Thursday, October 20, 2011

Jimmy Coates: Blackout - When Is It Coming Out?!

UPDATE: Jimmy Coates: Blackout is coming out on JUNE 6th and you can check it out here.

Back in September 2009 I rushed out a few paragraphs on this blog to explain why Jimmy Coates: Blackout (the 7th book in the series) hadn't been published yet.

Since then, it still hasn't been published and there's been no let up in the number of messages I receive every day (every day!) asking me about Jimmy Coates: Blackout. Another one just popped up on my facebook page from Dean Raina - hi, Dean. Here's your answer!

I'll try to explain the latest situation. The trouble is, I can't really go into the whole story, so you might have to do some reading between the lines. Basically:

Jimmy Coates: Blackout (book 7) was meant to be published in April 2009, but didn't appear. I'd written it completely, been through the entire editing process with my editor, and seen the finished design for the front cover. It was ready to go.

But when publication day came, bookshops opened their latest delivery and Jimmy Coates: Blackout wasn't in any of the boxes. It didn't come out. Several booksellers rang me to find out where it was because they hadn't been told it wasn't going to be published that day after all.

So why didn't it appear? Because at the last minute the new boss took the decision to postpone almost all the books on their schedule for 2009. Instead of publishing the 7th Jimmy Coates book and supporting the first 6 Jimmy Coates books that were already out there, the publisher wanted to push back JC:7 and had to pull the rug out from underneath the first 6. Now, fortunately this was not a very large rug.

The Jimmy Coates series became popular through word of mouth among readers, teachers, librarians and parents, as well as some hard work from me. I'll always be very proud of that. So after several months of discussion with a panicking publisher throughout 2009, we'd all had enough. So I took back the rights to books 7 and 8 in the series - Jimmy Coates: Blackout and Jimmy Coates: Genesis.

I'm hoping that situation will change. In fact, I'm optimistic that at some point fairly soon Jimmy Coates will be able to make the greatest escape of his life and find his way somewhere new. In the meantime I'm going to keep hold of books 7 and 8 until there's enough support from a publisher for books 1 to 6.

I say that even though I know Jimmy Coates: Blackout is the best thing I've written. (Oh, and one of the main characters dies, by the way.) So it's frustrating seeing it here printed out, sitting on my desk, unread by any of you.

I've been really touched by all the messages from fans, parents, teachers and librarians asking me about Jimmy Coates: Blackout. All I can say is I'm sorry it's not out yet and a huge thank you for your support and your patience. The Jimmy Coates series wouldn't have reached so many people without your enthusiasm for it. Keep spreading the word and that'll help Jimmy in his great escape from publishing confusion.

Meanwhile, if you haven't seen it already, there's a sneak preview of Jimmy Coates: Blackout up on my website. If you think it'll be frustrating to read the first couple of chapters and nothing more then don't read it! But it's there if you're curious. I hope you like it.

Here's the link:

http://www.freewebs.com/jimmycoates/sneakpeek.htm

Spread the word.


UPDATE, JUNE 2012: You can now download the first SIX CHAPTERS for free from my website. Go to www.joecraig.co.uk and click on the FREE CHAPTERS page from the menu along the bottom.

UPDATE, OCTOBER 2012: Jimmy Coates: Blackout will be released at some point within the next 6 months. There's no confirmed date yet, but plans are being made. Keep an eye on this blog for more updates and start getting excited...

UPDATE, FEBRUARY 2013: Jimmy Coates: Blackout now has a release date that the publisher is 'aiming for'. Start getting excited. If all goes well from here, the book will be out on... June 6th, 2013.

Here's the OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

23 comments:

ferrett said...

hi joe looks like im the only one to comment agen

kat said...

you are not the only one to comment- what do you mean, again? a load of people commented last post. Hi Joe, I know that you propbely wont read this, but just to let you know, I really like your books and am a great fan of your blog! have you wrote any other styles/genres apart from the Jimmy coates series.

Joe said...

I read all the comments!

The only thing I've written apart from the Jimmy Coates series is my new book, a short thriller called 'Lifters', which you can find here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1445105551?ie=UTF8&tag=joecraig-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1445105551

And there's a new review of it here:
http://www.trappedbymonsters.com/2011/10/lifters-by-joe-craig/#content

kat said...

thanks for the info on lifters, i will take a look

Lisa Coates said...

Is there anything your fans can do to help? We want our Jimmy Coates!!

Johanna said...

So glad to finally solve the "Where is the next Jimmy Coates Book"??? We (my youngest son and I) waited expectantly at a bookstore while the sales assistant patiently tried to find any info on Blackout only to discover that the pubisher said it had been abandoned.....
All my boys (and myself) loved the other Jimmy books. Thanks for what you do. Regards Johanna

Scratchy said...

