after lunch had a read of my boss's Bokkseller and in the middle of a big insert for Well of Lost Plots there is a phone number to ring for the opportunity to win one of 50 signed proofs...

it wasn't for the blooming opportunity, it was a first come first served thing so naturally I was too late because I can only read the Bookseller at lunch!

Ahhrgh.
At least I think I will end up getting a normal proof anyway... unless our dear Jasper reads this and signs one for me! :-) (It's Raj I talk to in Hodder) Especially since I think a signing for us will be a remote possibility, we are only doing huge big ones... *sigh*

perhaps we could persuade our beloved Mr Fforde to set up a fforum-only prize draw for a signed proof copy?

(or, in an ideal world, send us one each, on the understanding that we'll rush out and buy a 'proper' copy when it comes out.... :-D)


(can you tell I'm a born optimist??)

Good luck to all and any who get their mitts on a proof or any other sort of advance copy. But, please, anyone who does, can they promise to keep schtum about the contents until the thing is publshed and the rest of us get a chance to catch up?



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I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

don't worry I will keep quiet. as i said before i'm crap at reviewing books apart from saying it's good, it's crap...

You can make us feel as jealous as you like, however. *I* would.



- - -
I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

i can always just say it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great it's great just to annoy you all...

What about us poor folks in the States, who will have to wait for it to be shipped across the pond to us before we can read it? I may have to avoid the Fforum for a couple weeks until my copy arrives, to avoid spoilers (and yes, I'm planning to preorder the trade paperback from Amazon.uk).

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Imagination is intelligence with an erection. --Victor Hugo



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"I've often said that the difference between British and American SF TV series is that the British ones have three-dimensional characters and cardboard spaceships, while the Americans do it the other way around."
--Ross Smith

I'm sure one of us could be persuaded to pick you up a copy and express-ship it over to you?

assuming that's not illegal/immoral/naughty, obviously.

Illegal I won't do. But if it's only naughty and immoral consider me up for it.



- - -
I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

Hmmmmm.....wonder what express shipping from there to here runs for a book?

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One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. "Which road do I take?" she asked. "Where do you want to go?" was his response. "I don't know," Alice answered. "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."
- Lewis Carroll

shouldn't be much, I'd imagine. I'll have a shufty.

according to royal mail, air mail costs:

100g £2.16
120g £2.52
140g £2.88
160g £3.24
180g £3.60
200g £3.96
220g £4.32
240g £4.68
260g £5.04
280g £5.40
300g £5.77

no idea how much a book weighs...

I know that a Club biscuit weighs 55g so you can squeeze
one in with a letter for normal price.

(You can tell I got exciting pressies from my mum when I
was at Uni.)

you mean you never weighted a book?~
*shakes head* we can see you don't travel, ehehehe, at the moment I'm checking all my unread books to decide which ones to take to my trip to england next week (well, in 2 weeks), they have to be light coz I carry one all the time in my bag...
Unfortunately all the yet unpublished ones Carla gave me weigh a TONNE!!!!

aha. So as a previously-weighed-a-book-type-person, how much does a paperback weigh?

Actually, are we talking paperbacks/trade paperbacks/hardbacks?

OK, I just weighed a book, approx same size and weight as a trade paperback. Came to 700g. so shipping might be more costly than the book itself.



- - -
I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

proofs are either done in crap thin paper or crap think paper and you have to be very careful with them...

oh yes Mr Fforde, whose idea was it to have a proof with a self curling jacket? rather annoying to have on a desk or something...

ok, 700g = £6.57 at the 'small packets' rate...

Hmmm....just looked up shipping rates on Amazon.uk

To the US, one book is about 5 pounds for 5-7 working days delivery, or 21 pounds for 1-2 days.

I think for 16 pounds I can probably manage to wait a few days longer for the book.

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Imagination is intelligence with an erection. --Victor Hugo