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This is a totally normal thing. Has been for years, if not ever since the printed word was a thing. You're paying a premium for reading those stories NOW, instead of waiting for a later time when they might be released cheaper or bundled in a compendium.

Going back to whoever it was that used Discworld as an example (from someone who also owns all the Discworld books ) -

When each book is first released, it's released as a hardback. Which is a more expensive option, generally speaking. Then after a few months or more, the paperback version is released, which is much cheaper (and smaller).

I totally have the option of waiting for the cheaper paperbacks if I want to wait. But if I want to read the new books immediately, then I pay the premium and get the hardback.

Which is why I own most of the Pratchett books in hardback form.

If anything it feels more like the BL is telling you to not buy the short story stuff because it'll come out later in a big book that will save you money on the short stories.

Kind of silly really.

 ClockworkZion wrote:
If anything it feels more like the BL is telling you to not buy the short story stuff because it'll come out later in a big book that will save you money on the short stories.

Kind of silly really.

Nope, again this is totally normal. Every publisher who releases short stories is likely to also release those short stories in later compendiums. They get released individually first to make some immediate money from the people who want those stories straight away. They then release the stories again in cheaper to make compendiums of multiple stories, in order to get some money from those who preferred to wait.

Totally normal, nothing to do with the Black Library or Games Workshop, it's standard behaviour for all publishers.

ok ok ... I guess this was new to me.

So I stop buying the novellas ... I got it.

Thanks to all for spelling it out.

Niiru wrote:

 ClockworkZion wrote:
If anything it feels more like the BL is telling you to not buy the short story stuff because it'll come out later in a big book that will save you money on the short stories.

Kind of silly really.

Nope, again this is totally normal. Every publisher who releases short stories is likely to also release those short stories in later compendiums. They get released individually first to make some immediate money from the people who want those stories straight away. They then release the stories again in cheaper to make compendiums of multiple stories, in order to get some money from those who preferred to wait.

Totally normal, nothing to do with the Black Library or Games Workshop, it's standard behaviour for all publishers.

I don't follow most publishers like I do the Black Library so that might be why it stands out more.

Did you just make that up? We've had entire topics discussing piracy before with strong opinions from both sides. So long as you're not linking to it, I see nothing in the rules against it. We're the most intelligent species in the known universe, putting your fingers in your ears instead of just having a rational discussion on such topics just leads to the spread of ignorance.

No, to be fair I did post a link to a site where you can get "backups" from... but saw sense and took it down : )

?? Yea


Automatically Appended Next Post:
What's the issue, you wait longer . Company offers better deal for hesitant costumers. Extremely standard practice?

There is of course a legal, free option. It's called a library....

Index, codex, rulebook, chapter approved... wish it was only twice

bolter_fodder wrote:
ok ok ... I guess this was new to me.

So I stop buying the novellas ... I got it.

Thanks to all for spelling it out.

It's the same with PC games. If you guy the game, and then buy all the DLC as it comes out, you know there is eventually going to be a edition at some point that includes all the DLC.

So, if you're driven by saving money, wait until the collected edtion comes out. If you're driven by playing as soon as it drops, then you should buy them right away... and try to remember that some of the value in doing in that way is getting it right away.

I've found that many things in life are improved when you apostatise from the cult of the new. TV shows are available without having to wait each week, novels series are all out already. Things are bundled together in omnibus collections. Graphic novels collect large amounts of comics together for cheap. Poor and good games have already been through the gauntlet of reviews from other players.

On the warhammer side of things, the newer armies are often more expensive, don't have start collecting boxes, often have fewer units and so forth. For the novels, there are collections and bundles available that drastically lower the price and you aren't going to buy individual short stories and then have the issue of them taking up pages in a book you buy to get other short stories.

In October the Beast Arises comes out in three volumes instead of 12. Total cost will be $68 instead of $204.

stroller wrote:
There is of course a legal, free option. It's called a library....

I was saddened to find out that my local one doesn't carry the Horus Heresy books. Which shot my idea of reading them over the span of a couple months to get caught up for the Siege of Terra right in the foot.

