# Free or Pass It By?



## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

For several weeks I was offering coupons for my novel Boomerang at a few ebook forums, including here at Kindleboards. The response was really nice, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a few dozen actual sales both on Smashwords and Amazon Kindle along with a few hundred free downloads.

My question is this: As an ebook person, do you only check out a new author if his/her work can be gotten for free?

And if so, if you find a writer you like through free offers, are you apt to tell others about your discovery?

Thanks!
Alan


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

plumboz said:


> My question is this: As an ebook person, do you only check out a new author if his/her work can be gotten for free?


I wouldn't think this is the case with any reader. I choose a book mainly based on the description, and now that I can sample, I read the sample before buying. Price is the last thing I look at.


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

pidgeon92 said:


> I wouldn't think this is the case with any reader. I choose a book mainly based on the description, and now that I can sample, I read the sample before buying. Price is the last thing I look at.


So the ability to sample is important. I'm hearing this on a couple of forums.

Thanks!


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I don't download just any free book.  (I did download yours but only read enough to sample it before downloading.)  In this day of online reading, sampling rules.  As I said in another thread, I'm actually more inclined to move a book to the top of the reading pile if I paid something for it because if I paid something for it...I wanted to read it.    It's kind of convoluted.  Then there are some that are 99 cents that I read the sample and think, Well if it were free, I'd give it a try.  BUT I'm just not sure.  So I'll just wait.

See, you can't win with us readers.  There's no pleasing us!!!!


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

plumboz said:


> My question is this: As an ebook person, do you only check out a new author if his/her work can be gotten for free?


There are several factors that I look at when trying a new author. Price is definitely one of them. I'll definitely try a new author whose book sounds interesting if it's free or very inexpensive. It's harder for me to pay $6-7 for something I'm not sure I'll like. But if I get started, I'll gladly pay for the rest of the books by the author. I also think samples are very important. Generally speaking, a sample will let me decide if I like the authors writing style. It will also show if there are any obvious formatting issues with the book.



plumboz said:


> And if so, if you find a writer you like through free offers, are you apt to tell others about your discovery?


I do mention new authors that I have found to people who have similar tastes. There are also several threads on here where you can see people talking about the good (and not-so-good) free books.


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

It does seem to be a bit of a dilemma for an Unknown Quantity such as myself. Make it free, and it may attract more "purchasers". But the chances of them actually reading it are diminished because they have no financial stake in the thing.

Would free steak dinners included with each purchase work?


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## hackeynut (Dec 16, 2008)

plumboz said:


> It does seem to be a bit of a dilemma for an Unknown Quantity such as myself. Make it free, and it may attract more "purchasers". But the chances of them actually reading it are diminished because they have no financial stake in the thing.
> 
> Would free steak dinners included with each purchase work?


Depends on the cut


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

MariaESchneider said:


> I don't download just any free book. (I did download yours but only read enough to sample it before downloading.)


Forgive me for failing to say Thank You in my earlier post.

Thank You!

And I hope that something in Boomerang will please you.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

I don't go for all free books.  I skip Christian, Romance, Young Adult\Children's, or PDF formated ebooks, but most others I'll take, though, as I said in an other free book thread, I rarely actually read the freebies.  They're there for later even if the day never comes for me to read them.

So a new author offering a free book is not automatically going to get as reader by the no cost option.  Suppose there were two new authors with books available.  The first has a sort-of interesting book for free and the second has a definitely interesting book for $6.00.  I'd probably get both, but I'd read the second author I paid for, and maybe someday get around to the first I got free.

Maybe offering a free steak dinner contest (i.e., random drawing) to readers who post intelligible reviews somewhere would be more of a stake in the thing.


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## ldenglish (Jul 18, 2009)

I only look at books in genres that are of interest to me, so being free doesn't draw me to a book I wouldn't look at in a bookstore. Then I base my choice on the sample, and if I like the look of it I'll one-click. I only just got my Kindle and at the moment I'm finding so many good books by Indie authors offered at very low prices, I haven't had to make a decision on a more expensive product. With the quality I see, I may not have to.


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## Rebekah (Oct 9, 2009)

First, like many others in here, I only download a free book if it sounds interesting. However, I am much more likely to read a free book by an unknown-to-me author than paying for said book.  If I like it, then I will often pay for additional books from the same author.  That was the case with Melody Carlson.  I had no idea who she was until I came across her free (I don't think it is anymore) I Heart Bloomberg book.  After reading that, I paid for the other three books in the series; even going so far as to track down a paperback copy of the fourth because it wasn't available on Kindle.

As far as mainstream authors, I tend to browse brick and morter stores for new books, so I haven't really taken advantage of the sampling option.  I make my list in the store and then download the books I want on Kindle.


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

When I first got my Kindle, "FREE" ruled the day. I didn't care what it was, if it was free, I got it. I even got the free 12 Harlequins that Amazon gave away, and I don't even like 'romance'.  

Now, many months later, I am more discerning about what I take the time to download. I have deleted all the old freebies that I know I will never read and kept the ones I might read.

When it comes to choosing a book, I first look at the description. If it sounds promising, I look at the price. For an 'untried' Indie author, I usually won't pay more than $2.99; however, I have made exceptions in certain genres. If it's outside my usual fare, the limit I am willing to pay goes down. If I have read books from the Indie author before, and enjoyed them, my spending limit goes up.

Yes, if I liked a book, regardless of what I paid for it, I tell everyone. But, of course, that's just 'cause of my blog.    I have and will continue to review books I picked up for free. 

I was actually one of those that purchased your book, simply because I prefer to get all of my books from Amazon.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Actually, I buy FREE books from traditionally published authors (and generally never get to read them). I buy Indie author books at any reasonable price if I feel that they are steering the good course and I might get a chance to review the title. Lately, I buy any book from an OEBD author to help fill in the gaps and support their effort. You see, by buying from an author who is donating so freely of themselves, a reader is actually supporting the program without authoring a book. It underwrites the effort.

