Playing For Keeps available for print from Swarm Press, Aug. ‘08
Sick of these announcements yet?
I am thrilled to announce that I have signed a contract to release Playing For Keeps with Swarm Press! Swarm is an imprint of Permuted, the small horror press, and is launching this summer with three superhero titles, PFK being one. (For podcast fans, Matthew Wayne Selznick’s Brave Men Run is another title coming out from Swarm.)
The book will be out late August, just in time for DragonCon. Everyone who has watched the lifespan of this title will know how thrilled I am about this- especially since I had pretty much decided the title was done.
Details: You can still get the PDFs and the audio files from the website and feed, but the POD version of the book has been retired (for obvious reasons.) But if you were an early supporter of my work and purchased PFK in the POD form, and you continue to support with a purchase of the Swarm title, my publisher and I have something cool for you. Stay tuned. We’ll be building the marketing machine back up this summer, things should get interesting.
It’s been a hell of a week. Truly. I’m going to have some gin now.
Like you, I am... shall we say, "dancing impaired." Or maybe "rhythm impaired" might be a better term. Even so, ...
I've already given up on the fear of warping my 4 year old daughter; it's inevitable. There's too much ...
As a fellow July 25ther, just wanted to send out a big happy b-day to ya!
--- Chuck (an, ahem, early ...
Send me an email, treed, and I'll get you hooked up. 
group humiliation?? hell, i am in! might even get daughter involved and possibly wifey 
I'm in! Email sent :) 
Would wearing my Keepsie's Bar shirt in the video be considered cheating?
Comment by Ken McConnell on 10 May 2008:
Congratulations Mur! I’ll be buying my copy as soon as they become available.
Comment by Thomas on 10 May 2008:
Congratulations! I just love PFK. I’m so glad you and your work are starting to get the recognition it deserves.
Comment by Scott on 10 May 2008:
Freakin’ awesome Mur. I’m so happy for you!
Comment by OmniGeno on 10 May 2008:
That… is… freaking awesome. I’m getting mine when August rolls around.
Comment by P.G. Holyfield on 10 May 2008:
Oh my gawd!! Congrats!!
Wait, this means I have to buy another copy of PfK. Oh hell, why not?
Comment by Corie on 10 May 2008:
Congratulations oh Mighty One! You certainly deserve this. I’ll promote the hell out of it on the blog soon as release date is known. This is so very cool! Can’t wait to get a copy.
Comment by deb on 10 May 2008:
Congratulations! I look forward to buying PFK, and hopefully get it signed at Dragon Con.
Comment by Will on 10 May 2008:
Congrats, Mur. You can count on me for continued support.
Comment by Robin on 10 May 2008:
More awesome news!
Comment by Scott M. Sandridge on 10 May 2008:
Congratulations!
Comment by Samantha on 10 May 2008:
Congratulations!
Comment by Trish on 10 May 2008:
Congrats, Mur! I was such a slow listener that I didn’t get to buy the POD of PFK, but this latest version… It shall be mine, oh yes, it shall be mine.
You are beyond my hero and well into being… my uberhero…
Comment by Kaa on 10 May 2008:
That is fanTAStic! I can’t wait to pick up copies of both Playing for Keeps and Brave Men Run. w00t! I’ll have something to get signed at D*C!
Comment by Scott Spaziani on 11 May 2008:
Congratulations Mur! I’m lifting my Keepsie’s Bar shot glass to you right now!
Comment by Colin Francis Barnes on 11 May 2008:
Fantastic news Mur!! Congratulations. You deserve it! I’m sure it’ll be the first of many published titles from you.
Comment by corwin on 11 May 2008:
Awesome news! I’d say you definitely earned that gin. I look forward to having another edition of PfK to grace my shelves.
Comment by Rebecca on 11 May 2008:
I’ve pretty late to the game as I just listened to the audio version of Playing for Keeps beginning to end yesterday and I thought it was fantastic!
I will be sure to buy your book the moment it is in print!
Congrats Mur!
Pingback by Mur Lafferty Strikes Gold at Keepsie’s | Colin Francis Barnes on 11 May 2008:
[...] Read Mur’s blog entry. [...]
Comment by Unfocused Me on 11 May 2008:
That’s fantastic news! You’re going to have to change your intro for ISBW — I don’t think you can keep calling yourself a “wannabe” fiction writer after this.
Comment by Stormy on 11 May 2008:
That’s so awesome! ^_^ Congrats!
Comment by CharlesP on 11 May 2008:
Congrats, congrats, congrats!
Comment by Chris Lester on 11 May 2008:
Woot! It’s about frakking time someone in the publishing industry woke up and saw the glory of the Dark Mistress. All hail the Mur, for she is mighty!
