TOR's free ebooks

Nate the great · 07-30-2008, 04:52 PM

Other members have posted rants about TOR Books; this is mine.

In the recent free ebook from TOR, I found an author I love. Jo Walton has IMO an excellent grasp of the English language. Her novel, Farthing, is one of the best alternate history novels I have ever read. It is easily as good as the best of Harry Turtledove or S.M. Stirling.

This novel was the first in a series, so of course I want to get the rest of the series and read it. Unfortunately, the rest of the series is not available as ebooks. And since I do not buy paper books anymore, TOR has lost a sale. Oh, I'm still going to read the books. But this won't help TOR because I'm checking them out of my local library.

P.S. I bet you're wondering why I waited so long. I have a stack of things I want to read, but the suspense of wanting to know what happened next finally got to me.

rixte · 07-30-2008, 05:49 PM

I agree - I loved Farthing, but I won't get Ha'Penny until it's available in ebook.

Fortunately, Farthing was very stand-alone and concluded it's story and the next book is supposed to be about a different 'mystery', which makes the decision easier.

Most of Tor's ebooks are series books that I d/l'ed but I haven't read yet and don't plan to until the sequels are available for purchase as ebooks.

DMcCunney · 07-30-2008, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

P.S. I bet you're wondering why I waited so long. I have a stack of things I want to read, but the suspense of wanting to know what happened next finally got to me.

No, I'm wondering why you don't post your rant over on the Tor.com site. I don't believe anyone at Tor reads MobileRead (though I've suggested to several folks at Tor that they should.)

Tor Senior Editor/Editorial Director Patrick Neilsen Hayden has stated Tor parent Macmillan is busy creating digital versions of Tor content, and we can expect to see a lot more in ebook form in the upcoming months.

Rant where they'll read it, and possibly boost the priorities on series titles we'd like to see the rest of.
______
Dennis

rhadin · 07-30-2008, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

No, I'm wondering why you don't post your rant over on the Tor.com site. I don't believe anyone at Tor reads MobileRead (though I've suggested to several folks at Tor that they should.)

I've complained at Tor.com in the community forums about David Weber and LE Modesitt, Jr.'s new books (released this month) not being available in ebook and the only reply I have received is from a fellow MR member.

In those instances I have bought the hardcover editions for my library, but I would have also bought the ebook versions, just as I did with Harry Turtledove's new release. I prefer to read the books on my Sony. But Tor doesn't reply even if they read the comments, so those are 2 lost sales.

And like Nate, I, too, enjoyed Farthing, and would like to read the sequels -- but only as ebooks. Unfortunately for Tor, I have so many books to read that by the time they do release the ebook versions, I will no longer be that interested. More lost sales.

What I found most perplexing about Tor is that there is no way that I could find to directly e-mail them. You would think a company that knows it has to reach the consumer would have some way to for the consumer to reach it.

Nate the great · 07-30-2008, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

No, I'm wondering why you don't post your rant over on the Tor.com site. I don't believe anyone at Tor reads MobileRead (though I've suggested to several folks at Tor that they should.)

Tor Senior Editor/Editorial Director Patrick Neilsen Hayden has stated Tor parent Macmillan is busy creating digital versions of Tor content, and we can expect to see a lot more in ebook form in the upcoming months.

Rant where they'll read it, and possibly boost the priorities on series titles we'd like to see the rest of.
______
Dennis

I will go do that. Thanks.

Barcey · 07-30-2008, 08:06 PM

I wrote them a letter about 6 months ago after I had bought the first two books from a trilogy at Fictionwise and then discovered that I couldn't buy the third as and e-book for love or money. (OK I didn't try love but it hasn't worked for me in the past so I made an assumption).

I couldn't find an email address for them either so I sent them a paper letter and I would encourage others to do so as well. Throw "Please Mr Postman" on the turntable, print out a letter and envelope and stick one of those stampy things on the corner. It was so 1980's.

