Birthdays of more than one kind
1. Happy birthday to USSM authors today. Congrats, Jeff!
2. I am as shocked as anyone to see my book’s on Amazon, available for pre-order. Check it out, I can build an Amazon link and everything:
I stared at the listing for a couple of minutes, jaw open, speechless.
Then I started to think:
- 256 pages? Really? We know that already? Because legal hasn’t even been through this thing yet and I’m willing to bet it sheds a fair chunk of text
- I guess we are going for the trade paperback, which is what I wanted because I’d much rather sell this thing at $11
- They’re using the original title I pitched? I never thought I’d get away with that (but then, Rob Neyer didn’t think they’d take “Rob Neyer’s Big Book of Baseball Lineups” seriously)
- April? I think it’s February
- I HAVE MY OWN ISBN
- But no Amazon Sales Rank or reviews, which is good because I’d probably only obsess over them
So yeah, it’s a skeleton listing, it doesn’t have any editorial or other information, and some of it’s (as far as I know) wrong, but — wow. I’m so happy.
I promise that I will happily autograph copies for any USSM reader who wants to lower the value of their book.
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52 Responses to “Birthdays of more than one kind”
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Congrats man. Yar.
Congrats DMZ. I’ll be taking you up on the autograph offer.
A quick question…. I appreciate the offer to autograph my copy but I’m in the midwest-will you pay the postage?
Seriously, congrats… its a very cool thing. Can’t wait to read it… sounds like its due around my bithday so it’ll be on my wish list….
Congratulations! I’m looking forward to the book and lowering the value of it.
Well done, Derek. Very much looking forward to reading it. Any words on what it’s about? Have you mentioned it before? But congratulations.
Happy B-day Jeff!
It’s the perfect title. Seriously, they’d be fools to change it. It’s grabby, announces what the book is about, and makes it clear that it’s not a kind of baseball book you’ve ever seen before.
And happy birthday, Jeff!
Happy Birthday Jeff and very cool Derek. The listing must have gone up today or yesterday — I know I looked for it a few days ago when the book was mentioned. I suspect they’ll update the book with final details once the book is final. Or else people will be surprised when it shows up two months early.
FWIW, the IFRAME doesn’t show up for me in Firefox though that could be a Firefox/security setting not a general issue.
Will it have lots of footnotes?
Happy Birthday Jeff!
As soon as I get paid on Monday, I buy book.
you won’t be charged until it ships, anyway
Congrats Derek on the book. First there was the PI now a book wtg..
Happy day Jeff
I’d only be worried if Amazon starts pre-selling used or remaindered copies.
Copngratulations Derek, hope your book sales go off the charts!!
Happy birthday Jeff.
The good thing about Jeff having a birthday is that if he doesn’t like the age, he could probably successfuly debate God into a rollback.
I thought only the French celebrated b-day…
[bah-dum-pah]
the Yanks being ousted must be birthday gift enough for anyone!
… and it looks like Torre is safe in NY
I’m glad they’re using the original title, I just wonder why you called it “The Cheater’s Guide to Baseball Pa”. Who is Baseball Pa?
I just wonder why you called it “The Cheater’s Guide to Baseball Paâ€. Who is Baseball Pa?
It’s a typo. Obviously it’s supposed to be Baseball PA, as in Plate Appearances. Derek was writing a guide to help guys like Carl Everett get enough of them to make sure they qualify for incentives, option years, etc. Kind of a limited market for a book, sure, but it was awfully nice of Derek to devote a huge chunk of his time towards helping out guys like Carl.
The “a” was supposed to be capitalized. Derek’s book is really about the history of cheating in Pennsylvania baseball, long considered a stain on the state’s reputation.
Good luck Derek! I’ll buy a copy as soon as it’s released in bookstores (I dislike shipping since it’s too risky). Just write a thread the day it comes out. Oh and happy birthday Jeff!
FWIW, the IFRAME doesn’t show up for me in Firefox though that could be a Firefox/security setting not a general issue.
Works fine for me in FF (1.5.0.7), Opera (9), and IE (6 and 7Beta)….
I’d only be worried if Amazon starts pre-selling used or remaindered copies.
You’d be surprised how quickly they show up — you’ll start seeing used copies within a couple of weeks of the debut (and sometimes immediately if the publisher sent out a lot of review/promotional copies), and the rapid availabiliy of other oddly-priced variants (which aren’t technically called remainders but effectively are). Not that this is new with Amazon, but the visibility of it (particularly to authors and their delicate sensibilities) certainly is. Also, about the only detail you can trust on a pre-order page is the price (the list price — the discount price is going to fluctuate too).
BTW, Derek, I wrote a tray app for Windows that would poll Amazon for rank/sales data periodically and graph the result, and I’d offer it to you except for the psychological toll it seemed to impose on my other author friends. And I’d hate to have that impact USSM, even in the offseason. Anyway, you can now inflict the same abuse on yourself over the web at TitleZ.comwithout installing any software.
