Silk (1998-2004)

[greygirlbeast]

Late yesterday, I got the news that the trade paperback 2nd edition of Silk is being remaindered. That is, whoever makes decisions at Penguin about which books are selling well enough to deserve warehouse space decided that SIlk wasn't earning its keep, and the last 1,000 or so copies of the tpb will be remaindered in December. So, Silk will soon be out of print. And my first reaction, last night, was to freak out about this, to let it drag me down someplace black. But then I forced myself to put it in perspective. Silk appeared in May 1998 as a mass-market paperback original (that is, first published as a paperback instead of the paperback following a hardback edition). These days, the average lifespan of a paperback original novel is about a year. Yet Silk, which was never an easy novel, has survived the vicissitudes of the marketplace for more than six years. It sold about 40,000 copies in its original print run, had a 1999 hardback edition (with art by Clive Barker, no less) that entirely sold out, and was reissued by Penguin as a trade paperback in 2002.

For a first novel, that's not so bad at all. It's really pretty good. I contemplated some other novelists' first novels. Peter Straub, whom I consider one of the finest novelists alive today — his first novel, Marriages (1973), is long out of print, even though he is, in fact, a bestselling author. It's what often happens. It's what usually happens. I am immensely proud of SIlk, which had a damn fine run and has been such a big part of my life since I began writing the novel in October 1993. I'm proud of the awards it won. That novel gave me my career, and though I might now look back on it and see a few things I'd do differently, I'm grateful that it was received as well as it was. And it's not like Silk will be unavailable. Amazon will have used copies, as will other online booksellers. I'm buying a hundred of the remaindered copies myself, which I'll be offering via eBay. And it will most likely be in print again, at some future date. Bill Schafer at subpress has talked about a tenth anniversary edition (that would be 2008), for example. Yeah, sure, I wish like hell that my books sold more, because then this probably wouldn't be happening, but it is happening, and all I can do is move forward and write new books and tell new stories. Silk was not a failure, but it also wasn't a book that was destined to stay in print forever. I can live with that.

Meanwhile, Penguin plans to release Threshold, Low Red Moon, and Murder of Angels as mass-market paperbacks.

And tomorrow I fly to Minneapolis. I just got my schedule for Fiddler's Green this morning. It is as follows:

Saturday

Sandman: Behind the Comic (as yet unscheduled)

(Collaborative works always encompass artistic and interpretive disagreements, compromises, and ideas that Just Didn't Make It. We'll get the making of Sandman stories from our Guests of Honor…)

12-1 p.m. : Karen Berger spotlight

(Interviewed by Caitlin R. Kiernan about Vertigo, working with Brits, how Sandman evolved, and moving from comics outsider to insider.)

Saturday 2-3 p.m. : Plotting A Sandman Story

Karen Berger, Neil Gaiman, Caitlin R. Kiernan (Neil, Karen, and Caitlin plot and write a 1-2 page Sandman universe story before your eyes.)

Saturday 4-5:30 p.m. : Caitlin R. Kiernan Reading

Sunday

Sunday 12-1 p.m. : Caitlin R. Kiernan Spotlight

Interviewed by Karen Berger. From editor to writer, with a focus on what it was like to write The Dreaming.

Sunday 1-4:30 p.m. : Grand Finale

Neil Gaiman, Karen Berger, Jill Thompson, Charles Vess, Todd Klein, Caitlin R. Kiernan. (Our Guests of Honor wrap up 15 years of Sandman: memories, its impact, and future.)

If I'm notified of any changes in the schedule between now and the time we leave Atlanta tomorrow, I'll try to post them here.

Yesterday, my ruthless winnowing focus shifted away from comics and onto cassette tapes and actual book-type-books. I managed to part with a veritable mountain of the latter, books I know I'll never open again and so refuse to cart to the new place. We're taking them to used bookstores to trade for credit. The cassette tape thing was more annoying. Piles of the frelling things. I kept a handful, mostly Death's Little Sister rehearsal tapes, tapes of our shows, scratch tapes from songwriting sessions, etc.. I also kept recordings of some radio shows I did. But not much else. Oh, and I began getting rid of VHS tapes, as well. But now all that stops until after the con.

Oh, here's a link, sent to me by a thoughtful reader named Erin, regarding the discovery of a new Carboniferous-age amphibian, a find that would definitely have excited Chance.

I finished BloodRayne 2 last night before dinner. A truly delightful game that I blazed through. Immediately, I wanted more. I was very pleased that the ending didn't make everything right as rain again (sorry). Sure, Rayne slays Kagan, but the world remains a smoldering ruin at the mercy of other monsters, mankind an endangered species hunted by all sorts of Republicans...er, I mean vampiric beasts. Did I actually say Republicans? For shame.

Did I mention the Bookslut interview? Ah, well, now I have.

