As previously announced, Tor Books has started publishing electronic editions of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books, timed to coincide with the publication of the antepenultimate volume in the series, The Gathering Storm, written by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.
These electronic editions are being created from original page layout files, and are being updated with the latest copyedits and corrections from Robert Jordan and later, from Team Jordan. They also boast all-new covers featuring art from a variety of illustrators, including David Grove, Donato Giancola, Sam Weber, and Ketai Kotaki, all commissioned by Tor Books (and Tor.com) Art Director Irene Gallo.
Since these books are being put together basically from scratch, in many cases from new or updated files, Tor Books is putting them out at the rate of one per month. Below is a schedule of publication, for your handy reference:
October 27, 2009: The Eye of the World
November 17, 2009: The Great Hunt
December 15, 2009: The Dragon Reborn
January 19, 2010: The Shadow Rising
February 16, 2010: The Fires of Heaven
March 16, 2010: Lord of Chaos
April 20, 2010: A Crown of Swords
May 18, 2010: The Path of Daggers
June 22, 2010: Winter’s Heart
July 20, 2010: Crossroads of Twilight
August 24, 2010: Knife of Dreams
November 2, 2010: The Gathering Storm
(early 2011) From Two Rivers
(early 2011) To The Blight
(early 2011) The Hunt Begins
(early 2011) New Threads in the Pattern
(early 2011) New Spring
Pablo Defendini will finally read the Wheel of Time, now that they’re ebooks.
I´m also finally going to read it! I just can´t wait!
Why are the half books being put out as well? That seems a little odd, especially to bring them out after the full books are already there.
Will Towers of Midnight be released as an ebook at the same time it is released as a hardcover?
Pablo – Y’know I’m just jealous… To have all that great reading ahead of you. There’s nothing like the first time with WoT. Will you be able to hold out for each ebook?
@ShooneSprings #2
Well, we’re putting them out for completeness’ sake, I suppose. But it doesn’t make snese to put them out before all the others are available, so there you have it. No concrete plans for the remaining, as-yet-unwritten books, mostly because they’re as-yet-unwritten. ;)
@forkroot #3
I’m intrigued, and excited to finally read these books I’ve heard so many people gushing over. But it will be slow-going, so I think keeping up, as opposed to holding out, will be my problem, since I’m proofing and keeping an eye out for errors as I read….
Hi #2 ShooneSprings,
The “half editions” are our Starscape editions, meant for younger readers. The idea is to package them for a younger audience and give them a complete reading experience but in a smaller, less intimidating doses….You might call it a gateway drug. ;-)
Will ebooks purchased in the UK have the new cover art? I ask as Waterstones UK have the traditional UK cover (black with snake-wheel symbol) for the eBook version of TEotW showing on their site. Haven’t bought it yet so I don’t know if this is the cover included with the download.
Who do we talk to if we have an issue with one of the ebooks? The reason I asked is I downloaded the sample of Eye of the World for my iphone Kindle last night, and I know this is a minor quibble, but the opening chapter capital letters are offset. Like I said, minor, but it’s annoying. I will probably still buy it, as I love the art and I love having it available on my iphone, but I hope this isn’t indicative of all of the editions.
Beren@7, it does that in the full edition as well. At least I see each chapter with the very first letter on a line by itself. If these files weren’t DRM’d or I felt like breaking the law I could fix it pretty easily. Oh, and Pablo, I’m glad to see that Amazon is actually only charging paperback price for these. If they do that for all of them then I won’t be complaining about it.
FYI Pablo, I emailed you a screen shot of what it looks like on the Kindle.
Only problem that I see is that I will not read “The Gathering Storm” until November of 2010 now if the ebook release date is accurate. I purchase all my books in ebook format now. Wish they would release the ebook format at the same time as the book release.
Pablo? Poking around the site off your Tor books link, I finally located http://us.macmillan.com/theeyeoftheworld but it doesn’t even hint at an ebook? Just wondering…
nother mike @11:
I just looked on the Barnes & Noble web site.
They have it available as an ebook. Of course you need the B&N ebook reader.
Amazon also shows it as available for the Kindle.
Pablo – RFifes blog on the release party suggested that maria and others have a compilation of errata (not just spelling or layout but substance changes – for instance changing the reference to Faile’s age to make her a wee bit older , etc.) that will be changed in each books reprinting – this is great for new fans but what about the long timers?
I am wondering if a list of errata (all as one or by editions) could be posted in an authorized site – on Tor or elsewhere- so that I (and others) could learn what has been editorially changed. I know that paperbacks and now the ebooks are being updated but have not seen any new Hardback and not sure I would repurchase them. Or perhaps it could be added to the end of one of the next books ( however I am sure they will be pressed to the limit on pages.)
If you would please pass this on to appropriate parties I would appreciate it.
Love the idea of the new art but the 1st book image is so so – I guess that first book is way too iconic for me. Even with the artists misrepresentations.
A question on the Ebooks – do they show the maps and the chapter icons as well??
Thanks
Aye Aye Sedai@13, at a brief look the chapter icons are there. There is a chapter marking for the maps, but nothing appears in the Kindle version on that spot. I don’t know if this is a mistake in the encoding of the book or intentional.
Beren, Aye Aye Sedai, Artanian:
The ebooks all have maps and chapter images, as well as drop caps at the beginning of each chapter and other niceties. The maps, in particular, are nice: they are relatively high resolution scans, so you can even zoom in if you have the right hardware.
Speaking of hardware: Unfortunately, since Amazon handles the conversion from our source file (an ePub file, which is the de-facto open standard for ebooks, as opposed to their proprietary Kindle format) internally, after we hand them our file, the quality on Kindle editions leaves much to be desired (it’s an automated process within Amazon, so we don’t get to peek into that black box, much less get oversight once the file comes out the other end, before it’s made available for sale). As a result, things like the maps, the formatting and such, that look great on all the other e-editions of the books, look bad or don’t show up on the Kindle edition. For example, maps don’t show on the Kindle sometimes, there is no table of contents, and drop caps look like Artanian’s first letter on its own line. By all means, complain to Amazon. They listen to their customers much, much more than they listen to publishers, actually.
My advice, if you really want a nice e-edition? Don’t go with the Amazon version (I know, I know: if you own a Kindle, you’re kinda locked into the Amazon store. But that’s a bigger conversation about open formats and device agnosticism). Of all the other retailers who have The Eye of the World available (B&N, Sony, etc.), Sony is the best-looking; they take our file as-is, and don’t alter or convert it at all.
I’ll be writing up an in-depth look at the process behind creating and distributing these files, and the differences between them when they come out the other end of the process at retailer sites, because it’s actually a really interesting process (at least to me!). But first I have to finish reading and comparing everything! ;)
Aye Aye Sedai:
We’ve had Team Jordan re-check these editions, so all errata should be updated/corrected. But it’s up to Team Jordan whether they want to put up an archive of those for your easy access!
Beren:
If you spot errors in the books, send them my way (pablo.defendini@tor.com). Just make sure to put “WOT ebook error” in the subject line of your email, so that I can spot it easily and my filters recognize it. Since ebooks don’t have page numbers, just jot down the Chapter, and the relevant passage. Once I’m done reading through a book, I will correct any errors in the master ePub file, and then re-submit the file to the relevant services for updating. Crowdsourcing FTW.
O.K., so it looks like Amazon/Kindle, B&N/Nook/eReader and Sony/Sony Reader. How about Mobipocket or Fictionwise?
Thanks!
@FredKiesche
Mobipocket yes. Fictionwise, we’re working on it… it’s on Powell’s, which is supplied by the same people as Fictionwise, so we’re looking into why it’s on one and not the other.
Pablo that’s interesting that you don’t just give Amazon a mobipocket format file – I’d have figured that’s what they would have wanted as it would be trivial for them to add the DRM to it. If I were to try to fix this I’d strip the DRM off, convert back to epub, fix up the XML, and convert back to mobi. It didn’t bug me enough before, but now I’m curious as to what they actually did.
@Artanian:
That’s a good question. Since everyone and their mother has basically adopted ePub, our production department has as well. It’s no big deal to convert from page layout to ePub, distribute to everyone, and then convert the ePub to Mobipocket to distribute only to Amazon/Mobipocket, when you’re working with just one title, but when you scale up to deal with hundreds of titles a month, like our production dept does, that one extra step really adds up!
Well I’ve gone ahead and sent off a complaint to Amazon. Knowing that other formats look good and have maps really got me disappointed with my purchase there :(
We’ll see where it goes.
In the meantime, are there any plans to release files in a non-DRM format? I’d much rather buy directly from say, Tor.com. I think most of the readers can handle it and it would be so much more convenient to be able to buy my content once and manage it as such.
Still, this is progress but frankly, I’ve already seen some pretty good conversions available through nefarious ways and with a little help from google. I’d much rather support the author/publisher directly but when buying something becomes such a hassle, I’ll probably just do without. (I really don’t need an ebook of these when I can just as easily walk to my bookshelf and take down a copy :))
@jabrown16
I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said in your comment. Unfortunately, it’s out of our hands: there are no plans for DRM-free editions of these books.
So if I read the comments correctly, Sony is selling ePub? I guess that’s a start. I’ll have to look at them again. The last time I was on their site they were selling BBeB (which was worthless to me).
DRM is an evil technology. I understand why it exists (and I know it isn’t in your control to remove it), but it traps people to devices and punishes those who legally purchase books from you. Then again, it’s not really the DRM I have an issue with. I’d have no problem if I bought a book and it was available in eReader DRM, mobi DRM, ePub DRM, etc. so long as when I changed devices, I could go back and download the book again in the new format, tying the DRM to my new device. I’m going to lose dozens of mobipocket books when I have to upgrade my iLiad (which isn’t necessary yet … but the new eBook readers are better with their faster screen refreshes).
Basically it’s the whole Betamax/VHS and HD-DVD/Bluray thing going on in eBooks right now and DRM will soon preventing me from reading books I’ve already purchased — especially since Amazon’s mobipocket DRM licence is extremely evil (something about DRM exclusivity on the same device*), which will ensure that no future device will support DRM’d ePub and DRM’d mobipocket (except maybe the Kindle).
I love eBooks … I just hate the hoops I have to jump through to buy and use them. I can’t buy eBooks from Amazon because I don’t have a Kindle (or a way to register my PID). I can’t buy eBooks from Barnes and Noble (because I’m not in the US, even though some of the books are not region locked to the US, at least on other sites — an it’s in eReader which is as useless as mobipocket is likely to be). The books I have managed to buy from Fictionwise, Mobipocket, and BooksOnBoard, will not work if I get a device that doesn’t support DRM’d mobipocket (which, incidentally, is all of them).
It’s infuriating! I have hope for ePub. Many devices are supporting it now (all of Sony’s, the new ones from iRex, and the nook) … so it is really the only format worth buying assuming the stores start selling it and just drop all these other formats … or unless DRM goes away (which is unlikely I guess).
* See this blog posting for more information of what I’m jabbering about vis-à-vis the mobipocket/ePub DRM exclusivity: http://i-to-i.irexnet.com/2009/08/26/adobe-pdf-and-epub-support-coming-q4/
@garett
Agreed. Utterly and entirely. Baby steps, is all I can say.
And yes, Sony now sells ePub, and all their newer devices are ePub capable (from the PRS 500 on, iirc)
Pablo, when you check with Fictionwise about _Eye Of The World_, could you check to see why David Weber’s _By Heresies Distressed_ isn’t available with them?
@pablo,
The Sony PRS 500 reader doesn’t support ePub as a format, but the PRS 505 and later readers do.
@rutherfordr
You are correct. I always forget that Sony put out both a PRS 500 *and* a PRS 505.
I’ve just learned that The Eye of the World e-book, at least on the Sony Store is a US-only book. So that means the only three stores I know that carry it (Amazon*, B&N** and Sony), won’t sell me the book! And the only Canadian eBook retailer I know about (Shortcovers) doesn’t carry it (probably for the same reasons I can’t buy it from the Sony eBook store). Excuse me while I go scream.
* I don’t own a Kindle; not available in my country (but every other bloody country in the world; I don’t really want a Kindle, just access to their eBooks so I guess I shouldn’t complain too loudly)
** Barnes & Noble won’t sell any e-books outside of the US.
PS: The Sony eBook Store is not yet ePub. Most (all?) of their books are still in BBeB. From the press release on the site, it looks like the entire store will convert to ePub together (making it unlikely that Eye of the World is in ePub currently), something they are expecting to happen in the next few months (end of year).
