Beyond the Blurb | Why I Hate Mid-Series Cover Changes

Morning, readers!

Okay, we’ve all been there. We’re minding our own business. And one day, one of our favourite authors announces that their well-loved series is getting a cover change. While cover changes are the norm in the publishing industry, most readers hate when the publisher does it mid-series.

So I’m not surprised when the book community exploded this Tuesday when international bestselling author Sarah J. Maas announced Bloomsbury is doing a cover change for her Court of Thorns and Roses series. Take a look below.

Now this change is quite different from the original covers. And frankly, I’m salty over it. Why? As a reader and blogger, I hate mid-series cover changes, period. So I break down the reasons why below. And I forewarn you that my hate may flow through my writing.

They’re Basically a Marketing Ploy

That’s all they are. They’re rebranding. And frankly, this one doesn’t match the contents of the book or series. For hours, I’ve tried to wrap my mind around the design. But alas, here I am, salty over it still.

 

They Ruin the Rest of the Series Collection

I’ve collected all of the hardcovers in the series. And while these covers are more YA, I know they match. I hate it when my series doesn’t match. While Renée Ahdieh’s Flame in the Mist series had a mid-series change, I loved it because the final book still matched the aesthetic of the original one.

With Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes series had a change, I was and still is hesitant. I don’t match hardcovers with paperbacks. It’s either one or the other with series. So even though the publisher offered a collector’s edition hardcover of AEITA with the new cover, I was still peeved. Now in this case, I understand why this ocurred. But the publisher could have easily have had a diverse feel for the original covers, but instead, it went with one mid-series.

 

They Cost Us Readers More to Have Matching Copies

You and I do not need another reason to buy more books we don’t need, right? Right. Tell yourself that. As a Canadian, hardcover books aren’t cheap. And sometimes, I and my fellow Canadians don’t always receive the same deals as our fellow American readers do. So I don’t want to spend more money on the same series. I’ve spent enough.

 

They Kill the Thrill of Collecting Series

I don’t want multiple copies of the same book so my collection matches. I have limited space in my entire house for all of my books. So I can’t waste precious space on multiple copies. And I don’t like wasting time finding the perfect copy (again) so my collection is complete.

 

Sometimes, They’re Ugly, Just Plain Ugly

I’m sorry Sarah and Bloomsbury. I hate the new cover designs. They have no connection to the book, and I wouldn’t know it’s a Maas book unless I looked at the author’s name on the cover. I expected better. Bloomsbury could have gone a different route, and I would have supported the change. But this one doesn’t suit the book, the characters, or the storyline. #SorryNotSorry

What are your thoughts on the new cover change of A Court of Thorns and Roses? Do you like it, or do you prefer the original cover?