Does anyone know how to contact Adam Lebowitz? I would like to organize a petition and letter/email campaign to Pocket Books in an effort to get "Unseen Frontier" back on their schedule. Prior to this, however, I would like to contact Mr. Lebowitz to see if he has any issues or concerns with this approach.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Best regards, Richard Knapp
Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :
This has been discussed elsewhere, including the boards where the editors hang out ( www.psiphi.org ).
I don't know how to contact Mojo, but there's definitely a push to get the book back on track.
I myself have proposed utilizing the same signature drive methods used in the "Sulu Book Campaign" of a couple years back. Response so far has been fairly enthusiastic on the part of the fans... and almost dead silence on the part of the editors.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
The unfortunate thing is, that despite the apparent multitude of fans that are on the Internet, we really DON'T represent the general consumer market that Pocket Books or Sci-Fi Channel or any other business must take into account when planning to publish something. We may be loud, we may be enthusiastic, but we're likely a small minority compared to the millions who shop in bookstores across the country.
Still, after seeing books like "The Art of Star Trek" and "Where No One Has Gone Before: A History in Pictures" still on the shelves at Borders and Waldenbooks and other places, I can't fathom why Pocket Books wouldn't want to do another of those books, using ORIGINAL ARTWORK showing UNSEEN settings in the Trek universe. It'd be something for fans both devoted and casual. Of course it's going to be loved more by the devoted fans, because it's exactly the kind of treat we want to get from the creators. But that doesn't mean it won't sell in the general market.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
But are those books on the shelves because they are constantly selling and being reordered, or because they are not selling?
I had a look at the Trek section of the local Barnes & Noble today, and neither of these books were there, incidently, though I doubt that means anything. I was looking at that "Worst-Case Scenerio" take-off book. It is interesting.
But anyway, how well do the art books sell?
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
You know, it would be nice to see Mojo here on the board again. Hey Mark, you've been in recent contact with him. Try to drag him back here.
Posted by Austin Powers (Member # 250) on :
Good idea, but on the other hand, let's not scare him away by being overly enthusiastic and pressing. I'm sure his work takes up a lot of his time, and after that I think he will have better things to do than "hang around" on the net with geeks like us.
We should consider ourselves lucky that he shows up at all from time to time.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
My contact with Mojo these days is infrequent and brief - not because he doesn't want to talk to me/us/Flare, but because he's got lots of his own stuff to do.
Unfortunately, less of his work has to do with Trek these days. Beyond the completed 2003 Calendar, he's not doing much for our beloved franchise - and since he's not with Foundation anymore, his insider angle with stuff isn't as current as it used to be during Voyager. He stays in touch, though, with me and with his former co-workers on Enterprise.
We've pretty much established that UF will not be happening - whatever the reason, Pocket is saying no. What Mojo has been doing on and off these past few months involves trying to convince Pocket to let SOMETHING happen with the work he and his underlings (myself included) have done on the book so far. To date, Pocket has not approved anything. Mojo is fully aware of the support the Flare gang has for UF and anything he wants to do, and this has been communicated to Pocket.
I believe that the best we can do right now is for everyone to sit tight and expect nothing - Pocket has been pretty skittish about Trek of late, and beyond the novels seems hesitant to take risks on anything bigger. However, when something DOES happen, I'll hopefully be among the first to know. And shortly thereafter, so will you.
Mark
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
What is/was that Trek/Sci Fi 3D artwork forum called... 3D Gladiators? Something like that Markr posts his fantabulous bridges there...
The background to the place use to be all white (or something).
I'm sure we could get their support for such a book.
Get rec.arts.startrek.tech, TrekBBS (is that it - where Major Barclow hailed from) and Trekweb forums on to this - that's already a relatively big audience. Relatively.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
It seanr. And I think he was a little pissed at us for bugging him about him posting large images in the forums.
Posted by Dr. Phlox (Member # 878) on :
quote:Originally posted by AndrewR: TrekBBS (is that it - where Major Barclow hailed from) - that's already a relatively big audience. Relatively.
Yep, 15,600 members.
Posted by Capped In Mic (Member # 709) on :
Well everything is relative.. most of them are drooling morons.
of course, my forum isnt too elite yet but it already has a tenth of Flare's members after five days. but its slowing down too.
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
Yes, well, if having 15,600 members means having twenty-zillion Major Barkalow clones runnin' around ...
