Hey everybody,
Yes, it's me again with my oh-so-important-intriguing blog. LOL
Today, I'm blogging about free reads. Yes, I have one on my website called Sexy Neighbor and it's been getting lots of great comments and tons of hits for me on the days a new piece is posted. It's kind of like a soap opera thing and I switch from the hero to the heroine's POV every other week. Readers seem to like it so I keep doing it.
What I'd like to know is as a reader or writer, does having this kind of thing draw you to a website? I mean, yes, I'm getting more hits, but does it help sell my books? Mmm...good question and one I can't really answer because there doesn't seem to be a way to track that kind of thing. I think it helps get my name out there and that is the important part.
Another question I have since things kind of hit the airwaves of the internet, does the price of the book make a difference to the reader? There is one self-published author on Amazon who priced her book at $.99 and has sold over 900,000 copies. Yes, that is nine hundred thousand copies. So, do you like to see your ebooks down in that range? $2.99? or is $6.50 too high for a book? Granted, she found a niche in whatever her books is about. No, I haven't read it and I don't even know what it's called off the top of my head. One thing I do know is Amazon pays two different ways. You either can do 35% and not pay a handling fee or you can get 70% and they charge you a small fee. The other thing within this realm is the 35% option, your book can be any price. In the 70% option, it cannot be lower than $2.99. So for this author who has sold 900,000 copies, she's getting 35% of her $.99. Granted it's still a good chunk of change.
Something to think about.
Until next month ~ Sandy
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6 comments:
I work in a library so I get to see things from readers' POVs quite a bit. And one thing I've learned is that if they read the book from the library, and like it, most of the time they'll go out and buy it. So...I can't help but think the more of your writing that a reader can read, and the more opportunity you give them to like it, the more times they'll go out and buy your work for sell.
But I've heard other people think free reads are bad, bad, bad and is a way of lowering yourself as an author. I'm not really one of those people, but that just goes to show you there are definitely two different schools of thought on the subject!
Sandy,
This is a very interesting blog. I've been wondering the same thing, and if it would be worth it to sell a book for $.99. Would it be worth it to self-publish?
When I think of all the work involved with self-publishing I stop right there. lol
Sandy,
Interesting blog and definitely a timely topic.
Although I've bought a few authors that I've found as free reads, I'm just as likely to purchase a book based on the blurb or excerpt. Especially the excerpt.
As to the question of price being the deciding factor, I think the price and the niche market the book appealed to might have been a double whammy in the case of the 900K copies being sold but who knows?
Wow, all those copies. I've got a free read up now on the ECblush site and last month it was ordered more then 4000 times. I'm not sure if that translates so sales or now, with I knew what really worked. Jean
A free read does give a reader a glimpse into your writing style, which is a good thing. I think if a reader enjoys that style they will Buy a book.
I still buy books based on the blurb and excerpts, myself.
I confess, I've only downloaded 'free reads' by authors I've already read. I have a 'buying schedule', and the price does play a factor: For instance, if the next five books on my list are around the $5 mark, I'll only buy two per week. If they are cheaper, I may buy three, or one $5 and one $3. I don't like to go over my $10-12/week limit.
And right now, don't have any extra funds, so I'm looking forward to when I CAN start adding to my list again:)
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