Community

So I started a discussion over on Candlekeep about the disturbing lack of novel releases coming in 2013.  A few of the Realms authors have chimed in with the idea that WoTC is waiting to see how the Sundering novels sell before going forward with more or less novels per year.  I find this pretty alarming since I felt that Realms novel sales have always remained pretty strong and steady.  I've never seen any numbers on this, so I am just going on an assumption.  I know that I buy every novel they release.    I've also gotten pretty used to having at lease one Realms novel a month to read over the years (give or take a novel).  But now things are starting to slow down and it looks like The Last Threshold coming out in March will be the last Realms novel until The Companions comes out in August.  That's far too much of a void.  There are two perfectly good novels that were set to be released in 2012 that have been canceled for some reason.  WoTC should release Rise of the Zhentarim: Bound by Blood & Demon Weave in those intervening months.


But what worries me more is the possibility that the novel line could be greatly diminished if sales of the Sundering novels don't meet expectations.  I'd like to get some answers as to why those two novels were canceled.  Did they feel like we wouldn't have purchased them?  Was there some story lines in them that didn't fit with what they have planned for the Sundering?

So if you are a dedicated novel reader and want to see more stories released and not less please let your thoughts be known here.  We need to get WoTC's attention to let them know that there is a market for Realms stories.  At the very least set up a place where authors can write and release online short stories from the WoTC website.  It's a great model and I know it would be very popular with the fans.

So would you rather have more novels released per year with just the text and maybe a few maps here and there?  Or less novels but everyone has a map and a character list?  I get the sense that the reason we don't see at least a map in every novel is due to the cost.  It maye be a small cost, but I don't think the addition of maps and other such material would bring the sales to cover the cost of these additions.  This is at least for print.  I think with the lowered cost of producing eBooks, this would be a more cost effective addition.

need more realms stuff .....

Jan 12, 2013 -- 11:01PM, The_Silversword wrote:

I'll admit Im not a big fan of the novels, I spend most of my money on the game products, most of the novels ive read have been too over the top and changes the Realms forever or whatever or theyre so mediocre that it just puts you to sleep. 

Although that Rise of the Zhentarim: Bound by Blood sounds very interesting, I would definitely pick up something like that. Not sure about Demon Weave what is a demon weave anyways? Theyre not adding in another 'Weave' of magic are they?

the demon weave is a creation of Lolth..... or is something she is attempting to create