News Here.

Barnes & Noble has emailed Fictionwise publishers and authors that it is shuttering the long-running e-book stores and will be offering US and UK customers the opportunity to migrate their e-book purchases from said sites to a Barnes & Noble Nook library.

I've been expecting this to happen. Once B&N bought Fictionwise, they pretty much gutted it of anything from the big publishers, and just left the indy books there. And they closed out thier memberships and reward points long ago.

I'll be chosing to transfer all my purchases, which is quite a few, over to B&N. But I'll make sure I have a saved copy in case a transfer goes wrong.

Cindy did you post this on MobileReads?  

Funny this happened.  There is a thread .... talking about Backing up their files.   Most say they dont bother as the stores they are buying from will always have them LOL  Guessing this gets them to change their minds! 

Wow.  I've got a ton of ebooks from there.  All on my laptop and in Calibre.  I'll transfer them to B&N but, dang, I don't wanna download them all on my Nook.  I'll have to see if there's a way to NOT automatically download stuff.

Did you see anything about the Buywise memberships?  I pre-paid (during a hugh sale) for up to 2015...

"Fictionwise customers will cease to have access to their Fictionwise Bookshelf through the site after December 21, 2012. Customers outside the U.S. will cease to have access to their Fictionwise Bookshelf through the site after January 31, 2013."  (from the press release)

OK, so I'll be transferring my books to B&N but it would be great if they are lendable once I do that!

Well that sucks. I am not going to transfer, I've already got them all on my hard drive and I have online backups too.

Here's the FAQ to the shut down. It's now listed on their home page.

Here.

Haven't read it yet.

I'll have to see if there's a way to NOT automatically download stuff.

Once they transfer over, you should be able to archive them on the BN website.  That should keep them in the "cloud" instead of on your Nook.

I stopped using Fictionwise when I couldn't redownload books when I got a new computer.  They no longer carried those books. Yes I know Amazon has lost some books before but I think Amazon is big enough that it's not likely to happen.

I stopped using Fictionwise when I couldn't redownload books when I got a new computer.  They no longer carried those books.

Have you checked to see if they were returned?

During the Agency 5 war those publishers pulled their books. They were returned later, but you just couldn't order new ones from that publisher. I had all my Jim Butcher books disapear for a while, but they came back.

I just bulk downloaded mine again. I'll need to see if any are missing.

I didn't bother because they're all books I can get from the library in some form.  But it sure made me never want to buy books from fictionwise again.  I still have access to them on my desktop.  But it's not worth firing that thing up and one of these days I'll get around to disposing of it.

I got an email this morning about it all.  Clicked thru the link to B&N to opt in to having my ebooks transferred but I keep getting an error message when I click the submit.

Dear Fictionwise and eBookwise Customer,

As you may know, in March of 2009, Fictionwise, comprised of several eBook retail websites, including Fictionwise.com , eReader.com and eBookwise.com, was acquired by Barnes & Noble.

Fictionwise is in the process of winding down its operations, and Fictionwise.com (including eReader.com and eBookwise.com) will end sales on December 4, 2012. Please note, you will not be able to access your Fictionwise Bookshelf after December 21, 2012.

An Easy Transition to Barnes & Noble's NOOK® Reading Experience

We know how important eBooks are to you, and we'd like to offer you the opportunity to transfer your Fictionwise.com Bookshelf to a NOOK Library by following the steps below.

You will be able to read the transferred eBooks that you purchased at Fictionwise (including eReader.com and eBookwise.com) by downloading NOOK's free mobile app to your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet, or you can read your transferred eBooks with your PC/Mac web browser, as well as on the award-winning NOOK® devices. If you would like to transfer your Fictionwise eBooks in your Fictionwise Bookshelf to a NOOK Library, simply opt-in by following the steps below.

Step 1:

Click through to the link below to go to the opt-in page, where you'll be instructed to confirm that you would like your Fictionwise eBooks in your Fictionwise Bookshelf transferred to a NOOK Library. Please opt-in by December 21, 2012.


Step 2:

Once you opt-in, you will receive an email from Barnes & Noble.com with an access code and instructions for redeeming this code. This access code represents the Fictionwise eBooks in your Fictionwise Bookshelf that are being transferred to a NOOK Library for you. You will also see a link to a code redemption page.

Click through to the redemption page and simply enter your code as prompted. This will move your existing eBooks into a NOOK Library. Please redeem this code by January 31, 2013.

How Will the Transition Work?

·      Once you enter your access code, if you do not already have a Barnes & Noble.com account you will be prompted to create an account connected with this email address.
·      When you create your Barnes & Noble.com account, you will be asked for a credit card. A credit card is required to access some secured titles.  Please note, however, that your credit card will not be charged for any of the titles that you transferred from Fictionwise nor for the transfer itself.
·      A few Fictionwise titles may not transfer due to discontinued publishing programs. You will be able to see which titles are not able to be transferred by clicking here. In most cases, you can back up these Fictionwise files to your personal hard drive on a Mac or PC. To learn more about backing up these files, please click here http://www.fictionwise.com/BN-Transition-FAQ.htm.
·      AudioBooks will not be part of this transfer process. If you want to continue to access audiobook files, we recommend that you back up those files if you haven't done so already. To learn more about backing up and downloading these files, please click here http://www.fictionwise.com/BN-Transition-FAQ.htm.
·      Personal files that you may have uploaded to your eBookwise library (i.e., any file in your eBookwise library that was not sold to you by eBookwise) will not transfer.
·      Subscriptions to magazines will not transfer.  Please note that these subscriptions have been fulfilled through November 2012. Any remaining balance in your subscription will be refunded and subscription holders will receive a separate communication regarding this refund.