Wow! How disappointing that it will be a year before we see The Gathering Storm as an e-book! REALLY? What an incredibly bad idea/poor marketing.
@Rat1028 I agree, I will not be purchasing The Gathering Storm because it is not available on the Kindle until 2 November 2010. I do not purchase dead tree books. So until Tor decides to release The Gathering Storm on the Kindle within the Next 5 days, I will be looking for it in other locations. Meaning that if it is not published for the Kindle before I find it free elsewhere, I will NOT be purchasing it at all.
You guys, read Tor, have no one to blame but themselves for piracy in this case.
What possible rationale could their be for delaying release of the latest book by a year in e-format? Well, money/greed. The publisher, Tor, knows/thinks it will make less profit per book on the e-edition, so don’t want to cannibalize sales. Fine. I won’t be buying it at all, as a result. This is a series that went from must read to might as well finish over a too-long period of place-holder books. Making the “final” book into two, well that’s just cake, and delaying an ebook for a year is just icing on that not too tasty cake.
Yeah, pretty disappointing that Sony isn’t selling EotW to Canada. Of course, same for Weber’s “Off Armageddon Reef”. Looking for an epub source, is cyberread a legitimate source? Their prices seem a little high, and it looks a bit odd that they only accept PayPal.
…?
As far as I can see from their web site, the only formats that cyberread supports are PDF, MobiPocket, Microsoft Word(!) and Microsoft Reader.
That being said, I’d never heard of cyberread before you mentioned them, so I’m not really sure what’s up with them.
@@@@@ ShooneSprings
The half books, at least From the Two Rivers, have an extra prologue, “Ravens.” There’s also some illustrations beyond chapter icons and maps. Maybe that’s why.. don’t really know for sure
This is great. A buddy of mine is legally blind and just could not see the text and his magnifier is too cumbersome to use on a long book like this. Now he is finally reading this series and loving it. He can’t wait until the next eBook is available.
PhatJ – know that is the best reason to do these. Thanks for saying so – makes it all the more rewarding.
Woohoo! I might have to start adding eBooks to my ever-growing collection of WOT.
I used to work in publishing. I hated it when people would write in and complain about the errors they find in the books and then demand free merchandise for their finds. Reading the petulant “fans” complaining in this forum brings back memories.
@Maz1 – so it’s Tor’s fault if you commit a crime?
“Well, if they had the game in stock they should of sold it to me before I found a way to break in and steal it instead of waiting until the release date. It’s their fault I stole from them!”
Wow. What a sense of entitlement.
I do hope they get these available without DRM – it would be great if they sold these on webscriptions like I noticed they do with some books (I use webscriptions w/ bookshelf on my iPhone)
Is there going to be something like a boxed epub set once the final book is available in epub format? Also what is the holdup with getting these books in Canada?
While Tor used to be one of my favorite publishers, I have come to hate Tor.
I read quite a bit of science fiction and fantasy.
I have a Kindle, and Tor, unlike virtually every other publisher I want to read books from, refuses to release their books electronically, when they release them in hardcover.
Since I acquired my Kindle, back in March, I have purchased and read 92 books on it. In the same time frame, I have purchased 6 physical books. 5 of them from Tor, and purchased only because they were continuations of stories I was already interested in.
I do not want to purchase hardcover books. I do not have the space for them, and consider the Kindle a vastly superior alternative. I am perfectly willing to pay a premium to obtain access to these books earlier.
Tor: I will not purchase any standalone or beginning of series books published by Tor until your policy changes.
Authors: Please find another publisher. Tor’s policies are restricting your audience size for no good reason.
I agree release the WOT NOW!!! Especially the gathering storm!!! I will not purchase another DEAD TREE BOOK ever again….Kindle rocks. I still don’t understand how an e-book could hurt their sales…isn’t there less cost in producing an e-book over a DEAD TREE version???? I do however disagree with paying an premium because of mention cost factor above…e-books are the future, it won’t be long before college & high school students can leave behind those 40lb. book bags and have a kindle / Sony etc. handy with all their book needs right in hand!
I have purchased all three eBooks from Amazon and there are “problems” with book 2 and 3:
Book 2 – the cover art by Ketai Kotaki doesn’t exist instead there is a generic placeholder. Per Amazon “In regards to The Great Hunt, publishers do not always have the rights to publish cover art digitally and so it is replaced with a generic cover. Unfortunately, this is the case with The Great Hunt. I’m very sorry for any frustration this may cause.” This makes absolutely no sense! Doesn’t Tor have the rights to the cover art it is commissioning for the eBooks? (Book 1 and 3 have the new cover art.)
The same issue exists on Barnes & Noble’s store.
Will Tor be fixing this? Will customers who have already purchased it get new copies with the correct cover art?
Book 3 – The “metadata” in this file contains an error as the file uses “Robert” as Robert Jordan’s last name which completely screws us sorting by “Author” on the Kindle.
Will Tor be fixing this? (Per Amazon its the publisher’s fault and not their’s.)
Thanks
I was able to but TEoTW two wks after ebook release on amazon but can’t get any of the others as they’re not available in Europe. When I now search for TEoTW in amazon it also says “not available in Europe” Shouldn’t Tor not have dates for all regions as it’s misleading to list an epub schedule if that only affects North America.
When will the e-books be available in Canada? I purchased all of the books prior to Gathering Storm in paperback, and have since obtained digital copies on the internet for my re-read, but I would like to support everyone involved by purchasing legitimate digital copies. I also do not intend to contribute to deforestation by purchasing paper books ever again, and would prefer not to be a “pirate”.
Unfortunately, Tor Books only have rights for the US editions; international editions are up to other, international publishers.
All of my paperbacks were published by Tor and purchased in Canada. What is different about the ebooks?
@46 iwsbarker, I was able to buy the third book from Chapters/Indigo’s ebook site (kobo). The first two books weren’t listed there, last time I looked. I obtained them at a fairly reasonable price from BooksOnBoard, but be warned that, at the moment, the second volume doesn’t have the new cover art (there seems to be a problem with the version Tor sent to the distributor). I’ve brought the issue up in the forum thread for “The Great Hunt”, but nothing seems to have been fixed yet.
BTW, from what I’ve read on the mobile read forums (fora?), it looks like ebook rights are separate, though I’m sure someone will jump in if I’ve got this wrong.
Thanks – I’ll check out Chapters and BooksOnBoard. I’m not thrilled with the new cover art, so that doesn’t matter to me. Is the content well formatted? I’ve heard that some ebook sellers reformat the epub from Tor rather badly. If that’s the case with Chapters or BooksOnBoard, maybe I should try to re-register my Sony Reader with a US address, to get around this silly limitation.
Finally!!! Started re-reading the series before reading The Gathering Storm. Almost finished Shadow Rising. Maybe they will catch up to me so I can get the e-books.
iwsbarker@48 I haven’t gone more than a couple of pages deep into any of them yet, since I have a stack of library books I need to finish first. They seem fine to me at just a cursory glance.
I love paper books – and I dont have to worry about new models making my old one obselete. I can fully see how an e book would be handy but until all these problems listed above and the exclusivity issues and non American publishing rights Im not gonna waste the money – these things aint cheap. Plus I like how my bookcase looks in the living room. (Mind you the missus could do without the boxes and boxes and boxes of books in the attic which I dont display but wont get rid of).
It just seems that in these threads for every good post there are three bad ones.
Finally! Now I can (or will) have all the books wherever I go (sadly I lost all of my hardbacks in shipment from Iraq).
However, I’m having trouble zooming in on the maps with my B&N Nook… anyone else having this issue?
As a long-time eBook user, I’m VERY pleased to see the Wheel of Time series making the jump! I’m rather disappointed that they’re not available on my usual platform of choice, eReader.com/Fictionwise. However, since there’s a Kindle reader for the iPod touch as well, I bit the bullet and snagged all four (thus far) available books in the series.
There are some odd capitalization errors here and there in Eye of the World, and one or two in The Great Hunt, but other than that a solid job all around! Though you might want to let Amazon know that the books are called “The Dragon Reborn” and “The Shadow Rising” instead of just “Dragon Reborn” and “Shadow Rising.” They got it right for The Great Hunt, but not these two for some reason…
Suddenly, WoT is no longer available on Amazon–eBook or paper other than resellers. Is this temporary or a strategy by Tor that effectively alienates over 2 million Kindle owners?
Lawrence C.
Amazon pulled all Macmilian titles, print and ebook editions, off of Amazon.
Tor is part of Macmilian.
John Scalzi (another Tor author) has posted extensively about the issue here:
http://whatever.scalzi.com/
It’s not just WoT and it’s not Tor’s doing.
Thank you. I neglected to also allow possible blame on Amazon strategy too. I stand corrected and apologize to all. I’ll blame it on madness of not being able to buy my next WoT ebook on demand. Sigh. Another #amazonfail.
Hopefully this is only temporary and ebook prices will stay low enough that publishers, the Amazons, but especially authors and avid readers all can be happy.
I, for one, buy more books now than ever–about twice as many thanks to the sub $10 prices and the beauty of a dedicated reader.
ACK – I went to buy the 2nd WoT on my kindle…having fallen in love with the first…and it’s no longer avaiable??? Does anyone know if this is temporary. PLEASE SAY IT IS! I hate this…getting into a GREAT series, and now not being able to continue. At least on the kindle…going back to an actual book might be hard!!!!
Thanks a lot TOR for releasing this series as ePub! I never heard of it before and stumbled by accident over it at the Sony Store. A faster release would have been great, as I finish each book in under a week ;-) The days are marked in my calender to buy the books as soon as they are released.
But I really hope the price will now not jump to much over the paperback edition with all this Macmillan fuss! I gladly paid 9,99 to get it comfortably on my reader, but it’s still higher than the paperback edition. Paying the rumored double of the price is a bit harsh ;-)
Amazon needs to get it’s head out of it a$$. Period.
The only people made to suffer by amazon’s decision are the Kindle owners; because anyone else can still get a copy of the book from another vendor – and still use the Amazon site to do it!!!!
I bought a kindle for the “instant access” function; there is nothing worse than reading “Book 2 of 13”, only to reach the end when there isn’t a book store (or a copy of book 4) within a 200 mile radius. The Kindle allows the reader to get his/her next book without delay.
That is why I bought it; that is why I use it; and THAT is why I’ll pay more for a book on kindle than if I walked out of the store with a paper copy.
Wake Up Amazon – You are only hurting your most dedicated customers.
Okay, I’m not happy with Amazon tactics, but Macmillan appears to be either trying to slow the rise of ebooks by higher prices or attempting to extract a convenience tax for the ebook format/delivery model. Or both. How else do you explain the $15 ebook price in the face of $6.99 mass market paper copy? (An example from Macmillan’s own site today shows the issue: http://us.macmillan.com/theeyeoftheworld .) The value of the author’s work for all forms is the same; the production and distribution costs for ebooks are less. Can’t ebooks match the lowest print cost? Surely there’s still a large margin there. At this point, I think the publishers are waiting to see if ebook readers will swallow a convenience tax…and in the case of “The Eye of the World,” a 100% convenience tax.
Lawrence – you’re exactly right. Now that the books are available again on Amazon, the ebooks are priced 2 bucks more than the paperbacks. This is crazy!
I know the new covers are nice and all, but this price just doesn’t make sense. And you’re not even guaranteed of getting the nice new covers anyway – it’s been months now and the Amazon version of The Great Hunt STILL has the wrong cover!!
I’m in the process of re-reading the WoT books since the new Sandersons are coming out. I already own the paperbacks, but was buying the Kindle versions to re-read as sort of an impulse buy each month. But there’s no way I can justify paying more than paperback cost to myself. So I’ll continue my re-read on the old musty original paperback set I have in the basement.
Now all the books are $7.99 on Amazon, but the Eye of the World is conspicuously missing. When I e-mailed Amazon about the omission, they blame the publisher. If I didn’t have so many books on Kindle already….and the Great Hunt cover finally looks correct!
Cover was only good on the sample book….but Eye of the world is back on Kindle Store.
Given the hypocritical stance on ebook pricing, how do you possibly defend the one year delay in releasing Storm?
Oh, that’s right, you have no defense. I notice Pablo never answers the tough questions.
I’m done with Tor…well, that’s not true. I’ll buy them used, and make a point of selling them again used, really, really cheaply, so Tor doesn’t get a nickle. Good work, guys.
Eye of the World Kindle edition now $6.99 . I just purchased it at this very reasonable price. Nice move.
EotW Kindle version back to $9.99 . lol.
