Comments on: Vampire-shaggers redux http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/vampire-shaggers-redux/ Science fiction, science fact, and all that's in between ... Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:49:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Liz http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/vampire-shaggers-redux/comment-page-1/#comment-144031 Liz Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:06:27 +0000 http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/vampire-shaggers-redux/#comment-144031 I had the same experience, in that I saw the cover art first and assumed this was yet another supernatural romance vampire-shagging novel I would have no interest in, then I read the interview and it sounds much more interesting. Unfortunately it's clearly a better marketing decision to have this cover and go for the supernatural romance market even if it does put off a minority of the people who might otherwise be interested. See also, panel at Eastercon on book covers, plug plug... I had the same experience, in that I saw the cover art first and assumed this was yet another supernatural romance vampire-shagging novel I would have no interest in, then I read the interview and it sounds much more interesting. Unfortunately it’s clearly a better marketing decision to have this cover and go for the supernatural romance market even if it does put off a minority of the people who might otherwise be interested. See also, panel at Eastercon on book covers, plug plug…

]]> By: Paul Raven http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/vampire-shaggers-redux/comment-page-1/#comment-144028 Paul Raven Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:13:34 +0000 http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/vampire-shaggers-redux/#comment-144028 <i>Thoroughly</i> aware of that, Mr Scalzi - but much respect to you for defending Mr Lewis in this instance.. Like I say, this is what makes book marketing such an interesting subject - as a marketer of a first novel, do you try to pitch it as widely as possible and maybe net some new readers with an innovative cover, or do you aim for the easy established bracket by rolling out the clich Thoroughly aware of that, Mr Scalzi – but much respect to you for defending Mr Lewis in this instance.. Like I say, this is what makes book marketing such an interesting subject – as a marketer of a first novel, do you try to pitch it as widely as possible and maybe net some new readers with an innovative cover, or do you aim for the easy established bracket by rolling out the clich

]]> By: John Scalzi http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/vampire-shaggers-redux/comment-page-1/#comment-144027 John Scalzi Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:56:05 +0000 http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/vampire-shaggers-redux/#comment-144027 You're not actually blaming the cover art on Mr. Lewis, are you? You are aware how very little input first-time authors have on their covers, right? You’re not actually blaming the cover art on Mr. Lewis, are you? You are aware how very little input first-time authors have on their covers, right?

]]> By: Jonathan M http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/vampire-shaggers-redux/comment-page-1/#comment-144024 Jonathan M Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:57:07 +0000 http://www.velcro-city.co.uk/vampire-shaggers-redux/#comment-144024 If you want a proper reinvention of Vampires then I think the only person to really move them on in recent times has been Peter Watts with his idea of Vampires being a race of non-sentient predators who are just really really good at pretending to be human. The thing about the vampire shaggers is that, as a genre, they are UTTERLY worthless. They take the worst bits of contemporary fantasy and then they port it across directly into the romance genre. This is why it's getting its own section in book shops in a way that other sub-genres don't. They want to appeal to both sets of fans and rather than getting romance fans to come to our section of the book shop (which they wouldn't do) or get us to go to the romance section (which most of us wouldn't do) they need someplace in the middle. As much as I hate trad fantasy, I think I hate supernatural romance more. If you want a proper reinvention of Vampires then I think the only person to really move them on in recent times has been Peter Watts with his idea of Vampires being a race of non-sentient predators who are just really really good at pretending to be human.

The thing about the vampire shaggers is that, as a genre, they are UTTERLY worthless. They take the worst bits of contemporary fantasy and then they port it across directly into the romance genre. This is why it’s getting its own section in book shops in a way that other sub-genres don’t. They want to appeal to both sets of fans and rather than getting romance fans to come to our section of the book shop (which they wouldn’t do) or get us to go to the romance section (which most of us wouldn’t do) they need someplace in the middle.

As much as I hate trad fantasy, I think I hate supernatural romance more.

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