Ed Patterson


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## ASparrow (Oct 12, 2009)

Sadly, I depend a lot on covers and blurbs, but I'm a hypocrite because I'm a terrible writer of blurbs.  But I'll look at anyone's work, free or pricy, regardless of name or word of mouth, if their idea intrigues me. What will turn me off is a blurb written incoherently, with obvious errors, or a style that grates. That usually doesn't bode well for the actual work itself. Then, I'll venture into reading a sample and the same process ensues. If a writer writes clunky sentences or produces errors of logic in the first few pages I'll go no further.

Boomerang, I'm glad to say, passed all my tests.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

I'm kind of an odd man out, since I only get my books from amazon or baen, so if it's free somewhere else, I never look at it.  That being said, I don't download all free stuff, it has to have a description that appeals to me and be in the genre that I'm in the mood for (I admit to downloading a lot of free romance/erotica a while ago, but I'm better now).


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## David Derrico (Nov 18, 2009)

This is a great discussion... it's very interesting that several people have mentioned that they might download a free book, but won't necessarily read it since they didn't pay anything for it.

I think the key with unknown authors is giving away a decent-sized sample for free so people can see if the book is of high quality, if they enjoy the story and writing style, etc. It sounds like most readers are certainly willing to pay if they enjoy the description and sample of a book.

Generally, I tend to find an author I like and read everything they wrote... and I'm very unlikely to pick up a random unknown author and buy the book. (Which is terrible, being an unknown author myself!) However, I have started picking up random books that catch my eye at the library, with good results. I should also start downloading some samples... I'm sure I'll find some new authors I like.


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## Tangiegirl (Dec 21, 2008)

I may not be the norm, but I don't value my free books any differently than I do those I've paid for (be it $9.99, or $.99).

Some of my favorite reads this past year have been free or very inexpensive.  I also have a $9.99 book I bought last year and still haven't finished.

I always talk up the "new to me" authors (and books) I've discovered and enjoyed.  And I almost always buy their other books, as long as they are reasonably priced.


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## sierra09 (Jun 20, 2009)

For me, being free doesn't automatically mean I'll get it. The book has to be an a genre that I like, the description has to snag me or at least make me curious and while I loathe to admit it, I do go for a good cover.   
Price and book size is also an issue for me. I will not pay $9.99 for an e-book(I don't care who it's by) unless it's something I will automatically read the instant I download it. Being a person with weak eyes, reading on a computer screen isn't easy so I don't care for very long books. The Jade Owl   has been the longest thing I ever attempted to read on a screen that held my interest.  Now that I'm getting used to the varying e-readers available for the PC I may change a few viewpoints. I'm not sure yet.

I do, if I find a decent author out here, tell others about them. Especially if it's an indie author.


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

A pretty obvious point was brought up on another MB about the need for a killer synopsis or "backcover copy". I don't think I'm unusual in having had more trouble putting that together than most entire chapters of the book. And then when I published on Smashwords I had to condense it to fit their 250 word limit. In either case it's tough to know if what you've written as a Don't Give The Whole Story Away Summary will attract readers or make them pass you by.

Amazon Kindle: _Ted Hogwood's beloved Sarah, a jazz guitar, is in the window of Topp Dollar Pawn. The only way he can get the money to rescue her is to accept an assignment from the AABC, a not nearly official branch of the United States intelligence community. He is partnered with Jerry Kwiatkowski, master of the Hammond B-3 organ and chronic flatulence sufferer, to steal a boomerang containing secrets that should have died with J. Edgar Hoover over thirty years ago. It would be a simple job if only they knew what they were doing. And if a crossbow wielding assassin, two unemployed Australian women, The Director of Central Intelligence and a clothing optional former onion festival queen were not also hot on the boomerang's trail. _

Smashwords: _Ted Hogwood's beloved guitar is in the window of Topp Dollar Pawn. The only way he can get the money to rescue her is to accept an assignment from the AABC, a not nearly official branch of the US intelligence community. He is partnered with Jerry Kwiatkowski to steal a boomerang containing secrets that should have died with J. Edgar Hoover. It would be simple if they knew what they were doing.

_

Thoughts from any writers about what works and any readers about what attracts/repels you when it comes to the synopsis?

Alan


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## traci (Nov 19, 2008)

Reading a new author is always an impulse buy for me. It needs to catch my eye and be at a better than reasonable price. I will only spend $10 to $20 a month on impulse buys and every dollar added to the price raises my threshold for how appealing it must be to for me to give them a try. If I spend $5 a book I will only get 2 - 4 books this month. If I spend $4 I get more, etc. I don't pick up all the free books because some types of books and some descriptions don't appeal to me. I won't pick up non-fiction and I won't pick up books that are totally romances or preachy fiction of any stripe. I am willing to try different genres of books if they are free or just a dollar. My taste has definitely broadened over the past couple of years as a result of free books.

Once I have the book it may be months before I read it because I am usually lucky enough to find more books I can afford on my monthly budget than I can read in one month. But I don't discriminate against the free books. Once I have a book it is a matter of what catches my eye first or appeals to my whimsy. It wouldn't be on my home page if it hadn't already passed that test once, but the bar is just a little bit higher when it comes to the final decision to read.

When I find a new author I like I do try to purchase their other books and I do tell my friends about them. Giving me some kind of promotion has paid off for a number of authors but I guess only 10 to 20 percent of the new authors I read get my repeat business or word of mouth. 

Traci


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

plumboz said:


> Thoughts from any writers about what works and any readers about what attracts/repels you when it comes to the synopsis?


