BOOK COMMUNITEA: THESE EDITIONS AINT SPECIAL NO MORE|PUBLISHING IS BEAUTIFUL GOWNS PT.2 [CC]

[@kyumgi]

personally i don’t think new releases should EVER have a special edition😭 it feels like something that should be earned after a certain amount of time has passed or a book has reached a certain level of prestige. it reminds me of kpop companies releasing 5+ album versions with randomized photocards with like dozens up to hundreds of possible photocards to get because they know people like to collect them lol

[@osteophagus]

I agree, new releases having special editions is weird to me - it should be earned! A story getting a special edition should be like rewarding it and it's author for being widely loved and stamping out their place in the literary world and a treat for the fans to get what is essentially a piece of art to commemorate one of their favorite stories. My favorite story is Black Beauty. I first read it as a crappy mass-market from the 70's and now I have multiple copies that I find beautiful. Having them on my shelf feels the same to me as having art posters of my favorite shows and movies on my walls.

[@JessOwens]

Special editions should only come once the book has a proven audience and been out for several years

[@jaimee-kate]

I think this leads into a larger convo about "adult" books because so many of the read like YA or this new "New Adult" category they are trying for, and it's very frustrating for us adult fiction readers who are at this point used to a higher standard of writing. It's frustrating because it feels like there is no editing being done for these books, and they are just trying to pump them out as quickly as possible. And honestly, they just care about sales and people posting the pics on IG/TikTok. Like so many Bookstagramers/BookTokers post pictures of books regardless of how they actually felt about them. They post them for the covers. If people are buying, what is incentivizing them to produce higher quality books?

[@jasminv8653]

Genuinely! I'm quite done even trying to look for 'curated' book recs or adult fantasy bestsellers anymore because all that it is now is this capitalist pump-n-dump shiny things cycle.

[@allgirlreview433]

Several of the last books I've read have fallen into this weird category. Too much sex and violence for YA but not enough maturity for Adult. Frustrating and confusing.

[@JessOwens]

Soooo true. Publishing is really in the market to make something aesthetically pleasing and we definitely contribute to that with hauls and posting photos of pretty books and shelves 😭😭😭

[@imaginary_oranges]

My gosh I wish I had saved it, but I saw a vid from someone who (said they) used to work in publishing that the deluge of special editions is very deliberate to drive traffic away from Amazon and towards other retailers, whether boxes, Target, Barnes, Waterstones, etc.

[@SloanePaoPow]

Unpopular opinion, perhaps, but special editions, while very pretty, are the epitome of judging a book by its cover. The value of a book lies in its content, but book sellers/publishers etc. are making bank because they are betting, and rightly so, on people buying books by being taken in by gorgeous book covers over the story inside. Im not saying there is anything inherently wrong with pretty books. But it's window dressing, it's peak capitalism. It's an avoidable expense. One can read a book, experience the story, participate in the fandom, and all the good stuff without buying an expensive edition. They make for a pretty bookshelf, sure, but they also can become dust collectors that rarely, or never get read for fear of damaging them. What's the value in that, really?

[@kthebookwyrm1590]

What value does art have? Because people who collect special editions that just sit on a shelf are collecting art to display in their home.

[@emilyvelveteen]

The most frustrating thing for me about the special editions is people selling them for a stupid amount, and then you literally see on vinted peoples whole account is just selling off every item in the box! It’s so annoying when you want an edition but they’re charging £30+

[@thejenmath]

Fairyloot’s Seven Year Slip edition sold out in presale and it’s now popping up on Pango and Depop and such for $250+. It was a $30 book and you want THAT MUCH???

[@JessOwens]

It’s absurd!!

[@bhsprinkle]

It's mind-blowing. So expensive and dumb to resell. Why get something you didn't want only to sell it back at an expensive price? Annoying.

[@lauraburnham7461]

The only reason I'm excited for FL's romantasy box is because MAYBE that means there will be less romantasy books in their adult book boxes. I love a good romance, but "good" is the key word here, and so many of their picks have not been that. So i'm crossing my fingers that their books in the adult box will will start to lean away from romantasy. But I also worry the quality is going to continue to drop.

[@endlessshelf1614]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who felt like they were HEAVILY leaning on romantasy books

[@zippy_zap9525]

I originally hoped that too, but Fairyloot said that it won't change anything about the adult fantasy box, it just means more spice in the romantasy box. So a lot of the adult fantasy picks are probably going to still contain a lot of romance, just not as heavy of spice level. I feel it's a missed opportunity for then to hone in on different types of fantasy interests for different tastes.

[@endlessshelf1614]

It’s such a shame. There’s so many kinds of fantasy getting pushed aside for one small subsection of the genre. Definitely not a subscription for exploring the “finest” of fantasy. Just the most popular types of books targeted at (primarily) women.

[@leahharlann]

To this day I still don't understand how romantasy (especially the ones without spice) became a 'thing' big enough to warrant this new name for it. Is it like when dystopian YA was a thing? Because that felt more like a period in the YA timeline more than a sub-genre that needed distinction, but maybe that's just my experience?

[@endlessshelf1614]

I feel like there’s a handful of people its distinction as a genre can be attributed too - Sarah J Maas is definitely among them. But part of me also feels like it’s very limiting. Sort of like “women stay in your lane because you don’t write/read REAL fantasy.” Which obviously is not true at all.

