DISCLAIMER: This post is basically me ranting. I didn't intend for this to have any thought provoking message and whatnot. I just really, really want to get this out.
Recently Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, revealed the new covers for her books as well as the cover for the third book in the series, Isla and the Happily Ever After.
Recently Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, revealed the new covers for her books as well as the cover for the third book in the series, Isla and the Happily Ever After.
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Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the covers. They look so clean and pretty (my favorite word for attractive book covers). I was all giddy and excited at first but then I remembered - this is a mid-series cover change. I originally read Anna and Lola in ebook format and I enjoyed the books so much (I loved Anna more though) I decided I'd buy physical copies because I want to make my shelf prettier (there goes that word again). But when the news broke out... darn. Good thing I haven't gotten copies yet or else I would've been royally pissed. The cover change, however, means I'll have to wait longer before I buy my copies because right now they're still selling the old covers in bookstores.
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I really like the old Anna cover more though. No, wait. I like its spine more. I saw it in a bookstore and instantly pictured it on my shelf - the spine looking all cute and girly.
Moving on...........
This isn't the first/only series to do this. Inasmuch as publishers and/or authors have the right to do this, it's really frustrating being on the buying end. I have this problem with my Shatter Me copy. I have the cover with the girl on it but then they changed it to the one with the eye. Now I don't know what to do with my copy and I really want to buy the next book (Unravel Me) already.
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Forgive me if this sounds totally stupid but this is just my (selective) OCD talking: I just can't stand it when one book doesn't match the rest of the books in the series. I want the whole set looking like a set. Get what I mean?
Mid-series cover changes may be a marketing scheme to get you to buy the new books so you'd get all the matching books. Or it could also save them money from printing books with the old cover only to reprint them with new ones. Either way, it's not nice. It's annoying. And it sucks even more when you already feel an attachment to the series and completing the books, putting the whole set in your shelf, is your way of worshiping it (okay that sounded so weird). But whatever. At least I dodged a bullet here, don't want a repeat of the Shatter Me incident.
What do you think of mid-series cover changes?
Okay? Not okay? Meh?
Let me know in the comments section!
Xo,
I totally agree with you! I hate it when covers change mid-series. For example the Vampire Academy has 6 books and I have 4 different type of covers in total for this series and I think it looks terrible, all those different covers on my shelf.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of Shatter Me, I actually prefer the new cover. And I didn't own Shatter Me yet and then when they announced the new cover I finally decided to buy it.
I feel your pain!!! I am totally OCD about books matching on my shelf. Maybe you already did, but you should really watch the Little Book Owl's video on this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fALCKTaVDkA). She perfectly expresses how we all feel about cover changes! Ugh.
ReplyDeleteYes! Finally someone says it (as far as I know :D). It's a real pain when they change the covers two or three books are out. It really irks me, but fortunately, it hasn't happened to me yet. I usually read on my Kindle and after the series is done, I purchase the books. Much safer.
ReplyDeleteBut, while I really hate cover changing, I like the new covers for Stephanie Perkins's books. Like you said, clean and pretty.
I can totally relate! I am currently worried about The Cahill Witch Chronicles because its paperback cover design is sooo different compared to its hardback. Of course, both might have different versions of design but what if they decide to use the shiny design for the hardback of the second book, as well? There's nothing wrong about it. In fact, I love it. It's just that my copy of the first book would be totally different.
ReplyDeleteThings like this might lead to unexpected giveaways and another session of book haul, just because of the covers...
Finally someone had brought this up, i'll make sure to add this to my list of things to rant about on my blog. Okay, for me, i say "It depends." If you liked the old cover more than the new one, you might be a little ticked. But, if you love the new cover change then - no problem. For both ways, though, I feel like it's unexpected - and hate the fact that once the new cover comes out you have to wait like 10000 years to get the new cover. For example The Vincent Boys cover has been changes like a gazillion times - each time it gets better - but annoying because you can't order the book with cover you want for-like-ever!
ReplyDelete~Demitra @ Characterized Book Reviews