Free backlist & small press books @ Smashwords, iTunes, et al.

[ATDrake]

It has to be free.

The reasoning being that there are so many out there who have a whole bunch of stuff at or starting at 99 cents and up that it would take up a substantial amount of space among what already promises to be a space-eating category (see how big the "Romance" round-up post has gotten and I haven't even looked at half the authors I know have Smashwords/iTunes presences and offered free stuff in the past, nor have I yet put in the 2-3 dozen or so sf/fantasy authors I know have downloadable free stuff to try before buying).

And dirt-cheap or not, people would still have to invest their money, as well as their time, to check out those authors/publishers and at 99 cents a pop, it would add up pretty quickly. In exchange for a free offering, I am willing to give an author a bit of a link-to-their-pay-stuff boost in terms of publicity by way of thanks. No freebie, no free promo as authors for whom you'd have to pay to sample in full are perfectly capable of getting their books in front of their audiences on their own, IMHO.

However, a separate thread for multi/other-outlet-available "regular" bargain backlist books would probably be useful, although subject to a certain amount of change, as it looks like PPP's taken down their 99 cent promotion (I went to check to see if they'd rotated it for this month, and I get an error message for the links from their front page both for the lingering March offer and the "Promos" in the navbar).

[ATDrake]

ISFDBed Iain Rowan offers a supernatural historical China-set adventure short: Looking for Goats, Finding Monkeys He's also got some short stories collected in 99 cent anthologies from "the Abominable Gentlemen" on Smashwords.

Formerly Samhain-published Melissa Schroeder has 2 stories in her f/m BDSM erotic romance series Harmless (the formerly published thing, which was also a feature freebie during All Romance eBooks' Xmas countdown) and stories at 99 cents @ Smashwords.

Carina Press-published Christa McHugh offers a vampire paranormal romance short and has a few things from $0.99-$1.99 @ Smashwords directly from her and from the multi-author Phaze Books imprint.

ETA: Cynthia Wright (historical romance @ $0.99-$2.99 via Smashwords) offers an historical western romance which she says is the Director's Cut of an originally Ballantine-published book via iTunes: Wildblossom

Patricia Hagan, whose books are part of Samhain's Retro Romance imprint, offers an historical romantic suspense freebie via iTunes: Orchids in the Moonlight

Harlequin Special Edition-published Beth Kery (contemporary romance @ 2.99 via Smashwords) offers a contemporary romance: Gateway to Heaven

Diana Dempsey (contemporary romantic suspense, maybe humourous or chick-lit @ $0.99-$2.99 via Smashwords) offers her 2002 Onyx debut novel which won a RITA award: Falling Star

[ATDrake]

Jana DeLeon (romantic comedy/mystery @ $3.99 via Smashwords), formerly published by Dorchester and also Harlequin, offers the 1st in her very funny Mudbug series free: Trouble in Mudbug

This is a zany screwball romantic comedy/mystery series with supernatural elements (involves a ghost). I read this 1st novel when it was an official freebie a couple of years ago (for Dorchester-not-paying-its-authors-royalties values of official, that is) and liked it enough to look up the sequels from the library, which were nice light fun. If the author offers Smashwords coupons during a future sale, I'd probably give her other books a try as well.

Britomart notes in the April romance thread that Zebra-published Annette Blair (historical romances @ $2.99 via Smashwords) is offering the 1st in her previously-published regency Rogue's Club series free (no longer a KDP exclusive, though I don't know how long/if they'll stay): Undeniable Rogue

Rudy Rucker (ISFDB, Wikipedia; cyberpunk, steampunk, other speculative @ $4.95 ePub or Mobi (really needs to offer a multi-format bundle) directly from author; also other titles couponable at Fictionwise, etc.) noted in Charles Stross' blog that he has recently started assembling proper e-book versions of some of his works to sell, currently with complete collections of his short stories and essays and a backlist novel thus far. He also has a long-standing Creative Commons release of at least two of his novels (downloadable in PDF from his website) and offers PDFs of behind-the-scenes author's notes for many of his works. The Ware Tetralogy and Postsingular are the CC freebies and can also be found in conversion on Feedbooks and/or Manybooks.

I'm not into cyberpunk, but the complete collection of all his sf short stories for just $5 sounds like a pretty good deal, and I may just get it to try out, since he's been pretty generous with the Creative Commons freebies and I like world-building notes.

