Naomi Novik ([info]naominovik) wrote,
@ 2006-04-21 20:54:00
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SFBC omnibus cover; answering questions
The website has been updated with a new gallery of artwork from the books, including the interior art by the wonderful Gayle Marquez from the US paperback edition of book 1 (which was not in the UK version), and the wonderful cover by Todd Lockwood for the Science Fiction Book Club's omnibus edition of books 1-3, which will be titled "Temeraire: In The Service of The King".

One note: although all my photos are free to use under a creative commons license, the same of course does not go for the artwork, which I am allowed to use for promotional use, but which remains the property of the original artists: please don't use it without their permission!

I am also catching up a bit with comments (which I have been reading and enjoying, even when I haven't had a chance to reply), and thought I'd answer a couple of questions --

[info]kaiganeru: Was this one book (Tolkien style, a long book that the publisher decided to break into three?) Or had you simply written all three while in the process of trying to get the first one published?

Actually, no -- Betsy Mitchell, my editor at Del Rey, asked if I had sequel plans after reading the first one, and I did indeed. *g* I wrote up short half-page synopses of my initial plans for books 2 and 3 (maybe I'll post those here some time once all three are out -- it's kind of neat to see how the plans evolved), and we signed the three-book deal on that basis -- I wrote books 2 and 3 after the contract was signed. (The final of book 3 in fact was finished only this last December.)

Anonymous: "...get back to writing BOOK FOUR"??? More info on this please?

There is, er, sadly not much more information as yet! But there is going to be a book four, yes, as both the publisher and I want it to happen, and there is an excerpt from the first chapter in Black Powder War (though subject to some tweaking before final publication). I do in fact have ideas for adventures through a potential book six at present -- I have other things I want to write in the interim also, but I am not done with Laurence and Temeraire.


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[info]strangerface
2006-04-22 01:28 am UTC (link)
Ooh people are already planning new editions of your books. That's great. You must be really thrilled. Every bookstore I go to, I see His Majesty's Dragon displayed. It seems to be doing really well. Have you gone into second (or third) printings yet?

Also, whose idea was it to release the three novels in such rapid succession? It's sort of unusual. Is there are a particular marketing strategy to it? Or is it just because you had all three manuscripts ready? I work in publishing so I was just curious.

Anyway, I bet you're really busy and I just wanted to say I loved "His Majesty's Dragon" and can't wait for "Throne of Jade" to drop.

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[info]annathepiper
2006-04-22 02:38 am UTC (link)
I am eagerly counting down the hours till I can get Throne of Jade, and I am delighted to hear that you've got further plans beyond Black Powder War! Thank you for keeping us informed! :)

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[info]unpissenlit
2006-04-22 03:23 am UTC (link)
Congrats on the SFBC omnibus edition! Very nice cover art. :)

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[info]stegoking
2006-04-22 03:28 am UTC (link)
I don't know if you read such things, but I just posted a review of Temeraire here: http://speculativereviews.blogspot.com/2006/04/his-majestys-dragon-temeraire-by-naomi.html

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Anticipation...
[info]anne_irwin
2006-04-22 03:53 am UTC (link)
My local bookstore called to tell me that my copy of "Throne of Jade" was in... but that I can't pick it up until Tuesday. That's just cruel.

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[info]rocalisa
2006-04-22 07:27 am UTC (link)
I've just finished "His Majesty's Dragon" and I loved it. I have "Throne of Jade" on order and I'm already looking forward to read it.

But please, can you tell me how to pronounce "Temeraire"? I can't figure it out and it was driving me crazy all the way through the book.

Congratulations on well-deserved success.

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pronounciation
(Anonymous)
2006-04-29 03:33 pm UTC (link)
I too, wish to know the correct pronounciation. I end up with something resembling "tipperary" in my head. Hope Naomi will help us out. Just finished TOJ early this morning. am so glad the third will be out soon. paulajeanne

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Re: pronounciation
(Anonymous)
2006-05-12 08:24 pm UTC (link)
I too, somehow imagined it was pronounced in such a way as to rhyme with Tipperary. The French ship for which he was named however, seems to be pronounced thusly:

téméraire
[tay may rehr]

