Harry Potter

[neadods]

Well. They've taken their sweet time to announce the street date for the last Harry Potter - I'd figured that it wouldn't come out at all this year because we hadn't heard by now. But no, July 21, 2007.

On the other hand, part of me is relieved that it's going to be over. The hype has redefined "batshit crazy" - not just the midnight madness parties, but the constant drumbeat of tease articles and the hysteria over leaked copies, presales, etc. It's going to be particularly insane this time around, of course, but then it's finally going to be *over.*

(Also? Relieved that it's not launching on Shore Leave weekend. I'd probably implode if I had a con, the Doctor Who finale, and the Harry Potter finale happening all at the same time.)

*makes note in calendar to reserve a copy at the midnight madness party and to lay in self-cooking food for Saturday when I'll be reading all day.*

Comments

[kradical.livejournal.com]

I see it's not during Comic-Con, either -- the last book was released during Comic-Con weekend, and the B&N near the San Diego convention center was a madhouse. (I did, however, get to see Joss Whedon stumbling back to his hotel room at about 1.30am, clutching his newly bought copy of the book. *chortle*)

[lagilman]

My lack of the Fandom Gene is always brought home to me during these times. Yes, I want to read the book, but I am quite happy to wait until the madness has died down and I can borrow someone else's copy to read in my own time...

Have NO need to deal with Release Day. Or even Release Week.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

the B&N near the San Diego convention center was a madhouse

One store trying to handle the entire demand from Comic Con? Oy, they'd need the national guard just for crowd control!

I bet Joss was quite the picture, though. Was he reading as he walked?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I will freely admit to being a herd animal - and for once in my life I'm trying to avoid spoilers, which will be nigh onto impossible after the release. Considering the usual turnaround from publication to insanity, I'm expecting the first wank to hit at about 1:45 a.m. that morning...

[scarlettgirl.livejournal.com]

I have three copies on pre-order: One for me, natch, and one each for my 11 y.o. and 9 y.o. who have FINALLY caught Pottermania and insisted on buying their own copies. I thought the fandom gene had skipped them and it would never happen - I'm so proud.

*wipes tear*

[evil_plotbunny]

I imagine I should be getting the notice from our distributor soon, asking me to sign away my soul in exchange for getting them early enough to catalog and process so that we can release them into the wild that day.

Essentially, I'll be allowed to see it, label it and fondle touch it, but not read it. And I have to make sure no one else reads it either. There's nothing like having a big box of the next Harry Potter locked in your office to raise anticipation among the staff.

And since it hits this summer, I'll add a datapoint to our summer reading stats to see how many of the participants report on it, as I've done since v. 4.

[tacnukesoul.livejournal.com]

If you think fansquee is bad now, wait until people get the chance to see old Daniel R. starkers in Equus.

Mind you, it could be worse. If it was Emma Watson, they might have to close the UK borders...

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'll have two copies on pre-order without so fine an excuse - I'll buy the midnight madness copy in America so I know whatthehell HAPPENS, while the English copy wanders its way across the ocean.

Well done on the kids! New souls for the faith! :>

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I've seen the beginning of it. I've also seen the pictures. Not bad, not bad at all!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Essentially, I'll be allowed to see it, label it and fondle touch it, but not read it. And I have to make sure no one else reads it either.

And honestly? This is the stuff that I think is complete, unadulterated, weapons-grade guano. It's one thing not to release spoilers, it's quite another to act as though a frelling children's adventure story should be treated with security rivalling the launch codes. It's that kind of uber-paranoia that I will be more than happy to see end.

Why do adults keep doing this to kids' stuff anyway? First it was beanie babies - intentionally cheap so kids could collect them - turning into a combination of heroin and plutonium rarity-and-price-wise, and now Harry Potter, who is, let us be blunt, an amusingly written Cinderfella in a quest framework being treated like the second coming of Christ.

No, wait, compared to the Left Behind series, Harry's getting *better* treatment than the second coming of Christ!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Although I must say that that particular icon of yours always puts me in mind of the Rowling quote "You're writing a children's book, so you have to be ruthless."

[hildy.livejournal.com]

What a long and very strange road it's been, hasn't it? I think I recall you posting on the old Jyg list about initially discovering the series in the first place. At that point, only the first two books were out and we were behind the UK in release dates. I'm glad they adjusted those. In retrospect, I should have stayed with just reading the books and left the fandom alone.

