I really wanted to blog about something else today, but the book news has been building up, so I thought I’d bow to the inevitable.
First up, Random House is offering FREE BOOKS (albeit in PDF). They are all in the science fiction and fantasy genre under the name Suvudu (I know, what a name, right? Real easy to remember. Who thought up that one?). The questionable name to one side, this is what they have to say:
Welcome to the Suvudu Free Book Library. We know it can be hard to navigate the countless fantasy and science fiction series out there and figure out which ones are right for you. Well, we’re here to make those tough decisions a bit easier on you. With the Suvudu Free Book Library, you can read the first book in some of our most acclaimed series absolutely free! We’re kicking off the library with five full-length novels for you to sample, but we’ll be adding new titles on a regular basis, so be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you’re the first to find out what our newest free offerings are!
The link to the library is here. If you feel the need to read their blog, it’s here.
Also, Barnes & Noble have bought Fictionwise. This is from the official press release:
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, announced today that it has acquired Fictionwise, a leader in the e-book marketplace, for $15.7 million in cash. Barnes & Noble said it plans to use Fictionwise as part of its overall digital strategy, which includes the launch of an e-Bookstore later this year [uh-oh -- ed.]. In addition to the closing purchase price, Fictionwise may receive earn out payments for achieving certain performance targets over the next two years.
As both a reader and writer of works promoted at Fictionwise, you can understand that this interests me greatly. Will B&N help, or hinder, the cause of ebooks? What exactly is involved in launching its own e-bookstore? How will this affect my Buywise membership? And how will it affect the availability of my books to the ebook reading public? On the plus side, a big company telling publishers that selling ebooks for hardback prices is nothing short of ludicrous may be listened to a bit more. On the other hand, big companies are not renowned for making the wisest of business decisions all the time. Time will tell.
And, to lay the rumours to rest, the UK small sf&f press, Solaris Books (good luck with that link btw; I can’t seem to get there 50% of the time), is being sold so that its parent company, Games Workshop, can concentrate on its gaming products. Current rumour is that they may be bought by Pyr (oh they of the confusing submission guidelines), another well-regarded small press, so keep your fingers crossed that that’s the case, as Solaris is a very important imprint for all us geek readers out there.
