Free
- is a High price to pay.
Recently
I have had posted to me a number of free book give-aways. I can't get
my head around the logic of these give-aways.
If
you go into Waterstones, would they take a book off the shelf and
give it to you for free?
The
answer is – no.
Why?
Simply because it does not make economic sense to do so.
Just
because as the author you sell your book on line in an e-book format,
giving it away free, won't I believe, make it any more popular when
the price is subsequently re-attached to it. Quite the opposite.
Authors
and Editors alike, know how long and hard the road is from conception
of an original idea, to the final publication of a book.
For
those of you reading this blog, who do not know of that journey, I'll
give you a brief run-down.
An
author forms the idea for a plot and then spends, hours, days, weeks,
months and even years putting that idea into the basic format of
their book.
Then
comes re-writes, and plot re-works, all of which are agonized over by
the author until, finally, there is a manuscript ready to send to a
publisher.
Then
the lengthy and often exhausting hunt for a publisher begins. After
let downs, re-works to accommodate the rejecting editor's criticisms
and further send outs, you either get a contract or you say 'forget
it' and go 'indie' and publish the book yourself.
Either
way you are only half-way to a release date for your book.
Between
then and the book going on sale, there is the editing stage which
will most likely include any re-working your editor deems necessary.
Even when the edits are complete. There is still one more stage of
the process to be completed - the proof reading. Only then is your
book almost ready for sale. I say almost, because apart from cover
art-work, there is formatting and obtaining an ISBN.
With
the long awaited release date fixed, then comes the rounds of
pre-promoting your book's release date.
You
tweet. You Facebook. You blog. Give interviews. Send out Press
Releases.
Ad
Nauseam.
So
your book sales need to be greater – but is the answer to give
the book away for free?
The answer has to be –
a resounding – NO.
An author’s
intellectual product should never be given away as a promotional
tool.
If your book has been
pirated, then the natural reaction is one of outrage at the royalties
stolen from you, and quite rightly so.
All the hard work you
have given to your book, the long hours, the tedious trek from
publisher to publisher. The continuous struggle to get recognition as
an author out to the reading public. All that is stolen from you. And
whoever gets and reads the pirated copy is getting it for – free.
I am not likening giving
away a book to pirating – far from it.
You are giving your book
away by choice, it is not being stolen from you, however, the result
is the same. The reader, reading the novel has not paid to the author
any royalties for the privilege.
As a promotion tool, it
is my opinion, that a give-away is a poor one.
I believe it sends the
wrong message to any potential new readers about the author and their
writing.
The
message is that the book is inferior to the ones being sold for
money. Otherwise, why isn't it still on sale for actual cash.
If
it ain't worth money.
It
ain't worth reading – principle – and that opinion is not likely
to change once it is back on sale with a price tag attached.
Add
to this equation, that any other works by the same author can, if the
reader waits long enough, will be available for free.
Added
to this, any other novels by the same author can attract the
preconception that the subsequent books are equally valueless.
Discounting
a book's sale price is a different matter.
'Sale'
items are common practice on all types and levels of merchandise.
Buy
one get one free, offers, are not truly giving the second item away.
The two items, have simply been cleverly discounted by 50%. Helping
the retailer to achieve a greater stock turnover than would otherwise
have been the case. In turn creating more buying power with their
wholesalers. And at 50% discount the retailer is still making –
profit.
My
point is – the second item has not
in reality been given away free.
So, why should something
that has been so hard fought for – the publication of an authors
work be denigrated to the value of = Zero.
In
among all of the above is the waiting.
Waiting
to hear if your manuscript is going to be given a contract.
Waiting
to see the editor's re-works.
Waiting
for a release date.
And
the wait to become a recognized name within the book world.
Is
all of that really worth – nothing?
In
this author's opinion - I don't think so.
Of course you may not
share my opinion.
Please share this if you
do agree that books should not be given away for nothing.
Thanks
for reading this post.
Josephine
Sanchez-Vanner
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