[@coffeestarsbooks]

I like special editions, but since there's so many of them available now, and so many different versions (especially since booksellers like Waterstones and Barnes and Noble have started also designing special editions) I really try to just stick to authors I really love, or books that I've read before and either love so much that I want a second copy, or never owned a copy to begin with. The oversaturation has meant that I'm now a lot better at ignoring ones I might have bought before, just because I can't afford to buy special editions of books I'm not sure I'll enjoy, so the FOMO has kind of worn off for the most part

[@coffeestarsbooks]

Publishing really out there wanting us to play Pokemon: Gotta Collect 'Em All

[@emmi-emzcureads-9958]

I don't subscribe to any book boxes because the shipping to Finland is so expensive(if they even offer international shipping). That being said I nowadays probably wouldn't even want the boxes because after watching unboxing videos the extra items just seem like clutter to me. 😅 I mean I got one book box a couple years ago and have not touched a single item that came in it (haven't actually even read the book yet 🫠). However I do love to support kickstarters of special editions, because you actually get to choose the book that you're getting and you get to geek out about it with other fans. They seem way more special to me than anything that would come in a book subscription box.

[@emmi-emzcureads-9958]

Also it seems like a lot of the books in these boxes have been fantasy romance (or have a heavy emphasis on a romantic relationship) these past couple of years and that's just not my jam. 😅

[@JessOwens]

I do love supporting a Kickstarter! And k can’t imagine the cost of international shipping 🫣

[@ladyslibrarium]

I agree with you on the skips. Book of the Month allows for unlimited skips, so I don't understand why not allow more skips to let someone else on the Waiting List get their hands on a book they want to read.

[@JessOwens]

Exactly!!

[@arlissbunny]

I subscribe to The Broken Binding and Goldsboro and I’m extremely happy with them. For me, the advantage is that the books themselves are always 4 or 5 star reads, meaning the selection process is excellent. Goldsboro tends to opt for a simpler but classier look in their special editions so they aren’t flashy but they are always hand signed and the runs are small so most of them hold value well. The Broken Binding is only getting better and better. They craft beautiful editions every time with art that is targeted at adult readers and small touches that set them apart. Actually, my digest complaint with Illumicrate (other than the books they are choosing) is that adult subscription books are given YA art. Really annoying.

[@ericar5739]

I have a Subscription to Illumicrate and I have been thinking of canceling it because its usually the first book in a series that you get. I don't want to keep starting new series. I wish most of them were stand alone books with the occasional first in the series by an already established author because it is a special edition that you most likely will by the rest of the series in that version of special edition to have them matched anyway. And even though I say ill cancel I probably won't because yeah, getting a "suprise gift" once a month is so nice and I look forward to it even if I don't end up reading the book lol

[@NoNameHere88]

I love Broken Binding and would prefer that as my only subscription - but baby THE COINS YOU NEED lmao. And I feel you on the need for expectation of a package saving your mental health. I'm dealing with a loss and feeling very isolated so the feeling of receiving something that connects me in someway to something larger than me helps a bit. Just for the unboxing at least lol

[@JessOwens]

That Broken Binding cost conversion to USD hurts my soul 😭 and I’m sorry for your loss 🩵

[@bizzywithbooks5256]

I love Goldsboro. Because of all the bubble wrap the book is never damaged. I also wish other boxes used clear cover wraps to protect the actual dust jacket so it stays pristine. ❤❤❤❤

[@lalicurates]

The one good (maybe?) thing about so many special editions, is that they actually show up in the secondhand market for those of us who do not have any subscription boxes, or want to wait for reviews before investing in a special edition.

[@NerdyNurseReads]

I order special editions of backlist books from LitJoy. I think their annotated special editions are beautiful and they’re books I love like Neil Gaiman and Laini Taylor. But I don’t need a special edition for every frontlist YA that comes out (let’s be honest it’s mostly YA)

[@zippy_zap9525]

Litjoy Crate is one of the few that has the best quality. And it's nice that the subscription is cheap and just basically is like an account to save for whenever a book you DO want gets released.

[@alady276]

I'm completely the same way--I buy things to feel something when going through the mail and opening boxes and whatnot. I do wonder, though, if we can recreate that dopamine hit of opening fun mail that isn't just bills or notices/warnings whatever by sending actual letters or postcard to friends and family? I know, so old-fashioned, but...it might save us money and actually bring joy? 💜😭

[@pig3292]

I get dopamine from getting new books at the library. Now if only the library would deliver! Now that'd be a game changer (I guess there's always e-resources)

[@JessOwens]

Omg if the library delivered, that would be amazing

[@JessOwens]

This is a good idea! Idk how to do it on a large scale or a consistent schedule, but it would be fun!!

[@leahharlann]

I will say, even though I wasn't in Bookish spaces on social media until the last couple years, that I feel like 'special editions' just also used to mean something different. Kind of like what you said, where it was more of a re-release of a popular book for an anniversary or something; but also I think it was just that what made it 'special' has changed too. Special editions used to be things like a bound-in short story, MAYBE an alternate cover, possibly exclusive illustrations, and/or being signed by the author and THAT WAS IT. Ever since visual overhauling became the new standard for special editions it feels like everyone is trying to get their cut, and it's easier because you just need to hire an artist to re-skin the book instead of negotiating for anything exclusive from the author. So now there's a million versions of a single book, they're charging more, and trying to use FOMO to get people to collect 50 copies of ONE. BOOK. Not even mentioning the scalpers, a monster I NEVER thought I'd see take over the book community to this extent. I feel you on being conflicted about the book box picks being mostly misses and being frustrated that the subscription is forcing us to gamble on unknown authors/titles and then pay extra for separate releases of the popular books. I'm in a similar place with the retail therapy too, pretty books are saving my mental on the regular. I guess I'm trying to say that you are being so real in this video and I wish I knew a way to change the industry for the better.

[@lolapunk20]

All of this is why I love my only book sub, BOTM! Great books, great price, can skip any time 🎉

[@annalulu5117]

Yes, I love BOTM! Most months I don't get a book which makes the service more exciting when I do pick out a book.