Come on TOR… Been a long time fan and reader but, You’re getting outshined by folks like Baen who not only offer their most prolific authors back libraries FREE in multiple ebook formats, but also offer new releases as ebooks at the publication date! They also offer really cool stuff like sample chapters, pics of the cover art, and free books to the disabled. I believe that’s called taking care of their fan base instead of squeezing them for every penny… It takes you a YEAR to put out 13 ebooks? Why??? What’s up with that? Like I said, been a long time fan but it’s time to pick up the ball and run with it!
Tor……Really frustrated here because of the lack of maps and table of contents on your Kindle files. After opening 5+ tickets, and having the issue solved with the first book (yep that was me calling), I am at a standstill and Amazon is telling me that they’re waiting for updated files from you that work with their system.
The formatting is incorrect and I have no maps for Wheel of Time books. The Great Hunt turned into a “great hunt” for me online while I spent time screenshooting the maps, resizing in photoshop and printing them for nightly reference next to my Kindle.
What gives? Please help me out here and update these maps. I have done significant research on this subject and it seems that Amazon is indeed waiting for your updated files.
Would mean so much for you to fastrack this one.
Is there going to be a ebook via B&N for Towers of Midnight? So far, I only see the pre-order ebook on Amazon.
John, Amazon often shows ebooks long before they show up on B&N.
The ebook for _Crossroads Of Twilight_ showed up on B&N the day of its release while it was up on Amazon for a few weeks prior to the release date.
Very disappointing to still not see the Wheel of Time in the Canadian iBooks store. Yes it’s possible to get it for some other reader apps like Kindle, but they are a terrible reading experience. iBooks is the best quality reader for all the i-devices and we really need this content available.
So what’s the latest on wheel of time ebook quality on the Kindle? I saw a lot of folks complaining early on – have the issues been fixed? I’m thinking of purchasing, but only if they ebooks are in good shape
Will Towers of Midnight be available in ebook format the same day as the hardcover, or will there be a significant delay like the rest of the books in the series?
It used to be listed on Amazon for release on kindle on the same day as the hardcover, but has since been removed. I actually had it preordered, so I’m pretty pissed — there wasn’t even a notification that it was removed. (I was able to cancel the pre-order, but still, this is ridiculous)
I’m wondering why we can’t get an ebook version at hardcover pricing at the release of the hardcover. I mean, really, I’m going to buy this book. I hate the idea that entire oak tree had to be pulped for my one, lone, sad copy of this book, but it seems that moving into the digital age is like pulling teeth from a duck! (First, mutate duck to grow teeth, second, catch duck, third die of duck-tooth fever; naturally.)
Anyway, any news at all on this front would be wonderful. I have the rest of the series that’s been released in the iBooks store, and love love love it. Please make sense and make the ebook version the same price as the hardcover and available the same day.
Please provide the ebook publishing date for Towers of Midnight. Is the ebook going to be intentionally delayed to promote hardcover sales? There’s no excuse this time, as all the other books are already released in “e” format.
I second (fourth?) the question of when Towers of Midnight will be available as an ebook. I’m happy to pay the hardcover price, but I won’t buy it in hardcover (I’ll get it from the library instead). But really, I’d so much rather pay Tor for an ebook version, which will be so much more convenient for me than a library hardcover!
We all want to be patient – but I agree with everyone else – is the book (Towers of Midnight) going to be available in e-book form when the hard copy is released or what? I certainly hope so – if we can get the prologue in kindle format tomorrow – surely Tor isn’t going to let us down now that it is finally on the e-book train. It appears that The Gathering Storm is going to be released in Kindle format ahead of the planned schedule (Amazon shows delivery 09/28/10 for pre-order while the scheduled release above shows 11/2/10). So my goodness – do let us know already! I’m anxious too – but I agree- won’t be buying the hardcopy out of impatience – happily pay full price – but not buying two copies just because I can’t wait or don’t know…
I think Tor’s defeaning silence is bad news. I have twice emailed them to ask when/if ToM will be released as a eBook. They have yet to reply. I think it’s disgusting and unfair if they make the eBooks a YEAR after the HB version. It will be impossible to not know how it finishes if you read eversions. Because if they are intending year releases that will force those who prefer eversions to HAVE to buy the HB versions. Just tell us Tor, are you, or are you not giving us ToM this year?
All I can say is i will be flaming blind from rage and balefire that will tear the age lace asunder if tor does not release the ebook at a resuced price on the date (or a date very close to) the hard cover release.
Sorry, but, ebooks are almost pure profit for them and not even the dark one himself will pay hardcover prices for one. And all die hard fans like us should exercise a minimal amount of consumeristic restraint and patience to ensure that they give us what we (the masses) demand. We’ve already waited 20 years. What’s another month or two, if that’s even how long it would take them to mop their sweating brows and give in? Seriously, I’m going to cancel my amazon pre order right now….
Why is it that the UK suffers in Kindle WoT books. All we have are the first 9. And tGS is NOT being released in the UK in Kindle format. Why Tor are you doing this?
I wish that the ebooks were actually a little cheaper. There’s no physical materials so the end product should be. Would be nice if you bought the physical book, you would get a discounted price on the ebook as well.
is there an updated E-book publishing schedule? Gathering Storm was released on E-book October 2nd (or 3rd) and a release date for the Hardback version of Towers of Midnight is set for November 2nd. Is there a release date for E-book of Towers of Midnight??
oops i should read ALL through the posts before asking the same question the last 8 poeple did *blush*
I’ll add my voice to the chorus for release of the Towers now! And I too, think Tor should give some credit for those who have purchased WoT in hard copy when buying the books in Kindle format!! I’d like to have them all on my Kindle; but looking at the row of Hardbacks and thinking of the cost to get in eBooks is daunting!
Gimme the eBook same day as the Hardcover! I’m the customer damnit. I will NOT order the Hardcover either way. If I can’t get the hardcover day 1, I guarantee I’ll be able to find it in an electronic format that TOR won’t be receiving a piece of.
Did the publishing industry notice what happened to the record companies when they refused to offer music in formats that customers wanted?
After buying a kindle I’ve been able to read more often (like while holding the subway strap) and buying more books.
Don’t mess with the customer!
I also will not buy the hardcover. I got the kindle so I would not have to carry heavy books around! However, I will pay the hardcover price if that’s what the publishers feel they need. I am also planning to buy the ebook versions of the entire series to reread someday, but now I feel a bit screwed over. Where’s our TOM ebook?!
I am extremely disappointed at the complete lack of response from Tor to a simple question. How hard can it be for them to let us know when the ebook version of TOM will be released, and what the pricing will be?
It displays nothing but contempt for the customers who have purchased their books year after year in hardback and paperback formats, and who are now forking out again for ebook versions. As others have stated, I will complete my WOT collection, in hardback if necessary, but after that Tor will get no more of my money until I see some evidence of a change in their behaviour.
As a slight aside, I would like to see, for once, a clear explanation for MacMillan’s desire to increase the price of ebook editions, given the complete lack of physical production and distribution cost associated with these.
adding my request to the pile for a Towers of Midnight ebook release date.
I recently attempted to purchase all of the wheel of time books on my Kindle. For some reason “Crossroads of Twilight” is not available to customers from Australia. I contacted Amazon to see if this was a mistake and they weren’t much help.
Can anyone from TOR sort this out for me?
Add me to the list of those requesting the Towers of Midnight ebook.
There is obviously a great demand for this format. Why the wait? Why the lack of information? It makes no sense.
Surely you can charge us adequately in order to make the same profit margin as on a hard-cover, without the need for us to lug around yet another printed book?
The only reason that comes to mind for delaying an eBook version that’s already been announced as coming out the same day as the hardcover version is because Tor/Macmillan thinks that the sales of the eBook version will cut into the sales of the hardcover version.
Of course, they’re absolutely right about that. No question about it, sales of the eBook version would definitely cut into the sales of the hardcover version.
The REAL question is, since eBooks are much more profitable than paper editions, why would Tor/Macmillan want to hold back the more profitable version in favor of the less profitable version?
See my blog for more related comments.
If the Towers of Midnight is not released as an e-book on November second, I bet I’ll find a scan of it on a Cocos islands-based site within a week. Guess who won’t be bringing Tor some money for either the e-book or the hard cover?
If the Towers of Midnight is not released as an e-book on November second, I bet I’ll find a scan of it on a Cocos islands-based site within a week. Guess who won’t be bringing Tor some money for either the e-book or the hard cover?
I tried to contact TOR about this but they haven’t gotten back to me yet (I don’t think they will). I am missing pages 468 to 501 in my wheel of time book The Great Hunt (Hardcover) . I bought the book from a seller on amazon.com. but they wont give me my money back or a new book. I was hope TOR would give me one but like i said they wont contact me back. I buy every book i like because i like to reread them and wont run to the library everytime i want to read the book just for 33 pages. Should i have to buy the same book twice because the publishing company has a quality control problems? i read alot of books and i have never had this problem what should i do?
Why the delay in releasing the ebook “The Gathering Storm” in Canada? Kobo is sometimes late putting them up for sale, but never this long!
Well, Tor, your silence is deafening. Congratulations at alienating your customer sales base. I cancelled my amazon pre-order of ToM, btw. It doesn’t matter how badly I want to read this book, I will patiently wait for the product I want: ebook. As a customer who owns every physical book in this series AND already purchased each ebook…I don’t care to support you any longer.
My advice: suck it up and get with the times. Have a conscience. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. The customer is always right. Blah blah blah.
+1000 asking for ToM as an eBook. I just emailed “questions@tor.com” asking why there’s no release date for the book. I don’t expect an answer judging by the lack of response reported here.
According to this:
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/03/back-story-books-vs-e-books.html the production cost of a hardcover is $4.05, while the production cost of an ebook is $0.50. Even if Tor *didn’t* charge the same as they do for the hardcover there’s NO WAY they’re cutting into their profits if they sell the ebook for, say, $9.99. And judging by the comments here, we’d all pay AT LEAST that much, if not more!
OK, let’s say the delay is due to increased production times. The CD version is coming out the same day as the hardcover. Again, there is NO WAY it takes longer to produce the ebook than the CD. Think about how many hours of studio time it takes to record the book; you’re telling me it takes longer to convert the book–which was probably produced electronically to begin with–to ePub format? I call bull.
Thanks Tor. I’m going to go renew my library card JUST SO I DON’T HAVE TO PAY YOU FOR THIS BOOK. And I’ll ask everyone else I know who’s waiting for this book to do the same.
pcrouch@89 Thats the same problem I’m having. Tried to purchase Crossroads of Twilight Kindle on Amazon for the Asia/Pacific region (i’m in New Zealand) yesterday only to discover it’s not there. Yet every other WOT title is there to purchase. I got the standard response from amazon when I contacted them, sorry but not all books are available for all regions blah blah blah…
So I’d like to know who I should contact now.
Just got a notice from Amazon.com that my ToM ebook pre-order has been rescheduled for 10/1/11. You WERE going to get the price of the hardcover and whatever you were planning to charge for the ebook all in one day from me, but I guess the whole time value of money thing isn’t that important to you. I’m one of the many that don’t understand why you would want to hold off on releasing the ebook. Unless you’re monumentally blind to the realities of the internet you know it’s going to show up in multiple electronic formats no later than 11/9/10 without your help, blessing or profit.
And while I’m thinking about delays, what happened to the rest of the scheduled ebooks? I got Gathering Storm a month early, but my New Spring pre-order has been delayed until March or April.
I find the lack of answers in this thread frustrating. It would be nice if someone would come on and at least say “we don’t have any control of the schedule, so you’re complaining to the wrong people” even though PNH posts on tor.com and no one is ever going to believe that he doesn’t have some insight. Come on Tor. Do customer complaints and questions really mean that little to you?
I have had the ToM ebook on pre-order for a few months at @Amazon. I received a notice today that the pre-order opportunity was really a lie and that it wouldn’t be available until a year after the book is released. Shame on you Tor for lying!
I purchase all my fiction in ebook format and I consider it a slap in the face for you to yank the ebook at the last minute. Even if you didn’t yank it and just weren’t planning to offer it for a year, if you think this is going to make me wet my panties to buy a hardcover copy, you are sadly mistaken. I can live without the book for as long as it’s not available digitally. And if I happen upon a scanned copy, I would feel no scruples at reading it. One good slap in the face deserves another. Maybe I’ll buy the ebook when it’s on discount in a few years. Maybe I won’t.
Here’s to screwing over your reader base.