Please note that once the Fictionwise eBooks are transferred to a NOOK Library, the eBooks will be in ePub format. The ePub titles that will appear in your new NOOK Library cannot be read on Fictionwise legacy applications and devices.

If you elect to opt in, please note that any eBooks you have purchased at Fictionwise.com from October 23th to December 4, 2012, will not be part of the initial transfer process, but will be automatically transferred to your NOOK Library starting December 10, 2012. No action is required on your part once you have opted in.

A reminder: Whether or not you opt in to have your Fictionwise eBooks transferred to a NOOK Library, by December 21, 2012, you should download any titles and/or files you plan to read on an application or on a device that does not support ePub. You can learn more about downloading your Fictionwise files here: http://www.fictionwise.com/BN-Transition-FAQ.htm.


To transfer your Fictionwise eBooks to a NOOK Library, click here to go to the opt-in page.

LINK REMOVED

Please opt-in by December 21, 2012.


What if I don't opt-in to have my eBooks transferred?

After December 21, 2012, your Fictionwise Bookshelf will no longer be accessible via the Fictionwise.com website. If you decide not to opt-in to have your Fictionwise Bookshelf transferred to NOOK, you will need to make sure that, if you haven't done so already, you have downloaded your eBooks to continue reading these eBooks through Fictionwise legacy applications and devices. Since AudioBooks, any personal files created, and subscriptions to magazines will not be available to transfer to a NOOK Library, please make sure you have previously downloaded these files, or please download these files before December 21, 2012. You can learn more about downloading your Fictionwise files here: http://www.fictionwise.com/BN-Transition-FAQ.htm.


Information about Micropay Accounts and Buywise Club

Please take a moment to use your Micropay Dollars at Fictionwise.com, as they will not be valid after December 4, 2012. Please note that any eBooks purchased at Fictionwise after you have opted-in to transfer to a NOOK Library at Barnes & Noble will not be part of the initial transfer process. As noted above, a second transfer will be possible for titles purchased between October 23  December 4, 2012 and you will automatically be eligible for this second transfer once opted-in.

If you don't use your Micropay Dollars by December 4, 2012, you will receive a separate email regarding the refund on any balance in your account.



For more information about how you can transfer your Fictionwise Bookshelf to a NOOK Library, including additional details on how the transition will apply to current Buywise Club members, eMagazine subscriptions, Micropay Dollars and more, please visit our FAQ web page: http://www.fictionwise.com/BN-Transition-FAQ.htm

We greatly appreciate your support of Fictionwise over the years. Together, we helped pioneer eBooks and eReading.

Thank you.


The Fictionwise Team

Okay, and now that I said I keep getting the error message, I just was able to click thru and got a confirmation this time.

I can't rememer my log in info and it doesn't recognize my email address. I don't remember what email I had it under and whatever email it was is no longer usable anyway.  Oh well. I did have some micropay dollars but not many. I didn't put much money into and it I only bought a couple of books that had one of the rebate things.  No great loss. 

I have 77 ebooks in my Fictionwise library.  They transferred over 26 of them automatically.

Good Luck getting them all transfered! 

Well, I finally got my code today.

But it won't work. The system at B&N says it can't find it. Ugh.

Did "Live Chat" (which I don't think is actually Live.) and was told to refer to the Transfer FAQ or call Customer Service.

Called Customer Service, got hung up on while they were talking. (figure someone bumped a button.)

Called again. They're 'having some small issues' and to expect a new code in one to two weeks.

Reminded her that we were on a deadline to transfer, and didn't want to miss that deadline because B&N was having problems. She assured me it's in my notes that I called today and let them know I was having a problem.

Nice lady, but doubt they tell CS anything. Think they're just winging it. So, nothing accomplised so far. Not even one book transferred.

So I'll keep pressing that code 'submit' button on and off today, just to see if it slips by.

Ugh. This is why I don't like dealing with B&N. I've never had anything but lousey service from them.

Cindy cant you tranfer your books to Calibre & Save them there?  Removing the DRM of course.

Cindy can't you tranfer your books to Calibre & Save them there?  Removing the DRM of course.

Oh, I did that ages ago. I always backup the originals as well as a copy in Calibre.

I'd just like as many as possible transfered to B&N. That way I get free storage of what they will take, and maybe their 'recommendations' will match better if they know more of what I own.

O  Ok.  Dealing with B&N is a Pain tho!  Good Luck!

I just checked the B&N page with the code I've been clicking on all day with no response. Now I just got "This Code has already been Added."

So checked my B&N account, and it now says I have a lot more books than I originally had there.

But I can't really check, since when I went to "My Nook Library" I got covers for the first page, but it just showed html code for any other pages. Now it's hanging.

So I think the books mostly are all transferred. I bought very few secure ones.

I also got a survey about Customer Support, and let them know that while CS was very nice, and as helpful as they could be, that I wasn't happy with B&N not notifying FW customers that they were having problems. There' no excuse now for any company leaving their customers in the dark. We're not stupid, we realize computer stuff goes wanky.  Just tell us for heaven's sake.

I noticed that the purchase date for all my transferred ebooks was the date they transferred so it was easy to pick out my Fictionwise ones.  Only about a third of mine transferred over.