[@thejenmath]

And you get multiple options each month! Plus whatever they hid in the add-ons.

[@isabellao18]

My problem with FL is the following: one, their skip policy. 4 skips over 12 months. If you skip your first box in November 2023 you won't have 4 skips again until November 2024. Ridiculous. The books in their two subscription boxes, of which I subscribe to both, are not good. They deliberately pick books people don't care about, I'm sorry. And they know people will stay subscribed because it's the only way to *possibly* get the special editions for the books people actually want. And they very clearly don't have enough stock to cover all their subscribers which is unacceptable. They need to fix their ratio - 8-10 books that are highly anticipated and 2-4 books that are going under the radar. They are currently doing the opposite. And this may be a controversial take, because obviously they should have stuck to what they announced in the first place re: the romantasy subscription, but they should have split it 50/50 to begin with - have half the spots up for grabs for active subscribers and half for non-subscribers. And the reason is, the waitlist for both of their current subscriptions is thousands of names long. There are so many people like me who, if we got a romantasy sub spot, would cancel YA and adult, thus opening up many spots for people on their already existing waitlists.

[@KristinKravesBooks]

I'm curious how much of the book choices comes down to the publishers and the books they put forward for special editions? Would love to know some behind the scenes of how a book is chosen! Did you see that Fourth Wing is getting a Holiday edition. That's the first time I have heard of such a thing 😂

[@KristinKravesBooks]

@cupofkeyshae I know! They just made the cover red and added a couple chapters from Xaden's POV. Oh and it has black sprayed edges.

[@taryndancer29]

It's nothing but a cash grab. Fourth Wing was fine but so overhyped.

[@s.y.k.a1912]

Seeing Fourth Wing immediately having a "Holiday" edition just seems so off and suspicious💀 Like, it just has black sprayed edges, a different colour on the cover, and extra Xaden's POVs. Nothing 'special' about it or am I the one thinking this is just weird? Lol😭

[@JessOwens]

I’d love to know how they choose what books to give a special edition 🤔

[@Pharm2be]

It’s not even a great book. 😭

[@s.y.k.a1912]

I registered with Illumicrate and Fairyloot just for future special edition book buying but in the end, it just left to dust😂 I am now more of preloved special book edition buyer, and only buying them if I'm really going to read them. I know a few people and met sellers who bought special edition books. Though often times I keep seeing how they sell them off and sell the trinkets due to certain reasons like not reading them anymore, not enough space on their bookshelves, they don't know what to do with the trinkets, the stories aren't compelling, missing pages, etc. And it saddens me, all because such pretty books have to be sold off due to the quality of these books (especially with adult books but it's written for YA readers). And for the trinkets? They don't know what to do with those things, so selling them off is the only option. But what makes me so mad is how any book that is debuted or newly published, will always get a special edition every single damn time! And not all of them are needed to be published in special edition😭 But what is even more concerning that the books will constantly be published, but the quality will devastatingly drop

[@SleeplessStrawberry]

Okay but how about one subscription for new books and one for backlists? Like you said, Jess, the point used to be 10 year anniversaries and such, so getting a special edition of a book i don't know if i'll even like seems pointless to me. Getting special editions of my faves? heck yeah!

[@kerisbookishcorner2864]

I feel ALL these things, and I too am part of the problem. It’s very sneaky how they get you hooked and then suddenly you realize you have a lot of pretty books that don’t even end up being very good (I’d say in the past year or a little over). Before that I enjoyed the book picks and less repeats across boxes.

[@MaedBetweenthePages]

Something else that I think sets Broken Binding apart is that they also give special editions to self pub books-specifically though their own press editions! Overall though I definitely agree that it’s feeling over saturated Maybe something fairyloot can do is give you a choice between a new release and backlist every month?

[@AmyArtmix]

The more people sign up and go feral over these editions, the more messy these box subscriptions companies will get. Creating side themed boxes when they can't even handle quality on the main one, just stinks of greed. I also found extremely confusing and sus that they have these limited edition that are not part of the subscription, and yet subscribers still get first pick, essentially getting all the copies and leaving nothing for general public. Why not just make it part of the subscription, but like an upper tier who is able to get these? Or even better, open it up for everyone so there's equal chance to subs and non-subs. And don't get me started on the entitlement of subscribers vs people trying to get at least one special edition of their fave! I have stayed the f away from these boxes and will continue to do so. I have only bought two editions with sprayed edges (singles, not the whole box)--one from a past theme (so technically a leftover) and one edition that was open for everyone as pre-order and it was from a book I'd already read and just wanted the nicer copy. Honestly, I wish people would realize paying ridiculous prices for subpar books and merch that eventually becomes the same for all isn't worth it. Unfortunately, for anything to change with these companies, a mass un-subscription (lol) must occur...and because of FOMO that will never happen.

[@EMM_84]

I'd like to know how much of the money from all these special editions actually make it to the authors. I agree with some others here saying special editions should be released after publishers see the book selling well and being reviewed positively. If people dont like the book its just expensive pretty landfill. That being said Id never tell anyone how to spend their own money if its something they enjoy. I have multiple editions of a few of my favourite books that I find at second hand shops - not practical but they make me happy and they arent expensive so why not? Book shopping and book reading are separate hobbies and both serve a purpose.

[@MrWinkyD]

Im so glad to see people having this conversation, thanks for making this video! Personally I love special editions, but like others are voicing, sometimes the cover is prettier then the actual book. I dont like a lot of book merch (I dont usually use it, dont want to find space for it) so the only box im subscribed to is fox&wit. They specifically do special editions for indie books or books by diverse authors (poc, disabled, queer) and look for small time artists as well to do their cover art. Ive been extremely happy with most of the books ive received! That said there have been more and more books that just... Havent been it (most recent book contained multiple typos PER CHAPTER, there was one page that had 3 typos in 3 short paragraphs). I dont want to unsubscribe and I dont want to see these book boxes go out of business but I do hope that we keep having these convos and that the box makers start making changes.

