One of the nice things about doing the Cafe Press store is that we can offer ANYTHING they have the stuff for, so we’re not voting out anybody’s choices, just figuring what to prioritize in development. We can also offer something, sell a few of it, then shuffle it off and put something else in, as for instance, seasonal offerings.
We’re hoping to get that fired up soon. By mid January we hope to have a few more books, and the Cafe Press store operational, as well.
I dithered between ‘coffee mug’ and ‘items with
closed Circle logo’,finally settling on the mugs
figuring that they would sport the logo and perhaps some beloved characters as well. I drink a
lot of coffee!
😆 well, we will have some covers AND the logo on coffee cups, for sure, and on tees—those being the top choices. All we have to do to make it happen is upload some picture files, pick the items, and then they’ll produce and mail it… My brother (who’s an sf artist) lent me some of his artwork for covers on condition I get him some coffee cups. 😉
Banichi on a coffee cup would be good. Or, something with veggies on it and a salad comment. Or, Ilisidi on a cup with a warning, etc.
The warning: “Don’t Eat the White Soup!”
😀
Also cover illo prints, please.
I think tote bags or messenger bags with book covers on them would be super-cool. Great for those double-armfuls at the used book store. Or for carrying your e-book reader.
Good idea: I hadn’t thought about the necessity for corraling your reader. Thanks!
E-Book readers come with covers. The Amazon one is tacky so, like many other people I bought one from http://www.strangedog.com . And very nice it is too. There are lots of others out there.
Wow…I wonder…Does Cafe Press (or any similar site) do these? That w/b cool. Strangedog is a wonderful site! Funnier than spit. Thanks for the link.
Banichi for sure! He’s definitely a salad!! Love his humor…
Banichi yes! Maybe something about Biscuits and Bacon/Ham too.
I love the idea of a nighthorse and bacon!
Mmm. I haven’t the rights to Whelan’s version: maybe I can sketch him and get Jane to give me a hand. 😉
CJ, somewhere on your site there’s an example of what you think a night-horse should look like. I think many of us would love to see what you think an Ateva looks like!
Those things are nice and all, but what I would really subscribe to would be like a weekly or monthly serial of some popcorn space opera SF. Or soemthing similar. 😉
We’re working on that. We’ve got to get these other things in order so we can start having fun with writing! But CJ and I have always threatened to do a Space Opera collab. Maybe we’ll finally get that round tuit!
Does Cafe Press have really large tote bags? ones that could be used for grocery shopping in lieu of plastic? I would be very interested in something like that, illustrated with CC book covers, or Banichi, or the CC insignia, or possibly all three. I find I can’t have too many large tote bags.
I will try to find out. Answer:
as large as 15×18″. They also have gym bags (small duffle-type), and beach-bags (smaller than tote.)
I dunno, maybe a Sol Company coffee mug or other swag that refers to locations and institutions in one of your universes. Something like a Miskatonic University t-shirt. That one’s a workout t-shirt of mine. It’s distinctive and it provokes discussions at the university where I work. I’ve had to explain who H.P. Lovecraft was to undergraduates in the university gym. A couple of ’em even swore to me that they knew someone who went there. I’d wear t-shirt for the University of Mospheira School of Foreign Studies.
Oh, that’s a fun idea! You guys are great!
Glad you liked it. My other idea was Chanur themed thongs and that was just wrong. My superego failed to suppress that emanation from the id.
O-M-G…
A sketch of Banichi in a towel might prove a very hot item.
What about Banichi IN a towel ON a towel..?
Hafta second this! Ladies, line is forming to the left…
And third it! I’ve brought a thermos of tea.
Shirts (Sweat or T) with Alliance or Union logos would be cool too!
Or Maybe some patches from the ships jumpsuits on a coffee mug or shirt!
Why not ship patches ***as*** patches… does Cafe Press mayhap offer patches? I serially doubt that I could pull off a silver jumpsuit, mind, but I could stick patches up on the walls for sure! 🙂
I second this one! I’d spruce my leather jacket up with Norway ship patch in a New York minute.
Oooooooooooh! Ship patches! Yes, please!
YOu guys are full of good ideas!
I like the ship patches idea too, and all the bags would be of great interest. Someone at Shejidan created a What Would Jago Do tshirt at cafe Press – I am not sure who the artist was, OSG will probably remember. It was a good one. I got it to wear as a recognition sign at a Eastern Association gathering a couple of years ago. A map of A/U space would be fun, as an image on any sort of thing – mousepad? I think they have mousepads.
I have long thought about ship patches, but they are not something I can do on Cafe Press except as a cap emblem: and then I suspect they’re not stitched, but printed. There is a site that will do batches of 10, for a price to be determined by the job, but that gets into mailing and so on. I might try some caps for Finity’s End—a plain black patch, with the lettering under it. What do you think?
I’d willingly cough up (charming expression!) the necessary, if the cap was of decent quality; there are so many poor quality ones out and about. Having what a friend termed a “head the size of a planet” ( some friend! 😀 ), fit is often an issue for me.
#
CJ, would you consider a specific poll on This Space to judge interest level in patches? I’d willingly pay 5-10 bucks, or more, for a good one, with tight stitching and multiple colors. I volunteer to do the footwork to chase this down with suppliers (no particular experience, just plenty of interest). I’m no artist, but a design competition might be a lot of fun–I’d LOVE a Norway patch, maybe just something along the lines of the original Downbelow Station cover, minus the toroid–just the ship, with a rider–Dekker’s no doubt–streaking out ahead. Finity’s End’s emblem is lot simpler, certainly…
ooo! Ooo! Look here: custom patches, 3″, 100 for $129, complete. Check out http://www.custompatches.net They advertise up to 9 colors capability… I will inquire further.
Sure. I’d be happy to run a poll.
The caps they have on Cafe Press are good ones: take a look. They offer a standard bb cap; a ‘military cap’ that is flat topped and more complex; a stonewashed cap with a shallower top, etc.
Let’s have a list of the ship patches that might interest you: Finity’s End, Lucy, Dublin Again (a shamrock figures in it); Norway; Corinthian? etc…
Speaking for myself, definitely these: Norway, Finity’s End, Dublin Again.
Somewhat less interest: Lucy/Le Cygne (got to have the proper insignia, mit der swan), Corinthian (what’s hers look like?).
As a former pilot, I would really go for a patch with just a rider, far as that goes, but I’m probably in the minority there. Rider rampant, with text below: Hellburner.
Dammit, hit send too soon. Definitely also Pride of Chanur (do hani have oatches or just rings?).
Could you get Michael Whelan and/or DAW books’ permission to use his cover art? Many people love his covers and his depiction of Banichi, Jago and Bren; and Jane is a bit too busy right now to ask her for new portraits.
I don’t know how all-inclusive contracts for cover art are; if it’s up to DAW they probably wouldn’t mind some extra for-free advertising of the books they still have the sales-rights to. If any other use is at Mr. Whelan’s discretion, he’d probably want some of the income from it (which could make things complicated for you from an accounting point of view).
I’d like Jane’s Ring of Intrigue cover on something like a T-shirt or coffee-mug (love those colours).
I’d also like coffee-mug sets, that is, mugs with related-but-different images ; for instance the aforementioned Banichi – Ilisidi – Jago and Bren (but for those someone needs to make new portraits); or the 2 Michael Whelan covers (also on T-shirts); or Jane’s three Ring-books covers ; or her three Netwalkers-covers.