These cover makeovers tends to happen after the first book in a series hits and normally is revealed along with the sequels cover. AKA right after you've had plenty of time to purchase and get attached to the first cover so now you're only options are:
A. Dropping $20 on a second copy of the book because, lets be honest, you want copies of both covers AND you're a bit OCD and want your copies of the books in the series to have congruent covers.
or
B: You save yourself $20 and resign yourself to the fact that your copies of this book series will have inconsistent cover designs.
If you're anything like me (and I think you are) then you do not want to pick option B. So why is it that publishers so often do this? Why do they feel that a book series needs a mid series face lift? Is it that they think the original cover design isn't "marketable" enough? Possibly they're having a hard time coming up with a similar cover designs for the sequels? Or maybe it's that they want to make more money off of us bookish people by getting us to buy multiple copies of their books? Hehe. :P
Whatever the reason I'm not a big fan of book series makeovers.
Here are just a few examples of a book series that have gotten makeovers midway through their publication:
The Nightshade Series by Andrea Cremer
I remember when these covers got redesigned a few years back and it felt like the entire YA book community was up in arms over it and people were holding onto their Wolfsbane ARC's with the original cover like it was their lifeline. There were petitions and people were emailing the publisher like crazy but it didn't make a difference: The covers still got changed and the original Wolfsbane cover never did become a hardcover reality. I think this is definitely one of the stranger cover change decisions. The original Nightshade and Wolfsbane covers are undeniably GORGEOUS so why did they decide to change the design especially with so much public outcry? I think I read somewhere that they felt that the original covers weren't truly portraying the essence of the books but I think that's kind of a lame excuse especially when the new covers appear sorta tacky. But that's just my two cents. :P
The Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver
When I found out that the Delirium cover had been redesigned and that HarperTeen had trashed the old cover theme I was pretty disappointed. I really like the original Delirium cover and I think it would have been awesome to see the whole series designed in the same way. However they did do a really good job with the new cover designs so no complaints there. Plus it helps that I happened to win a copy of the original Delirium hardcover so I didn't feel as guilty buying another copy with the redesigned cover. Yep: I have hardcover copies of both Delirium covers. >.<
The Ashes Trilogy by Ilsa J. Bick
The original Ashes cover is totally awesome. It's eerie and creepy and goes perfectly with the story. Because I do like the original cover so much I'm pretty bummed they redesigned it and are going with a different cover theme for the rest of the series. The new covers just don't have the same vibe that the original had. THEY JUST AREN'T CREEPY ENOUGH! Plus now my copy of Ashes isn't gonna match up with Shadows unless I buy the new design. Phooey! :P
Oh and is it just me or does the new Ashes cover totally have the same feel as the new cover for White Cat by Holly Black?
Yeah maybe they aren't THAT similar but I still can't see the new Ashes cover without thinking "That reminds me of White Cat." :P
So what do you guys think when a book series gets a cover makeover? Are you like me where want the book covers in a book series to be consistent? Or do you not care? Do you even notice? And why do you think publishers redesign covers like this?
Julia :)
OOH, I'm with you. I hate when my favorite series get a makeover, because somehow they are very rarely for the better. My most recent disappointment: Jackson Pearce's Fairytale Retelling series. The cover for Sisters Red and Sweetly are so perfect and artful and unique. I was SO excited to see what they came up with for Fathomless, a story based on The Little Mermaid. I was so sad when they revealed the change. The new covers are pretty---but just so ordinary. :(
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Julia!
I totally didn't know that Jackson Pearce's series just got redone. Man the Fathomless cover is so.... underwhelming? Such a bummer. I feel like they could have done some awesome artwork especially with the little mermaid theme. :/
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ReplyDeleteYou've just reminded me again why I tend to wait until all the books in a series are out before reading the first one! I'm a big collector, too. =)
On the other hand, I have a soft spot for "mismatched" covers, thanks to the different Madeleine L'Engle Time quintet editions I collected over the years. (They weren't all available at the same time, so I got what I could, when I could.) So I don't really mind having a mismatched set, but only as long as the books a real mess. That is, if it's three Edition 1 copies and then four Edition 2 copies, I don't like it; but if it's Ed 1, Ed 2, Ed 1, Ed 1, Ed 2, Ed 2 and even Ed 3, then I'm okay with it. Funny, I know! =P
The new Nightshade covers are awful. Personally, I would pick option B but I think that if publishers plan to release new covers, they should release the series in both the old and new sets.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Little Miss Becky I was excited to see what the cover of Fathomless was going to look like since I love The Little Mermaid and the covers for Sisters Red and Sweetly were both eye catching and different and then the covers changed and Fathomless never got an illustrated cover :(. I mean it's pretty but it's not the same and it doesn't match. I suppose in this case the cover design changed because illustrated covers are usually done on middle grade books and target younger readers so they probably wanted to make the books more marketable towards teens and older readers :/.
ReplyDeleteAshes...um I have to say I love the new design a lot more then the original. I agree the original cover is creepy and that's actually the reason I never found out what the book was about because I don't like scary books and thought Ashes wouldn't be for me. Well after the cover design change I went to read the synopsis and added the book to my TBR because it actually does sound like something I would enjoy. Sorry your covers don't match, if I had already owned a copy I would certainly not be happy with the design change.