[@lauratolhurst3443]

So many complicated feelings on this one. In the past when they only really did anniversary editions all you really saw were the same handful of authors getting them, again and again and no-one else, so I think the more special editions the more diversity in who gets a special edition has improved (compared to the past anyway). But I think that the FL sub and the Illumicrate sub to some extent, have changed how they pick their books, there are definitely more books picked for their authors and their popularity rather than the quality of the writing (hello Holly Black). FL i think are also mostly going for 'cross-over' options, which kind of defeats the point of it being an adult sub. Because I subscribe to Illumicrate and FL, I'm doing a bookbox audit of all the books I've got from them since I subbed until the end of the year, and really breaking down the ratings I'm giving these books, how often I've skipped and whether I kept or unhauled them, to see whether it's worth continuing with either.

[@ErikaChung182]

I joined illumicrate 5 months ago and have already skipped 2 months bc my reason for subscribing was for adult fantasy. I still read YA sometimes but I either get them as ebooks or library books. I had to set rules for myself bc these book subscriptions are really pricy in Canadian dollars. I finally got an email from FairyLoot saying I could subscribe last week, and upon seeing I can only skip 4 boxes a year, decided not to go with it. I’m hoping by trying illumicrate I’ll get a pretty book and read new authors 😅

[@arianabuchanan6682]

Jess, I absolutely love the Goldsboro fantasy box and would recommend. They tell you the title way beforehand and every title I have received as a 4.5-5 for me.

[@JessOwens]

😲😲😲

[@caitlyn.m.t9618]

A big reason why I don't go for book boxes, besides the fact that I live in Australia and the shipping equals close to the price of the box itself, and I don't like not being able to choose my own book, is the fact that I know that I will get irritated by the amount of stuff that will simply be piling up around me. Especially when a lot of these items, that I see many booktubers gush over or call cute, I don't like. It just doesn't feel built to me. If I were to go for any, I would do a three month lot from Illumicrate, so that way I would get one that will be more according to my taste in books and items, and I will choose the months September to November so I can justify it as a birthday treat and I get halloween themed stuff. But i wouldn't go for a consistent subscription. And there is also that paranoia, as you said, about getting the first in a series. It bothers me personally if my books don't match, and I won't be sticking around for the sequel, if they even do it. Also, a decent chunk of the time, these special editions, changes so little to the new edition where it is just another edition. Like the recent special editions to Ninth House, in which they just keep everything the same but it is on a red background. Really? And that is what a good portion that they are now.

[@JessOwens]

I can’t imagine the shipping to Australia 😫 and these editions are not worth it

[@Katiedora122]

I'm just tired of how many special editions seem to be available for brand new books. Just let a book sit for a minute!! I get it from the business side of selling more at higher prices, but I wind up being annoyed when "special" means minor tweaks or major overhauls. I think OwlCrate editions are generally reliable in style, but their regular book selection has let me down a lot (which has saved me money), but I have bought a few special editions outside their subscription boxes. I tried to sign up for Fairy Loot but the website was a real bitch to me (which has also saved me money), and I haven't gotten around to most others. But now I'm really trying to limit myself to those classic "10th anniversary" editions for books that have stuck with me and then not worrying about the rest of the series because I separate special books from my regular shelves.

[@WildeBookGarden]

thriving on small treats like opening a package is so valid and relatable! yeah, the zillion special edition thing has gotten SO out of hand. I used to be bummed out that I wasn't able to get the fancy subscription boxes but now I think I dodged a bullet! I think equally irritating to me is the different editions with different special bonus content if it's not also available online at some point. Like I could totally understand printing a special edition with a bonus chapter 6 months early or something, then posting it for free online later. Lots of people would still want to get the special edition so they could read it early! But creating multiple editions with different content that is NEVER going to be available anywhere else??!! expecting people to buy like 3+ copies of the same exact book just to actually get all the story content???! that is so messed up. I know we all have to make money but that's over the top

[@Sheep_commemoi]

I cancelled all my book boxes because I read three from each and the books were so baaaaad. I feel you about the anniversary special editions being where it was at though

[@HarvestLockwood]

Meanwhile me: only uses my library and doesn't even own regular editions of books...

[@dolphinsrock09]

I think with Illuimcrate I would love them to also bring back some of there old book collection boxes. I also think if they did more changes to the covers. I have noticed recently its the same cover just with a little foiling. Which is fine for a book here or there but when it felt like we got four boxes in a row like that I am like are you trying? I also think about the fact that I feel like they are putting a little more YA in there boxes and for somebody that is a adult only reader its sad to get a YA book when I picked Illuimcrate because they were pushing the adult books. I also think all these sub boxes is getting out of hand too because I would like to add them but it's just to much maybe have those books as books everybody can just buy and we don't have to have another sub for another book box.

[@starkast713]

Not the Red Scholars Wake slander😭 I understand why, but i enjoyed it a lot. But that may be because i read the authors short stories before and knew exactly what to expect.

[@HuckleberryCyn]

I’ve only purchased special editions second hand, but one I have from Illumicrate isn’t even bound to the cover. The book is clinging to the end pages for dear life! I’m honestly scared that it’s gonna fall apart by simply reading it.

[@neliaaa]

Oooh, that's the first indication of shoddy work. I'm a classic lit collector (hey Penguin Clothbounds 🐧 😎) but there are a few publishers that still use the tradional sewn-in binding techniques. I bought a few new releases in hardback (paperback are predominantly released in my country) and the spine was so shoddily glued to the spine it struggled to open! And if it did, I was so scared that the pages will fall out 🥺 publishing are skimping on the production end big time!