EDIT: It should be said that with my reading habit I can't afford to fully support it and my 40k habit. I'm a book hoarder if given half a chance to be honest.

On a similar tangent, I find the audiobooks to priced absurdly. I went to go pay for it, then was hit with the prices. $100 for an audiobook, yikes. I get it, you have to hire a voice actor to do a gakload of lines, yes. But charge us for that, don't charge for the cost of the book on top of that, it's not as though a purchase of the audiobook invalidates the investment you made into the physical book. Just one more thing that I'm going to find alternative means of enjoying.

I find it annoying that they seem to have something against short stories. There's at least five books I can't read because I'm weird and don't like audio/ebooks.

Even audioble has audio books at a high price - I think that even with the increase in popularity the audiobook is still a very niche product line - plus Amazon wants you to subscribe rather than buy into (continual drip feed is often more profitable long term for mass market).

Also Audio book prices have always surprised me when one considers that games and films both have way more audio recording and yet are priced far lower. Music though isn't far off most audio books - though for 1 book you'd get perhaps 3 albums on CD.

pm713 wrote:
I find it annoying that they seem to have something against short stories. There's at least five books I can't read because I'm weird and don't like audio/ebooks.

Have you ever used a Kindle before? Not one of the tablets or a phone but an actual e-reader? The BL range is on Amazon so you can get them easily from there for a Kindle and the e-ink is utterly outstanding to read on. A paperwhite is as good as reading from a book with the bonus of a backlight to aid reading (great at night when indoor lighting might not be as bright as desired).

I've used a Kindle a little bit and I was not really a fan of it. I know that it's an irrational thing but I am real books all the way.

pm713 wrote:
I've used a Kindle a little bit and I was not really a fan of it. I know that it's an irrational thing but I am real books all the way.

Not irrational at all, I still love books. And for anything reference like or that is a reference book I vastly prefer book over ebook.
To me ebooks currently work best for a novel where you read start to finish and don't need to page flip. That said I still love my kindle; being able to carry books on a train or on travels or just reading in bed with the room light off and not having to get out of bed to fiddle with the light switch (esp on very cold wintery nights).

 Overread wrote:


Also Audio book prices have always surprised me when one considers that games and films both have way more audio recording and yet are priced far lower. Music though isn't far off most audio books - though for 1 book you'd get perhaps 3 albums on CD.

They definitely have more audio recording than movies. You have like over 10 hrs of straight voice audio in some of these audiobooks, even if every single second of a movie was dialogue it wouldn't be a fraction of that. However, audio goes hand in hand with visual on movies, so it's much more expensive to film than hiring a voice actor, so your point still stands. Those audiobooks are not priced at all realistically.

 SHUPPET wrote:

 Overread wrote:


Also Audio book prices have always surprised me when one considers that games and films both have way more audio recording and yet are priced far lower. Music though isn't far off most audio books - though for 1 book you'd get perhaps 3 albums on CD.

They definitely have more audio recording than movies. You have like over 10 hrs of straight voice audio in some of these audiobooks, even if every single second of a movie was dialogue it wouldn't be a fraction of that. However, audio goes hand in hand with visual on movies, so it's much more expensive to film than hiring a voice actor, so your point still stands. Those audiobooks are not priced at all realistically.

My only conclusion is that the realistic angle is that audiobooks just sell to a tiny market fraction. Their high price helps keep them niche whilst groups like Amazon use it to help encourage more subscription based use instead of purchase based. There's certainly no reason to drive price down if your long term goal is to have people subscribing rather than buying individual books.

I mean if you're really jonsing you can always just get a free trial on Audible.

 BaconCatBug wrote:
I mean if you're really jonsing you can always just get a free trial on Audible.

Does it have all the Black Library content, and how much is an actual subscription if so?

 SHUPPET wrote:

 BaconCatBug wrote:
I mean if you're really jonsing you can always just get a free trial on Audible.

Does it have all the Black Library content, and how much is an actual subscription if so?

No idea. I know it has Horus Heresy stuff.