Answers about The Ultimate Fairy Book

Thanks so much for all the warm yummy wishes. I’m bubbly and bouncing!

I’ve been getting some questions about my next book. I figured it would be most efficient to answer them all here:

Q: Will it be in hardcover or paperback?

A: Hardcover first and then later (don’t know how much later) paperback.

Q: Penni asked: Are you signing a contract for a book you haven’t written yet?

A: It’s like this: Bloomsbury have bought two books from me, the already-written UFB + an unwritten second book. Yes, that means I’ll be writing one novel of the contract to deadline. I know I said I wouldn’t do that anymore. But the writing-a-book-at-my-own-pace thing (which resulted in the UFB) was an experiment. I think I’m ready to tackle novel to deadline once again. Especially as I’ll have oodles of time and have already started a new novel. Plus Bloomsbury wanting a second book shows that they as a company are committed to me as a writer, which makes me feel warm and bubbly.

Q: Dess asked: Is there a difference between fairies and faeries?

A: There is. While as Diana pointed out they all have the same etymological root, in modern fantasy using “faerie” usually means the story will be influenced by Celtic or English mythology. There are lots of ballads that deal with the faerie folk. Those are a big influence on Holly Black’s work for instance. Her faerie are darker and scarier than mine. Also mine are invisible and not influenced by the Celtic or English traditions at all.

Q: Are there mangosteens and cricket matches and Elvis and monkey-knife fights in it?

A: Yes.

Q: Is it set in Australia?

A: Um. Sort of.

Q: Why did you leave your old publisher?

A: I had a three-book deal with Penguin/Razorbill for the Magic or Madness trilogy. So my contract with them was done. My new book is so completely different from the trilogy that it seemed a good time to find the best possible match for it. My agent and I both agree Bloomsbury are a wonderful home for the UFB.

Q: Maggie asked: Are ultimate fairies anything like extreme fairies?

A: Could be.

Posted by Justine at 11:02, 8 June 2007 under How To Ditch Your Fairy, Mangosteens, Vainglory | 13 Comments »

Comments

Diana Says:

in modern fantasy using “faerie” usually means the story will be influenced by Celtic or English mythology.

Really? So what tradition is it coming from if you say “faery?” How about “fey?”

Confuzzled…

June 8th, 2007 at 11:13 AM
Dess Says:

ooo thank you for the clarification. so are all faeries darker (as in personalities) than fairies? or it just so happens that holly black’s dark faeries are faeries and not fairies? wow does that make any sense?

June 8th, 2007 at 12:55 PM
Margaret C. Says:

Fairies or faeries, I love what I know about this book so far and can’t wait to read it! And it’s nice to hear that you stuck to your resolution about writing a book without a deadline, and that it helped you grow as a writer.

June 8th, 2007 at 1:03 PM
Dawn Says:

Okay, I’ve been avoiding asking this for a really long time so that I didn’t seem completely stupid but I cannot resist any longer. What the heck is a mangosteen?

June 8th, 2007 at 2:09 PM
Mary S. Says:

dawn: a mangosteen is a fruit. it’s wonderfully unique-looking inside and out. seeing that i live in the us, i have never been able to get my hands on one, but i have had mangosteen juice it was just about the yummiest thing ever. and very good for you, i might add.

~Mary

June 8th, 2007 at 3:55 PM
Mary S. Says:

Oh, and justine? you may like to know that this post has made my day. it may well have made my year, all the way from now until the book comes out. and then I bet it’ll make my day even more.

i love your books so very, very much, you see.

~Mary

June 8th, 2007 at 3:57 PM
Dess Says:

is a mangosteen anything like a mango? is it the same thing? better google it.

June 8th, 2007 at 6:41 PM
haddy Says:

is it set in a differnt world or multiple world. and your blog is much more interesting than scotts you post more

June 8th, 2007 at 7:45 PM
Gabrielle Says:

Awesome! I can’t wait to read it. It’s gonna be over a year of waiting though. Sigh. I always wondered what the difference between fairy and faerie was. Well, faerie are spelled cooler and look cooler.

June 8th, 2007 at 11:06 PM
David Moles Says:

If you say “faery” or “fey”, you’re coming out of the American Contemporary Urban Fantasy tradition.

June 9th, 2007 at 1:54 AM
Rebecca Says:

I’ve always said “fairy” and didn’t even know there was a difference until about three years ago (when tithe came out). but it works b/c they fairies i wrote about (back in the day) were totally made up and not based on legends at all. just little people with wings.

June 9th, 2007 at 2:10 AM
Penni Says:

Yes well, you’re hardly going to say ‘oh you want a two book contract…? Poo poo.’ And writing to deadlines has lots of pluses (she says weakly, staring down the barrel of several…the spooky thing is when they stare back. And their slanted, evil, yellow eyes glow in the dark.). Yes pluses. Deadlines. Shape. Structure. Structure good.

June 9th, 2007 at 5:32 AM
13. Justine Says:

I’m sure some people use “faerie” or “faery” of “fey” just cause they think it’s a cooler spelling. Or because they think “fairy” now has a pink Disney taint to it.

June 9th, 2007 at 11:23 AM

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Justine Larbalestier