Don’t Live For Your Obituary is Out!
Posted on December 31, 2017 Posted by John Scalzi 9 Comments
Let’s end 2017 on a high note, shall we: Don’t Live For Your Obituary, my collection of essays about the writing life, is now out, and available both in (increasingly hard to find so hurry if you want it) signed, limited edition hardcover, and (not at all difficult to find!) eBook. The hardcover, as it is a signed, limited edition, will run you about $40. The eBook is about $5.
For those of you who don’t know, the book is a compilation of writing-related essays I’ve created between 2008 and 2017, most of which were originally published here on Whatever. I’ve arranged the book into five overlapping chapters of roughly twenty essays each:
- Golden Nuggets of Writerly Wisdom, or, This Is Where I Offer Up Some Writing Advice, Take It or Don’t;
- The Fine Art of Putting Your Books and Yourself Out There Without Wanting to Drink Acid, or, Let’s Talk Publishing and Online Presence;
- This is the Section Where Scalzi Snarks on People More Famous Than He Is, So Get Your Popcorn, or, Thoughts on Writers and Other Notables;
- Don’t Type Angry, Well, Okay, Fine, Go Right Ahead, or Writing Controversies and Other Such Nonsense;
- Jeez, Scalzi, Does it Always Have to Be About You? Why Yes, Yes it Does, or, Notes From My Career
We’re covering a lot of ground here, basically. It’s not a guide to writing, precisely (although there is writing advice in the book). It’s more about what it’s like to be living the writing life over the last decade or so. Is it useful? Publishers Weekly thought so; its review said “[Scalzi] writes accessibly and so commonsensically that this book should appeal to writers in all disciplines, and even to SF readers who have no ambitions to write themselves.”
Where can you get the book? Subterranean Press has the hardcover on their site if you’d like to buy directly from the publisher, but it’s also available (ebook, hardcover or both) at these fine institutions:
Amazon|Barnes & Noble|iBooks|Indiebound|Kobo|Powell’s
And you can try special ordering the hardcover from your local bookstore, too.
Not in the US? The ebook is available on Amazon worldwide, at the very least — I just checked the Canadian, German, Japanese and Indian Amazon stores and it’s there in each.
(Also, how awesome is that cover? It’s from Nate Taylor.)
I’m excited to have this book out in the world and I hope you enjoy it, and find it useful. Onward to 2018!
If you’re curious as to why we’re releasing the book on December 31st (and a Sunday to boot!), it’s because:
a) Subterranean Press and I have had pretty good luck with December 31st release dates (both The God Engines and Miniatures, my previous SubPress December 31 releases, have done very well);
b) So it will be eligible for awards for the 2017 calendar year.
For those not wishing to shell out $40 for a hard cover, nor devote that much shelf space to this work, but who still prefer a physical book, is a soft cover edition planned? If one were out now, I would order today.
David Siegel:
Nope!
Just downloaded it for my 1st read of the new year. Finishing up Spider Robinson’s Callaghan series.
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Is “commonsensically” a word?
I am the proud owner of the 57th signed limited edition copy, which arrived in my mailbox from Sub Press earlier this month. Whee!
Enjoying it very much, I should add; I am not a writer, but I have immense appreciation for the effort that goes into crafting the works that I read, so this is a very intriguing glimpse into that process.
Ordered for La Biblioteca.
Well, thank you very much (I ordered my e-version before clicking over to the post since I’m working on a Timely Piece of nonfiction right now) and the happiest of new years to you and all of yours :-)
480 pages for a fiver? Bargain.