I’ve been stunned watching the sales rank for The Marvel Encyclopedia climbing on Amazon for the past month. The book came out in the spring, of course, but it’s the kind of thing that makes the perfect holiday gift.
At first I was thrilled when it cracked the top 500 back on November 17. I don’t think any book I’ve written had managed that before. But then it kept going. Lifehacker recommended it on Black Friday in combination with an Amazon coupon that knocked 30% off all printed books, and the sales went nuts.
On the 28th, it slipped into the top 200, and it was one of the top selling books in both the Reference and Graphic Novels categories. Yesterday, it smashed its way into the Top 100 Books on Amazon, and you could have knocked me over with a sharp, “Ho, ho, ho!”
This morning, it skyrocketed even farther up the charts. As I write this, it stands as the #1 book in Comics & Graphic Novels, #1 in Reference, and #5 in Books.
All. Books.
That’s just insane!
Thanks to every one of you who bought the book. Thanks also to Alastair Dougall (my editor) and Rob Perry (the layout artist), who worked closely with me on the book and fashioned it into the fantastic and beautiful treasure it is. Thanks as well to Mike Deodato, Jr., whose incredible artwork graces the cover. I should also thank the folks who wrote the original edition back in 2006. I updated the book heavily for both the 2009 and 2014 editions, but it stands on the shoulders of their work. They include Tom DeFalco, Peter Sanderson, Tom Brevoort, Michael Teitelbaum, Daniel Wallace, and Andrew Darling. Thanks also to Ralph Macchio for his fantastic foreword and, of course, especially to Stan Lee for his introduction–as well as for creating much of what we know as the Marvel universe.
To be clear, I’m not bragging (well, not much) about the book’s success. It’s clearly riding the cape of Marvel’s incredible triumphs, both in comic shops and in movie theaters, and the amazing stories the writers and artists there have told over the past 75 years. My job here was to not screw it all up, and I’m happy to see it so entirely unscrewed.
Also, the runaway success of the book won’t make me rich. While I’m thrilled about it, I wrote the book as work-for-hire without a royalty, as often happens with such volumes. I was paid well and have no complaints about the deal. I’d get a little bit if you purchase it through this affiliate link, but no pressure at all. I’m just tickled to see the book getting into so many readers’ hands.
Of course, it doesn’t end here. If you think it might look good under your tree, or in the hands of someone else who might love it, please go check out The Marvel Encyclopedia. You’ll put a smile on their face–and mine too.
