Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Signing in Eagle Mountain with the Writing Excuses crew

This Saturday (July 31st) Howard Tayler, Dan Wells, and I will be appearing at the Dragons & Fairy Tales bookstore in Eagle Mountain, UT from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. We'll be recording at least two episodes of our Writing Excuses podcast live in the store, and then we'll sign books.

Howard will be launching his new Schlock Mercenary book, RESIDENT MAD SCIENTIST, and Dan and I will sign whatever books you bring (though it's nice to support the store by buying something there that day). There should be plenty of copies available of I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER, and Dan will give one lucky attendee an advance copy of its sequel, MR. MONSTER. My books will also be available, including hard-to-find hardcovers like ELANTRIS.

Google Maps used not to show the correct location for the store, so the last time I signed there I put up a map. But Google now locates the address correctly. Hooray!

Date: 07.31.10 Time: 5:00 pm-8:00 pm
Place: Dragons & Fairy Tales Books & Games
Address: 3535 E Ranches Pkwy Suite A
Eagle Mountain, UT 84005
Phone: (801) 789-5014

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Updates, Tightening Language, and Suvudu Interview

At Comic-Con this past weekend I did an interview with Shawn Speakman of Suvudu where I talk about THE WAY OF KINGS among other things. Check it out.

In the most recent WARBREAKER annotations I talk about Ramblemen, Idris's drabness, Mab the cook, and Dedelin's decision, Siri's departure and character shifts, and monks in Idris and Dedelin's relationship with his daughters.

Over on Twitter and Facebook I've been posting scene-by-scene statistics for my line edit of TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT (which you can see on the sidebar of my site is 85% done). I'm going through and tightening the language, with a target of trimming each chapter by ten to fifteen percent. What does that mean in practice? I can't share examples from this book, but in this week's Writing Excuses podcast episode Dan, Howard, and I talk about how to do this sort of tightening revision using the first book I ever wrote, back in 1994. Some fans have urged me not to cut, or to release an "author's preferred text" edition at a later date; trust me, the version you'll see on the shelf is my preferred text. Every book I've published has gone through a similar ten to fifteen percent cut, and not because a publisher or editor demanded it. This is an integral part of my writing process, and listening to the episode will show you exactly why.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

My Comic-Con Schedule

I'm flying out tomorrow for Comic-Con, so it's time to post my schedule. There's also an off-site signing for fans not attending the con.

Comic-Con International, San Diego
San Diego Convention Center, 111 W. Harbor Dr., San Diego, CA 92101

THURSDAY July 22nd
1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m., Room 24ABC
Panel: "Once Upon a Time": Epic Fantasy, Bigger than Life Heroes/Heroines
Panelists: Christopher Paolini, Lyn Flewelling, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, Brent Weeks, and Tad Williams

2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m., Sails Pavillion autograph area AA1
Signing w/Mysterious Galaxy: Christopher Paolini, Lyn Flewelling, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, and Brent Weeks.

After the signing I'll be heading down to the Tor booth (#2301) for a couple of interviews. Tor will also have about 20 advance reading copies of THE WAY OF KINGS to give out around or between the interviews, but we haven't decided what form this giveaway will take or if it will even be limited to attendees.

FRIDAY–SATURDAY
Nothing formal scheduled. I may try to organize a Magic game one of these days, or even Thursday. Check Twitter or Facebook for updates on this possiblity.

SUNDAY July 25th
3:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Borders Books & Music – San Diego – Gaslamp
668 6th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Reading/Signing with Patrick Rothfuss & Brent Weeks

Pat, Brent, and I will be reading each other's writing, so it should be interesting! (Do you know how hard it is to pick a representative 1,000-word excerpt from THE WAY OF KINGS for someone else to read?) You don't have to be registered at the convention to attend this Borders signing, so if you're near San Diego, come on down.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Updates + ARCs of THE WAY OF KINGS for Reviewers, Booksellers, and Librarians

First the regular updates. In this week's Writing Excuses podcast episode, Dan, Howard, and I talk about how writing a story from the end rather than the beginning is very often a good idea. And then we attempt to brainstorm a great ending on the spot. Give it a listen.

The WARBREAKER annotations are getting into full swing. Recently I finished up the prologue talking about the awakened cloak that Vasher doesn't use, the straw figure, and Vahr. And in the first chapter's annotation I talk about tone shifts in the novel, as well as the origin of Siri and Vivenna, who I lifted from an unfinished novel from 2001 that I called MYTHWALKER. It got to 130,000 words in 22 chapters, with no ending in sight, and it was boring. Almost all of the good ideas I used in it I later cannibalized in WARBREAKER and the Mistborn trilogy. Now I've been thinking I might post it for free on the website. Would any of you be interested in seeing it?

