Way of Kings Cover Art

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I'm not gonna read too much more of 7.0 because the next version I read will have a review based off of it, and reviewing the 7.0 just won't be right (lemme know when a final is ready to request from Tor).

Review copies won't come until the ARC/bound galleys, which will be after the copyedit. What they're doing now is the ABM which is only for author cover quotes, key media contacts, and key buyers at big chains. As well as for internal Tor use.

[guessingo]

What does ABM stand for?

[firstRainbowRose]

Advanced Bound Manuscript, I believe.

[guessingo]

what is the difference between an ABM and an ARC?

[Miyabi]

I believe arcs are actually bound whereas abms are not bound.

[Eerongal]

Advanced Bound Manuscript, I believe.

psh, no. It means alternate basement monkey.

(but yeah, i'm like 90% sure you're correct.)

[Peter Ahlstrom]

No, ABMs are bound. ARCs come from a later stage in production, and are bound galleys the size the hardback will be. ABMs are various sizes depending on the publisher. At Tor they're smaller than the final book and are usually exported from Microsoft Word.

[libraloco]

So...is anyone going to comment on the Kalad/Kaladin thing? Is it intentional? (Kalad led the rebellion long ago in Warbreaker and Kaladin is a character in The Way of Kings, but their names are strangely alike.)

[Miyabi]

I don't think it's intentionally, considering this is the alternate name avoiding Merrin because Merrin sounded like Matt and Perrin mashed together.

Though someone brought up the potential of Kaladin being a KELsier RaoDEN love baby. . . . xD

[firstRainbowRose]

He totally is!  With Uncle Vasher teaching him how to act.

[SilentxDreams]

=/ I personally don't like the cover at all. It looks too much like every other novel in the Fantasy section of book stores; the thing that made me not balk at reading Mistborn, Elantris, and Warbreaker were their unique covers. Fantasy books always have this cover that makes me feel like they're cranked out of a factory of lifeless writers and artists.

:[ Even with BS's name in giant letters, it doesnt feel like a BS book. Alas, I'm still going to have to buy it though, because I know the content is what really matters. It's just going to be hard to look at that cover. (Wow, I sound overly critical >< sorry!)

[Ari54]

I don't think it's intentionally, considering this is the alternate name avoiding Merrin because Merrin sounded like Matt and Perrin mashed together.

Though someone brought up the potential of Kaladin being a KELsier RaoDEN love baby. . . . xD

I had a "Merin" that eventually became two characters, one a "Melin", because I wanted to draw an association with Merlin, and "Merin" just sounded wrong. It's really easy to come up with a name that just doesn't sound right.

[Miyabi]

=/ I personally don't like the cover at all. It looks too much like every other novel in the Fantasy section of book stores; the thing that made me not balk at reading Mistborn, Elantris, and Warbreaker were their unique covers. Fantasy books always have this cover that makes me feel like they're cranked out of a factory of lifeless writers and artists.

:[ Even with BS's name in giant letters, it doesnt feel like a BS book. Alas, I'm still going to have to buy it though, because I know the content is what really matters. It's just going to be hard to look at that cover. (Wow, I sound overly critical >< sorry!)

I know many hard core fantasy readers who would use this argument in exactly the opposite way saying that the other covers are meant to draw you in just with fancy pictures and nothing else.

I however agree with you that generally I like awesome pictures, but this one is very very good.  It fits the story extremely well.  Though I wonder why this character is on the cover.  Many others would have been preferable in my opinion.

[Shivertongue]

I know many hard core fantasy readers who would use this argument in exactly the opposite way saying that the other covers are meant to draw you in just with fancy pictures and nothing else.

I however agree with you that generally I like awesome pictures, but this one is very very good.  It fits the story extremely well.  Though I wonder why this character is on the cover.  Many others would have been preferable in my opinion.

Actually, I see that as something of a problem. The people who like the cover, it seems, are the ones who have read some version of this book. Most of us haven't. Therefore, even if the cover depicts the story inside incredibly well, we don't know the story inside. And I don't buy a book hoping the cover will be explained in the story; I want to the cover to give me an idea on what the story is about, to snag my eye and hold me for the thirty seconds it takes to affect an impulse buyer.

This cover doesn't do that. As stated, it looks like every other novel in the fantasy section (well, every other novel that isn't about vampires; those are fat more heinous in the repetitive covers).

[Moggle]

Meh