(adj) - rash, reckless, foolhardy

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(Anonymous)
2006-04-22 07:46 am UTC (link)
Hi.
Sorry for being "anonymous", but I don't have LiveJournal account... can't write well and most certainly not in English :)
Just wanted to say thanks for the wonderful new series. I just finished (and re-finished) first book this week. Can't wait for the other 2 getting released. I did read the reviews of them and it seemed like things didn't get quite neatly tied at the end, so there was a possibility of series stretching longer. And with great pleasure I read the confirmation here. :) Please keep on bringing us joy of reading about Laurence and Temeraire.
Oblivion is indeed a great game, have you ever thought about playing some MMORPG? I personally am waiting impatiently for Lord of the Rings Online to come out! :)
Best wishes

Kuido

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[info]ladyagnew
2006-04-22 08:27 am UTC (link)
and we signed the three-book deal on that basis -- I wrote books 2 and 3 after the contract was signed

I'm slightly stunned at how quickly you can write. I assumed you were writing and pitching all 3 books at the same time because they're coming out with only a month's gap in between. The usual wait for a fantasy trilogy is at least a year between books, and one of the most annoying things about following a SF/F trilogy. So much appreciation for not only writing His Majesty's Dragon and sequels, but for putting them all out within months of each other. I'm terrible at delayed gratification.

one question: Is there a reason the U.K. gets hardcover? I don't collect books in any real way, but I did think it'd be nice to score first editions.

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[info]artaxastra
2006-04-22 12:14 pm UTC (link)
I love the cover art on the bookclub edition! That's just lovely! And Laurence has a very Russell Crowe kind of silhouette! *G*

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Finished with Throne of Jade!!!!
(Anonymous)
2006-04-22 01:45 pm UTC (link)
Hi, I got Throne of Jade yesterday, (Friday) and read all last night, despite having class early the next day. I must admit, I felt a little like I was reading an illegal book because it is not "officially" out yet. I was lucky enough to receive it early from my local bookstore when they got it in. But, it only heightened my excitement. WOW!!! This is the best second book I have ever read. It is rare that a second book holds up to the promise of the first, but Naomi pulled it off. I literally could not put it down. Naomi, thank you so much for writing these books. I have never read anything as good.
Soory, I don't have a LiveJournal account.

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Re: Finished with Throne of Jade!!!!
[info]viennatraveler
2006-04-22 02:23 pm UTC (link)
Hi, it's me again. This is my new account if anyone is interested in replying to my comment.

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[info]mildmannered
2006-04-22 02:48 pm UTC (link)
Wow, I might have to get my hands on that omnibus addition. I love how much the cover art resembles the paintings for Patrick O'Brian novels.

I'm so abundantly pleased to watch your success unfold, my dear.

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My dear?
[info]kaiganeru
2006-04-27 10:21 pm UTC (link)
Just teasing... but your statement "I'm so abundantly pleased to watch your success unfold, my dear." sounds more like something Laurence would say to Temeraire...

And so, whose success are you abundantly pleased to watch?

Of course, if you are elder British relative of Naomi Novik's, the style of the comment is entirely appropriate. ;)

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[info]ariss_tenoh
2006-04-22 02:59 pm UTC (link)
Can you tell me when the SFBC edition will be out?

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SFBC Art
[info]jolly_roro
2006-04-22 04:47 pm UTC (link)
1. Don't have Throne of Jade yet. This is bad.

2. You MUST see if someone will print the artwork for the SFBC omnibus edition as a poster. It is beautiful, and I would love to have it.

3. I am keeping my fingers crossed for book 4.

4. Did I mention I do not have Throne of Jade yet? This is bad.

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Re: SFBC Art
[info]kaiganeru
2006-04-22 09:58 pm UTC (link)
If you find anything out about the poster... someone will doubtless realize it's a good idea and there is a market for it.. please let me know?

Thank you :)

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[info]coppervale
2006-04-22 06:32 pm UTC (link)
Congratulations on everything, Naomi! You've earned all the goodness coming to you.

(Including a large, flat parcel, that should be hitting your mailbox any...day...now...)

James

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[info]naominovik
2006-04-23 09:17 pm UTC (link)
James! I was in the midst of writing you a gleeful e-mail of thanks when I looked at lj comments -- somehow I had missed you were on here. Samaranth arrived yesterday to my great surprise and delight -- thank you so much! He will soon be enshrined on my wall. (Charles sends hellos and thanks also!)

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[info]coppervale
2006-04-24 03:29 am UTC (link)
You're welcome!

