I want ebooks direct from the source
July 3, 2012 10:11 AM Subscribe
Looking for interesting writers (especially in the speculative/science fiction genre) who are self-publishing/self-distributing their own ebooks
Recent discovery of Rudy Rucker's ebook store has reminded me that one of my favorite ways to buy any digital intellectual property is digitally, direct from the artist - so that the vast majority of my money goes to the person who created what I'm consuming. I've found a lot of music but very little in books. Rucker can't be the only one. Who else is self-publishing/distributing text. Preference is epub format and speculative/science fiction genre but I'll take a pdf and anything good.
Recent discovery of Rudy Rucker's ebook store has reminded me that one of my favorite ways to buy any digital intellectual property is digitally, direct from the artist - so that the vast majority of my money goes to the person who created what I'm consuming. I've found a lot of music but very little in books. Rucker can't be the only one. Who else is self-publishing/distributing text. Preference is epub format and speculative/science fiction genre but I'll take a pdf and anything good.
Tim Pratt publishes and distributes his books in a variety of ways. Honestly I can't keep up with it but he may fit the bill for you.
posted by BibiRose at 11:30 AM on July 3, 2012
posted by BibiRose at 11:30 AM on July 3, 2012
This is not at all what you are looking for:
This is an old site that had a lot of free sf stories, many if not most quite good, some from some big names:
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/index.htm
They've stopped laying in free stories, but they now sell ebooks. As a reader, I dislike this, but now the authors can now make a living ...
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/books/
They're selling the ebooks via amazon, but also via smashwords, which may mean the author gets a decent sized cut.
So go read the free stuff, and then think about buying ebooks from a place the authors probably like to sell from.
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:45 AM on July 3, 2012
This is an old site that had a lot of free sf stories, many if not most quite good, some from some big names:
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/index.htm
They've stopped laying in free stories, but they now sell ebooks. As a reader, I dislike this, but now the authors can now make a living ...
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/books/
They're selling the ebooks via amazon, but also via smashwords, which may mean the author gets a decent sized cut.
So go read the free stuff, and then think about buying ebooks from a place the authors probably like to sell from.
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:45 AM on July 3, 2012
Response by poster: Never heard of Smashwords, so if I might add an addendum, I'm certainly open to hear about "small/independent publisher" type services that give authors better control/return for managing their sales.
If you can suggest particular relatively known authors with these it's more helpful, one issue with the smaller operations is that there are a lot of unknown quantities.
posted by nanojath at 1:41 PM on July 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
If you can suggest particular relatively known authors with these it's more helpful, one issue with the smaller operations is that there are a lot of unknown quantities.
posted by nanojath at 1:41 PM on July 3, 2012 [1 favorite]
Linda Nagata has been publishing and distributing new fantasy books as well as republishing her old science fiction that is no longer in print. I bought her ebooks through Bookview Café. Come to think of it, the whole Bookview Café project is full of people doing what you're looking for. including a giant or two like Ursula Le Guin.
Ian Sales is a hard science fiction author whose self-published novella closed with a rather lengthy technical bibliography, if that's your kind of thing. His small press is Whippleshield Books.
Jack Vance now sells ebooks (presumably old ones where the rights have reverted to him) direct from his website.
posted by col_pogo at 1:43 PM on July 3, 2012
Ian Sales is a hard science fiction author whose self-published novella closed with a rather lengthy technical bibliography, if that's your kind of thing. His small press is Whippleshield Books.
Jack Vance now sells ebooks (presumably old ones where the rights have reverted to him) direct from his website.
posted by col_pogo at 1:43 PM on July 3, 2012
(To clarify, Vance is selling directly through his imprint, Spatterlight Press. And Bookview Café keeps 5% of the proceeds, so I guess it doesn't technically meet the requirements but as an author-owned cooperative venture I think it comes pretty close.)
posted by col_pogo at 1:47 PM on July 3, 2012
posted by col_pogo at 1:47 PM on July 3, 2012
Response by poster: Bookview Café keeps 5% of the proceeds
Yeah I framed this badly - obviously total DIY is not going to be in the grasp of every author and I'm definitely OK with the use of small/indie/author-friendly sorts of pass-throughs.
BTW thanks for the link to that selfpublishingadventure blog, sebastienbailard, looks like a lot of interesting insights from the author's perspective there.
posted by nanojath at 1:54 PM on July 3, 2012
Yeah I framed this badly - obviously total DIY is not going to be in the grasp of every author and I'm definitely OK with the use of small/indie/author-friendly sorts of pass-throughs.
BTW thanks for the link to that selfpublishingadventure blog, sebastienbailard, looks like a lot of interesting insights from the author's perspective there.
posted by nanojath at 1:54 PM on July 3, 2012
Miracle Jones writes wild, interesting stuff. Mostly spec-fic, some not. His blog is updated every so often with brilliant short stories.
posted by zjacreman at 2:27 PM on July 3, 2012
posted by zjacreman at 2:27 PM on July 3, 2012
Alexandra Erin - self-publishing fantasy author.
Candlemark & Gleam - small press that focuses on e-publishing.
"Charitable Getting" and other e-published books by Sam Starbuck.
posted by brainwane at 5:17 PM on July 3, 2012
Candlemark & Gleam - small press that focuses on e-publishing.
"Charitable Getting" and other e-published books by Sam Starbuck.
posted by brainwane at 5:17 PM on July 3, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks to everyone for the responses, lots of leads to follow up.
posted by nanojath at 8:58 AM on July 4, 2012
posted by nanojath at 8:58 AM on July 4, 2012
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Another you might like is Simon Haynes. His Hal Spacejock series gets good reviews, and you can buy the whole series in a bundle for way cheaper off his website.
Have you heard of Baen's Webscriptions? I don't read much in sci-fi but I know they are well-regarded. And DRM-free, of course. They have a free library that lets you download a bunch of books (usually the first in a series) for free in your format of choice. If you like them, you are welcome to buy further books in the series.
posted by JoannaC at 11:22 AM on July 3, 2012