Amazon and Penguin are bickering, and the Kindle edition of “Changes” has been caught up in the crossfire. Fans around the world are getting email notifications from Amazon that their “Changes” preorders have been canceled.
Jim had no say in this decision, and he’s already received an outpouring of mail from fans perplexed and angered at this chain of events. We know many of you were relying on this being available on release day, and we’re every bit as frustrated as you are. We’re confident the conflict will not be drawn out much longer, but we have no way of knowing if it will be resolved in time for the book’s Tuesday release. We have no doubt that “Changes” will be available for the Kindle at some point, but whether that’s tomorrow, next week, or next month is anyone’s guess.
We hope this doesn’t unduly inconvenience you guys, and we thank you for bearing with us in this exceptionally annoying time.
Thanks for the update… Guess I’ll purchase a hardcover copy, disassemble it, scan it and convert it to mobi so I can read it on my Kindle. And here I was looking forward to reading it today 🙁
apple ibooks is selling it for 12.99$ I broke down and bought it and read it last night
Does ANYONE have any new information on this Kindle issue? I was hoping I’d never have to go to another bookstore again after buying my kindle, and now it looks like I’m once again thrust back into the stoneage…
This bites. Jim thanks for the great books its too bad you can sel your ebooks directly. I’ll be waiting for BN, eReader, or Fictionwise to get an eBook version. Has anyone notice how appropriate it is that Changes should be the title of the book caught up in all this nonsense.
The poor authors are the ones caught in the middle of this debacle, and Jim, I’m sorry you’re one of them. I look forward to when Changes comes out on the Kindle and will purchase it then, as I no longer purchase paper books new–there’s no room for them in my house, and I cannot read them without pain. The Kindle allowed me to buy and read 200+ books last year, all new, versus previous years where I bought perhaps 20 new and everything else used. Publishers need to realize that a lot of us never did buy new hardcovers in the first place; we either waited for the paperback release, bought it used, or borrowed it from a friend!
I’ve read in the sci-fi and mystery genres for my entire adult life, and I had never come across the Dresden books until someone on a Kindle forum recommended them. I ended up buying the entire series, one after another and read them within a few days. Had I found them on my own, I would almost certainly have picked them up one or two at a time from the local used store. How much money did the publishing industry make off my change in format? And what about the half dozen people since who’ve bought the books when I recommended them? Ebooks create net new readers who actually buy.
I’d rather an author whose work I love get paid for that work, and I’ll exercise patience in waiting even longer for a book I’ve been waiting on all year rather than borrow or buy used. Once the ebook of Changes is available, it will be the next thing on my list to read!
Best regards, and hope this resolves itself quickly for your sake and that of other authors who have been impacted.
Hi folks,
I think the Kindle fiasco going on is ridiculous. I also emailed the publishing company. I would advise all the annoyed readers out there to do the same. It is going to get on someone’s radar. And none of this “I’ll pay the full price” crap from people on here. I understand the sentiment, but when you purchase an e-version of a book it costs the publishing company a fraction of the price. No printing costs, materials cost, no shipping costs, etc. etc.
If they start thinking we’ll pay the same price for less then it will show up back on Kindle, for full price! That is probably what they are trying to negotiate! I would hate for them to screw everyone over and then get what they wanted. Just seems wrong.
Concur. I sent a note to the publisher as well.
I really appreciate the effort to communicate here! Like everyone else, I’m really feeling in a bind. I would MUCH prefer the Kindle version of this book to the hardcover, and it’s not available!! Any pressure you can put on the publisher would be much appreciated. Thanks to the great communication from authors like you, it’s clear where the holdup is: with Penguin and other like-minded publishers. They’ll be getting an email from me as well.
Jim, I feel bad you’re caught in the middle, however, I will not be buying this book until it is available in e-book format. I hope it gets resolved soon.
Well this is kind of depressing, I had become sort of dependent on my kindle since there is no good bookstore in the vicinity of my campus… But no harm done except a little disappointment, I’ll be ready to buy it the instant it comes out on Kindle.
