Since when is making money a bad thing? It makes the world go around (or is it love? I get confused sometimes.)

I can't help thinking that the decision to delay until the new year is not Tor-related at all. Why would they not release a VERY anticipated book (and most likely, their biggest seller) at peak selling time? They wouldn't.

After reading Brandon's blog on this issue, I may be wrong but I really sensed a frustration on his part but he is merely a cog in the wheel (of time.) Harriet is the keeper of the Jordan legacy and if she wants to take a little longer to release the final book in the series and get it right and perhaps reduce the stress on herself, so be it and good for her. It is not as if this is a monetary decision on her part - it so isn't. I would rather the continuity errors (e.g. Sulin in the wrong place in TGS).This is the culmination of over twenty years work, what is wrong with waiting a few more months so such errors and clunky prose are refined and fixed?

This is an artistic decision. And that's fine. I'll read something else while this happens.

No, wtf, no. I am saddened, saddened and disappointed by the January of 2013 release date. :)

:( :( *

Not a frequenter commenter on the site, but my first reaction was not at all dissapointment. This is the last book in a 23 year old work of art. This series has been one of the shining achievements in all of literate, and has been a lifetime's work for many at TOR and Harriet.

If they postponed it 6-12 months because, secretly, they weren't entirely pleased with Brandon's work, I'd be THRILLED with that decision. The worst possible decision would be rushing THIS BOOK.

For those who think this is Greed motivated: First off, Tor is allowed to be a bit greedy. This series is a cash cow for them. They are a business. They will strive to milk the cow. Good for them - more budget to publish other writings in the future, more jobs at TOR, etc.

Second, Greed says you don't release the crowning book of a 23 year old series 2 weeks after the largest retail season of the year. Greed is the voice that says "don't push back my largest new income stream by 2 months!". Greed says, "I care about my numbers for 2012 so we must release it then!"

Blaming this pushback primarily on greed is foolish.

I'm saddened i won't get this book around the time my first child is born - but perhaps that's actually better for the child and i bonding :)

Joe

Ya know, I'm only into Book2, so this doesn't effect me at all. I can say one thing, tho: I don't like Brandon's writing. So, for me, I think taking heaps of time to get the final book as close to Jordan-standard is a good thing. They should take all the time they need to ensure a publication of the highest quality. Brandon is clearly willing to work himself to collapse getting it right. Why waste his willingness to work extra hard? I applaud Harriet's decision to make this a memorable event, not just a rushed attempt to get it all over with. Savor this, guys. After 1/2013, the ride is really over.

PS: Over 300,000 words is physically painful to edit!

The longest novel I've written was 130,000 words, and it was not fun getting it fully polished. 10 months to prep something three times that length is no piece of cake. After a while, you get to know the text too well, regardless of length, and your eyes just slide off the page; there are passages that have obvious problems but no obvious solution, there are passages that have obscure problems which nothing seems to fix. It takes time and patience to get a ms right. And who wants this to be a mistake?

And I'm sure Harriet will want to do things like eat, breath, sleep, and enjoy life while she preps this massive ms for publication!

I was expecting a Nov 2012 publishing date, so a 1.5 to 2 month postponement isn't a deal breaker to me. It is however completely forgivable to feel a little frustration about it. I remember the original plan was to "have 1 book out per year" and it kind of stinks that goal was not accomplished. Oh well, c'est la vie.

However, due to the sensitivity of the final book and RJ's legacy; it's completely reasonable to want extra time on it, and I will try to pretend that profiteering is not a part of it.

I am glad that the release date is in January. Because it proves wrong everybody who said they were just pushing it back to sell it for Christmas. January is possibly the worst time in the year to release a book. No big holiday coming up, everybody just spent a lot of money and is not really willing to spend some more, everybody is kind of busy too . . . This for me is an indication that whatever the reasons for a later release date, they are good reasons.

And, honestly, it's not even two months later than we thought. People have to stop thinking Tor, or Harriet, or Brandon, owe them anything. Because they don't. They could decide not to publish the book at all, and that would be fine. As Neil Gaiman would put it, "George R.R. Martin -- or Team Jordan in this case -- is not your bitch."

Harriet wants to take her time and make this good. She wants to do her husband's legacy justice. Good for her! I hope she gets as much time as she needs. Some people here have said they'll feel a sense of loss when the series is over. Imagine what she will feel.

And to those complaining about Brandon not spending every minute of his time working on WoT: in his place, I wouldn't either. He's doing us all a huge favor by giving this as much time and dedication as he is. And yes, it's helped his fame and reputation too, but that's not the reason why he decided to do it, and it's no reason to expect him to drop everything else that's dear to him to work on it. Besides, a lot of his own books he released while he was working on WoT had been written before. As he's explained many times, he used to have a buffer of a few books that ensured he would always have something to publish even if he had to slow down in his writing a bit. Now this buffer is exhausted, because he's been working on the WoT books. I think we should thank him for that instead of complaining that he isn't working hard enough.

