Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.
I MISS THE DAYS WHEN SPECIAL EDITIONS WERE SPECIAL
Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about how much money I’m spending on books, a line of thought which inevitably arrives at one of my biggest expenses over the last few years – special edition Black Library books (variously called Special Edition, Limited Edition, First Edition…). I’ve been planning to blog about special editions for a while now, but I’ve been finding it tricky to work out how to get my thoughts down into sensibly and thoroughly, so what I’m going to do in this post is take a look at just one issue that’s been bugging me for a while – the fact that special editions don’t really feel special any more. I might wright up some wider thoughts at some point, but for the time being I’m going to try and stick to this one point.
Over the last few years whenever there’s been the opportunity to buy a special edition of a book I have, for the most part, taken that opportunity despite the pain caused to my wallet. That has generally been a price I’ve (literally) been willing to pay because the special editions have been beautiful books which have given me enjoyment to read, and just to own. If I could go back in time to make decisions again, there are very few of the special editions that I would choose not to buy. Recently, however, I’ve been finding it difficult to make those decisions – or rather, the value judgements I’m faced with as to whether to buy a £40 hardback over an £18 hardback (or an even cheaper ebook).
Most of the special editions that BL release are genuinely lovely books, and fundamentally I’m happy to pay £40 for them, because they’re worth it. They HAVE to feel exclusive, though, and they HAVE to offer me the things I’m looking for in a special edition. The best of the BL special editions are, first and foremost, books that feels great to hold and read. They feature beautiful design, taking in the cover and the page edges (and preferably the pages themselves), and they look unique. They make great centerpieces of a collection – the books you look at on the shelf and think “wow, that looks gorgeous!” It’s important to me that they feel like the standout pieces in my collection, and that means they need to be special, and to be uncommon. In other words, there shouldn’t be too many of them.
I could write a whole post about the subjective value of special editions (I might actually do that) but at the moment I think the biggest bugbear I have is that there are SO MANY of them now that I’m just not really excited about getting them any more. As I’m writing this, I’m waiting to get hold of a copy of Chris Wraight’s The Lords of Silence, which I decided to order in standard edition rather than go for the £40 Special Edition. I’m also looking ahead to the next few months’ worth of upcoming BL releases and the Special Edition of Robbie MacNiven’s Blood of Iax alongside the Limited Edition of Guy Haley’s Corax: Lord of Shadows…both of which I’m planning on picking up in standard edition (eventually, in the case of Corax). There are some books that I know are coming out in the near future and I’m slightly dreading the thought of the special editions…
Why? Because I’ve already bought so many special editions this year, and as a result I’m feeling a bit burned out. “Oh right, ANOTHER special edition to fork out £40 for. What’s special about this one?” That might sound a bit dramatic, but a quick trawl through the spreadsheet where I keep track of BL releases (nerd, I know) shows that between January 2017 and November 2018 BL have, or will have, released TWENTY-FIVE Special Edition or Limited edition books. That’s assuming they don’t spring any surprise extras on us before the end of November. Twenty-five. That’s a total cost of £1,050 if you were to buy them all – twenty-three at £40 plus The Magos at £45 and The Warmaster at £85.
Over A THOUSAND POUNDS in less than two years?! That’s a lot of money if you want to get the lot. Personally, I decided from the off not to go for the Limited Editions of the Primarchs novels, so that’s eight taken off the list, but seventeen is still a lot! Now, I suppose you could argue that if one has the money to buy all these posh books then that’s great, and if one doesn’t then it’s just a case of prioritising and only buying those that are most interesting, but I’m not sure I really buy that argument. Strip out the financial aspect, and you’ve still got a release schedule averaging more than one special edition per month. That’s a lot of demand to sustain year on year, right?
Speaking of demand, let’s take a look at that as well. Back when special editions were still a rarity, every time a new Horus Heresy novella or a beautiful new hardback novel was announced BL would give it a big push online, we would all get excited about picking it up, and they would sell out immediately. Often, the BL website would struggle under the load of so many simultaneous transactions. Why? Because each one was a special event as well as a special edition. It felt exciting. I would be waiting anxiously at my computer as the on-sale time approached, ready to hit refresh and get my order completed. I remember being hugely excited to get hold of my copy of Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s The Talon of Horus special edition, which sold out SO QUICKLY because everyone was so hyped.
Fast forward to August 2017 and the LONG-awaited release of the sequel, Black Legion. The same beautiful styling. Exclusive short story. Limited to 2,000 copies. £40. Buy the SE hardback and get the ebook for half price. Once again, I remember waiting with bated breath for it to go on sale, and rushing to buy my copy. I needn’t have bothered. Twelve months later, and it’s still available to order on BL’s website. I mean…WHAT?! This is a book that fans had been waiting to read for years, the sequel to one of the finest 40k books ever written, by one of the most popular authors writing for BL…and in twelve months the special edition has sold fewer than 2,000 copies? That’s bonkers.
