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.
So has anyone seen any official word on what is up with B&N/eReader? Everybody’s talking about Amazon, but B&N is getting a pass.
Also, curse you, Apple, for not releasing iBooks for the iPhone!
Finally, are the forums here hosed because of traffic? Pages are only loading about every 4th try, but the regular site is fine.
Borders doesn’t have it in their eBook format (not sure if they have their own or use eReader on the Sony readers) either.
If you go to the Amazon page while NOT BEING LOGGED ON, you WILL see the Kindle version available for 11.99 (yes, more expensive than the hardcover).
Then when I try to buy it by logging on, I get “Due to copyright restrictions, the Kindle title you’re trying to purchase is not available in your country (United States). ”
This is ridiculous!
Any developments here? I’m hoping that it’s resolved by the weekend!
Man that’s really lame that Changes got caught between Amazon and Penguin.
Time to get a hardcover till the bickering ends.
Hope its as good is I’ve come to expect!!
Well, Amazon is selling the hardcover version for $9.99 now, so at least they’re doing something.
Amazon is selling Changes hardcover at a loss — everybody else seems to be at around $14 — so Amazon is taking a $2.00 loss on each copy to makeup for lost market share because Penguin unilaterly pulled Changes. Selling at a loss is a common Amazon business tactic and has served them well and has gained them a HUGE loyal customer following. This might be the heart of the problem, however, the big 5 pubishers (Random House excepted) have always mistrusted Amazon’s intentions when they sold Kindle Editions at a loss (for $9.99). The publisher’s seem to feel the books sold were losing “perceived value” by making the reader think that ALL books should be no more than 9.99.
Changes is available through P2P sites in all formats. If you download from there, make certain Jim gets his cut. They could have a button on this website for “PayPal Donations” for those people who download EPUB pirated version for their Nook and MOBI for their Kindle. A quick google will find them.
Good thing I bought a hardcover too…
Someone ought to tell Penguin that they make nearly 100% profit off of ebooks, so they might consider quitting their whining. Or heck, maybe do a package deal, buy the hardcover, download the ebook for free. something, but this idiocy has to stop. Either way I’ll own every Dresden Files book so it’s not going to stop me.
While I’m waiting for Dresden, I’ve started the Calderon series and oh man!, now I’m really not getting any sleep! Thank you Shawn for introducing me to the world of Jim Butcher. Thank you Jim for a wonderful ride. Penguin, we need to talk.
You can now buy Changes for the nook. No Kindle love yet, but its a start.
They are using Jim Butcher, because of his popularity, the publisher is pretty sure we’re going to buy it anyway. Are they right? The fight over ereaders is just getting started and authors and readers are the ones who will get abused. I will not be buying this wonderful book until it is in a Kindle edition. Sorry, Jim.
If this book does not come out for the kindle then i am sorry but you have lost a reader. I have to travel a lot for work and as they now charge for baggage i bought an Amazon KIndle. i currently have over 500 books on it and love that i can take it with me anywhere and not incure the $50 per pag fees from airlines when i need to bring some books with me. All i ask is that i can get the book on the kindle for the same price i would get it if i killed a tree and bought the hard cover from barnes and noble.
Honestly, I think all of you who are talking about not buying it unless you get a kindle version are pretty ridiculous. It’s disappointing to not get a story in an electronic format if you were really looking forward to it, but basically, you aren’t punishing anyone but the author and yourself by “boycotting”, it’s not like Jim really gets much of a say once it goes to the publisher. It is an absolutely marvelous book. My husband and I bought it in audio format through Audible. We will probably also buy the hardcover in the very near future. If you like the series and enjoy the author, buy the book. In the final analysis, does it really matter what format it is in as long as you get to devour the story?
And right now, Amazon has Changes for $9.99 — truly one of the best book deals around and an amazing proactive step.
But as a Kindle owner, I can see the frustration –Kindle is perceived as a threat by publishers and they want you to pay more, much more for electronic downloads which will fuel the “other” economy — blackmarket pirate P2P. Not unlike during Soviet times where two economies existed side by side — the “state” run (like our present publishers) and the “real” economy (“hey, I can get it cheaper at website http://www…..).
Commissar and CEO of Penguin John Makinson is scared to death of piracy, but is doing nothing proactive to help prevent it. He wants complete control of pricing and distribution through the agency model. He wants you to pay more. Much more. And if you don’t….well, “let them eat cake.”