The Amazon synopsis hints at comedic undertones: flatulence and clothing optional characters may not be comedy per se, but if mentioned on the back cover would I expect a novel with Rabelaisian humor or something along the lines of Carl Hiaasen. The Smashwords synopsis suggests a more straight up thriller. So which is it? I think there needs to be consistency between the two, even if one has more detail than the other.


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

Geemont said:


> The Amazon synopsis hints at comedic undertones: flatulence and clothing optional characters may not be comedy per se, but if mentioned on the back cover would I expect a novel with Rabelaisian humor or something along the lines of Carl Hiaasen. The Smashwords synopsis suggests a more straight up thriller. So which is it? I think there needs to be consistency between the two, even if one has more detail than the other.


Ah, there you have it. Comedy, or the promise thereof, while it requires a real precision in the use of language, also needs room to express itself. Straight and to the point aren't necessarily good traits when it comes to making one smile. But you're right, I need to give the Smashwords version more attention, try to make it something other than a truncated edition of the Amazon one, which conveys the tone of the book much more accurately.

Thanks,
Alan


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

I mainly go by reviews in deciding what I'll buy/read. The sampling option is great, too. With the freebies, I usually read the ones with great reviews first. Or I'll start reading it if somebody on KB (in the_ What are you reading?_ thread or somewhere else) says they really enjoyed it. I'm also much more likely to purchase a book by a new author if it is priced low and if somebody (usually on KB) highly recommends it. For example, I purchased all 3 of Archer's books when she discounted them before I even started reading them, based on rave reviews here, and am glad I did!

So I guess, to answer your question, for an author I don't know, free beats inexpensive beats regular price, as far as getting me to sample/read; but great reviews/recommendations beat all. And I am more likely to buy more of the author's books and try to tell people about a new author whose work I really enjoyed (free or not) than about a well-known author.

N


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

Neekeebee said:


> I mainly go by reviews in deciding what I'll buy/read.
> N


And therein lies the great Circle of Life (or Stillbirth). Great reviews bring in readers. But you need readers to get great (or any reviews).

Ain't life grand?


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## J Dean (Feb 9, 2009)

I'll be honest; it's hard for me to read a free book.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I get every free book. And I try reading them all. So far the ONLY one I have not made it through is Perdido Street Station. I finally gave myself permission NOT to read that one after struggling to read it for over 2 weeks. I take that back.. there was 1 other... and I cannot even remember the title of it.
I cannot say I have loved every free book, but since I read fast, my TBR list of freebies has never gone over 2 pages on my kindle.

Since I am one of the people participating in Both the Oct & Nov. Book counts.. I can tell you I have, to date, read 37 books in the last 2 months, and paid for... 3? I think a Nora Roberts, a PC & Kristin Cast, and.. 1 more I think. When I find an author I like, I do go and get samples of ALL other books by that author, and reading the samples I pick which other books by those authors I will want to read.


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## ASparrow (Oct 12, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> I get every free book. And I try reading them all. So far the ONLY one I have not made it through is Perdido Street Station. I finally gave myself permission NOT to read that one after struggling to read it for over 2 weeks.


Perdido! Oh no! That's one of the free books I'm taking with me on my business trip!


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## AFS_NZ_IT (Feb 3, 2009)

I get many of the free books.  The only one that I don't get all of them are the religion and I never get horror.  All the others I will get because my tastes have changed so many times that I might enjoy that genre in the future.  I have found many authors that I have loved and bought the series. Many times I never would have found the book if it wasn't for kindleboards.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Hey you may like it. Everyone's tastes are different.. otherwise there would only be 1 genre.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

ASparrow said:


> Perdido! Oh no! That's one of the free books I'm taking with me on my business trip!


I'm interested to hear what you think, since I couldn't get through it either.


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## ASparrow (Oct 12, 2009)

Re: the free book known as Perdido Street Station

I've read the prologue and Chapter One so far.  Mr. Mieville can certainly describe things well and has a vibrant imagination. Not a very pleasant world he has created, but so far, I'm intrigued. I'm an entomologist and even I'm repulsed by the idea of a girlfriend with the head of an insect.

Re: my formerly free ebook still known as Xenolith:

Twelve hours after my free coupon expired, downloads have basically screeched to a halt. I guess 75% free isn't free enough.


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

You want me to read a book?

It has to be something that sparks an interest -- usually brought about by:
1) the infamous BLURB 
2) recommendations from either folks I know (and know what their tastes are) or folks I don't know who provide suitable justifications or comparisons for their recommendations (like many folks here -- if you like "So-&-So" then you might try "Him-or-Her") 
3) reviews if there happen to be any 
4) a great looking cover (but usually only if I happen to be wandering in a DTB store and 
5) price

BUT I rarely get past the first 2-3 before I have something to read!

Realistically I can afford my reading budget (and I'll admit it _is_ quite large) and when I no longer can afford it then perhaps price will come into play (or I'll just cut something else!!) but right now price really isn't of concern for me. I read for enjoyment -- if you've got something that snags my interest I'll read it. I do have my "comfort" genres but regularly jump out of them to read something else.

Bottom line -- you need a killer blurb -- lacking that you'll need someone to come and sell me on the book.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I will reveal the following about my reading of free books:

First let me say that your "blurb" interests me only in that I own a Blues Guitar - a Gibson ES-5.  So I can understand the first sentence.  After that it is pretty limp, for me.
I have, and do, "buy" from Amazon most 0.00 cost books - but usually only because they are recommended here on KB or because someone here points out that they are available free or because the author manages to get my attention with his free or nearly-free book.
I have purchased no $0.00 books before buying my Kindle and coming to KB.
I have read Jeff Hepple's work because he was a regular participant in KB threads - having done so I have started discussion threads about his work.
I have been very vocal to recommend the work of Thumper, Archer, Carolyn Kephart, Mike Hicks, Boyd Morrison and R.J. Keller to name a few.  Because I was lured into reading their first book and then would have paid more than I did for the rest of their work.  To my knowledge I have read everything all of them have written.  (except for Thumper's kitty books).   I only read the first book by Robin Hobb because it was cheap.  And I only read Dennis Batchelder's work because it was recommended and cheap.  Now I hunger for more.

