Buzz Worthy News: 4th March 2013

4 March, 2013 Buzz Worthy News 19 comments

Format: select

BWNNew Lemony Snicket cover, Twilight wins big at the Razzie awards (insert surprised reaction here. Oh, wait…), STUFF happens with Robin in the Batman comic, a Beautiful Disaster disaster that brings both smug and shocked faces. Don’t worry, everyone lives happily ever after. Find out all this and more in this week’s Buzz Worthy News.

Buzz Worthy News is Cuddlebuggery’s weekly news post bringing you all the best information about the book and blogging world, particularly for the venn diagram of people who overlap between the two.  For new releases and cover reveals of all the best Young Adult fiction, check out our Sunday post: How New Titles.


 Books


 When Did you Last See herNew Lemony Snicket Cover Revealed – I have no idea if these means anything

Just the other day the Harry Potter series began unveiling its new covers.  Now Lemony Snicket is doing the same.  For those Lemony Snicket fans (alas I’m not one of them – having never actually picked up one of these books) this could be exciting.  I guess.

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has released the new cover for the next Lemony Snicket book. When Did You See Her Last? is coming on October 15th.

This is the second book in the “All the Wrong Questions” series, illustrated by Seth. The dispatch also included a YouTube conversation between Snicket and his pseudonymous creator, Daniel

I’m not actually sure if this is an improvement or not, or how fans should feel about this.

So…. Here it is!


RazziesTwilight Wins 7 Razzie Awards.  WELL OF COURSE IT DOES!

The Razzies happened and it’s always an excellent way to remind yourself that the world isn’t crazy.  No matter how many millions of dollars a movie makes – at least there’s SOMEONE out there to appreciate how awesome they are.

So just how many awards, appreciating Twilight’s badness, did it manage to rack up?

Worst Picture – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Worst Actress – Kristen Stewart for Snow White & the Huntsman and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Worst Supporting Actor – Taylor Lautner for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Worst Screen Ensemble – the entire cast of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Worst Director – Bill Condon for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Worst Prequel, Ripoff, or Sequel – The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Worst Screen Couple – Mackenzie Foy & Taylor Lautner for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

Twilight Movies, I just don’t think we’re that into you.

SOURCE


Damian WayneBatman Inc Kills Two Robins With One Stone

Spoilers ahead so only wade in if you’re ready or you couldn’t give a shit.

They killed Bruce Wayne and Talia A Gul’s son – the current Robin.  Which is kind of a dick move since a) that’s his son and b) Batman tends to lean on the side of broody and temperamental.

I’m sure it’s not permanent because nothing ever is and what about that glimpse of the future where Damian becomes Batman, huh?!  HUH?!

Out today, the eighth issue of the Batman Incorporated series will see Robin – who in his current incarnation is played by Bruce Wayne’s 10-year-old son Damian – die in battle. “He saves the world. He does his job as Robin,” writer Grant Morrison told the New York Post. “He dies an absolute hero.”

Robin, said Morrison, will be killed fighting an assassin cloned from his own genetic material, and Batman will not arrive in time to save him, with his death certain to affect the entire DC Comics universe. “It’s all about the family and the family going to hell,” said Morrison. “The two adults in the story are both culpable. The kid’s the good guy.”

Many comic book characters have been killed off lately.  Including Professor Xavier.  And not that anyone REALLY cares about Damian since he was an annoying bratlet and nobody really wept when Tim kicked his ass a few times.  And by the by, who lets their ten year old son fight crime?  Sure he was birthed from an artificial womb and raised from infancy for combat and assassination – but, really, just introduce him to the internet and then happily watch as he never leaves the house again.  Problem solved.

SOURCE


 Publishing


 NookyaBarnes and Noble Nook is Down.  Prepare a sad face

Everyone loves the story of an Underdog.  You root for them in your heart.  Hope they make it, fight the unbeatable battle and somehow win.  This is how I felt for the Nook for a while. So slick.  So stylish.  So not a Kindle.  All excellent reasons why I probably should have bought one, but I was just so busy, ya know?  Always things to do, places to see, a perfectly working iPad to use.

