the time travelers wife

[Maxx]

I absolutely loved this book.  I don't know if they will be able to do it justice in movie form.

Maxx

[Meemo]

Trailer for the movie, for anyone interested...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USUDlMBR-dQ&feature=fvw

[Anju No. 469]

If they ever put this out in kindle I'll be sure to buy it - I read the DTV last year before kindle and loved it.

[libros_lego]

I loved this book! I bought the hardback copy right after finishing it.

[Greg Banks]

I not only read and loved the book a few years ago, but after I got my K1 over a year ago and found that the book wasn't on the Kindle, I emailed the author, and she wrote back. Hopefully she won't be upset if I post my email and her response here. Even though I didn't get the answer I wanted, I became even more of a fan of hers because of the thoughtful response. Eerily enough, my email was sent on July 3rd of last year, two days shy of exactly 1 year ago!

=========================

Hello,

I'm a huge fan of your book, The Time Traveler's Wife, which I read a few years ago. As a writer myself, it's the kind of beautifully written,
moving story that I strive to write myself, a story that stays with you long after you've read it.

I'm also disabled, and as an avid reader who finds that manipulating books is cumbersome and frustrating to the point that I had gotten away
from being the voracious reader I once was. Then I discovered e-readers, or rather, I found one after years of dismissing them that I felt might
actually be a viable option that would last in the marketplace more than a fleeting minute. At any rate, it has changed my life and turned me
back into the voracious reader and compulsive book buyer that I used to be when I was younger. While I still own the hardcopy of The Time
Traveler's Wife, I'd very much like to read it in electronic format on my Amazon Kindle device, because for me, it's brought the joy and ease
of reading back into my life.

My request is simply that you and your publisher consider bringing this book to the ebook format so that fans like myself, who find manipulating
books too much of a chore to allow us to enjoy the reading experience or perhaps can't even hold a traditional book at all, can read this
incredible story again.

Thank you for taking time to read this email.

-- Gregory B. Banks

=========================

Dear Gregory,

Alas, e-books are a difficult issue. On the one hand, there are readers such as yourself who have very compelling reasons to want books that are easier to manipulate, easier to see. On the other hand there is electronic piracy. The decline of music business shows what happens when creative work is too easy to copy and send over the internet.

As a writer yourself, you are on both sides of this; I hope you will understand that my hesitation to publish my work in digital versions doesn't stem from a lack of empathy for readers. I am waiting to see how the Kindle and similar devices affect traditional books. People have created unauthorized e-versions of my novel, and this makes me apprehensive about the whole thing.

I'm sorry I can't give you more positive news. I am very glad that the Kindle has been such a boon to you.

Best wishes,
Audrey Niffenegger

=========================

How things have changed (or not) over the last year, who knows?

[cat616]

I really liked this book because it showed a side of an author's imagination I had not thought of.  It is a good story and it opened my mind to new possibilities.

It must have been very difficult to write because a normal timeline was not applicable.

I would read it again and did request it to be Kindleized yesterday.

[mlewis78]

Greg, I don't find the author's fear of piracy a valid answer, considering how much the PDF's have been spreading around of J. K. Rowling's books.  Making the books available for sale as ebooks would make more sense.

[Greg Banks]

Greg, I don't find the author's fear of piracy a valid answer, considering how much the PDF's have been spreading around of J. K. Rowling's books.  Making the books available for sale as ebooks would make more sense.

I totally agree. But I did appreciate that not only did she respond, but was honest about her feelings. Still sounded to me as if she is at least open to the idea at some point. I think some authors just don't have a good understanding of ebooks and their value, while others are just stubbornly closeminded to it. I think Jk Rowling is the latter, but that Audrey Niffenegger is more the former.

Anyway, Niffenegger's response left me disappointed, but no less of a fan. I find it hard to believe that when this movie hits the theaters (which I too am afraid they may ruin in the translation), that there won't then be a Kindle version available. *fingers crossed anyway*

[Meemo]

Greg, I don't find the author's fear of piracy a valid answer, considering how much the PDF's have been spreading around of J. K. Rowling's books.  Making the books available for sale as ebooks would make more sense.

It doesn't make sense to me considering that she knows there are already pirated versions out there.   That makes it clear that one doesn't need to have a legal digital version of a book to produce a pirated version.  I just don't understand that position - as long as there's not an authorized digital version of an author's book, they'll never get paid for a single downloaded copy of that book, no matter how many times it's downloaded.  Authorizing a digital version won't make the pirated versions disappear, but it at least ensures that she'll be paid for downloads by those of us who don't want pirated copies. 