Ok chill everyone. I have a kindle and when I got the notice that Amazon had to REFUND (not cancel everyone) I just went to the store and got the hard-copy. It’s to good a book and series not to. Of course I’ll get it on Kindle when I can but I’m just glad the new book came out. Now I’m almost impatient to find out what happens next. If you want the book get the book it’s well worth it trust me, if you only want the Kindle version then you’ll just have to wait.
Nah. We’re into principles, now, not just getting one’s hands on a particularly book. Penguin is absolutely using the popularity of this series to try to restrict free trade. Simple as that. Yes, I’m hurting myself and depriving myself of reading what probably is a great book. I’m not so worried about Mr. Butcher … looking at what he has built around this series and the other – and I’m assuming he did it with lots of blood, sweat and tears, so don’t get me wrong! – I’m sure he’ll be okay, too. I just hope when it’s time to renegotiate his contract with Penguin, he’ll be able to squeeze them a little more because of this debacle. The Dresden series is my absolute FAVORITE anywhere – haven’t enjoy anything as much since the Amber series (first books, of course – could have done without the Merlin follow-ons and the “authorized” Oberon crap) … yet I am more than willing to stand by my own principles and opinions. This is terrible, and the publisher is evil and greedy. Simple as that. Don’t stage a walkout in the middle of negotiations, and that’s exactly what he’s done – as if Penguin were one person, of course, which is a silly thought in it’s own right! :=) And there ARE plenty of other fair books to keep my attention out there until this crap gets fixed…….
I noticed this morning that Changes is listed in Kindle format BUT not for customers in the US. Words fail to describe how annoyed that makes me so I’m sending penguin another email to question their policy.
“Honestly, I think all of you who are talking about not buying it unless you get a kindle version are pretty ridiculous. It’s disappointing to not get a story in an electronic format if you were really looking forward to it, but basically, you aren’t punishing anyone but the author and yourself by “boycotting”, it’s not like Jim really gets much of a say once it goes to the publisher. It is an absolutely marvelous book. My husband and I bought it in audio format through Audible. We will probably also buy the hardcover in the very near future. If you like the series and enjoy the author, buy the book. In the final analysis, does it really matter what format it is in as long as you get to devour the story? ”
I can hold my kindle in one hand and read while drinking tea, holding my husbands hand, or petting a dog. The Kindle is lightweight and takes uphardly any space. I find it uncomfortable to read a hard back book because they are heavy and cumbersome.
I know folks with Kindles (or any e-reader) who bought them because it means that they can increase the font size. This means that they don’t have to buy books in big print that are more expensive and even more heavy. It means that there are more books available for them to read.
I know folks with Kindles who have problems with their wrists (arthritis, carple tunnle) who have been able to return to reading for long periods of times because the Kindle is light enough that they can hold it comfortably and they cannot comfortably hold a hard back book.
I know folks who travel a lot and have Kindles because they don’t want to carry 8 books with them on a vacation.
Beyond that, if that is how I have choosen to read a book and I am willing to pay you for that book how does it make sense to deny me the oppertunity to by the e-book and cost your company, and the author, money?
The publishers fear that they are going to to lose money with e-books when they are not going to. They are trying to force an outdated marketing policy on a new technology and a frustrated that it is not working.
E-book readers want a lower price because we know that there are reduced costs associated with production and distribution. We don’t own the physical book so we cannot sell it to a used book dealer and we are limited in how many people we can “lend” it to by the number of liscense that we purchase and by how many people we have on our account. So asking for a reduction in price is not unreasonable.
It sucks that Jim is hurt by this. It sucks that the consumer is hurt by this. I wish the Publishers would learn a lesson or 20 from the Music industry and figure out that e-books are not going to hurt their bottom line and stop screwing with the sutomer.
I pre-ordered it but didn’t get a notice about it being postponed or cancelled. Hmmmm… Either way, I will read it eventually and it give me something to look forward to.
Because of my Kindle I had the pleasure of reading Dresden 1-11 one right after the other. The strange thing is that I really miss Harry! You’d think he was a friend that came to my house daily to visit and then stopped. 🙂
Can anyone tell me if a map exists for the Codex Alera series? and if so, where?