And I hang out waiting for my favorite authors to write more - C.J. Cherryh, Terry Brooks, Ray Feist and a couple of others.

So I didn't see your book was available free.  I have not seen a recommendation for it here in KB.  So I probably will not pay $1.99 for it until I see a good review here.  If I do I will try it.  And if I like it you might join the group mentioned above.  But I should also say that there are others whose work I did not finish because I felt that they were not worth $0.00 or any other price.  And I will not give them a second chance.  And I have been vocal in providing reviews of those books here at KB also.

Just sayin.......


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

Hi everyone,

So far this has all been very interesting. Lots of different points of view, which is pretty much as I expected, but it's nice to get it spelled out by so many of you.

Would love to see this conversation continue.

Alan


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

First Smashwords review just appeared. And it made my day. 

*Review by: dreams on Nov. 20, 2009 : star star star star star*
_Great fun from start to finish. The various antics of the characters had me laughing out loud as I visualized the situations. I loved following the old lady sisters, Amelia and Doreen (they were so real that I could almost hear their conversations) and Ted and Jerry (that guy had more stuff he was into than poor Ted could keep up with). If that wasn't enough, add in the alphabet soup of government agencies and "the clothing optional former onion festival queen". I had no idea how it was going to end and couldn't wait to find out. This will definitely be on my to-be-read-again list._


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

At the beginning of the year I let just about all the coupons for *Boomerang* expire. And it has been a rather pleasant surprise to see that sales are still chugging away. Steady on Amazon, picking up on B&N and blipping along on Smashwords, where between coupons and actual sales it is currently the Number Five Bestseller.

I have to attribute this to some very nice Passing Along The Word by readers who picked it up earlier and are now letting others know they liked it and that it represents $1.99 well invested. If you are one of those early Dear Readers who have helped me get the word out about *Boomerang* I would like to say Thanks!

Alan (aka Plumboz)


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Alan:

How do you access your sales on B&N? I have seen my ranking fluctuate there and assume I have a few sales, but until I gt a handle on it, I haven't promoted the B&N pages yet.

Thanks
Ed Patterson


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

Edward C. Patterson said:


> Alan:
> 
> How do you access your sales on B&N? I have seen my ranking fluctuate there and assume I have a few sales, but until I gt a handle on it, I haven't promoted the B&N pages yet.
> 
> ...


Hi Ed,

Well, there seems to be no way to track outside of rankings. It's kind of frustrating, as I got spoiled by the constant updates available at Smashwords and Amazon. So I just go by rankings and the notes I've been getting from readers who have told me, either through email or comments on boards like NookBoards, that they got their copy from B&N. I just figure that any day the rank improves, I've probably sold a copy. Reporting is likely to come on a quarterly basis, kind of like working with a regular publisher. Not my favorite way of doing business, but I am glad to have Boomerang on B&N.

Alan


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## thor0298 (Dec 28, 2009)

I think I am way more likely to buy more books and tell others.  The book doesn't always need to be free either.  I got my kindle for Christmas and obviously downloaded many free books.  For me it was a low risk way to try a ton of new authors I never would have tried before.  And to my surprise, most I found rather entertaining.  And I have gone on and purchased a few from some of these short story free books.  Hope this helps.


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

plumboz said:


> Hi Ed,
> 
> Well, there seems to be no way to track outside of rankings. It's kind of frustrating, as I got spoiled by the constant updates available at Smashwords and Amazon. So I just go by rankings and the notes I've been getting from readers who have told me, either through email or comments on boards like NookBoards, that they got their copy from B&N. I just figure that any day the rank improves, I've probably sold a copy. Reporting is likely to come on a quarterly basis, kind of like working with a regular publisher. Not my favorite way of doing business, but I am glad to have Boomerang on B&N.
> 
> Alan


Thanks for the information, Alan, and congrats on Boomerang -- it's kicking some serious butt!

I'm thinking of experimenting with letting my coupons expire as well. My ultimate goal is for people to read my stuff -- that's all. But like everybody else I wonder what the effect of giving it away is. Sometimes it's hard to give any priority to some piece of junk that blew down the street (boy, talk about self deprecation, I think I just broke through yet another barrier!)

Thanks again and keep up the good work!

...dave


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

Hi  Dave,

I don't think anybody's derriere is in any danger at the moment from Boomerang's sales "momentum" but it has been very encouraging to know that others attach a value to something that, as you know, has taken a lot of work to create. And I include those readers who redeemed coupons and then went on to recommend it to their own circle. That's putting a value on it just as much as shelling out the two bucks themselves. I can shout all day that I've got a wonderful book out there, but it doesn't have a tiny fraction of the credibility that comes with "Hey, I just read this book and you ought to check it out."

So again I say thanks to the Dear Readers who have, from all evidence, done just that.

Alan


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

Because of authors such as Boyd Morrison who initially gave his books away, I excitedly read indie authors and definitely believe that the price is not what defines the quality of the book. I have learned that there are many many good books out there that are free. I get really frustrated when I hear someone say, "I can't make myself read a free book." I want to scream "WHY NOT" Of course after I've read a good free book by an author, I will happily search for other books by that author and buy them. They don't need to be free. : ) Also, once a book makes its way onto my Kindle, it's thrown right in with books that I have bought.
I think we have many many fine authors on the Kindleboards and feel fortunate to know all of you.


