Monday 7 March 2016

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On Multiple Editions of Books

Every now and again, books will get new covers. This can be annoying if it happens in the middle of a series, and your covers end up not matching. But that has been spoken about a number of times. What I was to talk about is when covers change once the series has finished.

I can understand why publishers decide to do this. Time goes by, and they want to introduce new readers to the series - readers who were perhaps several years too young when they were first published. Like Harry Potter, for example. This makes sense to me.

What doesn't make sense is when publishers choose to release new editions within a very short space of time. Let's take The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

All of these editions have been released in the space of six years. Granted the first two were published at the same time so you can choose whether you wanted Katniss or Peeta, and one is for adult readers. But that's still so many! And that's just for the first book in the trilogy! The others have the same number of editions.

And now The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner 2011 cover The Maze Runner by James Dashner 2014 cover The Maze Runner by James Dashner harback The Maze Runner by James Dashner movie tie-in

These four were published in the space of five years.

I can partly understand why movie tie-ins are published, but I don't think there's much point. Fans of the movie can buy books with the covers that are already out. It's just so unnecessary to have so many covers out in such a small space of time. This doesn't look like they're trying to introduce them to new readers, but just to make more money. Fans will buy editions of books because theyget new covers, owning multiple copies of the same book. And that's fine if that's what they want, but it seems to me like it's just to sell more books than to get more readers. And that just doesn't seem right to me. I know it's a business, but why do there need to be so many different editions?

What do you guys think of so many covers for the same books, published in a short amount of time?

8 comments:

  1. WOAH, there are so many of THG covers! tbh I don't really like any of them except for the one originals and the plain black ones with the symbols on them. Didn't realize there were so many 0_0

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    1. There are loaaaads. I know because I work in a bookshop, and I have to shelf them all, and there are just so many. I prefer the original covers I have, too. But meh. So many.

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  2. Weeeell...I'm actually quite okay with it! :P Mostly because it gives collecting-bookworms more options. XD Like if I was rich and famous I honestly would collect a ton of The Hunger Games editions. I have the limited-edition-white-delux-Australian-covers and THEY ARE DIVINE AND GORGEOUS AND GOLD LEAFED. <333 But I also still quietly covet the black ones. Ahem. So YEAH! I mean, I get that it can be overkill? But at the same time, I don't fault publishers for doing stuff to make money. Because if they didn't, we wouldn't get books and the world would end. Definitely.

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    1. I just feel like it can be too much. And they're just taking advantage really. I don't really understand collecting books, though, to be honest. You're only going to read one, right? So the others are just going sit there... it's a really expensive hobby, lol.

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  3. I had no idea there were so many editions of The Hunger Games out there. I can see how they might want different covers to appeal to different readers - I'm definitely more attracted to certain types of covers, and I know others who are attracted to completely different types. It does seem weird, though, to put out so many editions that are so similar.

    And I don't mind movie tie-in covers because I do think that there's a lot of people out there who see the movie first and really associate the book with those images. But I definitely see your point - this seems like overkill for sure!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. I suppose that's true, that people are attracted to different types of covers. I didn't think of that. But yes, they are very similar!

      I guess that also makes sense, that a book cover with actors or scenes from the movie on it are going to be more recognisable to those who've seen the movie than the original cover. It can make it easier, but not really necessary? It takes seconds to look up a cover online.

      But yes, so many covers!

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  4. Seeing this just makes me feel better about the fact that I mostly read ebooks lol. All these different editions just seems all frustrating. I imagine that I'd buy all the books then end up liking the new edition better and regretting that I didn't wait because I couldn't afford to re-buy them all! But I suppose as long as people can still get the books with the covers they're collecting, there's nothing particularly wrong with different editions.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! I guess you're right, but I do find it incredibly frustrating. There would be nothing to collect if different editions weren't made. But even so, why release so many different edditions so close together?

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