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I didn't take it as one - it just clearly demonstrates the 'power' of the HH 'brand'.

 Manchu wrote:

 KamikazeCanuck wrote:

 Manchu wrote:
Just compare sales of the HH line with sales of the rest of the BL line.

What is the comparison?

I'm assuming you mean, what is the result of such comparison? HH books end up on the NYT Best Seller list. Space Marines Battles books don't. I don't see a gap in quality between them (mostly), either.

No, I meant what are the numbers? Are HH books much, much better sellers? Do any non-HH books outsell HH books?

Not sure about the real numbers, or if there's an actual way to get at them, but yes, HH series book consistently outperform non-HH books.

The exceptions to that being Abnett and A-DB, maybe?

Being in hardback helps pull in general sci-fi non-40K readers,

There is a perception that if a book comes out in paperback only it's worth less than one that appears in hardback first

So the more BL stuff that appears in harback, the more likely somebody is to just grab one and read it

and Military SF is still a fairly strong selling genre, so some of those buyers will become fans

(You'll also have numbers boost from folk who buy the HB to read once and collect, then buy the PB for general reading/lending etc)

 KamikazeCanuck wrote:
No, I meant what are the numbers?

I think there is some confusion. Being on the NYT Best Seller list is about numbers. The first BL book to ever make the list was A Thousand Sons. Storm of Iron was probably a better written book, not to mention Dan Abnett's efforts. Since then, Nemesis, Age of Darkness, First Heretic, Prospero Burns, Know No Fear, The Primarchs, and Fear To Tread have also made the list. Does anyone know if any other BL books have made the list?

 Alpharius wrote:
Not sure about the real numbers, or if there's an actual way to get at them, but yes, HH series book consistently outperform non-HH books.

The exceptions to that being Abnett and A-DB, maybe?

Out of interest, I wonder what Dan Abnett's 'Embedded' sold like? Thought it was a really good read with a wonderfully fast tempo. I always think as well that he would have probably done a little better out of the royalties than with a BL book (which I doubt they get much from).

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Please more details than that.

Specific quotes if your interested

 Compel wrote:

Battle for the Abyss not only was badly written but also was so completely generic that all you would have needed to do was replace the 1000 Sons character with a Blood Raven and it would have been a 40k story.

It also seemed to contradict the whole execution of the events in Know No Fear.

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Being in hardback helps pull in general sci-fi non-40K readers

Aren't the HH hardbacks only available from the BL site? That (and the fact that they're charging 20 pounds for them) kind of supports the view that they're a straight money grab from what they perceive to be a captive audience, which is exactly the line that GW seems to take.

 Temujin wrote:

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Being in hardback helps pull in general sci-fi non-40K readers

Aren't the HH hardbacks only available from the BL site? That (and the fact that they're charging 20 pounds for them) kind of supports the view that they're a straight money grab from what they perceive to be a captive audience, which is exactly the line that GW seems to take.

Got to agree with Temujin's points on this one, for the very reasons he's stated.

And again, no one is denying BL/GW's right to make money, it is just a bit... off putting, is all!

 Alpharius wrote:

 Temujin wrote:

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Being in hardback helps pull in general sci-fi non-40K readers

Aren't the HH hardbacks only available from the BL site? That (and the fact that they're charging 20 pounds for them) kind of supports the view that they're a straight money grab from what they perceive to be a captive audience, which is exactly the line that GW seems to take.

Got to agree with Temujin's points on this one, for the very reasons he's stated.

And again, no one is denying BL/GW's right to make money, it is just a bit... off putting, is all!

Oh they're after the money all right, but their hardbacks are no more expensive than anybody elses (I'm paying £20-25 for harback fiction from smaller SF publishers)... It's just you can't get them massively discounted anywhere

I mean even the RRP on something like the forthcoming Patricia Cornwall which will sell scary amounts is £19 (it's only the discounts that drop it to £9)

Blurry version was seen a wee while back, better version posted on FB by BL after they passed 35,000 "likes"

We've just hit a whopping 35,000 likes on Facebook! Here's a sneak preview of the cover for the forthcoming Horus Heresy title, 'Unremembered Empire'.

Minus the background, not actually a fan of that picture...

A few thoughts though: who are the fellas in gold, and are those really short people by Sanguinius or have the Primarch's been drawn as much taller than they've described?

 reds8n wrote:
Blurry version was seen a wee while back, better version posted on FB by BL after they passed 35,000 "likes"

Spoiler:

We've just hit a whopping 35,000 likes on Facebook! Here's a sneak preview of the cover for the forthcoming Horus Heresy title, 'Unremembered Empire'.

For some reason, that picture invokes a very surreal feeling. "Is this happening? Are they really going there? How many books will this story arc cover?"

 Just Dave wrote:
Minus the background, not actually a fan of that picture...

A few thoughts though: who are the fellas in gold, and are those really short people by Sanguinius or have the Primarch's been drawn as much taller than they've described?

The fellas in gold might be Imperial Fists.

If I had to guess, the short guys are "regular humans" and the art is taking a bit of liberties.

BL is playing a dangerous game IMO. I know there's a lot of OCD fans like me that are completionists and even though they are way behind on their reading keep buying the gold leaf HH books anyway. (See my quest to get a gold Know No Fear a ways back). This hardcover stunt is more than enough to break my compulsion and stop my collecting.

uh.. scale issue rearing its head again...

They don't look 12' tall in that pictures. I'm calling shenanigans.

Well, Primarchs are bigger than marines, who are bigger than 'normal' humans.