That’s supply and demand! It’s the same with Dan Abnett’s The Warmaster, which came out to great fanfare in December 2017…in a replica ammo crate, with a load of extra bits and pieces, for £85. Out of 2,500 copies it’s still showing up on the BL website with a ‘Fewer than 1,000 copies left’ note on it. Okay, so selling 1.5k copies of a £40 or £85 book obviously does net BL a decent amount of money, but it’s clear that special editions are not selling as well as BL would hope any more. After all, the whole point of releasing something ‘exclusive’ like a special edition is to cap the supply below the level of demand, in order to get it to sell out. That’s not often happening anymore, or at least not immediately – just take a look at any of the Exclusives sections on the BL site and you’ll see plenty of special editions still available.
That just feels like a real shame to me, and I find it hard to believe that the reason for the lower sales is anything other than an overabundance of special editions. Whether fans are getting priced out because they can’t afford all those £40 books, or getting fed up with them not feeling special anymore (or any other reason), I just don’t feel like BL have got the balance right at the moment. I’m a huge fan of BL, and always will be, so I want them to get this right. I don’t want this post to feel like an endless stream of criticism – I really WANT to get back to a point where I’m excited about getting hold of special editions again, to add a little splash of something extra to my collection.
So what’s the solution, then? Well, I don’t know. It seems to me that BL are going down the path of releasing increasing numbers of special editions to compensate for the relative underperformance of each one, sales-wise, but that doesn’t feel like a good solution to me. Not to mention the concern that the first book in a series will be released in special edition and then subsequent books won’t, which has been the case so far with the Fabius Bile, Horusian Wars and Dark Imperium series. Presumably that’s because the first book didn’t sell well enough, which is fair enough, and I appreciate that the nature of publishing means that it’s often not possible to know about these things in advance. Now that fans have wised up to what’s happening, though, it’s just another reason to be wary of buying a special edition if it’s the first in a series.
I just can’t see the current strategy leading to a situation where we – the fans – get genuinely excited about special editions again. I can see there’s also a temptation to make ‘bigger and better’ special editions complete with swanky boxes and extra gubbins, but I think that’s dangerous too. Look at The Warmaster – it’s too expensive, and the extra bits and pieces are nice but not what’s important. We’re BOOK fans, after all. Give us beautiful BOOKS, not boxes that won’t fit on the shelf properly. Don’t even get me started on Limited Editions coming out months before standard editions, as that just feels like holding fans to ransom.
I can just about cope with the Primarchs series, partly because a three month wait isn’t that bad and partly because it was clear up front that there would be (at least) eighteen of them, and there was no way I could justify spending £720 on eighteen Limited Edition short novels. I was disappointed when David Annandale’s Neferata: Mortarch of Blood came out in Limited Edition and there was no communication from BL about when the standard version would be released. As it was, that was a three month gap as well, but it really should have been made clear in advance. At Black Library Live earlier in the year there was talk of upcoming books being released in Limited Edition SIX MONTHS before the standard edition comes out, and I simply don’t agree with that. What’s the point, other than to pressure the most dedicated (or weak-willed) fans into paying more than they really want to?
I’m obviously not involved in BL’s decision-making process, and I don’t have sales data to base decisions on, but it seems to me that BL could do with thinking about sustainability. I understand the desire to sell more expensive versions of books, as it’s a good way of front-loading the life cycle of each book with some extra sales, and I also get that simply reducing the number available (from 2,000 down to 1,000, for example) isn’t necessarily the answer. There’s a vigorous secondary market for special editions (and often normal hardbacks, too) which sees them regularly change hands for ridiculous sums, none of which reaches BL, so it’s sensible to try and make sure as much money flows to the publisher and authors as possible. Surely it’s important to think longer term as well, though?
The Primarchs series is about halfway through now, so we know that there are going to be Limited Editions for each of the remaining novels – that’s not going to change, and nor should it at this point. If the Heresy has taught us anything it’s that fans value consistency across a series! There’s an opportunity, however, to pull back a little on the frequency at which other special editions are released, and to improve the communication about what each edition contains, when they’re going to be released and what’s going to happen next.