ETA: Canadian-born Karl Schroeder (ISFDB, Wikipedia; far future & technotopia sf) offers his debut novel, published by Tor in 2000, for free download under a Creative Commons license on his website. He also offers a few PDF stories and intends to add more. He'll also be doing a time-limited free e-book promotion in conjunction with Tor.com starting April 25th; details in this post by Pete371 who spotted it.

[ATDrake]

Doranna Durgin (ISFDB, urban & high fantasy, action/adventure romantic suspenses @ $0.99-$4.49 via Smashwords). Published by Baen and Harlequin. Offers a Baen-published fantasy (likely just for a limited time): Wolverine's Daughter

NB: some of her separately-available short stories are collected within the multi-author compilation The Heart of Dog, which I bought during the Read an E-Book Week sale. To be honest, I couldn't really get into the writings of hers which I tried, but she'd been pretty generous with the freebies so I wanted to get something, and there were stories from Tanya Huff and John Zakour, whom I know I like, inside, and the proceeds went to the author's dog's medical bills, so it was for a good cause.

Kit Ehrman (equestrian murder mysteries @ $2.99 via Smashwords). Published by Poisoned Pen Press. Offers his 1st in series debut novel in the Steve Cline Mysteries, originally published by PPP: At Risk

Richard Herley (historical novels @ $2.99-3.99 via Smashwords; fellow MR member author). Published by Ballantine. Offers the 1st in his Stone Age England trilogy, originally out from Morrow: The Stone Arrow

Barbara Bretton (romance & cozy mystery). Published by Berkley. Offers a short story and a cookbook free via Smashwords.

Elizabeth Bevarly (contemporary comedic romance @ $0.99-$2.99 via Smashwords). Published by Harlequin Silhouette. Offers a free zany screwball romantic comedy novel: My Man Pendleton

Lucinda Brant (historical romances @ $2.99-$5.99 via Smashwords). Seems to only be published once by New Concepts Publishing, who are kind of iffy and look like they'd accept anything (though I've seen some decent better-established backlist authors have one or two later books out from them). Nevertheless, several MR members have said that they enjoyed her books. Offers a temporarily-free Georgian historical romance to promote her half-price sale on another volume (sale book may have been given a different promotional price at different outlets depending on region; check your usual stores first if interested): The Salt Bride

Robin Lee Hatcher (Christian contemporary general/women's fiction @ $2.99-$8.99 via Smashwords) Published by Bethany House or Tyndale, I think it was. Offers the 1st in an inspirational small-town general fiction quartet: Legacy Lane

[koland]

Most Eligible by Lindsay Ordone (short story Decadent Publishing)
http://www.amazon.com/Most-Eligible-ebook/dp/B004LLIXCQ

(oops, posted to wrong thread .. sorry)

[ATDrake]

Thanks, but this is the thread for freebies available through other outlets, which are generally harder to spot amidst all the short-lived KDP Select promos.

[koland]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Thanks, but this is the thread for freebies available through other outlets, which are generally harder to spot amidst all the short-lived KDP Select promos.

I had several tabs open and mistakenly posted to this one.

Moderators welcome to remove it (and this one)

[ATDrake]

No worries; I've got around four tabs open right now as I copy-paste update the 1st-page index posts with the newer stuff* while I skim-read other stuff and I'll probably end up posting to the wrong one at some point.

* Some day I should standardize and alphabetize everything, but today will not be that day.

[ATDrake]

A couple of additions. One of these days I'll properly organize the main listing posts on the first page and prune any expired stuff, but today is not that day.

Leslie Langtry (comedic action-adventure mystery/thrillers @ $2.99-$3.99 via Smashwords). Published by Dorchester/Leisure. Offers her 2007 Leisure-printed 1st in Bombay Assassins comedic mystery/thriller (maybe romantic suspense; I can't really tell from the blurbs) series: Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy

Onyx-published Diana Dempsey (comedic mysteries & contemporary romance & romantic suspense @ $0.99-$2.99 via Smashwords) now also offers an additional freebie; 1st in Honolulu-set comedic mystery series with a beauty queen amateur sleuth: Ms America and the Offing on Oahu

Zebra-published Cheryl Bolen (western & Regency historical romance & romantic suspense @ $0.99-$2.99) offers a Regency romance novella: Lady Sophia's Rescue (Traditional Regency Romance)

Kaje Harper (m/m romances). Published by Samhain & MLR Press. Offers a novel-length m/m romance and some short stories which seem to tie into published works: Linkage for the lot

[ATDrake]

A couple of minor updates experimenting with the display format. This is probably easier to read and show the provenance of the previously-published offerings and I'll try to switch over the main aggregate posts (which are in serious need of updating/pruning) to it.