I think Derek was referring to the city of “Baseball, Pa.” Or about MLB’s new TV marketing spokesman, nicknamed “Baseball Pa.” Or about the sports-loving but remote and rugged Baseballpa region of Nepal.
Happy birthday to Jeff and happy birthday to Derek’s book.
How about this…anyone who buys a used opy of the book is banished to 2 hours of online chat with Corco?
The Cheater’s Guide to Baseball Pa, the heartwarming story of the quirky but dishonest father of 4 not very talented baseball playing sons, and his crooked quest to con teams into giving them all contracts.
#26: No good. The Molina family would sue for intellectual property theft.
So would the Boones…
speaking of the Molinas, if the Cards made it all the way through, would they be the first set of brothers with rings?
I can’t believe you’d try and hijack a birthday thread. For shame.
ummmm, say, did you know the Molinas all have June or July birthdays? unlike Our Jeff, not to mention Troy Tulowitzki, Noah Lowry, Pat Burrell, Placido Polanco, Ramon Martinez, and Toots Shultz.
“The Cheater’s Guide To Baseball, Pa”: Andy Hargrove Tries To Explain The Modern American Pastime To His Father Via Text Messaging.”
The sequel: “The Jeter’s Guide To Baseball: How Looks, Line Drives And An Inability To Move To My Left Will Land Me In The Hall Of Fame”
Congratulations, Derek. Have a cigar. This may not be the equivalent of giving birth, but it’s got to be like your first look at the sonogram at least. But please, no carrying a screenshot around with you and showing it to strangers in the grocery store.
I assume you have already printed up your new business cards with “Derek Zumsteg (Author) on them!
Yeah, I’d say DMZ was trying to out-do Paul Simon’s “A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara’d Into Submission)”.
Great song to play on your birthday, or so I’ve heard.
and in what may be the birth of a new career, “AP- Highly regarded pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka was given permission by the Seibu Lions on Tuesday to pursue a career in the major leagues.”
See now, you’re just playing with me — there’s a whole other post on that!
dang. I should refresh more often.
Congrats, Derek. If you don’t have an exclusive with Third Place Books, I’d be happy to host a signing at my humble Central District bookstore when the book comes out.
This gives me renewed hope and inspiration to finish my own book and start looking for a editor and a publisher. Congratulations.
I’d be happy to host a signing at my humble Central District bookstore when the book comes out.
I will pretty much go anywhere and do whatever for the book. Soooo yeah, we’ll have to chat.
speaking of the Molinas, if the Cards made it all the way through, would they be the first set of brothers with rings?
Yadier wouldn’t even be the first for the Cards. Paul and Dizzy Dean led the “gashouse gang” Cardinals to the 1934 World Series, where they each won two games (and started 5 of the 7) to win their rings. Dizzy won 30 games that year and Paul (a rookie) won 19.
Bob and Irish Meusel both won rings — Bob with the Yankees, Irish with the Giants. They played against each other in 3 World Series.
I might point out that Derek’s original post said, “Happy birthday to USSM authors (plural).” It’s Derek’s birthday today, too. So: Happy Birthday, Derek and Happy Birthday, Jeff.
I want a cover that shows Kent Hrbek perusing the book with interest. Not that I’m bitter or anything.
Happy birthday, guys.
I’m a longtime Mariners fan who now lives in the oppressive dictatorial regime which is Red Sox Nation. And I happen to be an employee of Houghton Mifflin, Derek’s publisher.
One thing I can tell you is, I’ve noticed our new books tend to come out a month or two before the “official” publication date that sites like Amazon list… that date is more of an approximate target that errs on the side of caution. So you are probably right about it being on sale in February if it says April on Amazon.
The “Pa” stands for Paperback. Houghton Mifflin’s main paperback imprint is “Mariner Books.” Not all the new paperbacks come out in that imprint, and I don’t have much way of being sure whether Derek will have a “Houghton Mifflin” or a “Mariner Books” imprint at this stage. But wouldn’t it be shame if his book didn’t say “Mariner Books” right on the side, showing his allegiance in a completely unintended way?
Did I remember to say happy birthday?
I would love to read the book, yes maybe a signed one, Happy birthday to you and congratulations on the book. Me? I will need a reminder. I forget plenty of things these days, shes, oh happy birthday, did I say that already, and have a happy birthday.
Happy birthday, Placido Polanco, Pat Burrell, and Noah Lowry!
…oh, and some random Mariners bloggers too!
Happy birthday, Jeff (and Derek?).
Also, congrats on the book, I’ll make sure to go out and buy it when I come home in summer.
Derek’s book is cheaper in Canada. Amazon.ca is listing it at CAD $11.77
I’ll buy it in Canada then.