Ooooh, Pretty
Posted on March 23, 2010 Posted by John Scalzi 32 Comments
Cover art for the upcoming Tor edition of METAtropolis:
The artist: Peter Lutjen.
And as it happens I received my ARCs for this version just yesterday. The release date for this edition: June 8. So now you know what you’re doing on that day.
This may be a dumb question, and if it is I apologize, but what’s an “ARC?”
An early edition of the book sent out to reviewers.
ARC = Advanced Reader’s Copy.
It’s a trade paper sized version of the book in a nearly ready to print form. It usually doesn’t have a cover illustration, and it may still have typoes.
You occasionally find them in used bookstores, despite the prominent “NOT FOR SALE” label.
Advanced Readers Copy, is the full term. When I worked at a bookstore, we got a bunch of them.
That’s a great cover, John! Did you have any control over it?
This may be a dumb question, and if it is I apologize, but what’s an “ARC?”
It’s a big boat, full of animals. No, wait… that’s not right. ;)
(ARC = Advanced Reader’s Copy)
Very sweet! Me likey art like that.
I finally discovered your response to one of my earlier comments on your blog (I don’t usually do follow-ups) that you dislike my repeated requests for eBook editions.
However, I state as a matter of fact that if the electronic edition is not available for purchase on or before June 8, there’s not a chance in hell that I know what I’ll be doing that day. Since it’s a Tuesday, there is *some* hope that it’ll be available as part of fictionwise’s Monday update.
Gorgeous! [does happy dance]
Thanks for the answers, all. I probably should have figured it out, but thanks to sick kids, my brain is a bit sleep-deprived.
And it’s a very attractive cover.
Oooh, that is pretty.
I hate to admit this—and it’s probably the designer in me—but the books I buy are influenced by the cover art. In this case it’s a good thing because that cover speaks to me.
ARC, n: what Joan was of.
Going to have to get this ordered at B&N the next time I head to Columbus :D
This is nice, but all your covers seem to be good. Have you ever had to suffer thorough a horrible one? And if so, do you fight it? Or as an author is it better to just not make a fuss about these things?
“So now you know what you’re doing on that day.”
I think someone might still be on a Phineas and Ferb kick.
Oooh, nice. Me want ARC, too!
Love the cover artwork!
Looking forward to reading this!
Jay Lake: If you want ARCs, they’re available over at: http://www.webscription.net/c-2-advance-reader-copies.aspx
I just finished Flint and Spoor’s “Threshold”, and it’s bloody-[beep]ing marvelous.
@17. What I actually want is an ARC of this book, seeing as how I have a story in it and all… :)
Geoffrey, you’re doing that thing you do, which is trying to make everything about ebooks. Please don’t. It’s tiring.
@18 Can’t help you there. Good luck.
@19 By your command…
The release date for this edition: June 8. So now you know what you’re doing on that day.
Reading China Miéville’s Kraken?
I KEED! I KEED!
(Probably be reading Kraken in a couple of weeks anyway.)
Pretty….does anyone know what font that is? It’s nice. Or would it be hand-drawn lettering?
Is there any way for a bookstore to get on some kind of list to receive ARCs of your books? I have been pretty feverishly hand-selling Old Man’s War and the rest of the series, and my co-worker has been doing the same with Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded. If we get ARCs, it would be that much easier to hand-sell books starting they day they come out. I am one of those booksellers who likes to actually read a book before telling someone that they should.
The cover looks retro 70s.
Hmmm, given that’s my 14th wedding anniversary, I suspect I’ll be purchasing this for my wife as an AWESOME gift?
Here’s hoping my local independent bookstore carries it. Every time I talk to them about pre-orders, they kinda look at me funny, which is odd because they’re quite large and otherwise modern.
*Sets the egg timer to 76 days*
I’ll have to check with Mysterious Galaxy to see if they can arrange to have some to sell two weeks early at Phoenix ComiCon….
AJ Shephard @27 wrote:
> *Sets the egg timer to 76 days*
76 days?! Clearly you prefer your eggs boiled until very very hard.
I’m a very average kinda person and I don’t love the cover art. It’s blah. I’m just saying, since I think a book needs all the help it can get on the shelf. Nothing in this grabs me or makes me want to pick it up. Other than your name. It needs space ships and a hot babe with a ray gun. And maybe a robot.
Isn’t this the ink and paper version of the Audible.com audio series, which I have been thinking of downloading?
A realistic and hopeful future?