In several threads folks have mentioned book sources beyond what is offered in the Sony CONNECT store. Not that CONNECT is bad per se, though some hold that view, but in recognition that there are other places to get material for the reader I've assembled the following list. If you have other sources, please reply to this. I'll try to update this thread for a while, but when we have a good list it probably needs to go to the Wiki for eternity.

======== Format
Name: The name of the source
Site: The home page URL
Price: The pricing models used by the site
Genre: What sort of books are available
Number: The number, usually an unverified claim
Support: How is the Sony Reader supported
Format: What sort of product is available
Notes: Everything else.
========
Name: MobileRead Uploads
Site: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=126
Price: All Free
Genre: Various Topics
Number: 2049
Support: Native, customized for the Reader
Format: .LRF
Notes: Mostly reformatting of public domain content like Gutenberg.
========
Name: Project Gutenberg
Site: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
Price: All Free
Genre: Everything, in many languages
Number: 20,000
Support: Indirect, mostly through other sources
Format: Text Files
Notes: This is the original serious site for public domain books. Many sources reuse this material.
========
Name: Manybooks
Site: http://manybooks.net/
Price: All Free
Genre: Various Topics
Number: 17,000
Support: Native, machine formatted
Format: .LRF
Notes: Mostly Gutenberg content.
========
Name: Silk Pagoda
Site: http://www.silkpagoda.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=650
Price: $10 DVD
Genre: Various Topics
Number: 10,000
Support: Native, machine formatted
Format: .LRF or .PDF (formats sold on separate discs)
Notes: More copyright compliant version of the BlackMask DVD. 10,000 books on one disc, available as PDF formatted for Reader or very plain .LRF. HTML you can pretty up in Book Designer is only provided on Microsoft .LIT discs.
========
Name: FictionWise
Site: http://www.fictionwise.com/home.html Fee and MicroPay Various Topics 37,000 Secure .PDF
Price: Fee and MicroPay
Genre: Various Topics, new releases
Number: 37,000
Support: Native Support as of 8/07
Format: .LRF, .PDF, .LIT and Secure .PDF
Notes: Now their multi-format books are available in native .LRF format. This is the site CONNECT aspires to be.
========
Name: Steve Jordan Books
Site: www.stevejordanbooks.com
Price: Free and Pay
Genre: Sci-Fi
Number: about 10
Support: Native, customized for the Reader
Format: eReader/ Palm Doc, iSilo, Mobi-Pocket, MS Reader, RTF, Sony Reader
Notes: Original offerings authored by Steve Jordan. Prices very reasonable ($2.50), and 2 free samples as of 05/23/07
========
Name: Munseys
Site: http://www.munseys.com/index.php
Price: All Free
Genre: Various Topics
Number: 18,000
Support: Native, machine formatted
Format: .LRF
Notes:
========
Name: Baen Books
Site: http://www.webscriptions.net/
Price: Free and Pay
Genre: Science Fiction
Number: ?,000
Support: DRM free formatted text and (as of 3/22/08) Native .LRF
Format: .RTF and .LRF
Notes: Text was easily reformatted to reader. Even easier to download in the Sony format. Complete catalog including new works.
========
Name: BLTC Press
Site: http://www.bltcpress.com/store/
Price: About $2
Genre: Various Topics
Number: 20
Support: Native, person formatted, No DRM
Format: .LRF
Notes: Interesting content, overlap with Sony classics is unknown.
========
Name: Sci Fi - Arizona
Site: http://www.scifi-az.com
Price: $7 - $10
Genre: Sci-Fi
Number: A Dozen or so
Support: Sony Formated PDF's
Format: .PDF
Notes: Michael McCollum authored books. Store run by the Author himself. Also seems to be adding books by other authors also. Author really seems to "get" eBooks.
========
Name: Feedbooks (Beta)
Site: http://www.feedbooks.com/
Price: All Free
Genre: Various Topics
Number: ??
Support: Reader Formatted PDF
Format: .PDF
Notes: An emerging source for public domain and author-submitted books.
========
Name: Public Relations Web
Site: http://www.prweb.com/
Price: All Free
Genre: Press Releases
Number: Zillions
Support: Reader Formatted PDF
Format: .PDF
Notes: Not where you find the summer beach read, but good Sony Reader support.
========
Name: DPP Store
Site: http://www.dppstore.com/ Free and Pay Various Topics 1,200 Generic eBook .PDF
Price: Free and Pay
Genre: Various Topics, esoteric
Number: 1,200
Support: Generic eBook PDF
Format: .PDF
Notes: eBooks by Independent Authors and Presses for Independent Readers and Thinkers - Great motto, but also many Gutenberg texts.
========
Name: Arthur's Classic Novels
Site: http://arthurwendover.com/arthurs/
Price: FREE
Genre: Various
Number: 4000
Support: Indirect, conversion needed
Format: Formatted HTML
Notes: Easy to convert html to lrf using BookDesigner. HTML files are usually nicely formatted. Files sourced from Project Gutenberg.
========
Name: Simon and Schuster
Site: http://www.simonsays.com/content/index.cfm?pid=523087&tab=6
Price: Pay
Genre: Various
Number: Not tabulated, but a large back catalog
Support: Indirect, conversion needed
Format: .LIT
Notes: Another publisher offering their own eBooks.
========
Name: Dark Creek Book Library
Site: http://darkcreek.com/ebooks/
Price: Free
Genre: Various
Number: 25 (and supposedly growing constantly)
Support: Reading Tips link
Format: HTML
Notes: Site states that the books, all in public domain (US), are specifically formatted for the PSP, but "should be just as viewable from any PDA or other mobile device that has a web browser." Contents are mostly Gutenberg.
========
Name: Archive.org
Site: http://www.archive.org
Price: FREE
Genre: Various
Number: >20,000
Support: None
Format: DJVU, JPG, TIF, PDF, TXT, JP2
Notes: A good source of original book scans to obtain images when creating your own books in BookDesigner. Tip: Try searching for the book title + the keyword DJVU to find full book scans. This is more a source for people who create their own books to share here - the files are not suitable to be directly loaded on the reader.
========
Name:
Site:
Price:
Genre:
Number:
Support:
Format:
Notes:

