I have a half-hearted rant. I started reading Hit Me by Lawrence Block last weekend and realized after the first couple of pages of the first story, Keller in Dallas, I’d read this novella before. In fact it was two years ago that I read Keller in Dallas and reviewed it on my blog in 2011. It was a good short story and it’s featured in his new book along with some other short stories (didn’t know they were short stories). The thing is, I didn’t know that this novella would be re-introduced in the new book and nowhere does it say on the cover or on the book description that one of the stories was published separately.
Granted Hit Me has 352 pages (Amazon page count) and the author acknowledged to me that Keller in Dallas was the only one published separately (two years ago).That’s fine but the failure to mention this anywhere in the book description? I find that to be problematic and I hold the publisher accountable. I already think that the relationship between publishers and readers leaves much to be desired. This isn’t the first time that I’ve felt duped by publishers when it comes to marketing their books. You could probably list a few yourself like when they allow authors to re-write their stories and release them as new books? or re-title books that you’ve probably already read? In a nutshell, this issue was just annoying. #firstworldproblems
Keishon – It is annoying. I don’t blame you one bit for the rant. Readers ought to be told the absolute truth about what they buy (i.e. was it published elsewhere, is there another title, etc.). I’m sorry that happened to you.
Thanks Margot.
I’ve been burned a million times on this. Even one my favorite authors is (who just got her rights back) is doing something like this. (New titles, new covers, books from 20 years ago). It’s happened so often that unless it’s a library loan, I Google to make sure it’s new. It’s saved me a lot of time, money, and angst. Although not all author’s/publisher’s websites reveal the reissue.
Thanks for the warning Sylvie. It’s a shame we must go through these hoops to ensure what we are reading isn’t something recycled.
I haven’t been caught in exactly this way because I don’t read short stories very much but I have bought the same book under different titles more than once. And for years I was really anti Stephen King because he kept re-releasing books with a few more pages or some vague variation in the story of an earlier book (but then I gave up reading his stuff all together)
But at least Stephen King wrote a dear reader letter warning readers that they’d read this already.
I’ve been duped by the change in book titles so I know how you feel. It’s always worth having the debate I think.
I think so too. Thanks Sarah.
Part of the disappointment I see is that, sure, I’ll look into most purchases before I purchase the purchase. But I shouldn’t feel the need to conduct actual research.
Exactly Ben. We shouldn’t have to research what we want to buy.