Agent to the Stars — Available for Pre-order

Posted on February 28, 2005    Posted by John Scalzi      10 Comments

Okay, here’s that big announcement I mentioned the other day:

Subterranean Press is now accepting pre-orders for the limited, signed hardback edition of Agent to the Stars. When you pre-order this book, not only will you be getting a unique collector’s edition of this novel, you’ll also contribute to an excellent cause: Providing games and toys to children’s hospitals all across the United States. And if you pre-order in the next couple of days, you’ll be eligible for an exclusive gift from me and Subterranean Press.

For those of you new to the scene, Agent to the Stars is the first novel I wrote, which I then posted on this Web site for people to read. The entire novel is still available on the site (follow this link), but now those of you who prefer not to read an entire novel staring into a cathode ray tube, or have read it and want your own copy in book form, can get it in a handsome hardback edition that will be limited to no more than 2,000 copies. Once the run is sold out, they’re gone for good.

The book, which will be released in July 2005, comes in two editions:

1. The limited hardback edition, individually signed by yours truly, for $30, and

2. The deluxe, really limited hardback edition, which is leatherbound, signed, lettered and housed in a handcrafted tray case, for $150. Only 26 of these will be available, so if you want one, now’s a fine time to get it.

In addition to my writing, each hardcover of Agent to the Stars comes with an extra treat that I am thrilled beyond words to be able to bring to you: Dust jacket cover art from Mike “Gabriel” Krahulik of Penny Arcade. As most of you know, I’ve been a huge fan of Penny Arcade — and of both Gabe and Tycho — for years, so being able to get Gabe for the cover art is just about the coolest thing ever. I’m fairly certain this is the first book cover Gabe’s done outside the Penny Arcade merchandising arena, so if you needed another excuse to own this as a collectable, there it is.

In honor of Gabe’s involvement, Bill Schafer, the publisher of Subterranean Press, has decreed that 10% of the cover price of each copy of Agent to the Stars bought from the Subterranean Press online store will be donated to Child’s Play, the charity created by the guys at Penny Arcade. Over the last two years, Child’s Play has distributed over a half million dollars worth of video games, toys and other amusements to children’s hospitals across the US, to make the hospital stays of sick kids less stressful and somewhat more pleasant. I wish I could say that I suggested this to Bill Shafer, but he thought it up on his own; this inspired act of generosity on his part makes me additionally proud to see the novel in book form, and released through Subterranean Press.

And in that spirit, I’m making an additional pledge: If we sell out an entire print run of 2,000 copies of the standard hardback of Agent to the Stars by December 31, 2005, I’ll donate $500 of my own royalties from the book to Child’s Play. Mind you, I fully intend to contribute to Child’s Play anyway, as I’ve done for the last two years. But this will be above and beyond that. It’ll be my way of thanking Gabe for his cover art, and thanking you for buying the book.

Subterranean Press is giving me the honor of announcing the pre-order, and to celebrate I’m doing something special: If you pre-order from the Subterranean Store today or tomorrow (2/28/05 or 3/1/05), leave the following note in the comments field of the order form: “I came here from the Whatever.” Folks who do so will receive an exclusive gift from me and Subterranean. And what is this gift? Oh, just you wait. It’ll be my way of thanking you for getting your order in early. The book is also available for pre-order on Amazon, but if you pre-order from Amazon, you won’t be eligible for this special offer and Child’s Play won’t get its 10%. So if you’re going to pre-order, the Subterranean site is the way to go.

I’m very excited about Agent to the Stars finally becoming a real book, as you can imagine. I hope you will be, too.

Agent to the Stars — Available for Pre-order

Posted on February 28, 2005    Posted by John Scalzi      22 Comments

Okay, here’s that big announcement I mentioned the other day:

Subterranean Press is now accepting pre-orders for the limited, signed hardback edition of Agent to the Stars. When you pre-order this book, not only will you be getting a unique collector’s edition of this novel, you’ll also contribute to an excellent cause: Providing games and toys to children’s hospitals all across the United States. And if you pre-order in the next couple of days, you’ll be eligible for an exclusive gift from me and Subterranean Press.

For those of you new to the scene, Agent to the Stars is the first novel I wrote, which I then posted on this Web site for people to read. The entire novel is still available on the site (follow this link), but now those of you who prefer not to read an entire novel staring into a cathode ray tube, or have read it and want your own copy in book form, can get it in a handsome hardback edition that will be limited to no more than 2,000 copies. Once the run is sold out, they’re gone for good.

The book, which will be released in July 2005, comes in two editions:

1. The limited hardback edition, individually signed by yours truly, for $30, and

2. The deluxe, really limited hardback edition, which is leatherbound, signed, lettered and housed in a handcrafted tray case, for $150. Only 26 of these will be available, so if you want one, now’s a fine time to get it.

In addition to my writing, each hardcover of Agent to the Stars comes with an extra treat that I am thrilled beyond words to be able to bring to you: Dust jacket cover art from Mike “Gabriel” Krahulik of Penny Arcade. As most of you know, I’ve been a huge fan of Penny Arcade — and of both Gabe and Tycho — for years, so being able to get Gabe for the cover art is just about the coolest thing ever. I’m fairly certain this is the first book cover Gabe’s done outside the Penny Arcade merchandising arena, so if you needed another excuse to own this as a collectable, there it is.

In honor of Gabe’s involvement, Bill Schafer, the publisher of Subterranean Press, has decreed that 10% of the cover price of each copy of Agent to the Stars bought from the Subterranean Press online store will be donated to Child’s Play, the charity created by the guys at Penny Arcade. Over the last two years, Child’s Play has distributed over a half million dollars worth of video games, toys and other amusements to children’s hospitals across the US, to make the hospital stays of sick kids less stressful and somewhat more pleasant. I wish I could say that I suggested this to Bill Shafer, but he thought it up on his own; this inspired act of generosity on his part makes me additionally proud to see the novel in book form, and released through Subterranean Press.

And in that spirit, I’m making an additional pledge: If we sell out an entire print run of 2,000 copies of the standard hardback of Agent to the Stars by December 31, 2005, I’ll donate $500 of my own royalties from the book to Child’s Play. Mind you, I fully intend to contribute to Child’s Play anyway, as I’ve done for the last two years. But this will be above and beyond that. It’ll be my way of thanking Gabe for his cover art, and thanking you for buying the book.

Subterranean Press is giving me the honor of announcing the pre-order, and to celebrate I’m doing something special: If you pre-order from the Subterranean Store today or tomorrow (2/28/05 or 3/1/05), leave the following note in the comments field of the order form: “I came here from the Whatever.” Folks who do so will receive an exclusive gift from me and Subterranean. And what is this gift? Oh, just you wait. It’ll be my way of thanking you for getting your order in early. The book is also available for pre-order on Amazon, but if you pre-order from Amazon, you won’t be eligible for this special offer and Child’s Play won’t get its 10%. So if you’re going to pre-order, the Subterranean site is the way to go.

I’m very excited about Agent to the Stars finally becoming a real book, as you can imagine. I hope you will be, too.