I’m back from Horrorfind Weekend 12. I posted my pics here. I had a wonderful time. Thanks so much to all of you who stopped by my table over the weekend. It was great to meet and chat with you, and sign your books. Thanks to Mike, Bobby, Karen, Ben, Joe and the rest of the Horrorfind staff for such an awesome weekend. A few personal highlights for me: Finally meeting Brandon and Angela, and Mark and Paula (aka Mr. and Mrs. Ruderabbit); J.F. Gonzalez and I listening to Joe Lansdale, Chet Williamson and Tom Monteleone reminisce about old times (especially a hilarious tale involving Richard Laymon, a bottle of booze and the wrong hotel); reading to an absolutely packed room with Mary SanGiovanni and Rio Youers; hearing the crowd response to Demonstration of the Dead; dinner on Friday night; and hanging out on Saturday night; and finally, watching new authors like Kelli Owen, Sheldon Higdon, Thomas Erb, Andersen Prunty, Kevin Lucia, and Norman Prentiss really come into their own. You kids did good.
Maelstrom, my new small press imprint through Thunderstorm Books, was announced at Horrorfind. Soon as I get permission, I’ll post some of the details here, as well. And we’ll be examining it in depth in the next issue of Of Keene Interest (which should ship at the end of this month).
The other big news I announced at Horrorfind is that I’ve reached an agreement with Leisure Books/Dorchester Publishing for the return of my back-list (The Rising, City of the Dead, The Conqueror Worms, Ghoul, Dead Sea, Dark Hollow, Ghost Walk, Castaways, Urban Gothic, Darkness of the Edge of Town and A Gathering of Crows). Print rights reverted back to me today. Digital rights will revert back to me on December 31st. What this means for you, the reader, is that all of those books will be disappearing from your local bookstore very soon. The publisher can sell off their remaining stock, but can’t print more copies. So if you’ve been waiting to purchase one, you’d better do it soon.
Also, booksellers at both Borders and Barnes & Noble tell me that all Leisure titles — horror, western romance, etc. — are being returned. I’m not sure why, nor will I speculate (though I do have my own guess). Bottom-line: get them while you can.
As for my plans for the back-list, tune in early next year…
Speaking of out-of-print back-list titles, I am very happy to announce that both Clickers and Clickers II: The Next Wave will be available soon in both digital and trade paperback. The digital editions may be available later this week, in fact.
The first half of 2010 seems to have been all about endings. The second half of this year is gonna be about beginnings. I know things look bad for the genre right now, kids, but stick with me. I have a plan.
It’s always darkest right before the dawn…
Brian, every bit of news you come up with regarding your future—and your backlist—is music to my ears. I’m looking forward to the next chapter
It was great meeting you man… and I’m doing a lot more squeeing over the brave new world that’s out there than crying over the death of the past, that’s for sure.
Hurray!!!
Lots of good news.
It was great hanging out and listening to you, as always Brian. Looking forward to doing it again!
Thank you so much Brian! Horrorfind was a great time and wonderful new experience. I will be back next year! I can’t wait to see what new things come your way in 2011!
Thanks again, for everything!
-Tom
Glad to hear you got the rights back to your books. I will defiantly go stock up on these titles before they all disappear! By any chance does this mean all the Laymon titles will disappear just as fast? I’ll snatch those up too just in case.
Keene paperbacks make great stocking stuffers! I visited my local bookstores en route to seeing MACHETE this weekend and bought ‘em up. Love turning folks onto authors. Grab ‘em before they’re gone (for now).
@jabcuga
Brian is this gonna affect your titles published by Science Fiction Book Club? I’d hate to lose the chance to get the Dark Hollow double feature HC, it’s really a nice looking book.
Chris: I don’t think so. The rights were sold to SFBC and should be excluded from this.
Drewwwy: I would imagine so, since it seems that all Leisure titles are being returned.
Good to know about Lehorn’s, that one could have shot up in price on ebay as there’s not thousands out there like there is of the Leisure MMPB.
Brian, it was great seeing you again at Horrorfind. Thanks for busting your ass to give a bunch of writers the chance to read in front of lots of interested people and to sign books at a highly visible table. Seriously, if every convention ran that smoothly, I’d probably go to a lot more.
Congrats on the backlist acquisition and Maelstrom. I can’t wait to see what happens with it.
I might be one sick puppy, but I feel things are slowly turning for the better. Really. Brian, I think you’re going to end up with more control, more fun, and honestly, probably more money in the long run. Seems you’re weathering the storm, and that’s good news.
Will there be a digital copy of Clickers 3, or an affordable paperback?
Zeke: Currently, Delirium Books has those rights, so you’d have to direct that question to them. I’m not sure, to be honest.
The guy who runs Delirium isn’t a fan of the TPB format so it’s doubtful, he says he may do ‘some’ but whether Clickers 3 will be one of them is anyones guess.
How do the rights work with small presses?, do they buy the rights for x amount of years or do they have them forever now?. I guess the former as you said ‘currently’.
Uber thanks, Brian. Next year’s Horrorfind can’t come fast enough. (And to show my appreciation I’ll make sure to nibble on your earlobes again.)
It was nice meeting you Brian! I was the guy that was asking you stuff while you and Doug Bradley were standing outside the van.
Hope the offer still stands to hang out a bit a chat!
thanks!
jay
Thanks for all your work with the writer-side of Horrorfind, Brian. I loved my reading slot with Kelli Owen, which had a great, responsive crowd–and the other readings I attended were fantastic. A great time all around, seeing old friends and meeting lots of new folks!
Brian, congrats on getting the rights to your backlist. Glad some good news came out of all the craziness.
L. R. Giles
It was nice to meet you at Horrorfind this weekend! Thank you so much for the picture and autograph!
What’s weird about horror being in a downturn is that publishers still seem to be putting out stuff with horror elements and slapping a different name on it. “Supernatural thriller” seems to be the term they like.
After your post though, I have faith. Keep kicking ass and taking names.
Sorry I missed you at Horrorfind. I was hoping to bullshit about Phantasm some more and have you sign my copy of Dark Hollow, but I ended up having to work.
man after reading Crows i was super excited to learn about the other books u have planned for Levi. your an awesome writer and i tell everyone to read your books. that bunker u share in Colorado with Max and David can i hide out with u guys when the apocalypse goes down? one more thing aftrer reading Darkness the character Dez talks about his friends fighting Meeble and Levi getting ripped ti pieces. Will that be a book in the future? or a book just about all of the 13? only 12 have been mentioned so far that i have counted. sorry man this is my first time writing to u. thanx for the great books. u keep writing them and i will keep reading them.
After getting this book from you at horrerfind A Gathering of Crows I read it in a day WOW keep it coming I want Entomed sounds outstanding! Thank You for all the work that you do! P.S. that was a Happy ending.
Oh I think this is a GREAT time for everyone, readers and writers included. (Well, it is going to suck for those who lose their rights, and I urge every writer to get their rights back immediately, even if they have to buy them).
There are only three classes of people that will be hurt in the next era–upper-midlisters to bestsellers (but the Patterson level will do even better), agents and editors, and lazy people who think they are writers and throw a bunch of crap up on the Internet as a “book.”
Now we won’t have to worry about whether “Horror really sells.” You won’t have to think about how two or three “well-placed people” determine your book’s fate. You won’t have to worry–as much, anyway–about getting paid on time or at all.
Really, Brian, if I were you, I’d become my own industry. You already did the work. You have the bookstore right here. Why send people to other places and make 8 to 15 percent when you are doing almost all the work, not just the writing but the customer support, promotion, market research, and brand development? You’re already a business. Go for it.
Scott Nicholson