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FunkyIke66 · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 295 Location: Salt Lake City

I sometimes disagree with Warren over various things and don't mince words about it (I blame him for this . . . he made me this way). And, yeah, I (respectfully) disagree with Warren re the new Tor covers. I think they are great.

But I'm looking at this topic as someone who started reading these books as a teenager . . . and as a guy with a background in marketing.

If you're selling peanuts, put peanuts on the wrapper. If you're selling a total badass like Remo, who is his own man of action and takes no crap, put that dude on the cover. Put a sense of excitement on the cover. (Don't put a picture of a "Bad Dog" or a huge storm cloud. Who gives a friggen hoot about a storm cloud? How many of those new Destroyers have storm clouds on their covers? Enough already!

The minute they made the Destroyer covers "classy" (starting with Signa) . . . they killed the sense of excitement and fun . . . and frankly stopped a lot of young teenagers from wanting to read them. I started as a child of 13 . . . and I NEVER EVER EVER would have picked up a Signa or GE book.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE COVER OF CHOKE HOLD!!!!!!! It has a nice exciting vibe to it. A young person sees that, they will want to read it.

Hey, when was the last time a James Bond movie was marketed with a picture of a storm cloud?
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Phil M. · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 148

Let's see... Somheil is gone, the squid is gone, Sarah Slate is gone. Could it be that folks just have to have something to bitch about? Since it's Warren and Mullaney writing them now, all that would be left to complain about is the covers, unless you are George H. over at Dale's group.
For my part, I couldn't tell you which book was which( after about #30 or so) just by seeing the cover art. I never really paid attention to the covers that much. I re-read 117 and 131 yesterday(it was raining, no golf) and I would be hard pressed to tell you what either cover showed, past the number...
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