Which do you prefer with trilogies?

[andrewburt]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

Ideally, there would be a choice for the reader/buyer between an "omnibus" version (possibly a little cheaper than the separate volumes) as well as separate volumes. That way, those who don't want to risk a time/money investment of buying a very long unknown book can buy & read it one volume at a time, while others could get the omnibus.

Heh, nothing like making my job easier! Interesting idea, though. Is print size a factor for you? We're talking 12 pt print for single volumes vs. 10 pt. if we did a 3-in-1 volume (else the cost gets too high).

If it has a bearing on your decisions, the prices for print editions would be like $12.99 for each of the three individual volumes, and $24.99 for an all-3-in-one volume.

If both those options were available, which would you choose?

[andrewburt]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

All at once. I don't read any book that I know is going to be a trilogy until it's all out in print.

There's one book in print I've been checking up on at Amazon, that sounds good, but I won't bother with it because of the complaints that it 'just stops' and ends in a cliffhanger. I don't do cliffhangers anymore. To disappointing when no followup ever comes.

Yeah, definitely, and no worries there, we'll release them all within a short time.

The first volume does "just end" and the next volume picks up right where it left off, sort of like The Lord Of The Rings does. It would be really annoying to get to the end of the Fellowship of the Ring and then have to wait/wonder about when the story will continue!

I guess that happened when Dan Simmons' Hyperion was released, and it just... stopped. That was like this, a very long book that in their case they had to do as two volumes because of the printing costs/etc., but people got very upset that the first book just stopped, and it took a long time before the concluding volume came out. So no, we won't make that mistake! This is one of the best books I've ever read, and I'm really happy to get to publish it, so I want to be sure to do it right. Your comments are being really helpful.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by andrewburt

Yeah, definitely, and no worries there, we'll release them all within a short time.

The first volume does "just end" and the next volume picks up right where it left off, sort of like The Lord Of The Rings does. It would be really annoying to get to the end of the Fellowship of the Ring and then have to wait/wonder about when the story will continue!

But LOTR is not a trilogy (the "Note on the Text" at the start of all modern editions specifically says so). It's a single novel originally published in three volumes due to the economics of post-war printing.

[LuvReadin]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

I have a GRR Martin 4 book bundle which is just way too long to handle. With the Kindle app on the Android phone it's possible to "scroll by accident", and wham I'm suddenly in a different book entirely, and the longer the book is the longer it takes to find the place where I'm actually supposed to be at. Also the "table of contents" list grows so longer and is hard to navigate on many readers. And in general readers handle small files better than large ones.

That would be my concern too. For any computer file, there's generally a size beyond which one starts to get problems.

[JSWolf]

Do it as a 3-in-1 but make the price cheaper then if it was 3 separate books. This is for the eBook edition. If the font is too small to do it in print as a 3-in-1, then you'll have to do the print version as 3 separate books. But please keep them as MMPB otherwise, they won't sell well. (IMHO) that God awful (let's make this an odd size so we can make it bigger and charge more) format pBooks are horrible and I won't buy them.

[odiakkoh]

I prefer them separate for pbooks and ebooks.

[andrewburt]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But LOTR is not a trilogy (the "Note on the Text" at the start of all modern editions specifically says so). It's a single novel originally published in three volumes due to the economics of post-war printing.

Right, and this is the same thing. It's one book, but can/may be split for reasons of convenience/economics.

[andrewburt]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Do it as a 3-in-1 but make the price cheaper then if it was 3 separate books. This is for the eBook edition. If the font is too small to do it in print as a 3-in-1, then you'll have to do the print version as 3 separate books. But please keep them as MMPB otherwise, they won't sell well. (IMHO) that God awful (let's make this an odd size so we can make it bigger and charge more) format pBooks are horrible and I won't buy them.

Yes, there's definitely a trend toward trade paper sizes. Fewer books are coming out as mmbp even from the major publishers. Unfortunately, we're not a Random House-sized publisher, so mmbp isn't economically feasible for us; mmbps require huge print runs to make sense. We're planning the fairly standard 6x9" trade paper size.

[andrewburt]

Originally Posted by odiakkoh

I prefer them separate for pbooks and ebooks.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Do it as a 3-in-1

I'm really surprised at how balanced the responses are. Hmm!

[jersysman]

I would definitely prefer separate books. My reasoning is that I like the feeling of completing something. It is a good accomplishment. For instance, it took me forever to complete reading Gone With the Wind because it was so darn long. I would read it and give up eventually. I remember doing that numerous times. Just three separate books released close together would be sufficient.

[ebusinesstutor]

I really like it when I start a new trilogy and I know all three books are released. It is annoying to start a series and then to realize the author never finished it.

For print - I prefer three books as they are easier to hold.
For ebooks - I prefer one ebook (clearly marked that it includes the whole trilogy) so I don't have to go looking for the other two.

And I really like it when the first book in the trilogy is released free...

[BeccaPrice]

Originally Posted by ebusinesstutor

I really like it when I start a new trilogy and I know all three books are released. It is annoying to start a series and then to realize the author never finished it.

and this is why I won't read Wise Man's Fear, the second book in Patrick Rothfus's wonderful Kingkiller Chronicles, even thought the first book was wonderful. Rothfus seems to feel no pressure to finish the third book, there's not even a target date out there, and I don't totally trust his ability to actually finish the trilogy.

There is *nothing* I hate more in literature than being left hanging (well, maybe unsympathetic characters comes in that list too.)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by andrewburt

Yes, there's definitely a trend toward trade paper sizes. Fewer books are coming out as mmbp even from the major publishers. Unfortunately, we're not a Random House-sized publisher, so mmbp isn't economically feasible for us; mmbps require huge print runs to make sense. We're planning the fairly standard 6x9" trade paper size.

Please do not base the eBook price on the overinflated price of that nasty God awful abomination that is the 6x9" trade paperback.

[Kaylee Skylyn]

I like three books when in dead tree form (alot because of the comfort to hold factor but also just like having THREE BOOKS) but one package when in ebook.

I like to get my hands on the new stuff as soon as possible so I always thought the other books were still in progress when the first comes out, and I wanted the first one as soon as I could get it. Now I know that's not always the case but still kinda enjoy the anticipation factor...provided all DO stand well alone. I hate being left at the end feeling like I am only holding half a book and have to wait till the next release to get any closure.

[elemenoP]

I think they should be separate volumes, with the first one free in ebook form. After all, more people will download it if it's free, and when they read it they will love it SO much that they have to buy the next ones, right??? That's putting your money where you mouth is.

eP