Random House’s SF and fantasy portal Suvudu.com has announced a Free Book Library, offering readers free digital copies of the first book in various series. The first five books are:
• His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik
• Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
• Settling Accounts: Return Engagement by Harry Turtledove
• Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
• Blood Engines by T.A. Pratt
More books will be available monthly including Terry Brooks’s Magic Kingdom for Sale—Sold!, Elizabeth Moon’s Trading in Danger, and many more.
The only format currently available is PDF which unfortunately is makes them difficult to use with the Kindle or Sony eBook Reader. Shawn Speakman, the Library’s organizer notes this and promises more formats to come.
The announcement does not mention when the first book of a new series would be issued in free digital version. For books published as hard covers I think that doing so at the same time the second book of the series hits paperback would be a good idea. For trade paperbacks the best time would be just before the release of the second book in the series.
Update: March 13/09
Suvudu.com has added additional formats. Books are now available in PDF, Kindle, Sony Reader, Scribd.com and Stanza on iPhone formats.