I bought the last hardback book because I didn’t want to wait a year for the e-book. It was the last DTB (dead tree book) I’ve bought and it will remain so. If the ebook is not available in a reasonable period of time, I’ll either get it from the library or from the used book store. In either case, Tor won’t get a dime. Keep that head in the sand – it worked really well for the music industry!
I can understand if they want to delay the release of the ebook for a month; but only if they are pricing it considerably less than the hardcover. I had originally thought that they had set up the release schedule of the other books to transition seamlessly into ToM.
Agree, I’ve had it with Tor. Canceling my pre-order and will probably wait it out at the library. After reading Memory of Light from the library, I’ll buy books from publishers who care about their readers. Sorry Brandon, I liked your stuff.
macmillian is the publisher of these books, they do it for tor, i emailed them to as and they told me the ebook was delayed upon request of the authors estate, which i believe means RJ’s wife.
And the race is on. After reading about the, potentially long, delay in the availability of the eBook version of Towers of Midnight I placed a hold request on the title at my local public library. Whichever one becomes available first is the one I read. If I read the one from the library it is very doubtful that I will ever feel the need to purchase the eBook. What I won’t do is buy another physical book since I have nowhere to store it.
I’m sure that the Macmillan bean counters feel that more money will be made by holding back the eBook release but I really believe that they have failed to fully consider all of the consequences caused by the anger that their decision is generating.
As is usually the case in most circumstances, there is always more to a story than meets the eye and more detail than the general public can be privy to. Regardless of who is in control of the release date of the ebook format of ToM or the cost of the book (Tor, Macmillan, or RJ’s Estate) – we the readers would just like a response – we don’t necessarily need to know why or how much – lets just start with something simple – just a response to all the noise for one and when would be nice, too. With all due respect to those at the heart of the matter and not discounting the greater issues that may be holding up progress, it would be greatly appreciated if someone involved would at least respond to us. I may be crossing delicate, sensitive boundaries; however, I do not feel this is the legacy Robert Jordan intended for his fans – his legacy was and still is about sharing an adventure through what ever means available to him (this is clear in his desire to have the journey completed) – so PLEASE – Tor, MacMillan, the Estate of Robert Jordan – whomever is the hold up – I think we have all demonstrated our willingness to wait however long for the ebook or even pay the same price (ebook readers aren’t cheapies -we just like the convenience)- just dignify us with a response – that should not be too much to ask for after the many years of following this quest.
After 20 years of reading this series, and yet another years wait, I had purchased a kindle, becuse Amazon had the title in kindle format as a pre order, I made the investment. I will not be investing in yet another hardback, on top of the ebook. I am truely sorry that it will be years from now that I will get to find out the end of the story. I am saddened that the publishers, the estate , and the rest are so dismissive of the customers desires and I will not buy this book, in any format. I say goodbye to a series I loved and will close the door to this. Good luck with this strategy, I really hope it works out for you (no sarcasm intended)
concerning E-Book availability outside of the US: From what I’ve been able to learn it all has to do with publishing rights. TOR does not hold the publishing rights for the WOT series outside of the United States. You’d be much better off contacting Orbit Books for any UK publishing schedules. As to when E-Book versions of new books are released in the US, it may not help to tar and feather TOR right from the start. Keep in mind that just like the cover art, E-Book publishing rights may have an entirely different set of hoops to jump through. For all we know they may want to have it available just as much as we do.
Having said that, I’d have to imagine that in this day in age both hoops would be pretty darn close together.
Now if it was ME selling the book, I might just realize that only a small percentage of those who will buy the e-book will have the patience to not buy the hard back while waiting [insert random time frame] for the e-book version. Hey IF that were the case, they’ve won…sort of… I’ll kill a tree and buy the hardback. Just means I won’t be picking up the e-book version.
What I AM asking for is some idea of WHEN the e-book version is planned by TOR instead of looking at random guesses made by Amazon. Heck, even TOR’s current release schedule for the WOT books already out is incorrect. Book 12 was available on the 2nd or 3rd of October
The most upsetting part of this is the lack of response from Tor. Common Tor, at least have the common courtesy to respond and explain why we are getting screwed.
This is going to blow up in their faces. With all this extreme dissatisfaction there will be an ebook available 11/2/10 it just wont be available from Tor.
I would like to add my voice as an angry fan. I live in a college dorm, and I simply don’t have the space/transportation to go buy the hardcover. I pre-ordered the ebook on Amazon for exactly those reasons: it would be automatically delivered, and it doesn’t take up any more space than my kindle already does. I don’t WANT to wait a year, and will definitely be pirating it as soon a I can if it doesn’t become available on the 2nd. I have access to the other ebooks in the series illegally, but I opted to buy them because I think they’re worth paying for. Not if we’re going to be treated like this, though.
After reading this post, I wanted to add my opinion that failing to provide ToM on kindle is the most ridiculous thing I have heard. I had assumed I could pre-order for kindle and then was shocked to find that untrue. What book in 2010 isn’t released on the same day as HC???!! Just pisses all over my enthusiasm for this book. I’m not sure I even want to read it… Have to getoff the Internet; that sucks! I don’t want to thieve!
As mystified as I am at why the ebook won’t be released on 2/11, pirating? Really? C’mon. Just pretend you live not five years ago, where pirating a book in this fashion wasn’t even possible…and just go get the hardcover. Or don’t. You don’t want to “thieve”? You don’t have to.
Email my buddy received regarding his Kindle preorder…Looks like October next year for the Kindle version. That sucks.
Hello from Amazon.com.
We’re writing because an unexpected delay has occurred in delivering the Kindle version of the book listed below:
‘Towers of Midnight’
Robert Jordan
Link to the Kindle Title: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003P8Q5QC
The old delivery date was: 10/26/2010
The new delivery date is: 10/1/2011
Personally I’ll either get the audio version from Audible or get a pirated copy (on loan like a library….) then buy the true version when it comes out so I will have it to reread. Buying the HC is just a stupid option, i ran out of book case space years ago, hence buying the kindle to start with. Give us an honest way to get the book, don’t force your fans to go other routes.
Let me add my voice to the list asking Tor to JUST GIVE US A DAMN ANSWER.
If it’s true that RJ’s estate (i.e. his widow) is the reason for the delay, and you were Tor, wouldn’t you be shouting it from the rooftops and spraying it across your web site?
Here’s an idea. I just saw the announcement about Brandon Sanderson doing a book tour for ToM…and
Harriet McDougal (Robert Jordan’s widow, and supposedly the person holding up the ebook) will be touring with him:
http://us.macmillan.com/Tour.aspx?id=601&publisher=torforge
If you live reasonably close to any of the stops on the tour, how about stopping by and asking them WTH is holding things up?Then you can post the answer here since Tor isn’t paying us the courtesy of saying anything.
Bailey’s Crossroads is about 4.75 hours from me here in NC. Right now I’m angry enough to pay them a visit.
I’m sorry, but did you just say that you’re angry enough about not being able to read a book on your new electronic reader that you are going to drive almost five hours for the sole purpose of saying “What the hell do you think you’re doing delaying this” to the widow of the author who created the series? You know, the one who owns the rights to it and can do whatever she damn well pleases with it? Please tell me that isn’t your plan. The fact of the matter is, even if she is the one holding it up, even if it is just because she doesn’t really like digital . . . that’s her business. She doesn’t owe you, me, or anyone anything.
If Harriet has issues over piracy, which I assume is why she is stopping the e-book release for a year, then by doing so she is simply playing into their hands. Which is a very sad state of affairs, but then some people want things for free, I’ll just have to wait. The fact this is a pivotal book doesn’t help, and if you look round the net on forums there are a LOT of highly annoyed and disgruntled fans. We now have to wait till 2011 to be able to read it, I really hope though that Harrier changes her mind and releases it earlier. If not is this going to be the plan for AMoL as well?
Hm.. lots of angry people. Listen here;
If you don’t want to read the book outside of an ebook format, then you must wait. Soddy.
If you don’t have the ability to drive to the nearest bookstore but you’re absolutely dying to read the next book, then you can walk.
Erm, if handling books causes you to have some form of contact dermatitis skin allergy, truly sympathetic but you still have to wait for the ebook too :(
Don’t become whiners friends because you don’t get what you want, the series is a good series and waiting a year won’t be hard but life may or may not exist outside of the book :)
Be nice to TOR and Harriet, they’ve done a lot.
The world has moed on. It always does.
I see three sites on line today (2 days before the book is due to be released) that offer to sell me eBook copies of TOM. I won’t be visting them. I don’t support pirates. But they are there, and they are there NOW. Some people will be visting them.
Why would ANY publisher support such pirates by refusing to make legal copies avialable?
funny thing is….
nearly alll these people screaming about pirating would HAPPILY buy the ebook from tor (lol i just right now got online to buy the ebook…so excited to read it might even pay cover or nearly cover price for a nice multi version ebook) doesnt TOR and harriet realize all the money THEYRE LOSING?
it may seem silly to some, and yes it ‘wasnt like this 5 years ago'(…. but it also wasnt 2010 five years ago!) but the ebook readers dont want to wait a year to read the book… especially when they could just wait a week (or as the boards might indicate, with all the hatred towards TOR, more like a day or two) still find that they ARE UNABLE TO GIVE TOR, BRANDON, AND HARRIET THEIR MONEY for an ‘authentic’ digital copy, and get THE EXACT SAME THING FOR FREE.
noone complains when poor people borrow a book from the library or a friend (which has been going on since there have been friends, books, and libraries)..and in both those cases JUST LIKE AN EBOOK- you get the book only to read..not to hold and have on your shelf in neat little rows..and come on really? plenty of people will still buy the book.. the book publishers still make tons of $$..harry potter 7 was on pirate bay as a “pirated” unauthorized ebook BEFORE you could buy it in stores… it sold 55 kajillion copies .. IN HARDBACK… THR FIRST FREAKING DAY…gathering storm was on TBP 3 days after the print release…still sold plenty.without the tease… it would still have been a silly, stupid, shortsighted, selfish move that would cost them sales.
letting people think they were getting the ebook same day and then taking it away days before? wake the kids up at four am to tell them santa’s not real much?
will cost TOR COUNTLESS SALES!
dumbest.
move.
in.
publishing.
history.
a response @Ehnate (post 120)
Hm.. lots of angry people. Listen here;
angry? maybe.. also understandably frustrated that we were lied to… TOR didnt know that they didnt plan to release the ebook? caught them by suprise did it?
If you don’t want to read the book outside of an ebook format, then you must wait. Soddy.
actually.. no i dont..well maybe a few days…then i get for free what i would glady pay for
If you don’t have the ability to drive to the nearest bookstore but you’re absolutely dying to read the next book, then you can walk.
Erm, if handling books causes you to have some form of contact
dermatitis skin allergy, truly sympathetic but you still have to wait
for the ebook too :(
great..mock disabled people…(which, for the record are huge consumers of ebooks and sure maybe even the odd paper allergy…again..real classy
Don’t become whiners friends because you don’t get what you want, the
series is a good series and waiting a year won’t be hard but life may or
may not exist outside of the book :)
the issue isnt just waiting the year.. or even not being sure of the existence of life outside the WOT world..(again with the mockery of people’s honest concerns and frustrations)frankly its about being LIED to or at least toyed with by millionaires so they can sell extra copies at 27.99
Be nice to TOR and Harriet, they’ve done a lot.
yoko.. i mean harriet HAS DONE NOTHING BUT RIDE A CASH COW….DRAGON
AS FAR AS THE WOT IS CONCERNED SHE EXISTED ONLY TO KEEP ROBERT JORDAN HAPPY..WHEN HE DIED SHE BECAME AN HEIR…. A ROYALTY FUNDS RECIPIENT…
NOTHING MORE
and again, for someone so obviously focused solely on money why keep thousands from buying a virtually non-existent fake bundle of electronic images they most likely ALREADY HAVE..that isnt even a thing you can hold?!?!?!??
LOVE RJ..CRIED REAL TEARS WHEN HE DIED
HAVE PRACTICALLY GROWN UP WITH WOT
WASNT FAMILIAR WITH BRANDON BEFORE HIS INVOLVEMENT IN WOT.. LOVE HIS STYLE AND THE MESH!
COULDNT CARE LESS ABOUT YOKO. ESPECIALLY NOW THAT “JOHN” HAS DIED.
AND TOR?!?!?!?! ANY COMPANY WOULD DIE FOR THE RIGHT TO PUBLISH THIS.. HECK THEY COULD HAVE SOLD THE EBOOK RIGHTS TO ANOTHER COMPANY FOR MAJOR$$$ ..im sure amazoncom or bncom or powellscom etc etc etc would happily be taking all these people’s money.. again basically in exchange for what amounts to sending an email (ebook download)
in honor of the totality of my rantings i shall sign off in similar fashion:
Dumbest.
