Free Download of “Spirit Gate”
Kate Elliott May 9th, 2008
Tor Books is in the final development process of a new mega-site that is, in their own words
(a) science fiction and fantasy site not quite like any you’ve seen before, mixing news, commentary, original stories and art, your own comments and conversations, and more.
They’ve also been offering free downloads of titles from their backlist to anyone who registers.
This week’s title is, indeed, my novel Spirit Gate.
Seriously, if you haven’t read the book, you can go hence, register, and get the download.
It’s kind of like living in the 21st century.
Awww, it’s US residents only. Cue disappointment from this side of the Atlantic.
But it’s still a pretty impressive offer.
But where are the flying cars?
It’s just the “Watch The Skies Sweepstakes” that is for US residents only. The books are available to everyone.
What a cool concept! I hope it works out well for you and everyone.
Catherine, Orbit Books has the rights for your side of the Atlantic, so I think Tor is likely legally obligated to restrict access. Alas. Unless the download works everywhere, as Hatgirl suggests. I haven’t tried it yet.
Mad: the flying cars are in the next book!
Kit: Tor is doing it to get people to sign up for their megasite, so - hey - we’ll see. Why not? I figure it can’t hurt, as the people who were likely to purchase the book will likely to have already done so.
I tried to download it too and it didn’t work…maybe it is only US residents.
I had to give my copy back to my friend coz she wanted to read it again before she read Shadow Gate. I was kinda hoping she forgot she gave it to me before I left NZ for Oz.
I’ll try once more…would someone be able to tell me a US zip code to put in there, I just put my Oz one in before. Can I do that?
I’ve signed up three times from 2 email addresses and after being told that I was now registered have received nothing, zilch, nada about any links or any downloadable copies of anything…
Ideas?
Hugh
I have the same problem… I have her first book… but I was interested in the backgrounds for my computer… so far its been nearly a week and I have nothing from them.
I have an email in to my publisher to see if they can give me an email address for who you should contact with your question. I will post that here as soon as I hear back from them.
Okay, guys: here’s what I heard back from Tor:
“Apparently all of the new registrants are processed as a batch on Thursday afternoons, so if it hasn’t been at least a week, I’d have them wait until Friday morning and see if it’s still a problem.”
So let me know on Friday if you got anything. Thanks!
That’s kind of an amusing response from Tor. The idea is 21st century, but the implementation is not. (I work in batch processing for a living, so it kind of tickles my inner I.T. geek that they’re doing 1980s ‘once per week’ batches instead of the event driven stuff that’s so pervasive in our on-demand processing environment.)
That said, here I go to sign up!
And lo and behold, it works, but because the “batch processing” approach slowed down the work on our registrations, the downloadable book we get is not yours, Kate, but the current week’s selection — which is actually good, because I’ll start buying and reading all your stuff, especially the series that has the rather East European setting, since that’s my field of history … and then you’ll get (I hope) royalties from the sales!
Not to cast aspersions on the author or work for this week, either. I’m sure it will be good for me to branch out!
Ok madam….I’m pretty sure now…it works.
thanks
It didn’t work for me.
Is that because I’m from down under?
Any suggestions anyone?
Sigh, my download never worked.
And I’ve finished Shadow Gate (I have a trip next week to Hanoi)…lucky I have Shadow Isle or what would I do?