Pamela Clare (historical romance & contemporary romantic suspense @ $2.99 via Smashwords)

• Sweet Release 2008 Dorchester/Leisure historical romance

Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award Winner (ISFDB, Wikipedia: horror, dark fantasy & suspense @ $0.99-$4.99 via Smashwords)

• The Turtle Boy 2004 Bram Stoker Award Superior Achievement in Long Fiction winner horror novella
• The Grief Frequency 2005 Subterranean magazine ghost short
• Offline mystery/crime short

Mobashar Qureshi (mystery/thrillers and literary fiction @ $0.99-$3.99 via Smashwords). Published by Canadian small press Mercury.

• Aa mystery/suspense short
• Corner Store litfic short
• Mish-Mash Fiction litfic short

William King (ISFDB, Wikipedia: cyberpunk, sword & sorcery, sfnal steampunk-ish adventure fantasy @ $0.99-$5.99 via Smashwords). Published by The Black Library.

• Guardian of the Dawn 2005 Worlds of Their Own anthology sword & sorcery fantasy novella
• Death's Angels sfnal military fantasy/horror adventure quest novel

[ATDrake]

I have exams this week, so won't be able to do the overhaul/reorg of the list sections like I'd hoped. Some new stuff for who knows how long:

NB: "price-matched via" means that it's probably in the process of playing pricing catchup from another venue and may go back to full very shortly. Grab those first if interested.

5 Poisoned Press mysteries DRM-free via iTunes & price-matching outlets: see this post in the PPP thread for details and linkage

Annette Blair (historical romances @ $2.99-$4.99 via Smashwords, Lachesis Publishing via Smashwords) Published by Zebra.

• Sea Scoundrel uncut version, 1st in Knave of Hearts series, formerly published as Lady Patience in 1999 as a Gem (Zebra?)
• Undeniable Rogue 1st in Rogue's Club series, originally 2002 Zebra

Valerie Douglas (contemporary romance & romantic suspense @ $2.99 via Smashwords) Published by Ellora's Cave as V.J. Devereaux

• Dirty Politics contemporary romantic suspense, part of Millerburg Quartet
• Irish Fling catchup via iTunes, contemporary romance, part of Millerburg Quartet

Miriam Minger (historical romance & contemporary suspense @ $3.99-$6.99 via Smashwords) Published by Berkley, IIRC. Has a 99 cent promo special on Twin Passions @ iTunes

• Defiant Imposter via iTunes

Robert Broomall (western historical adventure/drama @ $0.99 via Smashwords). Published by Fawcett.

• The Lawmen catchup via iTunes historical western drama originally 1992 Fawcett

Lise McClendon (historical & contemporary mystery/crime @ $2.99-$3.99 via Smashwords). Published by Five Star & Berkley, IIRC

• Sweet and Lowdown WWII homefront cozy mystery, 1st in Dorie Lennox series

Marina Oliver (cozy mystery, historical & contemporary romance @ $0.99-$6.99 via Smashwords) Published by Robert Hale & Severn House, IIRC

• Manhattan Magic contemporary romance novella catchup via iTunes
• A Cut Above the Rest cozy mystery, 1st in Dodie Fanshaw series published by Robert Hale catchup via Kobo
• Runaway Hill UK Civil War historical romance published by Robert Hale, catchup via Kobo

Marsha Canham (historical romances @ $1.99-$9.99 omnibus via Smashwords) Published by Avon

• Across A Moonlit Sea Elizabethan era pirate romance published by Avon, IIRC

More later once I sift through what's still free and where.

ETA: These authors have been rotating their freebies:

Julie Ortolon (contemporary romance & writing advice @ $2.99-$4.99 via Smashwords) Published by Dell.

• Almost Perfect, 1st in Perfect Trilogy contemporary romance

Beth Kery (contemporary romantic suspense @ $2.99 via Smashwords). Published by Harlequin, Samhain, Berkley.

• Tricked Truths romantic suspense