Is LM Bujold going self-pub for her backlist? - Page 5

Nate the great · 11-14-2015, 08:22 PM

Yech. The covers are still terrible.

theducks · 11-16-2015, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Yech. The covers are still terrible.

I have been buying books for about 60 years, because their covers got me to look further (into the book).

Calibre Users. Turn on Grid View. Can you pick out a high percentage of the Self Published books from there?

LMB's early work first appeared in Analog. In all Analog stories, there was always a story title page illustration (B&W) that matched the story. Closely .
Many of LMB's Analog serials , also made the cover illustration (color).

These just don't cut it. She might as well save the effort and use a Generic (Calibre generated, BPH standard type

) cover.

The wrong cover can have the opposite effect.
Run...far from this book

Apache · 11-16-2015, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

I have been buying books for about 60 years, because their covers got me to look further (into the book).

Calibre Users. Turn on Grid View. Can you pick out a high percentage of the Self Published books from there?

LMB's early work first appeared in Analog. In all Analog stories, there was always a story title page illustration (B&W) that matched the story. Closely .
Many of LMB's Analog serials , also made the cover illustration (color).

These just don't cut it. She might as well save the effort and use a Generic (Calibre generated, BPH standard type

) cover.

The wrong cover can have the opposite effect.
Run...far from this book

I thought I was the only one who disliked the new covers.

Apache

Gardenman · 11-16-2015, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

I thought I was the only one who disliked the new covers.

Apache

Add me to the list too.

badgoodDeb · 11-16-2015, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gardenman

Add me to the list too.

Yeah, ditto. I'm glad I found the books via an ebook and got hooked on the *storyline*. I've gotten them all as ebooks, and haven't seen any covers, which is the best way for me. These would have turned me away. But the books are marvelous, and I keep proselytizing for them all the time!

Nate the great · 11-16-2015, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gardenman

Add me to the list too.

Thank you. I almost didn't say anything because I didn't want to offend her fans.

badgoodDeb · 11-16-2015, 06:37 PM

If you haven't read them, Nate, ignore the covers, and try one!! They are character driven, and marvelous.

Futuristic and inclusive of techie stuff, but more dependent on character, IMHO.

Nate the great · 11-16-2015, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

If you haven't read them, Nate, ignore the covers, and try one!! They are character driven, and marvelous.

Futuristic and inclusive of techie stuff, but more dependent on character, IMHO.

Oh, I'm a huge fan.

Gardenman · 11-16-2015, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Thank you. I almost didn't say anything because I didn't want to offend her fans.

I am a great fan. Glad I did not see those covers when I started reading her books

Apache · 11-16-2015, 07:45 PM

I too am a fan and the first one I read was The Borders of Infinity. It was the short story in Free Lancers published by Baen in 1987. After that I was hooked.
Apache

badgoodDeb · 11-16-2015, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

I too am a fan and the first one I read was The Borders of Infinity. It was the short story in Free Lancers published by Baen in 1987. After that I was hooked.
Apache

That's the same short story that hooked me! Though I came upon it much later.

jgaiser · 11-16-2015, 09:25 PM

I personally blame Baen. I'm a fan and for the most part don't like her covers, but then I pretty much don't like any of the covers Baen puts on their books. Always comes across as cheap.

Darqref · 11-17-2015, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgaiser

I personally blame Baen. I'm a fan and for the most part don't like her covers, but then I pretty much don't like any of the covers Baen puts on their books. Always comes across as cheap.

The problem here *is* Baen, but not for that reason. LMB doesn't have the right to use the cover designs that Baen commissioned for her books. You can buy them from Baen and get their covers, but the covers displayed here are for editions *not* sold through Baen.

I agree that I don't particularly like these covers. I also didn't like *some* of the covers originally released for her books. I think Baen did a better job when they re-released the series in omnibus form, although for personal reasons I usually re-read the originals rather than the omnibus versions.

murg · 11-17-2015, 04:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darqref

The problem here *is* Baen, but not for that reason. LMB doesn't have the right to use the cover designs that Baen commissioned for her books. You can buy them from Baen and get their covers, but the covers displayed here are for editions *not* sold through Baen.

I agree that I don't particularly like these covers. I also didn't like *some* of the covers originally released for her books. I think Baen did a better job when they re-released the series in omnibus form, although for personal reasons I usually re-read the originals rather than the omnibus versions.

I found A Civil Campaign in a discount bin at a newsagent in a mall in Australia. Was hooked. Couldn't find any of the other books down here. Managed to get the rest on a trip to America, but the omnibuses were the only option (if the book was part of an omnibus). And even then, I had to buy the books in about six cities throughout the US.

DrNefario · 11-17-2015, 08:17 AM

I like the idea of some of the new covers - particularly that second Cryoburn one above - but the implementations seem a bit off, to me. I don't know if it's just their reproductions here and the way they've been scaled, but they seem to be lacking a bit of - I don't know - punch?

On the other hand, I own several versions of most of these books, and I can't remember what's on any of the covers. The only one I can actually recall was the embarrassingly awful original cover for Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, and I think that had been toned down to something bearable by the time I actually bought it.

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11-14-2015, 08:22 PM	#61
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Yech. The covers are still terrible.

11-16-2015, 06:37 PM	#67
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,574 Karma: 64462893 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	If you haven't read them, Nate, ignore the covers, and try one!! They are character driven, and marvelous. Futuristic and inclusive of techie stuff, but more dependent on character, IMHO.

11-16-2015, 07:45 PM	#70
Apache Readaholic Posts: 5,306 Karma: 90981752 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: South Georgia Device: Surface Pro 6 / Galaxy Tab A 8"	I too am a fan and the first one I read was The Borders of Infinity. It was the short story in Free Lancers published by Baen in 1987. After that I was hooked. Apache

11-16-2015, 09:25 PM	#72
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,283 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	I personally blame Baen. I'm a fan and for the most part don't like her covers, but then I pretty much don't like any of the covers Baen puts on their books. Always comes across as cheap.

11-17-2015, 08:17 AM	#75
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,227 Karma: 12029046 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	I like the idea of some of the new covers - particularly that second Cryoburn one above - but the implementations seem a bit off, to me. I don't know if it's just their reproductions here and the way they've been scaled, but they seem to be lacking a bit of - I don't know - punch? On the other hand, I own several versions of most of these books, and I can't remember what's on any of the covers. The only one I can actually recall was the embarrassingly awful original cover for Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, and I think that had been toned down to something bearable by the time I actually bought it.