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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Latest from Mr. Ardai:
Friends, Those of you who are tuned in to goings-on in the publishing industry may have seen the announcement last week from Dorchester Publishing that they've decided to get out of the business of publishing mass-market paperback novels (the main business they've been in for the past 40 years). Instead, they've announced they're only going to publish ebooks and a limited number of larger trade paperbacks, using a 'print on demand' process. What does this have to do with Hard Case Crime? Well, for the past six years, Dorchester has been the company that has printed and distributed our books. They're a first-rate company run by good people, and I'm sorry to see them going through tough times. I'm also sorry to see them stop publishing books in our format. What does this mean for us? Well, either we'll need to switch from the smaller "mass market" format to the larger "trade" format, or we'll need to start working with another publisher, or both. (Most likely both, but we'll see.) It'll take a little while for this all to get sorted out, and I apologize for delays in the meantime. Our August title, Brett Halliday's MURDER IS MY BUSINESS, has shipped to booksellers and is available right now. I'd encourage you to grab a copy while you can -- it's a terrific book (with a gorgeous Robert McGinnis cover), and it'll be the last new Hard Case Crime book you'll see for a while. The next two -- QUARRY'S EX by Max Allan Collins and CHOKE HOLD by Christa Faust -- will not be coming out in October and March as planned. They will come out -- but probably not till sometime later next year. We'll keep you posted as soon as we know when. And you'll be glad to know we're already at work on subsequent titles. It's too early to spill the beans about what they are -- but it looks like books #69 and #70 will actually be by the same author, one well known to readers of our line. The former will be a reprint, the latter a brand-new book, and both are very exciting. As soon as I can let the cat out of the bag (once the ink is dry on the contracts!), you'll hear more. After that? Well, you won't be seeing a new book every month, but I expect you'll continue to see a handful of new Hard Case Crime titles each year, and rest assured they'll be good ones. Stay tuned to your email for news and announcements (also not every month -- but every time we've got news to share, I promise). And if you're a member of the Hard Case Crime Book Club, I'd say don't cancel that subscription just yet -- again, it's too early to talk about what we've got in store, but a neat idea has surfaced for a way to keep the books coming and if it works out, I think you're going to like it. (I know I'm excited about it.) In the meantime, I want to thank you all for your years of support and your passion for our books -- it feels good to know so many of you are as excited about these books as I am, and (circumstances permitting) I'm looking forward to bringing you more of them for years to come. Best, Charles |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Well, crap. I hope they survive. Would like to see them continue with small, pulpy paperbacks. The line just wouldn't have the same charm as trades, would it?
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Yeah, probably not. That said though, I'd be happy to see their line picked up by a smaller publishing press that currently puts out crime/noir (i.e., Busted Flush, New Pulp Press, Bleak House, etc). HCC shouldn't have a problem finding a new home...
Heck, maybe they get picked by Random House's crime imprint Black Lizard. They publish trades today, but Black Lizard used to do in the 80s what HCC is currently doing (resurrect pulps and reissue as paperbacks). They did this until Random House bought them out. |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Well this sucks !...I wonder if the value will jump on certain titles.
I have everyone except 3 or 4 of them ...I kept putting off buying them I hope I am not too late? |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
All of the existing titles are still widely available (I would assume). I still see a lot of them at used bookstores I frequent.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Well crap. I guess that explains why I never got the newest book after just joining the book club. I hope I get my two dollars back! lol As far as finding existing titles, I know around here my options are the typical Barnes & Noble and Borders. I'm lucky if I can find the most current there. Back in May or June I found two from Westlake (Memory and Somebody owes me money) and that were the ONLY HCC books they had in stock.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Poop.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
I too hope Hard Case is able to continue publishing. I need to pick up the few books I don't have.
Semi-related... is anyone watching Haven on SyFy? (It's very loosely based on King's Colorado Kid and is executive produced by Charles Ardai). |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
^ Yeah, I've been watching. Still waiting for it to get good (mediocre thus far, imo). Ardai is credited as a Creative Consultant on the show, I believe.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by Geofferson
(Post 10316207)
^ Yeah, I've been watching. Still waiting for it to get good (mediocre thus far, imo). Ardai is credited as a Creative Consultant on the show, I believe.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Great news guys. HCC looks to have struck an interesting deal with Subterranean Press. Details at the link.
http://subterraneanpress.com/index.p...rranean-press/ |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by Geofferson
(Post 10316207)
^ Yeah, I've been watching. Still waiting for it to get good (mediocre thus far, imo). Ardai is credited as a Creative Consultant on the show, I believe.
You're also correct about the show's mediocrity, although I think it is getting continually better. So I have hope! |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by Geofferson
(Post 10317200)
Great news guys. HCC looks to have struck an interesting deal with Subterranean Press. Details at the link.
http://subterraneanpress.com/index.p...rranean-press/ Bleh. Just give me my cheap paperbacks! |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
I work for Cowley Distributors. Dorchester will stop accepting returns/credits on Nov. 1st for unsold books. I was informed today to remove all Hard Case Crime books from my stores and return them. Get them while you can.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
So I contacted Dorchester today about signing up for the book club, being charged the two dollars and not hearing or seeing anything. Made a reference to rw2516's comment just as a fishing expedition
Got this in response:
Originally Posted by Dorchester Pub CS
Dave,
We are currently in a period of transition so some things are still unsettled. We can tell you that when you joined, the August title had already been processed and so you are in line to receive the next mailing in the club which would be an October title in late September as that club has been every other month since 2010 began. We are unable to tell you what that October title will be although it will be in the same genre - noire crime mystery - and will be in mass market paperback format. As we move toward e-books, we are switching warehouses for our backlist titles and so no new orders are being fulfilled until that change has taken place. In the meantime we can send you out one of the Hard Case Crime titles listed below so you have something to show for your $2.00. Please let us know which title you choose as your free book. NOBODY'S ANGEL by Jack Clark KILL NOW, PAY LATER by Robert Terrall LEMONS NEVER LIE by Richard Stark As for the other comments that you read on the blog, it sounds like those were intended for book stores. We really can't comment on that as we are customer service for individual customers. As far as we know at this point, we will continue to take orders for backlist titles once the transition to a new warehouse is complete. Let us know which book we can send out to you from our office. We apologize for any confusion. We should be able to more completely answer your questions in the next couple of weeks. Thank you for your patience. |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
My comment only concerns retail stores. We pull unsold books and return them to publisher for credit. Don't know how long the credit process takes but the higher ups want to return them now. Dorchester also publishes westerns. One came in yesterday and I just sent it back for credit, not putting it out.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Assuming this puts an end to Ardai's sister project (Gabriel Hunt). Unfortunate news all around.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by Geofferson
(Post 10327847)
Assuming this puts an end to Ardai's sister project (Gabriel Hunt). Unfortunate news all around.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by rw2516
(Post 10327529)
My comment only concerns retail stores. We pull unsold books and return them to publisher for credit. Don't know how long the credit process takes but the higher ups want to return them now. Dorchester also publishes westerns. One came in yesterday and I just sent it back for credit, not putting it out.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by dgmayor
(Post 10330215)
I understand that, but if the books are no longer in retail stores, that concerns us as customers as well. :)
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Things are looking good for HCC. Recent Tweet from Ardai:
Charles Ardai (CharlesArdai): Still out filming but want to confirm: Dorchester's woes do NOT mean the end of #HardCaseCrime. In talks w/ 8 interested publishers. |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
That's great, but I wonder if the future's only bright for future books or if that includes reprinting the back catalog. I still have about 40 HCC books to buy and I am freaking out a bit regarding rw2516's news, especially since I don't really have the funds right now to buy all of those right away.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by DJLinus
(Post 10332427)
That's great, but I wonder if the future's only bright for future books or if that includes reprinting the back catalog. I still have about 40 HCC books to buy and I am freaking out a bit regarding rw2516's news, especially since I don't really have the funds right now to buy all of those right away.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by DJLinus
(Post 10332427)
That's great, but I wonder if the future's only bright for future books or if that includes reprinting the back catalog. I still have about 40 HCC books to buy and I am freaking out a bit regarding rw2516's news, especially since I don't really have the funds right now to buy all of those right away.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
I went into a local used bookstore yesterday on a whim and walked out with 24 HCC books that were in mint condition. Someone had just turned in their collection apparently, since last time I was there a few weeks ago they had zero. I'm down to missing about 15-20 books.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
I love used bookstore visits like that -- nice take! :up:
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by rw2516
(Post 10332586)
Probably be able to find these forever on Amazon. Don't know about books, but I've seen OOP cds stay listed on Amazon still they sell out. CDs I know are no longer available will even have the "more on the way" statement until the last one is sold, then changes to "no longer available. Amazon may not return books for credit. Large book stores like Barnes & Noble may not return them either. That's why you can find practically entire catalog of a lot of authors at large stores.