Comment by TAN on 12 May 2008:
Awesome. When I started listening to ISBW I noticed the book on the sidebar and I thought: Wouldn’t it be great if this book she is talking about writing in these earlier episodes got published? That would make a good story. Congratulations!
Comment by Dr. Pus on 12 May 2008:
Hello Mur! I just read on the Permuted Press/Swarm forums about your book being released by those good folks. Congratulations! I’ll be ordering it ASAP/PDQ/EIEIO.
I’m so happy Jacob is releasing this!
Mike
Comment by Michell on 12 May 2008:
That’s fantastic Mur, congratulations! I’m looking forward to spreading the word and picking up the book.
-Michell
Comment by Rob on 12 May 2008:
Awesome, Mur! You’re just chocked full of good news lately, eh? I can’t wait to buy a copy and add it to my bookshelf.
Comment by Doug on 13 May 2008:
Sooooooo… what’s that mean for Balticon ? POD retired. I’m guessin’ Swarm not quite up to a full head of steam. No bookie on hand ? Drat.
But this is major. Two of my favorite New Media authors on the same imprint. Major kudos !
Comment by Gary Noden on 13 May 2008:
This is superb news. I’m going to mail it to all the sci-fi worshipers and wannabe writers here in the UK. Can we get copies here in August too?
Gin: If you can find it, “Plymouth Gin” is the best over here, and I recommend it with lime.
‘Kay, I’m done.
Congrats again.
Comment by Cindy on 13 May 2008:
This is such great news! You’ve worked so hard for this and totally deserve it. Congratulations and I’ll definitely be buying!
Comment by Zapatos on 14 May 2008:
Congratulations! You’ve totally got my money come August.
Comment by Steve Buchheit on 15 May 2008:
Yeah! Congrats.
Comment by Angela on 15 May 2008:
YAY!!
So very cool.
Comment by Cameron on 15 May 2008:
When I heard the news I felt sick to my stomach. Another “Johnny come lately” bobs up, trading on her looks and obscene wealth to steal a contract from we deserving writers. Honestly, what have you done to deserve this? I have been crafting my manuscript for ten years - ok, only eleven weeks of that has involved actual writing - and ok I don’t have an ending and the middle is a bit thin, but the first line, baby, it’s a killer (you see the story starts out on a night that’s kind of dark and there’s thunder and rain and stuff - yes, you could call it stormy).
Do you know even the first line to your Booker acceptance speech? Do you know the proper welcoming when Royalty attend your book reading? Well some of us do, some of us have been putting in the hard yards.
Let’s just leave it there. I have wasted enough on this - I still have to finish photoshopping the French and German versions of my cover.
(I could not happier Mur – very, very deserving).
Comment by Eric on 15 May 2008:
Great news…… Does that mean that we might seen Playing for Keeps 2?
Comment by Chance on 16 May 2008:
Mur, I’m glad to hear this! I can’t wait to get my hands on a
copy. I love your writing style so much! What I like best about
your form of writing is that you are really, really good at establishing the atmosphere of your story. You make all the little
details interesting, which is a rare talent.
I just started listening to Heaven, and so far I’m as hooked as I
was on Playing for Keeps. You’re an awesome artist (and that’s what
your writings are, really), and I wish you all the success and
recognition you deserve. Keep writing and I’ll keep listening and
reading!
By the way, it would be awesome if you’d make a limited number
of autographed copies available for purchase. Just a thought.
Comment by Mur Lafferty on 17 May 2008:
Thanks for all the well-wishes, I’m overwhelmed. To answer questions -
Yes, if PFK sells well, I will write PFK 2.
Cameron, I don’t think I’m eligible for the Booker. Isn’t that a UK award?
Gary, I like Plymouth gin very much, but Hendricks is my favorite, and Beefeater Wet is the holy grail of gins that I can’t get in my home state.
Doug- email me.
Thanks everyone!
Comment by Arkle on 18 May 2008:
Suggestion; feel free to ignore it, but instead of Playing For Keeps 2, the title ought to be another pun based on Keepsie’s name.
Of course, I have a soft spot for pun names. My friend Nate’s superhero book is called Less Than Hero, and I thought it hillarious. of course, I myself had pitched to him when he was still thinking up a title that he should call it Holding Out For A Zero, but hey, maybe you could do somehting with that title.
Comment by Dischord on 19 May 2008:
How about ‘Keeps’ Sake?’
Comment by RubyVee on 19 May 2008:
“Finders Keepsers”
Comment by Arkle on 20 May 2008:
You Just Keeps Me Hanging On?
OK, that was a bad joke, I’m sorry.