[@greysonkeller5418]

Ive gotten rainbow book box in past and what i like about them is that they let you know what books you are getting and usually include an indie author as well.

[@rachel-joyseifrit4833]

I'm subscribed to both Owlcrate and Illumicrate (book only). I'll add that I primarily read fantasy and fantasy romance. In my opinion, I think Owlcrate's quality of the book has actually gotten better. They used to just be sprayed edges and maybe a different cover, but they've introduced stenciled edges and the physical book has gone up in quality. They're introducing an adult fantasy box and I'm curious to see how that will go. I've been getting Owlcrate for about a year and a half now. I only just joined Illumicrate this year. I just got my fifth or sixth one now, and I think the books are nice, but that's just it. I only got one book that doubled with Owlcrate so far (which was this month). I really wish boxes like Illumicrate and Fairyloot would stick to adult books or YA, but not both. If the Owlcrate adult one is good, I'm probably going to switch to it tbh. I actually really like that the Broken Binding releases completed series (*cries in waitlist*). I really hate how some boxes release one book in a series and the rest never match. They wouldn't even have to release all of the physical books, just give us matching dust jackets for purchase I'm begging. I would love to see more book boxes make special editions of indie published books. I know Bookish Box (for all of it's many flaws) has done that. I actually own one and it's beautiful and my pride and joy (and I loved the author before hand). Rainbow Crate does it, but their selections are from a bunch of different genres and I am very much a fantasy/sci-fi reader and not much else. Seriously though, there are SO MANY amazing fantasy books/series that are indie pub and deserve a special edition (Andrew Rowe, Phil Tucker, T. Kingfisher, etc). If boxes broadened their horizons past a Goodreads "most anticipated release" list, I feel like their wouldn't be nearly as much overlap. And to finish this novel of a comment, I came across the Master of One Fairyloot edition at a used bookstore and it was SO disappointing. It's a book I really wanted a SE of and to see it get nothing more than sprayed edges was beyond disappointing. AND I KNOW FAIRYLOOT ISN'T CHEAP EITHER.

[@keatsiannightingale]

100% agree on the joys of getting a new book in the mail and if it's a beautifully designed/collector's edition all the better. It's something precious to hold on to and look forward to! I don't subscribe to any of those services, but I do like collecting a special edition of books that are already favourites of mine.

[@MaryEllenQuigley]

When you said that pretty books are the only thing helping your depression, I felt that. Totally get it. Sometimes looking forward to a new book is my reason for getting up in the morning. Sad, but true.

[@Thebardpresents]

First, I'm glad you found a way to take care of yourself , even if it is "frivolous". I used to be subscribed to the Bookish Box before it became the hot mess we know it is today and it felt incredibly hit or miss for the Adult box, and was very annoyed there were very few stand alones or continuations/special editons for the series they started. I love the idea of a book box, getting a pretty book with trinkets and treats. It would be a logistical nightmare, but I think a dream book box would be something where for that month you got to pick 1 out of 2-4 options, they're all the same theme/vibe but different authors/books, that way you have a few options besides the New Adult Romantacy Booktok Darling pt 1. (To be clear, no shade to New Adult Romantacy in general but I'd like a few more options).

[@JessOwens]

That would be an amazing box 🥹

[@nomdeplume1358]

these days books be getting multiple special editions before they're even out then get two year anniversary editions like its not even funny😭

[@JessOwens]

It’s absurd!!

[@rachel43274]

You know what this made me think about, is that the same thing is kinda happening in the mysic industry like the same album with different colored discs or different photo on the cover and the "collect them all" mentality

[@JessOwens]

Yep! Everything is all aesthetics

[@marisagettas]

If I was publishing exec, I would look at these boxes as a way to sell books they know aren’t very good. Who knows, maybe they sell more in Fairyloot then they would by just putting them in stores? Why waste a great book that will sell through word of mouth or great reviews, when this is a chance to squeeze every last dime from the public??? Capitalism is going capitalize every chance it gets.

[@dimerymichaels3539]

I feel like I’m over special editions. 😢 I have many copies of LOTR, but mostly interesting, old, used ones. I do love pretty books, but it would take a lot for me to buy many hardcover copies of a new book, even if I loved it. I think I’m just cheap though 😅😅 All the talk about the quality of the books in fairy loot reminds me of how I felt getting BOTM. I thought the binding always seemed cheap and sometimes the pages didn’t line up 100% evenly. Also, it’s not sad to look forward to beautiful books and want a little bright spot to make you happy! My thing like that is Pokémon artwork. I’ll buy cards in frames, little handmade terrariums, and prints to hang up. It’s all so cute and I don’t need it at all. But it makes me so happy to get a new little guy in the mail. I change out little Pokémon decorations on my desk or in my guest bathroom all the time. ❤❤

[@JessOwens]

I need to find a cheaper version of happy mail 😂

[@starmanthelizard4718]

I like special editions but I'm an old book hunter. Most of my books are from before 2010, some going back to 1960s. I hunt for special editions of these older books because 99% of the time they are in better quality than the newer editions, and they look nicer. Like the Robot City series. The robot cover art looks so much better than the bland browns of the city.

[@MsWOCReader]

Some of the books in the Fairyloot Adult box are books that while technically are published as Adult started as YA manuscripts.

[@JessOwens]

And it shows

[@MsWOCReader]

@@JessOwens It's so obvious once you start reading

[@tyleachwatkins6726]

I enjoy once upon a book club as the gifts are related to the story and you open the gift when you get to the designated page. I do want to try the broken binding and Goldsboro. But generally I prefer to look on the various sites for the specific books I want and get book only.

