Here in the UK this week it’s Independent Booksellers’ Week. Indie booksellers are the lifeblood of the community, and as an independent publisher, we’re committed to supporting our friends on the high street.

Welcome to the Angry Robot Clonefiles initiative.

We sometimes feel our customers are having to choose between a physical book and an e-format, when what probably suits them best is to have both in the same package, and so we are going to start giving away the digital version of each of our novels free with the physical paperback, in selected indie bookstores.

We’re partnering with Mostly Books of Abingdon, Oxfordshire in the first phase of the new Clonefiles programme. From July 4th, Customers who buy Angry Robot novels from Mostly Books will be sent the DRM-free eBook version (the Clonefile) of the book as part of the sale, allowing them to read the novel on paper, on their Kindle, or on their ePub-based eBook reader. This Clonefile means that customers at Mostly Books can buy Angry Robot’s books and enjoy them in whatever format they prefer, whether physical or electronic!

We’ve always been champions of DRM-free eBook publishing and have always been eager to experiment with new business and distribution models. A dual-format offering for Indies seems like a natural extension of our customer-first ethos and a great way for Angry Robot to show our love for the UK’s fantastic Indie bookshop scene.

Mark Thornton of Mostly Books said, “As an indie bookshop, we offer a great browsing experience and discoverability and it is difficult to see really innovative ways that we can offer our customers a really valuable service with ebooks. But this is a bold and brilliant idea we think our customers will get excited about. It really offers an imaginative solution that plays to all our strengths.”

Following this pilot phase, we will be opening up the scheme to other independent bookstores, who will be contacted over the coming weeks and months (though enquiries from interested stores are welcomed).

Bookstores wishing to enquire about taking part in the programme should contact Angry Robot’s UK Sales Manager, Roland Briscoe at: indie@angryrobotbooks.com or visit our Clonefiles page.

These ARE the clones you’re looking for!