That ended up being the illustration S&S decided they wanted to use to promote the book at BEA - 500 signed prints in mats, for the booksellers.

Yours is a lot BIGGER, though! ;)

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His Majesty's Dragon
(Anonymous)
2006-04-22 09:34 pm UTC (link)
Thanks for a new adventure! I read so much that it's difficult to find anything new that doesn't sound like everything else! I'm really looking forward to sharing the books with my son. He's six and loves the Horatio Hornblower DVDs and when I told him these books are "Horatio Hornblower with dragons" he was so excited! Thanks again.
Amber20221@yahoo.com

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Great Work~!
[info]canwolfshadow
2006-04-22 10:37 pm UTC (link)
Just finished reading His Majesty's Dragon, and am about to start Throne of Jade.
As a fanatical sci-fi/fantasy reader, and fan of Napoleonic War novels, (C.S. Forrester/ Alexander Kent)..I have to say VERY WELL DONE~!

Eagerly looking fowarded to books 3 and 4... I will mention this book to our local SF Bookstore here in Toronto. They will probably be quite willing to push the book forward.

Again keep up the great work.

Kevin Harron

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[info]cliffius
2006-04-23 02:21 am UTC (link)
I saw Throne of Jade in the stores and picked it up. EW had a review for it in this weeks magazine too and it received a B+. Can't wait to start it, but finals week is next week.

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Only a B+?
[info]kaiganeru
2006-04-24 09:24 pm UTC (link)
That's odd... they had the first book as an A and one of two books they highly recommended for last month.

I suppose that having raved over the first, they can't do the same again lest people thing we've paid them off :P

(since it goes without saying that it deserves an A -- I get it tomorrow am at 9:00 when the bookseller opens, I'll be there waiting)

Sugoi!

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How cool you are.
(Anonymous)
2006-04-25 12:39 am UTC (link)
I'm fifteen years old and a ravenous reader. My mom said that I could get forty-five dollars worth of books for easter and "His Majesty's Dragon" was one of the ones I picked up. I'm glad I did to, it blew me away. I read more books in a year than some of my friends have read in their lives and this one is on par with (in my opinion) the Eragon series, Harry Potter series, Lord of The Rings, and The Wheel of Time. I especially loved the unique usage of the aerial corps like how whole crews of men work on one dragon. This is much more interesting than only one person like in every other dragon riding book I have ever read. I have not been able to grab the other books in the series yet but I plan to. So please continue your great series so I can write you even more compliments than I already have.

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[info]nozomi429
2006-04-25 12:40 am UTC (link)
I picked up your first book three days ago, and I'm really glad I did (I was originally going to pick up the Historian, but I'm glad it wasn't there, as weird as that sounds). Anyway, I think it is really awesome, and though the end was a bit abrupt, I loved it. I really can't wait to pick up "Throne of Jade" tomorrow. Thank you!

And wow, you write quickly. I don't think I'd ever be capable of writing three books, and I don't even have enough inspiration or ideas to write even one novel, though I aspire to be a novelist.

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Total Enjoyment
[info]zandraa
2006-04-25 07:02 pm UTC (link)
Lately there has not been a great selection of SciFi Fantasy novels available for the avid SciFi Fantasy reader. I had not been able to find anything that grabbed my attention until I found His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik. It is a wonderful read and I have already put my copy of Throne of Jade on hold to pick up tonight. This has been a wonderful experience and I look forward to reading the entire series.

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Two Questions
(Anonymous)
2006-04-25 09:05 pm UTC (link)
Hi:

I just picked up TOJ at Wal-Mart. I am backlogged on my pile of books. I did have two questions. Did you do a lot of research on nautical concepts for your trilogy? Do you believe in writer's groups/workshops?

Thank You
Scott S.
Tampa, FL

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Getting Artistic Permissions?
[info]wordwitch
2006-04-26 04:10 pm UTC (link)
Do you have access to the artists' contact information? I would dearly love to use the thumbnails from the books' covers in my commentary on them, as you have done; but I found no links through to said info.

