Amazing, ain't it?
But, we're talking about an internet keyboard monkey; since when has logic been a consideration?
Summer nuTrek novels pulled-TrekMovie.Com
- Thread starter Darth Duck
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But, we're talking about an internet keyboard monkey; since when has logic been a consideration?
His central assumption is apparently that the new movie is evil and wrong. So he wants to believe that anything derived from the movie is guaranteed to fail, because that would vindicate his contempt for it. Beyond that, he's making up whatever assumptions serve to support his ideological stance, without regard to fact or consistency.
Gee, thanks for telling me a paperback reprint of a story of mine that a lot of non e-book folks have told me they've been waiting on is a "waste", JWolf.
Personally, the only wasted book slot is an empty book slot. Don't get me wrong. I get what you're trying to convey, that it's not a new story being told. However, in this case, it's not a new story to you. That's the critical point. There are slots every year that folks are going to think are a waste, and those are for the brand-spanking new, never been read elsewhere books. Nothing against the guys, but I'm willing to lay money there are people who'd rather read a trade S.C.E. reprint over a JJTrek book, just like there are people who'd rather read a TOS book over a DS9 book or a VOY book over a TNG book. Personally, I'll take the tradeoff in numbers. And, for all we know, the lack of JJTrek may bring the readers who were coming in through JJTrek to the other branches of the line, including S.C.E.
I said when the iPhone first took off that if they ever got a reader app, eBooks stood a chance of catching on. If we'd only known when B&N dropped e-books that the Nook was in their future....
Oh, indeed not, but that's not to say they couldn't think of a reason (e.g. they want them a year before the sequel and that would now mean bringing them out next year - something like that).
The important thing is, whoever took the decision I'd bet it was someone on that sort of level - not a boss at Pocket, not JJ, but some chimp at a desk at CBS or Bad Robot - you know, pointy-haired boss level.
And it wasn't for economic or sales reasons, obviously. Cap'n Bob has been jaw-droppingly blind on that one.
Thank you.
I have no opinion one way or the other regarding how well those books'd sell, because I really don't give a rip. I'm just trying to provide an theory for why whoever pulled the plug on these books might've thought they wouldn't sell.
For one thing, we're not gonna see another movie for two years at the soonest. The movie has already had it's big bang events, both at the box office and the DVD release, so it's only downhill from there as far as being in the public eye goes. The marketability of these books only goes down the longer you sit on them; you have to get those puppies out there while people are still interested and before the next big thing comes along.
So why pull the plug?
The only reason that makes any real sense is that somebody in a position to make that call is under the impression that they've already missed their chance to make the most from these books, possibly influenced by the toy line going belly up and other merchandising efforts either not performing as well as expected or being shelved entirely, and maybe thinking it might be better to hold onto these books until the next movie comes out and try to cash in on that bandwagon, assuming that one generates the same level of enthusiasm.
Y'know, I'm right here. No need to try and infer my opinion, I'll offer it up freely.
What she said. I don't do e-books, but like the SCE/COE stories and this is the only way I'll be able to get them.
Bottom Line: not a waste.
... is one we have seen before, but it's not your hyperthetical scenario. I seem to remember an editorial in DC's TNG comic where it was mentioned that the then-Viacom Licensing, in order to reduce the possible and actual conflicts due to similarity of stories between the airing TNG episodes and the comics, had specifically requested that the comics ease back on telling stories in the current timeframe. ie. tell Season Five stories only after the show was airing Season Six, and Season Six stories only when Season Seven was airing. Etc.
This was a totally different approach to the first few years on DC's TNG, where Pulaski had to appear in the comics being written during Season Two, and Crusher was quickly squeezed into issues as soon as possible after McFadden's return to the show.
TNG was an ongoing series at that time. We're not gonna get another movie out of these guys for two years. They sit on these books too long, they run the risk of nobody caring when they do come out.
Besides, they didn't particularly give a crap about continuity within their own movie, why would they care about novels that aren't canon in the first place?
Besides, they didn't particularly give a crap about continuity within their own movie, why would they care about novels that aren't canon in the first place?
But you're the one who keeps saying the books were pulled because they wouldn't sell. Nobody else, certainly not Pocket, said that was why the books were pulled. So, yes, you do have an opinion about how the books would sell. One that is not widely shared or supported by the facts.
One that is in direct opposition of facts, even.
Exactly. IDW's movie-based Star Trek comics are outselling, by some margin, their non-movie-based comics. This demonstrates that there is a market for movie-based storytelling. It's a fair bet based on that fact that Pocket's movie-based novels would have sold at least as well, if not better, than Pocket's non-movie-based novels.
Undoubtedly these books would've sold very well. Alan Dean Foster's novelization was the first ST book in ages to make the New York Times bestseller list (I think it was 15th in trade-paperback fiction in its opening week). Booksellers order books by a given author based on the sales of that author's previous book. So it's a cinch that Alan's Refugees would've gotten ordered in huge numbers. And that means the next book in the series (mine) would've gotten ordered in similar numbers, and so on down the line. That's why they decided to put Alan's book first -- to get a Foster-sized bump for the rest of us. There is every reason to expect these books would've sold a lot better than normal for Trek novels.
So Captain April's idea that these books were cancelled because of fears of low sales flies in the face of all facts and logic and sense. It's not just wrong, it's wrong wrong wrongety wrong. It's wrong with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal wrongs. It's wronger than King Kong playing mah-jongg in a thong. It's -- man, it just ain't right.
So Captain April's idea that these books were cancelled because of fears of low sales flies in the face of all facts and logic and sense. It's not just wrong, it's wrong wrong wrongety wrong. It's wrong with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal wrongs. It's wronger than King Kong playing mah-jongg in a thong. It's -- man, it just ain't right.
It's still an ongoing series, though.
Do TNG, DS9, VOY and ENT novels still sell? Yes indeed.
That's your bias and your opinion. The screenwriters seem to care very much about what they have crafted and where it's heading, so much so that they even provided the storyline for the IDW comic tie-ins.
People used to challenge Richard Arnold on this all the time. Up until GR's death, he kept insisting that "no licensed novels or comics" were canonical, and yet he drove the licensees crazy trying to meet the ST Office's demands for changes to match with the parent, canonical sources.
Sort of. Countdown did really well, and their later film-based comics (Nero and Spock: Reflections) had really high first issues, but then tapered off after that to comparable levels to non-film ones.
These are the average per-issue sales of each mini:
- 13,243: Countdown
- 8,965: The Wrath of Khan
- 8,756: Nero
- 8,608: Spock: Reflections
- 8,381: Crew
- 8,245: Mission's End
- 7,182: Romulans: Schism
- 6,940: Alien Spotlight II
"Ongoing series" as in it was still on the air. There wasn't much chance of TNG's profile dropping off the radar at that point.
As for the books on the various series continuing to sell, they've had time to build followings, and there's a pattern of sales to base their decisions on. So far, Trek09 has had one book. And, as noted above, sales of the IDW comics have dropped.
As for the books on the various series continuing to sell, they've had time to build followings, and there's a pattern of sales to base their decisions on. So far, Trek09 has had one book. And, as noted above, sales of the IDW comics have dropped.
Do you even read what other people post? They haven't dropped-- they're the same.
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