Releasing a substantially revised edition

[Larkin]

I have decided to re-release a substantially revised edition of my novel. I rushed the initial publication last December (from frustration with querying agents and having near misses with them, etc.) and regret not paying for editing and cover design (I'm fairly good at both, but third-parties can do a better job at it).

Right now my manuscript is with a professional editor for a critique. I'll then use that along with some ideas I've had since publication to do a substantial rewrite. Then an edit by the editor to give it that final polish. Then new cover, blog tours, media packs, etc. It'll be a substantial additional expense, but at least I'll have no niggling regrets - and it's the first in a planned series, so I want to put my best foot forward, so to speak.

I didn't push the book a lot after initial launch and I've only about 50 readers through Amazon to worry about in terms of people who might accidentally buy the revised edition.

I'd love some tips from people who've been through a similar process - i.e. you weren't fully happy with an initial publication and decided to do it properly a second time. Did it work out well?

My thinking would be to take the book off the market shortly and then launch in a few months with a revised title and cover (and ISBN, etc). I'll mention towards the end of the Amazon (and others) description that it is a revised edition of a previous title and add that info to the book's copyright page.

Any other tips / pitfalls to think about?
Thanks.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Why don't you, at least, keep the same title? Or, at the opening of the blurb or somewhere on the cover have the words "previously released as..."? The only times I have published something in haste and then regretted it, I have taken it off the market and left it.

[Sam]

Larkin wrote: "I have decided to re-release a substantially revised edition of my novel. I rushed the initial publication last December (from frustration with querying agents and having near misses with them, etc..."
I am doing the same thing. New cover, new title. I published the ebook for the same reasons - fed up with agents - and now I want to make a paperback. I will lose my reviews and that's a worry and yes, I'm also worried about folk buying the book twice. But I'm thinking, if the blurb is the same - or if I have SHUFFLE REPUBLISHED at the top of the blurb, perhaps it'll be clear enough. At least no one will be buying two paperbacks... Anyway, it's got to be done because these things matter!!

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Just throwing this out there... I once bought a novel and read it. I hated it. Some years later I bought a novel under a different name and author. I hated it as it was nearly the same novel. The author was now using a pen name and changed the names of his novels. I will never buy another book from that author again.

It would be better for us to be satisfied with our work when we publish, rather than putting things out we're not happy with, getting sales and then going back and revamping.

[Alexis]

I don't have any problem with it and I don't think it's a big deal. Just be sure to mention that it's a revised version of another book titled "blah blah" and you're good. Even NYT bestelling authors (romance) are editing and re-publishing their old catalogue on Kindle these days.

Check Kresley Cole for example: https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Red-Kiss...

She just made sure to add "REMASTERED" to the blurb.

I've seen tons of books like that!

[G.G.]

I would not change the title. It's ok to revamp the cover. Sometimes it helps with the sales. It's ok to make changes in a book, but to also change the titles makes it sound like someone is trying to cheat the readers. Keeping the title will keep the reviews (I think) and will surely keep the consumers happy. No risk for someone getting angry for buying it twice. But that's only my humble opinion.

(There is a lot you can change inside the book without having to have a new ISBN.)

[J.S.]

I thought I'd already posted on this thread, but I'm not seeing my comment. (If it was deleted because I mentioned the name of our book, I apologize.)

My husband and I re-released one of our books with substantial revisions. We kept the name the same but listed it as a second edition and make a slight change to the cover to avoid confusion with the first edition. Once we had the new kindle and paperback books available, we contacted Amazon and they were able to link the two editions so we didn't lose our reviews. The first edition is no longer available for purchase (unless you count third-party sellers) and the second edition shows as the default edition.

[Larkin]

Stephen King substantially revised, extended The Stand, 12 years after original publication. Probably easier all round to leave the title as is.... though I think I could come up with a better one. Not that I've got many reviews to lose. That way there's no need to confuse anyone with "previously..." in the blurb.

@Dwayne ... I see where you are coming from. We're all entitled to learn from the mistakes of our first publication. Like realising that not engaging a pro editor is a false economy. Keeping same author and title should cover all the bases.

The metadata allows for edition / revision iterations and the copyright page should reflect it also.

As @J.S. writes we can republish with new ISBN and link editions in Amazon and Goodreads seamlessly.

Thanks all for feedback.