Writer. Scientist. Thoroughly Disappointing Flesh Muppet.
I’ve said a little bit about last month’s trip to Minneapolis here (Thursday) and here (Friday). But Saturday was the big day– my first solo signing. I’m happy to say the signing went much better than I’d feared it might (it didn’t come close to the nightmare scenarios that gave me a few sleepless nights).
I’m grateful to Richard for photographing the festivities, and to so many friends — From all over! From years back! — for coming down to Uncle Hugo’s to support a debut author.
My friend Petter—novelist, screenwriter, science fiction fan and all-around good guy—was passing through the Outland book store at the Oslo Central train station yesterday, where he snapped the following photo.
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by The Mad Hatter recently. (Not the Mad Hatter, but another haberdasher with a passing acquaintance with madness. Or, at least, science fiction.) The full interview is now online here, along with a new review of Bitter Seeds.
So, thanks to a tip from Albuquerque gadabout, man-about-town, and fan extraordinaire Craig Chrissenger, I spent some time corresponding with my editor at Tor today.
Bitter Seeds is currently out of stock at the warehouse, because all copies from the intial print run have been shipped to fulfill bookstore orders. This doesn’t mean the book has sold out — not by a long shot — but it does mean the first batch of orders exceeded expectations. Speaking verrrry cautiously here, that’s good news.
The real question is how many of those copies shipped to bookstores actually sell, and how many get returned to the publisher. It’s possible of course that the entire stock of reprinted copies will end up moldering at the bottom of the Hudson River. (I’m told my optimistic outlook will serve me well in the world of publishing.)
Got some terrific news from my agent this afternoon: we’ve sold the audiobook rights to the entire Milkweed Triptych: Bitter Seeds (which is out right now!), The Coldest War (coming in hardcover in February, 2011), and Necessary Evil.
My agent, Kay, describes this as “quite a coup”, coming as it does so soon after the release of Bitter Seeds, and while I’m still an unknown quantity as authors go. I think the deal owes far more to her negotiating savvy than to anything on my end, but I’m pleased all the same.