OT: Announcing ONLY SUPERHUMAN, my first original novel!

[Greg Cox]

Skywalker wrote:

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I've always wondered how exactly that worked. When publishers are trying to promote their book, do they just call up authors who write in a related genre and ask them if they'd be willing to give them a quote?

Basically, you work whatever connections you have and rely on the kindness of friends and colleagues. One also tries to approach authors who might be sympatico to the subject matter and appeal to the same audience. (I wouldn't approach Anne Rice for a quote on an interplanetary hard-sf adventure!)

In this case, I contacted various authors, asked them if they would be willing to look at an advance copy of the manuscript, then crossed my fingers and hoped they liked it enough to give us a quote!

So far we've gotten great quotes from Kevin Anderson, Mike Barr, and Stanley Schmidt, and I'm hoping for more before we have to go to press . . . .

[Skywalker]

Very cool. Thanks for the info! And I hope you get more quotes.

[Greg Cox]

NotLKH wrote:

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No need to apologize.

Hmmm, but I'll bet nobody at Tor has ever seen both you and Christopher at the same time

Maybe not at Tor, but anybody who has ever been to Shore Leave has!

[Christopher]

Greg Cox wrote:

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Maybe not at Tor, but anybody who has ever been to Shore Leave has!

That's true. The one time I've been to Tor's offices was last year's NY Comic-Con, which Greg couldn't attend. However, we've attended several Shore Leaves and earlier NYCCs together.

[JD]

Love that cover. I'll definitely be picking this up. Or downloading it, since I'm trying to go 100% digital.

[Daddy Todd]

Is there a scheduled publication month yet? I just checked and it's not available for preorder on Amazon yet -- or at least I couldn't find it. I fully intend to order me one as soon as possible. It looks awesome.

[Christopher]

Tentative publication month is October, but the fall schedule hasn't yet been locked down. As for when it goes on sale, that probably won't be until Tor's fall/winter catalog comes out, which I gather might be in April or so.

[CaptainMatt]

CONGRATULATIONS on your NEW BOOK!

[BrotherBenny]

That cover does look amazing. I'm not sure I want to buy the book in hardback, since I don't feel the cost is justified, but I'll definitely be picking it up in mass market. However, that said, if my new job continues to go well, and gets made permanent, then I may have extra money lying around and I will get it in hardback.

I can't wait to read it.

[Christopher]

^Well, I get more royalties if you buy it in hardcover, so I think it's justified...

[Greg Cox]

Although we will hopefully have some library sales as well . . . .

[Captaindemotion]

Christopher wrote:

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The cover for Only Superhuman has just been released on Facebook and my blog. And here it is:



I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect cover for this book. It marvelously conveys the novel’s sense of high-flying action and adventure in a high-tech setting, and the flamboyance and power of its heroine, Emerald Blair (aka the Green Blaze). It makes the novel look exciting and energetic, and that should help sell copies. (This scene doesn’t appear in the book, but it’s kind of an amalgam of elements of the opening and climactic action sequences.)

And it’s a marvelous portrait of Emerald Blair. First off, I’m stunned and honored by how closely artist Raymond Swanland followed my character design drawings. Allowing for a bit of idealization, and my own limited ability to translate my visual ideas to paper, it’s as authentic a portrait of Emry as I could’ve hoped for. More, it captures her personality and the life she leads very well. She looks like she just hurled herself off the top of a skyscraper without giving any thought to what happens next. She’s totally focused on fighting the bad guys and won’t let little things like plans or gravity distract her. She’s in an incredibly precarious and dangerous situation and she looks completely at home there. Yes, she is presented in a sexual, glamorous way too, but that’s in character for her, and it’s a very athletic, active, powerful kind of sexiness that (at least to my eye) complements the impression of strength and competence in this image rather than undermining it.

In any case, it’s an ideal way to introduce Emerald Blair to the world, and I’m very happy with it.

That's a really kick-ass cover. Okay, never judge a book by its cover and all that ... but a lot of people who don't already know about the book or writer are definitely going to pick it up when they see it.

[Christopher]

Captaindemotion wrote:

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That's a really kick-ass cover. Okay, never judge a book by its cover and all that ... but a lot of people who don't already know about the book or writer are definitely going to pick it up when they see it.

That's certainly what one wants in a cover.

[Thrawn]

And it's a great blurb by Anderson; not just "THIS IS AWESOME" but really descriptive. I'd be interested, certainly, even if I had no idea who you were.

[CaptainDonovin]

Awesome, I'm looking forward to this.