Tor offers free weekly books if you sign up

[Nate the great]

I just tried to sign up using a different email address. They aren't accepting anymore signups.

[curtw]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Pestering an author over missteps by their publisher is not the best idea in the world. (Quite the opposite, in fact.)

Care to elaborate? Most authors are NOT enamored of their publishers, and are looking for the upper hand in the next round of royalty negotiations.

This happens to be a relatively new area for Tor. Their website had been maintained as a sideline by a couple of their editors. I'm am not surprised if this process has a few teething problems.

Arriving half-baked at a party that's been going on for half a decade is not the way to pick up new customers. And editors should know that.

I know various of the Tor folks, and will ask a few questions if nothing seems to be happening for a while.

Great. Remind them why they're doing this--to get more customers. How likely is that if they fail to deliver on item #1 on the list?

Meanwhile, I suggest folks relax. What's next? Throwing tantrums and holding your breath till you turn blue because you didn't get your free ebook?

Quite the opposite. Look back through this forum's archives. People have been ready to give up on Tor for a while because of their "teething problems" with e-publishing. I don't need a free e-book. I've got thousands of them. I'll just be MUCH less likely to buy a p-book from Tor if they can't seem to find their way into the 21st century.

I thought we were grownups here.

As should be the business "experts" at Tor.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by curtw

Care to elaborate? Most authors are NOT enamored of their publishers, and are looking for the upper hand in the next round of royalty negotiations.

I've met Wolfe, I know Tor Books, and Wolfe's editor at Tor is an old friend I first met many years ago when he was an editor at another house entirely. I would be very surprised if Wolfe had that sort of relationship with Tor.

Tor generally enjoys a reputation of being honest and ethical, which is more than can be said for some houses.

Arriving half-baked at a party that's been going on for half a decade is not the way to pick up new customers. And editors should know that.

Editors might. But bear in mind editors aren't the only ones involved. Tor is part of a larger company, and there are an assortment of players. The folks who must actually implement this are the IT staff, and that part of Tor's parent company sometimes leaves a bit to be desired, if the experience recounted by folks who work there is a guide.

And the alternative may be not arriving for the party at all. I'll accept baby steps if it at least gets the kid walking.

Great. Remind them why they're doing this--to get more customers. How likely is that if they fail to deliver on item #1 on the list?

Depends. But when something is a new venture for an organization, I expect teething problems. I signed up, too. But if nothing happens, I shrug and get on with my life.

If I had actually paid them money, and they didn't deliver a product, I might have reason to be upset. On a scale of cosmic importance from 1 to 10, not seeing anything from a mailing list I only signed up for a couple of weeks ago rates about a -2. I have far more important things to worry about.

Quite the opposite. Look back through this forum's archives. People have been ready to give up on Tor for a while because of their "teething problems" with e-publishing. I don't need a free e-book. I've got thousands of them. I'll just be MUCH less likely to buy a p-book from Tor if they can't seem to find their way into the 21st century.

As should be the business "experts" at Tor.

Like I said, this is a relatively new area for them. They are feeling their way. They will make mistakes.

But Tor is at least trying to do it right, and Tor and Baen are the only publishers I can think of offhand who are showing any signs of having a real clue about ebook publishing. I reserve my bad feelings for the ones who aren't trying at all.
______
Dennis

[curtw]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

But bear in mind editors aren't the only ones involved. Tor is part of a larger company, and there are an assortment of players. The folks who must actually implement this are the IT staff, and that part of Tor's parent company sometimes leaves a bit to be desired, if the experience recounted by folks who work there is a guide.

In your last message, you stated that the web site is run by the editors. Which is it? Incompetent IT staff or tech-overwhelmed editors?

And the alternative may be not arriving for the party at all. I'll accept baby steps if it at least gets the kid walking.

It's past the point where baby steps are needed. Publishing should learn from the poor examples of music and film. Continuing to cling to an outdated business model is suicide.

If I had actually paid them money, and they didn't deliver a product, I might have reason to be upset. On a scale of cosmic importance from 1 to 10, not seeing anything from a mailing list I only signed up for a couple of weeks ago rates about a -2. I have far more important things to worry about.

Once again: it's not about failing to deliver the one free book. It's about failing to comprehend which way the wind is blowing.

Like I said, this is a relatively new area for them. They are feeling their way. They will make mistakes.

But Tor is at least trying to do it right, and Tor and Baen are the only publishers I can think of offhand who are showing any signs of having a real clue about ebook publishing. I reserve my bad feelings for the ones who aren't trying at all.

I don't know. Just looking the Sony and Kindle stores, it appears that HarperCollins, Dutton, Scribner, Random House, MacMillan, Penguin and Little, Brown are trying, and succeeding. Tor, with its focus on SF, should have realized LONG ago that their core customer base would jump on the ebook phenomena. Again, not understanding the people who pay your salary == business suicide.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I just tried to sign up using a different email address. They aren't accepting anymore signups.

Actually, the cookie from Tor needs to be deleted so you can signup again.

[Lemurion]

According to a post on Whatever, the emails should be going out sometime the 15th of Feb.

So I'll give Tor another week-- I gave them money when they went with Baen and am willing to do so again if they can get things right.

[JSWolf]

oohhh! Tomorrow. Very nice. I'll be sure to keep my eyes on my e-mail.

[Liviu_5]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

oohhh! Tomorrow. Very nice. I'll be sure to keep my eyes on my e-mail.

I've just got the e-mail acknowledging the registration and reiterating the promise of free e-books. Well, let's hope we get those too...

[DMcCunney]

I got two emails. The first was confirmation that I had signed uip for the mailing list, and informed me I had been entered in a drawing to win an ASUS 4G eee machine.

The second was the link to download a PDF copy of Brian Sanderson's Mistborn.

Perhaps those complaining can now turn to other topics?
______
Dennis

[Dave Berk]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I got two emails. The first was confirmation that I had signed uip for the mailing list, and informed me I had been entered in a drawing to win an ASUS 4G eee machine.

The second was the link to download a PDF copy of Brian Sanderson's Mistborn.

Perhaps those complaining can now turn to other topics?
______
Dennis

Since you ask so nicely
How do I convert it to format that can be read on the sony reader?

[Ortep]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I got two emails. The first was confirmation that I had signed uip for the mailing list, and informed me I had been entered in a drawing to win an ASUS 4G eee machine.

I hope for that you live in the US. Otherwise your not 'in' the sweepstake

The second was the link to download a PDF copy of Brian Sanderson's Mistborn.
Dennis

Originally Posted by simple dave

How do I convert it to format that can be read on the sony reader?

I got it to. Looks good. The conversion to mobi format for my Cybook went without a hitch with MobiCreator

[Dave Berk]

Where can I get MobiCreator? Also, Is it converted as images or as text?

[Ortep]

Originally Posted by simple dave

Where can I get MobiCreator? Also, Is it converted as images or as text?

It is the software from www.mobipocket.com You can use it for free

I build al my books with it. First it creates an html file, that contains the text and has links to the 'exploded' pictures. From the html it builds a prc file.

The only thing I had to do was resize the cover image to a size mobi understands. It has to be less than 60 kb

[Dave Berk]

Thanks, Ortep. Do you know if there's a way to keep it as html file? (without the final step of exporting it to prc)

[Vesper]

Originally Posted by simple dave

Thanks, Ortep. Do you know if there's a way to keep it as html file? (without the final step of exporting it to prc)

HTML is in Publish directory, together with images, resulting prc (or mobi) file and *.opf file