The first signs of trouble came when Baen abruptly removed the Tor titles from its Webscription program, shortly after making them available, pending further discussion with Tor's higher-ups. Then, on April 4th, Baen's webmaven Arnold Bailey posted a terse notice on
Baen's Bar
to the effect that:
Quote:
Sorry. It's official that Tor's corporate parent pulled the plug on the project for the foreseeable future. Don't blame Tor or Tom. Strictly uber-corporate bone headedness.
So much for a bright new e-reading future. Tor's spirit was willing, but the flesh of its corporate owner, the
Holtzbrinck Publishing Group
, was weak. They had taken some steps in the right direction, such as the willingness to release DRM-free ebooks even at higher price points than Baen, but the owner shut 'em down. Maybe in a few years they'll come around to Baen's way of thinking. Meanwhile, the
Tor Webscriptions forum
on the Bar resounds with the complaints of disappointed barflies who are upset that Tor's corporate parent just Doesn't Get It.
