Where to buy ebooks in the UK?

TimNeo · 12-17-2009, 07:25 AM

Where can I legally buy ebooks in the UK? I'm mainly interested in files without DRM and I'm an avid scifi fan....

Dr. Drib · 12-17-2009, 07:55 AM

Hi, TimNeo:

I see this is your fourth post, and that you'll be getting your Sony for Christmas.

To "sort of" answer your question, you don't need to buy ebooks ONLY from the UK. For example, you can use Fictionwsie to buy MultiFormat books for your Sony. In most cases, however, these are not the newer, blockbuster titles currently in release - those titles are DRM'd - but you CAN enjoy many fine, older titles as well as newer books by fledgling writers.

Also, please keep in mind that MobileRead also has quite a large selection of Sci-Fi titles (all free, of course) that you can dowload.

Harry (one of the Moderators here), can specifically answer your questions about Sci-Fi in the UK.

HAVE FUN!

Don

Blue Tyson · 12-17-2009, 08:03 AM

You should definitely check out Baen webscriptions - as well as Baen books, they have a large number of Night Shade titles, some Subterranean - and also Ereads which have quite a few SF books, too. All DRM free and great prices.

Direct Ebooks · 12-17-2009, 08:14 AM

Hi TimNeo

Come check us out at www.directebooks.com. All of our eBooks are available worldwide, and we have some handy how-to guides as well.

TimNeo · 12-17-2009, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direct Ebooks

Hi TimNeo

Come check us out at www.directebooks.com. All of our eBooks are available worldwide, and we have some handy how-to guides as well.

Hi - can't search your catalog, I get:

Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80040e14'

[MySQL][ODBC 3.51 Driver][mysqld-5.0.85-community-nt]You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'AND (ebook_author REGEXP '[[:<:]]hamilton[[:>:]]')) AND (ebook_format = 'MD' OR ' at line 1

/ssi/tools_prod_listing_ebooks.asp, line 686

TimNeo · 12-17-2009, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Hi, TimNeo:

To "sort of" answer your question, you don't need to buy ebooks ONLY from the UK. For example, you can use Fictionwsie to buy MultiFormat books for your Sony. In most cases, however, these are not the newer, blockbuster titles currently in release - those titles are DRM'd - but you CAN enjoy many fine, older titles as well as newer books by fledgling writers.

Don

Thanks Don, quite a few of the series I'm reading are "cutting edge" of the publishing dates and I accept I'll probably have to get DRM'd copies if I want to read them on the ereader!

It's a shame they're as much as a book, I like real books, but the point of the ereader is to cut down on the weight I'm lugging about.

Currently I'm awaiting the release of the latest Peter Hamilon book and similarly The Lost Fleet: Victorious by Jack Campbell. Whether I'd get them on ebook is another matter...

gwynevans · 12-17-2009, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimNeo

Where can I legally buy ebooks in the UK? I'm mainly interested in files without DRM and I'm an avid scifi fan....

Check out my post on my site on that very subject here - Where to obtain eBooks for your Reader but Baen/Webscriptions should probably be your first stop! :-)

Direct Ebooks · 12-17-2009, 09:29 AM

Hi Tim.

Sorry about that- Havent seen that error before. What page was it on?

Thanks

Gareth

TimNeo · 12-17-2009, 09:39 AM

It was on the search, but seems to be working now. Just an odd blip I suppose!

TimNeo · 12-17-2009, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gwynevans

Check out my post on my site on that very subject here - Where to obtain eBooks for your Reader but Baen/Webscriptions should probably be your first stop! :-)

Very helpful - thanks!

Not sure how a Peter Hamilton book that's been out a year which I paid the princely sum of £7.99 in paperback for is still selling as an ebook at £12.50 though!

FlorenceArt · 12-17-2009, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimNeo

Very helpful - thanks!

Not sure how a Peter Hamilton book that's been out a year which I paid the princely sum of £7.99 in paperback for is still selling as an ebook at £12.50 though!

Yes, that is a problem with e-book prices, they are often higher than the paperbook price

It pays to compare prices with a site such as inkmesh.com, but unfortunately many e-book sellers have been implementing geographical restrictions which play against us Europeans, so our options are limited.

You could also try cyberread.com, their prices are not too high and they have no geographical restriction (for the moment anyway).

dickon25 · 12-17-2009, 01:39 PM

Not sure how a Peter Hamilton book that's been out a year which I paid the princely sum of £7.99 in paperback for is still selling as an ebook at £12.50 though!

Hi Tim, have you tried WH Smith's ebooks section? They have most of Hamilton's books at £6.60. (I've used their site a little, but the search engine is dreadful!)

I also use Books on Board's UK site - they're just about the best at the moment, I reckon. (see this.... Night's Dawn Trilogy for £5.63 !!)