Now to THE WAY OF KINGS. Tor has allocated close to a hundred advance reading copies for me to send out. I have a few dozen names on a list already, but a longer list of contacts that we had got lost when a hard drive suffered a head crash a few weeks ago, and we hear the data is unrecoverable. (Don't worry; that hard drive didn't have any of my writing on it.)

So . . . if you're a reviewer, bookseller, or librarian, do you want a copy of THE WAY OF KINGS? I realize this blog isn't the best way to reach out to people who aren't already likely to get the book, but it's a start. Tor has already sent out a ton of ARCs, and they were available at the ALA conference as well. There will also be a number of them at Comic-Con in San Diego this weekend. But if you don't have one already and want one, let me know.

Here's the information I'll need:

  • Your name and whether you're a reviewer, bookseller, or librarian.
  • Where I can find your published reviews, or at what store/library you work.
  • The mailing address the book should be sent to; for booksellers or librarians, this must be the business address.

You can submit the request on my contact page (pick any subject line except for the Webmaster one). That's pretty much it. This doesn't guarantee you an ARC since I do have a limited number, but I'll see what I can do. I will add this info to my (currently very small) pro contacts database, but I will NOT add you to my fan mailing list (unless you're already on there or you specifically ask to be added).

If you're not a reviewer, bookseller, or librarian, there will still be other chances to get your hands on an ARC. The GoodReads giveaway ends in two weeks. Stormblessed.com has another giveaway, and Adonalsium.net has yet another one. And I've heard there will be more opportunities in the future.

Meanwhile, the book itself is coming out in a mere 43 days.

Friday, July 16, 2010

ELANTRIS Back in Stock + Sanderson 5-Pack Sale

On the heels of signed copies of WARBREAKER coming to my online store a couple of weeks ago, signed copies of ELANTRIS are now finally back in stock. I think it's been over a year—maybe over two—since we ran out of copies and had to pull it from the store. Well, I was finally able to get my hands on some fresh copies from the fourth printing that Tor did recently, so if you've been wondering how to get ELANTRIS, now's your chance.

The best way to get a book signed is to come see me when I'm signing near you. Sometimes the bookstore hosting me will order in hardcover copies of my oldest books like ELANTRIS. But since bookstores are less likely to have one of my hardcovers when it's been out for a year and a paperback has already been released, at that time I start offering it on my site.

Right now, until THE WAY OF KINGS is released on August 31st, all of my solo adult fantasy books have been out in hardcover for over a year. So I'm offering a bundle of all five of them—ELANTRIS, the Mistborn trilogy, and WARBREAKER—at a discount until that day. If you want the complete set signed and personalized, this is your best bet ever. I'll also throw in a paperback of ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS. (It's a humorous fantasy for the middle-grade market, but adults enjoy it too. If you've never read it, you'll probably like it more than you expected.)

So that's two specials ending on August 31st—the WARBREAKER discount and the 5-Pack discount.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Ordering signed & numbered copies of THE WAY OF KINGS

I've written up a long post about the events surrounding the release of THE WAY OF KINGS, including how to get signed and numbered copies even if you can't come to a signing. It's so long that I've put it on its own page on my site.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Updates + More THE WAY OF KINGS Previews

The most recent Writing Excuses podcast episodes feature the return of Howard Tayler after his hiatus from the episodes recorded at CONduit. First up we discuss avoiding stilted dialogue. Then we talk about major overhauls to broken stories.

WARBREAKER annotations are going up, with entries added for the map, the acknowledgments page, and the first two of three for the book's prologue.

Last night I held an impromptu Q&A chat session, which you know about if you've been following me on Twitter or Facebook. There's a transcript over at the Dragonmount Forums. When I have time to do things like this in the future, I'll be using a better venue so more people can get in.

There are a couple more advance reading copy giveaways for THE WAY OF KINGS going on. First, Macmillan is giving out 50 copies to people chosen randomly among anyone who enters at this link before midnight tomorrow night (July 13th). If you miss out on that, a new Stormlight Archive fansite called Stormblessed.com is giving away three copies to people chosen randomly among those who register on their forum and contribute to two threads before midnight August 4th. They also have a private forum where people who have read the ARC might discuss it away from prying eyes.

Stormblessed.com also has video of me at JordanCon reading THE WAY OF KINGS—from chapter 3 and interlude 5. A fansite for a book that isn't even out yet is a bit baffling to me, but Stormblessed.com isn't the only one—there's also Roshar.net. Plus overall Brandon Sanderson fansites Adonalsium.net and 17thShard.com are starting up. I seem to have a number of enthusiastic fans.

