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last thread FYI : http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/2280/427644.page

This Friday sees the latest limited edition novella goes on sale. In the past this has normally gone up around 17;00ish.. but no need to rush, it'll be on sale for a while.

BL have .. sort of.... updated their coming soon page

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/coming-soon/

However, from Facebook " We've just updated our 'Coming Soon' section to cover releases up to August 2013. It is worth noting that Horus Heresy titles and Games Workshop Exclusives will not be added to this section, instead going on pre-order one week before their in store release dates."


.. ah well.

BL will also have a stand at Salute 2013, where there should be some pre/early release books available too.

Alright, I'm normally pretty on board with GW and BL but seriously, no information about HH books till a week before release is a bit daft and no publisher on earth does that. I guess because they aren't mass market to start with they'll be able to do it. I gotta say though that the odds of me knowing something is out to get it on my Nook are greatly diminished as I don't check the site often.

 reds8n wrote:
However, from Facebook " We've just updated our 'Coming Soon' section to cover releases up to August 2013. It is worth noting that Horus Heresy titles and Games Workshop Exclusives will not be added to this section, instead going on pre-order one week before their in store release dates."


.. ah well.

Wait, does this mean Black Library now also follow Games-Workshops secrecy policy, or something else?

And Black Library falls into the abyss that is GW's marketing strategy.

FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...

No doubt. I wonder how the Black Library's HH sales have been since they've gone to the Hard Back --> Trade Paper --> Mass Market PB publishing model?

err... it means that HH books and the BL exclusive ones will not be listed as coming soon on their site until 1 week prior to their release dates.

One wonders if we'll still be able to glean such information -- with regards to the HH series anyway -- from other sites ( Amazon et al ), and I can't see the authors suddenly clamming up more so than they are now.

Plus, to be fair, at events like BL Live, the forthcoming Weekender and the like BL generally have a spot where they reveal or talk about stuff not yet listed.

I think it's fair enough, and understandable, with regards to the exclusive books...does seem..... odd .. to do it with regards to the HH books.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
And Black Library falls into the abyss that is GW's marketing strategy.

FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...

Good thing GW doesn't read forums, or they would put an to that.

 reds8n wrote:
err... it means that HH books and the BL exclusive ones will not be listed as coming soon on their site until 1 week prior to their release dates.

Yeah, I picked up on that. :-) Unless you're replying to someone else.

If so, carry on!

If not, [BALETED].

Isn't GW's "marketing" policy (officially) because they don't want people to not buy products because they know new ones are coming out (e.g. not buying the old broadsides, because new ones are coming)?
If so, how does this relate to Black Library?!


Red's comment was in reference to me Kronk, don't worry!

I swear it is like they want the HH series to fail.

They just think they've found a way to maximize profits from the series.

Time will tell if they're right.

I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!

I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.

Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...

 Alpharius wrote:

I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!

I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.

I'm in that same boat!

 Alpharius wrote:

Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...

To continue my metaphor, the undersized fish are pitched over-board!

Yep, same here. With the hardback policy, limited edition novellas, and now this, I don't know if I'll continue with Black Library. I think Unremembered Empire will probably be the last book I purchase from them, which would then leave Dakka as my only connection to 40K.

Not sure how retailers are doing in regards to stocking the BL books, as WHSmiths, doesn;t seem to stock many at all anymore.

Went to Waterstones yesterday, and instead of coming out with 3-6 of the new releases, I left with 0, due to stupid sizing and HB nature of the book.

Sure it's anecdotal, I'm not sure that many in our circle buy them anymore either.

 Alpharius wrote:
They just think they've found a way to maximize profits from the series.

Time will tell if they're right.

I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!

I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.

Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...

You say that like it is a bad thing.

If you could have gotten reviews for "Battle for the Abyss" or "Fallen Angels" and "Descent of Angels" before the mass market paperbacks came out...
Imagine saving your brain from those atrocities!

I should further clarify so that I don't get the inevitable "Of course you like it, GW did this!".
If the Horus Heresy series were written by one or two authors with no breaks in continuity?
I would be pissed about this change.
But given that it's not and the quality varies wildly from book to book--I find it hard to get broken up over this change. I get to see a sampling of reviews from the community before I buy, assuming the books look interesting enough in the first place for someone to get drawn into them.