Move.
In.
Publishing.
History.
and..since i didnt spicifically mention it above
I own PHYSICAL copies of all 12 regular wheel of time books AND new spring… have been spreading the good word about the best fantasy series ever to all who would listen since i discovered it circa 1995…
i will not be buying WOT 13….
i wont buy memory of light either
since ive discovered that brandon is awesome.. i can support him better by buying his back catalog and
HARRIET (yoko) can go back pretending like SHE EVER DID ANYTHING CONTRIBUTORY AT ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
deep breath…
rant “officially” over
Wow.
I mean really, wow.
Rob23…..9, can I suggest seeing a therapist? I’m not joking.
Tor, Harriet, etc owe you, me, everyone…nothing. They are putting out a product, which you can buy, or not. They can choose which formats they wish to publish, and set the price. You can choose whether to buy them, or resort to the various file sharing sites. Pay your money or take your chances.
But stop the name calling at Harriet, at the very, very least. She’s RJ’s widow, you know? I’m sure if the universe lined up that way, she’d sell you the e-book in order to have her husband back. As that can’t happen, this, like everything else in the book business, is a business decision.
You are obviously very angry, so I don’t want to resort to name calling, but really, if not getting an e-book the same day the hardcover comes out gets you this angry, seek help. Seriously.
It’s too bad that a decision was made to simultaneously cost Mr. Jordan’s estate and his publishers a lot of money AND alienate a sizable portion of WoT fans. I hope they reconsider over the next 36 hours.
I cancelled my hardcover order this morning in protest. Normally, I buy the hardcover and audiobook edition; then with the release of the ebooks this past year, have been buying them as well. Since they are pushing it out a year for the book, I will forgo the hardcover edition until it shows up in the 9.99 bin or not buy it all.
rob231029 @122-124: … wow. … That’s… quite the rant…
I totally agree with FSS @125. Go see someone. Really.
She was already editor for the WOT Books, even before she married RJ.
I can understand the frustration of people because the release date was set and a pre-order made available. To see that pushed back almost a year is indeed of the sucking kind. But this? Just a liiiiiiittle over the top…
The silence is deafening. Hopefully, I’m the first that has reserved the copy at my library. I scheduled these four days off a month ago to be able to read through it.
I love everything Harriet has done for us, but I just can’t understand the decision. I really doubt it’s about the $$. I just hope it’s not something as silly as ‘we don’t have the ebook cover ready’. That wouldn’t take a year and the covers look like crap on the kindle anyway. 72 pt font centered saying “Towers of Midnight – R.J. & B.S.” would be fine.
I like to support my favorite authors. I ordered Brandon’s Warbreaker on kindle when it was available for free on his website. I have the entire WoT series in paperback and have been replacing my illicit digital copies with the real McCoy as they have been available. I’ve given box sets 1-3 for presents to three people to start them on the series.
For those of you who say,”Just go buy the effing hardcover!”, I equate it to your favorite artist releasing a new album on LP only. Yeah, I’ve still got my turntable, but it’s not very convenient to listen to on my car’s CD player.
I really hope that they release ebook version. I was planning on buying both hardcover and ebook version on kindle. I had hardcover book preordered on amazon, and I just canceled the oreder. This just does not make sense to push out ebook version. I like ebook version for convienence. I have feeling that publisher will loose more buisness by putting this restriction.
@@@@@twosheddz 129
All in good fun, and I hate to step on another man’s metaphor, but . . .
Actually, I’d equate it more to this: your favorite artist doesn’t really like digital music, and refuses to release their current album on Itunes, but they’re happy to sell you the CD. This is not a case of a publisher forcing everyone to use an archaic, dated, only-the-true-elite-use-it-anymore technology (LP.) Rather, this is a case of a perfectly viable solution being available, and a (arguably better, but that’s an argument for elsewhere) newer technology ALSO being available, but the publisher (or editor or estate owner or whatever) not being on board. It sucks, but it happens.
@@@@@ all the angry people
I would love to have the ebook on my Kindle. I was planning on buying all three versions (HB, audio (through audible.com) and Kindle) day and date. But I can’t. It’s not being made available on Kindle. That sucks. However, there is one thing that I can specifically guarantee you. Making ranting posts calling an editor names and spewing venom all over everyone about this is not going to make anyone more likely to listen to you. Brandon has said on his facebook page that he is looking into the issue, and (also as Brandon Sanderson said) Tor obviously has no problem with digital, as several of their books recently (including WoK) have had no problem whatsoever with digital publishing. So, until we hear more, I’m just going to have to wait, just like everyone else.
I hate waiting.
But I will.
-Beren
I too will be cancelling my hard cover in protest. I currently own every volumn of the series and had planned on buying every hard-cover copy for my collection, but I also am buying the e-book versions for the convenience.
I understand that publishers are sweating the pressure from e-book readers, but the bottom line is that e-books are here to stay and the two sides need to learn to live together. It’s very dissappointing to see the publishers excersizing their leverage at the expense of us readers. Why not focusing on ways to coexist rather than participating in this sort of tug-of-war? Amazon and e-books have an undeniable advantage in distributing today’s stories, but will they be able to select,promote and cultivate authors. These are areas where no amount of techinical advancement can replace the value of a place like Tor. That is the key to the future. Not putting yourself at odds with your customers.
Just putting this out there, Brandon just tweeted that he asked Harriet really nicely if she would move up the eBook release and she compromised to moving it to February, which is a lot better than next November. Besides, other than this book, Tor has been pretty good from what I’ve seen for getting the eBook out, for example The Way of Kings, so any complaints over Tor hating all eBooks is probably fallacious.
Does any one know why is Harriet delaying ebook? Like I said only reason I am canceling hardcopy order is because I am upset. We have waited these many years, I guess i’ll wait longer. I like to know the reason. Why not release ebook on time?
Thanks Madgod for posting that. I went and had a look at Sanderson’s tweets and has posted some more. It was Harriet and he said she had concerns but relented and moved it forward by 9 months.
So, a 3 month wait for the ebook version? I can live with that although I still think it is the old school editor in her behind this fear of a digital world. Alas, they will learn, just like the music industry.
Kudo’s for Brandon though on intervening as he has been receiving a ton of email concerning it.
Thanks to all for posting the updates regarding the eBook. First, I want to say that WoT has been my favorite fantasy series of all time. But, I just have to feel both excited and tired of all of this nonsense about the ebooks. I have not bought a paper book in a year, since buying my ereader, and the last one was gathering storm – which I was pissed about. When you have to travel for large amounts of time, carrying 10 pound books around the world with you is not feasible. I honestly think that RJ, considering that he took so much time out of his life to interact with fans, would never have allowed this – or at least would have been upfront with fans. I love Sanderson now, and think he is doing a fantastic job…but I will wait with anticipation for his Way of Kings sequel more than the WoT books – specifically because of this. It really is a shame. I do not condone piracy, but it is bone-headed calls like this that make me consider it. I agree with the comments that Tor has been good about getting on board with the ebook formats, and I hope that they continue to do so…
To all those upset. I understand… not the zomg if text could kill I’d be wasting the call to 9-1-1… I love my Nook. I am legally blind, and as much as people try to make the text in their normal books larger… it’s usually not large enough for me to actually be able to read a hardback copy without destroying the spine with my magnifier.
I want my e-book, yes. However, I don’t want it badly enough to rant and rave at a woman who, yes, is probably worried about piracy, who wouldn’t want something her husband worked so hard on to just be pilfered the day it comes out.
Money could be an issue, but as many people expressed… Tor and Harriette (sp? Love the series, sadly don’t keep up with the worker unless we’re on a first name basis, and only know RJ’s name cause well it’s in huge bold print on the cover. ^_^)
Instead of all the threats, which sadly are very real, as I’m rather sure there will be sites that distribute an illegal copy of any book that would make them a few quick bucks… why not just… realize this is the woman’s likely livelihood? this is how she is going to make the rest of her money for the rest of her life? Maybe she has a million dollars. (could I use your interest? SSD doesn’t pay quite that well. ;) ) Maybe she has 100 million dollars, but at the end of this, this means something to her too. Writing the story aside, I honestly feel that she deserves just a little respect. I want my nook to have that copy, something fierce, but I don’t want it badly enough to make people feel like feces because they have genuine worries.
Yes, they probably have genuine concerns. Yes, they’re allowing pirating to happen on a grand scale, if all the people that wrote are going to go out and seriously just boot leg the book… but if that’s what you want to do, if you really feel that strongly… it’s their money lost.
Robert Jordan, may the wheel turn you out somewhere else and help you make something else that captures me like WoT. Harriette, I’m sorry for your loss. B.S (the auther not the catch phrase) You totally take his world and spin it into something that makes me feel like you two were meant to write together. Does he talk to you in your dreams? Tor… thanks for publishing the book, I’m looking forward to reading it, but ah… can you send me a second hard bound for free? *chuckles* Then I can still have a happy binding. ^_^ Later folks, and remember, all the venom in the world isn’t going to get you what you want.
Although I am relieved that I won’t have to wait until November of next year for the ebook, this really puts a sour taste in my mouth for all things WoT and TOR related. I understand that TOR and Harriet owe nothing to anyone and that it is a business decision. BUT, to try and hang on to sales dollars by disrupting the way consumers want to read, it smacks of the kind of control we’ve all come to hate from the music industry. I wish I could threaten a lost sale, but alas, I wasn’t going to (and still won’t) buy the hardcover anyway. I’ll just have to be content waiting till February of next year.
Thanks Brandon for fighting the good fight.
TOR and Harriet… I don’t have anything nice to say on the matter.
I really appreciate getting the ebook 6 whole months sooner, and I will gladly sing the praises of Brandon Sanderson. However, I still don’t have any idea WHY Harriet is doing this like she is. I’m very very curious to know her reasons for delaying the ebook.
Nope, not gonna buy the hardcover. I would buy an ebook tomorrow. (I bought the prologue as an ebook) However, by February I’ll have borrowed it from a friend or the library and read it. If I do buy it at all, I certainly won’t pay a premium like I would tomorrow. Sorry Tor and Harriet, but you blew it here. Maybe you’ll get it right for the next WOT book. Nothing personal – just an economic decision. I’m sure you understand.
I just wanted to pipe in with my dissatisfaction at the late release for the eBook. I just bought a Kindle and would love to read this book on it. However, I was planning to buy the hardcover anyways to go with the rest in my collection, as I am an addict. But I do not like this precedent. I would imagine that in a world of increasing eBook readers, those not smitten with the WoT bug would shy away from the book due to these types of games.
I would think eBooks would make a lot more profit than all the production and middleman costs for printing a hardcover book. I would add my plea to TOR and Harriet to end this delay. You will lose readers and offend fans… for what gain?
This delay is the perfect way to destroy the community spirit between Tor, Harriet, Brad and the readers that has developed since Robert passed away. Now it’s back to the good old ‘us and them’ commercially driven mentality. Nice going TOR.
Hey, screaming people. Whatever your opinion, don’t blame Harriet. She’s the editor and copyright holder, not the publisher. Scheduling and format is first and foremost a publishing decision. Harriet didn’t have to get this series finished, she did it for you. Don’t blame her.
What the publisher is trying to do is drive up Hardcover sales. I think that its going to backfire because there are those like me who are only getting the ebooks because they are lazy and if I have to wait I’d rather wait on the end of a library waiting list for free rather than wait and pay for it like I would if it was coming out tomorrow.
I thought the fake biography of Howard Hughes was the dumbest move in publishing history?
Seriously, you sound like all of the complainers who said they’d never buy the intended last book once the decision was made to break it out into 3 books.
These 20somethings and their complaints. I knew the “time out” form of punishment they endured was not going to end well.
So what… deal with it… they are attempting to maximize the profits. Can you blame them? Do I really hear you whiny people complaining that “oh my, the paperback won’t be available until at least a year after the hardback is released” ? I mean seriously, get over it. Their only alternative is to charge 29.95 for the early ebook. And since they haven’t been able to make those uncrackable, that would only up the piracy. So, put your big girl panties on and go buy the d@mn hardback.
“Their only alternative is to charge 29.95 for the early ebook. And since they haven’t been able to make those uncrackable, that would only up the piracy. So, put your big girl panties on and go buy the d@mn hardback”
A) pirated copies are already available, thank goodness that stopped that leak.