[@chickenpermission4705]

The only place I check for special editions is Subterranean Press. They're the only place that has books I'm actually interested in and special editions that are significantly better than buying the standard cover. Still haven't jumped on it though because if I'm dropping 100s of bucks it better be a book I like

[@JohnJacobSchmidtt]

I think there's a lot of fomo involved when it comes to book readers and book collectors...lol i said this Right before you said it. I can also attest to this that I do fall into fomo sometimes but I'm also the type that would rather be able to buy several books at one time instead of one particular special edition unless it is a true collectible, so saving the money from not getting the box sets or the certain book covers sometimes you can get more than one book for the same price that you would for those books

[@LilyEvans1996]

If something is wanted (people buy it) there will be more to join the bandwagon. But eventually there will be less of those companies I think. Mainly because a few companies will succeed and many will bankrupt

[@kimmaguire7516]

The only special editions I own are the ones Indigo does (I live in Canada and they’re our B&N or Waterstones) and the only reason I buy them is because they’re usually the ones on sale. So when a new title I want comes out and there’s an Indigo special edition they may be selling it for $20 whereas the regular edition is $25. There’s also really nothing special about them and I wouldn’t own any if they were the same price or more expensive than the regular edition. I’ve toyed with the idea of subscribing to a book box but every time I think about it I can’t justify it. I’ve usually never heard of the book or author, I’m not really into book fandoms let alone the ones that appear in book boxes, and as I live in Canada they’re incredibly expensive. I also agree that the quality of books has gone down from the writing to the binding. There has been many newer releases I’ve read where I feel they have loads of potential and could have been great if they had another round or two of editing. I would much prefer publishers put effort into developing writers so we can have the incredible books we all want.

[@Pharm2be]

I really do need that dopamine hit tbh. It’s all that gets me through school. But at the same time, half of the books aren’t ones I wanna read but then I feel terrible trying to resell to recoup my losses bc I can’t skip.

[@avsambart]

I think there should definitely be some sort of minimum bench mark for books to hit before getting a special edition. For example: 10k preorders (I think this might be too high but you get my gist), 100k total sales of said book, established and well known/loved authors (fans of well loved books/authors tend to be more welcoming of various editions), I also think "this book is new but the people producing the special edition have read it and seriously enjoyed it so we included a little pamphlet in the book of their reviews of it too" would be okay - I don't even know if the OC or FL staff even read the books before publishing special editions? I don't think that should be allowed. And obviously anniversaries like 1st year (if it's super successful like e.g. Babel), 10th year etc. I also don't think special editions should be limited runs (because resellers are evil). Sequels absolutely should NOT be allowed in these book boxes unless the previous books are also available for purchase.

[@andeeharry]

its been a long time, welcome back

[@Lecari]

I used to have book only subscriptions to both Fairyloot and Illumicrate. I cancelled both as I realised I was spending loads of money on books that I was just not enjoying. Sure, they look nice - but the "romantasy" was just not for me. I was hoping for a nice mix of fantasy, like some epic fantasy, instead it just felt like it was aimed at 'influencers'. I was also disappointed that I got some duplicates (they both did Book of Night by Holly Black in the same month) and that books sometimes were digitally signed. Illumicrate stopped doing the pin badges that were originally included with no communication other than their socials - I emailed to ask where mine was and that's how I found out! I also wish they'd do numbered editions so they feel special - like Goldsboro. But I guess they don't want to reveal the number of subscribers they have?

[@allgirlreview433]

I recently purchased my first two special editions. They are of books I already love and don't own so I was happy to get them this way. LitJoy is doing Neil Gaiman. I hope they do more.

[@steviereads]

I have such a love-hate relationship with these book boxes. I have the YA-book only Fairyloot edition, but I deadass only got that so I could have access to the Stephanie Garber release this month. I've been subscribed for 6 months because of how much I wanted that book 😳 Of course, I'm getting new books each month, but only ONE of the books I've received has interested me in the slightest and I'm really happy to have it. But now idk if I can cancel the subscription, because while, YES, I'm getting a lot of books I don't care about, but ALSO, there is a chance I get a super great/beautiful book I would have to pay $200+ online otherwise for. But would it be more worth my money to just pay $200 for the one-off book I want?

[@Rivia20]

Me personally when it comes to this kind of stuff my philosophy has always been that I enjoy seeing more people gain access to something that they didn’t previously have access to. So, if more special editions out in the world means more people who maybe can’t afford FL, Illumicrate, etc. also gains access to pretty editions of books, I can’t force myself to be mad about that. I also just don’t feel compelled to own every special edition of a book that comes out. If I know I like the book I’ll usually just pick the edition I like the most and get that one.

[@abigailb8206]

Yess I hate digital signatures as well. Also because resellers will call it signed and upmark it. There was a reseller I DMed and said is that signature real or digitally printed? And they said idk I can’t tell (🙄🙄) YOU CAN TELL

[@jadaw644]

The capitalism rant at the end is my thoughts exactly. 😭😭 I won't be a Debbie Downer here, so I'll thank you for the information instead! I didn't even know Fairyloot existed, and while it looks like something I'd be into, I'm glad you addressed its problems.

[@fatimafnts]

The only special edition I own is The Way of Kings 10 year edition but I almost bought the Assassin’s Apprentice one (love the pictures!!). As mostly an audiobook reader, I only purchase books I love and know I would reread so the selection is limited. I would definitely get the Red Rising re-release

[@bebel23323]

The quality of the materials too..* I was subscribed to Illumicrate and I was waiting for the infamous Babel special edition, and honestly I was so disappointed. The materials for the hardcover was the same as the children books for baths/water. The material of the pages felt horrible on my skin. I instantly put it on sale when it was my most anticipated release. Same with Owlcrate, I was waiting for a sequel, and the paper was different from the first book, not a lot different, but I couldn't read it because I'd rather read on my kindle than on this type of paper..

