VWORP!1 is regenerating

I made a rather vague announcement a while back about an updated edition of my reasonably popular Doctor Who guidebook, VWORP!1, a few weeks ago. I thought I’d let you know what that entails – and how you can help!

The second edition of VWORP!1 will sport a new cover design, more in line with the cover of VWORP!2 (which is currently in the works). I really dug my original cover artwork, but one thing I quickly discovered upon taking stacks of books bearing that cover, a giant poster of that cover, and myself in a T-shirt of thst cover to conventions is… nobody was “getting” the image. And I should’ve anticipated that – it was original artwork of a TARDIS interior combining elements of the original series and the Russell T. Davies era, and didn’t reflect what was on TV now. Some folks thought it was gaudy and amateurish; I thought it was lovely and colorful, but okay, point taken. The new cover is original artwork that approximates the original Matt Smith title sequence. (VWORP!2’s cover approximates the current sequence without copying it or being derived from a screen grab.)

Regeneration in progress…

On the inside, there are many revisions to the text; enemies such as the Ice Warriors, Zygons, and the Great Intelligence have reared their heads since the first edition. Metebilis crystals and the Eye of Harmony have been seen. At least one story has cast many original series episodes in an entirely new light. Doctor Who is an ever-evolving thing.

Also, at the request of many readers of the first edition, at long last, there is an index which pushes the whole book past the 400-page mark that it had flirted with repeatedly during editing and layout the first time around.

And, of course, there are some spelling and punctuation mishaps, along with just plain typos. This is where you come in. Any such errors that jumped out at you, drop me a line, let me know what the error is and which page it’s on. I don’t expect anyone to retroactively proofread for free, though, and I also don’t intend to leave those who bought the first edition out in the cold:

• Anyone who sends in corrections obviously has the first edition in some form; I will send you the ebook of the revised edition free of charge when it’s finished as my thanks for helping to improve it.
• Even if you don’t send in corrections, send me a picture of your copy of VWORP!1 – maybe it’s next to your favorite Doctor Who memorabilia, maybe your cat’s keeping the cover warm (very nice of him or her – who wants to pick up a cold book?), maybe there’s a bowl of jelly babies and jammie dodgers next to it, maybe it’s peeking out from behind a recently-worn fez. This helps me verify you have the first edition, and has the makings of an awesome and potentially hilarious “customer action shots” gallery at some point in the future. 😆 You too will receive the revised edition ebook free of charge!

It’s really that simple. My e-mail address is simple too:

The revised edition of VWORP!1 will be released alongside VWORP!2 – a book covering the 2012/2013 series, the 50th anniversary special, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood, K-9, fan-made videos down through the years, and the Big Finish audio adventures – in time for Christmas.

Between now and then, WARP!1 – a similarly-formatted guidebook to the Star Trek franchise – will be available as a physical volume and an ebook as well. Watch this space.

As always, my sincere thanks to everyone who has picked up the book online, at conventions I’ve been to, or in that alternate universe where it’s the most popular book in the galaxy. (Sadly, I don’t get my checks from alternate universes!)