WW,

hopping up and down with the Need to Read

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Re: Getting Artistic Permissions?
[info]naominovik
2006-04-27 12:30 am UTC (link)
Oh, no worries, that is fine -- that would fall under promotional use. It's only if you start making prints and selling them and so forth that I think it becomes an issue. *g*

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artwork in "Temeraire" series
(Anonymous)
2006-05-03 05:39 pm UTC (link)
It was VERY clever to include the line drawings of the most discussed breeds of dragons in Book 1. Could you consider including similar illustrations (at least of the principal breeds) in ALL the volumes - but have them in the FRONT of the book? This is very helpful re: visualizing them (particularly the illustration showing the dragon, its harness & crew)---- and would be similar to the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey/Maturin series, where he ALWAYS included an illustration of a square-rigged sailing ship with the names of principal parts at the FRONT of the book to assist his readers.

I have just completed THRONE OF JADE, immediately on the heels of reading HIS MAJESTY'S DRAGON..... all because of spotting the review in TIME MAGAZINE, which mentioned Patrick O'Brian & Jane Austen and the phrase "enthralling reading." It is an understatement.
I'd read & loved the Aubrey/Maturin series, as well as Jane Austen ... but, admittedly, never set foot in the "fantasy" section of the bookstore. This made your writing/characters/setting a real discovery. Now my 16-year-old nephew, my mother and a good friend who is familiar with the "dragon/fantasy" genre are all reading the books. My somewhat reluctant friend (who also writes & likes Austen) was leary of "another dragon book." Now having completed it, she's
found the writing, etc. "excellent" & is beginning Book 2. Thank you for providing some wonderfully enthralling reading/characters/writing (you should publicize the books via the Patrick O'Brian websites, such as "The Gunroom" - the Aubrey/Maturin readers would greatly enjoy them!) - New fan in Rochester, NY

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MORE!
(Anonymous)
2006-05-22 04:00 am UTC (link)
As a SF/Fantasy reader of some thirty-odd years (yeesh!) I have been seldom moved to write to an author praising their work (matter of fact, this is my first time). I have been caught like this only a few times, placing you in the same rare league as Tolkien, Lackey, McCaffrey, Niven and a few (very few) others. As with Mr. Feintuch (may he rest in peace), I am running out of good authors but not out of time to read! Please, PLEASE find a way to not do a mere 6 books but many, many more. I know, I know, this is a hard task but I have not been this enraptured over a series since Tolkien himself caught me at a very impressionable age (still not sure if I made it all the way back here, Middle Earth is a *very* compelling place to be). The American dragons surely need a story or three, the Mayan/Aztec surely deserve a word, a picture of the Apache/Commanche and their dragon mounts (hoo boy, wouldn't Custer be suprised!), early history, the first dragon/human pairing (more like the first dragon to take pity on a poor human and speak to him/her and offer a friendship the likes of which can never be seen in this poor world, save through eyes such as yours), much, much more to learn! A whole world to play in and one that has been one of my dearest dreams - I have always thought that humankind *needed* a friend that was both stronger and wiser than us and the dragons have always been first in my mind as the right ones to be our friends if we were worthy of such (sometimes I wonder at this) friendship and here you go - book after book of just such a world. Please let the other dragons have their say as well, they so seldom have a chance to speak...
In any event, Thank You for what we already have.

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Cover Art Congruity
(Anonymous)
2006-06-21 09:02 pm UTC (link)
First off, let me applaud the cover-art overall. I think that the very similar covers of the series is distinctive and interesting. I think the omnibus edition artwork is fantastic.

My only disappointment with the cover art is congruity with the works themselves. There is some considerable character development revolving around Temeraire's physical features and how they are distinctive. In the Omnibus art, they get the number of tines in his wings incorrect - minor, but something I noticed immediately. This prompted me to look more closely at the cover art for the series, and I noted that both the series and the Omnibus included a spine ridge - something that Temeraire was self-conscious about lacking.

Is it important, and does it make my appreciation of the artwork less? Nah, not really... but I DID make note of the distinction in the number of tines in his wings when it was mentioned first in the story, and checked the cover, and it brought me much pleasure that the detail had been considered in the artwork.

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Question about UK Hardcover editions
[info]irene2007
2007-08-08 06:06 pm UTC (link)
Hi,
I am having a problem locating the Hardcover edition of Powder of War. The book came out earlier this year but I hadn't had a chance to purchase until now and I can't find a copy that isn't over $100 - is there a reason for this? I'm not looking for a collectors edition or anything, just a copy to go with the others that I"ve been ordering from Amazon Uk.

Thanks for giving us this awesome series-absolutely love it!

Irene

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