Having said that, it was a lovely answer, even though I don't follow her logic.

[koolmnbv]

I can't understand if any author already knows that their book is being pirated and downloaded illegally why woudn't they rather turn that into some sort of profit for themselves.

If the book is being downloaded/pirated anyway it might as well be made legal and then that would just be money into the authors pockets that they would be missing out on otherwise.

[koolmnbv]

I forgot to say Thanks Greg for sharing your emails. Gave us a little insight into how she feels.

[Greg Banks]

I can't understand if any author already knows that their book is being pirated and downloaded illegally why woudn't they rather turn that into some sort of profit for themselves.

If the book is being downloaded/pirated anyway it might as well be made legal and then that would just be money into the authors pockets that they would be missing out on otherwise.

I think these authors look at things backward, believing that people are not willing to pay for legal copies. They think providing digital copies will further enable pirating, when in fact it will discourage the practice.

[Meemo]

I think these authors look at things backward, believing that people are not willing to pay for legal copies. They think providing digital copies will further enable pirating, when in fact it will discourage the practice.

Exactly, Greg.  What they aren't getting is that people can't pay for legal copies if legal copies don't exist.  As it happens in so much of life, they aren't thinking the thing through.

[cat616]

These authors will come around eventually when they get a better understanding of how the system works.
 
They also need to come to grips with the fact that the people who are going to steal from them are going to find a way to do it no matter what you do.  Fortunately the majority of people are honest and actually prefer to pay rather than steal.  We respect the hard work entailed to produce a book and we understand that we must pay so the author can afford to live so they can produce more things for us to read.

[NeilShapiro]

I love the book. As a fan of literary fiction I thought that the romantic aspects of the book were handled in a very believable and involving manner. As also a SciFi fan I must say that the time travel aspects of the book were handled better than 99% of other time travel books I have read. No logical holes at all.

[JimJ]

I loved the book.  Very skeptical about the movie though.  It's been delayed forever, which is never a good sign, and it seems like it'd be a hard book to adapt anyway.  I'll probably see it, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

[NessaBug]

Well I went ahead and ordered the DTV after seeing the movie preview and hearing y'all say it was good. I should get here this week sometime. I would've waited, but after seeing her response to Greg, I doubt we'll be getting it anytime soon.

[Meemo]

Finished it at 2 a.m. this morning - loved this book!  (And needed kleenex....)  Hope I'll be able to love the movie as well.

[bellapixie]

I have also been wanting to read this book. I saw the preview for it a couple weeks ago when I went to see The Proposal. But I first wanted to read it when I saw it was mentioned a few times on the favorite books list everybody put together a couple months ago.
I haven't read a dtb since I got my kindle for Christmas. But it's starting to look like I might have to if I want to read this book. I hate seeing movies before I read the book.
B

[F1Wild]

I not only read and loved the book a few years ago, but after I got my K1 over a year ago and found that the book wasn't on the Kindle, I emailed the author, and she wrote back. Hopefully she won't be upset if I post my email and her response here. Even though I didn't get the answer I wanted, I became even more of a fan of hers because of the thoughtful response. Eerily enough, my email was sent on July 3rd of last year, two days shy of exactly 1 year ago!...

How things have changed (or not) over the last year, who knows?

Thank you for doing this.  I wish the author would creep out from the dark ages and realize that if her book was available in ebook format she would sell even more.  My husband is also a writer, but is not in the art (yup art, not business!!) to make money only and limit access of his writing.  Doesn't she know she would also get paid for the digital download?  I mean, ask every musician with works on iTunes.  They are not making CD sale money, they are making download money.

[MarthaT]

Just finished reading this, it was fantastic

[Greg Banks]

I believe she will come around, if she hasn't already. I find it hard to believe that with the upcoming movie, that its release wouldn't be the perfect time to release the book on Kindle. I've been debating whether or not to email her again to see if things have changed, but as I said, I do like her, and so I don't want to seem like I'm pestering her (even though it has been a year since my last email).

Do you guys think it would be somehow rude for me to email her again?

[cat616]

I think after a year it would not be considered pestering to ask if her opinion may have changed considering how Kindle has taken off so well and all the other authors who have taken the leap of faith to have their books sold in e-book format.  Even Tolkien's family have come around and are now publishing for e-book readers!

[Anju No. 469]

Go for it Greg - I'd like to read this again, but won't until it gets kindelized.

[Ann in Arlington]

I agree, Greg. . . and you can mention that you've had various discussions with other e-book afficionados who all agree that they'd love to read an e-version. . .and that some who have already read it in paper would buy it again!