If I knew that there was going to be a beautiful special edition made available roughly every couple of months, that I had the choice of getting that or going for the standard edition at the point of release, that I could find out in advance exactly what extras it might include, then chances are I’d plan ahead and make sure I could buy all of them. I might even buy both editions – the special edition to read in the comfort of my home and the standard to take with me on the train into work every day. If that all meant I could say with confidence that each book in a series would have the same style and format, all the better! Equally, if I knew that only the first book would get the special treatment, I’d still be able to make an informed decision.
Would all of that contribute to greater demand for the books which do get special editions, and generate enough sales to compensate for fewer special editions being released? I don’t know. Nobody knows. Ultimately, however, the way I see special editions is that they should be about making money for the publisher and the authors, sure, but they should also be about looking after the most dedicated fans. Maybe that’s a bit naive of me, I don’t know. I do think that something needs to be done, however, if BL want to avoid finding themselves in a position where they lose the trust and confidence of their customers. I REALLY don’t want that to happen. I want to be able to look at upcoming Black Library releases and feel excited again, and I genuinely hope that happens!
I appreciate this is a total first world problem, and ultimately I can just speak with my wallet and stop buying special editions if necessary (which I’d be really sad to do). It’s been on my mind for a while, however, so I wanted to put some thoughts down and see where that gets me. Writing this has taken me WAY longer than I expected, and generated a load of thoughts and ideas which didn’t fit into this post, and which I might at some point put down in a separate article. Whatever happens, I hope all of the Black Library authors keep writing great stories, as in the end I’m still going to keep buying them in one format or another!
I’d be interested to know what you think about this – are there too many special editions? Are they too expensive, or too fancy? Do you disagree, and wish there were even more? Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below, or by finding me on Facebook or Twitter.
between January 2017 and November 2018 BL have, or will have, released TWENTY-FIVE Special Edition or Limited edition books. That’s assuming they don’t spring any surprise extras on us before the end of November. Twenty-five. That’s a total cost of £1,050 if you were to buy them all – twenty-three at £40 plus The Magos at £45 and The Warmaster at £85.
ouch.
Overall ... I agree.
i think the situation is a lot better than in the days with the site crashing due to demand , but I buy few/less special editions -- maybe if I'm at an event -- and I certainly do not agree/like with the whole special edition 6 months before the regular hardback edition.
I've picked up a few hardback editions -- and there's a couple of series I'm content enough to do that for, but certainly wish they cut back on them and released more paperback stuff first/earlier.
Plus I have to say I often think their release schedule is very cluttered/confusing or unclear -- and I don't think all thse limited edition help really.
I also am a bit "worried" -- 1st world probs. etc etc -- about the siege arc/story in the HH.
We touched earlier upon the format -- or lack thereof possibly -- the books will take.
Seige of Terra : The Solar War which will, presumably, see us get some more info about the series.
But note on the Saturday -- see pic below -- now I don't think these will be special or limited edition -- could even be just a way to squeeze some last stories out of the existing HH series -- IIRC Mr Abnett was tapped up to do the/a Dreadwing story at one part -- but I hope to heck and back that the siege series will not be slowed or bulked down with endless spin offs and tie ins and so forth.
I'm already prepared for the inevitable hardback release first -- but really hope they do keep the MMPB format going.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/09/01 10:01:41
The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all
We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.
"the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king,
2018/09/01 10:58:56
Subject: Re:Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
I so want to be wrong, but I predict that the Siege of Terra will not be published in MMPB format, or 'legacy' as they call it. Having faithfully stayed with that format from the beginning, because that was the only format it was published in, I shall be mightily off if I can't complete the HH series in the same format. That's to say nothing about their decision to stop the Horus Heresy right at the point it's all been building towards.
"Bloody typical, they've gone back to metric without telling us."
"As the days go by, we face the increasing inevitability that we are alone in a godless, uninhabited, hostile and meaningless universe. Still, you've got to laugh haven't you?"
"We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!"
"Mind the oranges Marlon!"
2018/09/01 14:25:01
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
I don't think I'm being too harsh in saying you could lose a third of the stories, if not more. I hope the final chapters of this epic aren't as pointlessly padded.
"Bloody typical, they've gone back to metric without telling us."
"As the days go by, we face the increasing inevitability that we are alone in a godless, uninhabited, hostile and meaningless universe. Still, you've got to laugh haven't you?"
"We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!"
"Mind the oranges Marlon!"
2018/09/01 19:55:59
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
I'm sure there's a list out there that trims the entire series down to the essential novels.
To date I have 42 novels, six novellas, one graphic novel and one art book (the first one). Still need to properly dig into the last ten or so books, though I did pick apart the last few anthology novels. Despite that, I'm more or less compulsively preordering legacy format novels as they become available over at the Book Depository.
