Tor, a MacMillan imprint going DRM free

[BeccaPrice]

And it's apparently going to be the last book in that universe - Lois has said that she doesn't think people would like where she'd be taking the series if she continued with it.

Given that Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls are some of my favorite books, I'll gladly read anything that Lois cares to write - and if that means no more Vorkosigans, well... I can always re-read.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by carld

I don't see what's hard to get. For some people DRM isn't really a concern, but price is. What you consider reasonably priced doesn't apply to everyone.

That is like saying that just because starving people in other part of the world is not a concern for me I would prefer cheaper food instead of elimination of starving people. Maybe a change can be good and wanted event if you do not earn any money on the change.

The reason DRM is not a concern for some people seems to be bacause they know how to remove it. So just because they can remove it they do not care about how it works for other people that cannot remove it.

[carld]

Originally Posted by tompe

That is like saying that just because starving people in other part of the world is not a concern for me I would prefer cheaper food instead of elimination of starving people. Maybe a change can be good and wanted event if you do not earn any money on the change.

The reason DRM is not a concern for some people seems to be bacause they know how to remove it. So just because they can remove it they do not care about how it works for other people that cannot remove it.

It's not at all like saying anything about starving people. That's the second really odd and offensive comparison you've made.

I'm actually more concerned about people who can't afford ebooks than I am about those who can afford to buy them but can't remove the DRM. You should really stop foisting your imagined motivations off on other people.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by tompe

I do not really get that opinion. The books are already reasonably priced. But more importantly. It is like saying "I like that they have stopped torturing children but reasonable price is more important to me".

A little extreme on the comparison.

Reasonably priced to one person might not be to another. At their current prices I can buy their pbooks cheaper than their ebooks so I wouldn't mind if they dropped their ebook pricing a little.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Here's the list of Tor-published authors (including the Forge and Orb imprints, I think) on the Macmillan site.

My personal favourites whose Tor works I'm particularly looking forward to stocking up with include Steven Brust (first-person-snarker fantasy about an ex-assassin, mostly), Morgan Llywellyn (Celtic-based historicals & historical fantasy), Jo Walton (alternate history, high fantasy), Nancy Kress (consequences of biotechnology & genetic engineering), Brian Stableford (also biotech/gengineering), Sharyn McCrumb (magic realism-type folksong-based tales), Diana L. Paxson (epic fantasy; I prefer her historical-based fantasies, but those are out from another company), Robert J. Sawyer (near-future consequences of technological innovation), Susan Shwartz (historical-based fantasy; but her e-books are out from a different company via Fictionwise), Judith Tarr (historicals & historical-based fantasy, most of her e-books are backlist available from elsewhere), Ian Tregillis (vaguely Lovecraftian WWII spy/supersoldier conspiracy thrillers, a bit like Stross' Laundry series, but darker), Harry Turtledove (alternate history), Joan D. Vinge (far-future multi-planetary society), Lawrence Watt-Evans (high fantasy), Jane Yolen (YA fantasy).

They've also got some stuff from many other good authors whose works from other publishers I've liked whose Tor books I'm willing to give a try.

Originally Posted by tompe

Steven Brust and Jo Walton are very high on my list of the best sf and fantasy-authors. The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust and its follow up book Five Hundred Years Later are abolutely briljant.

Many thanks for those. A mix of a few favourites and lots I don't know in there. Yes, I was looking at Steven Brust earlier, not read any of his.

Graham

[stonetools]

FWIW, the Tor.com editors at their blog think the prices are just fine. Indeed, they seem a little miffed that people raised price concerns at all.
Link

My take is that if nothing, prices might actually go up for DRM free books to cover losses from casual sharing. So , price relief is unlikely . Note that original fiction from Baen is often around $15.00.

[BeccaPrice]

I thought original fiction at Baen was around $6 - the $15 is for eARCs.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by stonetools

Note that original fiction from Baen is often around $15.00.

Sorry, but that's incorrect. For e-books Baen charges the $15 only for eARCs, which are advanced reading copies of the pre-publication version of the book for the hardcore fans willing to pay to read the story early.

