This past year, several authors like Kresley Cole, Nalini Singh, and Lara Adrian have made the jump to hardcover on their flagship series. Several others, like Patricia Briggs and J.R. Ward, made the switch a few books ago, and are now having their previous paperback books re-published in hardcover format. Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series finished up the re-publishing early this year, and now her first Alpha and Omega book, Cry Wolf, will be available next February 5th (God, I do hope it has the short story Alpha and Omega, too). Ward’s second BDB book, Lover Eternal, is out this November 6th, and it will be followed by Lover Awakened next February. Even Sherrilyn Kenyon‘s huge Dark-Hunter series is in the process of being re-published, with Dance with the Devil being due out on September 4th.
So, my first question is this – do you rebuy the hardcover re-releases for your favorite series?
Sadly, I do. Even for ones I haven’t read yet, like Kenyon’s Dark-Hunters, I rebuy. I love having hardcover books, and the whole half paperback/half hardcover organizing thing makes me nuts. It just makes it feel like my collection is somehow more complete, if that makes any sense.
Question two – who do you think will be making the jump to hardcover next?
This one is a bit trickier for me. Although popular, I was really surprised when Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed was made hardcover. It seemed that all of the relevant characters had gotten their stories told (before I found out it was just the end of the first arc), and it just never had the…maybe wow factor…that some of the other series had. The biggest name I can think of right now would be Gena Showalter‘s Lords of the Underworld or Alien Huntress series. God knows, she puts out enough books in the run of a year. I would love, love, love to see Ilona Andrews get the hardcover support for her Kate Daniels series, and for me she would be the logical next choice. It is a great story, every bit as good as Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson. Strong characters, unique world, and very loyal readers. So, if I had to guess, I would say Showalter will, Andrews should.
I can understand the new books in hardcover, but bringing back old books doesn’t truly make sense to me. With e-format becoming more popular, hardcovers still works for the new books, especially if its a series you love. But for me,.. no i wouldn’t buy the older hardcovers, unless they were cheaper, which they will not be. But if they reissue older books in eformat, i would most certainly buy them to add to my kindle list, even if i have the older books. But that is me, I love my Kindle
God, I totally forgot about the e-books. That would be even worse – some paperback, some hardcover, some e-books…talk about organizational issues.
You must live in heck of a lot bigger house than I do. I don’t even buy the paperback edition unless there isn’t any other choice. It’s all digital. I have purchased copies of most all of those authors best selling series but I don’t think I have even one physical copy.
I had to make some tough choices when I started to get quite a few books. Room is limited (my father nabbed the third bedroom as his den/library. Snarl). I ended up getting rid of my huge movie collection, all of my magazines, and cleaning out all my extra junk to make shelf room. Not actually sure what will happen when those shelves are full, though…
I agree Robin, I only buy ebooks, spend more money since I buy more books, and i love the ease, how quick you get them, and the storage is so nice. lol Occasionally i will buy a hardcover. but if i have a favorite series never released in eformat i will buy to add it to my kindle library.
If I love the author, I’d definitely buy their re-releases of books that I love in hardcover (not counting those bookclub editions). I would also love to see Ilona Andrews books getting hardcover love. And also, Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series and Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series (I don’t care for trade paperbacks).
I don’t really care for e-books, I usually only buy e-books if that’s the only format that the author (usually an indie author / or from a publisher like Carina Press) carries.
I am not a bookclub hardcover fan, either (those darn smaller sizes throw me off). Jeaniene Frost and Chloe Neill would be great, too. For a while, I was totally annoyed with the trade paperbacks, but when I started to get more of them I didn’t mind them. Having just a couple was a pain in the butt, but now I have something like 6 shelves of them. They have their own section.
I get Ward’s hardcover reissues. I go the Virtual Signing route – so far I have 5 autographed books, and as soon as the notice for the next VS gets posted, I’m right there.
I have seen the virtual signing thing before, and I thought it sounded interesting. I actually might look into doing that, too.
Since i have my iPad last year, i buy all my books as eBook. Before that, i didn’t buy books i already had in another format.
As for who i think will go to hardcover, i would say Jeaniene Frost.
Did you keep all of your older print books, or do you replace them with e-books as they become available?
Kept them all. I may buy the ebook if i want to reread.
I buy them if I love the author. So, I’d buy all of Nalini Singh’s if I could in hardcover, however I would not buy Sherrilyn Kenyon because though I used to look forward to them, I lost interest after Acheron. And yes, I’m running out of room but I love books and just get eBooks for my kindle of stuff that I just like.
I’d love to see Ilona Andrews in hardcover, also Lyn Kurland.
I was thrilled when Nalini went to hardcover, and I would kill for the back-list titles to be redone. But good lord, I do wish they would do something about the covers. Amazing series, not amazing covers.
I’m so bad. For the Fever series I have bought all three! Paperback, hardback and ebook! I have bought the hardback for BDB and I decided to go with hardback b/c that is what comes out first, but I probaly won’t buy the paperback in that series. But I guess it really depends. Hardback is a little bit higher, so I tend to go with the paperback and go back in fourth with buying paperback vs ebook.
I bought all of the Fever series in paperback, but I am keeping my eyes open for them in hardcover, too. I asked KMM if there were any plans to re-release them, but they didn’t think so. The search continues.
Hi Kaleigha,
Hardback books are a no-go for me. I don’t have the room nor the money to buy them. It’s a bummer that I have to wait longer to buy the paperback (I don’t get the hardcovers at the libary because I’m going go buy certain books anyway). And no, I won’t be buying the re-prints of books in hardcovers.
Lea Ellen {night owl in IL}
That extra wait time would be an absolute killer. Around here, I wouldn’t even have the library potential since they have absolutely no books (I think I donated their entire paranormal romance section). I would have to buy them then donate them to be able to borrow them…
I don’t buy hardbacks PERIOD! I understand that publishing companies are trying to make more money, but I think HBs are just a pain. They are a pain to store with my other books, they are a pain to lug around, and they are a pain on my wallet. I will always wait a year for the paperback release or borrow the HB from a friend.
I just got a kindle a few months ago so now guess I don’t have to wait for PB release. No more waiting for Kim Harrison’s and Patricia Briggs’s book? SCORE!
The hardbacks do definitely lack the portability factor. I still can’t get myself into the e-books, but it would save you the paperback wait.
Personally I hate hardbacks. They tend to fall apart faster, they take up more space, and they’re heavy! So I try to not buy them at all costs. Some YA titles I might cave and buy. But I will wait, and wait for the paperback releases for the series. It’s been so painful waiting for Kreseley Cole’s latest book to be released in paperback!
Like I say, I envy everyone who has the patience to wait. I really don’t have the discipline (which is sad). The good thing about waiting for the paperbacks, though, is that you usually get an excerpt for the next book in the series (Like Lothaire has the first few chapters of Shadow’s Claim). I almost re-bought Lothaire for that alone…