Cameo Appearances in Upcoming Books

This is a Worldbuilders Blog.

And now we have something completely different. Something different and filled with unprecedented cool.

Some authors refer to this sort of thing as a Tuckerization (for historical reasons). Others think of it as a cameo appearance or giving someone naming rights to a character.

But ultimately, it all boils down to the same thing: you’ll be getting to make a guest appearance in an author’s future books.

This is, in some ways, a chance at immortality.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what sort of a rare opportunity this is. Authors occasionally do this sort of thing for a friend, or as a joke, or *rarely* as a sort of promotional thing. But these are rarely auctioned off, and I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of a bunch of them being put up for grabs at the same time….

Now, before I list the auctions individually, I’m going to have to put on my dad voice, look at you all seriously, and tell you to *please* read each of the descriptions carefully.

Each author is handling their auction in their own way. What’s more, they’re each offering something slightly different.

For example, trying to get your D&D character’s name into Mary Robinette Kowall’s book probably isn’t going to fly. But I bet Ernest Cline would go for it…. Hell, knowing him, he might prefer it.

Okay. Enough caveats. Let’s move on to the awesome….

Ernest Cline Writes:

“To help raise money for Worldbuilders, I’ve decided to follow Patrick Rothfuss’s lead and auction off a chance to suggest a character name in my next novel, which I’m currently writing. But please notice that I said “suggest” a name. If you suggest something crass like HotCock007, Heywood Jablome, or Ann Coulter, I reserve the right to veto it and implore you to make a different suggestion. We’ll work something out. This is a speculative fiction novel set in the present day, so I’m relatively certain I’ll be able to sneak just about any kind of name you suggest into the story. If you win the auction, I’ll give a minor character in the book your first name, your last name, your AD&D character’s name, your dog’s name – whatever you want. But be warned: this character may die a horrible death shortly after their introduction.

Let the bidding begin!”

To bid on Ernest’s truly awesome tuckerization, go here.

Gail Carriger is pleased to offer a Fantasy Hat Cameo for inclusion in one of her up-coming Parasol Protectorate universe novels. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the 2013 Worldbuilders fundraiser.

Gail will work with the winner to describe a hat (or sketch, or photo, or real life headpiece) to appear in a Parasol Protectorate Abroad or Finishing School book. Put a bonnet on a vampire queen or a steampunk topper on your favorite drone. Who knows, if it’s truly outrageous, perhaps even Ivy herself will give your hat a twirl.

Contact details with Gail to be set up following the auction.

To bid on the most awesome hat option, click here.

Hugo-award winning author Mary Robinette Kowal will tuckerize your name into a forthcoming piece of fiction. What does this mean? It means that she will work your name into a story or novel depending on what your name is and which project it seems to fit best into. She’ll also send you a signed manuscript before publication.

To bid on this tuckerization and manuscript (!) head over here.

  • A tuckerization to appear in the next Marla Mason novel by T.A. Pratt.

T.A. Pratt Writes:

“I will use your name, or a name we mutually agree upon, for a character (or something else) in my next Marla Mason urban fantasy novel, Bride of Death. In the past I’ve named henchmen, murder victims, sailing vessels, and curses after people (or their loved ones), so I’m flexible, and will do my best to accommodate any reasonable requests. We’ll work out the details after you win.”

To bid on potentially naming a curse after your mother-in-law, head over here.

Name a murder victim!

Jaime Lee Moyer is offering you the chance to name a murder victim in the third book of her series, working title Against A Brightening Sky. The winner gets to choose the name, age and gender of a murder victim for Against A Brightening Sky. The book is a ghost story murder mystery set in 1919 in San Francisco, so please keep the time period in mind when choosing a name. Moonshadow or Timelord Dane might be a difficult fit.

The winner’s murder victim can briefly return from the dead and make an appearance as a ghost as well. Just let Jamie know when you give her the name.

Who doesn’t want to name a murder victim after themselves? Or better yet, an ex-lover or arch-enemy.

To bid, head over here.

  • A cameo appearance in a future book by Patrick Rothfuss.

(Me.)

Here’s the deal. If you win this auction, you’ll win a chance to propose a name for book three. If the name you’re proposing sounds great to me, then huzzah.