I am taking a break from Horusian Wars: Incarnation in favour of Shadowsword, which is okay, but nothing too super. About a hundred or so pages left on that one before it's back to either Incarnation or starting on the Tainted Heart. If only Covenant wasn't such a plank of a character IMHO.
I MISS THE DAYS WHEN SPECIAL EDITIONS WERE SPECIAL
Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about how much money I’m spending on books, a line of thought which inevitably arrives at one of my biggest expenses over the last few years – special edition Black Library books (variously called Special Edition, Limited Edition, First Edition…). I’ve been planning to blog about special editions for a while now, but I’ve been finding it tricky to work out how to get my thoughts down into sensibly and thoroughly, so what I’m going to do in this post is take a look at just one issue that’s been bugging me for a while – the fact that special editions don’t really feel special any more. I might wright up some wider thoughts at some point, but for the time being I’m going to try and stick to this one point.
Over the last few years whenever there’s been the opportunity to buy a special edition of a book I have, for the most part, taken that opportunity despite the pain caused to my wallet. That has generally been a price I’ve (literally) been willing to pay because the special editions have been beautiful books which have given me enjoyment to read, and just to own. If I could go back in time to make decisions again, there are very few of the special editions that I would choose not to buy. Recently, however, I’ve been finding it difficult to make those decisions – or rather, the value judgements I’m faced with as to whether to buy a £40 hardback over an £18 hardback (or an even cheaper ebook).
Most of the special editions that BL release are genuinely lovely books, and fundamentally I’m happy to pay £40 for them, because they’re worth it. They HAVE to feel exclusive, though, and they HAVE to offer me the things I’m looking for in a special edition. The best of the BL special editions are, first and foremost, books that feels great to hold and read. They feature beautiful design, taking in the cover and the page edges (and preferably the pages themselves), and they look unique. They make great centerpieces of a collection – the books you look at on the shelf and think “wow, that looks gorgeous!” It’s important to me that they feel like the standout pieces in my collection, and that means they need to be special, and to be uncommon. In other words, there shouldn’t be too many of them.
I could write a whole post about the subjective value of special editions (I might actually do that) but at the moment I think the biggest bugbear I have is that there are SO MANY of them now that I’m just not really excited about getting them any more. As I’m writing this, I’m waiting to get hold of a copy of Chris Wraight’s The Lords of Silence, which I decided to order in standard edition rather than go for the £40 Special Edition. I’m also looking ahead to the next few months’ worth of upcoming BL releases and the Special Edition of Robbie MacNiven’s Blood of Iax alongside the Limited Edition of Guy Haley’s Corax: Lord of Shadows…both of which I’m planning on picking up in standard edition (eventually, in the case of Corax). There are some books that I know are coming out in the near future and I’m slightly dreading the thought of the special editions…
Why? Because I’ve already bought so many special editions this year, and as a result I’m feeling a bit burned out. “Oh right, ANOTHER special edition to fork out £40 for. What’s special about this one?” That might sound a bit dramatic, but a quick trawl through the spreadsheet where I keep track of BL releases (nerd, I know) shows that between January 2017 and November 2018 BL have, or will have, released TWENTY-FIVE Special Edition or Limited edition books. That’s assuming they don’t spring any surprise extras on us before the end of November. Twenty-five. That’s a total cost of £1,050 if you were to buy them all – twenty-three at £40 plus The Magos at £45 and The Warmaster at £85.
Over A THOUSAND POUNDS in less than two years?! That’s a lot of money if you want to get the lot. Personally, I decided from the off not to go for the Limited Editions of the Primarchs novels, so that’s eight taken off the list, but seventeen is still a lot! Now, I suppose you could argue that if one has the money to buy all these posh books then that’s great, and if one doesn’t then it’s just a case of prioritising and only buying those that are most interesting, but I’m not sure I really buy that argument. Strip out the financial aspect, and you’ve still got a release schedule averaging more than one special edition per month. That’s a lot of demand to sustain year on year, right?
Speaking of demand, let’s take a look at that as well. Back when special editions were still a rarity, every time a new Horus Heresy novella or a beautiful new hardback novel was announced BL would give it a big push online, we would all get excited about picking it up, and they would sell out immediately. Often, the BL website would struggle under the load of so many simultaneous transactions. Why? Because each one was a special event as well as a special edition. It felt exciting. I would be waiting anxiously at my computer as the on-sale time approached, ready to hit refresh and get my order completed. I remember being hugely excited to get hold of my copy of Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s The Talon of Horus special edition, which sold out SO QUICKLY because everyone was so hyped.