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

Hi gadgetgirl003,

Well, I am certainly glad there are a lot of readers out there who feel as you do. But one thing I have found from this survey and other feedback is that there is no one answer to what attracts or turns off prospective readers. So no point in going crazy trying to find the magic bullet. Just write the best book you can, try to make sure people can hear about it and give them options. 

Then write the next one. I'm working on two right now. Best way to take ones mind off of "promoting", at least for a while.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

plumboz said:


> But one thing I have found from this survey and other feedback is that there is no one answer to what attracts or turns off prospective readers. So no point in going crazy trying to find the magic bullet. Just write the best book you can, try to make sure people can hear about it and give them options.
> 
> Then write the next one. I'm working on two right now. Best way to take ones mind off of "promoting", at least for a while.


I think you are totally right because all of us are different. I think it's a good thing that people have varying interests and likes and dislike. That is fantastic that you are working on two new books. Good luck to you with them. I am amazed by all of you writers. I have a hard time just finishing an email.


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## karij123 (Dec 27, 2009)

Being new to Kindle and these boards, I have to admit that my Kindle is quickly filling up with free and inexpensive books, mostly based on either authors here or by books being mentioned here.  I've become a huge fan of Karen McQuestion and Maria Schneider.  I have several other authors downloaded and ready to read.  I would never have learned of these authors or books had it not been for these boards.

The way I determine if I want a books is first by hearing what others think, though I DO NOT read reviews on amazon or other stores.  Only on forums.  Don't know why, but reviews sound so contrived to me, while on forums it seems more real.  Second, I try a sample.  It irritates me to no end when I download a sample and I get a cover, title page, copyright info, dedication, forward, and maybe the first page of the actual book.  I won't get the book.  Give me something to sink my teeth into if you want me to buy the book.  Third, I do look at price.  I weigh how much I enjoyed the sample, how much I've enjoyed the authors other work, and the price.  

I have thoroughly enjoyed the free books I've downloaded, and haven't purchased any "mainstream" books yet, except one for my book club.  I've never been one to shy away from a new author, and had been one to live off the $1 rack at half-price books, reading new authors all the time.  I'm an avid reader, averaging a book every day or two.  If I didn't have free/cheap books, I would be in the poorhouse!


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## MikeD (Nov 5, 2008)

I admit that I am a very hard to please reader. And, being well into my later 50's I have also come to realize that time is not my friend and this has altered my reading habits. This despite the fact that I read between 130 - 150 books/year.

Also to clarify ahead of time, when I refer to an "unknown" author below, I am referring to an author who is unknown to me.

For decades, I tried new authors and different things based just on recommendation or a great back cover. Sometimes I was pleasantly surprised, sometimes very disappointed. Over the years I have developed a very large "stable" of authors that I will read on a regular basis. So now I look at my huge TBR list and realize that these authors can fill all of my time so I am very discerning about what books I try and what authors I support with my $$$. As odd as this may sound, I keep an actual list of authors that I read and if I add a new author, I must bump an old one. Since this list has been developed over many years, getting added to my list isn't an easy thing for a new author to do.

So, that brings us to Kindle and the tons of free, or nearly free, books that are available. I do not download every free book that comes along nor do I buy every cheap book that is available. But I do try to look at at least one unknown/indie author every month. To date (2 years since I purchased my Kindle) I have tried over 25 indie/unknowns and found 4 new authors that I will now read everything that they write. 3 of them -Tuttle, archer, & Kroese - all post on this board and that had a lot to do with why I tried them in the first place. There are many other indie authors here whom I have not yet tried. Again, too many books, just not enough time.

But let me be very straight forward here since you asked - I will not try a new author unless they price the book well below similar books from a publishing house. Once they are able to move unto my "preferred authors" list, then I will pay whatever their going price is for future books. But I won't pay publishing house prices for an unknown author. There is no incentive for me to do so. I have all the authors that I can read now. Free is good, but it doesn't have to be free. Just very reasonably priced.

If I download a freebie/cheapie, I will add it to my TBR pile and will eventually read it.

As for Boomerang, I did not download it as a free book, although I considered it at the time. Problem was that espionage is not one of my preferred genres, although I do read it on occasion. But I have to be in the mood for such and was not in the mood for that type of book when you made it available. No slight intended, just back to that books and time thing.

Finally - samples. When the Kindle first came out and made samples available, I thought that was the best thing since sliced bread. But after trying many samples I came to realize that samples can be, and often are, very misleading. On several occasions I was pleased by a sample only to find the book itself was not a sustainable read. I no longer mess much with samples. I'll try a free/cheap book long before I'll let a sample dictate what books I buy.

Anyway, that is just my opinion. I wish you the very best with Boomerang and I'll keep it in mind the next time I feel like trying espionage with a vein of humor running through it.


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## pomlover2586 (Feb 14, 2009)

I'm more likely to try a new author if the book is free or under $2. If I like the book then I'll purchase their other books at full price if the topic interests me.


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

Hi Dave,

One of the challenges I have had in promoting Boomerang is its Lack of Obvious Genre. So when you say "espionage" I would like to say that that isn't really what the book is all about. Here's the capsule synopsis:

_Ted Hogwood's beloved Sarah, a jazz guitar, is in the window of Topp Dollar Pawn. The only way he can get the money to rescue her is to accept an assignment from the AABC, a not nearly official branch of the United States intelligence community. He is partnered with Jerry Kwiatkowski, master of the Hammond B-3 organ and chronic flatulence sufferer, to steal a boomerang containing secrets that should have died with J. Edgar Hoover over thirty years ago. It would be a simple job if only they knew what they were doing. And if a crossbow wielding assassin, two unemployed Australian women, The Director of Central Intelligence and a clothing optional former onion festival queen were not also hot on the boomerang's trail. _

So while there are elements of "Intelligence" about it, it is very much a How Anybody Can Be Sucked In sort of tale with most of the attention paid to the folks who have no idea what the whole picture is.

