took place in it, and I really liked it. But then, they got busy with other stuff I guess or just ordinary real life, and since they are not writing for Stargate anymore they have no need to still come here. It happens, people move on. Since "Stargate" is over, I also have moved on to "Torchwood" and "Doctor Who". You can't really blame them for that.

Somehow a second thread also came up, where the newer male authors wrote a bit when their books came out, and now we have two such threads, which might add to the confusion.

Maybe direct e-mails to Fandemonium are the better approach then to get an answer.

And btw, general consensus is that her books are counted among the best of the Stargate novels.

I agree with that consensus! Even though I am not a shipper like other people, I really like her stories and also the books, very well written.

Sally Malcolm owns Fandemonium. I read her fanfiction years ago. I've read her history somewhere of how she went to MGM about Stargate novels and they gave her the go ahead. She is the author of several of the books, some under her own name a couple under a psuedonym with joint authors. But you are right, she is not the author of the book I complained about.

Exactly. The more I also don't understand how she can't see why we are so disappointed lately. She of all people should know the fan's view onto things? How could she even let something like Valhalla get published? It surely is a hard business and we might not know everything about it, but I was willing to help every way I can, with buying books and recommend to friends, and I loved the enthusiasm and just the idea that any ordinary person could go up to MGM and ask: "How about we do novels?" And that any ordinary fanfiction writer could become a professional writer through it. Make your dream come true!

(there had been some Stargate-novels before Fandemonium but they were even worse, as they were written very early when we did not have many episodes yet and therefore the author could not know our team well. Samantha is even called Amanda a few times in one of them)

I really enjoyed Roswell as I'm a big Mitchell fan.

When I first heard what the book would be about and time travel and whatever I looked forward to it, but it did not hold up to my expectations. The reason for it was not technically the story - it was a good idea, but the reason I had a hard time to read it was there was so many research and info stuff in it, that it sounded more like a technical manual (same goes for the other book by this author, City of Gods). And the descriptions of the characteres, what their emotions and feelings were, suffered because of that. While reading, I never was "in" the story, I did not feel connected to the people, it somehow left me all cold.

[Artie]

A quick aside about print on demand and how it works -- with traditional publishing, the publisher pays all the expenses upfront for a full print run, which needs to be about a minimum of 10,000 copies to make it affordable. So the publisher must pay $25,000 -- $30,000 upfront, plus payments to authors, copyeditors, and MGM -- or somewhere around $40,000 -- to simply print the book. And then it sits in a warehouse, on which they pay rent. It may take five years for all 10,000 copies to sell so that they make back their initial investment.

Now, let's say it's a Stargate book and since Stargate is off the air, there may only be 5,000 print copies sold. A traditional publisher would simply drop the line as unprofitable. No more books. Not enough copies sold in print to make it worthwhile to do.

Print on demand means that there are no upfront printing costs and no warehouse, and no limits on how few books you can sell over what period of time. So it's possible to do a print on demand edition of a book that will only sell a few thousand print copies. Yes, they're essentially laserprinted and bound just for you -- when you buy the book. There are no remainders, no distributors, no enormous carbon footprint or costs upfront. There are no copies that are printed and unsold and destroyed. Your copy is laserprinted when you buy it and it ships directly to you. It makes it possible for smaller things to be published at all.

[RamonaThePest]

GermanA - yes, that's what I meant - in the past, Ms. Malcolm responded to my email. I have not attempted to contact her since then as I assume she's busy, but other fans have indicated they've emailed Fandemonium to inquire when books will be released (especially after almost a year's delay) and gotten no response. And personally, i wonder how there can be so little proofreading or checking for OCC's. I mean I can stand the waiting if I know waiting means it will be good. But to wait for crap - you may as well juat shoot it out without the delay cause that's what some of them look like with all the spelling/grammar errors (which I can also put up with but not stuff like Vahalla and Power).

[gatechick]

Looks like The Drift is coming very soon!

http://dianabotsford.com/?p=952

[hedwig]

Looks like The Drift is coming very soon!

http://dianabotsford.com/?p=952

Here's hoping that "coming very soon" means by the end of this month.

[gatechick]

Here's hoping that "coming very soon" means by the end of this month.

Yes I guess I should remember that coming soon for Fandemonium could mean next year.

But I'm hopeful because they were on a roll for a little while with their releases.

[Artie]

A little preview of Moebius Squared: http://jo-graham.livejournal.com/211...ly#add_comment

[hedwig]

"The Drift" is now available on amazon.com.

[lightsyder]

Really? That's surprising...

edit: ah, just the digital...bummer...

[hedwig]

Really? That's surprising...

edit: ah, just the digital...bummer...

ooops! Sorry. I should have commented on that, or maybe put "attention digital readers" ...

[lightsyder]

All good, I should have none as that is the way all their releases are handled now. I did just get an email saying paperback copies will be up for order on November 21st.

[SamJackShipper93]

A little preview of Moebius Squared: http://jo-graham.livejournal.com/211...ly#add_comment

I'm so excited!