Monday, December 14, 2009

in today's mail

Okay . . . so I've wanted to get to this post all day, but first my Gospel Narratives final exam and then Midnight Breakfast (which started at 9.00 pm!) kept me from my computer. When I got the mail today, hidden amidst the bills and various solicitations, was Structuring Early Christian Memory, the published version of my PhD thesis. I looks . . . well, it looks like every other volume in T&T Clark's Library of New Testament Studies series, except that it has my name on the cover and spine. In other words, it's very sexy.

A few of my colleagues have commented on the price, and I am a little embarrassed at the $140 list. The price, however, is a reflection of the very limited print run more than a statement of its intrinsic value. And no, I don't get $50 for each copy sold.

Speaking of copies sold, tonight at Midnight Breakfast one of my colleagues told me that she bought a copy. You can get it from Amazon.com for 37% off (which is actually better than my author's discount with T&T Clark!!), but it's still over $85. But hey, shipping's free, so . . . At any rate, she's the first person that I know of who's bought my book, so I should be slowly creeping up the Amazon Sales Rank now.

UPDATE: I was remiss in not providing requisite photographic evidence of the book; I have now rectified the oversight.

[HT: Chris Keith]

4 comments:

Jon A. Alfred E. Michael J. Wile E. SWNID said...

Congratulations! Having your thesis published is the equivalent of getting an A+ on it, of course.

As to the price, I think that the inflated prices of monographs in biblical studies is a sign that the publishing bubble is about to burst to reveal a new era of electronic publishing. But I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet.

Now another prophecy: you will in a few years be shocked to see the remainders of this book being deeply discounted by Dove Booksellers and used copies going for even lower prices on Amazon. That is the "today your psuche is required of you" moment in academic publishing.

Saint Jamie said...

Congratulations, Rafael! Having something like that so complete is surely one of the better experiences.

As to "sexy," well of course, that goes without saying.

So what next?

clk said...

Congrats, Rafael! I eagerly anticipate reading it. Please, please give us a picture of the cover and back matter....

Rafael said...

Thanks.

JAS: Does there have to be a next?! I've got a project on the parting of the ways that I think will be really interesting, but I can't seem to find time to get to it right now. Oh the tyranny of teaching. But I'm considering trying to publish a popular Jesus book, because there don't seem to be very many of them out these days . . .

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