If not, the two of us will talk it over.

For example, maybe you want to get your girlfriend’s name into book three because she’s a big fan, and you’re hoping it will get you that threeway you’ve always wanted. But her name is “Veronica” and that doesn’t quite feel right for my world.

So we start talking it over. Maybe we can use her middle name instead. Maybe we use her nickname and I tweak the character’s description a little bit so that it more closely resembles her. (Though I’ll probably do this a little bit anyway.)

Maybe I put a little twist on the name. “Veronia” for example, would be fine for my world. I like that name a lot, actually.

Or maybe you decide you’d rather use your own name after all. And it turns out that works wonderfully, because your name is Ferrel and that’s exactly the sort of name that would fit on a Vintish Courtier, and I happen to be tweaking the Vinish section of the book right now anyway….

What I’m getting at here is that we’ll negotiate until we’re both happy with the addition to the book.

So if you’re interested, you can bid on it over here.

  • LOTTERY ADDITION: A cameo appearance in a future book by Patrick Rothfuss.

(Also me.)

Because I spent 9 years as an undergraduate, I know what it’s like to not have a lot of folding money.

So, in addition to the auction above, I’ll throw one cameo appearance into the Worldbuilders lottery as well.

That means for every $10 you donate to Heifer International on our Team Page, you get a chance to get your name in my upcoming book, *as well as* the chance to win some of the cool books donated to this year’s fundraiser by so many cool authors, bookstores, and publishers.

Now let me stress again, that this doesn’t just mean you get to jam any old name you want into my book. We’ll negotiate something.

I feel the need to stress this, as I fear having a conversation like this on the phone:

Me: Congratulations! You won the auction!

Winner: Yay! I want to put my D&D character’s name into the book!

Me: And that name is….

Winner: Studd Beefcake.

Me: …

Winner: He’s awesome. He’s a dual class fighter/ranger. That means so long as he’s only wearing leather armor…

Me: I don’t think the name Studd Beefcake will fit smoothly into the world I’ve created.

Winner: How about my other character? Grignir Theqjirn’ateth.

Me: I beg your pardon? I think there was some static on the line…

Winner: Grignir Theqjirn’ateth. He’s a dwarven monk.

Me: Do you…

Winner: Stunning Fist!

Me: Yes. Stunning Fist. Do you have any ideas for names that aren’t your D&D characters?

Winner: Well… We could use my son’s name…

Me: That sounds great. What is it?

Winner: Drizzt.

Me: I think there are copyright issues involved…

Winner: Drizzt Do’Urden RULES! Wooo!

That said, I’m more than willing to negotiate. (See the above description.) Provided you’re not entirely insane, I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out….

*     *     *

If you’d like to see all the auctions Worldbuilders is currently running, you can find them over here.

Or, if you want to see the other items that have been donated to Worldbuilders, or learn more about the fundraiser itself, you can head over to the main page here.

This entry was posted in Worldbuilders 2012By Pat18 Responses

18 Comments

  1. Fatelvis
    Posted December 11, 2012 at 5:18 AM | Permalink

    Thank you all for such a chance to be a part of your individual worlds. I don’t seem to have much of a chance, however participation is what its all about. Cheers!

  2. Yezabel
    Posted December 11, 2012 at 5:36 AM | Permalink

    I don’t see why my name doesn’t fit fantasy, I think Veronica is a pretty fantastic name, she could be a great ally to Kvothe or even a great villain (mohahahahaha -evil laugh mode on) But… I see your point. If I win the lottery (not enough money to win the auction) I’ll accept Veronia as a amazing variation of my name or even Veko (that’s how my friends call me sometimes)… Who am I fooling, I’d love any variation of my name you’d come with, The name of the wind is my favourite book ever so far.

  3. Mona
    Posted December 11, 2012 at 6:03 AM | Permalink

    This is really an amazing idea. I love it. With something so small (from the author’s perspective) you can do lots and lots of good. This is so much cooler than signed copies of books!
    Yay for Worldbuilders!

  4. Gnavin
    Posted December 11, 2012 at 6:26 AM | Permalink

    I am so, so tempted to empty my savings account for Pat’s naming auction. But not only is that incredibly fiscally irresponsible, I’d probably be very quickly outbid anyway.