I just thought I should tell them in a nice way that they were losing sales by not selling e-books.

carld · 07-31-2008, 08:19 AM

Agreed. I just finished The Outstretched Shadow by James Mallory. I was really hoping the other two books of the trilogy were out in ebook form, and of course they're not.

I've read somewhere on MR that Tor intends to publish all their books in ebook form. I'd love to see some evidence of that.

Carl

DMcCunney · 07-31-2008, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carld

I've read somewhere on MR that Tor intends to publish all their books in ebook form. I'd love to see some evidence of that.

First, they have to have them in ebook form.

Patrick Neilsen Hayden, Tor Senior Editor/Editorial Director, replied to a post of mine on Tor.com that tor parent company Macmillan was busy digitising their catalog, and we could expect a lot more ebooks in coming months.

They're certainly aware there's a market, or they wouldn't have attempted the deal with Baen to sell Tor content over Baen's Webscriptions program.

Patience.
______
Dennis

JSWolf · 07-31-2008, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Other members have posted rants about TOR Books; this is mine.

In the recent free ebook from TOR, I found an author I love. Jo Walton has IMO an excellent grasp of the English language. Her novel, Farthing, is one of the best alternate history novels I have ever read. It is easily as good as the best of Harry Turtledove or S.M. Stirling.

I just posted a new LRF edition of The Rebirth of Pan by Jo Walton and will be redoing the IMP edition and making a Mobipocket version later on today.

JSWolf · 07-31-2008, 09:32 AM

The Rebirth of Pan has been posted in LRF, PRC, and IMP. The LRF and IMP have been redone and the PRC just added.

07-30-2008, 04:52 PM	#1
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	TOR's free ebooks Other members have posted rants about TOR Books; this is mine. In the recent free ebook from TOR, I found an author I love. Jo Walton has IMO an excellent grasp of the English language. Her novel, Farthing, is one of the best alternate history novels I have ever read. It is easily as good as the best of Harry Turtledove or S.M. Stirling. This novel was the first in a series, so of course I want to get the rest of the series and read it. Unfortunately, the rest of the series is not available as ebooks. And since I do not buy paper books anymore, TOR has lost a sale. Oh, I'm still going to read the books. But this won't help TOR because I'm checking them out of my local library. P.S. I bet you're wondering why I waited so long. I have a stack of things I want to read, but the suspense of wanting to know what happened next finally got to me.

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07-30-2008, 05:49 PM	#2
rixte Addict Posts: 300 Karma: 396757 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: new oasis, paperwhite, ipad, kobo	I agree - I loved Farthing, but I won't get Ha'Penny until it's available in ebook. Fortunately, Farthing was very stand-alone and concluded it's story and the next book is supposed to be about a different 'mystery', which makes the decision easier. Most of Tor's ebooks are series books that I d/l'ed but I haven't read yet and don't plan to until the sequels are available for purchase as ebooks.

07-30-2008, 08:06 PM	#6
Barcey Wizard Posts: 1,531 Karma: 8059866 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canada Device: Kobo H2O / Aura HD / Glo / iPad3	I wrote them a letter about 6 months ago after I had bought the first two books from a trilogy at Fictionwise and then discovered that I couldn't buy the third as and e-book for love or money. (OK I didn't try love but it hasn't worked for me in the past so I made an assumption). I couldn't find an email address for them either so I sent them a paper letter and I would encourage others to do so as well. Throw "Please Mr Postman" on the turntable, print out a letter and envelope and stick one of those stampy things on the corner. It was so 1980's. I just thought I should tell them in a nice way that they were losing sales by not selling e-books.

07-31-2008, 08:19 AM	#7
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Agreed. I just finished The Outstretched Shadow by James Mallory. I was really hoping the other two books of the trilogy were out in ebook form, and of course they're not. I've read somewhere on MR that Tor intends to publish all their books in ebook form. I'd love to see some evidence of that. Carl

07-31-2008, 09:32 AM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 78,982 Karma: 144284074 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The Rebirth of Pan has been posted in LRF, PRC, and IMP. The LRF and IMP have been redone and the PRC just added.