Captain's Log, Stardate 02.01.2012
So here’s a weird phenomenon. There are a bunch of free thriller books available today on Kindle but I’m not a huge fan of secular thriller because many of them tend to get a little more gristly than I like. I looked at the book blurbs, but they were mostly serial killer type of thrillers, which do tend to get bloody.
So I am actually not downloading free ebooks! I can’t believe it!
But it also got me to thinking. These days there are so many free ebooks that people can start to pick and choose which free ebooks to download.
Isn’t that a strange thing? Before, I’d be snatching up almost any free ebook available because, well, it’s free.
Now, I’m like, “Thrillers, eh. I read them but not my favorite genre. I’ll pass.”
I probably should have had this mentality for some of the other free ebooks I downloaded in the past, because I wouldn’t have so many ebooks that I probably won’t ever read.
Then again, they don’t take up space in my house because the ebook files are stored on my Amazon digital bookshelf or my Barnes and Noble Nook shelf, not on my computer. So I suppose it doesn’t matter if I download books I’ll never read since I don’t have to store the files.
I wonder, does this glut of free ebooks defeat the marketing purpose of a free ebook? I’m sure it works sometimes--a reader will pick up a free ebook from an author he/she hasn’t read before, and suddenly the reader is a new fan of the author.
But with so many free ebooks these days, does it make it less likely that reader will get around to reading the author’s book since there are so many other free (and paid) ebooks the reader has gotten?
So would I utilize free ebooks as a marketing tool? I’m not sure. Maybe. I might offer a novella for free if it was the first of a series. Or I might offer a full-length ebook for a really cheap price, like $0.50. The reason is because I’m wondering if the people who would pay those few cents for my ebook would be more likely to read it than those who got it for free.
What do you think?
Update: I also started this discussion on Goodreads if you want to participate there!
So I am actually not downloading free ebooks! I can’t believe it!
But it also got me to thinking. These days there are so many free ebooks that people can start to pick and choose which free ebooks to download.
Isn’t that a strange thing? Before, I’d be snatching up almost any free ebook available because, well, it’s free.
Now, I’m like, “Thrillers, eh. I read them but not my favorite genre. I’ll pass.”
I probably should have had this mentality for some of the other free ebooks I downloaded in the past, because I wouldn’t have so many ebooks that I probably won’t ever read.
Then again, they don’t take up space in my house because the ebook files are stored on my Amazon digital bookshelf or my Barnes and Noble Nook shelf, not on my computer. So I suppose it doesn’t matter if I download books I’ll never read since I don’t have to store the files.
I wonder, does this glut of free ebooks defeat the marketing purpose of a free ebook? I’m sure it works sometimes--a reader will pick up a free ebook from an author he/she hasn’t read before, and suddenly the reader is a new fan of the author.
But with so many free ebooks these days, does it make it less likely that reader will get around to reading the author’s book since there are so many other free (and paid) ebooks the reader has gotten?
So would I utilize free ebooks as a marketing tool? I’m not sure. Maybe. I might offer a novella for free if it was the first of a series. Or I might offer a full-length ebook for a really cheap price, like $0.50. The reason is because I’m wondering if the people who would pay those few cents for my ebook would be more likely to read it than those who got it for free.
What do you think?
Update: I also started this discussion on Goodreads if you want to participate there!
Comments
Laura, I've done that too! I got Lacy Williams' free ebook and liked it so much that I went looking for her other books.
The other thing about digital books is that I forget about them. A print book is in view and I remember to read it. But I have to work harder at remembering to read an ebook. I'm thinking I'm going to stick with print, although I'm glad my readers are into digital because that's where most of my sales are. Something for everybody, I think. The marketplace needs both.
http://growingforchrist.wordpress.com
Kathy, thanks for chiming in! It's good to know that your free ebooks are driving up your sales! I agree that I tend to forget about my ebooks, too, since they're not on my shelves, but then again I have so many books that several are in boxes and they're out of sight already! Doh!
Sarah, that's a good point! The majority of free Christian ebooks I've seen are from major publishers, not self-published. However, I'm starting to see more self-published Christian fiction lately. I haven't read many of them, however, since I'm not familiar with the authors.
I am more hesitant to download books that are obviously self-published. Cheesy covers and really cheap "original" prices are clues I look for. That's not to say there aren't good self-published books out there. But I don't have time to wade through the unknown hunting for them. Know what I mean?
Cecelia, I KNOW! I have so many print books still waiting to be read that often I feel guilty for downloading free books even though I know they're free!!!