When you're in the mood, it will be ready for you!


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

Just a little follow-up question: When given the option between getting a book by a living author (in other words, someone whose livelihood depends at least in part on income from his/her labors as a writer) for free or paying for it, however little the amount, and having a reasonable expectation, either from recommendations you trust or samples you've read, that it will be something you will enjoy, which way do you normally go? Free or pay?


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

Even if a book is free I will only purchase it (for lack of a better word) if it sounds interesting to me. I have tried quite a few of the freebies though and ended up liking them and purchasing others that were in the series that I might not have tried otherwise. 

So I guess I am 50/50, just because it is free doesn't mean I will try it out but even if it sounds a little bit interesting to me I will try it.


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

plumboz said:


> Hi Dave,
> 
> One of the challenges I have had in promoting Boomerang is its Lack of Obvious Genre. So when you say "espionage" I would like to say that that isn't really what the book is all about. Here's the capsule synopsis:


I think that was MikeD that said "espionage"...


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

daveconifer said:


> I think that was MikeD that said "espionage"...


Oops. My bad.

May I lay at least some of the blame on the past few weeks wildly varying work schedule I have been enjoying? In as early as six in the morning some days, out as late as 1:30 AM others. All in the same week.

No?

Okay, it's all my fault.


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## Randolphlalonde (Sep 12, 2009)

I almost always purchased bargain books first back before my ereader days.

Now it's all based on synopsis. Considering I take five or more runs at a synopsis for each of my books before I choose which will go online or into print (This is my round-about way of saying that I'm not great at blurbing), I have to say I put too much weight on what's on the back cover.

If an eBook is over $9.99 I won't buy it, ever. If it's free and it's impressed me in some way (good example here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/2922) then it gets the same attention as anything I've purchased.

Looking at it from the other end, I have the First Light Chronicles Omnibus, which contains an entire trilogy, listed for free only on Smashwords. It's listed for $7.99 or less everywhere else (Amazon, Mobipocket, Kobo and others). Since its listing a few months ago it's been downloaded 6,486 times. I'm hoping people have been reading it, but expect half grabbed it as just another freebie for their device. On the positive side, at least a few readers have followed though and started reading the books that follow the First Light Chronicles Trilogy, so there's a measure of success there.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

Randolphlalonde said:


> I almost always purchased bargain books first back before my ereader days.
> 
> Looking at it from the other end, I have the First Light Chronicles Omnibus, which contains an entire trilogy, listed for free only on Smashwords. It's listed for $7.99 or less everywhere else


It's listed for free on Barnes & Noble also...Of course it shows "Publisher- Smashwords"


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## Randolphlalonde (Sep 12, 2009)

gadgetgirl003 said:


> It's listed for free on Barnes & Noble also


Thanks for reminding me! I completely forgot that I've opted into all the distribution channels that Smashwords offers, meaning that it's available for free in about one third of the stores it appears in.


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## MikeD (Nov 5, 2008)

plumboz said:


> Oops. My bad.
> 
> May I lay at least some of the blame on the past few weeks wildly varying work schedule I have been enjoying? In as early as six in the morning some days, out as late as 1:30 AM others. All in the same week.
> 
> ...


No biggie. I knew you were addressing me. 



plumboz said:


> Just a little follow-up question: When given the option between getting a book by a living author (in other words, someone whose livelihood depends at least in part on income from his/her labors as a writer) for free or paying for it, however little the amount, and having a reasonable expectation, either from recommendations you trust or samples you've read, that it will be something you will enjoy, which way do you normally go? Free or pay?


This may sound cold, but whether an author relies on his book's income is initially irrelevant to me. Now let me explain that a bit.  Until I am invested in that author in some way, they are just another person, struggling like so many others in this world. Unemployed actors, painters who haven't yet sold their work, photographers who shoot weddings, singers or bands who play just the local night clubs - all part of the struggling artist family. I don't see a struggling author as any different and that won't play a role in what book I decide to read any more that a struggling actor will dictate which movie I see.

But once I am invested in that author, then I will do my part to see that he or she gets my share of $$$ for their work. Cory Doctorow, for example, publishes his books free as ebooks. All of them. At first I read a couple of his books, found that I liked him and then bought those same books in hard cover and donated them to my local library. Now I do that as a matter of course. In time my library will have a full compliment of Doctorow's bibliography. I also support forums and blogs that I read as well as books. I'm not cheap, I'm just discerning as to where my money goes.

So I don't look at paying for a book as dependent on whether the author is struggling or not. To oversimplify, if I am trying to decide between 2 books from unknown (to me) authors then interest in the book will make that decision - not the price. Keep in mind, however, that an overpriced new author won't get my interest to start with. But if they are within that $0 - $3 introductory range, the price or circumstance of the author is not relevant to my decision to buy or not to buy.

JMO.


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

Ah, but I didn't mean to imply said author was necessarily struggling, simply that he or she was still around and was the one on the receiving end of at least some of the income generated by sales of his work. Distinct from Thackeray or Homer, shall we say.

The parallels you draw with actors and musicians and other artists are sort of appropriate, but if we look at it that way, do you think painters should give away paintings in the hope that some of the recipients will hang them up and come to like them enough to come back to purchase more? 

I'm just trying to get a grip on how the "buying" public views these sorts of products. And that is what they are: products. The "let me have the first one for free and I'll let you know" sort of thing is pretty rare in the marketplaces most of us frequent. Sure, there are samples at Costco and little bites at the deli or bakery, but they are not giving away whole pies or a pound of parmesan reggiano, just little bites. And in the world of ebooks nearly every place that offers them allows a prospective reader to sample before they buy. Often the samples are pretty darned large. Plenty large enough for most people to be able to say Yes or No. But what I have heard from a lot of ebook readers is that they feel it is appropriate for the free sample to be the entire work. There is a sense of entitlement to free that has come to us via the internet. I'm just not sure whether I think that is a completely good thing. Will we eventually end up getting what we pay for? I dunno.