When is Jimmy Coates Blackout going 2 come out. It is 2012 and it still has not come out. On wikipedia it says it will come out March 2012. Well it is the 28th of March 2012 and still no book?

drdisk said...

My autistic son Ben has thoroughly enjoyed my reading to him of the first six Jimmy Coates books and is now eagerly awaiting Blackout.
We would love to know how soon we can expect to see it arrive here in Australia.
Ben is still waiting.

Joe said...

Hello drdisk - and Ben!
I'm afraid it's now April 2012 and Jimmy Coates: Blackout is still no closer to being published. I’m really sorry! It must be frustrating if you and Ben have been waiting for it. It’s just as frustrating for me! I get messages about it every
day, and it’s even more of a pain that I can’t really go into the full story.
Anyway, a huge thank you for your patience and support. My agent is still trying to sort things out with HarperCollins and hopefully they’ll want to make up with me soon and publish Jimmy Coates: Blackout. Sadly, there’s not much more I can do about it. I just wish HarperCollins realised the amount of support there is out there for Jimmy Coates and the number of people who are waiting so patiently for Jimmy Coates: Blackout to come out.
If you really feel strongly about it then you might get more information out of HarperCollins! Try finding an email address for the children’s department at HarperCollins UK. I'd be interested to hear what they say.
Thanks for the great support!
Joe

Will said...

Hey Joe u are definitely one of the best authors I have read from and thats saying a lot considering I have three favorites out of hundreds and I just want to say I don't mind waiting for your book because I'm sure it'll be awesome. So keep doing a great job and you've got my support

Blaster219 said...

If you're having problems finding a publisher have you considered publishing it yourself as an ebook on Amazon. I don't know the specifics of how it works or what costs are involved but it'd be a way for anyone with a computer/smartphone/tablet to read Blackout and the previous books (if I'm understanding what you mean by regaining the rights to the series)

Joe said...

Yes, I've definitely thought about that, and it might be an option at some point fairly soon.

Anonymous said...

I've finished reading the story and I really enjoyed it but I think making a movie of jimmy coates would be awesome ;)

Joe said...

I agree! A Jimmy Coates movie would be brilliant. Just needs someone to make it happen...

Anonymous said...

hi i love your books and i dont understand why yout not getting enought support i mean look at all these comments you have tons of fans and the companies are stupid for not realising that, but could i please have you email so i could ask you something because if i ask you on here other people might ask for it aswell and i dont want to put you under any pressure. i dont mind if you say no but it would be nice.

Joe said...

Hi Rachel and thanks for the lovely comment. My email address is joe@joecraig.co.uk so drop me a line with your question.
Joe

Jake Wilburn said...

Have you thought about publishing with another publisher? Been waiting ages for it!!!

Joe said...

Don't worry, Jake, HarperCollins are making plans to publish Jimmy Coates: Blackout, they're just being slow about giving me a date. It was meant to be April or May 2013 and it still might be. I'll update everyone as soon as I know.

Jake Wilburn said...

Cheers Joe!

Anonymous said...

hi... I've been waiting for the Blackout book since I was in grade 6 and that was in 2009! When is it coming out!! My friends and I are here in South Africa waiting patiently but i don't think I can wait anymore and whenever I go to a bookstore and ask them about it they just give blank stares and then they would look at me like I'm some sort of weird alien or something...

Joe said...

Jimmy Coates: Blackout is out... NOW! It's been released here in the UK. I don't know when that means it will reach South Africa, but it definitely means that when you ask for it in a bookshop they should be able to get it for you. And they should obviously keep it in stock too!
Thanks for being so patient and for persevering. If you still have trouble getting hold of the book, email me and I'll send you one.
Joe

Anonymous said...

Can u please tell me when the eighth book will be out because I have just read book seven and I can't wait for he next one. I was fourteen on Sunday and that was when I got the first seven, and I've been being described as a book worm for a long time. This is by far the best series of books I have read(and I do not just read children's books) so I would really appreciate any news you can send me of the release date as I really,
really want to read it.

Joe said...

Wow, you're a fast reader. And thanks so much for the very kind comments. I'm really pleased you like my books :)
I'm afraid I have no news for you about when book 8 (the final book) might be coming out. It's called Jimmy Coates: Genesis and the story is all planned out (I planned the ending of the series at the same time as I planned out all the other books).
It's about half written, but I put it aside a couple of years ago because of rights issues with my publisher and instead I started working on other projects to get them off the ground before returning to finish Jimmy Coates. So I could sit down and finish the book at any point, but it's a question of getting my publisher to support me and my series, which they haven't done up to this point. So I'm afraid I have no idea when I might be able to strike a new deal with them and get Jimmy Coates: Genesis out there! I'd love it to be soon, but realistically it will be at least a couple of years, probably longer. But in the mean time, the more support my books have from people like you, the more likely it is that I'll be able to finish the series. So a huge thank you for the patience and the support! Keep spreading the word :)