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
quote: Pocket has been pretty skittish about Trek of late
Certain kinds of Trek books, perhaps. The novels are hugely, bigly, amazingly huge, and that is perhaps the most depressing fact ever.
Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :
Don't think saying that is fair to the novelists. The quality of the novels, especially those in the "DS9 Relaunch" has increased considerably, IMHO.
Given all the above, I am reminded of the last time there was a fan campaign to get a certain type of book published.
A few years ago, there was a small but vocal group who were dying to get a book published set on Captain Sulu's Excelsior.
The deal that the editors eventually came up with was: a snailmail letter-writing campaign. If the Sulufans could drum up enough support to convince 1000 (or maybe it was 10,000... my memory is inexact) people to write and mail actual letters to the editors, then that would demonstrate a market for a Captain Sulu book, and they'd put it on the schedule to be published.
The effort fell short, getting only about 2/3 of the votes they needed. That's the bad news.
The good news is I've already heard MUCH more support expressed, on this board and others, for UF than I ever heard for a Captain Sulu book.
I have proposed the idea of another, similar contest, over at the psiphi board. My response has been as I noted above. The fans are enthusiastic, but I've heard bugger-all from any of TPTB so far.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
"Markr". That's kinda funny, actually.
Sean Robertson (aka. "Seanr") is the one of whom you speak. He does fantastic CG work on starfleet bridges. I'm just the guy that studies 'em.
[Edit - Oops, Dat got it too]
Mark
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
I've got no problem with Trek novels being read, even in mass numbers. It's just the fact that they're more popular than...well, I am not a cultural elitist (Or rather, I am, and I hate myself.) I just wish some of the amazingly amazing books published each year would get purchased by wider audiences too. Like, say, for each copy of "The Nanotech War" you'd get a copy of "The Diamond Age" too.
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
Or maybe Norton's British Literature anthologies should start selling well outside of college bookstores.
While we're dreaming, I'd like $50,000,000!!! Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :
Still, there is something alarming about an entire bookshelf of books being devoted to such a dull and dying franchise. One could say the same thing about Star Wars too...which rates "merely" half a bookshelf. One wonders if we'll ever see a book entitled "The Decline and Fall of the Star Trek Empire"
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Eh, dull, perhaps, but anything that can justify such shelfspace is thriving by definition, no?
Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :
Well, the time being late, and I tired, I'll skip my more lengthy internal discussion of social trends, the general link between the health of media-tie ins to the actual media, and such.
I'll just point out quickly that even basic economics do not preclude the possibility of an oversupplied market, or an overextended franchise.
Posted by RichKnapp (Member # 892) on :
Mark: You mention that Mojo has been trying, on and off, to work something out with Pocket Books. Wouldn't it help the cause if we could organize a letter writing campaign in support of the book? Do you know if Mojo has tried any other avenues for getting "Unseen Frontiers" out? What about serializing it in "Star Trek The Magazine". I would be interested to hear your thoughts.
Bests, Richard
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
I *knew* Markr didn't look right! I just could be arsed looking it up. Sean/Mark they're both monosyllabic!
Well, so is love/hate and black/white Posted by darkwing_duck1 (Member # 790) on :
Hey, Mark, why do YOU think Pocket is so skittish on non-novel Trek books? Is it really sales, or is something else going on in the background...if it was just sales, wouldn't they just say so up front (like they have repeatedly on the Tech Manual/Encyclopedia update issue)?
Posted by The_Tom (Member # 38) on :
Well, duh. It's clearly Brannon Braga's fault.
Posted by RichKnapp (Member # 892) on :
Darkwing_Duck1's thoughts echo my own. It seems like there is something more involved than just sales when it comes to this book. I would very much like to organize a write-in/email campaign across many of the Trek websites (TrekToday, TrekWeb, AITC, Psi Phi, etc.) in support of Unseen Frontiers. My concern, however, is that there is more to the situation than has been made public. For example, Pocket Books, and editor Margaret Clark in particular, do not respond to any questions about the book posted on the Simon & Schuster Star Trek forum.
Marco Palmieri has even posted the following: "There's no course of action to recommend. As far as I know, the fact that there are fans who want such a book has never been in question."
Again, a question to any who might know, what can be done to save Unseen Frontier?
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
quote: if it was just sales, wouldn't they just say so up front (like they have repeatedly on the Tech Manual/Encyclopedia update issue)?
Er, they have.
Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :
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