 Kanluwen wrote:

 Alpharius wrote:
They just think they've found a way to maximize profits from the series.

Time will tell if they're right.

I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!

I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.

Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...

You say that like it is a bad thing.

If you could have gotten reviews for "Battle for the Abyss" or "Fallen Angels" and "Descent of Angels" before the mass market paperbacks came out...
Imagine saving your brain from those atrocities!

I think the point is at one time we would have just been excited that a new HH book had come out, these days it's more an "Oh? Hardback huh... I guess I'll wait and if it's good I'll pick it up eventually."

 jonolikespie wrote:

 Kanluwen wrote:

 Alpharius wrote:
They just think they've found a way to maximize profits from the series.

Time will tell if they're right.

I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!

I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.

Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...

You say that like it is a bad thing.

If you could have gotten reviews for "Battle for the Abyss" or "Fallen Angels" and "Descent of Angels" before the mass market paperbacks came out...
Imagine saving your brain from those atrocities!

I think the point is at one time we would have just been excited that a new HH book had come out, these days it's more an "Oh? Hardback huh... I guess I'll wait and if it's good I'll pick it up eventually."

And I think the point even more is, that's probably not Black Library's intention as a business.

 reds8n wrote:
err... it means that HH books and the BL exclusive ones will not be listed as coming soon on their site until 1 week prior to their release dates.

One wonders if we'll still be able to glean such information -- with regards to the HH series anyway -- from other sites ( Amazon et al ), and I can't see the authors suddenly clamming up more so than they are now.

Plus, to be fair, at events like BL Live, the forthcoming Weekender and the like BL generally have a spot where they reveal or talk about stuff not yet listed.

I think it's fair enough, and understandable, with regards to the exclusive books...does seem..... odd .. to do it with regards to the HH books.

Read Red's post.

We'll still know when books are coming. It's not like the authors are going to hush up about these things. All it means is they're moving away from having the Horus Heresy titles and the Games Workshop "Exclusives" up before their in store release dates.

 Kanluwen wrote:
I should further clarify so that I don't get the inevitable "Of course you like it, GW did this!".
If the Horus Heresy series were written by one or two authors with no breaks in continuity?
I would be pissed about this change.
But given that it's not and the quality varies wildly from book to book--I find it hard to get broken up over this change. I get to see a sampling of reviews from the community before I buy, assuming the books look interesting enough in the first place for someone to get drawn into them.

For me, it's the opposite: at 8 pound a book, with the plot-critical content and interesting characters (typically) they provide, I would still purchase a novel. However, now reviews give me pre-conceptions of a book before I even read it, whilst a 9-month wait and inevitable spoilers decrease my enjoyment even further; particularly stemming from the forums in which I would previously discuss (and glean even greater enjoyment from) the novels.

Alpharius wrote:
I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!

This is essentially my exact thought. I have absolutely no interest in buying anything other than the trade paperbacks that comprise my collection to date. And I used to be on the waiting list (not that there was a huge waiting list) to buy the newest book in the series the day that it came in the store.
I have lost all excitement in the series now, I figure if I don't get excited and don't pay attention, then I won't be disappointed when they pull their shenanigans. Now I just go to the book store every six months or more, and if I see a paperback that I haven't bought yet - then it's a good day.

 reds8n wrote:
However, from Facebook " We've just updated our 'Coming Soon' section to cover releases up to August 2013. It is worth noting that Horus Heresy titles and Games Workshop Exclusives will not be added to this section, instead going on pre-order one week before their in store release dates." .. ah well.

This is only true in the strict sense that BL will not announce the Horus Heresy titles more than a week ahead of time. However, since all titles that are not exclusively sold through GW and BL are also sold through major book sellers one can easily see those titles MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME at other sites.

Example, The Mark of Calth (Horus Heresy) will be released to the book trade this coming August. Horus Heresy: Visions of Heresy (art book) will be released to the book trade this coming October. I advance ordered The Sigillite (The Horus Heresy) audio drama weeks ahead of release date through a 3rd party book seller.

