sumi, thing is, something like a starred review in PW will get stores and libraries to order more than a run of the mill or negative review. And I suspect that just getting the review does, in fact, move things up the list.

But it's a very wide pool they have to choose from. So good is all the way better, and bad can cut your institutional and chain store sales.

Speaking of libraries, ours seems to have brought your collection up to date.

Oh, don't know if I'm the only one who did not know this. But if you want to promote library sales, ask people during book tours and what have to order them from libraries. Small libraries will often order a book if even one patron asks. Sometimes larger ones as well, but certainly if they get three or four requests for a book. You have to weigh whether encouraging library sales costs book store sales, though I gather if you are not on the best seller list the answer is probably "no".

News to anyone? Is there more of tradeoff between library and book sales than I think?

I always encourage library sales; they tend to buy in good numbers. And even though they buy at a lower cost, the contract with the publisher specifies that they can only pay your the lower royalty rate up to half of whatever the units sold is.

Book deal fell apart. I get to keep the advance, but that is it. No bound pages.

Anyone else have Baen insight? I think they may be shutting down.

Gus, WHOA. I haven't heard anything, but I'll check.

How utterly disappointing, Gus. So sorry, dude.

Gus, that stinks. I hope Baen isn't shutting down, because where else can I get sci-fi? But they better have a reason that's at least as good as "we're shutting down" for dropping your book deal.

Damn, Gus! That sucks.

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that!