“Coffee Shop” Now Available for Nook and Kindle (and iBooks)
Posted on June 6, 2011 Posted by John Scalzi 32 Comments
A few years ago I collected up some of my Whatever posts on writing into a Subterranean Press book entitled You’re Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop Into a Coffee Shop: Scalzi on Writing. The book was presented in a limited edition of 500; it sold out. We made a second printing, also of 500; it also sold out. Then people kept asking when it would be available via the Kindle and Nook e-book stores.
The answer is: Now! Actually, the answer is “it’s been available via the Kindle and Nook stores for a couple of weeks but I didn’t tell you because I was on tour and it slipped my mind,” but “now,” is shorter. So: Now!
And the even better news is that this book comes to you with a pretty cheap price: $4.99 at both Amazon and B&N, so whichever of those two readers you prefer, there you have it.
What? You prefer to get your electronic reading material via Apple’s iBookstore? Well, fine, it’s there too, and also for $4.99. Because we want you to be happy.
Here’s the link to the Kindle version. Here’s the link to the Nook version. Here’s a link to Apple iBooks page (you need to download the app to your iObject to access the store).
And if you really want a hard copy instead, here’s the title listing on Abebooks, where the cheapest one is going for $145 (plus shipping). I think the electronic version might be the better deal, myself.
[Deleted because of erroneous information; none of my titles are currently available via Webscriptions. — JS]
Will it be showing up on non-American iTunes stores soon?
Paul:
Probably not, unless a non-American publisher wishes to buy the rights to it.
Fred Keische:
My SubPress works are no longer available through Webscriptions because SubPress no longer distributes through them, the reason being, according to Bill Schafer, “they weren’t generating enough sales to make the bookkeeping worthwhile.” The listings are still there solely for the people who had bought them being able to get replacement versions if their files become corrupted.
I do get that the reason I can’t get ‘You’re not fooling…’ through Amazon.co.uk is because of how the e-rights currently work. It’s still annoying! – especially as the paper copy there is over 151 UK pounds… So I hope a non-US publisher does buy the rights.
Any possibility of Kobo as well?
No idea. You’ll have to ask SubPress.
just bought a copy… started reading it from my phone. I am really enjoying everything, but then I looked up and realized I need to finish some day job deadlines. *sigh* Thanks fro the brief reprieve, I’ll get back to finishing it up later!
Ben
I do so dearly love the “click link, buy book, read book” immediacy of e-books. My thanks you and your publishing machine.
I’ve been resisting Kindle…but this might change my mind. I’m running out of space to shelve, anyway.
I’ve read a lot of books about how to write (because I don’t actually do things, I just read about them and dream) but “Coffee Shop” is one of only two I’ve read about being a writer. Lots of people have said “show don’t tell” and “find your voice.” But John is the only one to say, “The secret to making money: give in to the Man.”
This book is a great deal at three times the price. (Which is what I paid when it was available at Webscriptions.)
Is it ever going to get a mass market paperback release?
CryoticMirror:
I’d say that’s highly unlikely, unless a mass market paperback publisher takes it on.
Anything that drives interest in the original is great. I bought a copy a couple of years ago for $15, and found I could sell it for ~$150 the next day. That’s my whole retirement plan, right there. I depend on you, Mr. Scalzi, to make this happen for other first editions of your books I now own.
I heart this book. I recommend it to all my writer friends, and then say, “Of course, you can’t get it, since the print version costs hundreds of dollars and the electronic version is also out of print.”
“How can an electronic book be out of print?” my friends ask, not unreasonably.
I am never able to think of a good answer to that question.
But I’ve passed this link on to my Facebook posse, and I hope they all buy this book.
Really liked this book too. Bought it as a PDF off…whichever site it was it used to be offered on (John, you gave a link here many months ago, and I snagged it right away).
Anyway, it’s pretty good stuff. Lot about general freelance writing, which is a field I hadn’t really known much about at all, before. Lot of other stuff that’s good for book-specific writers, too.
Great book though, highly recommended.
I had forgotten how exclusively small the printings were.
Slight squee of excitement on being reminded, countered by foo of unlimited e-editions slightly ruining the exclusivity.
But, on the whole, cool. Good advice, and hopefully will find its way to more people (though, with your archives, hopefully not a lot who haven’t already clued in).
I only wish to be a writer, but bought it anyhow as I can’t resist a $5 ebook and the fact I have some gift cards for B&N burning a hole in my virtual account.
Already bought and read.
I was wondering why you didn’t announce it earlier but you answered that question. I was going to ask you at Borderlands if it was ever going to be available somewhere that didn’t cost me $150 when I happened to look on Amazon and saw it was there already, bought it, and asked you to sign my Kindle at the event. :)
Although I think the Subterranean books are beautiful I have a hard time justifying what they cost on my budget so I’m very happy they are releasing some of their volumes on Kindle for a reduced rate. I’ve gotten a few of them.
Looks like Amazon isn’t letting me buy the Kindle edition here in Japan. At that what’s I figure, as it says the book is “Not currently available.”
Not in the CDN iBookstore. Can I pay you/SubPress $4.99 for an ePub?
Could you get someone to press the button that releases it to Amazon Canada? Pretty please?
I’ll look into the Canada thing.
Thanks. The frustrating thing is I have a U.S. iTunes account, can see your book, but can’t PAY for it because iTunes won’t let me validate a PayPal account not backed by a U.S. funding source (i.e., valid U.S. credit card). So I can get free U.S. items not available in Canada, but not paid ones.
My money’s good, I swear :-)
I am looking forward to an age where an ebook is substantially cheaper than a paper edition of the same title, but this is not exactly what I had in mind.
Minor update: apparently, Apple made the iBookstore available in the iTunes Store today, so now you no longer need to download the iBooks app to access the store. But since you need the app to read the book on your iObject…☺
Can’t wait for the weekend. One large cup of coffee and this book on my Kindle will be just perfect!
Any chance of this coming to Kindle in the UK?
Aw. I can’t buy it. :(
Stupid national copyrights.
Would you be opposed to someone who, having legally obtained the ebook, be opposed to them then using a POD service (or Espresso Book Machine) to print a physical copy for their own personal use? I ask, because I will, in fact, be in a town with an EBM tomorrow.
Johnny Murdoc:
See here.
Bah, doesn’t seem to be purchasable for Australian Kindle users. “Pricing information not available”
I tried to buy another copy (I own most of your work on dead-trees already :) of a Kindle book to compensate you for the “acquisition” of “Coffee Shop” from an “alternative source”… it seems like none of your books are available on Kindle to Australian readers.