Songs of the Sisters: Second printing incoming · 6:01am Aug 2nd, 2019
I thought I had over-ordered.
EVERYONE sending books to the last Bronycon's Golden Oaks Bookstore did. But I was being more daring than most.
"I'll be wildly optimistic, print enough for the folks who said in the bookstore survey that they wanted a copy at Bronycon AND the folks who said they wouldn't be at the con, and take them ALL to the convention!" I said. "Sure, I might have to lug home a suitcase full of my own books so that I can mail them out to fans afterward, but at least I won't be stuck with a stack of unsold books lining my own bookshelves."
The bookstore was decimated on Thursday. We had so many people in line that convention security stepped in. They had to send book buyers over to the far wall to line up, and then escort them to our booth in little groups.
It's only Thursday night and eighteen of the store's 67 books are completely sold out.
Songs of the Sisters, at 7 pm, was one of them. Then someone found an unopened box of my hardbacks right before closing, so a few lucky buyers tomorrow will get a crack at them.
Less than half of the con's 11,000 attendees have picked up their badges.
. . .
There's been chatter on the bookstore Discord all evening about how to handle this. As a Ponyfeather Publishing author, I'm luckier than most: I can just refer people to the PFP website once RBDash47 opens up online sales. But that's a downer for the people who had hoped to go home with a collectible, especially with my signature on it.
For that latter group, I'm one of a few authors working out a deal with Aquaman. He'll collect money and take preorders at the con; pay up front and we (meaning I) will handle the rest. Flat rate* of $30 paperback, $40 hardback will get you a SIGNED copy of SOTS, shipped out after the con. And yes, this offer will be available whether you're at the convention or not; I'll figure out how to handle from-home orders in a few days when the madness here dies down.
Yes, this is $15 more expensive than the buy-at-con rate. :( But you're guaranteed an autograph, and my gratitude!
The bottom line is, even at that price, this is not a for-profit enterprise. The convention price is basically just printing and shipping costs. I've got to also cover the cost of mailing the book to you. Then everything above shipping fees will go to my Cover Art Fund -- PFP books are sold at cost, and I paid Nadnerb by the hour for the gorgeously painted commission, so despite the tremendous at-con sales I'm still three digits away from breaking even. (Ask me for an autograph at con and you'll get a CAF donation request, too.)
If you'd like the book at a more reasonable cost, you'll have two options. If you order via Ponyfeather Publishing directly, you'll get the book basically at printing cost and then pay Lulu yourself for shipping -- it will end up being approximately the convention price. That book, however, will never touch my hands. No signature.
Ponyfeather will also be offering ebooks for those who want to do the reading without the expense of dead trees.
How's the con been otherwise, so far? Crazy. Sweaty. Book-lugging-around-y. Socializey.
I got shanghaied onto GaryOak's comedy panel as a replacement Shakespearicles, and managed to find a few mostly-coherent things to say. I went on stage for opening ceremonies, which was a thing. I helped a group of authors (led by Axis of Rotation and Haze) solve an escape room. I've been scrambling to work on prep for my other panels in between socializing. I think I can remember what sleep was like, if I concentrate hard enough. It tasted like oats.
--
* Oh yeah! Important footnote.
If this involves international shipping, I can't promise I can get you the book at that price. 
The shipping cost ALONE means I would be paying for you to read my book, and I'd like to think I have some pride. I will contact international buyers separately and give you a quote or a refund.
That's bannanas! Looks like I'll have more room for other merch in my suitcase than i thought when i get there saturday.
Wow!
Twilight Sparkle is happy that people like reading so much, but sad that she didn't get to buy any.
So you're saying there's a chance
I feel so lucky to have gotten one of yours. I rolled in at 6pm with a plan of what to buy and in what format, but that all went to hell when bunches of it were either already gone or unavailable in the format I’d planned on getting. I ended up with a paperback instead of a hardcover due to trying to adjust my budget on the fly. Now I’ve just gotta get this mofo signed
without devolving into a gibbering mass of fanboy like I did with Georg and Aragón.Ponyfeather Publishing? Why did not learn of this until now? I will have to see if I can set something up through them instead of Lulu, just because people are more likely to look there for ponyfic.
Oh my god, that sounds terrifying. D: I only made it into the vendor's room last night by virtue of being shanghaied into helping bring backstock, and I did not last very long in there!
I kept seeing authors saying "Oh I'll only have like 10 copies, cause no one wants my stuff."
Back of my head: "Oh sweet summer children. Nooooo."
(But it's good to know that the bookstore is a big success!)
Um, no. Not everypony thought you over-ordered.
I tried to warn y'all.
5098137
You definitely get to say “I told you so”.
Though honestly I understand why nobody listened. Everyone was paying for their copies up front (except RBDash47, who was insane enough to front costs for a dozen authors). If I had doubled my order it would have been nearly $2000 worth of books.
I'm utterly amazed. My books have been available on Lulu forever, and I thought they'd only appeal to a few people of the thousands who hadn't even heard of them!
Yours is sadly the only book I’ve managed to walk away with. I snagged one when I dropped off my own stock and figured I’d swing back for more once I had more room in my bag and wasn’t also lugging a stuffed carry-on bag and… yeah. Between the insane lines just to get into the vendor hall and the bookstore’s tremendous popularity I’m not going to try for more. Still, I’m happy I walked away with something awesome (and also happy that the paltry ten books I brought to the con aren’t coming home with me
)