# BL Novellas, Your Thoughts?



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

There's been a lot of comments about the new Black Library novella range and their high prices, so I thought a topic to gather these and discuss the range would be appropriate.

I personally think the novellas are a good new range, granted they are costly, but considering that each one contains unique artwork that will never be reprinted, a great story that may only be seen again after many years, is hand-signed by its author, thanks to this series I've gotten Graham McNeill, Ben Counter and Gav Thorpe's signatures and soon ill have Nick Kyme's and for me it would be extremely hard and even more costly to get them any other way. Not to mention that only one thousand of each novella will ever be produced by Black Library I think that asking £30, or however many dollars/euro that is, is worth the product that you end up receiving.

Discuss.

Lord of the Night


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

Obviously just a money-earner, you've given the reasons why.

If they wanna do Novellas that's fine, but why make them around 5 or 6 times the price of an ordinary book? They get away with it because they produce them as limited edition and spout such marketing things as: _'contains unique artwork'_. Why not just put them to the mass market and mass produce them? That way they can put the prices down and please more people, and probably earn more money in the long-run anyway.


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

i think it's something useful. It's a neat new angle that's been done by other publishers before. Most publishers have done these types of limited edition type things, and they're always great sellers and popular items. I've never been disappointed with a L-E print that i've gotten. usually one of a kind. I think BL has done a good thing here.

CP


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## Worldkiller (Jun 16, 2010)

I think it's a good thing as well, though my opinion may change if i ever fail to get one before they sell out.


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

I think that we are ignoring the main issue, to be honest. My, and many others, frustration dosen't come from the prices. £30, realistically, isn't alot of money. It's the limited number of copies that I dislike. I feel that it's denying fans fluff, or canon, especially about the Horus Heresy, as these novella's seem to be linked to characters, events or themes within the regular series. 

Nick Kyme shall be writing a novella centered around the Salamanders, probably Post-Isstvan V. How many Salamanders fans and most importantly: Players, are there out there? 

ADB, one of Black Libraries most popular authors, especially amongst the ''newer'' readers. He is writing a novella that centers around -arguably- the most important event within the Horus Heresy (Or Great Crusade to be picky). And yet this wealth of information shall be confined to 1000 people? Sure, it shall be shared upon the internet with reviews, but that's like me ordering you to read a review of Horus Rising without buying it. It's ludicrous.

I'd happily pay £40 for a novella, in time. If they were not limited edition, especially if it was something I'd really like. But Black Library, I feel are playing the fanbase for money. I don't like it, and sure, who is actually going to give four fith's of a fuck what some whining member on a 40k discussion site says? Certainly not the folks in Nottingham. But it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth that Black Library has even fell into Games Workshop's recent money-making schemes.


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## Dead.Blue.Clown (Nov 27, 2009)

bobss said:


> ADB, one of Black Libraries most popular authors, especially amongst the ''newer'' readers. He is writing a novella that centers around -arguably- the most important event within the Horus Heresy (Or Great Crusade to be picky). And yet this wealth of information shall be confined to 1000 people? Sure, it shall be shared upon the internet with reviews, but that's like me ordering you to read a review of Horus Rising without buying it. It's ludicrous.


My own perspective is a little different. While I do see your frustration, I really like the format, and I don't really see it as a problem.

First off the bat, fandom writes its own rules. Like many people, I bought _Star Wars: Episode III_ for the Xbox hoping it would be a good game, but not really caring one way or the other. I wanted the spoilers, the opening crawl, the cutscenes and footage so many weeks before the cinema release.

Just like exclusive fanclubs and similar deals, licenses tend to reward their most rabid fans, and offer them ways to get hold of exclusive, limited edition things. Limited edition stuff, especially stuff of high quality, is cool as hell, and understandably desirable. Making some stuff limited edition is something that's been in fandom for about eight squillion years. It's just the way it is. I think there's only really cause for objection if something is limited edition, and also of, like, "questionable quality".

Now, we all know that, but I felt like it was a good idea to interject with it. 

For the sake of argument, look at it from my point of view. Just for kicks.

Your publisher asks you to write a Horus Heresy novella. You're immediately caught between a rock and a hard place. Here's what goes through your mind:

*1.* You need to write something that isn't essential to the main story arc, because it will be available to so few people. Your editor says, as a guideline, that he prefers that it's not something front and centre to the whole series.