Fast forward to August 2017 and the LONG-awaited release of the sequel, Black Legion. The same beautiful styling. Exclusive short story. Limited to 2,000 copies. £40. Buy the SE hardback and get the ebook for half price. Once again, I remember waiting with bated breath for it to go on sale, and rushing to buy my copy. I needn’t have bothered. Twelve months later, and it’s still available to order on BL’s website. I mean…WHAT?! This is a book that fans had been waiting to read for years, the sequel to one of the finest 40k books ever written, by one of the most popular authors writing for BL…and in twelve months the special edition has sold fewer than 2,000 copies? That’s bonkers.
That’s supply and demand! It’s the same with Dan Abnett’s The Warmaster, which came out to great fanfare in December 2017…in a replica ammo crate, with a load of extra bits and pieces, for £85. Out of 2,500 copies it’s still showing up on the BL website with a ‘Fewer than 1,000 copies left’ note on it. Okay, so selling 1.5k copies of a £40 or £85 book obviously does net BL a decent amount of money, but it’s clear that special editions are not selling as well as BL would hope any more. After all, the whole point of releasing something ‘exclusive’ like a special edition is to cap the supply below the level of demand, in order to get it to sell out. That’s not often happening anymore, or at least not immediately – just take a look at any of the Exclusives sections on the BL site and you’ll see plenty of special editions still available.
That just feels like a real shame to me, and I find it hard to believe that the reason for the lower sales is anything other than an overabundance of special editions. Whether fans are getting priced out because they can’t afford all those £40 books, or getting fed up with them not feeling special anymore (or any other reason), I just don’t feel like BL have got the balance right at the moment. I’m a huge fan of BL, and always will be, so I want them to get this right. I don’t want this post to feel like an endless stream of criticism – I really WANT to get back to a point where I’m excited about getting hold of special editions again, to add a little splash of something extra to my collection.
So what’s the solution, then? Well, I don’t know. It seems to me that BL are going down the path of releasing increasing numbers of special editions to compensate for the relative underperformance of each one, sales-wise, but that doesn’t feel like a good solution to me. Not to mention the concern that the first book in a series will be released in special edition and then subsequent books won’t, which has been the case so far with the Fabius Bile, Horusian Wars and Dark Imperium series. Presumably that’s because the first book didn’t sell well enough, which is fair enough, and I appreciate that the nature of publishing means that it’s often not possible to know about these things in advance. Now that fans have wised up to what’s happening, though, it’s just another reason to be wary of buying a special edition if it’s the first in a series.
I just can’t see the current strategy leading to a situation where we – the fans – get genuinely excited about special editions again. I can see there’s also a temptation to make ‘bigger and better’ special editions complete with swanky boxes and extra gubbins, but I think that’s dangerous too. Look at The Warmaster – it’s too expensive, and the extra bits and pieces are nice but not what’s important. We’re BOOK fans, after all. Give us beautiful BOOKS, not boxes that won’t fit on the shelf properly. Don’t even get me started on Limited Editions coming out months before standard editions, as that just feels like holding fans to ransom.
I can just about cope with the Primarchs series, partly because a three month wait isn’t that bad and partly because it was clear up front that there would be (at least) eighteen of them, and there was no way I could justify spending £720 on eighteen Limited Edition short novels. I was disappointed when David Annandale’s Neferata: Mortarch of Blood came out in Limited Edition and there was no communication from BL about when the standard version would be released. As it was, that was a three month gap as well, but it really should have been made clear in advance. At Black Library Live earlier in the year there was talk of upcoming books being released in Limited Edition SIX MONTHS before the standard edition comes out, and I simply don’t agree with that. What’s the point, other than to pressure the most dedicated (or weak-willed) fans into paying more than they really want to?
I’m obviously not involved in BL’s decision-making process, and I don’t have sales data to base decisions on, but it seems to me that BL could do with thinking about sustainability. I understand the desire to sell more expensive versions of books, as it’s a good way of front-loading the life cycle of each book with some extra sales, and I also get that simply reducing the number available (from 2,000 down to 1,000, for example) isn’t necessarily the answer. There’s a vigorous secondary market for special editions (and often normal hardbacks, too) which sees them regularly change hands for ridiculous sums, none of which reaches BL, so it’s sensible to try and make sure as much money flows to the publisher and authors as possible. Surely it’s important to think longer term as well, though?
The Primarchs series is about halfway through now, so we know that there are going to be Limited Editions for each of the remaining novels – that’s not going to change, and nor should it at this point. If the Heresy has taught us anything it’s that fans value consistency across a series! There’s an opportunity, however, to pull back a little on the frequency at which other special editions are released, and to improve the communication about what each edition contains, when they’re going to be released and what’s going to happen next.
