Thanks to the Kindle I have met a fabulous new author. St. Martin’s offered the first 2 Julia Spencer-Fleming mysteries for free download for about a one week period.
I got them and devoured them. I have since read the other 4 in her fabulous series. Some on the Kindle which I paid for and others which I also paid for. Mystery and romance – Christmas in June for me. Yeah, I think I read the first one about 2 weeks ago. I recommended these books, after reading the first 2, to about 5 other friends, all of whom have bought at least 1 but in most cases more. P.S. Not one of these poor people have a Kindle. There should be a law. Everyone has gotten hooked on Clare and Russ and the mysteries get more and more complex. Just wonderful.
I think this is brilliant marketing. It compelled me to purchase more books and to tell my family and friends who purchased more books and hopefully they will spread the word. And so on, and so on, and so on.
Next to word of mouth, this is the most powerful thing I have seen in a while.
Today, I can get from Amazon a Sherrilyn Kenyon backlist title for $0.00. You think anyone who hasn’t read her before could resist an offer like this? I don’t.
And that, ladies and gents, is what I call growing the market.
Kate
I think it’s great promo!
Tor has an entire website (http://www.Tor.com) dedicated to offering free downloads of their backlist titles — usually timed in conjunction with a new release by the same authors.
I’ve seen Avon do the same, most recently with Julia Quinn. They gave away THE DUKE AND I as a free download just before her latest book, THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM, released.
Cory Doctorow offers free downloads of all his books on his website. (click on a cover in the sidebar and it will take you to the bookshelf page where he has both “Download Now” and “Buy Now” links) I still haven’t figured out how he got his publishers to allow him to do this, but I think it’s great. If I love an e-read, I’ll buy the print version, stock up on the author’s other titles, and I’ll rave to friends.
Something else that caught my eye a month or so ago, was when St. Martins re-released Christine Warren’s WOLF AT THE DOOR for $2.99 the month before the latest book in the same series released. This wasn’t an e-version, but a mass market reprinting of a 3/07 mass market release. The $2.99 version is available everywhere–Amazon, WalMart, brick and mortar bookstores, etc. A lot of readers picked it up for that price when they hadn’t picked it up for $6.99. And, once hooked on the series, I’m sure they caught up quickly with the subsequent books.
My .02 cents.
It’s a terrific marketing tool for authors who are in print. For authors like me who have been published in e-book ONLY it’s not so great because I’ve made such a miniscule amount of money from my e-books.
Break out the tiny violins.
Personally, I cringe at the thought of giving away free downloads. I’ve given away free e-books in the past for marketing purposes but still didn’t like it.
For e-book authors who also have books in print that are available on Amazon or Fiction Wise–which I believe supports the Kindle–it could be a plus for them if they’re making real money from their titles in print. But still, free books…writing is too darn hard not to get paid something for it. And e-book publishers offer no advance. Unless you’re writing erotica–which I don’t–erotica is where the money is in e-books–there isn’t a lot of incentive–at least for me–to give away free downloads.
Perhaps I’ll feel differently if I ever make it into print and actually start making some money.
Three of my e-books are available from Fiction Wise. So far, being on Fiction Wise and the introduction of the new Kindle has done ZIP for my sales.
Cher
http://www.chergorman.com
I think any promotion an author does is fabulous!!! It gets their names out and they have an edge on their competition. I am more likely going to purchase their work than another authors, just cause I know their name. I can also rave and brag about them to my friends and family. Who doesn’t love getting something for free?! Thanks for the post and to Sylvia for letting others know about it.
Readers love getting free reads. I know I’ve taken advantage of the freebies Harlequin offers every now and then and discovered new authors that way–also discovered new lines of books I’d never have bought in a bookstore if I hadn’t been seduced first!
I know on a very small scale that readers can be lured to buy your books when they get free “samples.” I’ve been growing my newsletter group by offering a free serialized novel, the seventh in my already published My Immortal Knights books. Readers have told me they’ve read a chapter or two and had to go gobble up the rest of the series from the website!
For you, Delilah, offering a free serialized book is definitely a pay off. Once a new reader gets a taste of your work they go running to the book store!
Hi Kate – I’ll second everything you said. I’ve been offering free ebooks on my website for quite a while and it does attract some attention.
I think that is a wonderful idea!
I have read some free reads that have totally gotten me hooked on an author, so that I go out a purchase all their books! You can never go wrong with a promo like that!!!
Ashley A
I am not a writer, I am a reader and free ebooks get me every time. I read a lot and I read both paperback and ebooks. People that know me know that I am a fanatic about making sure I get all my fav authors books. But I love learning about new authors. I might find them because I won an ebook and if I really enjoyed the book then I make an effort to go and buy all their older books. I found a new author just this past weekend whose series started coming last year…as of June 3 the 5th book in the series came out…I bought 3 of them in ebook form and the 5th book I went and picked up from the book store. I found her because I was at a USB and they looked interesting and I was hooked. Cheap or free will get my attention every time.
As for Kenyon, is it possible to have too many of her books? LOL
I really do think this kind of marketing is infectious. And my only other plan was to put a gun to the customer’s head and march them to the cash register but that has a downside.
Cher
Haha – a gun would be a bit much – but the free books marketing… I agree that it’s a great plan. That works.
I’m a reader and I buy a huge amount of ebooks for my ebookwise reader and have it with me all the time. I have seen a few of the free downloads from author and pubs, but I missed alot of them as they are up a limited time and I miss getting to them on time by the time I found out. But when I do, I love to read a new to me author or have a treat of a free read of an author I have read before. So know as a reader, I appreciate the free ebooks.
I’m glad to see this kind of thing getting done more. hahaha @ the gun. Hostage situations are always a dramatic way to move books. Some authors have a lot of success with podcasting. ala Scott Sigler. Though I’m not sure it’s become a very big wave yet in the romance genre.
I don’t own a kindle, but I have to say I like the idea of free downloads to lure a new reader to authors. And I am one of the ones who bought the $2.99 Wolf at the Door which introduced me to that author, and because of this I bought the newest by the author, Walk on the Wild Side. *G*
The gun sounds like a good idea. I’d visit you in prison, Kate. I’m there for ya.
Free stuff, or deeply discounted, is always good. I bought my first Iris Johannson (sp?) at a used book store, and couldn’t put the book down. Then I went to B Dalton and bought all of her backlist. I was in heaven.
Free works. I offer one of my older erotic romance titles as a download to members of my newsletter, and I know that’s brought in new members. My hope, of course, is that once they sample my writing they’ll be interested in more.
I agree that free is the best price going.
I don’t know if it is a great thing for writers,
but it certainly is for readers.
I almost purchased a Kindle for my cruise trip, but then second guessed myself. I wish I would have read your blog first. Oh well, I’ll go and buy it now.
Dawn
NOLA
I’m dying to get a kindle.
Speaking of free… I stumbled upon this blog the other day and I can’t figure out if its real, or if its an aspiring romance novelist trying to build up her readership. If she’s a writer, then it’s kind of brilliant build-up to an eventual book.
If it’s not real, she ought to be writing one, because she nails it. Either way, I’m enjoying it. Because like you said – free romance :> I think it’s a GREAT thing for readers.
It’s here: http://mysuperhopelessromance.blogspot.com
Guess what I’m getting in a few days for my birthday? Yep, a kindle…I ((so)) can’t wait… The hubby has no idea what he’s buying me, poor guy!! hahaha…
Dawn