Simplify the following text for a Grade 7 native English-speaking person.
Original: Published by Tor Books , it was released on August 15 , 1994 in hardcover , and in paperback on July 15 , 1997 .
Simplified: It was published by Tor Books on August 15 , 1994 as a hardcover book , meaning the book was made with a hard cover . The paperback book was released on July 15 , 1997 .