Any of you who’ve spent time waiting for books to appear will know that the world of publishing can be a fickle business, and that publication dates are … let us say …malleable. Writing is not a precise science. There can be unforeseen problems. Revisions can take longer than expected. And that’s before you get into the whole arena of commercial considerations, of the time required for production, and distribution, and enthusing a sales force, and preparing an eager public, and yada yada yada. Until you have the book in your hands it’s wise not to take anything for granted.
So it is with great regret I have to inform you that, following a meeting with my editor and various whip-and-sword-wielding figures at Orion made from fire and shadow, we have decided, reluctantly, that we have to move the publication date of The Heroes.
But do not weep a river of tears quite yet, my friends, for the publication date is coming forward.
Yes, indeed, the UK hardcover of The Heroes will now be available on January 20th 2011, and not a moment before. If any among you were minded to pre-order what will undoubtedly be THE fantasy release of that day, you could do so here.
The US hardcover release is still currently scheduled for March 7th, but I’ll let you know if that changes in the light of these developments. Bear in mind that the management take no responsibility for any future disappointing delays in publication dates, as publication is a fickle business, and etc. etc.
34 comments so far
I suppose now we’ll have to refer to you as not Abercrombie or Obercrombie but “Ubercrombie”?
[…] From Abercrombie’s blog: […]
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!!!!
As a grown man of 46 am I allowed to go Squeeeeeee!!!
If you do, Phil, I promise I won’t tell anyone ;o)
We have to wait two extra months in the US? Feh.
Then we’re lucky!
Any word on the release date for Germany or USA so far?
Please get the same translator as the last few times!
(or is this guy the same anyway?)
Thank god. I just finished re-reading Best Served Cold and was just about to start sulking until I got my next book from you.
Wonderful news!
What am I gonna read till January? There is that Tyra Banks fantasy book coming out which could be fun.Hmmmm.
Curse you, Abercrombie! You had me hook, line and sinker that there was going to be a further delay (I was prepping the “if you weren’t playing games/having a non-writing life all the time”).
Is this bringing the release date forward in keeping with your turning fantasy tropes on their head?
Great news.
Are there going to be more good news about the subterranean press edition of the Blade Itself anytime soon?
Any idea on the U.S. release date? You know, some of us still read over here. I promise.
Should’ve expected a turnaround like that from you, Abercrombie. Wonderful news! I will undoubtedly be purchasing a copy from the UK and having it send overseas to the States. I won’t be able to wait until March 7th.
Chris,
Ubercrombie will be fine. And yes, I can’t wait for that Tyra Banks fantasy. Might have to see if I can snag a manuscript to blurb on. “I was smizing from the first page to the last – Joe Abercrombie”
Miguel,
Not absolutely sure about the schedule on the sub press version – the limited editions being speciality items don’t follow quite the normal rules and it can take a while to get everything in place. The internals have been done for a while, and we do have an artist in place now, I think, so hopefully it will be soon, but I’ll post any info I get.
Doug, Pink,
US date – currently March 7 as shown in the above post. German date – not sure, with Best Served Cold they were pretty quick out of the blocks, though.
Peat,
You never know, you might be able to wangle a UK ARC and get it round September time. Do you know anyone in the business…?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe us Yanks can just go to Amazon.uk and order the book in January. Just have to pay a little extra for shipping. Well worth it imo.
I get books early from the UK all the time from Book Depository – their prices aren’t quite as good as Amazon UK, but they do have free worldwide shipping which is awesome. It’s usually quite fast to the US. I’m really looking forward to this one, glad to hear it won’t be that much longer.
Great! I’m glad that there’s at least one popular fantasy author whose work isn’t subject to constant delays!
This is a smart move, since now you will most likely beat the releases of Rothfuss & Lynch.
Can’t wait 😀
What about New Zealand? Everything is always released later down here.
Joe this is great news and I for one am very eager to read more from your pen. January is usually deadish time for new publications, so this will be some good summer reading (I’m in Australia).
Ah, well. Amazon.uk here I come. I shan’t wait for an extra two months.
Not too long to wait at all.
Keep pumping them out Joe, and I’ll keep reading them!
Good times.
Excellent news, Joe! I think you might possibly be the first fantasy writer to ever blog about moving their publication date *forward*. You would be well within your rights to demand that you be carried to future book signings upon a litter constructed entirely of the remaindered works of lesser authors.
For those of you outside the UK that are as impatient as I to get ahold of Joe’s latest, I highly recommend the Book Depository as a much cheaper alternative to…well, anything, really. Check out http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780575083837/The-Heroes (they also have a paperback listed at the same price.) They have free shipping via Royal Airmail to just about anywhere and a good discount. I’ve purchased two UK books of Joe’s as well as several from other authors through them and they’ve always arrived in a week or less (midwestern USA). GREAT place to buy hard-to-find British fantasy if you’re a Yank like me.
Ha! You had me there, you rascal. Shiny news, this.
Great news, looking forward to more blood, double crosses and general snideyness 🙂
I am hoping I can get the UK edition in Germany from amazon.com around the release date. Normally I get the British releases here. Can’t wait!!!
Woohoo! Actually crying tears of joy! That means i’ll only have to reread the others roughly 6 times each between now and then to get me by!
Makes you proud to be British.
Can’t wait to pick up “The Heroes” in the US. The first law trilogy has set my standard for what I want out of a book, and I find it hard to enjoy reading anyone else’s work these days…thanks a lot!
I’m reading BSC right now, I had to wait until I heard a release date for “The Heroes” before I dove into BSC. As usual when it comes to your books, I can’t put it down.
Can you give us some semblance of a tease as to what may be coming up after “The Heroes”. Will there be more stand alone novels? A twenty-six part epic? A Second Law trilogy? Two things I would love to see 1) the return of Glokta in any way, shape, or crippled form and 2) someone to take down Bayaz…that old bastard has it coming thinking he can just shape the history of the world as he wants.
I’m not sure what I’m more excited about, seeing my family in December after being interstate and at sea for the last 12 months, or reading this book! >:D
I repeat Jacob’s question… what about New Zealand?
We just (finally) got electricity here last month, and now I’m itching to get my hands on a new book to read at night.
Take that, darkness! Darkness is totally my bitch now.
A note for the Americans: That was a joke. New Zealand has had electricity for a long time… We’re not Alabama.
Still, I’m excited about The Heroes. Can’t wait 🙂
Nice of you to move the release date to my birthday. Now I know what to ask for.
More power to your elbow! (was going to say wrist but that just sounds wrong)
Joe and Peter, You are both gods who have created a world of pure grit, where only the bravest and strongest of men could ever dream of getting the chance to live in. I adore the books that both of you have published and just want you to know that, now, when I dream, it is always in these worlds that I exist. Any future books from either of you will be on my shelf with all the others. Bravo!!!!!
I checked the Abercrombie wiki and there is mention of a Waterstone’s “The Heroes” hardcover edition, in which a new short story (“Yesterday, Near A Village Called Barden”) appears. The waterstones site offers only the Gollancz HC. Does anyone have more info about it?