If I knew that there was going to be a beautiful special edition made available roughly every couple of months, that I had the choice of getting that or going for the standard edition at the point of release, that I could find out in advance exactly what extras it might include, then chances are I’d plan ahead and make sure I could buy all of them. I might even buy both editions – the special edition to read in the comfort of my home and the standard to take with me on the train into work every day. If that all meant I could say with confidence that each book in a series would have the same style and format, all the better! Equally, if I knew that only the first book would get the special treatment, I’d still be able to make an informed decision.
Would all of that contribute to greater demand for the books which do get special editions, and generate enough sales to compensate for fewer special editions being released? I don’t know. Nobody knows. Ultimately, however, the way I see special editions is that they should be about making money for the publisher and the authors, sure, but they should also be about looking after the most dedicated fans. Maybe that’s a bit naive of me, I don’t know. I do think that something needs to be done, however, if BL want to avoid finding themselves in a position where they lose the trust and confidence of their customers. I REALLY don’t want that to happen. I want to be able to look at upcoming Black Library releases and feel excited again, and I genuinely hope that happens!
I appreciate this is a total first world problem, and ultimately I can just speak with my wallet and stop buying special editions if necessary (which I’d be really sad to do). It’s been on my mind for a while, however, so I wanted to put some thoughts down and see where that gets me. Writing this has taken me WAY longer than I expected, and generated a load of thoughts and ideas which didn’t fit into this post, and which I might at some point put down in a separate article. Whatever happens, I hope all of the Black Library authors keep writing great stories, as in the end I’m still going to keep buying them in one format or another!
I’d be interested to know what you think about this – are there too many special editions? Are they too expensive, or too fancy? Do you disagree, and wish there were even more? Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below, or by finding me on Facebook or Twitter.
between January 2017 and November 2018 BL have, or will have, released TWENTY-FIVE Special Edition or Limited edition books. That’s assuming they don’t spring any surprise extras on us before the end of November. Twenty-five. That’s a total cost of £1,050 if you were to buy them all – twenty-three at £40 plus The Magos at £45 and The Warmaster at £85.
ouch.
Overall ... I agree.
i think the situation is a lot better than in the days with the site crashing due to demand , but I buy few/less special editions -- maybe if I'm at an event -- and I certainly do not agree/like with the whole special edition 6 months before the regular hardback edition.
I've picked up a few hardback editions -- and there's a couple of series I'm content enough to do that for, but certainly wish they cut back on them and released more paperback stuff first/earlier.
Plus I have to say I often think their release schedule is very cluttered/confusing or unclear -- and I don't think all thse limited edition help really.
I also am a bit "worried" -- 1st world probs. etc etc -- about the siege arc/story in the HH.
We touched earlier upon the format -- or lack thereof possibly -- the books will take.
Seige of Terra : The Solar War which will, presumably, see us get some more info about the series.
But note on the Saturday -- see pic below -- now I don't think these will be special or limited edition -- could even be just a way to squeeze some last stories out of the existing HH series -- IIRC Mr Abnett was tapped up to do the/a Dreadwing story at one part -- but I hope to heck and back that the siege series will not be slowed or bulked down with endless spin offs and tie ins and so forth.
I'm already prepared for the inevitable hardback release first -- but really hope they do keep the MMPB format going.
So TLDR "I've bought every book they've released in SE format and can't fathom why they're releasing more and more in that format"
I'd only even CONSIDER a SE release for a book that was important, at least to me, in some way.
Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two
2018/09/02 09:19:33
Subject: Re:Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
Q: Thanks for all your awesome books on Space Wolves and White Scars. Do you have plans to return to Ingvar for a third Space Wolves novel?
A: Yes, I hope so. The schedules have defeated me many times, and I’m aware it’s been years waiting for Book III, and the galaxy itself has changed in the interim, but I do plan to finish the story when I can. I can’t promise when, but I am trying to find a slot.
which I'm very pleased about. Figured that series was going to be quietly forgotten about or ignored.
The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all
We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.
"the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king,
2018/09/02 09:24:16
Subject: Re:Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
Q: Thanks for all your awesome books on Space Wolves and White Scars. Do you have plans to return to Ingvar for a third Space Wolves novel?
A: Yes, I hope so. The schedules have defeated me many times, and I’m aware it’s been years waiting for Book III, and the galaxy itself has changed in the interim, but I do plan to finish the story when I can. I can’t promise when, but I am trying to find a slot.
which I'm very pleased about. Figured that series was going to be quietly forgotten about or ignored.
I am too, it's a good series.
Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two
2018/09/02 18:28:26
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
Wrapped up Shadowsword, it was okay. I'm guessing the final instalment (everything is a trilogy these days..!), probably titled Hellhammer, hasn't been announced yet.