The Doctorow example is brought up frequently, but his situation does not apply to the vast majority of writers trying to get their work out there. He gets on the cover of magazines advertising his "free" program. I'm still waiting for that call.

It's an interesting question and one I hesitated to ask. I mean I've given away a lot of copies of Boomerang in the past several months. I don't regret it, but I'm not sure if it will ultimately help me in establishing a readership that will respond to books I will be bringing out in another year or so. I mean if you're going to do it right, it takes a while. 

Best,
Alan


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## MikeD (Nov 5, 2008)

The comparison to struggling artists was to help clarify why the livelihood of an author is not relevant to a decision to purchase in my mind. Not intended to compare their market effectiveness. Clearly each of those artists must present and market their product differently.

The Doctorow example was intended solely to show how I personally try to support authors in who I am invested after the fact. The criteria of import here was free first, support later. Obviously an indie author can't compete with Doctorow at this point in his career. Perhaps better examples would be that once I read "Wistril Compleat" and "Dead Man's Rain", I purchased ALL of Tuttle's work even though I have not yet had the opportunity to read them all. And once I read a portion of "Elfhunter" I purchased "Fire-heart" and "Ravenshade" although I have not yet completed "Elfhunter" nor read the other 2 books (I'm kinda funny in that I like to read all of a series at one time when possible which is my intention for CS Marks' work - she's good and I'm looking forward to that experience).

It is indeed an interesting question and one that I think will work itself out over time. I'm fond of saying that the "market will out". It surely will. Ultimately the consumers needs and desire will become obvious and a compromise will be reached. In the meantime there will be some give and take and the market will likely swing one way and then the other before it settles in. It is all new.

In the long run, I see a healthy and thriving independent writing community. It just needs time to settle in.


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

One more POV:
When I look at my list of books, all 40+ pages, I don't really remember what was free and what wasn't, or even what half of them are about. When I take a breather from the books that I am reading for a reason (keeping an eye on what my daughter is reading, rereading an old favorite, or something that is relevant to me right now), I often just pick at random. I gave up on a TBR list, I never got passed the first 3, because there was always something new to add. I have been reading Hawaii (yeah, it's my only DTB, since I can't get it for my Kindle, and man is it heavy!!) because it has a lot about the social history of Japan and Okinawa where we are right now, next I have to read something for my daughter, to make sure it's OK for her, but unless something comes up before I finish, I will have a free spot...that's when I flip through all my books and pick one! 
So, Price has no bearing on how I value books, and while I have favorite authors, I stray a lot and read whatever I can get my hands on. My love affair with books started early and I have always enjoyed finding new talent to add to my favorites list. 
The important part is getting your book on my Kindle, which isn't hard. If I like the sound of a book and it's less than $3 it's automatic. If it's less than $5 I will read the sample and check formatting and writting style. If it's more than $5, I add it to a list that I go over every week or so, to watch price and reread the sample and check reviews, if I keep liking it, I get it.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

Randolphlalonde said:


> Thanks for reminding me! I completely forgot that I've opted into all the distribution channels that Smashwords offers, meaning that it's available for free in about one third of the stores it appears in.


You are welcome.  I just mentioned it to you in case you didn't want it to be free at Barnes & Noble.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I think that is a very good question.

I will purchase any book that is free from either Amazon or Smashwords if the description sounds interesting. And then I will sometime try to get to it. I do this because often I later find it is a good book and it is no longer free and often is expensive.

However, if a book (especially by an indie author) is highly recommended by someone that I respect, I will be more than happy to pay for it. And will probaby read it very soon, because of the recommendation.

In either case, I like to see authors get paid for their work.

I will give you a very good example - I had read Jeff Hepple's books and liked them a lot and also found his participation as a member here on KB to be thoughtful and useful.  So when he recommended Gertie's book Ariana's Pride, I was happy to get it and read it. The same was true for the nice reviews of Thumper's Charybdis - which I found I enjoyed very much and read all the other books in the "series".

Just sayin......


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## Randolphlalonde (Sep 12, 2009)

Putting my own experiences with self publishing aside, I think its worth mentioning the "conventional wisdom" that's been near the heart of the North American advertising industry for seventy or so years.

When I was in marketing and business studies, something that was often stressed was the need to avoid selling on price.

According to the advertising and marketing industry, that price point isn't supposed to wander far from its margin often. When it does it's either because it does so by order of a few pennies (Reducing a price from 4.99 to 4.97 because the latter seems much lesser than it actually is), or promotions aren't working at all at the current price point (under ideal terms the retailer's margin has been increased by the supplier to support the reduction), OR - and this is considered a hail Mary by some ad execs - a promotional blitz ENDS with a surprise price drop to push a large portion of the inventory at the last minute. That's conventional retail, and it's an aging model, but the mantra; "Don't sell on price" still rings in most sectors.

I'll use an obvious example that I've heard so many times in the halls of private educational institutions so many times that I've probably talked about it in my sleep by now. Apple.

In short, Apple has spent decades building a reputation for innovation, quality, pleasure and ease of use. The price is non-negotiable, and higher than their competition. The first iPhones to appear on eBay sold for over $3,500.00 on the reputation and hype alone. Would you believe a few of these sellers didn't even have one in their hands before they received payment? Now that's selling air.

There are other factors to Apple's success, but the most notable ones can be summed up in quality, individuality and positive perception (word of mouth, good advertising, etc...).

