Screwed by Tor again...

Taylor514ce · 08-18-2008, 04:31 PM

First, it was Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Free e-book download. Great book, I want more from this author! Sorry, Tor doesn't publish e-books. I'm screwed out of the rest of the series.

This time it was Orphans of Chaos, by John C. Wright. Free e-book. I failed to note the page numbers progressing ever closer to the end, asynchronously to the plot. So yep, the book ended before the story did. Hey, get the next in the series, right? Sorry, Tor doesn't publish e-books. I'm screwed out of the rest of the series.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

There will not be a third time. I'm deleting all the "free" e-books from Tor. Their neat little promotion trick, at least in this case, has backfired. I will not be doing any business with Tor.

llasram · 08-18-2008, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

There will not be a third time. I'm deleting all the "free" e-books from Tor. Their neat little promotion trick, at least in this case, has backfired. I will not be doing any business with Tor.

Maybe just put them in the bit-freezer until Tor starts publishing e-books "for real"? I mean, they have said they're going to and all...

BookishDreamer · 08-18-2008, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

This time it was Orphans of Chaos, by John C. Wright. Free e-book. I failed to note the page numbers progressing ever closer to the end, asynchronously to the plot. So yep, the book ended before the story did. Hey, get the next in the series, right? Sorry, Tor doesn't publish e-books. I'm screwed out of the rest of the series.

Yup, I had the same experience.

I kept wondering how all the plot threads would get wrapped up at the end of the book....and of course they weren't. Luckily my public library system has the other 2 books.

Dreamer

Taylor514ce · 08-18-2008, 04:40 PM

I don't want to get hooked on authors or series I cannot get more of. The frustration outweighs the enjoyment. Tor hasn't really been forthcoming about their plans. They may or may not, and if so, they won't say where or in what format. I'm not holding my breath; I'm moving on.

rhadin · 08-18-2008, 04:45 PM

I had the same experience with Jo Walton and Jophn Scalzi. In fact, I just wrote Macmillan and asked when Walton and Scalzi books will be available as ebooks. Supposedly I will get an answer in a few days -- probably telling me that they are working on it and expect to have the books available just before the copyright expires (that way they have another format and can renew it).

VillageReader · 08-18-2008, 04:47 PM

Actually, Tor cost themselves at least one sale. I read the first in the 'Chaos' series by Wright, and would readily have purchased the second as an e-book. Since it wasn't available, I got the pbook at the library free.

Taylor514ce · 08-18-2008, 04:48 PM

You will not get a response from Macmillan, if my previous experience is a guide. I've emailed them at least three times about specific titles or authors, and never even got an automated response.

pilotbob · 08-18-2008, 04:50 PM

Funny, the first page of recos when I got to the Kindle store on my Kindle is pretty much all the free TOR books.

BTW: Four and Twenty Black Birds and Disunited States of America both ended the story in the single book.

BOb

carandol · 08-18-2008, 04:52 PM

Tor did make it quite clear that their freebies were to advertise their (actually excellent) new web site, not any forthcoming ebooks. But they say they are planning to release ebooks in the future, and want them to be DRM-free, so I think cutting them a little slack might be in order. You can hardly claim to have been "screwed" by someone offering you a couple of dozen free novels; no-one forced you to read them. Perhaps fan mail to the authors, telling them how much you enjoyed their books, and how you'd like to see their other books in electronic format, might be more productive.

DixieGal · 08-18-2008, 04:54 PM

In the Midnight Hour from TOR is good and works just fine as a stand-alone title. (Erotica - Not for the kiddies.)

Taylor514ce · 08-18-2008, 04:58 PM

John Scalzi made it very clear that contacting authors about e-books is pointless and in fact irritating to them. They can't do anything about it. The decision to publish in an e-book format is made by the publisher, not the author.

What expectation is set by a book publisher promoting a "new site" by giving away free e-books? I'm a reasonably intelligent person, and think I'm not alone in reaching the conclusion that gosh, an e-book promotion from a book publisher about their new web site might be promoting a site having something to do with e-book publication.

Oh wait, it's really just a community site, a blog. We'll get to e-books later. Sometime. What? You thought you could get e-books from us? Why, whatever gave you that idea?

So yes, I feel screwed by Tor. You're right, no one MADE me read those books, and I'm exercising that prerogative for the rest of the batch.

daffy4u · 08-18-2008, 05:01 PM

Please feel free to add the missing titles to the thread of requests for Amazon and Sony. See my siggy for the link.

Taylor514ce · 08-18-2008, 05:09 PM

Feedback to Sony, as to Macmillan, goes into a black hole with no acknowledgment, no way to track the feedback, and no results.

Taylor514ce · 08-18-2008, 05:15 PM

The reply from someone at TOR, on the TOR site, was that there is a much-publicized deal to offer TOR books through Baen.

The Baen site, Webscriptions, TOR. A total of 12 titles, only 1 of which can be added to the shopping cart. And it's one of the titles they've already given away, for free.

rixte · 08-18-2008, 05:27 PM

I know, I found the whole Tor thing to be very frustrating. I'm keeping the books around in case the sequels ever do get released, but I'm not going to read any of them until the entire series is available.