(Sorry about the icon, but it's the only HP one I have left)

[lagilman]

I am also, now, so screamingly pleased that they moved the release date for BURNING BRIDGES from July to June...

[shawan-7.livejournal.com]

The movie comes out a week before the book. Potter-mania July.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

At that point, only the first two books were out and we were behind the UK in release dates

Yeah, I'd seen a tiny Post article about this book that was some huge hit in Britain and they were wondering if it would do any kind of sales in the States.

Turns out that those first two books are valuable now; I just haven't figured out if I can get anyone to pay me for 'em. Or if Pottermania will grow or blow away.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

That means the movie is Shore Leave weekend. Oh, joy.

[evil_plotbunny]

In this case it's everyone who's making money off the darned thing - the publisher is under pressure from the booksellers to release it in a fair manner and the only way they know how to do that is following the model they have for adult bestsellers and DVDs.

Most books and DVDs have an on sale date, but how strictly that's enforced depends on how popular the book is apt to be and then they use that as an excuse to whip people up into a frenzy to sell even more books, so everyone benefits.

It's silly but not quite as silly as beanie babies where some of the scarcity was engineered deliberately. Here it isn't if you don't buy it now you never will, it's if you don't buy it now you're behind the people in the know. And then it starts feeding on itself.

Not that this is a defense but I understand where they are coming from.

[evil_plotbunny]

It's a quote from Steven Moffat's kids' show, Press Gang (about a group of teens running a newspaper) and as he's writing for Doctor Who these days, it seemed appropriate.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

the model they have for adult bestsellers and DVDs

Except that nobody else has midnight madness release parties in the bookstores. I know authors who would KILL for that! (Steve Berry once did a great riff on how desperate he was to have his books banned by the Pope.) We have to go back to Dickens to get anything similar to what's happening with Harry.

Heh, and I was reminded downthread of the heady days before anyone knew who he was in the States. I have what could be a very valuable edition because of that; wonder if it will become moreso or the bottom will drop out of the market.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Empty Child/Doctor Dances and The Curse of the Fatal Death have made me a Moffat fan for life.

[evil_plotbunny]

Not to brag or anything, but somewhere I have an American ARC of the first one, somewhere. Not in pristine condition - I lent it around to colleagues and relatives, but I kept it. It took me a while to read it because I loathed the cover.

[evil_plotbunny]

Press Gang (and later, Coupling)did that for me long before he was ever attached to Doctor Who.

I recommend it whenever I can.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Dang, find the right buyer, and you could retire on that!

[evil_plotbunny]

I think I'll keep it a little longer. It is a nice nest egg, though.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

well, we got our number six in the british version, being in a manchester suburb at the time (yes, manchester has suburbs, probably the only british city that does).

so she got to read it the rest of the weekend and on the plane trip back, then I got to.

thus, we could wait 'til the fancy boxed version came out to get our american copy to sit on the shelves with the others. With 5, the fancy came out the same day as the regular, but 6 was late. don't know 'bout 7. we may just buy the regular if the fancy ain't out, then give that away to parents when the fancy comes.

(while there, we also got a paperback copy of Philosopher's Stone, as well as the region-2/pal dvd of it, just for the "collection" factor.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

From an investment point of view, I can't tell if sitting on my copy will make it more or less valuable. Depends on if I find anyone willing to pay for it in the first place, I guess. Keep meaning to get it priced at one of the big NY book dealers.

[evil_plotbunny]

Well, judging by what I've seen in comics (not that I've ever kept my comics nice enough to use them as an investment), the market goes in waves. Even if demand goes down once she finishes the series, I expect that in 20 years or so there will be a wave of nostalgia given how many people are reading the thing.

And I imagine the market will end up looking like the Oz books or Lord of the Rings - most people content with paperbacks but also a rabid group of collectors of any and all merchandise.

[inamac.livejournal.com]

At least at a convention people expect everyone to have their noses in The Book. Two of the HP books (I forget which - 3 and 5 I think) were released on the weekend of one of my regular cat shows. It was quite bizarre seeing all these middle-aged ladies sitting next to their cat pens reading a kids book (the supermarket next door to the venue did a roaring trade).