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sonic

Patricii
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Posts posted by sonic

  1. It's one of my main complaints in my reviews.  Trouble is, not many people want to buy the books, and the publishers want to at least break even, so the price is very high to ensure that the few books bought by libraries and specialist academics cover costs.  This is true of the cost of the kindle version.

     

    There may also be a tax reason, but I'm not sure.

     

    I'm with a small publisher so my books are slightly less pricey!!  :whistling:

  2.  

    The "Seleukid Empire of Antiochus" and "Universal Salvation in Late Antiquity" look interesting.

     

    hey, i didnt know a book title with BC in it, could spark your interest! ;)

     

    You need to re-read my 'About me' page!  :whistling:

  3. Ask the local tourist information?  Or get hold of a place-name book, if you can.  Then link ancient places to modern names.  I went a few years ago with the other half. She landed me in a place called Pozzuoli.  I'd never heard of it.  I got hold of a local English guide and suddenly the place came alive.  I was in Puteoli, down the road was Cumae, we were near to Pompeii (we flew past Vesuvius on the way in to Naples airport!)  All of a sudden the area came alive.  The best holiday I've ever had, largely because I didn't know what to expect.

  4. I have a large say in the design of the cover.  All of the previous covers have been based on my ideas.  For this one, however, I submitted my idea and the design artist came up with a different idea.  After long and concentrated thought I've decided to go with a variant of the designer's idea.

     

    Have you seen a cover design on the net, or is this a general question?

  5. Hi all

     

    It is my great pleasure to announce the imminent-ish arrival of my latest offering.  The publication date is set for 30 September 2015.  Available soon in all good bookshops!

     

    Oh, and at Amazon:

     

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Patricians-Emperors-Rulers-Western-Empire/dp/1848844123/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1424458626&sr=8-5&keywords=patricians+and+emperors

     

    http://www.amazon.com/Patricians-Emperors-Rulers-Western-Empire/dp/1848844123/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424458863&sr=8-1&keywords=patricians+and+emperors+hughes

     

    Interesting that the title is slightly wrong!

     

    :whistling:

     

    • Like 1
  6. It isn't a big problem.  The difficulty with reading reviews - especially those on Amazon - is that it is too easy to accept the reviews at face value and panic.  If all of the reviews say the same thing, then there's a problem.  If it's just one review, it's a fad of the reviewer.  I know this from personal experience, as my own books have had 'odd' reviews.

     

    Ask yourself this:  how many books have you sold?  And how many of these complaints have you had?

     

    My own take on the reviewing process can be found at http://www.ianhughesma.com/2011/08/26/the-problem-with-reviews/

     

    I've come to the conclusion that all you can do is write the book that you would want to read.  If a reviewer doesn't like the way you've done it, they've got the right to go away and write their own book.  Chances are that they won't!

     

    Don't worry, after a while the criticisms begin to bite less deeply and you can focus on writing rather than worrying!

    • Like 1
  7. Ah.  Mentioned by name, eh?  I have to start writing a review of 'Post-Roman Transitions: Christian and Barbarian Identities in the Early Medieval West' when I get chance.  This looks at how identities changed after the Fall of the West.  However, with reference to the specific post above, superficially this would make a lot of sense and explain many things that would otherwise be confusing.  This needs a lot of thought!  I might even have to brush off my German for this one!!

    • Like 1
  8. A good example. Coins dating the building of the Temple to twenty years after Herod's death give a 'secure' date proving that Herod may not have been involved in the actual building - although the building may have followed his design.  However, in the case of Pompeii it is assumed that the coin was lost as soon as it was minted.  This strikes me as odd.  (Unless I'm missing something with my superficial reading!)

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