But news from the front line is that the Nook is not doing so good, and this gives me a big, ol’ sad.

Barnes & Noble reported that Nook segment revenues totaled $316 million for the fiscal third quarter, sinking 26 percent compared to the same period last year. The company blamed “lower device unit volume” for the sagging sales, and promised to “significantly reduce NOOK’s expenses.”

Noooooooo!!!!!!  I would ask how this could be happening, but that seems redundant. William Lynch, the CEO had this to say:

In terms of the NOOK Media business, we’ve taken significant actions to begin to right size our cost structure in the NOOK segment, while also taking a large markdown on NOOK devices in order to enhance our ability to achieve our estimated sales plans in subsequent quarters … NOOK Media has been financing itself since October of 2012 due to the strong investment partners we’ve been able to attract in Microsoft and Pearson. Coming off the holiday shortfall, we’re in the process of making some adjustments to our strategy as we continue to pursue the exciting growth opportunities ahead for us in the consumer and digital education content markets.

Well, I do have a birthday coming up.

SOURCE


goodreads

How Do You Find Books?  Goodreads really wanted to know

That rascally scamp, Goodreads.  Always wanting to know why we read things and how.  Poking us and prodding us to see how we think.  Like labrats.  Adorable labrats that we’re sure Goodreads is very fond of.  As long as we behave.  Always.

Their latest foray into the world of TELL US WHAT YOU READERS WANT!? Is a graph showing what made certain readers discover a book.  Magic, right?  Turns out all you gullible bastards listen to your friends!  What about ME?!  Why don’t you listen to me?

Trusted Friend

Actually, you know what is missing from this list in a move that is either daft or on purpose?  Bloggers.  I would be really interested to know how bloggers play into this.  Probably more than I needed to know what part Goodreads Choice Awards played.

Anyway, I’m just going to assume I AM your trusted friend and that I am there for awesome enough to have this kind of impact on all of your reading choices and panty selections. Today is already going better than I assumed!

SOURCE


Controversy


Beautiful Disaster’s Not-So-Beautiful-Disaster

Haha!  I came up with that myself.  Trufax.  Had to use all of my braincells to do it too. So Yesterday Jamie McGuire posted on her Facebook about a situation happening with the self published version of Beautiful Disaster:

I have looked into this as best I can, but being a Saturday, Amazon isn’t responding.

It appears that Amazon has sent a mass email to everyone who’s ever purchased the self-published version of Beautiful Disaster. They are encouraging readers to request a refund. When asked why they are offering this refund, Amazon customer service has given several different reasons, the most common is problems with content. THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CONTENT OF BEAUTIFUL DISASTER, and it makes no sense for them to encourage a refund for a book that has already been read and enjoyed 6+ months later, but that is the only information I have for now.

Customer service admits that if you do NOT get the refund, your copy of BD will NOT be affected. If you get a refund, they are offering to reimburse the $4+ difference it costs to purchase the $7.99 version, but what they aren’t telling you is that **I** am paying for every refund.

Last week, I sent an email to Amazon asking why the self-published version of my book is still experiencing returns. Returns are only allowed for up to 7 days after purchase. 6 months after the self-published version of Beautiful Disaster went off-sale my account was still seeing negative amounts for returns. I’m not going to assume the reasons behind this mass email, but it appears that Amazon customer service is now encouraging these returns.

I was not notified of this. This email has nothing to do with my publisher Atria books. If you do not get a refund, your copy of BD will not be affected. If you do, the refund will show as a negative amount in my Amazon KDP author account. Because BD is no longer available, this money will be taken out of my Providence sales.

In other words, this is very bad, and I have no idea why this is happening. Please do not return your copy of BD, and please help me spread the word to not return your copy of BD.

I will let you know what else I find out from Amazon. In the meantime, your support has brought me to tears. I love you all.

