I've been kind of obsessed with these today; not because I'm interested in ordering replacement dust jackets, but just with the idea of replacing the "book on the shelf" as the signifier of ownership (and maybe even actual enjoyment) of books. Facsimile dust jackets are one angle, of course -- and repro's of vintage titles are the library nerd equivalent of the old Italian movie poster. But are any book publishers taking the approach that TopSpin championed with musicians?
- Give me the digital sample chapter in exchange for my email address
- Sell me the ebook for $9.99
- Sell me the ebook plus a frameable repro of the book cover for $19.99
- Sell me all that plus a hardcopy for $29.99
- Sell me all that plus an archivally printed copy of background material, editor's notes, rough drafts, etc., for $99.99
- Etc., etc.
via www.sippey.com
I've often wondered why writers don't do this. Why not have one edition of a book for casual readers, and another with expanded bonus materials?
I'd be embarassed to share a lot of the stuff in the 1989 A Novel archives (some things should remain on the cutting room floor) but there are a lot of scenes, entire chapters even, that I love but which had to be cut because they didn't advance the story sufficiently given their length. There the kind of thing that someone who really loved the novel, and loved the characters, would want to read.
The other reason to offer bonus materials/out-takes, of course, is that they're incredibly instructive. I've learned a lot about story construction from watching movie DVDs, and seeing what the director chose to leave in the theatrical release, vs. what they cut out. 90% of the time I agree with the director's choices. Not always, though. There was one out-take from Garden State that I thought was better than anything in the actual movie–made it a different movie, to be sure, but a superior one. (I won't say more than that because I don't want to spoil it, so if you like that movie and haven't watched the deleted scenes, I recommend it.)
So, in 2012, be on the look out for the Super Deluxe Legacy Expanded Home Edition of 1989 A Novel. For $1,000 I will come to your house and read the entire thing to you live.
Posted by: |