Free Dragon Keeper ebook

[chriSchaeffer]

I considered not posting this on the forum since so many of you are not fans of ebooks, but I won't let the haters get me down.

On April 27th Amazon will be offering Dragon Keeper on the Kindle for free! The book also comes with some bonus material.

Dragon Keeper Free Version (Kindle)

Disclaimer: I was not the first to find this. My friend at ireaderreview.com found it first.

[Mervi]

Looks like it can only be downloaded in the US.

Still, very cool. I've heard that the free AA last year got a huge amount of people to buy the rest of the series and fall in love with Hobb's writings. But Chris, you need to promise to tell the rest of us what the extra materials are!

[Nuytsia]

Bah they're trying to get us all to buy kindles, then the free books will stop coming!

[chriSchaeffer]

Not true, Nuytsia. The blog linked below constantly posts about more and more free books, many of them unknown authors with very good ratings! It's not Amazon that gives all these books away, it's publishing companies or even authors themselves that have learned how a free book can really launch a book's popularity.

http://ireaderreview.com/category/books/free-books/

[Nuytsia]

But most people don't have kindles yet .....so once they do then I'll revise my opinion! (IF the free books keep coming)
I guess if it's the publishing companies or authors then there goes my theory (unless whoever makes kindles are funding it)

[Mervi]

Well, I don't have a Kindle, but I do have the free Kindle app on my iPhone, and it would have been awesome to test it with Robin's book.

A lot of ebooks, especially free ebooks, are just plain pdf files that you can read on pretty much any computer. Whether that's any fun or even comfortable is another question...

[Nuytsia]

OH sorry I didn't realise, I thought they were only for use on kindle.
Conspiracy debunked!

[Farseer]

Looks like it can only be downloaded in the US.

That's so disappointing! I actually emailed Amazon a while back and complained how silly it is that I can order any book I want from the US but can't purchase any ebook...what is the point of having technology?!

...so 'rants' this mad woman, despite not owning red shoes or an attic...

[Farseer]

I am revising my above rant just a little after re-reading ChriSchaeffer's point about it not being Amazon who gives the free books away...possibly it is also a stipulation from the publishing company or RH herself (or whoever makes the offer) then, that it be the US readership who receives the advantage of this generosity. The publishers and author, after all, are from the US.

While I would still like to be able access everything (!!) and there are a LOT of ebooks out there that still aren't availbale for purchase yet here in Australia, let alone free ebooks (the Kindle itself has only been available to us since November last year), I do see that it possibly isn't that different to book releases (or CDs, music etc)...an Australian author would tend to release their book in Australia first, possibly in conjunction with or followed by the UK, and thereby looks after his home readership as a priority.

I guess, if we all wanted it bad enough, we'd move there ...I know my son once wanted me to head to the US so he could become an astronaut like Aussie expatriate Andy Thomas, and my daughter is a huge fan of a certain comic and is always disappointed with the lengthy wait for each new edition and the inablility to order other US/Canada-only releases. e-Bay helps a little but not a lot when you're an obsessive fan! Now that my rage has run its course a little, I see that it is the same thing...

[chriSchaeffer]

What can I say... America is #1!!!

[Image: americanworld.gif]