My primary wonder is at how there is so much knowledge, at the Tor level, that many people expected the site to have at least something to do with ebooks - and yet they haven't moved on that knowledge publicly while there's still a very high level of interest. Even releasing more concrete info about their future plans would be more beneficial than this general silence.

08-18-2008, 04:31 PM	#1
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	Screwed by Tor again... First, it was Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Free e-book download. Great book, I want more from this author! Sorry, Tor doesn't publish e-books. I'm screwed out of the rest of the series. This time it was Orphans of Chaos, by John C. Wright. Free e-book. I failed to note the page numbers progressing ever closer to the end, asynchronously to the plot. So yep, the book ended before the story did. Hey, get the next in the series, right? Sorry, Tor doesn't publish e-books. I'm screwed out of the rest of the series. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. There will not be a third time. I'm deleting all the "free" e-books from Tor. Their neat little promotion trick, at least in this case, has backfired. I will not be doing any business with Tor.

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08-18-2008, 04:40 PM	#4
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	I don't want to get hooked on authors or series I cannot get more of. The frustration outweighs the enjoyment. Tor hasn't really been forthcoming about their plans. They may or may not, and if so, they won't say where or in what format. I'm not holding my breath; I'm moving on.

08-18-2008, 04:45 PM	#5
rhadin Literacy = Understanding Posts: 4,833 Karma: 59674358 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: The World of Books Device: Nook, Nook Tablet	I had the same experience with Jo Walton and Jophn Scalzi. In fact, I just wrote Macmillan and asked when Walton and Scalzi books will be available as ebooks. Supposedly I will get an answer in a few days -- probably telling me that they are working on it and expect to have the books available just before the copyright expires (that way they have another format and can renew it).

08-18-2008, 04:47 PM	#6
VillageReader Evangelist Posts: 430 Karma: 2718 Join Date: May 2006 Device: Iliad	Actually, Tor cost themselves at least one sale. I read the first in the 'Chaos' series by Wright, and would readily have purchased the second as an e-book. Since it wasn't available, I got the pbook at the library free.

08-18-2008, 04:48 PM	#7
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	You will not get a response from Macmillan, if my previous experience is a guide. I've emailed them at least three times about specific titles or authors, and never even got an automated response.

08-18-2008, 04:50 PM	#8
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Funny, the first page of recos when I got to the Kindle store on my Kindle is pretty much all the free TOR books. BTW: Four and Twenty Black Birds and Disunited States of America both ended the story in the single book. BOb

08-18-2008, 04:52 PM	#9
carandol Evangelist Posts: 423 Karma: 2153430 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: BeBook	Tor did make it quite clear that their freebies were to advertise their (actually excellent) new web site, not any forthcoming ebooks. But they say they are planning to release ebooks in the future, and want them to be DRM-free, so I think cutting them a little slack might be in order. You can hardly claim to have been "screwed" by someone offering you a couple of dozen free novels; no-one forced you to read them. Perhaps fan mail to the authors, telling them how much you enjoyed their books, and how you'd like to see their other books in electronic format, might be more productive.

08-18-2008, 04:54 PM	#10
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	In the Midnight Hour from TOR is good and works just fine as a stand-alone title. (Erotica - Not for the kiddies.)

08-18-2008, 04:58 PM	#11
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	John Scalzi made it very clear that contacting authors about e-books is pointless and in fact irritating to them. They can't do anything about it. The decision to publish in an e-book format is made by the publisher, not the author. What expectation is set by a book publisher promoting a "new site" by giving away free e-books? I'm a reasonably intelligent person, and think I'm not alone in reaching the conclusion that gosh, an e-book promotion from a book publisher about their new web site might be promoting a site having something to do with e-book publication. Oh wait, it's really just a community site, a blog. We'll get to e-books later. Sometime. What? You thought you could get e-books from us? Why, whatever gave you that idea? So yes, I feel screwed by Tor. You're right, no one MADE me read those books, and I'm exercising that prerogative for the rest of the batch.

08-18-2008, 05:01 PM	#12
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	Please feel free to add the missing titles to the thread of requests for Amazon and Sony. See my siggy for the link.

08-18-2008, 05:09 PM	#13
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	Feedback to Sony, as to Macmillan, goes into a black hole with no acknowledgment, no way to track the feedback, and no results.

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08-18-2008, 05:15 PM	#14
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	The reply from someone at TOR, on the TOR site, was that there is a much-publicized deal to offer TOR books through Baen. The Baen site, Webscriptions, TOR. A total of 12 titles, only 1 of which can be added to the shopping cart. And it's one of the titles they've already given away, for free.

08-18-2008, 05:27 PM	#15
rixte Addict Posts: 300 Karma: 396757 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: new oasis, paperwhite, ipad, kobo	I know, I found the whole Tor thing to be very frustrating. I'm keeping the books around in case the sequels ever do get released, but I'm not going to read any of them until the entire series is available. My primary wonder is at how there is so much knowledge, at the Tor level, that many people expected the site to have at least something to do with ebooks - and yet they haven't moved on that knowledge publicly while there's still a very high level of interest. Even releasing more concrete info about their future plans would be more beneficial than this general silence.