The alternative cover comes with Yen+, December issue
In an attempt to appease those who would freak, a slipcover with an English-language version of the original cover will be released with the December issue of Yen+.
But as you might imagine, that simply isn't enough for many fans. While many were supportive and some quite like the image, others cancelled their preorders and loudly demanded a change back. A large number claimed to support the concept of making the cover more accessible to non-otaku in the US, but didn't like this specific image.
Seriously, what's wrong with her neck?
Honestly, I would have to say I'm in the latter category. I think the image doesn't really represent the story very well-- which I could live with just fine, except I also suspect it's really badly photoshopped. What is going on with that weird dead-looking chunk of skin around her neck? And it also looks like they tried to shop her breast smaller, which is fine in theory I guess, but makes the breast look very...odd.
That said, I understand Yen and Hachette's need to publish the book in a way that will appeal to readers outside of the established market (i.e. English-speaking otaku who actually buy stuff), but what do you guys think-- will this cover do it?
The new cover does has a marketable look to it. The old cover not so much... total anime'esc.
Honestly: this was going to be a hard sell. There is a hardcore fanbase (myself included) that would buy this anyway, and maybe a few other anime-fan-related sales, but past that: zip.
You know and I know: it's a fantastic story... but it's not Grisham, or Brown. This will never be a bestseller, mores the pity.
No matter the cover, I'd buy it. But to convince someone else to pick it up... maybe a non-anime, non-manga approach -- with tits -- was the way to go with this title.
Canceling preorders? Over a cover? Doesn't seem like they were interested in the title much in the first place if that's all it takes to get them to cancel. I don't particularly care for the cover, but I've never been one to judge a book by its cover either. Yen Press should've just made the cover reversible so people could pick, but eh. Guess they need to give people more incentive to pick up Yen Plus.
Light novels don't sell as well as they should even with titles like Kino no Tabi or Boogiepop. I buy as many as I can get a hold of but so many of them end up getting canceled or are up in the air. (Zaregoto book 2 better come out next year, Del Rey, or heads will roll). Viz and Yen Press are marketing their books differently and hopefully they'll do well enough to get more titles out.
It looks like a soft-core porno cover.
Put me down for 'reaching new markets is good, but this attempt at it is fail."
The former made me go "man I should read this Shannon Hale person, she looks good" (and she is) The latter made me go "what in the name of God have they done to this cover?"
The new Spice & Wolf cover is not the most egregious Bad Cover Offender I've seen, but it's just...unnecessary? If the bookstores just shove it in the manga section (as they are wont to do), it'll just get laughed at, if they shelve it with the other fantasy books in hopes of luring non-anime-fans and they open the book (EVERYONE OPENS A BOOK BEFORE THEY BUY IT) and see the anime pictures....isn't that misrepresenting advertising on the cover's behalf?
I think it's a good thing that Yen Press wants to go after a non-anime-fan market (as anime fans on the whole seem to be quite adverse to reading books with few pictures), but this isn't the way to do it. Even Del Rey light novels (Zaregoto) got stuck in the manga section of my local bookstore (but FAUST ended up under "SF/F Anthologies" :???:) Best solution there is cross-shelving, but that's hairsplitting only the most devout of in-the-know bookstore employees will think to bring up.
B&N will indeed be putting Spice & Wolf in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section of all their stores. I assume Borders & others will do the same.
I think (for the next volume, anyway) the best course of option would be to make the jacket cover dual-sided and sell it with the book, but that, of course, will not sell issues of Yen Press, even though it would make sense AND make the book look mildly more classy on the shelf.
This get's me interested in reading it.
...cover is kinda awful though, in execution rather than concept.
I can also understand the people who are unhappy about the slipcover as they would have to go out of their way to purchase another product in order to obtain it. Which is an idea I'm not exactly happy with, no matter how great Yen + is(I've never check the magazine out).