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Free and discounted books: Awesome, or ruining the publishing industry?

7/15/2021

6 Comments

 
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Yesterday, some snarky jackhole on Twitter got preachy with authors, telling them not to discount their books to 99 cents (or give them away) because it devalued their work. In the comments, said jackhole went on to say, a) how much he hated authors who tell other authors what to do (and he totally missed the hilarious irony on that one), b) Would never put his precious book babies on sale because he'd rather sell nothing at full price than give his groundbreaking words away for anything less than full price.

Other authors chimed in to agree with the jackhole (no romance authors, I noticed), saying that free and discounted books were ruining the industry. So basically, these folks were saying that authors who give away their work or put their books on sale are basically stealing money out of their colleagues pockets.

I, of course, disagreed and was called a "troll" who didn't care about authors and just wanted to keep getting cheap books. (BIG eye roll) But along with the utter madness and stupidity and entitled snarkiness of the jackhole's posts and comments, he also mentioned that no one EVER  reads a free book. His contention (which I assume he pulled directly out of his own ass after pushing his head out of the way) was that readers just hoard free books and NEVER EVER NEVER read them. Which brings me to the headline question and THIS:      
Now, first of all, I feel I need to offer a disclaimer. I am in NO WAY saying that authors should always offer their books free or for 99 cents. Every author should set their own prices as they see fit. Heck, I've been known to pay huge prices and not even bat an eye for authors I know and trust. But for new-to-me authors, I've found that a free/discounted book is a no-risk introduction. It's a great way to discover new authors without spending an arm and a leg. (Because trust me, if I pay $12.99 for your debut romance and hate it, I will be bitter. But if I get it for 99 cents and decide it's not for me, no harm no foul.) 

Additionally, I'm a book lover first, but I'm a marketer second. I see free/discounted books for exactly what they are: a marketing tool. I can't even tell you how many authors I've discovered through a book sale. And when I loved their freebie or 99 cent book, I immediately went back and bought everything they wrote--at full price. That is, of course, the author's intention. 

But what I really want to know today is:   

    How do YOU feel about free and discounted books?

Submit
6 Comments
Jae Moran link
7/15/2021 12:50:04 pm

So... I have a large, but limited book budget. There are some authors who are autobuy regardless of $$$ and there are those in the middle who I pick & choose by the blurb, word of mouth, reviews (not GR or AMZ), and to a lesser degree price. When it comes to new-to-me authors and sometimes even series, price is more of a factor. I'm much more likely to take a flyer on a free or $0.99 book than even a $4.99 book. I can't count how many authors whose entire backlist I've bought because of the discount on ONE book. Same is true for series, especially long ones... Give me the first one for free and if I like it, I'll buy the next 10 without a thought.

Reply
Jennifer, Romance Rehab
7/15/2021 01:19:31 pm

I'm just like you. And I read 5 or more books a week. If I didn't take advantage of sales and freebies, I'd be broke!

Reply
Lisa
7/15/2021 09:13:59 pm

If not for discounted books my buying would be much smaller.

Reply
Jennifer, Romance Rehab
7/17/2021 11:58:26 am

HARD same, my friend.

Reply
Nancy
7/16/2021 03:20:01 pm

As with Jae Moran, I have a generous book budget, but it still has an upper limit. There are authors I buy regardless of price.

New-to-me authors are most often discovered due to free or deeply discounted books. I'm not willing to spend $10 or more on an untested autbor. I have found several new favs this way, who are now auto buys, and conversely, some for whom the 0.99 purchase price was too high as the books weren't readable.

Reply
Jennifer, Romance Rehab
7/17/2021 12:00:27 pm

I'm the same. I'm willing to spend whatever my favorite authors are charging, but for new-to-me authors, I've found that I'm much, much cheaper. I balk at $4.99 for someone I've never heard of/read. I probably wouldn't try a debut author for more than that. It's sad but true. I know how much effort goes into publishing, but my book budget can only sustain so many "experiments"--and that's what I consider new-to-me authors: experiments.

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