…Keeps on giving me royalites that is! Bwa HA HA HA!!
Okay, sorry, my inner capitalist was coming out there. Now I’m assuming that everyone that reads this blog already has a copy of MHI or 5, but I was just thinking… (dangerous, I know), that MHI is the perfect Christmas present!
Hear me out. I think that all of my regular readers need to go buy more copies of Monster Hunter International to give as Christmas presents. Here is why:
1. It is relatively cheap. – Think about it. The cover price is only $7.99. That is the perfect price point for those people that you feel like you should give presents to, but that you don’t like enough to spend real money on. These are the people that you usually end up giving cheese logs or Hillshire Farms mystery meat sticks. MHI has all the joy of giving, with half the cholesterol.
Now keep in mind, you can’t really go cheaper. If you were to give them something that cost $5, you’d seem like a miserable cheap bastard. Why don’t you just push them down while you’re at it? Scrooge.
2. It makes the person getting it feel real smart. – Yes. Because you would never give a book to somebody who was really dumb. They’d probably just try to eat it or something. Not only can you make that certain somebody whose name you drew out of the office Secret Santa pool feel like a member of the literati, you can also be known as the kind of extra smart person who gives the gift of words. “Yes, Jim, when I drew your name out of that puffy trucker hat, I knew that you were so smart that you’d need a book. But not just any book, but one thick with learning. Crap, look at the size of that friggin’ thing. You’d have to be like Einstein or something to get through that pig!”
3. The perfect gift for people who shoot stuff for fun. – Now for the seven of you who read this blog who aren’t gun people, you probably have a gun person on your Christmas list. Sure, you would like to give them something that they’d love, but remember what happened last year? When he told you that what he really wanted was a 8.72 x 34mm Mannlicher Gustav Crimp Adjuster Sling with Lebel Tactical Larynard and you went to the Cabelas and wandered cluelessly for five hours before giving up and buying them a camoflage cozy to keep their beer cold? Yeah… he remembers it too. He remembers it with a bitter hate that will not die. But you can avoid that this year by giving the gift that all gun people love. The gift of shooting monsters in the face!
4. For every 500 copies of MHI sold, the author can afford another case of ammo. – Have you priced .223 lately? I mean seriously. It is brutal.
5. Signed copies show that you care – Now for that dude at the office who you feel obligated to give a gift to because he gave you a cheese ball last year, (Smokey Bacon flavor… yum) For that guy you can just get a regular copy off of Amazon. But for that special person who would really savor the hours of enjoyment that only monster killing can bring, you can show them that you really care by getting a signed copy. At the top of this page is the ultra handy Buy Stuff tab with the instructions on how to get an autographed copy.
You can then revel in the sheer awesomeness as your chosen giftee unwraps their package, and says “Wow! A book! Look somebody drew in it. Is that supposed to be a lightning bolt? What a crappy happy face. Was this drawn by an inmate from the insane asylum?” And if they say that, you have my permission to scissor kick them in the neck, because I have a perfectly fine signature.
So there you go. Five reasons to give the gift of Monster Hunter International this holiday season. It isn’t just limited to Christmas either. Nothing says Hanukah like MHI. Heck, everyone knows Kwanzaa is all about celebrating the defeat of the Elder Things. (I think, but I’m a little fuzzy on my Kwanzaa history).
Now if you will excuse me, I’ve got to continue working on The Christmas Noun II. The Bloodening.
You just made my day Larry. I really think you should write “The Christmas Noun II” 😀
Anyway I just started a new blog here and linked you on it. I hope you don’t mind.
very nice idea larry, but i have a few questions.
“8.72 x 34mm Mannlicher Gustav Crimp Adjuster Sling with Lebel Tactical Larynard”
where can i get one.
“Have you priced .223 lately? I mean seriously. It is brutal.”
and isnt surplus 7.62 x 54 cheaper
😛
Another “hurry up” on Christmas Noun II. I still go back and revisit it when I need a laugh. Never fails.
I’m on board with the plan. One question though — how do I get my signed copy of MHI? I’m in Utah for Thanksgiving. So if there’s a store I can hit and pick a couple up I’ll do it.
I believe that both Layton and the Jordan Landing B&N will have autographed copies in stock.
Cool! We were thinking of going up to Jordan Landing to see a movie today. We’ll hit the B&N there. (I’m sitting in the B&N in Orem using their free Wifi – they just may have gotten their money’s worth out their free wifi with this purchase!)
You may want to check the Orem one too. I signed a bunch there about a month ago. They may still have some in stock.
The Orem B&N didn’t have any signed copies, but the Jordan Landing B&N did. Signed copy sighted, acquired same.
Hooray for funding the sequel to Christmas Noun!
Buy more books! That’s it everyone Larry has sold us out, went to Hollywood and came back a changed man. =D)
Really at 500 books to a case, with todays prices it might cost upwards of BOOK a round. Maybe you should have the Studio pay you in ammo.
Thanks for a great read-keep em coming.
(PS bought 3 more for friends, can’t give out my self-pub copy. Happy Holidays
Great idea, Larry. I bought three of the originals with patches, and so far two of the reprints to avoid loaning out the first editions. I can think of a few people who need to oen one.
Sandy’s reading it for the second time, and she says we WILL be going to the Denver book signing.
.223 prices?!? I just bought an M1a have you seen .308 prices lately?
I did my part though got 2 copies one digital through baen.com and one actual book.
Out of curiosity are the royalties the same regardless of digital or paperback sales?
sadly, i think the price of all types of ammo is high and getting higher….
How about a great Christmas present…a signed leather bound copy as blogged about before? hint hint hint…
Is that $4.50 shipping fixed, or does it get cheaper per book if you buy multiples?
Also, have you given any thought to doing a round MHI sticker on the cafepress site, basically a sticker version of the patch? The bumper sticker is a bit big to fit on motorcycle luggage.
Damn it, Larry… I just read the column, started to giggle… and stopped and thought “Hmm… I could get one for Vic, and one for Turk…
As for the price of .223… there’s a REASON we (I work for a firearms distributor) are selling a lot of 5.45 uppers these days. 😉
I generally give booze for Christmas as working with me can drive one to drink, but I’m thinking that giving MHI will reinforce my mantra, “Hey, it could be worse.”
And Elvis help me, I actually googled for a knifesmith / silversmith that could fabricate a silver dagger for all those werewolf encounters on the 14th floor here in Dallas.
I’ve just purchased a paper copy of MHI as a gift for my wife. I got the “eBook” version from Baen when it came out and loved it – but my other half doesn’t like reading books on the computer. She complains that curling up in bed with a computer just feels WRONG.
So, since I enjoyed the book so much, I got another copy for her. Now I just hope she enjoys it. 🙂