*2.* But then there's the matter of its value to the fans. This costs £30. It's getting specialist (and expensive) artwork, it's certainly not cheap to print, and it's extremely limited edition. This needs to be about something awesome enough for people to actually want, so it can't be about something completely tangential. It has to be something new, unseen, and it needs to add to the Horus Heresy series as a useful, genuine contribution. It has to, or it's pointless. If it's not a genuinely insightful contribution, no one will want it, and worse, you'll be churning it out "just because". And that's a venomous way to work, let alone treat readers. 

*3.* Then there's the aspect of its value to you as an author and a 40k fan. What does it mean to you, personally? It's perhaps the only chance you'll get to do something this cool; you have to sign every copy yourself; and it's such a neat little slice of high quality career coolness that you really, really want it to be good.

*4.* Then there's the practical concern. 30,000 words isn't a short story, and it's not a novel. A novella is its own beast, and if you shorten a novel or stretch a short story, you're going to be screwed. It needs to be its own self-contained narrative, and many tales from that era don't lend themselves to such a weird length.

*5.* So what do you choose? Nick chose the Salamanders knowing that, at some point in the series, the Salamanders and Vulkan are going to get a novel. It's simple figures: for every complaint that the series has lost steam or is acting like some moronic, staggering cash cow, there are 800 counterpoints saying "But they have to cover Legion X and Faction Y before the end." It seems likely that everyone will get a slice of the pie at some point, so where Nick's concerned, he isn't choosing to make the only Salamanders HH content incredibly limited edition - he's just writing one story about them, reliably sure that there'll be much more word count devoted to the Salamanders in time, and it'll be about thier major HH moments. No one is being cheated of vital content. This is just one story. 

Where I'm concerned, it took a long time for me to settle on just what to do. I went through several plots about the Mechanicum, the Legio Cybernetica, a Sons of Horus Techmarine, etc. and while they were all good (and while they all got the right oohs and aahs from editorial), it never felt an awesome enough storyline to include in the Horus Heresy, in this format. It could've been a short story in an HH anthology; to me, that felt like it was falling short of its potential.

So I decided to act on one of the three main questions I've been asked since _The First Heretic _was released. "What did Lorgar see in the Eye of Terror?" 

And I dig the idea of it. It's a special question, and it deserves a special format, more than a short story. I don't regard it as essential the way you implied - if it was essential, I'd have put it in _The First Heretic_. It's certainly interesting, but it has to be, or you're ripping people off (see Point 2) and working for the sake of it (see Point 3). So I thought a lot about this one. In a bajillion reviews, feedback conversations at signings, and forum comments, I've seen practically no mention of it as something "missing" from the novel. Some people have asked what Lorgar saw, but never in the sense that they felt cheated by not knowing. What he saw isn't vital: we have an idea what he saw, from what Argel Tal witnesses, and we know the end result after he emerges. It's already implied, inferred, hinted, etc. and a little bit is already shown.

In all seriousness, dude, I do care. You asked who cares about people's complaints and opinions on stuff like this? Well, I do. I come to these forums as a fan, but I pick up that kind of opinion as an author and a contributor to the setting we all love. And I don't sit here gleefully rubbing my hands together at the thought you're not a fan of this format, and I wish there was something I could say to sweeten the deal for you, but we've all got our perspectives to fly by. I'm really psyched about getting to write something like this. I wanted it to be something special, but not vital to the overall storyline, and this feels 100% right.

I hope my explanation at least gets across why I chose what I chose, and reassures you a little that no one will miss anything vital if they don't grab a limited edition novella.


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## raider1987 (Dec 3, 2010)

How do I get hold of such novellas? This is content that I defiantly want and I am more than happy to pay something so limited.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> So I decided to act on one of the three main questions I've been asked since _The First Heretic _was released. "What did Lorgar see in the Eye of Terror?"
> 
> And I dig the idea of it. It's a special question, and it deserves a special format, more than a short story. I don't regard it as essential the way you implied - if it was essential, I'd have put it in _The First Heretic_. It's certainly interesting, but it has to be, or you're ripping people off (see Point 2) and working for the sake of it (see Point 3). So I thought a lot about this one. In a bajillion reviews, feedback conversations at signings, and forum comments, I've seen practically no mention of it as something "missing" from the novel. Some people have asked what Lorgar saw, but never in the sense that they felt cheated by not knowing. What he saw isn't vital: we have an idea what he saw, from what Argel Tal witnesses, and we know the end result after he emerges. It's already implied, inferred, hinted, etc. and a little bit is already shown.


