JohnH
January 15th, 2002, 10:46 AM
For the book buying segment, in particular those who buy hardcovers of new unknown authors, a question. If you buy a new author in hardcover do you judge the author by a higher standard? Do you assume that because the new author is released in hardcover that their talent hopefully is a bit greater? Their work a bit more interesting and well written? Well thought out? Not that you assume every such author will be good, but does hardcover release grant some greater expectation in your eyes?
For me it does. Not that I don't expect to find gems in ppbk. Or that I consider a work in hardcover to automatically be better because of the format. Quite the reverse usually. But I do see (or rather I did) hardcover as a type of trust and hope from the publisher that they have something of worth to offer the reader. Packaging pays off and hardcover implies certain value just like first class does in travel and accomadations.
Of course too often, these expectations are dashed. The writer and their work turn out to be mediocre or readable at best. Bug smashers and door stoppers at worst. But thinking about Tor and Sara Douglass (see Book news redux), I found myself thinking about authors who I think don't deserve initial hardcover releases. Most were at Tor. Now I am not looking at sales as a whole. Certainly goodkind justifies hardcover release despite the fact that I think his work is an insult to readers everywhere. But that is my opinion and he gives pleasure and enjoyment to other readers and that is what counts in the long run.
But I do think that I am more critical of a hardcover book. Partly because I spent more on it. I want bang for my buck. More buck means I should get more bang. So right there my standards are raised. Also I see hardcover release as a status thing. Hardcover means that the author is seen as haivng quality and longevity. I know that this is also subjective. I believe that goodkind lacks the former and therefore should not have the latter. But he has had the latter which suggest enough people believe he has the former. So the formula still works in his favor (damn him). But once again my hopes are elevated a bit higher seeing a new release in hardcover. Hoob graduated to hardcover. Marco has as well. Graduating (at least in these cases seems well deserved for the growth in fans and fans' assessment). But did Haydon, Farland, Drake, McGarry and Douglass deserve hardcover debuts? Many might say yes. I would say no.
In part because I found all of their work readable to a degree. But all fell a little short of the re-readable rule (a book to be good must make the reader want to re-read it upon completion -- desire to re-read the book does not have to be immediate and most likely is not -- just the knowledge that upon completion -- yes I will want to re-read this book one day).
And I think that if I had read them in paperback, I might have measured them a bit less harshly. Without the hardcover ruler in hand, I might have found each a bit more likeable. Not sure if that all makes sense, but I guess if you go to, say Morton's steakhouse and you end up with a burger, you will end up feeling shortchanged and disappointed. It might be a rather good burger but the standards for what you expect are much higher. You went for steak and really ended up with a burger. Haydon, Farland, Drake, McGarry and Douglass are all burgers to varying degree (some are Harry's burgers some are McYuckies burgers).
Anyhow. Am I alone in this take? Does anyone else have a greater expectation/standard for harcover novels? Do publishers raise greater expectations just to get in the buck? I tend to be cynical and think the publishers fully realize that a segment of the bookbuying population assumes great things due to hardcover debut status and sell the book regardless of the turnoff by disappointing quality. But maybe that is just me.
Problem is Carey's Kushiel's Dart, Ricardo Pinto's The Chosen, Martin's A Game of Thrones, Jane Routley's Mageheart and Kate Elliott's The King's Dragon all more than fufilled my hardcover expectations and only keep me victim of my own making. Hardcover debuts still make me take a second look. Still tempt me regardless of being burnt. The joy of discovering a fabulous new author in a hefty weighty substantial hardback is quite like no other experience.
For me it does. Not that I don't expect to find gems in ppbk. Or that I consider a work in hardcover to automatically be better because of the format. Quite the reverse usually. But I do see (or rather I did) hardcover as a type of trust and hope from the publisher that they have something of worth to offer the reader. Packaging pays off and hardcover implies certain value just like first class does in travel and accomadations.
Of course too often, these expectations are dashed. The writer and their work turn out to be mediocre or readable at best. Bug smashers and door stoppers at worst. But thinking about Tor and Sara Douglass (see Book news redux), I found myself thinking about authors who I think don't deserve initial hardcover releases. Most were at Tor. Now I am not looking at sales as a whole. Certainly goodkind justifies hardcover release despite the fact that I think his work is an insult to readers everywhere. But that is my opinion and he gives pleasure and enjoyment to other readers and that is what counts in the long run.
But I do think that I am more critical of a hardcover book. Partly because I spent more on it. I want bang for my buck. More buck means I should get more bang. So right there my standards are raised. Also I see hardcover release as a status thing. Hardcover means that the author is seen as haivng quality and longevity. I know that this is also subjective. I believe that goodkind lacks the former and therefore should not have the latter. But he has had the latter which suggest enough people believe he has the former. So the formula still works in his favor (damn him). But once again my hopes are elevated a bit higher seeing a new release in hardcover. Hoob graduated to hardcover. Marco has as well. Graduating (at least in these cases seems well deserved for the growth in fans and fans' assessment). But did Haydon, Farland, Drake, McGarry and Douglass deserve hardcover debuts? Many might say yes. I would say no.
In part because I found all of their work readable to a degree. But all fell a little short of the re-readable rule (a book to be good must make the reader want to re-read it upon completion -- desire to re-read the book does not have to be immediate and most likely is not -- just the knowledge that upon completion -- yes I will want to re-read this book one day).
And I think that if I had read them in paperback, I might have measured them a bit less harshly. Without the hardcover ruler in hand, I might have found each a bit more likeable. Not sure if that all makes sense, but I guess if you go to, say Morton's steakhouse and you end up with a burger, you will end up feeling shortchanged and disappointed. It might be a rather good burger but the standards for what you expect are much higher. You went for steak and really ended up with a burger. Haydon, Farland, Drake, McGarry and Douglass are all burgers to varying degree (some are Harry's burgers some are McYuckies burgers).
Anyhow. Am I alone in this take? Does anyone else have a greater expectation/standard for harcover novels? Do publishers raise greater expectations just to get in the buck? I tend to be cynical and think the publishers fully realize that a segment of the bookbuying population assumes great things due to hardcover debut status and sell the book regardless of the turnoff by disappointing quality. But maybe that is just me.
Problem is Carey's Kushiel's Dart, Ricardo Pinto's The Chosen, Martin's A Game of Thrones, Jane Routley's Mageheart and Kate Elliott's The King's Dragon all more than fufilled my hardcover expectations and only keep me victim of my own making. Hardcover debuts still make me take a second look. Still tempt me regardless of being burnt. The joy of discovering a fabulous new author in a hefty weighty substantial hardback is quite like no other experience.