Originally Posted by dgmayor
(Post 10400912)
I went into a local used bookstore yesterday on a whim and walked out with 24 HCC books that were in mint condition. Someone had just turned in their collection apparently, since last time I was there a few weeks ago they had zero. I'm down to missing about 15-20 books.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by Charles Ardai
The news is out: #HardCaseCrime to return in 2011 in collab. with the amazing Titan Publishing -- http://titanbooks.com/.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Excellent! A little more info I found:
Hard Case Crime to Relaunch with Titan Publishing By Jason Boog on October 20, 2010 3:53 PM Hard Case Crime has cut a new deal with the U.K.-based Titan Publishing; the hardboiled crime and thriller imprint will relaunch in 2011. Titan specializes in glossy TV companion books and cinema reference titles. They have published guides to Lost, 24, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, and many other television shows. They also published reference books like The Alfred Hitchcock Story and The Winston Effect: The Art & History of the Stan Winston Studio. Read more about Hard Case founder Charles Ardai at this link. Shots eZine has the scoop: “Hard Case Crime will relaunch in September/October 2011 with four new books, including CHOKE HOLD by Christa Faust (sequel to her Edgar Award-nominated MONEY SHOT), QUARRY’S EX by Max Allan Collins (the latest in the popular series of hit man novels by the author of “Road to Perdition”), and two never-before-published novels by MWA Grand Masters (names to be announced shortly). Additionally, Titan Publishing plans to acquire all existing stock of Hard Case Crime’s backlist from Dorchester Publishing and to resume shipping these titles to booksellers immediately.” (Via Sarah Weinman) Hard Case will leave Dorchester Publishing (a company that recently adopted an eBook first model), just as reports of more troubles have surfaced at the company. http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat...lishing_b14592 EDIT: Oh, wait a sec. That doesn't mean they'll be republishing the back catalog. Hmmmm. |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Wonderful news! Kind of an oddball publisher to take this on. I'm curious what, if anything, will change--type of paper, cover stock, book size, design ... This will be an interesting development ...
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Email that I'm sure a lot of you got
Originally Posted by Charles Ardai
Friends --
Apologies for going so long between updates. I was waiting until I could announce some good news -- and today's the day. As you know, our relationship with Dorchester Publishing (Hard Case Crime's publisher since the line's launch in 2004) came to an end a few months ago when Dorchester announced it was getting out of the business of publishing mass market paperback books. This left Hard Case Crime without a home. I've spent the past six weeks in meetings with other publishers interested in giving us a new home, and I was gratified to receive offers from five of the firms we met with. They were all firms I respect greatly and would have enjoyed working with; but in the end, one stood out as clearly the best match, and that was Titan Publishing. Based in London, Titan is a publisher both of fiction and of gorgeous art books focusing on pop culture such as movie poster art, pin-ups, newspaper comic strips, and Golden Age comic books; they have worked with filmmakers such as J.J. Abrams, Joss Whedon, and George Lucas; they've been around for 30 years and have more than 200 employees; and in addition to publishing books, they also have a magazine division, own retail stores, and produce merchandise such as t-shirts, sculptures, and accessories. It's fun to imagine what sorts of cool Hard Case Crime products we might create with them! But first things first: books. Titan plans to acquire all existing stock of our old books from Dorchester and to resume shipping those books to stores immediately. New books will start coming next fall, with two titles planned for each of September and October 2011. (Why so long a wait? It has to do with the sales cycle in the book publishing business. Titan's sales force is already selling July/August 2011 titles to stores now; September/October 2011 is the soonest we can get new books out if we want to have enough time for booksellers to consider and order them, and then for Titan to print and ship them, etc.) Our 2011 titles will include two you've hear about before -- QUARRY'S EX by Max Allan Collins and CHOKE HOLD by Christa Faust, both of which were in the works at Dorchester but never got published -- and two you haven't heard about, by major writers in the field. (Can't say who yet...but they've both been named "Grand Masters" by the Mystery Writers of America, the organization's highest honor.) You'll be hearing more about all four books over the coming months, I promise. In the meantime, if you'd like a little taste of QUARRY'S EX and CHOKE HOLD, you can see their cover art and read a sample chapter from each at our Web site, www.HardCaseCrime.com. We will also still be going ahead with our special hardcover 'double' volume with Subterranean Press, featuring two long-lost Lawrence Block novels bound back-to-back. More info on that one as soon as we have a firm publication date and cover art to to show you! In other news, HAVEN, the SyFy television series inspired by one