To Harriet,Brandon and all of Team Jordan...Thank You,Thank You and Thank You !!

I get so frustrated reading some of these posts from people who just don't seem to understand that this series did'nt have to be finnished at all !! It's a testament to us fans of the Wheel of Time and all of Mr. Jordans writings that Harriet went through a difficult process to try and bring this to a conclusion as Mr. Jordan wished. She did not have to do this !! REMEMBER THAT !!!It could have all ended with his passing. Instead of complaining that it's not getting done to "your" satifaction, be glad that it's getting done at all.

I really don't mind the "delay" at all, I'm just glad it has a solid date for release. Though you would think that if you are going to release it in January, and in the press release you say that the first book released in January, you may as well release the last book on the same date as the first book, instead of a week early.

My only issue is that I had planned on taking a week of vacation when the book came out to give it its proper due and focus my attention on it. And I was kind of expecting that to be around November.

I don't like taking any vacation time early in a new year. Oh well.

But the world's ending in December! JK, but really, 6 months is when it should be ready. Keeping it another 6 months? D:

I agree with TreeJoe. Retail companies are interested in posting big earnings at the end of the holiday season to boost sales for the calendar (and in some cases fiscal) year. Two extra months is a small sacrifice to pay for making sure that this magnum opus' final book is nothing short of superb.

I DO not want to be logging into this site on the 20th January to see umpteen threads entitled 'why did they wait so long to release when it is bad/unsatisfying/blah/blah'. I know its gonna happen though.

I am just so happy that the countdown has truly begun and we will get to read the final instalment in the wheel of time. Thanks again to everyone involved in getting the story finished and out there for us to consume.

In the words of some famous Essex dwellers I am 'Well Jel' of the advanced readers!!

Stupid.

@Rose. It's just so it doesn't look like they're doing for the holiday season. When really they just know people are going to return a lot of gifts that week and will have money in their pockets. :p

can't belive i was 17 when i read the first book, hopefully i finish the 14th before my 40th birthday

Okay, folks...let's get back to what really matters here--the cover art!

(Okay, that's not what really matters, but it is a curiosity that the comments seem to neglect.)

The press release states: "Over the next few seasons, Tor will continue to release new Wheel of Time material, including trade paperback editions of the early novels with new art..." Does this indicate that we won't see a Darrell Sweet-like cover for AMoL? I wonder if anyone has the skinny here.

I had hoped for a 2012 release date but with a 2013 one - well at least it will get my last year of high school to a good start

I think that they should push the release date back a week so that the last book comes out on the exact same date as the first book 23 years earlier.

So there is no book. We all know there won't be a 2013 so ...

I'm only somewhat disappointed because it comes out after I have to be back in school, rather than giving me the holidays to read it over, as I am sure to neglect my work for the few days reading it will take. Even a week sooner would make all the difference for me, but no matter.

@Ashaman Kovan: I'm just going to roll my eyes at that.

Just some thoughts on what I've in the comments:

- No TOR, Harriet and Brandon are not our "bitches" but they do work for us! We pay their salaries so they work for us!

- A release date of November would have given Team Jordan and TOR over ten months to edit, advertise (like that really needs to be done!), print and distribute. Ten months is an insanely long time to accomplish that. 13 months is just absurd.

- Yes, we want the book to be great but ten months is more than enough time. And I would also like to point out that RJs books weren't without fault either (like Domon not recognizing Thom when he see him again in Tanchico, after the rescuing him, Rand and Mat from a Trollocs attack. You would think Domon would have remembered the Gleeman spending several days on the Spray - This IMHO is one of RJs biggest gaffs!) I can't remember any gaffs in TGS or ToM that were anywhere near that bad!

- BS thinks that a November release was a good conservative timeline and it is apparent that he thinks January is WAY to long!

- I am looking forward to some cover art that is better than what DSweet has been putting out since tEotW, but I'm afraid they will put some nondescript, graphics or design on the cover of the hardback because they won't want to pick another artists!

I do NOT care if the world ends in December. I am going to survive, and read this book. I started in July, when I read on YouTube, a guy insulting another person that said 'That book is nothing, Do yourself a real achievement and read Wheel of Time', I'm a decent reader, and I like to challenge myself with books, and the first few chapters of the book were a challenge, but I fell in love with it along the way.

So yes, I am NOT going to die with all of these cliffhangers and unsolved questions.