tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post2050898550509669538..comments2024-03-17T03:17:43.229-04:00Comments on David Anthony Durham: The Agony Column!David Anthony Durhamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13885922955551669016noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-91253525123882104462007-04-01T13:22:00.000-04:002007-04-01T13:22:00.000-04:00Gabriele,I'm happy to be able to say that Acacia d...Gabriele,<BR/><BR/>I'm happy to be able to say that Acacia doesn't end with a cliffhanger. In many ways there's a narrative arc that crashes to a conclusion by the end. I do think it leaves significant threads for the future, but hopefully people are going to WANT to read the next volume. It won't be a matter of they HAVE to read the next book in order to feel some resolution.<BR/><BR/>When will the next one be out? Right now I'm sticking to my May 2008 delivery date – that’s when I’ll have the book in to my publisher. So, if all that goes well I think we're talking a spring or summer 2009 publication. I would have loved to have had it done sooner, but I've been working a day job this year and that's slowed things down.<BR/><BR/>The third volume, though, I'd like to get in sooner, so that the second and third books will come out rapidly.David Anthony Durhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13885922955551669016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-47384200888094195422007-04-01T12:05:00.000-04:002007-04-01T12:05:00.000-04:00Ok, and when will the second book be out? I bet th...Ok, and when will the second book be out? I bet this one ends with all sorts of cliffhangers and leaves <I>me</I> chewing my nails. :)Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-82064078186939185802007-03-29T11:16:00.000-04:002007-03-29T11:16:00.000-04:00Scott,Yeah, I'm somewhere in the middle. I do ackn...Scott,<BR/><BR/>Yeah, I'm somewhere in the middle. I do acknowledge that any review - even a bad one - is better than no review at all. And I've been fortunate so far with all the books. I've gotten better reviews than I could have hoped for. <BR/><BR/>That said, I don't take anything for granted. You can just never tell what somebody is going to say. I remember my editor with my first book being nervous about the Kirkus review. She basically said you can just never know what they're going to come up with. No way to predict, no matter how good a book you know you have. I mentioned this to my wife and she remarked, "Well, they can't be very dependable, can they?" A logical reaction. <BR/><BR/>What happened? Gabriel's Story got a rave, a starred review. A year later, though, they slated Walk Through Darkness, even throwing in a few indications that Gabriel wasn't really that good after all. And then with Pride of Carthage it was back to raving again. What will happen this time? I really don't know.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand I know a writer that only trusts Kirkus since they've always given her good reviews and the others didn't. So go figure.<BR/><BR/>I will say this about these early reviews - they have been a real relief. I didn't take it for granted that fantasy/sci-fi insiders would like my work, or that they'd engage with it with an open mind. So far they have, though, and it's been a great joy to hear them say that the book gave them pleasure and that they acknowledge the hard work I had to put in. As a writer, you can't ask for better than that. And that's enough to make the hand-wringing and fingernail chewing worth it, I think.David Anthony Durhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13885922955551669016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12158536.post-67268210045259493192007-03-28T19:43:00.000-04:002007-03-28T19:43:00.000-04:00Another great review! You're on a roll now, David...Another great review! You're on a roll now, David ;) So, how much do you really sweat reviews? I've heard some writers say they could care less while others (me included) chew their fingernails to nubs in anticipation. Which camp are you in, or are you somewhere in the middle?Scott Odenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17917296669418463518noreply@blogger.com