Not sure if these have been posted in the old thread, but found these on Amazon:

Honour to the Dead: As Calth burns, the Battle Titans of the Fire Masters legion take to the streets of the city of Ithraca, ready to massacre the fleeing civilian population in the name of their new, dark masters. But the remaining loyalist engines of the Legio Praesagius - the True Messengers - still stand ready to defend the Imperium, even in the face of almost certain death. With the nearby Ultramarines forces scattered and lost, the people of Ithraca must fend for themselves as gigantic war machines unleash apocalyptic weaponry across the ravaged skyline... (Release 17th September)

Vulkan Lives: In the wake of the Dropsite Massacre at Isstvan V, the survivors of the Salamanders Legion searched long and hard for their fallen primarch, but to no avail. Little did they know that while Vulkan might have wished himself dead, he lives still. As the war continues without him, all eyes turn to Ultramar and Guilliman's new empire there, and Vulkan's sons are drawn into an insidious plot to end the Heresy by the most underhand means imaginable. 416 pages. (Release 21st November)

Redemption: No information on this but it's 700 pages long. (Release 4th June). Looking at the picture it looks like a new cover for the first Soul Drinkers Omni bus.

Lords of Mars : Again no info except that it's 320 pages. (Release 17th September)

Salamanders: The Omnibus : After the death of their captain at the hands of a traitorous brother, Da'kir and Tsu'gan, battle-brothers and rivals, face enemies from within and without. As their paths diverge and they face trials that will test them to their very limits, their destinies draw them back together for one final confrontation that will decide the fate of the Salamanders Chapter. Omnibus edition containing the novels Salamander, Firedrake, and Nocturne. 768 pages. (Release 26th September)

Concerning obligatory unwanted 3-D:

I just found out that there is no way for me to order e-books with my credit card, because they now only accept so-called 3D-Secure payment. That means they want me to apply for a t-TAN, wait several days, then to create an online-banking account, then apply for a I-TAN, then wait several days, then always carry this I-TAN something with you when you want to make a payment of 5 GBP.

Credit card company says, there is no other procedure, Black Library says there is no other prodedure. I'll pass.

BTW is it technically and/or legally possible that someone else buys them for me and gives me the download rights or transfers them to me or just sends the downloads to me?

At least the Warlord Titans are the right style in HONOUR TO THE DEAD...

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
And Black Library falls into the abyss that is GW's marketing strategy.

FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...

Pretty much this. Only a year ago BL was doing great. It's amazing how quickly they fell apart. You can see the evolution in my local bookstore. A year ago a substantial part of the Fantasy & Sci-Fi section was BL products, including posters and signs advertising it. All the new products each month were lined up nicely in their own exclusive holder. Now, the "new" section still has Path of the Outcast and Siege of Castellax and its shrunk to about 1 and a half shelfs.

 Harriticus wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
And Black Library falls into the abyss that is GW's marketing strategy.

FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...

Pretty much this. Only a year ago BL was doing great. It's amazing how quickly they fell apart. You can see the evolution in my local bookstore. A year ago a substantial part of the Fantasy & Sci-Fi section was BL products, including posters and signs advertising it. All the new products each month were lined up nicely in their own exclusive holder. Now, the "new" section still has Path of the Outcast and Siege of Castellax and its shrunk to about 1 and a half shelfs.

But apparently it is working really well for them still?

Who knows!

I want that Lords of Mars book. Mechanicum + Black Templars? Yay!

 Kanluwen wrote:

 Alpharius wrote:
They just think they've found a way to maximize profits from the series.

Time will tell if they're right.

I don't think they are, because I can tell you that I have pretty much stopped paying attention to the whole thing, and I was at the front of the line wanting these books a yer or so ago!

I'd have bought them all - if they were for sale up front.

Now, with the benefit of reviews and such, the clunkers will be left on the shelves...

You say that like it is a bad thing.

If you could have gotten reviews for "Battle for the Abyss" or "Fallen Angels" and "Descent of Angels" before the mass market paperbacks came out...
Imagine saving your brain from those atrocities!

