by Doranna
Free, free, FREE!
I often wonder what readers think when they see ebooks listed for free. I can’t look at that issue from my reader point of view, because it’s too much a part of my writer point of view.
I suspect it’s not entirely understood, to judge by certain sneering comments I’ve seen…
When a backlist author puts a title up for free, it has nothing to do with the perceived worth of the book. In fact, we often put our favorite books up for free. And when readers download them, we get all excited.
In a world of trying to market without a publicity department, free book downloads change how our books are presented in book stores–where and how often they appear. And unless they do appear, it’s very hard for a reader “browsing” the bookstore to see them and make a choice about reading or buying. Unless they receive reviews, or likes, or tags, it’s really hard to get them presented to readers at all.
That’s why when we do a freebie, and it does well, it’s really exciting. So this week, that’s why I’m all excited that TOUCHED BY MAGIC hit the #1 free epic fantasy at kindle, and then hung around that spot for a while. Of course I know it’s not the same as being a #1 paid book, but it means a lot to me in many other ways.
(Yes, it’s still free–at Kindle, Nook, Sony, Kobo, iTunes, and Smashwords)
So download a freebie today!
And if you’re so moved, go to the store’s page and “like” that book as an indication of your interest, or write a little review when you’re finished reading.
We love you for it–and it’s one way you can have a voice in the kinds of titles you see.
The freebie ebook is a VERY effective marketing tool.
I’ve spent mumblty-mumble dollars more than I should have in the last six months on authors I’ve discovered through your backlist free books, Dee, whom I loved, then gone on to devour their ebooks’ backlist that cost actual money. lol (I’m sure that’s a run on sentence with incorrect punctuation…but I’m brain-fried right now. Hope you could make sense of it!)