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Big Black Library Christmas day special announcement: the next HH novel is here....in ebook form only . Exactly whose idea it was to only release it as an ebook (to which I won't be bothering with) is anyone's guess, but it's clear to me that BL have absolutely no interest in keeping their fan base. The other day I wrote to BL and asked them why they refused to leak ANYTHING about upcoming HH releases until the day of its release, going further to say that, from a business point of view, it made absolutely no sense whatsoever. In their response they said "As you know, we do not leak details about upcoming Horus Heresy releases, which I'm sure you'll understand the reasons for". Well...no, I don't understand hence why I asked the question, but kudos for the transparent deflection, though.

I'm getting seriously ticked off with Black Library's treatment of loyal readers. I used to think that BL and Games Workshop was run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, but really they're nothing more than money-grabbing capitalists whose ONLY interest is minimum output for maximum profit. I don't know why I'm even surprised, I shouldn't be, given BL's growing reputation for not giving a toss about its fan base.

Pathetic..

I'm getting seriously ticked off with Black Library's treatment of loyal readers. I used to think that BL and Games Workshop was run by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, but really they're nothing more than money-grabbing capitalists whose ONLY interest is minimum output for maximum profit. I don't know why I'm even surprised, I shouldn't be, given BL's growing reputation for not giving a toss about its fan base.

What on Earth gave you that impression?

Totally agree, wish I would have seen this before I posted my angry rant about their new special program. Its 100 percent a money grab.

I agree. I used to preorder every single BL book that was printed, but now between Mass Market editions, Trade editions, Hardcover Editions, Limited editions, ebooks, enovellas, eshorts, audiobooks, etc., by the time the book I want to read is actually in a format that I want to own it in, I've lost interest--or I've heard all about it from the internet during the year I waited to get it.

I would estimate my spending on their books has dropped by 90%. Admittedly, about 40% of that drop was due to blowing up the Old World, but BL's endless money grabs and reluctance to actually sell product has killed so much of my purchasing too.

I don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for a limited edition--I'll just wait 2 or 3 years for the edition I want. During those years, BL will have one less fanboy telling other people how fantastic the book is.

I don't like audiobooks, at all, whatsoever. I have never bought one and never will, unless I go blind. BL could sell the book AND the audio book, like every other publisher in the world, and get me to give you money, but no.

I was willing to buy ebooks and e-novellas, but then BL ebooks went to the same price as a physical book. If I can spend the same amount of money and have a book that I can loan out, I'll buy the book. When they stopped calling 40-100 page e-novellas 'e-novellas' and calling them ebooks like the 300 page books, and charging $5 or more for 40-50 pages, I stopped buying those. I'll wait several years until they put them into a compilation, again, depriving you of years of free advertising.

Did I mention that I work professionally as a bookseller? So, not only losing my immediate sales, but losing several years of recommendations to customers. But I'm sure that the limited edition books that sell out of their miniscule print runs immediately (until they 'find them' in the office later) are making up for it.

Write book. Print book. Sell book. Stop all the asinine marketing shenanigans.

I was stoked for the "Beast Arises" series this year, then realized that they were hitting in Hardback (and overpriced small hardbacks at that) and ebook. So--I'll be waiting a year for those, and losing more and more interest in the setting--and handselling less and less of them to customers.