Here’s the response from the publisher (same day – props for that, at least). It was personalized, but I suspect it was pre-packaged:
Thank you for your feedback; it is important to us. We want you to know that our discussions with Amazon, a valuable retail partner, are ongoing. Until we reach an agreement with them regarding our newly released eBooks – which we hope will be very soon – we want to assure you that the hardcover, trade paperback and mass market paperback editions of our books are currently available on Amazon.com, as well as in bookstores nationwide. We would like you to know that, to date, Penguin Group (USA) has supported all eReading devices that are available to readers. The eBook editions of our newly released books are also available through a number of outlets, including Barnes and Noble.com, Sony, Kobo, eBooks.com, as well as through eReader applications on the iPhone, and in the iBookstore on the iPad. We value your readership and appreciate your support during this time. Thank you.
Penguin Group (USA)
my response was essentially – all well and good, but just get a reasonably priced version of this out on Kindle for Mr. Butcher’s thousands of Kindle-based fans (who probably won’t buy it any other way) NOW! So it goes.
It’s funny; I work for Pearson, a company in the same family as Penguin USA, and so could get Changes for a cut rate through the internal website.
Instead, though, I’m going to wait for the Kindle version.
Yet another “me too!”
I won’t buy it until I can read it on my Kindle. I have no desire to carry around a heavy hardcover book on an airplane (esp for something that is a real quick read)…
I’d love to support Jim but he needs his publisher to wise up. Obviously (based on this thread), his reader’s are on the leading edge of the ebook wave…
I don’t think this is an Amazon issue: I received my iPad Sat morning (I also own a few Kindles..).
I went on the iBookstore and the ebook version of Changes was listed for pre-order for $9.99.
When I tried to pre-order it I was unable to complete the transaction. I re-tried this repeatedly all weekend and all day Monday, always with the same failure to complete the transaction. This morning “suddenly” I am able to purchase the ebook from the iBookStore except the price is now $12.99.
From long past experience as an Apple customer “Lowballing” and then jacking up the price afterward, is simply not Apple’s way of doing business: if Apple wants to charge a excessively high price for an item, they just do it immediately and upfront because, to an Apple customer, Apple simply has no competition. Apple customers are not put off by price.
Only the publisher (who owns the copyrights and distribution rights) could force Apple to jack up the price like that.
I believe this is merely an example of publisher greed.
Attributing any conspiratorial motivation is giving the publisher credit for more intelligence and planning abilities than any publisher deserves.
Also very annoyed at this. The publishers’ lame attempts to get us to pay more and buy the hardcover versions by delaying e-book releases are not going to work on me. I love this series, however until it’s available for Kindle at a fair price they won’t be getting any of my money. Guess I’ll just read something else.
Makes no sense to me – the new Patricia Briggs IS available on ebook (I use a nook) and Jim’s book is not – same publishers.
I whimper at the loss! Being stationed overseas means I rely HEAVILY on my Kindle for getting books on the day of release (aka the day I get my Fix and the withdrawal shakes finally subside).
Hopefully this gets resolved soon, in the meantime, I’m hoping MPS hurry hurry hurrys up! Changes, I neeeedses it! Pres-cioussssssss…..
Publisher says Kindle is the only ebook system for which Changes ISN’T available. Lucky us. Wow. This. Is. Just. HORRIBLE. While to everyone involved except the readers, it’s just business – something to be dealth with after lunch, or tomorrow … certainly neither Amazon nor Penguin are insisting on holding 24 hour a day seven day a week negotiating sessions I’m sure. Let’s be clear, Kindle People. We. Don’t. Count.
As to the recent post on what the publisher said, the publishers assertion seems to be “factually inaccurate”. I have a Barnes and Noble Nook and as of 5 minutes ago Changes is not available either through the Barnes and Noble web site, or as searched content directly from the Nook. It’s not just the Kindle edition.
I love the series, already bought a book via web for my son at college (typically I buy 2 because we both the love the series) but this confusion with the ebook is ridiculous.
How disappointing. Penguin has until my library fills my request for the book to make Changes available on Kindle. If they do (at a reasonable price), I’ll buy it.
If they don’t, I borrow it. Sorry, Jim.