B) the hardcover isn’t 29.95 so why would we pay that much? I would gladly pay the same prices as the HB which is normal with same day release ebooks.
C) I’ll put on my “big girl panties” and buy the d@mn (how cute you can cuss) ebook if it was released on the same day so piss off.
well, I just paid for an e-book copy of TGS, solely in anticipation of the release of this book. Was planning on buying the OTHER e-books as well to add to my permanent collection.
By deciding to delay the release of this, they have encouraged me to go do something I would otherwise NOT do, and look for it elsewhere… While i’m hunting for, and likely finding it there it is also likely that I will find the other books…
Now I want to pay the authors for their work, and hate the “other alternatives”….
This move encourages me to go and look, and in all likely find, the alternate copies. Then because i am as lazy as I am it will also be less likely for me to “remember” to go back and pay for the originals…. Not a function of me wanting to take advantage of them, just my plain laziness, and this decision simply encourages me to go do what i would otherwise not do.
Their property, their call. Just thought i would note that they have lessened somewhat the likeliehood i’ll remember to pay them for their work..
Sorry, I will really try and remember, but well.. I think you get the point.
Those that have pre-ordered – make sure you remember to cancel your orders. In my furor, I had forgotten to log into Amazon and cancel ToM, tGS and New Spring.
This way, whoever is making this decision will get an idea of how big an issue this is. Maybe it’s nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Really wish the ebook was available for the same price as the hardcover! Hate waiting so long for the book.
Yes, I can blame them. To maximize profit is one thing but to do it at the expense of the consumer is something totally different. This type of business strategy is flawed; they are only looking at how much they can make in the short term instead of figuring out how to make ebooks work in the long term. No matter how tight they squeeze their eyes shut ebooks aren’t going to just go away. If they want to maximize profit they would look long term and see that ebooks are the future. And from a pure economic standpoint, there is NO WAY POSSIBLE that an ebook can be more expensive to produce than physical copies of a book. If they just set the pricing correctly, it would be a win for everyone.
No, you don’t hear us complaining about a paperback, we’re complaining about an ebook. A hardback and a paperback may look slightly different, but they are both consumed the same way (physical book in hand, page turned by hand, requires shelf-space to store). People who complain about that are just pissed at the high prices. What most of us “ebookers” are saying is that we will gladly pay the same price as the hardback for the ebook version on day one. Price is not the issue, the issue is that we are not allowed to consume the information the way we want to (and with some of us, it’s “need” to) because TOR is afraid of the future. If you look back at the past 50 years, almost without exception, a company who tried to stand in the way of technology moving forward so they could hold on to some sales dollars is either out of business or struggling. It might not happen overnight, but if you continue to stand in the way of the consumer, you will fall – it’s inevitable.
Yeah, sure, I’m upset that they are clinging to the “good ‘ole days” and refusing to move forward, but for me it really comes down to logistics. I simply do not have anymore shelf space left with which to store books. I will still buy the ebook when it comes out but would have gladly paid hardback price for it today. TOR is loosing out in two ways, 1) less profit by releasing the ebook later for less money, and 2) delayed profit because a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow – didn’t anybody teach these guys economics?
Quote “Whatever your opinion, don’t blame Harriet. She’s the editor and copyright holder, not the publisher. Scheduling and format is first and foremost a publishing decision.”
I am not sure if you are current on this, but from Brandon Sanderson, Tor, Amazon and Barnes&Noble, the decision to hold the ebook was made at the request of the estate of Robert Jordan. Who else is that if not harriet?
I find the silence of “Team Jordan” on this just pathetic.
Sighhhhhhhhh
Despite how frustrated and appalled i am at all this, I have to say that I’m grateful Harriet was flexible enough to move the ebook release date to February. I understand this is a free market and she certainly is entitled to do whatever she wants, regardless of our protests and pleas. You gotta do what ya gotta do. I get that.
But still.
What a struggle, and so needlessly…and so bitter! Definitely not the legacy JOR intended, in my humble opinion. Because of what?? Fear? Greed?? Good ‘ol fashioned (outdated, ineffective) publishing model?? Who knows. A sore lack of sound, well-rounded counsel as far as I’m concerned, but what do I know? I’m just another lover of this adventure and disappointed like all of you… If she’s not already set for life, then how will she continue to support herself if she continues in this way?? So sad. It’s the same old story of my grandma or papa who just isn’t savvy with these things and needs loving, trustworthy people around to bring another perspective. If she intends to continue in the business, she must realize all things change for better or worse, or sometimes a mix of the two. That’s life. You can’t count your chickens before they hatch. I feel for her…and her loss…and i also hope somebody will gently help guide her into this new era of ebooks. Does she not realize that by her actions, she is tempting those who may never have considered pirating to do so? Does she not realize that its not the early release of official ebook format that causes pirating? It happens regardless, even when there is timely ebook release because dishonest people want to undercut and make a buck. Most virtuous people will avoid that easily, but people who haven’t much conscience will resort to that when offended like this.
And they wont feel any shame for doing so. I for one, am not one of those people. As I mentioned earlier, I canceled my pre-order of the HC in protest. Will hold out for the ebook release. Or get a library card. Or buy used. I’m not happy but that is also life and it’s a book for goodness sake.
Anyway, sorry for the oober long gushy post. Thanks SO much to Brandon for advocating on our behalf. Poo-poo on TOR. God Bless you, Harriet! The chances that you’re reading this are slim to none, but I hope at the very least, you understand how grateful we are for all your hard work, too, and your willingness to undertake finishing the series.
In case Harriet IS in fact reading this….PLEASE RECONSIDER publishing ebook this month instead of February? All will be forgiven…
I would be glad to pay hard cover price for an e-book if released in the same week if not day as it can’t be that hard to release the e-book if you already had time for someone to read the book for the listening audience out there. Otherwise I find myself resigned to search for the torrents and pirate this work so I can read it the way I want to, you know me being the consumer. TOR you will probably miss out on so many sales due to piracy when you could have twice the amount of sales as there are plenty of fans who will buy the hard back for their collection, and plenty of other readers out there that would buy the book in e-book format even at full price, not that your actually listening to this rant but I don’t find it in e-book format I will find it else where.
Well the ebook costs them almost nothing to publish. It does seem like they could sell the ebook for $20, and still have a significantly higher profit margin than even the hardcover. Then lower the price to $10 when the paperback comes out. Or something like that.
So yeah, it would be cutting into their hardcover sales, but who cares? They are making even more money, and fans are happy.
ahem:
to all the “oh just grow up” crowd…
review the posts… a clear majority is very upset at the decision… and a vast majority of the recent posts contain phrases such as: “cancelling my pre order of the hc” and “was going to but now ill just wait”
and, for those who claim that all of us ebookers just want the book for ten dollars.. i have 2 responses:
1) ebooks cost NEARLY NOTHING TO PRODUCE.. it basically amounts to sending a large email. Physical books actually cost several dollars each to produce.. it makes sense that they cost more.
2) many many people (INCLUDING ME) have posted here that they would gladly pay the same price as the h/c for a multi format ebook that would be usable on any reader..provided they could get it day of…
here i lay blame at the dinosaurs…. and, for the record im not a ’20 something fresh out of time outs’ or whatever.. im 35
and legitimately upset… this is after all almost 2011 and really.. should we have to wait? none of the haters on here seem to be willing to address the fact that until a few days ago THE EBOOK WAS LISTED AS BEING AVAILABLE FOR PRESALE FOR A SAME DAY RELEASE… AMAZON SOLD TOUSANDS!!!!
and, as it has been admitted by Brandon Sanderson himself on his twitter account, there is now no doubt that it is Harriet after all who is behind this.. so all the people who gave me and many many others soo much grief for blaming her (shes the poor widow you guys are so mean she has nothing to do with it) totally disredarding the fact the SHE IS THE EDITOR….can officially taste their feet.
and still no official response aside from brandon tweeting that he’s negotiating with harriet to push the ebook release to feb…
so, ahem, in a nutshell:
THE AUTHOR wants the ebook out
THE FANS (even the ones who say we shouldnt complain) want the ebook out
TOR? i cant speak for tor, but given the FACT that the profit margin for ebooks is ASTRONOMICAL.. and any popular book ALWAYS sells truckloads of hardcovers.. i mean cmon this is the wheel of time… there are fan conventions.. there are documentaries…there are wheel of time themed freaking weddings.. the “psycho fan collector” syndrome is HUGE in this series probably moreso than any other… maybe lord of the rings but thats 4 books (counting hobbit)…not 14… tor is GUARANTEED to sell enough dead trees to choke cthulu here lets be real…i really cannot picture tor being against selling emails for 15-20$ each…by the thousands
so that leaves our dear dear yoko…and cmon grow up here people.. im a sarcastic a-hole.. deal with it.
but debate me. i dare you. refute what ive said. can you?
you can scold me for my language… but really what has she contributed? as editor and the spouse of the cair a cairn himself.. im sure she had actually added to the process.. hence my shock that she would act so ignorantly and in such a petulant fashion (hahha me.. calling someone petulant… oh the irony)…
but let us be clear.
editor, spouse, muse, sounding board.. she may have been all of these
but she has created NOTHING
RJ is gone…
Brandon is writing the books based on the tapes, writings, outlines.. (so “book of kells”).. he AND the fans want access to the material. period.
in my opinion as a certified gen x-er is that she is an old fuddy duddy that doesnt even understand ebooks.. and that every person who buys an ebook instead of a hardcover makes them more profit..and many will buy both if available.. but how many would go back several months later to buy the ebook when they already have the HC? IT MAKES NO SENSE
AND
on this of all days
ideas that make no sense should be called out.
people are trying to “take back” their country (its apparently been stolen? i didnt notice.. i remember the last election where the democratic guy got like 70% of the vote)with some beverage movement… we’ll call them the “kool-aide patriot patry” and, like harriet, they are ignorant of the actual situation around them and are blundering towards some kind of return to an olde tyme version of a past that probably never existed…and while they insist they have their own views and moral reasons for their stubborness.. from an outside view they just seem stupid and confused….am i really reaching that far to compare harriett fighting ebooks thinking itll hurt HC sales with chirstine odonnell arguing that “congress shall make no laws regarding the establishment of religion” doesnt clearly indicate that church and state should be seperate? and all the fools on here arguing that we should just shut up and take it are probably all the kool aide drinkers that think the scaaary black guy is the real problem and everything will be better somehow if we elect uneducated racists like sharron angle….and totally ignore the FACT that the real problem doesn’t have a “d” or an “r” after it… it has a $ before it. the corporations, and the international money lenders are the real problem….
the issue comes to a head and is very clearly illustrated right here in this lame collection of nerds arguing about their fantasy book…as the consumers, we have ALL the power. if the WOT community (or even a good portion of it) boycotted the hc sales until the ebook was released i bet this whole issue would dissappear like an ice cube in the fire.. of course this would never happen… just like wal mart continues to be successful even though those things are so cheap because some 16 year old girl in china was paid $200 a month to work 12 hours a day 7 days a week to make them… if we as a nation stood as one and demanded that all goods were made and produced in the usa except what had to be imported we could have exactly what the tea… sorry koolaide party people want… some kind of mystical “return” to an earlier better version of america…the 1950’s america (that PULLED US OUT OF THE DEPRESSION) where good jobs with free healthcare for a whole family and wages that could let a 2 parent home actually RAISE their own children with only 1 working full time.. and still be able to buy a home, send the kids to college and reitre in boca…was an acutal reality.
but these tea party people think that handing the economic future of the nation TO BILLIONAIRES is the way to salvation?
that makes sense.. a lot of NONsense
so called “trickle down” economics is utter utter trash designed and written by people who by thier own admission werent economists. tax cuts at the top DO NOTHING. they hurt the economy thats why goerge bush put a 10 yr cap on them ya dummies! and tarp…if the tarp bailout had been instead a direct cash stimulus each taxpaying household wouldve recieved about $25000… now given that tarp AT BEST slowed the recession… what would it have done to the economy if each family in america got a check for 25k?