For final copies which are the same as the print versions, Baen's books are only $6, even for the new-release hardcover things, and often quite a bit cheaper if you buy them bundled in with all the same-month releases.

For details, see their actual webstore: Baen eBooks.

[nightcolors]

I'm very glad that Tor books are going to be DRM free. There were a few books I'd wanted but didn't buy, because even though I spent some time learning to remove DRM, the idea of voting with my money won me over. I hope they'll allow discounts and sales, too, but I'm still really happy about this. Now I've gotta go through my wishlist and try to remember which books I'd wanted but tried to forget about...

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by stonetools

My take is that if nothing, prices might actually go up for DRM free books to cover losses from casual sharing. So , price relief is unlikely.

Note that once DigitalRestrictionsManagement is dropped, the encryption costs per unit automagically vanish too.

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

My personal favourites whose Tor works I'm particularly looking forward to stocking up with include ...

Thanks for the list...I like Llywellyn, Watt-Evans and Tarr once in a while...and I'm a big Turtledove alt-history fan.

Holy crap...I really like Watt-Evans' Misenchanted Sword...been on my shelf for years, and I re-read it once every few years. After I did a quick google hunt... I didn't even realize it was a series of a sort. I see they are now under a small publisher now that sells DRM-free on their website...yay...found them DRM-free on Amazon.

Will be glad to buy Tor ebooks, DRM-free, from wherever.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

Holy crap...I really like Watt-Evans' Misenchanted Sword...been on my shelf for years, and I re-read it once every few yearss. I didn't even realize he had more books in the series. Now I have to buy 'em! Bring on the no-DRM ebooks already!

If you really want Lawrence Watt-Evans' Ethshar DRM-free in multiple formats and really cheap, you can pick up a large chunk of them via Fictionwise using the 60% off coupon which should still be good through the end of today despite what the official expiry date says as long as you see the discount price in your shopping cart (maybe also until around 10am EST on Friday as well, but I'd put in an order tonight if planning to buy).

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

If you really want Lawrence Watt-Evans' Ethshar DRM-free in multiple formats and really cheap, you can pick up a large chunk of them via Fictionwise using the 60% off coupon which should still be good through the end of today despite what the official expiry date says as long as you see the discount price in your shopping cart (maybe also until around 10am EST on Friday as well, but I'd put in an order tonight if planning to buy).

Thanks! I already checked Smashwords, and I hate to buy in mobi format if I can avoid it. Was digging around for it in epub somewhere. Haven't looked at Fictionwise in ages.

This will be my first ebook purchase in ages...I buy used or new hardcovers over DRM ebooks.

Sorry for the brief off-topic tangent

[Ninjalawyer]

Originally Posted by stonetools

FWIW, the Tor.com editors at their blog think the prices are just fine. Indeed, they seem a little miffed that people raised price concerns at all.
Link

My take is that if nothing, prices might actually go up for DRM free books to cover losses from casual sharing. So , price relief is unlikely . Note that original fiction from Baen is often around $15.00.

I doubt "casual sharing" for an ebook is particularly high, probably less than "casual sharing" for a physical book. Any costs associated with casual sharing should be more than made up by: (i) the positive press Tor is generating by making this move (it has been heavily reported); and (ii) the extra revenue generated from people that would have avoided Tor books because of the DRM.

Tor isn't removing DRM out of the goodness of their hearts, they're doing it to make money.

[Hatgirl]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

And it's apparently going to be the last book in that universe - Lois has said that she doesn't think people would like where she'd be taking the series if she continued with it.

Hunh? Are you sure? I remember her saying something like that, but that was before she decided to write "Cyroburn" - what she felt people wouldn't like was that plot point... (spoilers, spoilers.... you know which one I mean), and I have read that her current project is not Vorkosiverse related... but I haven't heard anywhere that "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance" is The Official Last Vorkosiverse Book. Was that said at a Con or something?

(sorry for the thread derailing, folks)