Right, back to hammering my way through Incarnation then.
Fatum Iustum Stultorum
Fiat justitia ruat caelum
2018/09/02 19:27:44
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
So i can't make my mind up whether i want to spend £75 on going to the Black Library event this November.
Sure, i can imagine everything involving Brian Blessed would be absolutely hilarious (but definitely not PG) but, i can't help but think that i'm not going to get much out of the 2 days for the price.
2018/09/02 19:29:02
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
Never been to one, which is why i've been keeping an eye out for the next one, but, it's just seeming like a large expenditure overall for not exactly a lot.
2018/09/02 19:50:57
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
That's the seminar list of events and also who will be signing at what times. The only downside is that they are running 3 at once in terms of seminars and the signing through the day at the same times - so you'd want to plan your time well to get a chance to see all there is to see.
I'd wager if those are worth the £75 for you then its worth getting and going - the Saturday evening events sound fun.
I am just waiting for the Emperor's Spear. Seems like the book that garnering the most interest as well as it is the only dark imperium book that is coming out soon.
From whom are unforgiven we bring the mercy of war.
2018/09/02 21:41:43
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
Track of words always has some good things to say when it comes to BL.
I’m a big Limited Edition fan and I pretty much buy them all. But like others have said I’m really annoyed they don’t complete series’s in limited editions. I sent them an email commenting on this after the second Horusian Wars came out and got a really rubbish wishywashy here’s their explanation
“We have a limited number of Special Edition books that we release each year across all our ranges. the decision on which books get a Special edition is something that is decided each year. What this means is that specific books are chosen to get a special edition print, but not all books in a series with get them.”
A good corporate reply that means nothing. Is it putting me off buying them? Absolutely, I haven’t stopped yet but I’m getting pretty fed up with something I really like. I was also pretty annoyed the new Cain book didn’t get a special edition. It’s by a much loved long running author in an established series and yet Blood of Iax gets the works even though it’s by a new and relatively untested author. Seems a waste. Blood of Iax is one i won’t be buying. Blue just doesn’t fit the old world aesthetic of the others books.
The new seige series is starting soon and you can bet they will be getting a glorious special edition. But it will be starting on top of the primarchs, which I’ve been buying the specials eds of. So can I justify running another long running series at £40 a time. No.
Personally I see two avenues to move this dying horse.
One dramatically cut down on the number of special eds or my preferred option, drop the price to £30 and I bet they would sell. But since GW have zero tolerance for price drops, it’s just not in their DNA I can’t see this happening.
EAT - SLEEP - FARM - REPEAT
2018/09/03 00:16:01
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
BrookM wrote: Or it could be a proper AD-B release in quite some time now..! He has been hyping it for quite some time now on social media.
ADB's books are always good for a read, he's proably one of the most consistantly good writers in 40k, every other writer I;ve read has a lemon or two to their name, ADB I can't think of one
Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two
2018/09/03 05:51:04
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
I'll pick it up for sure but part of me wonders if it'll be the same checklist of oft-used tropes though.
One space marine surrounding himself with and befriending mortals for some reason, spaceships being described as sharks when they move through the void etc.
Fatum Iustum Stultorum
Fiat justitia ruat caelum
2018/09/03 12:10:36
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
BrookM wrote: I'll pick it up for sure but part of me wonders if it'll be the same checklist of oft-used tropes though.
One space marine surrounding himself with and befriending mortals for some reason, spaceships being described as sharks when they move through the void etc.
eh the friends with mortals thing I'll forgive as it allows a more intreasting cast of characters.
On another note Just finished reading the latest Ciaphas Cain novel "Choose your enemies" the book is.... classic Cain. An enjoyable read but if you didn't like the first few Cain novels there is nothing you'd find you like about these. Is worth mentioning it's the only Cain story I can think of where Cain fights the craftworld eldar.
Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two
2018/09/03 12:13:06
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
BrookM wrote: I'll pick it up for sure but part of me wonders if it'll be the same checklist of oft-used tropes though.
One space marine surrounding himself with and befriending mortals for some reason, spaceships being described as sharks when they move through the void etc.
eh the friends with mortals thing I'll forgive as it allows a more intreasting cast of characters.
On another note Just finished reading the latest Ciaphas Cain novel "Choose your enemies" the book is.... classic Cain. An enjoyable read but if you didn't like the first few Cain novels there is nothing you'd find you like about these. Is worth mentioning it's the only Cain story I can think of where Cain fights the craftworld eldar.
Excellent - will be buying this week - Is Amberley in it?