its unarguable econ 101 fact that consumer spending=economic upswing….so i dont know about you but i get a check for 25K i probably pay off those pesky credit cards (freeing up my future earnings for spending and spending=economy)and maybe put a chunk in savings (creating more bank credit which increases your banks lending power furthur stimulating the economy) and then probably buy a toy or two or take my lovely wife on a vacation that we havent been able to afford since our honeymoon (direct spending) the same idea with tarp is applicable to the top tier tax cuts…. i heard ‘family guy’ creator seth macfarlane on a talk show say “im a millionaire.. i can speak for millionaires.. we dont need a tax cut” if the money for a top tier tax cut was instead spent on the bottom tier… ALLL that money would be spent… which is exactly what all the tea people and republicans would scream about.. “we gave the poor people a check AND THEY SPENT IT” well duh dude.. and the economy doesnt care what the $ is spent on… its the spending itself that stimulates the dollar.. some crackhead that got his check from the gummint and blew it at the casino and on drugs in one night does exactly the same to the economy as someone who put it in the plate at church on sunday…money that makes it into the black markets of drug sales or religions STILL makes it into the economy as the drug/god peddlers use the money to buy caddilacs and furs and blondes ok ok and churches and food for homeless people.. this is ALLL basic econ 101 anyone who says otherwise is either confused, ignorant, uninformed, or maliciously lying to you.
just like some old biddy who created nothing throwing a whiny monkey wrench into the machine of loving grace that is our modern world.
the harriets and the angles and the odonnells and the chris dudleys of the world need to step aside and let the adults run the damn world…
but they wont. we’ll have to wait until at least feb and probably a year for the ebook…
the psychos are going to take control of the house of reps and the nation will return to 1995 with endless investigations of the president (laughable given the last president who was never investigated for anything, even after 2 questionable elections, the worst attack in us history, and 2 wars based on lies) hearings about repealing so called “hilliary care” oops i mean “obamacare” which they wont have the votes to actually pass but can have hearing after hearing about.. and endless squabbling about the budget and taxes and threats of “government shutdown” just like 1995…
does anyone remember that less than six months after the last time the repubs took the house from a first term wildly popular democrat with a campaign based solely on disagreeing with everything the other side does and questioning their character directly.. within 6 months there were ads running nation wide “have you or anyone you know been sexually harassed by bill clinton?”.. the lights at mt rushmore and the statue of liberty had to be turned off… social security recipients military personell, and those receiving food stamps and unemployment were threatening with not receiving their checks…and ken starr got more money to investigate a BJ and some real estate deals than the freaking 9-11 commission got…
the political right is lining up to do exactly what they did in 95.. theyve even repeated their ‘contract with america’… the new ‘pledge to america’ or what ever lipstick they put on that old pig is no different.. “were gonna waste tons of taxpayer time and money ranting and screaming for more military spending, more tax cuts for businesses, and screaming for justice that the black man is scary and not like us and must be from some other scary place and he wants death panels and to take your guns”
even though a clear majority of the voters voted for him..
when bush “won” by a hairs breadth and those on the left called foul.. all the same people who told everyone to “shutup and go buy the hardcover” are the same ones who now demand investigation into the birth and the dad and van jones and the reverend (as if ANYONE who bangs the bible full time isnt insane.. rev wright is no more batdung than the white southern baptist minister i grew up with) and our nation cant handle this right now.
all we want is our goddamned ebook
sigh
rob
23 is my lucky #
and 10-29 is:
my birthday (10-29-1975)
my wifes birthday (10-29-1979)
the date we first met (10-29-2002)
the date i proposed (10-29-2003)
and the date we were married (10-29-2004)
end of election day rant
please respond.. especially the haters.. please refute anything ive said… but dont just say “youre wrong” engage.. convince me
i have an open mind do you?
rob231029
p.s. consumers unite! continue the hardcover boycott until our e-nerd demands are met!
p.p.s. for gods sake get out and vote regardless of what you think…if you dont vote, you cant complain…i do both… with gusto!
p.p.p.s. down with yoko!
@@@@@ rob231029,because of this delay in ebook u can be sure some guy is busy scanning the book right now somewhere in the world,i bet my life on it we will see pirated ebook within days!
great going TOR!!!
Well, I guess I’ll personally save some money by purchasing the hardcover at a greatly reduced price at one of the big box bookstores. I would have been willing to pay full cover for the iBooks version. Seems odd to give preferential treatment to the lower profit-margin sale, not to mention pissing off hordes of eReader/Kinder/Nook/iBooks fans, but hey, what do I know. Hope this was what you wanted Tor, Macmillan, Brandon Sanderson and/or Harriett.
Well, was going to buy the ebook and hardback today, but if the ebook is delayed till february I guess I’ll just buy the hardback, read it, and never buy the ebook…
Add me to the list of folks who would have gladly paid hardcover price for the Kindle version on release day. I am a patient person, and will simply enjoy my other Kindle books until the official release of ToM. I’m doing a slow re-read right now (halfway through The Fires of Heaven), plus I have Sanderson’s other works to dive into as well. Hopefully Harriet will learn from this situation and we’ll maybe get A Memory of Light in e-book form on the same day as the hardcover next time. Fingers crossed!
In response to the defense of Harriet:
A number of people have noted that, as the copyright holder, she should be entitled to do as she wishes with the e-book… and from a legal standpoint, I guess I can’t disagree.
However, there is some justification for those pointing to her as Yoko, out of touch with readers and acting in contravention to the wishes of Robert Jordan (and clearly Brandon Sanderson as well).
The first “e-book” that I remember seeing for sale, even before Stephen King, was a prologue for Winter’s Heart, released by Simon & Schuster in 2000, promoted and promulgated by Robert Jordan. This was long before e-books, or even the concept for e-books became common place. It was also well in advance of most of the piracy protection mechanisms we have today.
So yes, Harriet is entitled to act as the copyright owner by virtue of the death of Robert Jordan, but I don’t think she can be upset if she faces some anger from fans who know that the authors (you know, the ones who actually created the copyright) wanted the release of their novels in electronic format.
So calling her Yoko, by exploiting the artistry and talent of her late husband, against his creative wishes for her own financial gain? … Pretty justified I would say.
Add me to the list of those upset in the ebook delay. At the very least, an announcement could have been made long ago in a way that fans could accept. But the silence and handling of the ebook release has just been insulting and rude.
If the concern is financial, then just release the ebook for the same price as the hardback and then drop it later when the paperback version is released.
Just another ebook reader that will have to wait. The reason for me is simple, it’s the reason I went to ebook in the first place, I can increase the font to a readable size. I absolutely love my Nook for this reason and I’m certain many other older readers feel this way about whatever device they use. As the years pass I find reading e-ink screens far superior to the typed page and would think all newly published work would be distributed this way. Heck I still don’t have a cell phone, but this technology is the future and saves money, time and most importantly resources (I love my trees standing outside thank you very much). Get with the program!
the hilarity!
my friend picked up TOM at borders for 15.99!
now, having said that id have paid full cover price.. or maybe even 19.99 for a format friendly ebook with the real book cover etc..
and.. not being an expert in commerce… im not sure how much of the discounted ‘big box store’ prices just cut into the store’s profits.. but still…tor could sell a multi format ebook directly on their own website and just keep all the money?
how old and stupid are these people?
sigh… well my friend is a pretty voracious reader…and given my dedication to the issue he has bestowed upon me the coveted ‘first borrower’ status hahahh… so, instead of buying the ebook right away, and at least the hardback (i have harcover for the whole back half of the series and paperback for the entirety..i like to do my re-reads on paperback) if not the hard and soft…i will borrow the hardcover, then by feb (or november cause why do i care?) ill pirate the ebook for my first reread most likely then i have a used bookstore about 5 miles from my house that specializes in romance books (fantasy for women) and fantasy books (romances for men lol) where ill get the ppr in a couple years for probably like 2$.. none of which will go to TOR.
…funny thing.. hopfully theyll learn…
just like in 1995 when america took a bunch of psychos who had just gotten done running our economy into the ground.. then re-elected them 2 years later to change everything the evil democrats had done…but oops they were stupid.. and old… and had really bad ideas.. and a short while later (after they shut the govt down for weeks and crippled ‘welfare’) we sent them all out on thier rears and then the period of unchecked economic and social growthstarting in 1996-97 until bush killed it with his tax cuts and deregulation of the housing, banking and lending industries.
hopefully we’ll learn that the only thing that matters to corporations and most staggeringly rich people are profits.
we have the ability to vote however..
and in this occasion, i have voted with my $$ against harriet and tor’s decision… if they want my vote in their next election.. perhaps they put foreward a more suitable candidate.
ahem… and now the voting results… went back and counted up the posts.. as i write this i am reviewing the posts #’d 161-89 goin back to 10-20 which is about when the news that the ebook preorder had been cancelled hit the campfire.
72 posts in that time (10-29 through 11-3 when i started typing)
55 posts were generically negative in thier opinion of the ebook decision (why are they doing, this sucks, im mad, theyre stupid, im confused why theyd do this etc)
32 posts contained specific wording “was going to” or nearabouts…..(was going to buy ebook, had planned on.. etc)
16 posts contained the specific mention of not purchasing the hardcover when they had planned on it, and does not count the many who said they dont like hardback and werent going to buy in anyway.
8 posts that were unrelated (my crossroads of twilight i missing page 303 etc) or didnt express a clear opinion of the ebook fiasco 1 “its harriet” 1 “dont blame harriet” (although i almost counted both in the generic neg column i didnt as i was looking for specific wording related to the intent of the voter)
and a grand total of
SIX posts showing a clear positive opinion of the ebook decision
and, for the record, two of those (# 146,147) were posted within 1 minute of each other with similar wording and temperment, two of them (#128, #125) appeared to mostly be responses to me and my yoko related rantings
72 counted
6 unrelated
3 additional posts by me LOL (i got 1 vote each in neg, was going to, and no HC)
63 valid votes on ebook decision
55 no votes (87.3%)
6 yes votes (9.52%)
2 unclear (3.17%)
rob231029
lol.. just in the time in wrote that… 3 more clear NO votes.. and one lennon fan !
calling her yoko.. which may be a little caustic… is warranted and she deserves it!
we voted.. i wonder if theyll listen next time?
rob231029
I got my new nook for my birthday in June. Started reading the ebook version of the series by June 22. I devoured the books and I’m currently 1/2 way through book 12. I was anxiously awaiting adding Towers of Midnight to my collection. Why no ebook???? Sorry, I’m a newly devoted fan, but I’m boycotting book 13 until you release an ebook. There is a reason I wanted a nook, mostly the convenience factor. I finish a book, I download a new one in minutes without having to lug around several books when I travel. I would gladly pay more than $9.99 just to get the electronic versions. So, is Tor just going to sit around and wait for someone to copy it and post it on the internet? I’d prefer to give all involved their due, but who knows?
I have the dead tree version of the set, and would be very happy to pay to ‘upgrade’ this to digital. imho, the publishers need to release sets at a bulk rate. If I’m prepared to buy the entire set again (that I already own) why not offer me a reduced rate as an incentive to do so?
On the ToM ebook schedule, I can absolutely, absolutely guarantee that the pirated version will be available not long after release, if not before release as has already happened with hotly-anticipated releases.
Get into the new millenium and release that simultaneous release worldwide in the formats your customers want is the way to maximise profits. Every illegal download is a lost sale, why not convert those to a legal transaction and make money. Everybody wins.
Another lost sale here. I would have paid full hardcover price to get the e-book version, but if it’s going to be that long a wait, I’m getting it from the library or borrowing it from a friend (who is gonna get a lot of requests from all of us with Kindles!)
I would have bought the e-book, even at a greater-than-normal ebook price, but I won’t buy the hardcover. So I’m off to the reliable underground…
I’m yet another devoted fan that would’ve been happy to pay full hardcover price for the kindle version. Instead, I’ll just go read it at Borders or Barnes & Noble or reserve a copy at the library. I simply refuse to own physical books anymore. I don’t have the space for them, and I love the convenience of having my entire library on my iPhone.
I just recently bought an iPad and was hoping to log into iTunes and grab a nice digital copy of ToM, when much to my surprise, it doesn’t exist. What kind of crazy publisher doesn’t release the digital version? How many trees have to die?
After slogging through most of the replies of “just buy the #$%@@@@@ hardcover” I believe that everyone of those replies has missed the point. The delay of the electronic version is a stupid move to force those who were going to buy the electronic version to purchase the hardcover version instead and then maybe they will purchase the electronic version later. Those of us who have recognized this move for what it is have voiced disgust that the publisher would have even considered such a stupid move and refuse to buy the hardcover for that very reason.
If hardcover versions came with a free e-book version download, I’d rebuy the whole damn series. I’d go out tomorrow and buy Towers of Midnight. As it is, I REFUSE to go buy the hardcover version. I love how books look on my bookshelf, but I don’t actually read paper books anymore. They’re too inconvenient. It’s a pain in the ass when I want nothing more than to read a book on my ipad. Why should I be forced to wait so they can get me to buy the format they would PREFER me to buy? This decision to wait is a bad one, because I promise you, someone is going to scan the whole damn book sometime soon and put the entire thing online and Tor won’t get a cent. I would pay hardcover price for the ebook now, but being forced to wait means I’m not paying anything at all, EVER.