Comments

[kennydoogs.livejournal.com]

That is really unfortunate news about "Silk." As it happens, I recently purchased and read it and was very impressed by the complexity of themes and the raw poetic style of prose you employed. As a result of my enjoyment of "Silk", I plan to purchase and read all the rest of your novels.

Fiddler's Green?

[marlowe1.livejournal.com]

That sounds new. Or I never heard of it. Great. I finally move away from Minneapolis ande something that cool happens. Oh well. I'll be back for Convergence.

Re: Fiddler's Green?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

That sounds new.

It's a one-time-only affair.

[jacobluest.livejournal.com]

Rest in peace, Silk. Don't worry, I'm sure it will be rising from its grave soon, hungering for other novel's brains, inciting hordes of respectable fiction to pitchfork and torch-toting rage, the usual.

~Jacob

Silk

[dystempted.livejournal.com]

for what it's worth, i remember reading Silk back so many years while i was working the worst job of my life. i basically blew off an entire day of accomplishing anything because i got so wrapped up in your book. i suppose it might be strange to hear that news, but it had a great run and will return someday undoubtedly. it's just...taking a rest!

[faeprince.livejournal.com]

I found Silk one day, almost on accident, not expecting a whole lot honestly, but was blown away. Not only was it a great story, it touched me in a way that very few works of fiction ever have. At this point in my life, something about Silk really spoke to me. I guess what I'm saying is that although Silk is going off shelves, take heart in the fact that it is still very much alive in the hearts and minds of your readers.

[oxygenhigh.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the "Silk" news. I only recently bought it -- I'm almost finished, in fact, and I'm loving every page (but then, I knew I would). It's definitely a book I think people need to read, and it's a book you should be proud of. Rest assured, though "Silk" may go in and out of print, it will always have a place of honor on many a bookshelf, including mine.

[opalexian.livejournal.com]

Just so you know, do NOT get World of Warcraft.

A female undead rogue is a DEAD RINGER for Chi-even has the moves and attitude (in addition to being pretty-much the same skillset.)

And is HELLA fun to play.

Just warning you. >_> (I may try to pull a .mov for posterity at least-I actually named mine Chianer, but I'm not sure if they'll let the name slide on release.)




damn, I wish I could get to Fiddler's Green...have fun ^^

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Just warning you. >_>

WoW is strictly PC, isn't it? I'm strictly platform (X-Box and PS2), at the moment.

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

WoW is strictly PC, isn't it?

It's supposed to come out for the Mac pretty soon, according to the website (http://www.blizzard.com/wow/faq/). I get the impression the people behind Warcraft are pretty Mac friendly. I remember one of the coolest things about my copy of Warcraft 2 was that it worked on both PC and Mac--the entire game on one disk for both computers (which for me meant I could play it in my high school art class). I doubt our friendly neighbourhood corporate bureaucrats'll never let that happen again.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

It's supposed to come out for the Mac pretty soon,

Ah, but I'm still safe, as I don't allow myself to game on my iBook.

[opalexian.livejournal.com]

Still should be with WoW, but may not just due to size. Will still be released simultaneously, god LOVE Blizzard ^^

[opalexian.livejournal.com]

....and Mac....which I what I'm on.

But you STILL shouldn't get it >_>



I'm running under specs even! hee!

[dyfferent.livejournal.com]

Well, PANTS. Is that why I couldn't get one then?

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Well, PANTS. Is that why I couldn't get one then?

You mean Silk? It's presently in stock at Amazon, B&N.com, etc,, on a lot of store's shelves, and can be special ordered from any bookstore that makes orders (and most do).

[dyfferent.livejournal.com]

Oh, not for me, for my shop. Baker & Taylor didn't have it when I ordered your other ones.

[greygirlbeast.livejournal.com]

Oh, not for me, for my shop. Baker & Taylor didn't have it when I ordered your other ones.

Ahh. I see. I'm not sure exactly how all this dren works out, but I think the fact that Baker & Taylor hadn't ordered copies to distribute is partly the reason it's going out of print, rather than the fact that it's going out of print being the reason that Baker & Taylor didn't have it in stock. But thanks for trying.

Where's you're shop?

[dyfferent.livejournal.com]

Bastardheads. Ingram used to be our US supplier, but now it's BTB. It's a chain store, so I can't just order it from somewhere else, but a shame nonetheless. I greatly enjoyed Low Red Moon and Threshold, btw. I'm buying Murder of Angels when I get paid.

[dyfferent.livejournal.com]

Oh, and Reading England.

Glad I got in under the wire

[miltonsdavid.livejournal.com]

I put Silk on the required reading list for a University Extension class I'm teaching on 20th Cen. American Novels...got the order in for 30 copies just in time. Murder of Angels is on the suggested list and the students have ordered it in droves. Just my contribution to your moving expense fund.

[arvinbestfriend.livejournal.com]

republicans ?

are you trying to start a riot ?