My New Challenge -- Updating Old Books

I'm involved in a new adventure! Here's the background -- Little, Brown, who was the original publisher of most of my YA suspense novels, has been leasing paperback rights to those books to Dell. Those leases get renewed at regular intervals. Little Brown now has started their own line of paperbacks, and want to bring those books out themselves. So, as Dell sells off their back stock, they aren't reprinting them. Little Brown will be bringing them out as paperback trade books, three at a time, until they're all back in print.

Meanwhile, I'm in the process of bringing some of those older books,(some published as long ago as the 60's),into the 21st Century. Nothing drastic -- the stories and characters have held strong over the years and won't be changed in any way -- but the characters in the books will have cell phones, computers, digital cameras, etc. I'm having a lot of fun doing this. One of the first books to be published in this new format will be Don't Look Behind You, due out this coming September.
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Published on March 13, 2010 08:55 Tags: don-t-look-behind-you, out-of-print, republishing, revising, updating
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message 1: by Julia (new)

Julia I remember finding your books at the library when I was in middle school. It was such a lonely time for me and I practically lived at the library. I devoured your books and remember very vividly where they were at the library.

I am so excited that two of your books are available for the Kindle. I'm buying them right now. Will more be available in this format? Do you get just as much money when someone purchases the e-book as you do when they purchase a physical book?

It's exciting to write to someone whose books I enjoyed so very much in middle school. :) I can't wait to reread my old favorites.


message 2: by Lois (new)

Lois Duncan This will be my first experience with e-books, and I'm not sure how the financial part of that will work. My agent is in the process of renegotiating the contracts. My original contracts didn't include electronic rights because they didn't exist back then.


message 3: by Julia (new)

Julia I bought Through a Twisted Window on Kindle and was very disappointed at the editing. I don't know how much control you have over the e-versions of the book, but a simple word check would have fixed many of the issues, such as words with random spaces in between them and various spellings of "blonde/blond".

I am excited to support you on amazon.com but hopefully future electronic versions will have fewer glitches. :(

Thanks again for the replies! I'm enjoying getting reacquainted with your work.


message 4: by Lois (new)

Lois Duncan I have no control at all over anything to do with e-books. In fact, I didn't even know that THE TWISTED WINDOW was out on Kindle. It shouldn't be. According to my contract, the publisher doesn't own electronic rights.


message 5: by Julia (new)

Julia Aha! They currently offer two of your books for the Kindle: The Twisted Window and I did purchase one called Gallows Hill, which doesn't look like it's offered any more.

I'm glad I was able to give you a heads up!


message 6: by Lois (new)

Lois Duncan I think my agent must have gotten wind of that and put a stop to it.


message 7: by Lois (new)

Lois Duncan However the new, updated editions, published by Little, Brown, WILL be available in electronic form.


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