Another Happy Reader

Another reader sent me this picture. I should start a collection! If you have used my Frommer's Budapest & the Best of Hungary book, have your picture taken with it and I will post it here. 

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What Do You Bid?

Someone sent me this. Fun! Thank you. I tried sending a note back to the e-mail account it said sent the notice, but it bounced. The funny thing is this book is listed as more expensive than in the bookstores.

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My Book is Out If You Can Find It

It looks like Amazon.com is sinking on my list of favorite sites. First my editor told me that the publisher had to manually enter the release date into Amazon.com for my book, because it defaulted to the UK release date. Now, when I search Amazon for either Frommer's Budapest and the Best of Hungary or the title without Frommer's, the page with the 7th edition appears. To find the current 8th edition, you either have to be intuitive enough to click "other editions" or specifically type in 8th in the search box. If you want to find it, click here.

If you go to Barnes and Noble online here, and type in Ryan James in the search box, you will find Frommer's Europe and Frommer's Eastern Europe, two books for which I wrote the Hungary chapters followed by a boxed set of Tales from the Crypt, but nary a fully authored Budapest book. Why the Tales...is there, I have no idea, but it would make a great title for my memoirs. To find my most current book, you have to type in Frommer's Budapest, but they too are showing the UK publication date as you can see here. 

Of course, you can order it directly from Frommer's. Click here. Getting it locally will save you shipping charges, but if they don't have it on the shelves yet, here is the ISBN number: ISBN-13: 9780470551264

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Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

I had a preview of what the cover of my new book was going to look like and I did not like it. I had hopes it was just a big mistake, since it looks like an electri-FRIED version of the current cover. After seeing some of the other covers from other country editions, it is comforting to know it is not just mine. 

Frommer's was running a photo contest for quite some time. Winners were selected for future book covers as well as pocketing a $5,000 prize. The absurdity of this prize compared to writing the book is beyond description. If I had been eligible, I would have snapped my heart out. Multiple submissions were encouraged. What I should have done is sent it out to all of our photographer guests with a contract stipulating a finder's fee. We have had a few professionals, so my chances would have been fairly good. Regardless, the end of the contest was after this edition went to print.

Supposedly, this edition was to be released on April 16th, but after checking with Amazon.com and Frommer's online bookstore, it is still classified as Pre-order. Frommer's shows it as May 3rd; I do know it will come out 6 weeks later in the UK and the rest of the English speaking world. 

I do love what Frommer's put in their online blurb. You win some, you lose some, but I did not have any control over either the cover nor the blurb. Pleased I am with their marketing foresight.

Whenever you read the New York Times travel archives for any country, it is Frommer's you are reading. Thus, if you were to search the NYT for Budapest restaurants, what you will find are the reviews from my book. 

Frommer's also teams up with a number of other sites. I have seen my writing in other places. Strangely, I used to write some for Nile Guide and now they are incorporating all of Frommer's books onto their site.

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• Frommer's travel tools provides nine handy iPhone apps in one (gadling.com)
• Photo Contest: Win $5,000 plus your photo on the cover of a Frommer's guide book (trueslant.com)
• Founder of Frommer's Travel Guides (timesunion.com)

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Funny, This

I was Googling looking for the link for my book on Amazon today to send to an old friend. I came across this. You can click on the picture to make it more comprehensible.

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A Reader Connecting

Hi Ryan,

Again so much thanks for getting back to me with great tips! We have been using your guide prolifically and it is great. We will be in Budapest for two more days, leaving very very early on Tuesday. Perhaps you have some time so we can take you to lunch or coffee tomorrow. We are staying at the ArtOtel 14879487 Rm XXX. *Stephen H. and Eva K. Although we might not be in, please leave a message where and when, if you are free, and a way we can get in touch with you. Hope this works out but if not, thank you again.

Sincerely,

Eva

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