Tor Books Is Giving Away E-Books

stoolpigeon writes "Tor Books is launching a new site and running a campaign in which they are giving away e-books (free as in beer) until the site goes live. To get in on the deal, fill out the form at their site, and each week you will receive a newsletter containing links to download a new book. The first two books are Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson followed by Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Scalzi's site says: 'My understanding is that they don't have DRM on them. Or at least, mine isn't supposed to have, and I don't think they're planning mine to be special in that regard.'"

Releasing the good stuff or not?

[CRCulver (715279)]

Will Tor be releasing as e-books those works where science fiction and fantasy reaches the best of world literature (for example, Tor holds the U.S. rights to Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun), or will they only be releasing their ephemeral "airport novels" that are only released in paperback and left to go quickly out of print? It's a pity that so far the only science fiction published to embrace e-books has been Baen, whose publications generally fall into the mindless entertainment sphere of science fiction.

Re:

[emj (15659)]

There are other people who release ebooks: Sevens suns is available as an ebbok [diesel-ebooks.com]..

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[emj (15659)]

Haven't read it but $6 is less than I pay for public transport to visit my mom. It can't be that bad.

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[by Anonymous Coward]

Yes, but to actually visit your mom I pay less than $6.

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[BarneyL (578636)]

Unless your mom is also your dentist and you need the majority of your teeth extracted then it's actually significantly worse.

Re:Releasing the good stuff or not?

[Vegeta99 (219501)]

Dude, if your self-designed-and-built elevator to bring you from the basement to the kitchen uses more than $6 in energy to do so, you're going to have to give me your Geek License. Sorry.

Re:

[ucblockhead (63650)]

Well, if you'd read the article summary, you'd see that their second free title was a hugo nomimated work [wikipedia.org]...

Re:Releasing the good stuff or not?

[dgatwood (11270)]

The funny thing is that Tor has occasionally done this before [forbes.com]. Baen also does this [baen.com] on an ongoing basis.

Turns out that people don't read books much and it's hard to get someone interested in a new writer, or in some cases, a new series by an existing writer. Once you get your foot in the door with free copies, though, you actually end up selling more than you would have if you didn't give stuff away. Weird, huh? :-)

Re:Releasing the good stuff or not?

[geeknado (1117395)]

I think that including Scalzi's best known novel is a good sign in this regard; it was well enough received to have spawned a number of sequels/prequels, most of which have had decently sized hardback runs. I wouldn't be totally shocked to see some well-known-but-older-titles available...Ender's Game, anyone?

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[xstonedogx (814876)]

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series sells very well, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them offer The Eye of the World (the first in the series) for free. Tor offered the first eighteen chapters of the novel for free in order to sell the series (it worked on me). Those were physical books which had to be printed and shipped. Giving away free e-books in large scale must be orders of magnitude cheaper - especially if they lack DRM.

Ender's game may be kind of a special case, since the first novel is the most

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[rotor (82928)]

When I first read Ender's Game 10 years ago I'd have agreed that it was the most compelling. Re-reading as a 33 year old I've found that Speaker For The Dead is by far the better book. Sure, it's a lot slower paced, but I found it to be more interesting overall.

Hey I have no problem to by them

[emj (15659)]

As long as they are DRM free I can buy them! It's such a bitch to use clit [convertlit.com] everytime I buy and ebook. Do you guys know if there is a cracker for Mobipocket and PDF as well? The problem with Lit is that you have to have Windows to download books, which I don't have.. :-)

Re:Hey I have no problem to by them

[Tyir (622669)]

For some reason, they don't use that nickname that you're using for Convert LIT the official site.... I really can't imagine why.

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[by Anonymous Coward]

But the default installation directory is C:\clit\.
Or at least was in previous versions.

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[owlnation (858981)]

Oh, but I bet they do around their office.

Re:Hey I have no problem to by them

[friedman101 (618627)]

I could never figure out how to use clit either. I think the trick is to just fumble around with it until something happens. A buddy of mine told me I should try it on my laptop. Never worked for me though, not enough RAM.

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[arth1 (260657)]

What format ARE the books in on Tor? I could find no mentioning of this, nor a privacy policy of how my name and e-mail would be used, and I would like to know both before I give them my details.
For all I know, they would be in a format I can't read, and they will sell my e-mail address to dozens of book related stores who will spam me to within an inch of my life. Or they may be in a format I can read, and they won't share my information with anyone. Problem is, they don't tell!

Keep TANSTAAFL in mind be

Re: Lunches

[TaoPhoenix (980487)]

Well aware of this, I simnply submitted my net handle.

I'm hoping they have some other business plan than "bait & switch spam", which a smart marketing director should know is not so good for long term public relations when the word gets out.

I am starting to believe that the way to do this kind of thing properly is that the newsletters may indeed have a link to A book, such as the first couple in a series. Then since the source "dries up", the reader might be tempted into buying books 3-4.

Or, just "expos

Re:Hey I have no problem to by them

[i_liek_turtles (1110703)]

It's such a bitch to use clit

Slashdot: we understand.

feeding the trolls..

