Target Books' Doctor Who output in 1988 for the first time offered a new novelisation each month. As had become usual over the last few years, the stories featured a wide range of Doctors. After a year's absence, the Sixth Doctor returned to the range. Most of The Trial of a Time Lord was published, with the exception of Mindwarp.
Meanwhile the then-current Doctor made his Target debut, alongside releases featuring the First, Second, Third and Fifth Doctors. Midway through the year, Target changed its cover design to give a unified "look" to their line. Accordingly, they switched to the Seventh Doctor's televised logo and gave the tops of the covers black framing elements.