Speaking of design change all three original designs for each book in the Curseworker series don't match. Sure White Cat and Red Glove only have different title font but they are all still different.
My biggest complaint for mid-series design changes is the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld. The original cover for the first book was GORGEOUS and unique and FACELESS and the matching cover for the second book was even more GORGEOUS but still unique and FACELESS but the cover was never used and the whole series got a makeover and I hate the new covers. I think they are ugly.
I feel like it would have been so easy for them to do an illustrated cover for Fathomless! It's a bummer they decided to go the picture route instead. :/
DeleteI do like that the new cover of Ashes isn't as creepy merely because more people might give it a chance now. It definitely deserves more recognition! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did once you get around to reading it. :)
Ohhhh so that's why there isn't a face on the Leviathan cover. I always wondered and it totally bugged me when I was looking to buy my own set. I actually was a fan of the covers with faces until you said this. Then I went and looked up the old Behemoth cover and WOW. Totally drop dead gorgeous. I'm so sad they didn't keep that style going because it was so amazing. Now I'm extra sad at the way the covers turned out. :(
When books change cover styles mid-series, it kind of bothers me--and I do twitch a little when I see the mismatched spines peering out of my bookshelf. But, eventually, I get over it--mostly because my book OCDness is eventually overriden by my cheapness. Plus, I've been buying a lot of my books from Thriftbooks.com, and sometimes finding matching books is too much of a hassle. :)
ReplyDeleteHaha well you are much less picky than I! Though I guess it really does depend on the book. If I LOVE it I might splurge on multiple copies (For example I totally want a set of the Hunger Games with the new UK covers) but otherwise I might just live with it.
DeleteAnd I've never heard of Thriftbooks.com before. I'll have to check them out! Thanks for the tip. :D
I don't mind if my books don't match. I'm far too frugal for that, but I still hate redesigns most of the time. Partially because they usually take an awesome cover and replace it with an awful one.
ReplyDeletePrime example: the Nightshade books. The first ones may be stupid compared to the story, but the new ones just look lame and stupid. UGH.
I also agree with Ashes. I don't 'like' the original, in that it scares the bejeezus out of me, but that's totally right for the story. It does seem reminiscent of White Cat, but what it made me think of was James Patterson's Witch & Wizatrd books. Lame!
The one that has me really mad right now, though, is the redesign of Jackson Pearce's fairy tale retellings series. Sisters Red and Sweetly's original covers are among my favorites of all time, so I have no clue why they would change them to something lame and unoriginal. My cynical answer is that they couldn't come up with something as clever for the cover of the third book.
Yeah a lot of people seemed to not pick up Ashes because they thought it was too freaky looking so I guess it's good that this new cover will open it up to a brand new audience!
DeleteI didn't even know about Jackson Pearce's series getting a cover redesign. I have yet to read one of them (Sisters Red is on my TBR shelf right now!) but I totally love the old covers too and I looked up the Fathomless cover and it's just not half as good. How hard can it be to come up with some type of mermaid artwork? *sigh*
I completely agree with you, it's so annoying! Here in the UK they changed the covers for Divergent and Insurgent and while they're still really cool they're nowhere near as nice as the US covers! The Nightshade covers annoyed me too - they're BEAUTIFUL and then they changed them to those horrible ones... Sorry but I really don't like them... :S Great post! :D
ReplyDeletehorrible horrible horrid
ReplyDeletewhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
I agree with you too! Changing covers mid-series is just wrong! The Nightshade covers are by far the worst cover change. The originals were beautiful and the new ones are just...not. Another series that has undergone a cover change that I really didn't like was the Shade series by Jeri Smith-Ready. Yuck. I think that if the publishers want different covers they should keep the original covers for the hardcover books and give the paperback versions the new covers. Too bad they didn't ask me! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, and I totally agree! I hate when the change them mid-series.
ReplyDeleteI'm still especially bummed about the Curse Workers :( Yeah, the new designs look ok, but the first ones were perfect for the feel of the series & I loved them (as much as the books) and they changed them with the last book, why? They could've publish the last planned one cover for the 3rd book & than publish new editions with the new covers, I don't mind when they do that. Still annoyed & haven't bought Black Heart because of that. :(
Another one, Moira Young's Dustlands, I like the new ones, but bummed because I got the original cover edition :(
So, yeah, I want my books to match, and I can't really afford to buy the new ones, so I probably won't buy them, or just get an ebook so I can at least read them.
And I actually prefered the original style of the Delirium series, ok it was only the 1st book, but I really dislike the new ones, although that seems to be only me ;)
And I didn't know they re-designed the Ashes covers, too. :(
People (publishers & or who ever is responsible for the decisions about the cover designs) stop doing that!!!
Oh man I TOTALLY forgot about the Dustland redesign! I bought the original Blood Red Road Cover too. Gahhhh now I'm bumming out about that. And the original cover was SO much better than the new ones. :/
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