[emj (15659)]

Yes I feel stupid when I use Windows, yes I'm a "fag", but gay sounds so much better doesn't it.. :-)

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[thegrassyknowl (762218)]

I am never gay when I have to use windows. It's such a shitty experience. All that shit makes me sad, not gay!

Baen Free Library

[Nimey (114278)]

Also see Baen's free library at http://www.baen.com/library/ [baen.com]

Baen will also sometimes include a CD containing many E-books with certain hardbacks. It's made them some money from me, since I was introduced to certain series (1632, March Upcountry, Honor Harrington) via this.

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[AJWM (19027)]

Yep, and Baen offers a variety of formats. I read 1632 online one slow afternoon when there wasn't much news on /. (and I was still waiting on account approvals so I couldn't do any real work).

For those looking for more

[thisissilly (676875)]

The Baen CDs (which include some novels not in the Free library) are also legally available online at sites like http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/ [thefifthimperium.com]

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[tchristney (133268)]

I've been a Baen library user for many years now. I have also bought dozens of titles through webscription.net. What I really like is I can download the books onto my Palm and carry enough books to last me a two week trip. Of course, if you don't like Sci-fi and fantasy then it won't be very attractive to you. You can also get loads of excellent free books from Project Gutenberg.

Read Old man's war (Hugo finalist)

[gozu (541069)]

I own the book and it's a great read. Nice of Tor and Scalzi to give it away.

Tor is on Webscription

[overshoot (39700)]

Tor has had quite a few titles on WebScription [webscription.net] for some time now. Since those are all DRMless, it's not unreasonable to expect that they're over the wibbles.

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[RalphBNumbers (655475)]

Not really.

If you search for Tor as the publisher on the webscription store [webscription.net], you'll find that Tor has a whopping ONE book available for sale (by David Weber, who usually writes for Baen anyway). They list a dozen others, but don't actually sell them.

There was a burst of hype, and even an /. article about Tor selling their stuff using Baen's DRM-free model a year or so ago, but they seem to have chickened out (or at least dragged their feet for a good long time, if this new mystery website has to do with se

Tor?

[webmaster404 (1148909)]

Am I the only one that wondered why Tor (the anonymity network) was giving away free ebooks?

Re:Tor?

[Jah-Wren Ryel (80510)]

Am I the only one that wondered why Tor (the anonymity network) was giving away free ebooks?

The free ebooks are part of a new steganographic exit node.

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[ScrewMaster (602015)]

It's not paranoia if they are out to get you and I've read science fiction since I was a kid.

Still wating for a good e-book reader!

[by Anonymous Coward]

Get back to me when they have that is 1) shockproof and break proof 2) moisture proof 3) sub $100 (not $199, not $150, sub $100)

When I get back to my dorm, I throw my bag down. When I go to class, I toss my bag. If they aren't as durable as dead-trees, they aren't worth a penny.

Durability is an important as readability.

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[schnikies79 (788746)]

How about a more realistic situation?

Drop a book on the floor in a backpack and step on it. Do the same with a book. Which is likely to come out on top?

I agree nearly 100% with the original poster. I want durability and easy reading. A pda SUCKS for reading for more than a few mins. Lets take school for example, I was a chemistry major. I would have to have a big screen, with color, and I want to be able to draw on it. I wrote my books up like hell, and being that chemistry uses a lot of models and d

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[pnutjam (523990)]

My "bag of books" is about the size of a deck of cards and sits easily in my front pocket. I'm not so tired of carrying it I have to toss it down. That's what ebooks do for me. I read fast and always used to dread that moment when you know your going to be waiting around for along time, but your almost done with a book, or far enough in you know you'll finish it soon. Do you take a new book (which you might not like), carry two books, or just take the one and hope for the best. With a dozen books on my

Cannot register

[teridon (139550)]

I get this error:
"We cannot register you at this time, but please check back in a few weeks for some great science fiction. Thanks!"

I have hard copies of the Mistborn books already, but e-book versions would have been nice...

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[by Anonymous Coward]

I got that too. Try disabling JavaScript.

I Love Tor!

[Smordnys s'regrepsA (1160895)]

Man, I even like that they give you an option of not sharing your info with third parties.

We give you the option of requesting that we not share personal information about you with third parties that are unrelated by common ownership with Macmillan for marketing use. Click here [mailto] to send us an e-mail with your name and e-mail address(es) if you DO NOT want us to share your personal information with unrelated third parties for their own marketing use.

I'm going to have to buy a few of their books this week instead of using the library, just to show my thanks!

Don't worry, it's only a few 1st & 2nd parties

[DrSkwid (118965)]

Macmillan is a privately-owned company, owned by Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH, a large German-based company. The company acquired a 70.81 per cent stake in Macmillan in April 1995, and purchased the remaining stake in 1999, at which point the Macmillan family formally ended its 156-year-ownership of the publishing house. Holtzbrinck owns around forty companies as well as Macmillan and is headquartered in Stuttgart. Its interests include book, magazine and newspaper publishers, television and radio companies and new media firms.

