Free eBooks are my secret indulgence. Denise Bush publishes a list of freebies every day on Pinterest. I peruse her list with the same jaundiced eye that many women used for dating profiles. I examine the title and the cover. Often after going to the website, I decide not to get the book.
Maybe I didn’t like the blurb. A few of the reviews got me questioning my decision, especially when quotes from the book were included. Sometimes, book length might decide me against a free book. Unlike most free book whiners, I don’t mind a short book or a short story. The ones go on forever saying nothing I avoid.
Occasionally, I will not download a book because of the bio. If the author comes across as agenda-oriented, I know I’ll be reading propaganda.
On the website, I may discover the intriguing title turns out to be just another paranormal romance or classic tale recycled. This is disappointing because I thought the book was something different. Do I download any free books with such exacting standards? I currently have five hundred to read.
The free book has to dazzle me. I’ll often give up reading after the first chapter if it doesn’t interest me. I realize my taste may differ from the sixty people who wrote glowing reviews. I usually do not bother writing a review. It seems a bit unfair when I never finished the book.
Does giving away your book free help? It depends. Once when I went on Amazon to find a free book discovered 58,000 choices. Most people will not comb through numbers like these. I didn’t go past the first five pages. The author must endlessly publicize that her book is free for people to know. A one-day or even a couple hour blitz won’t do it. It does help if you do tons of promotion in preparation to offer the book free. Just making it free is not enough.
Free books work well in a series. The first book has to be out, before you pop the second book out. Ideally, the first book is free. As more books join the series, you can make different ones free, but never the latest release. This has worked well for some authors, but there is a catch. You have to have something out there every month or you might slip out of the public eye, according to successful author, Liliana Hart. Offering your book free may not make you an overnight success, but it might land you a few new fans. Isn’t that what an author wants?