Harriet, if the goal was to prevent piracy, mission failed. It’s available now on pirate bay.
If the goal was a money grab, that seems likely to be unsuccessful as well based on the on comments above.
I just wanted to also throw my voice of compliant about the lack of ebook. I bicycle everywhere I go, and often with a lot of gear for my job. Having Sony’s e-reader has allowed me to read more books this year than the last because I can finally take them with me. For me the price is not the issue. I will no longer purchase printed books. Heck I just downloaded the NY Times reader so that I could finally subscribe to a paper without all of the waste that goes along with them.
I don’t know how much data Tor or other publishers can get from the legal ebook sellers, but I bought all of the WoT ebooks the week they became available. I feel most consumers would rather go the legal route than not. It is the pointed snubbing of them that has got them, and me, riled up.
Yes, no ebook for an extended period, what nonsense. I don’t care if the price is the same as the Hardcover. I thought I’d miss real books, but I don’t. My Kindle or IPad is much more satisfying, nothing cluttering up the house and less environmental impact. No dead trees or the fuel cost to move the book to my local bookstore. Stupid dinosaur business strategy.
Yep, not even a week has passed and the scanned text is already available. And guess what… I bet that in two weeks the “pirated” ebook will be better error-proofed than the “legal” ebook we’ll be able to buy in February. Why even bother?
Hello,
Respectfully, I have two points to make regarding Ms. McDougal decision to delay the relaease of the Gathering Storm on ebook.
First, the technological transition in format from print to ebook is not just the creation of niche market. The transition is going to change publishing on the same level as the mp3 changed the distribution of music. Those publishers on the forefront of the model (and who see it as an opportunity) will thrive; those who try and hold back (and view it as a threat) will die. Again, look at the music industry. Companies, like Apple, that embraced the potential of the mp3 format are making money hand-over-fist (even with an energetic black market). Those record companies that sued Napster and screamed about prosecuting music pirates have, for the most part, been absorbed or dissolved.
Second, I have read several times the familiar Lockean platitude “Harriett is the rights holder. She owes us nothing and may release or withhold the product as she sees fit.” This statement demonstrates a keen understanding of ownership rights, but little understanding of the moral expectations contained within a business relationship. If I have been a loyal customer for Twenty years, I expect to be informed of sudden changes in distribution. Lack of information or a curt statement such as, “Delivery of your ebook has been delayed twelve months” seems very rude. If I preordered a shirt from a store I had patronized for twenty years and upon my arrival the clerk was to inform me the shirt wasn’t ready, I would expect an apology. What the apology says beyond “I’m sorry” is that the long and mutually fruitful relationship between the producer and myself is recognized. That, just as I value the product produced, he or she values my continued loyal patronization.
In addition, the Lockean argument does it make any account for the rather emotional bond between the consumer of art and the creator of art. The WoT books are not vacuum cleaners. They are works of art that have a profound impact on the people who encounter them. That impact is translated into loyal buyers and cheerleaders. I, as everyone I know who is a fan, was brought to these books by a friend’s recommendation. This emotional impact has translated into millions of sold copies of the series and a lucrative living for Team Jordan. As a result, people feel connected as members of a community. Consequently, they do not appreciate being treated poorly.
If Ms. McDougal wanted to postpone the ebook release, she should have addressed the fans (through Tor or not) and explained in detail why this decision was being made. The emotional relationship between her husband and his fans has netted her an extraordinary amount of money. So yes, she does owe us an explanation. We have been loyal fans for 20 years. We deserve some respect.
Thank
you for your time.
Add me to the list of ebook readers who simply will not purchase the hardcover version – I am on the list at the library. If the decision was truly Harriet’s, then shame on her. An incredibly bad business decision at the very least as I (like the majority of listers here) would have paid full price for e version. Lost sale.
So, you managed to delay the pirated version by almost an entire week. Hope you think it was worth it…
Just..just wow. Denying us the Ebook for a few more dollars, Well congradulations Harriet/Tor your both GREEDY and STUPID, what a winning combination… I’m done with this series…I won’t purchase anymore books. To have waited 20 years to have this done and then be kept waiting so we can be gouged for 20 or more dollars… I’ve got 15 friends that agree with me and i’m sure the case is the same with a lot of these other posts… Its my hope that this publising company simply goes under along with Harriet. I’m just sick of the greed, don’t worry i’ll catch the end on Wikipedia… Hopefully when Tor and Harriet finish their epic fail, they’ll be replaced by someone competant
I do not write as well as others that have posted here so I will try to be brief.
I read 3-5 books per week depending on how much work I have any given day. Over the last 5 years I spend about 5 thousand dollars a year buying books. I purchase all types of formates. HC, SC, E books, as long as I can read it I do. There are many TOR Authors that I follow religiously and purchase there hard cover books the moment they come out. Then often end up buying an ebook version if I fill that I will reread it.
I have bought multiable copies of this series over the years as they got lost (loaned out) or fell apart after multiable rereading (I reread the entire series each time a new book comes out).
I will no longer purchase TOR books. I will not resort to finding a pireted copy. I am sure that at some point I will read the rest of the The wheel of time books but no one involved with this feasco will recive any more of my money.
This is not about me not getting my ebook for cheap. This is not even about someones mistaken idea that delaying the ebook was a good idea. This is about the total lack of anything remotly resembling customer service or consideration. To offer the ebook up to just before the relese and then pull it (for a entire year ?) with no warning. Then to have no official response. NONE from TOR is frankly inexcusable. Even your standarded “we are sorry for your frustration” but nothing is going to change press realise would have been better then this silence.
Readers become attached to what they read and that makes this type of out of the blue cold shoulder to many fans hurt more then it really should looking at things from the real world perspective. I know that noone at TOR or anyone else involved with this will read or even really care at the lose of my respect and patranage (or my spelling will chase them off) but I will fill better for the expressing of it and unfourtantly you will have that much less profit from me at the end of the year.
cbee@98 Crossroads of Twilight is now available to customers from Australia. The trick to getting the ebooks outside The US is to find the right distributer. In Australia it was Orbit books.
I am refusing to purchase Towers of Midnight until it is available through Borders E-books. I am getting tired of publishers not getting their books to the e-reader community. I should be able to get the book via an e-book if it is sitting on the shelf at Borders
Add me to the list of people who refuse to purchase the hardcover because I want the ebook. I found a used hardback (which means Tor doesn’t get anything from me) that I’m reading, then I’ll pass it on to my brother before reselling it. Tor will not see any money from me for this book, though I did leave a tip in Sanderson’s tip jar. I will not reward idiocy with my money.
WOT-ers:
WOW!!!
got the book. (from a friend, borrowed legit and all legal TORRIET gets NADA but one less sale towards the bestseller list..again, had planned on shelling out my hard earned $$ for both the HC and Ebook versions)
excellent, awesome, elegant, mystifying, couldnt put it down… sanderson is amazing.. according to what ive gleaned from the interwebs this book is the most “brandon heavy” have picked up the first two of his ‘mistborn’ series and will probably start that as soon as i finish ‘under the dome’ my latest king…
LOVED the towers of ghenjej section… really was rooting to see moiraine again, amazed how good jordan/sanderson used these prophicies from several books earlier… the whole “lose half the light of the world to save to the world”… ugh GOOSEBUMPS! freaking loved it… gotta say this and while i admit it hard to really judge accurately since RJ died at really the low point of the series (end of act 3 everything looking so bleak.. rand badly wounded) but it comes off like brandon has really brought the series up a notch? loved the book! they seem to be steering us towards rand, moiraine, and nynaeve using callandor to … do something pimp-y LOL… either cast the dark one down or re seal the bore or both? anyways, i cant wait… it a shame too… wouldve loved to add my little bit to THE HUGE MOUNTAIN OF SUCCESS the release of wot13 has been.. i was at borders yesterday and asked an attendant and she told me they are having a hard time keeping copies of the shelf (tho she might have been referring to its size lol the thing is HUUGE).. id be willing it bet that of TORRIET hadnt been so stupid and shortsighted the book wouldve been huge-r…
so… go to a friend, or the library, or the net, or a liberal bookstore… good read, great author(s), titanic sized bad decision.
“the” rob231029
I am really upset that the ToM was delayed by several months, but I can live with it. There are some ebooks from Sanderson to bridge the waiting time. What makes me more upset is the strange publish behavior which seems common with ebooks. “New Spring” is available via Amazon or Apple iBooks, but apparently nowhere else. As a Sony Reader owner I can’t find any store which will sell me a compatible ePub version. Hope this is corrected very soon!!!
I have been a fair-weather fan of eBooks for the past few years… but this holiday season I am going to take the plunge with a Kindle.
While I am encouraged that there are a number of older Jordan books to re-purchase (got them all originally in Hardcover) I wanted to buy the ToM electronically.
How dissapointing it was to find that the electronic version is not available and there is no firm eta for when it will be. This is a publishing miss – in this day and age it is expected to have an item available in all formats on release day.
Look to the video game industry for this – they manage to get a game released on 3-4 platforms simultaneously one a regular basis. As the novels are in an electronic format for mass production I cannot undrstnad the delay for any other reason then economic – folks expect to pay less for an e-Book
Tor – get your act together… and add me to the list of those holding off until ToM is available for Kindle
I love hardcovers, but they don’t travel easily. I travel a lot, so until TOM is released as an ebook (I have the kindle), I may just have to do the easy [read free] thing and download the pirated version. Tsk, tsk, Tor. Your loss. I couldn’t even find an official statement on this situation anywhere. Get with the times.
I am a huge fan of Robert Jordan ‘The Wheel of time’ series and Terry Goodkind ‘The Sword of Truth’ series. I have copies of most of both seires in books and now I have a kindle, I would love to purchase all the books agian for my kindle however only 3 of the Terry Goodkind series are out in the kindle format, the first book and the last two, missing at least 9 or more in the middle. I hope you listen to the comments written and get with the program, it will only increase your sales…
Looks like Towers of Midnight e-book once again has a release date. Amazon is taking pre-orders for Jan. 31 release on the Kindle. We’ll see if this one sticks. $12.99 for the pre-order.
Any idea why the ebook versions of “The Shadow Rising” and “The Lord of Chaos” are a $1 more ($8.99 vs. $7.99) than the surrounding volumes? Curious why TOR would chart a $1 more for these…
Very, very disappointed about the availability of e-books.
My paper copies of the Wheel of Time novels are falling apart, so I planned on buying the whole series again as ebooks.
A few days ago I was able to buy A New Spring and Knife of Dreams on Amazon, I’m glad I did, since today *no* Robert Jordan book is available to people in my location.
I have no idea why it’s so, since those books (and others) were available earlier to European residents, so I guess the publisher had the rights to distribute them outside the USA.
I’m not going to buy again the books I already have in paper edition, and I’m definitely not rewarding this ‘strategy’ by buying in paper the Sanderson books.
I guess I’ll keep my battered copies and just check out the Sanderson volumes from the library .
Congratulations to whomever set the policy on this matter for losing another costumer.
Sorry, I realized that this can be confusing:I’m not going to buy again the books I already have in paper edition.
What I meant is that I’ll happily buy the books again as ebooks, but I’m not going to buy more paper copies.
I live in South Africa, No WOT ebooks are available for the Kindle. One wonders how many more years i will have to wait for it down here?
The English WOT ebooks are not avaible in Germany for Kindle.
I was really looking forward to buying the whole series (english versions).
I hope they will be again released eventually, since a short time ago they were avaible in Europe not just in the UK.
Please please please start printing all of the books with these new ebook covers instead! I HATE the old art, they make everyone look so damn ugly!!!
HI, can someone contacte me with regards to possible film rights for the wheel of time series. cheers
i have been unable to find book 8 in the online kobo store, yet i found all the other ones… is it just my computer or something wrong with the book?
It’s amazing that publishers believe that they can resist the digital age. They are publishing eBooks in digital format.
digital book publishing
release-dates for the last wot ebooks for europe/germany?
because you can get 1-9, but not 10-13.
And now the kindle and nook books are not available to the U.S. I’m very angry about this. I can’t believe paper is more reliable than technology in 2012. Pathetic.
What the hell happened to the Kindle books?? I recently started buying them to reread through the series and suddenly they are no longer there. Why on earth would you do this?