Name: Arthur's Classic Novels
Site: http://arthurwendover.com/arthurs/
Price: FREE
Genre: Various
Number: 4000
Support: None?
Format: Formatted HTML
Notes: Easy to convert html to lrf using BookDesigner. HTML files are usually nicely formatted. Files sourced from Project Gutenberg.

Name: Archive.org
Site: http://www.archive.org
Price: FREE
Genre: Various
Number: >20,000
Support: None?
Format: DJVU, JPG, TIF, PDF, TXT, JP2
Notes: A good source of original book scans to obtain images when creating your own books in BookDesigner. Tip: Try searching for the book title + the keyword DJVU to find full book scans. This is more a source for people who create their own books to share here - the files are not suitable to be directly loaded on the reader.

Name: Steve Jordan Books
Site: www.stevejordanbooks.com (http://www.stevejordanbooks.com/)
Price: Free and Pay
Genre: Sci-Fi
Number: about 10
Support: Native, customized for the Reader
Format: eReader/ Palm Doc, iSilo, Mobi-Pocket, MS Reader, RTF, Sony Reader
Notes: Original offerings authored by Steve Jordan. Prices very reasonable ($2.50), and 2 free samples as of 05/23/07

Name: FictionWise
Site: http://www.fictionwise.com/home.html Fee and MicroPay Various Topics 37,000 Secure .PDF
Price: Fee and MicroPay
Genre: Various Topics, new releases
Number: 37,000
Support: Not so good
Format: .PDF, .LIT and Secure .PDF
Notes: The Secure PDFs aren't usable, and the other formats sometimes require format adjustments. The site CONNECT aspires to be.
Support is really good. Because they sell LIT format files. Use CLIT 1.8 to break the DRM and convert to HTML and use HTML2LRF or just load straight into Book Designer. Most books will work brilliantly after conversion. I've done some conversion of some LIT format books and they look great on the Sony Reader. So not to worry that Fictionwise doesn't support the Sony Reader.

Name: Public Relations Web
Site: http://www.prweb.com/
Price: All Free
Genre: Press Releases
Number: Zillions
Support: Reader Formatted PDF
Format: .PDF
Notes: Not where you find the summer beach read, but good Sony Reader support.


Thank you for pointing out the PRWeb business news content for the Sony eBook Reader. It's published fresh daily and offered in hundreds of industry categories (find the list and content download links at http://www.prweb.com/newsbycategory/index.htm) so you can focus on just what topics you're interested in.

Please let us know if there's any ways we can do this better. We're all ears.

Regards,

Joe Beaulaurier
PRWeb
Interactive Marketing Manager

Name: Dark Creek Book Library
Site: http://darkcreek.com/ebooks/
Price: Free
Genre: Various
Number: 25 (and supposedly growing constantly)
Support: Reading Tips link
Format: HTML
Notes: Site states that the books, all in public domain (US), are specifically formatted for the PSP, but "should be just as viewable from any PDA or other mobile device that has a web browser."