I AM A MARINE PLAYER
"Unimaginably ancient xenos artefact somewhere on the planet, hive fleet poised above our heads, hidden 'stealer broods making an early start....and now a bloody Chaos cult crawling out of the woodwork just in case we were bored. Welcome to my world, Ciaphas."
Inquisitor Amberley Vail, Ordo Xenos
"I will admit that some Primachs like Russ or Horus could have a chance against an unarmed 12 year old novice but, a full Battle Sister??!! One to one? In close combat? Perhaps three Primarchs fighting together... but just one Primarch?" da001
BrookM wrote: I'll pick it up for sure but part of me wonders if it'll be the same checklist of oft-used tropes though.
One space marine surrounding himself with and befriending mortals for some reason, spaceships being described as sharks when they move through the void etc.
eh the friends with mortals thing I'll forgive as it allows a more intreasting cast of characters.
On another note Just finished reading the latest Ciaphas Cain novel "Choose your enemies" the book is.... classic Cain. An enjoyable read but if you didn't like the first few Cain novels there is nothing you'd find you like about these. Is worth mentioning it's the only Cain story I can think of where Cain fights the craftworld eldar.
Excellent - will be buying this week - Is Amberley in it?
Yup.
Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two
2018/09/05 05:47:13
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
BrookM wrote: I'll pick it up for sure but part of me wonders if it'll be the same checklist of oft-used tropes though.
One space marine surrounding himself with and befriending mortals for some reason, spaceships being described as sharks when they move through the void etc.
eh the friends with mortals thing I'll forgive as it allows a more intreasting cast of characters.
On another note Just finished reading the latest Ciaphas Cain novel "Choose your enemies" the book is.... classic Cain. An enjoyable read but if you didn't like the first few Cain novels there is nothing you'd find you like about these. Is worth mentioning it's the only Cain story I can think of where Cain fights the craftworld eldar.
Excellent - will be buying this week - Is Amberley in it?
Yup.
Can’t wait to get into this
EAT - SLEEP - FARM - REPEAT
2018/09/05 06:17:34
Subject: Re:Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
BrookM wrote: I'll pick it up for sure but part of me wonders if it'll be the same checklist of oft-used tropes though.
One space marine surrounding himself with and befriending mortals for some reason, spaceships being described as sharks when they move through the void etc.
eh the friends with mortals thing I'll forgive as it allows a more intreasting cast of characters.
On another note Just finished reading the latest Ciaphas Cain novel "Choose your enemies" the book is.... classic Cain. An enjoyable read but if you didn't like the first few Cain novels there is nothing you'd find you like about these. Is worth mentioning it's the only Cain story I can think of where Cain fights the craftworld eldar.
Excellent - will be buying this week - Is Amberley in it?
Yup.
Can’t wait to get into this
yeah neither could I, I was hitting refresh refresh refresh around midnight on the BL website so I could get a electronic copy ASAP
Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two
2018/09/08 09:57:32
Subject: Re:Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
been some additions here,one suspects that some of these additions -- TitanDeath for example -- are actually out in December -- as previously stated.
One notes the Uriel Ventris collection vol 1 -- wonder if he is the "fan favourite" who is due a return -- make sense given the changes to the 40k setting/Ultramarines perhaps no ?
The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all
We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.
"the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king,
2018/09/08 10:21:19
Subject: Re:Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
been some additions here,one suspects that some of these additions -- TitanDeath for example -- are actually out in December -- as previously stated.
One notes the Uriel Ventris collection vol 1 -- wonder if he is the "fan favourite" who is due a return -- make sense given the changes to the 40k setting/Ultramarines perhaps no ?
Ventris has actually returned already to a degree, he's appered in Dark Imperium, could he be due a larger role in the sequal to it due out in October?
Opinions are not facts please don't confuse the two
2018/09/08 11:07:06
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
The new seige series is starting soon and you can bet they will be getting a glorious special edition. But it will be starting on top of the primarchs, which I’ve been buying the specials eds of. So can I justify running another long running series at £40 a time. No.
What’s the new ‘long running’ siege series?
I thought we were talking about the Siege of Terra final trilogy of HH?
Unless I’ve missed something being announced? Which is quite likely to be fair..
2018/09/08 11:33:35
Subject: Re:Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
Seems the siege will in fact be it's own series/spin off.
Length/number of books unknown to us currently.
The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all
We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.
"the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king,
2018/09/08 11:40:09
Subject: Black Library 2018 News & Rumor thread: Weekender tickets and info #18
-- about the siege arc/story in the 
off if I can't complete the 
Despite that, I'm more or less compulsively preordering legacy format novels as they become available over at the Book Depository.