[@bebel23323]

(But I tried all 3 and Owlcrate is my favorite)

[@cynthialovesbooks]

I love looking at the special editions that come out but I can't really afford them at the moment. That and I don't usually buy books until I've read them and loved them. I do watch a lot of unboxing and some of the comments mentioning declining quality of both books and products seem to be right on both accounts. And since I tend to read mostly indie books, I've been keeping my eye out for indie author special editions and book boxes.

[@netogrof]

I only buy b&n special editions or signed books from shops the author works with. I just can’t justify spending all that money and getting books I’m not interested in or getting a bunch of junk (all the trinkets that come in the boxes (I would only want art or bookmarks)). 😅

[@marshmallow864]

Sun of Blood and Ruin is so beautiful but the reviews are TERRIBLE. The Goodreads rating is 3.28 😬. I haven't read it yet because of the super low ratings.

[@marshmallow864]

Completely agree with you about the excitement about getting our monthly sub boxes. It gives me something to look forward to when everything else is terrible...

[@JessOwens]

The excitement is almost worth the cost tbh lol. I’m gonna try Sun of Blood and Ruin but… idk if it’ll be good

[@beanava17]

I agree, special edition books no longer feel special and it’s disappointing. Also when you’re subscribed to multiple book boxes and when they do the same book. It kinda stinks. I feel like there are plenty of authors/ new books to choose from

[@lawgal]

I really don't like the binding of Illumicrate books but that's just typical UK book binding. I wish they used fancy book bindings like Arcane/Mystic/Belle. However, at least Illumicrate is putting out less books than Fairyloot and seems to pay attention more closely to details in their SEs as a consequence.

[@lolapunk20]

Sounds like it’s just money grabs. I’ve separated myself a lil from the book buying, I found other hobbies and outlets. But it’s understandable to have FOMO , if it’s an auto buy author I’ll just do my Amazon pre order and see if the author has a pre order prize on their website and be done with it. I only have 3 auto buys ATM.

[@toricarlini4474]

Its frustrating because most of the regular editions are not lovely. With Fairyloot there were a few good ones like Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Fairies and the Last Tale of the Flower bride. But stopped the monthly box because I can't afford these. Also immortal longing I got three versions of the same book Edit: Would love a book box that do older fantasy books by women. Its sad how many get overlooked or forgetten

[@bookishdi]

I ended up cancelling my FL adult box earlier this year, while keeping my IC book only sub. I found that the quality and choices from FL has gone downhill, and I really hate their skip policy. Their special editions outside of the boxes also haven't excited me, so there was no reason for me to keep the sub for those. IC has had better choices, and their skip policy feels less coercive

[@monejade8589]

The only book subscription I have is book of the month (which of course isn't special editions). Even then I pause it until I know exactly what their picks are. However, I preordered a special edition of A Curse for True Love from Owl Crate's website. I'm super excited about that! Maybe purchasing singles instead of boxes is the way to go? Also, did anyone preorder the new Fourth Wing edition 😍

[@DrLampshade]

I cancelled all of the my book boxes some time last year. The books were just not good. The paper quality especially was bad. I still get special editions from them occasionally (very rarely) but I have had far better luck getting nice editions from Grim Oak Press, Subterranean Press, Wraithmarked, and directly from the authors via kickstarter. These generally are books that have already been released too so I know what I’m getting and if I like it already

[@laragato3478]

Broken binding books are beautiful, don't get me wrong, but all their special editions are is foiling in the naked hard cover and sprayed edges. They always use the same cover, and sometimes the books they pick (which I also gotta be fair and are usually great books) deserve better, more creative covers. It just feels a bit much to spend so much money to just get a sprayed-edge hardcover that looks the same as the regular hardcover when set on your bookshelf.

[@JessOwens]

Truuuuue. I do wish they would be more creative

[@followthepaint]

OK, I * need * to know ... did anyone else see that IG post FairyLoot made comparing their special edition covers to gowns at some gala?? It appeared right after I watched Beautiful Gown Pt 1 and I was like ... are they trolling Jess?! But when I went to find the post and share it, it was gone. Soooo ... anyone else see this? Or am I having very specific hallucinations?

[@thursday48]

Really it's an avoidable thing in my life but the number of special editions are so annoying to me. Idk it feels like it plays into the book-toc hype and just oversaturates the market with unproven books that seem to all be the start of a series. The thing that really gets my goat is the exclusive chapters/stories/interviews in all the various versions because I want to content but not enough to buy six versions to get maybe 10 exclusive pages. I feel similarly about the audible exclusive books, but that's another conversation.

[@thejenmath]

This is why I don’t subscribe to any of these bookish boxes. I actually don’t buy books unless I really enjoyed them and want to reread them, and since these special editions are typically expensive (made astronomically more expensive by resellers) I have to LOVE the book.

[@rhilou32]

I sub to both Illumicrate (Book Only), Illumicrate's Evernight (Horror) box, and Broken Binding, and I have honestly considered dropping my standard Illumicrate sub because the quality of the book itself is so hit and miss. I love the covers / customisations, and think the physical books itself is decent (far better than some of the criticisms I have heard about Fairyloot), but a lot of the time the story just isn't great. Granted, there's been some fantastic books recently (Godkiller is a top read of the year for me), but its just not consistent enough imho. The Broken Binding on the other hand, have far better quality all around - the physical books themselves are beautiful and high quality, I have never received a damaged item from them even when the packaging has been all but destroyed, and the stories themselves are backlist and things I am actually interested in reading. The Evernight sub has only provided one book so far, and it was a beautiful edition of a great book, and because its a Quarterly sub, I'm willing to give it a few more chances to show me what they're made of.