In the publishing world the sales formula is a little different, and that, like the retail advertising model, is showing its age. Publishers sell reputation (an authors - using reviews for previous work and such, and their own), hype (pre-releases to reviewers and paid advertising), and sometimes a franchise or connection to local / national / global community. Book stores are at the bottom, with little control over how they can promote the product, so they have to rely on good placement and often manipulating the price, damaging their margin. The publishing industry is having difficulty understanding how to use eBooks in this equation, so many are simply inflating the price to punishment heights instead of figuring out how to take advantage of a new opportunity.

As Indies, we don't have to do this. As Indies we can use a great deal of the old retail promotional model and help each other as a community to build our reputations with peer reviews, honest hype by getting excited about a good Indie book, and by paying attention to what our readers are saying about what they consider fair value so we've set the right price mark of our books from day one. This thread had been great for that.

As Indie authors we communicate with fewer people at a time, but we have a greater opportunity to listen, so selling on price can become a non-issue after establishing a fair value. I'm hearing that a new author should charge between $0.99 to $1.99 and a known author should keep under $8.00 with $3.99 being the sweet spot. 

My next book (The Sons Of Brightwill), already has a set price and I'm a month or more from releasing it. Now the task of building anticipation and informing people begins. Samples start going out soon, and I start talking to people who are important to building this book's reputation next week. Until recently I haven't put enough work into the pre-release phase of promotion, but with Mobipocket fading away, I can't afford to continue releasing without much information going out to the public. Some publishers take up to a year to promote a book before release, most take 3-6 months. 

I'm going to see what I can do with 1, and I'm sure that as long as my price is seen as reasonable, not brutally low or savagely high, I know I won't be wasting my time or insulting readers with poorly thought out promotions or pricing.

Thank you for starting this thread, the opinions here have been helpful. While I've settled on pricing with Mobipocket according to purchasing behavior an averages there, the rest of the Internet seems almost random, so I'm still figuring most of it out like most Indies.


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

Well this has been an interesting discussion. Combining the accumulated knowledge as posted here with my experiences over the past few months promoting Boomerang, I've come to the conclusion that regardless of price what is wanted for any sort of significant impact is a very large advertising budget, possibly including bus wraps and sky writing.

I have chosen to go with a fifty percent off coupon instead.

So now through the end of February Boomerang can be gotten at Smashwords for $0.99 when one uses coupon code CC73Z.

I'm saving up for the bus wrap.


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

plumboz said:


> I'm saving up for the bus wrap.


Massive amounts of free alcohol might work also!! 

Hmmm, now there's a marketing tool ---- I can see it now --- good book $29.95 comes with the fifth of your choice.....


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

I think I'll leave the booze option alone for now. Personally I find my need for the stuff is reduced in direct proportion to the attraction of whatever I'm reading at the time. For instance my recent struggle with Iain Pears' A Incident at the Fingerpost made me thirsty. Wodehouse, Twain, Hiaasen, Pratchett, Westlake and a bunch of other just make me wish I didn't have to do other stuff like go to work.

But I am happy to say that the half-price coupon has been warmly received. And the full price sales are just about keeping pace.

And although this is outside the whole ebook ethos here, I can't help but mention that direct sales of autographed paperbacks has had a gratifying uptick too!

Almost forgot to include the coupon info. CC73Z

Just click on the Smashwords link in my signature.

Thanks!


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

plumboz said:


> My question is this: As an ebook person, do you only check out a new author if his/her work can be gotten for free?


Going through the ebooks I've bought I've found that there are only five authors that I had read prior to purchasing my first ereader. Dean Koontz, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Robert Jordan, and Terry Brooks.

Everybody else has either been an author that I had never heard of before, and believe it or not that does include Michael Crichton, or has a name that has a familiar ring to it but I cannot say why (like Clive Cussler).

So no, it doesn't need to be free for me to try a new author, it just needs to generate enough interest for me to make a purchase, and there's no telling what it'll take for that to happen. I mean, take World War Z for example, I first heard about it about a year or so ago, it interested me, but it wasn't until this month that I finally got around to buying it. I don't know what it was, it's just that I reached a point where I finally had to have it.



> And if so, if you find a writer you like through free offers, are you apt to tell others about your discovery?


Writers? No, definitely not. To me the names of the creators, be they the name of authors, bands, actors and what not have very little or no weight to them, just enough to get them noticed. I absolutely hate recommendations that only give those kinds of names, I much prefer more specific recommendations, book titles, album titles, movie titles. So, on the rare instance in which I do make recommendations I will recommend a specific title.

Of course, with samples and freebies I'd be far more inclined to recommend someone check a book out that way as it doesn't require they risk anything, problem is that I don't know anyone that has an ereader.



plumboz said:


> It does seem to be a bit of a dilemma for an Unknown Quantity such as myself. Make it free, and it may attract more "purchasers". But the chances of them actually reading it are diminished because they have no financial stake in the thing.


I think that it's really just a matter of people getting accustomed to freebies 'cause once you reach the point of over-saturation you realize that you have to be selective about the books that you download even if they are free. I really *really* need to go through my freebies and separate the ones that genuinely interest me from the ones that I downloaded solely because they were free, but I haven't since I'm rather on the lazy side, I think that I'll make it this weekends project, which I'll start once I finish World War Z.


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## plumboz (Sep 24, 2009)

A heartening note from a reader over at Mobileread. It seems offering a book for free can sometimes lead to an actual sale:

_I just finished *Boomerang* last night. I found it quite amusing; not "laugh-out-loud," but rather "smile-and-smirk." Well worth the time spent. I'll be putting some $$ into the author's hands (whether through Smashwords or some other mechanism, I'm not sure).

Xenophon _

This is, I am sure, the exception to the rule, but still, it is nice to hear. And since both the Amazon and B&N rankings improved immediately following this note, I'm guessing one of those purchasers was Xenophon.

Alan


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