[Hans]

How come Amazon.co.uk is putting up so many fake covers for?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0002247275/ref=pd_sim_b_dp/202-6527601-5099830

The Tawny Man Book 2. all it is, is the same as the first one, but with the picture in the main frame, that of Amber book, which is the cover of Amber, a book by a different author.
------- http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0002247437/ref=pd_sim_b_dp/202-6527601-5099830

The cover for A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 4) by George R R martin. All it is, is the cover from the 2nd book (A Clash of Kings), except the cover has A Feast for Crows written on it.

I think someone is sending fake covers into amazon.co.uk and amazon are just putting them up without checking.

What you think. I'm sure there are loads of other covers like that.

[Mithfânion]

I'd cleared this one up at another board as well, where they thought that was the new cover for AFFC. Why amazon.co.uk chose to do this is an unknown factor but it is highly irritating. The Martin cover is very clearly a total fake, as you say.

The Hobb one has the same symbols in the corners as the first book so that's a fake as well. But the main picture is intriguing. It's nicked from another book then....it reminds me of that mammoth book of Fantasy edited by Ashley.

[This message has been edited by Mithfânion (edited March 25, 2002).]

[Keyoke]

I think the reason they are doing this is that these two books are probably huge sellers for them. And, instead of leaving a drab blank page, they want something to grab your eyes.. To go "WOW.. I cant wait!"

If you look at a page with no cover on it, your probably not quite as excited..

I dont agree with what they are doing, but, it's probably all from a market perspective..

Keyoke

[ChrisW]

If that was the case they would have a fake cover for "Crossroads of Twilight" book ten of WoT.

[Keyoke]

It's the only reason I can see. I mean, yah, their isnt anything for Jordan's new book.. but, I cant see Amazon.com just putting fake covers up cause their bored. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

Anyone thought of writing them and asking why?

Keyoke

[Mithfânion]

Cal, where did you find Crossroads of twilight on either amazon.co.uk or amazon.com?

[Hobbit]

It's a good point. There is evidence to suggest that on the web things sell more if there's a picture to go with it - I think that the fake cover may just give some of those undecided to buy a little nudge.

There are those occasions where the cover does change between initial prtoof copies and actual though, often without too much notice. Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space is a case in point - the most recent I can remember, though Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon may have been another.

Hobbit

[Zsinj16]

I've seen this kind of thing before, with the fake covers and all. For example, I went to a Raymond E. Feist site that someone put a link to on this message board, and there on the site were different covers for all Feist's works published all over the world. One cover for another country for the novel "Rage of a Demon King" had the painting by John Howe of Gandalf confronting the Mouth of Sauron!! And yet another cover for one of Feist's works, (I forget which one it was) had the painting that was originally used for the cover of "Ghost King" by David Gemmell!!
And I noticed at a book store in another city that one of Marion Zimmer Bradley's novels (I think it's called "The Fall of Atlantis") had the exact same cover that was used for J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Silmarillion"!! You know, the one that has the temple on the front of it and the ground cracking open?
I don't know about you guys, but it's things like this that really chafe my hiney!!

[ChrisW]

Mithfânion, it's listed as Book Ten of The Wheel of Time on amazon.co.uk. Do a search for Robert Jordan and it should appear at the top of your list. Don't ask me why they have not added the title yet.

amazon.co.uk sales rank

Wheel of Time Volume Ten: 684
Feast for Crows: 1,043
Goldern Fool: 3,285

And thats without a picture or title!

If they are knowingly putting fake covers up my guess is that they don't need to for RJ and that they wouldn't want to face the wrath of the rabid RJ fans if they did. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by Caldazar (edited March 26, 2002).]

[Mithfânion]

I find that highly, highly unlikely Cal. It's probably because no one cared to send in one for RJ's latest, possibly due to the embarrassement the association with such a book might cause http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif