Maybe Black Library does care about paperbacks after all… (January 2017)

Two days ago I wrote an article asking why Black Library don’t tend to put much support behind their books when they’re released in paperback. Yesterday I followed up with another article to clarify what I was talking about, using the example of Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s The Talon of Horus. The point, as I saw it, was that all of these great books are being released in paperback after having already had hardback editions, but they’re appearing without any advertising or promotion from Black Library. Well, what do you suppose happened today…?

In a great example of perfect timing, as of today the front page of the Black Library website is showing a new section:

Oh how I laughed when I saw this!

Those three books were each released in paperback last weekend, and were the exact books that prompted me to take a look back at recent weeks’ releases to see how many paperbacks had appeared online without any fanfare.

Now, I’m not going to claim that my rambling articles were what inspired Black Library to add this section. They *might* have been…or alternatively, if I’d waited two more days to write my post I might have seen this section pop up and realise that I’d got it all wrong, that Black Library DO love their paperbacks. The latter is probably the case, but either way, I’m happy!

I wrote that first article because I think it’s a damn shame that authors don’t see their work being supported as much as it could be, and that fans who don’t like hardbacks or ebooks aren’t been told when cool new books are becoming available. I don’t see why that should be the case, so hopefully this is a sign that Black Library agree with me, and with all the fans who prefer their books in paperback.

Here’s what I’d like to see next:

• This section to become a permanent fixture on the Black Library website (there have been enough hardback releases over the last year – I’m sure we’re going to keep seeing new paperbacks).
• A few Facebook posts to let the 55,000+ people who’ve liked the Black Library page know when books are coming out in paperback.
• An extra section at the bottom of the Black Library emails any time a new paperback is released, tagging along with the big news about the cool new hardbacks.

That shouldn’t be too hard, I wouldn’t have thought. Okay, the website changes quite frequently and Black Library will want to use the available space to promote things that are going to sell as well as possible, but I’m sure they can spare a bit of room for at least most of the time. As for the Facebook posts and emails…what’s stopping them?

Come on Black Library, you can do it! You’ve made me happy today, and all it took was one header and three images. I want to say thank you for that – it’s a great move! Now let’s see you demonstrate that you care about all of your books equally, and about all of your fans equally. You want to do that…right?