Tuesday, September 19, 2006

I'm not bitter. No, I'm really not. Honest.

But I do think I have a valid point.

And my point is this: Edenstar books say they have discontinued their own shop in order to concentrate on their database, so that they can "expand the list to include out-of-print and hard-to-find titles". Provided, apparently, that they are listed on amazon.com.

Which is fine as far as it goes, and at risk of getting booted off the tour (erk!), my gripe is not with Edenstar as much as with amazon, who don't make it easy (or cheap) for an impoverished UK self-pubber like, well, for instance, this nice chap, to get their hard-to-find title listed.

I managed to get a listing on amazon.co.uk - admittedly the cover disappeared a while ago - but they picked it up just for having an ISBN... which, apparently, isn't as international as the 'I' might suggest.

Anyway, before I get any more sidetracked onto the woes of self-publishing, my point is this: as good as the database is on Edenstar, it is restricted to publications available on amazon in the US. If the owners are happy with that, fair enough, it's their website after all. But if they want to try and develop a comprehensive and definitive list of Christian spec-fic, they are welcome to drop me a line ;)

In the meantime, for all that's happening on the UK CSFF scene*, one stop is all you'll need... for everything else, there's Edenstar.

And if there's anyone in the US with an amazon marketplace account that wants to be my agent, let me know...


*that hasn't been picked up my amazon.com, Edenstar, or a CBA publisher. Or someone else.

4 comments:

Mirtika said...

You go ahead and gripe all you want. We don't censor our bloggie mates. :) Well, I don't. The others may throw rocks at you when you turn your back. Heh.

BTW, finally caught the episode of Life on Mars where he has the showdown with his dad. POWERFUL stuff. And the ending made me want to cry. Sniff. But I'm warming up to Gene. Good writing.

Still hoping to catch Yoda in future.

And I finally found INTERZONE locally. Really enjoying issues 206. Do you buy that?

Mir

Mirtika said...

Oh, and how does one pronounce "Trower". Does it rhyme with "thrower" or "tower"?

Or something else.

Mir

UKSteve said...

I haven't seen interzone recently myself, now you come to mention it. But with a nearly-one-year-old pestering me for attention all the time, I don't get much time to keep up with everything I would otherwise have liked to. So, to answer your question, not currently.

And if you can rhyme Trower with "squid", that would be good. Otherwise, go with "tower".

Mirtika said...

The only way I could rhyme "Trower" with "Squid" is if "Trower" is some odd Gaelic word. Gaelic words seemed to be pronounced in a fashion very unlike the looks of them. ; )

Mir