[@Spider-Manders]

I've had a pretty good experience with Owlcrate so far. They're very responsive when there is a quality issue with a book received, tracking is reliable and they have unlimited skips. I just really need them to confirm that they're gonna do Ruthless Vows so I can add it to my calendar and camp the release lol. One thing I wish they could do is make a deal with USPS to reduce the cost of shipping becaues MAN is it expensive. Shipping cost alone makes me consider canceling, but then I get the pretty book and I forget all about it. 😅

[@JessOwens]

Lmao same. I get a pretty book and forget my complaints 😂

[@nanaichigo1173]

don't feel like the bookbox books are special edions, they are just other editions of books.

[@LilyEvans1996]

I love thé special editions because then people have the chance to see which look they want for their book. People don’t have to collect them all you know?

[@dawnr7453]

They should at least leave the spines of the books alone so people have a chance to still have matching spines on their shelves. They keep pricing out their loyal customers who may have to skip or unsubscribe to afford food or rent.

[@imani_iguana]

I like pretty things, and I love books, but I’m cheap and there’s such thing as a library 😂 I generally only buy books I’ve already, their sequels, or books by authors I know I love

[@poodlemuffin]

I would imagine that books from established authors are significantly more expensive to license 😢

[@JessOwens]

Most likely 🥲

[@clarehaswell3815]

Fairyloot are now trying to be The Broken Binding with the remnant chronicles edition they did but those sprayed pages were awful smudged and barely legible 😢 Sometimes I think companies go for representation over quality imo

[@LilyEvans1996]

I cant look at white edges for books anymore hahaha

[@lydiawalker0714]

This video just solidifies that book boxes aren't worth it for me. I've only gotten one from Page Habit - which no longer exists - because I won a quarterly box in a giveaway. It was sci-fi themed and came with 4 books. I read one book, hated it, and gave the rest away. And all the extras where Harry Potter themed, WHICH ISN'T SCI-FI! 🙄 If I get special editions of books, it's because I already like that author, book, or series. I'm not going broke for a pretty book that I MIGHT like.

[@kathrine466]

i was subbed to illumicrate a couple of years ago. i got six boxes, and one, ONE! of the books was a 4 star. the rest were 3 or lower. the books were beautiful, but not worth the money

[@justabookishreader]

Illumicrate actually just gave us like a feedback survey in emails like a week ago?

[@bird-caged]

I love your videos, they’re really chill and informative, but tbh your closed captioning is bugging the hell out of me. For example, Fairyloot has been transcribed as “very lewd” multiple times and it’s tripping me up lol. Idk, I just think you should check over it a few more times. I’m very glad that you do have closed captioning though, it’s very good most of the time but sometimes it is just not it. So you don’t have to change up anything, it’s just been bothering me for a while.

[@justynemarin529]

You know it's bad when you're literally only subscribed for that sole purpose of having an actual chance for the non-sub box releases. I'm glad IC gives you basically 11 skips per year cuz I really don't have the time or money for these new series by an author I've never heard of.

[@JessOwens]

I didn’t realize Illumicrate has so many skips😲

[@justynemarin529]

@JessOwens it used to be unlimited, but they recently put a cap on it. They said basically, if you have not paid for a single box in the entire year, you'll get the axe. But that also means you only need to pay for 1-2 boxes per year. At least that's how I understood it.

[@bhsprinkle]

Truly, it's popping up everywhere. It's not as special. I can only afford one copy of a book and sometimes not. So,even though a copy is pretty, I'd only consider it if I had the money. Also, if I'd read it library, earc,or ebook and fully enjoyed it. Planning to reread. I think it's not as special if everyone has it or there's multiple special editions.

[@heabooktubes]

You speak the truth. ✨

[@LilyEvans1996]

Honestly yeah the quality is going down for books :/ so many books I’ve been reading literally have no plot

[@Marie45610]

I don't even bother with special editions, there are too many. And I also hate that the same 4-5 authors are the ones who get the special editions.

[@JessOwens]

Seriously. Especially when they continue to make special editions for Cassandra Clare and there are authors with ZERO special editions?

[@Marie45610]

@@JessOwens Yeah. I want An Ember in the Ashes to get more recognition. That is a fantastic series and not enough people talk about it. (I know that had one special edition set, but it was a *very* limited run, and she only got one whereas Maas has gotten more than I can count)

[@RobinReads]

The special editions don’t feel special when there are 4-5 versions of them. Also let’s go back to doing special editions for things that are beloved and not ones that just came out last month

[@JessOwens]

YESSSSS. Let the book be on the market for several years at least 😫

[@marek3505]

i love the pretty books but, I am not interested in most of the books sale, but if a book comes around that i actually do want I am not able to get it because you have to be subscribed and the waitlists are months long. I agree that most of the books feel like YA when I am interested in adult books. I also dont like the secret themes. I just want to know what the book is and I wish I could just order what books i want.

[@JessOwens]

I know. I wish it was less a sub model and more that you can know what books were coming out and decide if we want it or not

[@TheXamem]

Or when the "exclusive edition" is... a page of content. The Target edition of "Happy Place" was... a thank you letter?? Ma'am I DON'T CARE!!! (Thankfully I wasn't buying this for it being the special edition, but like... false advertising much?) And the Barnes & Noble "special edition" of "Babel" had NOTHING NEW THAT I CAN SEE. If somebody knows what's different about it PLEASE tell me because I truly have no idea. Looks exactly like and has the same content as my boyfriend's that he bought from an indie.