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[raddan (519638)]

Actually, Von Holtzbrinck Publishers US changed their name to Macmillan US sometime last year, and moved the head of Macmillan UK onto the Holtzbrinck board. But, yes, they are privately-held.

The Holtzbrinck family is unique in giving its subsidiaries a lot of freedom. The thinking is: if they make a lot of money, they're doing something right. Of course, the onus is on that subsidiary to keep performing. IIRC, Tor made some changes in their business model last year that started bringing in a lot more p

Sounds too good to be true...

[Hellcom (1041714)]

What does Tor get out of giving away free books? Are they planning to introduce a pay subscription or a store of some sort?

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[Richard_at_work (517087)]

I hope so!

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[Zibblsnrt (125875)]

What does Tor get out of giving away free books? Are they planning to introduce a pay subscription or a store of some sort?

Mention on the front page of Slashdot and a bunch more attention/potential customers than they had two days ago?

Re:Sounds too good to be true...

[Smordnys s'regrepsA (1160895)]

This is just publicity until their new site is functional. They're not giving away an ebook a week, that is just till their real site comes online. Also, you have to read their newsletter they send to you to get the free ebook, so you'll be exposed to plenty of their products that you actually have to buy.

Too good to be true? What are you smoking - this is how I wish every publishing company worked (books, movies, music, art). Instead of just sending me crappy adds I haven't asked about, for products I don't want, they're paying me with free swag to view their adds that I actually asked to view. They are a business, so of course we'll have to pay for something eventually, but I'd be glad to give my money to a smart/savvy company with a good product.

I've been a huge fan of Baen since their free library, but on average I like Tor books better so this makes me much more happy.

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[jhw539 (982431)]

Actually, authors have found via the Baen free library that giving away their books in e format resulted in increased sales. Not only did they see the obvious benefit of giving away book one of a series resulting in an increase in the sales of books two, three, four... But the sales of the free book also increased. Check out this interesting summary [baen.com]. Hopefully this doesn't really come as a surprise to Slashdotters, who are some of the loudest preachers of this type of market behavior.

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[Maserati (8679)]

"...one or two of the best books from each author."

Baen's success in giving books away came from releasing the first books in a series for free when later volumes come out. Bookstores are awful about making sure they have the first books, and they're awesome about heavily promoting the newest one. Even if they can't sell you the ones you missed. Baen found a way around that, give stuff away that isn't in print. And real books are enough nicer than ebooks that people were buying up an author's books after be

E-books are the future! At least, they will be...

[Dutch Gun (899105)]

I'm encouraged to see e-books taking a stronger position in the market, but I'm saddened that so much attention is being paid to products that are tied to DRM. When I buy a book, I tend to look at it as a long term investment in my personal library. That is, I'm buying a copy to own forever. This early in the industry, I have no confidence that any DRM scheme implemented now will last any significant length of time. Will I still be able to read the book 20 or (hopefully) 40 years from now?

It's a bit sad how so much effort is being made to obfuscate what is essentially the simplest of all computer formats: a text file. As others have repeatedly pointed out, there are some killer markets for these things in education. Saying goodbye to all those textbooks would be an unbelievable win for schools AND students.

I think three things need to happen before these things take off (and they eventually will):

1) The price needs to come down. A lot. $400 is just waaaay to much to make these things ubiquitous. Think about attractive one of these might be at $50. It would be hard to resist.
2) Lose the DRM / stop with the proprietary formats. Books, even more so than software, yearn to be free.
3) Major publishers and popular authors need to get on board. Unless the authors who people really want to read are available, the whole exercise is sort of pointless.

I can certainly afford a current-generation e-book reader, but until I can actually read the stuff I want to read, it's somewhat pointless. Here's hoping...

Re:E-books are the future! At least, they will be.

[chubs730 (1095151)]

This early in the industry, I have no confidence that any DRM scheme implemented now will last any significant length of time. Will I still be able to read the book 20 or (hopefully) 40 years from now?

DRM on text documents will be irrelevant by that point, if the industry does go that way. They've already got programs to automatically solve captchas so it seems reasonable that they'd be able to parse an ebook. Not to mention it's DRM, which will always be broken eventually.

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[pnutjam (523990)]

The same goes for the longevity of the newspaper - given that everyone can get their news off the web, why do newspapers still exist? Why doesn't everyone just read the same news via a laptop at the table?

Because of old people, how many under 30's do you know that get a daily newspaper?

Giving away?

[DustyShadow (691635)]

Usually when you give away something you no longer have that thing. Tor isn't "giving away" anything. It is giving copies of its ebooks.

Project Gutenberg

[slashmojo (818930)]

There are over 20,000 free ebooks available at Project Gutenberg..

http://www.gutenberg.org/ [gutenberg.org]

Also available in text, html and the handy plucker format which is what I use to read ebooks on my old zaurus.

Here's one just for slashdot crowd.. Beowulf [gutenberg.org] ;)

They have a quite extensive sci fi collection..

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Science_Fiction_(Bookshelf) [gutenberg.org]

You wont get the latest books there but still lots of great stuff.