I should further clarify so that I don't get the inevitable "Of course you like it, GW did this!".
If the Horus Heresy series were written by one or two authors with no breaks in continuity?
I would be pissed about this change.
But given that it's not and the quality varies wildly from book to book--I find it hard to get broken up over this change. I get to see a sampling of reviews from the community before I buy, assuming the books look interesting enough in the first place for someone to get drawn into them.

That's fair enough, but I think a lot of people were previously buying everything that came out in the HH series. And it's not like the books you've mentioned were so terrible that they were unreadable (I would argue that there is something for the HH fan in every book released so far )
At least, I know I was buying everything before.. I'd be in the town on a Saturday every couple of weeks or so, and if a new HH book was on the shelf when I popped in to Waterstones or WH Smiths then I would pick it up.

All of this, the hardbacks, the larger softbacks, and now the lack of forewarning of new releases all seems to make it harder for (the casual buyer at least) to pick up the books or know where the hell they are in terms of collecting. Yes, there are the serious nutters who scour Aaron Dembski Bowden's blog 5 times a day for updates, and note down in the margins type of bolt shell used and their effects on greenskins, but surely they must only be a minority of the overall sales. Which is curious, because it seems that BL strategy now; of overpriced, limited edition snippets of the Heresy, is aimed almost entirely at them, with the previous softbacks coming trundling along months or even years later to zero fanfare.

I was really into this series before, and they've lost me. I'm not quite sure what their intent is, or the logic behind it, but I certainly can't see it.

 Harriticus wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
And Black Library falls into the abyss that is GW's marketing strategy.

FW stands alone as the only sane section of that whole damned company...

Pretty much this. Only a year ago BL was doing great. It's amazing how quickly they fell apart. You can see the evolution in my local bookstore. A year ago a substantial part of the Fantasy & Sci-Fi section was BL products, including posters and signs advertising it. All the new products each month were lined up nicely in their own exclusive holder. Now, the "new" section still has Path of the Outcast and Siege of Castellax and its shrunk to about 1 and a half shelfs.

My own experience echoes this.

When I worked at Borders, the BL section was as large as the Star Wars section, which is the biggest SF tie-in novel section (one full shelf unit minus top shelf and with one BL-centric face-out shelf). Their sales warranted, although I helped by handselling Eisenhorn to SW fans like a mofo, but BL was mostly carried by the success of the HH series and big BL authors. The B&N across the street gave BL four full shelves (which is astounding for them).

Now, B&N give BL two full shelves, one HH and one everything else, and I swear they haven't moved 90% of their stock in 6 months or more. (I go there a lot because I still like to keep up on the industry in my own sad way.) They still get the new stuff and promote it. It just doesn't seem to sell anymore, either.

My personal feelings are that BL has just killed their brand. I used to buy every book published by them. Every one. Even when I no longer had a bookseller discount, I kept up on the series. Many SF and F fan sites would discuss the ramifications of the latest HH book, or the snippets of background in non-HH 40k novels. There were lively discussions on modelling sites, Star Wars sites, Space Battle sites, etc. After BL started staggering the releases, the conversations died off. Usually one or two people who bought the books from BL direct or online would spoil everything, and a month later the people who bought from a GW store would chime in if there was anything to add, then a month after that the books would show up at a local bookstore, but the conversation was dead, so why bother?

It seems like this has happened on every forum that used to discuss BL products. No one talks about HH anymore. The new Eisenhorn cash-in isn't generating any interest. Gaunt's Ghosts have been exorcised. Ciaphas Cain has retired. No one cares like they used to. BL is bleeding out customers.

Also, I have to wonder at a mentality policy that would sabotage a system that generated numerous NYT Bestsellers. That kind of publicity and "prestige" is priceless. And BL just threw it all away! What the hell were they thinking?

Sub'd.

Can not wait for Vulkan Lives, that's going to be a fantastic book, and as it's written by Mr Kyme im sure I won't be disappointed.

Was in wh smiths yesterday. They had less than half a shelf, comprising only single copies of older titles. I knew they'd stopped selling WD though has this extended to the full BL range now?