It was such a weird thing to happen that it immediately sparked both outrage in some quarters and hilarious enjoyment in others (what can I say? We’re sadistic bastards…)

Understandably, self-pubbed authors across the Kindle boards freaked the fuck out because if this can happen to one, it can happen to any.  And as some pointed out, it could easily bankrupt an author – which would actually be terrible.  Blog posts were MADE.  Fury was ripe to be reckoned with. Pitchforks were pulled.

Apparently the email received by purchasers of the self-published version of Beautiful Disaster looked something like this:

We want to let you know that the edition of Beautiful Disaster that you purchased is no longer available. You can order a new version that is now available here:

(Link to Amazon Redacted)

You can also request a refund on your original purchase by responding to this email. After the refund is issued, you will no longer be able to access this item.

Thank you,

Others claim that when they inquired or contacted Amazon about the copy they were all but forced to refund.

And then the conspiracies started, which was amazing to watch because I alternately loved and believed every single one at some point in the day.

1) Was that there was a different font used on the published version.

2) That copyrighted material in the Self Published version (Can’t Get No Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones) had been used without authorization and that the record company was demanding take down.  Jane L of Dear Author published the offending pages with the copyrighted material here.

3) It was a scam trying to get people to log into Amazon and steal their customer data.

In the end, the problem resolved itself.  After all that speculation – Amazon is claiming that it was an error.  Another email was sent out to Beautiful Disaster purchasers.

Hello,

You may have received an e-mail from us yesterday stating that the edition of “A Beautiful Disaster” you purchased is no longer available. This e-mail was incorrect, and there is no action required to continue enjoying the book.

If you are having any problems with the book, please feel free to contact us by replying to this message, and we will be happy to help you.

We apologize for any misunderstanding our e-mail caused.

Sincerely,

The Kindle Team

So problem solved?  We can go back to being bored, I guess!

Kat Kennedy

Kat Kennedy

Co-blogger at Cuddlebuggery
Kat Kennedy is a book reviewer and aspiring author in the Young Adult genre. She reviews critically but humorously and get super excited about great books. Find her on GoodReads.
Kat Kennedy

19 Responses to “Buzz Worthy News: 4th March 2013”

  1. EscapeInABook
    Twitter:

    Trusted friend HA! I buy almost every single one of my books based on recommendations from bloggers I trust 🙂 But hey, I guess I can in someways describe that as trusted friend I’ve never meet 😉

  2. MaijaSteinbrika

    When I read the title of these news, I was afraid to even read it because of the not so beautiful disaster. I loved Beautiful Disaster and can’t imagine why someone would those kind of things. I do hope that it was just a hack or something, not Amazon getting nasty.
    I’m a little shocked about the Razzie Awards, but I agree on the worst couple award, that was totally wrong, like, pedophilia.
    I personally think that BD part 2 was the best of all Twilight Saga movies. The best graphics and I loved the amazing twist they put at the field scene.

  3. Cyna

    Damian was pretty awesome, actually, and I’m disappointed he’s gone. He was making for an interesting run of Batman and Robin, and really, the last thing any of the Bat-books need is more Bat-angst.
    He was actually a pretty populat character, though, so there are probably more people who care than you think.

  4. Fangs4Fantasy

    That was… odd. They urged people to get a refund due to an error? How do you even make an error like that? *is bemused* and I’d be curious to know what kind of apology/recompense Amazon is offering the author. And just what Amazon was smoking

    • Fangs4Fantasy

      Ooooor was this a desperate ploy to get all the readers to buy the later, more expensive version?

      • Kate C.

        Fangs4Fantasy   I don’t know.  I was thinking maybe the publishers insisted.  But what a way to royally screw your newly signed author to your own benefit.

        • Kate C.

          Fangs4Fantasy Actually, just read her whole post and she said it has nothing to do with the publisher.  So I’m definitely out of possibilities.