As others have said, Baen is fantastic - especially if you try the 'Free Library' button at the top of the homepage.....SF for FREE!!

trout · 12-18-2009, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Direct Ebooks

Hi TimNeo

Come check us out at www.directebooks.com. All of our eBooks are available worldwide, and we have some handy how-to guides as well.

See my https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=65859

dogsballs · 12-18-2009, 04:56 AM

there is a couple of librarys you can download from in the uk /ireland

garygibsonsf · 12-18-2009, 11:17 PM

Tim - Pan Macmillan, the publishers of Peter Hamilton, Neal Asher and others, sell ebooks directly from their UK website without DRM (www.panmacmillan.com). They have DRM when you get them from other places, but not when you buy direct. They come in Epub format, I think, but without the DRM you should be able to format-shift using Calibre. They're a little pricier than if you buy them elsewhere, granted, but that's often the case with the physical books as well when you order them direct from the publisher.

BTW - I had that same message from directebooks at least one time myself, as I recall. I use a Mac Ibook running OSX 10.4, with Firefox.

12-17-2009, 07:25 AM	#1
TimNeo Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-600	Where to buy ebooks in the UK? Where can I legally buy ebooks in the UK? I'm mainly interested in files without DRM and I'm an avid scifi fan....

12-17-2009, 01:39 PM	#12
dickon25 Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 818 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: UK Device: Sony PRS-505. Pocketbook Inkpad 840	Not sure how a Peter Hamilton book that's been out a year which I paid the princely sum of £7.99 in paperback for is still selling as an ebook at £12.50 though! Hi Tim, have you tried WH Smith's ebooks section? They have most of Hamilton's books at £6.60. (I've used their site a little, but the search engine is dreadful!) I also use Books on Board's UK site - they're just about the best at the moment, I reckon. (see this.... Night's Dawn Trilogy for £5.63 !!) As others have said, Baen is fantastic - especially if you try the 'Free Library' button at the top of the homepage.....SF for FREE!! Last edited by dickon25; 12-17-2009 at 01:43 PM. Reason: URL removed

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12-17-2009, 07:55 AM	#2
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 44,734 Karma: 55645321 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One	Hi, TimNeo: I see this is your fourth post, and that you'll be getting your Sony for Christmas. To "sort of" answer your question, you don't need to buy ebooks ONLY from the UK. For example, you can use Fictionwsie to buy MultiFormat books for your Sony. In most cases, however, these are not the newer, blockbuster titles currently in release - those titles are DRM'd - but you CAN enjoy many fine, older titles as well as newer books by fledgling writers. Also, please keep in mind that MobileRead also has quite a large selection of Sci-Fi titles (all free, of course) that you can dowload. Harry (one of the Moderators here), can specifically answer your questions about Sci-Fi in the UK. HAVE FUN! Don

12-17-2009, 08:03 AM	#3
Blue Tyson Blue Captain Posts: 1,595 Karma: 5000236 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G,Huawei Ideos X3,Kobo Mini	You should definitely check out Baen webscriptions - as well as Baen books, they have a large number of Night Shade titles, some Subterranean - and also Ereads which have quite a few SF books, too. All DRM free and great prices.

12-17-2009, 08:14 AM	#4
Direct Ebooks Hibernian eBook Warrior Posts: 184 Karma: 1264 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Cork, Ireland Device: Sony Reader	Hi TimNeo Come check us out at www.directebooks.com. All of our eBooks are available worldwide, and we have some handy how-to guides as well.

12-17-2009, 09:29 AM	#8
Direct Ebooks Hibernian eBook Warrior Posts: 184 Karma: 1264 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Cork, Ireland Device: Sony Reader	Hi Tim. Sorry about that- Havent seen that error before. What page was it on? Thanks Gareth

12-17-2009, 09:39 AM	#9
TimNeo Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-600	It was on the search, but seems to be working now. Just an odd blip I suppose!

12-18-2009, 04:56 AM	#14
dogsballs Zealot Posts: 109 Karma: 509332 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: sony psr-505	there is a couple of librarys you can download from in the uk /ireland

12-18-2009, 11:17 PM	#15
garygibsonsf Addict Posts: 321 Karma: 432192 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite	Tim - Pan Macmillan, the publishers of Peter Hamilton, Neal Asher and others, sell ebooks directly from their UK website without DRM (www.panmacmillan.com). They have DRM when you get them from other places, but not when you buy direct. They come in Epub format, I think, but without the DRM you should be able to format-shift using Calibre. They're a little pricier than if you buy them elsewhere, granted, but that's often the case with the physical books as well when you order them direct from the publisher. BTW - I had that same message from directebooks at least one time myself, as I recall. I use a Mac Ibook running OSX 10.4, with Firefox.

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