of our books (THE COLORADO KID by Stephen King), just completed its first season and has been renewed for a second. If you haven't seen the show or only caught the first few episodes, I'd encourage you to give it a(nother) try -- it got really good by the end of the season (and no, I'm not just saying that because I wrote the penultimate episode and came up with the story for one before that...). It's a little different from what you see in our books, since every story contains elements of the supernatural -- but it's still a show about a FBI agent, a cop, and a criminal, and features some awfully hard cases... Also: Universal Pictures acquired the rights to two other Hard Case Crime books -- LITTLE GIRL LOST and SONGS OF INNOCENCE by my close personal friend Richard Aleas -- and has attached a director (Jonathan Levine, "The Wackness") and screenwriter (Michael Bacall, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World") to the project. No guarantee that a movie will actually get made, of course -- but it's a very exciting first step. What else is new? Well, Hard Case Crime's sister line, THE ADVENTURES OF GABRIEL HUNT, is staying with Dorchester for the time being, and they have plans to reissue all of those books -- including the sixth, which never came out in mass market paperback -- in the larger "trade paperback" format (as well as e-book format). If everything goes as planned, those should start coming next year. If you poke around online, you can also find an audiobook edition of one book in the series, HUNT THROUGH THE CRADLE OF FEAR, produced by AudioRealms. If there's ever been a genre suited to audiobook adaptation, it's tales of adventure! (If you don't feel like hunting for it -- pun intended -- here's a link: http://www.audiorealms.com/cgi-bin/c...NTCRADLE-MP3CD.) That's all the news this time around. There will be more, probably fairly soon -- you'll certainly be hearing from me well before this time next year, when the new books come out. But in the meantime, I want to thank you for all your patience and your support. It's great to know you're out there, as passionate about our books as ever. I promise: We'll give you some good scratching for your itch just as soon as we can. Best, Charles ----------- Charles Ardai Editor |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Wish we didn't have to wait a year before the new titles came out...better late than never I suppose. A bit irked by the Gabriel Hunt news...I'll have 5 mass markets and one in trade format. Oh well.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Same here. Bummed that they are staying at Dorchester with that series. I has a sad panda.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
So my CC was just charged by Dorchester yesterday. I called them and apparently they are continuing the "Hard Case Crime" book club, just without the HCC books. They are just similar crime books. I think it was "Perish Twice" by Robert B. Parker.
Not sure if other people were notified, but I was not. I incorrectly assumed the club just ended. |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
That's pretty sneaky.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Well that kind of sucks. I'm in the midst of a move at the moment so I will have to remember to call after getting the first shipment with the number and such.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by ReggieM
(Post 10455839)
So my CC was just charged by Dorchester yesterday. I called them and apparently they are continuing the "Hard Case Crime" book club, just without the HCC books. They are just similar crime books. I think it was "Perish Twice" by Robert B. Parker.
Not sure if other people were notified, but I was not. I incorrectly assumed the club just ended. Damn good thing my check card expired and they don't have my new one lol |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
I don't mind getting a Robert B. Parker novel, but it would've been nice for them to inform people. They don't even have anything listed on their site.
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Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by ReggieM
(Post 10455839)
So my CC was just charged by Dorchester yesterday. I called them and apparently they are continuing the "Hard Case Crime" book club, just without the HCC books. They are just similar crime books. I think it was "Perish Twice" by Robert B. Parker.
Not sure if other people were notified, but I was not. I incorrectly assumed the club just ended. I was also under the impression that it was over.... |
Re: Hard Case Crime, Part 4
Originally Posted by ReggieM
(Post 10455839)
So my CC was just charged by Dorchester yesterday. I called them and apparently they are continuing the "Hard Case Crime" book club, just without the HCC books. They are just similar crime books. I think it was "Perish Twice" by Robert B. Parker.
Not sure if other people were notified, but I was not. I incorrectly assumed the club just ended.
Originally Posted by dgmayor
(Post 10456316)
Damn good thing my check card expired and they don't have my new one lol
So much for that... The book showed up today. haven't charged me anything though since they don't have my new CC info.. Now I need to decide if I wanna keep it going or cancel it. Leaning towards cancel since I only joined for HCC stuff. I'd rather just get everything else on the Kindle, which this book is available on so.. |
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