Why are so many DS9 relaunch books out of print?

[chris32482]

Are sales that bad?

I just finished watching the whole series on DVD and decided to read the relaunch novels. However I found that a lot of the books, like "Left Hand of Destiny Book 1" and the whole "Mission Gamma" series are already out of print.

Sure, I can get used copies, but I like my books to be in good condition (even when I read them I try not to crease the spine). I know, its kind of anal but I can't help it.

Does anyone know if pocket books is ever going to print these books again? I know that they recently released "Twist of Faith" which contained the first 4 or 5 books in the series. Are they going to publish more collections like this?

 

[Turtletrekker]

I believe that it has been stated that sales on post-finale DS9 have been quite good. If not, we wouldn't have even gotten Twist of Faith at all. And the first two Mission Gamma books will be reprinted in an omnibus entitled These Haunted Seas.

 

[JD]

I'm pretty sure that sales aren't the reason because to the best of my knowledge the DS9r are some of the most popular Trek books out their right now.

As for omnibus, Twist of Faith contained the first four books and the DS9 section from the final Gateways books, and next...err this year (2008) we will be getting These Haunted Seas, which will have the first two books from the four part Mission Gamma miniseries. Don't worry about the fact that it's only two books, because these two will probably be about equal together will probably be about the same length as the first four were in ToF.

 

[Smiley]

Very little Trek that has not been published since about 2003/2004 is still on new bookstore shelves. That's just how it goes when you have hundreds of books already published with a dozen or more added to the list each year.

 

[Therin of Andor]

chris32482 said:
Are sales that bad?

Quite the opposite. But when it comes to reprinting one part of a multi-part series (eg. "Mission: Gamma"), the publisher must wait till there are sufficient bookstore requests for a particular title before it starts up the presses again. Book 1, "Twilight", has been tricky to find in the USA at the moment because it's completely sold out at the warehouse, and it was even commanding a huge price on eBay and Amazon's second hand market (at least until the upcoming omnibus reprint was announced), although every bookstore here in Sydney, Australia, has had at least one or two crisp copies of the first edition sitting on the shelves. Many still do. Many US shops would too.

Sadly, it's more cost effective to pulp chain stores' unwanted shelf stock, and do a fresh reprint run, than to truck leftover first editions of MMPBs to warehouses for redistribution.

If Pocket reprints too many more copies of "Twilight" too soon, then people start clamouring for the next M:G's just as the warehouses' (larger, to meet demand) initial print runs of Books 2-4 start vanishing from shelves. And it's now known that reprint omnibuses are on their way.

Reprinting MMPBs is always a balancing act. Large shops like fast turnover of stock, ie. to sell out a title completely rather than have to rip off the covers and return them to the publisher for credit, to make room for new titles. Only specialist SF shops like to have shelf stock of the entire backlog of popular licensed media tie-ins, to meet demands of their specialized clientele.

 

[Ethros]

JD said:
and next...err this year (2008) we will be getting These Haunted Seas, which will have the first two books from the four part Mission Gamma miniseries.

Spoiler: Semi-spoiler for Mission Gamma - Unity books

Why is The Sisko on the cover for that collection? He doesn't back until 'Unity.' And looking at it further, is that Kai Winn and Ziyal? Aren't they dead, been a while since I've read Mission Gamma but I don't recall them coming back

 

[Smiley]

I had the same question. It was pointed out to me that all of the characters on the cover are dead or gone. They're supposed to be the people "haunting" the lives of those still alive. It's not an artistic choice that I like much.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Ethros said:

JD said:
and next...err this year (2008) we will be getting These Haunted Seas, which will have the first two books from the four part Mission Gamma miniseries.

Spoiler: Semi-spoiler for Mission Gamma - Unity books

Why is The Sisko on the cover for that collection? He doesn't back until 'Unity.' And looking at it further, is that Kai Winn and Ziyal? Aren't they dead, been a while since I've read Mission Gamma but I don't recall them coming back

This isn't really a spoiler. All of the people on the cover of THS are deceased. There was a reason why they were used on the cover, but I can't remember what it was at this point in time.

 

[Ethros]

Yep, I just read the description of the cover here
http://startrek.wikia.com/wiki/These_Haunted_Seas
I figured that was Gul Madred, not Dukat, and couldn't tell that was Jadzia
:thumbsup:

 

[KRAD]

I figured that was Gul Madred, not Dukat,

Why would you think it was Madred? (Do you mean Macet? Madred was David Warner's character who tortured Picard in "Chain of Command.")

 

[Ethros]

^ Madred, Macet, what's the difference!

Yep, I meant to say Gul Macet :thumbsup:

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Try saying that to Picard.

 

[The Great Meech]

Emh said:
Try saying that to Picard.

Nah, it's the same. Picard found those sideburns torture to look at.

Ah, crap, I'm an evil man.

 

[DS9forever]

Left Hand of Destiny #1 is the only relaunch novel that still eludes me.

 

[Ethros]

Emh said:
Try saying that to Picard.

I think that was one of Madred's torture methods
Madred- "What is my name?"
Picard- "Madred"
Madred- "No, my name is Macet"

*later*
Picard- "YOUR NAME IS MADRED!!!"

 

[Ktrek]

If you're having trouble finding DS9 relaunch books in print why not try the electronic medium? I'm sure every title can be found.

Kevin

 

[JWolf]

Ktrek said:
If you're having trouble finding DS9 relaunch books in print why not try the electronic medium? I'm sure every title can be found.

Kevin

Very nice idea. The eBook editions are not out of print and can be had NOW.