        • Fangs4Fantasy

          Kate C. Fangs4Fantasy I’m voting on a new Amazon test to see if they could get away with an initiative to make people upgrade their books – especially in self pubbing where we have some authors like to release multiple editions

  5. Tinasbkreviews

    lol- I got that email, I thought it was a scam so I deleted it, I never bought BD off of Amazon…. weird that I got the email too. I love Amazon scandals they keep us entertained…:)

  6. Kate C.

    Okay, I know I’m an indie, and so my conspiracy “amazon is watching” stuff comes out, but hot damn it sounds like Amazon was just testing some waters.  That is an awfully specific email to send out.  They’ve made a few changes lately that have shaken up the indie world, so it wouldn’t surprise me if this was just one more thing.  Gawd.  Don’t scare the authors, though.  I mean, kobo is already trying to steal your market share of indies and they don’t require exclusivity to put your book on sale.  When you pair that with the whole “independent bookstores can sell kobo ebooks now” and the fact that you can link your goodreads reviews directly to kobo’s site, they are making all the right moves!  Amazon won’t have the pick of the litter anymore when it comes to getting books for their imprints, if they aren’t careful.  *shrug*
    As for the goodreads poll, I think you could safely put “reviews” and “friends” under bloggers on goodreads, because pretty much all the reviews I read are from bloggers and pretty much all the “friends” I listen to on goodreads are bloggers.  I bet there are a lot of others like me on there.  It’s a little weird that they didn’t put that as an option, though, because I think book bloggers have a HUGE impact on what people are reading these days.

  7. W8ing4Wentworth

    I received that email from Amazon also, but I didn’t get BD from there. I have an arc from NetGalley. Maybe Amazon wants me to ‘return’ my free copy and purchase the new version? Interesting.

  8. Georgette
    Twitter:

    Wow. What a week.
    I have this to say- that Amazon email thing is way too specific. Why pick that book specifically? I feel awful for her, that poor author. Busting her ass to get her book out there and then something like this happens. I’m glad that Amazon has apparently apologized, however, I still find it weird that it happened in the first place. I
    And I pay a lot of attention to whatever you ladies recommend- as for Goodreads, I really don’t check it out for book reviews- as I  manage an independent bookstore, I see the good stuff roll in and that’s how I discover new books- but blogs are my number two resource, hands down. I really don’t troll Amazon for reviews, because the few times I took the critiques to heart, I was disappointed. And I’m not Amazon’s biggest fan, in general(You have heard me bitch a bushel about that on many an occasion).. there should be a seperate link for bloggers on that survey – because as much fun as anyone has with their blog(I know, I have mine that I update whenever I can), it is almost a job. To give the blogger nation a seperate category is, in its own weird way, similar to recognition- that bloggers are a force to be reckoned with. That’s my thoughts.
    Looking forward to next week’s news! Have a great week!

  9. RadiantShadowss

    I got both of those emails from Amazon, but didn’t think anything of it. I’ve read my copy of BD and, with no plans of rereading, wasn’t interested in a refund (on a book I scored for free…). So strange…it’s got to be the end of the world. We’re living without a Pope, earthquakes are at an all time high in frequency and severity and now Amazon is issuing refunds on free books.

  10. Danny_Bookworm

    Crazy Stuff happening! Seems like I missed out on the whole BD affair – glad it got solved then! 
    btw… I also easily believe stuff and all the possibilities sounded perfectly reasonable! 
    Oh and is it bad I have never heard of The Lemon Sniket before?

  11. cynicalsapphire

    Razzies: Way to go Twilight! I’m glad that Kristen Stewart’s acting talents have been appropriately honored.
    Nook: Right after I get one. Figures.
    Goodreads: I exclusively listen to Cuddlebuggery. You might not want to check the veracity of that claim, however, since you might think you didn’t tell me about some of the ones I’ve read, but that’s just the alcohol. You blacked out. It’s okay. I still love you. I would really like to see the data on Bloggers as well. 
    Beautiful Disaster: *eyeroll*

  12. Catherine

    It amuses me that the first words of your Damian section were “Spoilers ahead” as Stephanie Brown – aka Spoiler – was the Robin before Damian, and the second to die (the first being Jason Todd). If only the current management of DC were okay with Spoilers, since she (and a lot of other female characters) has been wiped from continuity.

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