    So, so tempted to just go ahead and do it, regardless…

    • Posted December 12, 2012 at 4:23 AM | Permalink

      Don’t forget, if you donate directly to Heifer on our team page, you have a chance of winning it in the lottery….

  5. littlecalder
    Posted December 11, 2012 at 7:16 AM | Permalink

    Great. My sister and I just donated a goat this past weekend, and I of course forgot that Worldbuilders was in cahoots with Heifer. Curses! I wonder if they’d be nice and add it to your team page..

  6. DraakusM
    Posted December 11, 2012 at 10:18 AM | Permalink

    Lol! I love the dialog and disclaimers.

  7. IvoryDoom
    Posted December 11, 2012 at 11:50 AM | Permalink

    Out of all the awesome things you just posted I was most excited when I read the following:

    I happen to be tweaking the Vinish section of the book right now anyway….

    oh god…squee. He mentioned book 3. Though I think I’m just as stoked to get my copy of Unfettered…I was looking at it on the website (again) the other day and its going to have so much good stuff in it! I’m making it my goal actually to read through Terry Brook’s work before I recieve it in 2013…so….hopefully that works out. LOL

    Anyway, just thought I’d stop by and say “Hey”!

    P.S. Last Episode of Storyboard was pretty awesome and I was really impressed with John Scalzi’ blog which I’d never previously read….so thanks for the introduction!

  8. IvoryDoom
    Posted December 11, 2012 at 3:42 PM | Permalink

    This:

    “and I happen to be tweaking the Vinish section of the book right now anyway….”

    Made me squee.

    Oh and I liked the last episode of Storyboard a good deal. Keep ’em comin.

  9. Marclee1703
    Posted December 12, 2012 at 6:05 AM | Permalink

    Two things, Pat:

    -Please make a post about your upcoming Hobbit movie experience

    -and please make a post about your upcoming Hobbit movie experience

  10. Marclee1703
    Posted December 12, 2012 at 6:18 AM | Permalink

    Oh, you pulled a typical Pat again….Right now I stumbled upon http://www.swordandlaser.com/home/2012/12/7/sl-december-book-club-the-hobbit-kick-off.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheSwordAndLaser+%28The+Sword+and+Laser%29&utm_content=Netvibes
    The Sword and Laser about the Hobbit and there YOU are…presenting your idea.

    For those who wanna know his opinion…Pat thinks the Hobbit is not like the Lord of the Rings and a movie adaptation in the style of Lord of the Rings would not do the book justice. So he is “irritated”.
    Ahhhh, Pat, Pat, Pat…

    If I got to know you in any way by your interviews and Storyboard appearances, then I imagine you to come out jiggly and giggly and super-excited of the movie, haha…

  11. zane_seals
    Posted December 12, 2012 at 10:28 AM | Permalink

    Too bad you put in those D&D restrictions,Pat. I was wanting to suggest naming one of your characters after my pet rhinocerous, Bob Sacamano. Though that might have presented some copyright issues as well…

  12. mandabanda
    Posted December 12, 2012 at 11:34 AM | Permalink

    On the chance I would win the lottery one, I’m lamenting my lack of cool handles. My first name is too modern, my last too common, and my favorite character names have references to modern stuff. I did not plan this well at all!

  13. Lily1437
    Posted December 12, 2012 at 11:09 PM | Permalink

    This is so sad. I live in almost the opposite corner of the world (Asia: Sri Lanka). 1 USD is equal to Rs.140.00. My entire salary for one month is Rs. 20,000.00 (roughly USD 140), which is enough to live on. There is no way I can bid/ lottery ticket :( Sigh.

    • Marclee1703
      Posted December 13, 2012 at 4:17 AM | Permalink

      greeting from a student from the Philippines…I understand where you’re coming from

      • Lily1437
        Posted December 13, 2012 at 8:57 AM | Permalink

        And we never will be able to see Pat, will we? There is no way he would come all the way here. *colossal sigh*

  14. itsjusthim
    Posted December 14, 2012 at 9:11 PM | Permalink

    Question! So this was the second time I saw you mention calling people if they win certain items. When I donated there was nowhere to put my phone number. Were you planning on emailing for the phone number?

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