Finally, Tor.com has released a preview of three more chapters of THE WAY OF KINGS for registered members. This time it's chapters four through six, and the preview is from the audiobook—which is read by both longtime Wheel of Time narrators, Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. I'll put the chapters here on the website in text form when the book's release is imminent, but until then check out the audio preview!

Friday, July 02, 2010

THE WAY OF KINGS Tour Details

Here's the list of all my signings for the upcoming tour. There are still a few details to be added, such as the events surrounding Dragon*Con and the details of the Sam Weller's signing-by-mail, but they will be posted eventually. For the latest information on my appearances, check out the events page.

THE WAY OF KINGS Midnight Release, Provo, UT

Date: 08.30.10 Time: 11:59 pm-2:00 am
Place: BYU Bookstore
Address: Wilkinson Student Center
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
Phone: (800) 417-8345
Type: Release

schedule: Midnight Monday night/Tuesday morning

Notes: The line will start forming at the north entrance here:

sometime during the day or even the day before. (Some fans are dedicated.) The bookstore officially closes at 8:00 p.m. but they will probably move the line inside the store sometime after that. Copies will be numbered based on your position in line at midnight.

You can preorder the book at (800) 417-8345 or on the BYU Bookstore website and get $7 off. But this doesn't affect which numbered copy you will get. You'll need to bring your receipt or confirmation number to the midnight release and stand in line with everyone else. Preordering does help the store know how many copies of the book they will need to fill demand, but it's not necessary.

If you want a numbered copy but can't come to one of the release day signings (e.g. if you live outside of Utah or outside the U.S.), you may order through Sam Weller's instead. Details on that will be posted soon.

Barnes & Noble, West Jordan, UT

Date: 08.31.10 Time: 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Place: Barnes & Noble Booksellers – Jordan Landing
Address: 7157 Plaza Center Drive
West Jordan, UT 84084
Phone: (801) 282-1324
Type: Signing
Notes: Books signed at this event will also be numbered.

Barnes & Noble, St. Louis

Date: 09.01.10 Time: 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Place: Barnes & Noble Booksellers – Chesterfield Oaks
Address: 1600 Clarkson Road
Chesterfield, MO 63017
Phone: (636) 536-9636
Type: Signing

Barnes & Noble, Orlando

Date: 09.02.10 Time: 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Place: Barnes & Noble Booksellers – Colonial Plaza
Address: 2418 E Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32803
Phone: (407) 894-6024
Type: Signing

Dragon*Con 2010, Atlanta

Date: 09.03.10 Time: 10:00 am-8:00 pm
Place: Dragon*Con 2010
Address: Hyatt Regency Atlanta
265 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
Type: Convention

schedule: September 3–6, 2010. The full schedule is still coming. On Saturday the 4th I'll be signing at the Decatur Book Festival also in Atlanta; details will go up later.

Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC

Date: 09.07.10 Time: 7:30 pm-9:00 pm
Place: Quail Ridge Books & Music
Address: 3522 Wade Ave.
Raleigh, NC 27607
Phone: (919) 828-1588
Type: Signing

Borders, Washington DC

Date: 09.08.10 Time: 7:30 pm-9:30 pm
Place: Borders Books & Music – Baileys Crossroads
Address: 5871 Crossroads Center Way
Baileys Crossroads, VA 22041
Phone: (703) 998-0404
Type: Signing

Borders, Chicago

Date: 09.09.10 Time: 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Place: Borders Books & Music – Oak Brook
Address: 1500 16th Street, Suite D
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Phone: (630) 574-0800
Type: Signing

Mysterious Galaxy, San Diego

Date: 09.10.10 Time: 7:00 pm-8:00 pm
Place: Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore
Address: 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Suite #302
San Diego, CA 92111
Phone: (858) 268-4747
Type: Signing

Borderlands Books, San Francisco

Date: 09.11.10 Time: 3:00 pm-5:00 pm
Place: Borderlands Books
Address: 866 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: (415) 824-8203
Type: Signing

Powell's Books, Portland

Date: 09.13.10 Time: 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Place: Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing
Address: 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd
Beaverton, OR 97005
Phone: (503) 228-4651
Type: Signing

University Books, Seattle

Date: 09.14.10 Time: 7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Place: University Book Store, Seattle
Address: 4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
Phone: (206) 634-3400
Type: Signing

That's the last stop on this tour. When TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT comes out, there will be a shorter tour that focuses on different cities. And then I hear that there will be a larger tour when A MEMORY OF LIGHT is released.