For Joe Hill fans - Exciting news from PS Publishing

[T-Dogz_AK47]

This week's PS Publishing newsletter announced that in 2014, along with some other great titles, they will be releasing a deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition of Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghosts.

Like the Stephen King Anniversary Editions currently being released by PS Publishing, this promises to be truly fantastic!

I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy!!!!

[Theli]

Any word if it will be signed? And is it a re-print or are they doing some something new altogether?

It is great news though!

[T-Dogz_AK47]

PS Publishing released the S/L edition of this book first time around, so it pretty much goes without saying that the deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition will also be signed by Joe Hill.

No formal details announced as yet, but having spoken to Pete briefly about this, it is going to be an awesome edition and definitely one to get excited about.

[bookworm 1]

Cool. My favorite Hill story is in that collection. Voluntary Committal. One of my top ten.

[Highbury]

Really? 10 year anniversary? Is it really necessary?

[T-Dogz_AK47]

Really? 10 year anniversary? Is it really necessary?

Who cares? At the end of the day, PS Publishing are going to release a special deluxe edition of 20th Century Ghosts, which is one of the finest horror books out there.

Plus the fact that Joe Hill is horror royalty, he is a "King" just like his father.

So for me, "necessary" is irrelevant. I am going to be all over this book like white on rice.


“Sometimes, the unnecessary is necessary.”
- Oscar Wilde

[Highbury]

I disagree, I really dislike an over-saturation of limited editions in the market whether it be King, Hill, or anyone else. 10 years is too early to me. Book collecting will turn into the baseball card market if everybody starts jumping in.

[Joe315]

I sort of agree with Highbury on this one. If there hadn't been a S/L done already it'd be different. Its sort of like how movie releases are turning out. For example, I have been waiting for the Super Ultimate Extended Deluxe Directors Cut of Harry Potter to come out but Warner Brothers has put them in the "vault" and will probably release different versions every year to capitalize on the franchise. Lord of the Rings is in the same boat.

I'm sure this will sell out and hopefully they do something special that differentiates this edition from the original S/L, otherwise there is no point to this and it is just PS just capitalizing on Joe Hill and his fans.

[T-Dogz_AK47]

I sort of agree with Highbury on this one. If there hadn't been a S/L done already it'd be different. Its sort of like how movie releases are turning out. For example, I have been waiting for the Super Ultimate Extended Deluxe Directors Cut of Harry Potter to come out but Warner Brothers has put them in the "vault" and will probably release different versions every year to capitalize on the franchise. Lord of the Rings is in the same boat.

I'm sure this will sell out and hopefully they do something special that differentiates this edition from the original S/L, otherwise there is no point to this and it is just PS just capitalizing on Joe Hill and his fans.

If you want to be completely cynical, You could accuse every publisher (CD, Sub Press, Centipede Press etc...) of capitalisation whenever they release an anniversary edition book. With your argument, the length of time doesn't actually change things, they are still re-releasing old material.

The truth is, however, vastly different. PS Publishing are releasing a super deluxe version of a book that die-hard Joe Hill fans like myself are screaming for. If there was no demand, there would be no book. There were many people that missed the opportunity to buy the S/L first time around, and just as many that would also like to see one of their favourite books turned into something truly special.

Like CD and Sub Press - PS Publishing make absolutely stunning books and if they could release it now, I would buy it now. It's as simple as that. If that to you is capitalisation, then so be it. I am happy to be capitalised and I will be happy to own a copy of what will be, for me, one of the biggest releases of 2014.

Originally Posted by Highbury
Book collecting will turn into the baseball card market if everybody starts jumping in.

That's a rather elitist and crude analogy. Books are supposed to be read and enjoyed by those who appreciate them. I read all of my S/L editions - albeit carefully. I welcome the chance to own and read a copy of this fine book, in the manner is so richly deserves. I am certainly not at all jealous at the prospect that others might own another copy of the super deluxe edition. In this context, The idea that book collecting can be compared to baseball card collecting is abhorrent.

I am sure I am not alone in this way of thinking, and if I am, then it's a very sad state of affairs.

[bookworm 1]

Agree. I might get this because of the fact it is a great collection of stories. Owning a nice edition would be great.I do think it is getting a bit carried away. I think about the new extended edition of the Hobbit.WHY do we keep putting out so many extended versions? Time to take a look at some of this stuff.

I sort of agree with Highbury on this one. If there hadn't been a S/L done already it'd be different. Its sort of like how movie releases are turning out. For example, I have been waiting for the Super Ultimate Extended Deluxe Directors Cut of Harry Potter to come out but Warner Brothers has put them in the "vault" and will probably release different versions every year to capitalize on the franchise. Lord of the Rings is in the same boat.

I'm sure this will sell out and hopefully they do something special that differentiates this edition from the original S/L, otherwise there is no point to this and it is just PS just capitalizing on Joe Hill and his fans.

[Highbury]

Oh my. Well T-Dog I think getting 1 of 750 of Christine and every subsequent book has caused more harm than good for you. But I will happily trade my Christine for yours because whats a number when its the book treatment that is most important

Signed,
An apparent crude elitist

[Joe315]

If you want to be completely cynical, You could accuse every publisher (CD, Sub Press, Centipede Press etc...) of capitalisation whenever they release an anniversary edition book. With your argument, the length of time doesn't actually change things, they are still re-releasing old material.

The truth is, however, vastly different. PS Publishing are releasing a super deluxe version of a book that die-hard Joe Hill fans like myself are screaming for. If there was no demand, there would be no book. There were many people that missed the opportunity to buy the S/L first time around, and just as many that would also like to see one of their favourite books turned into something truly special.

Like CD and Sub Press - PS Publishing make absolutely stunning books and if they could release it now, I would buy it now. It's as simple as that. If that to you is capitalisation, then so be it. I am happy to be capitalised and I will be happy to own a copy of what will be, for me, one of the biggest releases of 2014.

I hear ya. I'm positive PS will go all out with this one. Anything less and people will make it known.

Also, I have no problem with anniversary editions in general (IT - no s/l had been done, 'Salem's Lot hadn't been done, The Shining hadn't been done) its just that this is a S/L anniversary edition of a S/L edition that they published. I actually thought doing an anniversary edition of Christine was weird as well since a S/L had been done already. PS' version is a nice book but it just seemed weird to me.

It certainly is a great thing for those who missed out on the first one and I realize PS probably looked at Joe at the time and made the safe decision not to make an uberdeluxe edition. Now they want to honor his work with an even more special version of his book. Thats great, and I hope it turns out awesome for fans of Joe.

Like I said, it just reminds of what movie companies have been doing.




Note* - Maybe Dan can move these to a publishing ethics thread or something, since they don't really belong here.

[Theli]

I think it's simple, for those of us who missed the first one we have a second opportunity, it's not like it had a huge run, 500 i think. And if you got it already, then you can be happy with your first edition. If you don't want don't buy it, that's my opinion.

[bookworm 1]

.. Thanks for saying what I was going to. Now back to how awesome book collecting is.

I think it's simple, for those of us who missed the first one we have a second opportunity, it's not like it had a huge run, 500 i think. And if you got it already, then you can be happy with your first edition. If you don't want don't buy it, that's my opinion.

[Theli]

^ Agreed! Though I thought 20th Century Ghosts was published in '05. Or is not planned to be realesed til 2015?