Name: Dark Creek Book Library
Site: http://darkcreek.com/ebooks/
Price: Free
Genre: Various
Number: 25 (and supposedly growing constantly)
Support: Reading Tips link
Format: HTML
Notes: Site states that the books, all in public domain (US), are specifically formatted for the PSP, but "should be just as viewable from any PDA or other mobile device that has a web browser."
Another site with more books available at PG.

Off-topic discussion moved here (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12410). Focus of this thread is to list Web resources offering legal e-books for the Sony Reader.

Here's one I didn't see on your list.

Name: Sci Fi - Arizona
Site: http://www.scifi-az.com
Price: $7 - $10
Genre: Sci-Fi
Number: A Dozen or so
Support: Sony Formated PDF's
Format: .PDF
Notes: Michael McCollum authored books. Store run by the Author himself. Also seems to be adding books by other authors also. Author really seems to "get" eBooks.

BOb

Updated the Silk Pagoda entry to be more specific about the disc formats and reflect the new $10 price.

Here's one I didn't see on your list.

Name: Sci Fi - Arizona
Site: http://www.scifi-az.com
Price: $7 - $10
Genre: Sci-Fi
Number: A Dozen or so
Support: Sony Formated PDF's
Format: .PDF
Notes: Michael McCollum authored books. Store run by the Author himself. Also seems to be adding books by other authors also. Author really seems to "get" eBooks.

BOb

I recommend this author specialy the Gibraltar series.

Fictionwise has added .LRF, a major new source of native content.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13116

Name: WOWIO
Site: http://www.wowio.com
Price: all free (sponsored)
Genre: all subjects, including comics and graphic novels
Number: thousands
Support: non-DRM PDF (not specifically formatted for Sony)
Format: .PDF
Notes: The only major source where readers can legally download complete, copyrighted ebooks from leading publishers for free.

Name: WOWIO
Site: http://www.wowio.com

Frustratingly, U.S.-only... :sad:

I added SimonSays, the Simon and Schuster eBook web site. We already have Baen in the list, are there other publisher sites that should be included?

http://www.bltcpress.com/store/

BLTC Press have Sony LRF formatted eBooks with NO DRM.

Looks like public domain eBooks.

Updated to reflect Baen native LRF support.

RSaunders:

A wonderfully helpful list you've got here.

Could you please update MobileRead's LRF offerings to reflect the HUGE INCREASE of titles now available. (You have it at 200. I presume you meant 2000. Current number is 2,049.):)

Thanks,
Don

From the Librie Yahoo group:
We have recently started offering the Sony PDF and the LRF formats on
our website. Although these are adult books, there are many fantasy
and science fiction stories available. If we find the Sony format to
be popular, we will consider starting to put our backlist into Sony
format. Also, if a customer would like to buy a book, or some books,
all he or she needs to do is email, and we'll add the Sony format for
those books.

We will be opening a mainstream bookstore soon as well, which offers
both pdf and lrf for the Sony.

Tina

www.extasybooks.com

www.devinedestinies.com (opening soon)

With the 505 now handling Adobe DE books, would it make sense to also list public libraries with ebook collections as resources? There was a discussion of this on another thread or two.

DrMoze raises an interesting question. It's been pretty easy to find all the places that have Sony native LRF support. It's been disappointing that more sites didn't support our Reader, but it's been pretty easy to list those that do.

AdobeDE on the 505 poses a different sort of problem. There are lots of sites with AdobeDE content that's directly loadable. The barrier to new sites is apparently pretty low. 505 owners, do you browse the offerings of an eBook site or do you Google for a site that has the book you're looking for?

For us 500 owners, it's a question of looking through a site's offerings to find books. I'm usually settling for an HTML book, which BookDesigner works wonders on. Googleing for a title finds a bunch of sites that have useless DRM eBooks that we can't read.

This sort of a flat list supports going from site to site to see what they have. In the new AdobeDE world, we might want a list organized by type of book, listing the sites that carry them. Perhaps we need a new thread about AdobeDE sources. If you figure out how to organize it, we can prevail on the folks in charge to make it sticky.

I really don't like Adobe DE content on my 505 so I have so far not looked for any except at libraries where it is free. If the content was displayed properly justified, I might have a different opinion. I'm sure there will soon come a day, though, when I'm dying to read something that's not available in Sony's BBeb format and will scramble to see if it's available for Adobe DE. I'll probably just google it then.