That will definitely be a very good read, but for this one I think there is a chance for the artwork to outshine the story. After all this is the heart of the Eye of Terror, a pilgrimage through the raw form of Chaos. Just imagine the things that could take place, the monsters that could appear, the sights that could be seen. All of it unholy and horrific in every sense of conception of terror and horror, the artwork for this one will definitely be amazing, anything to do with the Warp is. This novella will go fast, its not just a story that nobody thought of or wanted before they read it, this is a story that like you said hundreds of fans asked about and requested, it'll sell fast, and one of those will be to me .



raider1987 said:


> How do I get hold of such novellas? This is content that I defiantly want and I am more than happy to pay something so limited.


You can purchase them in the Collector's Edition section on Black Library. One is still available, _The Bloody Handed_ by Gav Thorpe.

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Exclusive-Products/Collectors-Editions


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## raider1987 (Dec 3, 2010)

Lord of the Night said:


> You can purchase them in the Collector's Edition section on Black Library. One is still available, _The Bloody Handed_ by Gav Thorpe.
> 
> http://www.blacklibrary.com/Exclusive-Products/Collectors-Editions


Thank you


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

Ugh Gav thorpe, only books i like by him is the Sundering series...even then i read it without knowing it was him.


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## raider1987 (Dec 3, 2010)

Yeah I have no interest in WHF so wont get that.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

World Eater XII said:


> Ugh Gav thorpe, only books i like by him is the Sundering series...even then i read it without knowing it was him.


What about the _Eldar Path_ series, thats really good.


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Also _Angels of Darkness_ and the first 2 books in the _Last Chancers_ series (wasn't a fan of the 3rd book)?


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## World Eater XII (Dec 12, 2008)

Lord of the Night said:


> What about the _Eldar Path_ series, thats really good.


Didnt really get into it to be fair.


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## RuneGuard (Jan 10, 2011)

Anyhow back on topic, I feel that Novella's are yes abit of a money making scheme, (though i would like to know for arguements sake how much it costs BL to make and print a SE novella). However I do firmly believe that SE novellas are for the fans and for that i am eternally gratefull.

Because lets face it, if there were no HH novellas coming out, we would'nt be getting any new HH novels until the opposite end of the year (Im excluding Age of Darkness as its a short storie compilation).
On a non HH novella, they clearly have all been done for fans, of either Ben Counters Soul drinkers, Graham's Iron warriors or Gav's sundering series they are all an expansion of that series stories,though not vital to the overall stories they are nice to have for which fans, such as us are always happy read.

And a big thanks to ADB for explaining why he chose said topic for his HH novella, I will be picking up a copy, and it won't be for the artwork. On that note can you please inform BL not to go too stir crazy on the artwork as no matter the artist its never as good as the imagination, though a pic of Lorgar would'nt be remiss:wink:


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## HorusReborn (Nov 19, 2008)

I will probably never buy them because I'm poor.. LOL but I think they sound great for a BL fanboy/girl. Any added stuff is cool, which is why I like buying the Omnibus editions. Signatures mean nothing to me, content does!


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## Cambrius (Nov 4, 2010)

Just... please, please, _please_... be available in North America!


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> Your publisher asks you to write a Horus Heresy novella. You're immediately caught between a rock and a hard place. Here's what goes through your mind:
> 
> *1.* You need to write something that isn't essential to the main story arc, because it will be available to so few people. Your editor says, as a guideline, that he prefers that it's not something front and centre to the whole series.
> 
> ...


Well, firstly, a big thanks for actually replying, not to mention the size of the post at all! 

I admit the quoted text does open up a perspective I haven't thought about before, or considered during my, perhaps 'attack' on Black Library's range of novellas. It certainly sheds light on the authors role in providing an interesting, yet worthwhile product. 

Also, comparing Black Library's limited editions to those of others famous franchises, does outline how proffitable the market is, 'tapping in' to the almost zealotic fanboys. So I can't really criticise there. 

As for the statement about caring, as mushy as this may sound, I really like that. It's good that some authors often speak to the fans directly, especially whilst themselves being quite busy. It's definately reassured my confidence in purchasing Black Library novels.


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## Thyr (Oct 25, 2010)

I don't really mind the prices for the novellas. Hell, I own 500+ books and the BL books are among the cheapest books I have. What makes me sad is when I don't manage to get my hands on a novella. Still devastated that I couldn't buy Bloodline.  If the same happens with the Salamander and the Eye of Terror novella I'm going to cry into my pillow.


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