Fictionwise has shut down!

[ficbot]

Just read on Teleread that Fictionwise is shutting down, effective December 4. US and UK customers will be given the choice to move their libraries to their Nook account.

http://www.teleread.com/chris-meadow...and-ebookwise/

[Mod: There's a transition FAQ on the Fictionwise website:
http://www.fictionwise.com/BN-Transition-FAQ.htm

[cromag]

Ahhh, bummer.


But I figured it was only a matter of time.

[FizzyWater]

I want to be sad - this used to be my most favorite place, before B&N bought them, before Agency pricing.

I wonder if eReader.com will be too?

LATER EDIT: Just read this on the Fictionwise FAQ:

Fictionwise, comprised of several eBooks retail websites including Fictionwise.com, eReader.com and eBookwise.com ("Fictionwise Websites") is in the process of winding down its operations. Over the past three years there has been a significant decrease in demand for many of the eBook formats that the Fictionwise Websites sell. In contrast, the eBook format supported by Barnes & Noble--ePub--is growing in popularity.

[brudigia]

Originally Posted by ficbot

Just read on Teleread that Fictionwise is shutting down, effective December 4. US and UK customers will be given the choice to move their libraries to their Nook account.

http://www.teleread.com/chris-meadow...and-ebookwise/

I got the email from Fictionwise. Sad, but I expected it.
I'd like to see how BN shall deal with those customer who are not US and UK, since officially they do not deal with them.

[carld]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I want to be sad - this used to be my most favorite place, before B&N bought them, before Agency pricing.

I wonder if eReader.com will be too?

Agency pricing devastated Fictionwise. It never recovered.

[petermillard]

Originally Posted by carld

Agency pricing devastated Fictionwise. It never recovered.

Geographical Restrictions (post-BN purchase) made sure I could never buy anything from Fictionwise long before agency pricing. Like others, I want to be sad, but the reality is I moved on long ago and I guess everyone else did too.

[bgalbrecht]

Even though Fictionwise is a mere shell of what they used to be, their sales kept the magazines and multi-format titles pretty affordable. I just picked up what may be my last purchases there with a roughly 55% discount. I doubt I'll ever see that at the main B&N ebook store. I'm disappointed that B&N hasn't revealed how to transfer titles to one's Nook account yet, or which titles will transfer. I lost a few titles after 4/1/2010, maybe they'll be available again.

[FizzyWater]

I moved in June and realized that I hadn't updated my contact info on the Fictionwise and eReader sites. So I haven't seen the actual email that's been sent out. I wonder if the email "coming in November" will explain how to opt-in and/or transfer to B&N.

From the FAQ, it sounds like you'll have two choices to review: 1) transfer the bookshelf that can be transferred - and I doubt it'll be all the eBooks - to B&N and 2) create new B&N accounts from the Fictionwise and/or eReader accounts or provide current B&N account information to transfer the (available) eBooks to.

LATER EDIT: For anyone still actually reading their eReader/Palm Digital Media ebooks in their unliberated format, you might also want to redownload ALL the available software from eReader.com in the hopes that you'll be able to keep installing one or another of them, depending on what hardware you have.

[carld]

I heard the rumors about Fictionwise being in trouble a long while back and downloaded my books and dumped them into Calibre just in case. Thankfully it was all DRM-free Multi-format stuff.

[shenye]

Mail received too:

Dear eReader.com Customer,

As you may know, in March of 2009, Fictionwise (comprised of several eBook retail websites, including Fictionwise.com, eReader.com and eBookwise.com) was acquired by Barnes & Noble.

eReader.com is in the process of winding down its operations. eReader.com will end sales on December 4, 2012 and you will not be able to access your eReader.com Bookshelf through the site after January 31, 2013.

If you haven't done so already, we recommend that you back up all files by January 31, 2013. You can learn more about downloading your eReader.com files here: http://www.ereader.com/BN-Transition-FAQ.htm.

If you have an eMagazine subscription with undelivered issues, we will reimburse you as they will no longer be valid after December 4, 2012. You will receive a separate communication regarding this matter.

For more information about the eReader.com wind down, including additional details on how this change in service will apply to eMagazine subscriptions and more, please visit our FAQ web page: http://www.ereader.com/BN-Transition-FAQ.htm

We greatly appreciate your support of eReader.com over the years. Together, we helped pioneer eBooks and eReading.

Thank you.


The eReader.com Team

[pdurrant]

No email here yet, but that may be because I'm outside the US. Luckily, I'm in the UK, so my library should (mostly) get transferred to nook.

Also, my Fictionwise Buywise club runs out on 3 October 2017. Since they say that "Customers with an unexpired Buywise Club membership will receive a pro-rated refund by 12/21/2012 in the form of a check for the remaining time in their membership." I think that means I should be getting a $120+ refund from them.

But for non-US and non-UK customers it's rather bleak. No transfer of fictionwise library anywhere, just loss of new downloads of all books after 31st January 2013. Which for Secure Mobipocket books means loss of access after your current devices die, unless you are friends with Apprentice Alf.

(I've just made sure my Fictionwise and B&N account details are all up-to-date. Over the years, I've bought 1448 books at Fictionwise, of which 1423 are still in my Fictionwise bookshelf. I have 182 books in my nook bookshelf (all freebies). It will be interesting to see how many of the 1423 make it over to my nook account when the time comes.)

(I've just checked my bookshelf. Although it says 1423, it only lists 1422 items, consisting of 846 Multiformat, 475 Secure Mobipocket, 48 Secure eReader, 8 Secure Microsoft, 38 Secure Adobe ePub, 2 audiobooks and 5 subscription listings. Seven of the 475 Secure Mobipocket are marked as EXPIRED, which means they were lost when one of the Mobipocket distributors pulled their books from Fictionwise. This means I have 1406 available ebooks in my Fictionwise bokshelf that could get transferred to my nook account.)

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by petermillard

Geographical Restrictions (post-BN purchase) made sure I could never buy anything from Fictionwise long before agency pricing. Like others, I want to be sad, but the reality is I moved on long ago and I guess everyone else did too.

I, too, moved on a long time ago (about 1.5 years ago).

Nothing to see here.



Don

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I, too, moved on a long time ago (about 1.5 years ago).

Nothing to see here.

I agree it's not surprising, although arranging the cutoff for US customers just before the Christmas holidays seems a bit odd.

I am pleased that they are going to attempt to move US and UK customers to a nook account, but I suspect that their many non-UK/US customers are going to be rather irritated.

This is important info for anyone with a significant number of Fictionwise purchases. Probably your last chance to download the most recent release of the books you've bought.

[Graham]

I've moved on for all but my Asimov's magazine now, but it will still be a sad day. For me at least it marks the end of the first era of ebooks, when it was an exciting niche market ahead of the curve.

Graham

[cfrizz]

B&N bought them and then destroyed them. I'm going to sit back and wait for the same thing to happen to them! Rot in hell B&N!