Just... not that much bigger!

Are those guys in gold or are they guys in white with yellow ambient light? They strike me as frowny White Scars.

I see white armor with a yellowish tint (white scars under a setting sun?) next to two guys with folded arms in green armor (salamanders) next to alternating blue and red (Ultramarines and Blood Angels).

Macraggian umpa lumpas?

White Scars, curved sword, and Dark Angels, straight one?

Looks more like 'Fists to me as they don't seem very happy. 'Fists are never happy.

 kronk wrote:

 reds8n wrote:
Blurry version was seen a wee while back, better version posted on FB by BL after they passed 35,000 "likes"

Spoiler:

We've just hit a whopping 35,000 likes on Facebook! Here's a sneak preview of the cover for the forthcoming Horus Heresy title, 'Unremembered Empire'.

For some reason, that picture invokes a very surreal feeling. "Is this happening? Are they really going there? How many books will this story arc cover?"

Personally, I'm intrigued.

If it's Sanguinius as Warmaster, I think I'll like it.

If it's Sanguinius as Emperor, I think I won't.

Either way, I want to see where it goes, and it is Dan Abnett, so...
Then again, no doubt it'll get spoiled in the period between hardback and paperback release.

I'm excited by the prospect either way. Too many HH books have showed us what we knew does or does not happen. This is cool because it shows us something we apparently never knew one way or the other.

 Manchu wrote:
I'm excited by the prospect either way. Too many HH books have showed us what we knew does or does not happen. This is cool because it shows us something we apparently never knew one way or the other.

Well, yes and no!

I'm with you - I think this could be great!

But, much like NEMESIS ended up being "a book about things we know did not happen not happening", this could be something similar.

It sounds great though, even if it is about Roboute thinking the Emperor is dead and making Sanguinius the new Emperor!

I can't wait to see their reaction when they discover that they've jumped the gun!

Dorn: "Hey guys. Remember us? Yeah? Anyway, dad said for you guys to stop playing house or whatever and come home before company gets here."

 Alpharius wrote:
But, much like NEMESIS ended up being "a book about things we know did not happen not happening", this could be something similar.

I think it's quite different. Nemesis was about Horus/the Empeor not being assassinated. Unremembered Empire doesn't seem to be a book about Sanguinius not being acclaimed Warmaster or Emperor. Quite the reverse! Whereas I knew that neither Horus nor the Emperor were assassinated before reading Nemesis, I had no idea that Sanguinius was ever acclaimed Warmaster or Emperor before hearing about Unremembered Empire. Reading about how Horus and the Emperor were not assassinated in Nemesis did not change anything I already knew about the HH. I can't fathom how the same could be said for Unremembered Empire.

 kronk wrote:
dad said for you guys to stop playing house

The book is really about Guilliman and Sanguinius going out on a date getting married. Don't judge! Sanguinius is by far the prettiest girl in 40k .. which is why Fulgrim really fell to Chaos (and why Lionel "The Ugly Sister" Jonson is so emo).

What he said.

 Manchu wrote:

 Alpharius wrote:
But, much like NEMESIS ended up being "a book about things we know did not happen not happening", this could be something similar.

I think it's quite different. Nemesis was about Horus/the Empeor not being assassinated. Unremembered Empire doesn't seem to be a book about Sanguinius not being acclaimed Warmaster or Emperor. Quite the reverse! Whereas I knew that neither Horus nor the Emperor were assassinated before reading Nemesis, I had no idea that Sanguinius was ever acclaimed Warmaster or Emperor before hearing about Unremembered Empire. Reading about how Horus and the Emperor were not assassinated in Nemesis did not change anything I already knew about the HH. I can't fathom how the same could be said for Unremembered Empire.

 kronk wrote:
dad said for you guys to stop playing house

The book is really about Guilliman and Sanguinius going out on a date getting married. Don't judge! Sanguinius is by far the prettiest girl in 40k .. which is why Fulgrim really fell to Chaos (and why Lionel "The Ugly Sister" Jonson is so emo).

Thanks for channeling your inner Kid_Kyoto there.

Not!

Also, I think this could very much end up being NEMESIS-like, or lite?

This new Empire that Roboute and Sanguinius set up?

It get forgotten.

Or, unremembered?

And... it never happened.

So, 350+ pages setting the whole thing up, only to end with..."I'm not dead yet! Now get over here quick! Except for you Roboute, and your Legion which is the biggest of all the Legions. You stay way and do... something else..."

Unremembered Empire looks odd. For me Sanguinius has been a disappointment in the HH books. His Legion are supposed to be badasses but he comes across as a hanger on who is there to soothe the Primarch of the moment even though he's a freaking mutant. I'm concerned that it's Dan Abnett writing it as I can take or leave most of his books. They are ok stories but then it's all rushed unfulfilled endings. I am suspicious that the last we saw of Guilliman he was at Calth and stabbed by a knife that was warp touched and possibly poisoned and this could all be some trauma induced fever dream.

As for the thread of which books are relevant to the main storyline, the Garro series hasn't done anything relevant to the conflict yet although that could obviously change as more is revealed. I'm wondering if Garro himself is going to set up the Ecclesiarchy after their 'group' is split up following the Heresy. I mention this as the Garro stories are very popular but not central to the conflict.

What's up with this Unremembered Empire alternative timeline/history thing? Where's it come from? Just the pic?

I thought Unremembered Empire was just a "standard" Ultramarines HH Novel?

http://www.starburstmagazine.com/book-news/3854-book-news-the-black-library-announce-new-graphic-novel-plus-more