As some of you know, I have views on the ''Free / 99p book and Ebook!'' promotion thing. My views are that it creates the expectation in readers that something you sweated blood over for years is worth less than a small cappuccino. Happy to retweet your promo if you insist on doing it because you are a friend, but Hell will freeze over before I voluntarily choose to join you. And from what I gather, some of the nastiest reviews on Amazon come from people who acquired your book for nothing. Go figure.
Interestingly, in one of those plot lulls that occur at about 13 thousand words, I sat down last week and actually worked out my hourly rate if I were to regard writing as a business, and pay myself a wage from what I bring in via book sales. Let us just say that there is no way I shall be awarding myself a £3 million bonus at the end of this financial year.
What I think some of the freebie purchasers fail to realise (if they are not writers themselves) is that the cover price for a book falls far short of what the writer of the book actually receives. I did a useful equation where C (cover price) is divided by T (time taken to write/edit the book) and then subtracted D (discounts applied by Amazon/monies owed to publisher etc). On this basis, I am working for peanuts. If I could afford to buy peanuts.
There seems to be this myth abroad that writers write for the sheer love of writing (we do) and that somehow, that should be sufficient reward in itself. Sadly gentle blog reader, it is not so. Food, heating, petrol and life generally impinges upon the creative impulse, bringing with it terrible thoughts of maybe throwing in the literary towel and getting a job in Asda to make ends meet
I don't ask or expect my plumber/electrician nor the lovely consultant who performed my 2 cancer operations to work for free. Nor should you, dear readers, expect writers to do so either. And I wish writers wouldn't feed your expectations. I have this dream where every writer on the planet decides they have a moral obligation to their craft NOT to run cheap-as-chips or free promos. Then and only then would our status have a bit more quo. And I'd be able to buy shares in a peanut farm.
Very true.
ReplyDeleteYou've given me a lot to think about Carol. I have reduced both my non-fiction and fiction title to 99p for a promotion. The reason was to entice readers to try my work. Out of 10 downloads I may get 1 lifelong fan. Is this worth it? Definitely something to ponder. I do believe that the reduced promotion I did when my non-fiction launched (not 99p but a reduction nonetheless) over a week was instrumental in its romp up the self-help chart. Great post Carol.
ReplyDeleteThere are always 2 sides..and some people can clearly demonstrate that a ''giveaway' helped their book. I object to the PRINCIPLE of it ..for the above reasons. There needs to be a better system than Amazon charts... it is unfair on writers who chose not to go this route (NB critique of Amazon...not you)
DeleteI agree, the time and passion poured into a novel by a writer is worth so much more. I think I may have been sucked into the Amazon chart frenzie and missed the point. It's important, as you point out, to know your worth.
DeleteGreat post, Carol. Since my books were published, I've been amazed at the number of people who (a) assume that I'm earning a fortune from them, and (b) expect a free copy simply because they know me!
ReplyDeleteI've used free promotions to boost awareness of my books. They've worked for me in that I've had reviews (good ones) out of them and also an increased volume of paid sales for the few weeks following a promo.
ReplyDeleteAnd my publisher put one of my novels into a 99p promotion for a month last autumn - in that time it sold thousands and it has never sunk back to the ranking depths where it had been before.
I do think promotions work.
Interesting to set your comments against Vanessa's... this is why I write these posts!! Thanks for commenting!
DeleteSpot on, as ever, Carol. I have tried promos and freebies a couple of times for my book. Not only do they have zero effect but I think they devalue the writing profession generally. I even saw on some website that someone who had bought a paperback copy of my book was asking where they could download a free e-copy (why they wanted both is beyond me). They'd already paid £8.99 for the PB. Couldn't they stump up a measly (and legal) £1.99 for the Kindle version? Bah!
ReplyDeleteI realised that when I want a non-fiction book (illustrated) that costs £20 or £25 I never buy it until there's a discount somewhere and yet I'll spend £100 on food in Sainsbury without blinking an eye. Time to look at my priorities. Who needs to eat anyway!
ReplyDelete...I’m with you in the thought process, m’Lady, Carol... in the beginning of my writing, i indulged the freebies’ Programs on Amazon and gave away some books as ‘seed-planting’ back then... and I think it DID work well for me... but I also think a lot of that is LUCK as well as the pushing and promoting and marketing gig, which is constant... nowadays. I’m reluctant to give way anything... sumb’dy far wiser that me said, if people get sum’thing for NUTHIN, they’re unlike;y to value it ... great post :)
ReplyDeleteAs a book blogger I set aside Friday's for anyone who wants to promote their price reduction with me so I actively encourage this process in effect. Once a promotion is up on my blog it then becomes a tweet which will go out every day and be retweeted time and again by others who would not necessarily be following that author to tweet directly from their profile. This alone increases the likelihood of the book being seen and bought.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble is there are an awful lot of books out there. For an author just starting out with no previous clout their book is a mere droplet if they just leave it on Amazon for people to find. A reduction in price or a free download can help as I have seen it do so, especially when run with an interview or something else of that nature. Once the book has been read and readers have found a new author they like then they come back to future books. I have heard other more established authors say it works well for them too.
I think these promotions are very valuable to authors but, like in every aspect of life, they have a bit of luck attached to them and some are more successful than others.
However, it is a personal choice. Every author would love to sell only hard backed copies of their books for £15.99 a go and have them fly out. And let's be honest even £15.99 doesn't cut the hours put in to a book! Unfortunately it is a tough market and I do think anything which helps a book to be seen and tempts a reader to buy has to be a good thing in what can be a slow process for the sales, reviews and recognition every writer wants for their hard work.
As for reviews and their ratings...well, even someone who had bought the book at full price might not have liked it. It is all just opinion. I would hope someone who downloaded a free or cheap deal book would put a review up but I believe they are no more likely to do so than someone who bought it at full price and unfortunately that is just down to luck too. How many of us write reviews for every product we buy? I admit I don't as I haven't the time. The book world is important to us but so is the world of music to bands and how many of us review the latest album we bought? All any author can do is plough on, see what works and get their brand out there. I say all power to them.
I am now going to emigrate before Ms Hedges sends the lads round ;-D
I wish everybody agreed with me, but they don't and that's democracy! So no I won't be sending any lads round. I am just sad that writers, in my opinion, re prepared to ''sell'' their souls for so little. Thanks for taking the time to comment so fully, as a reviewer. It is always helpful to the debate to get ''the other side''..I believe someone else has also come out in favour of cheapies. I remain resolutely against them.
DeleteThanks, Carol. I totally respect your opinion too because it is yours to have and you are entitled to have it.
DeleteI think a slice of chocolate fudge cake all round is in order...I did make it for my final supper but have no excuse to scoff the lot myself now ;-)
I do agree, Carol, although it's tempting to drop the price of one book to encourage interest in the second, third and so on. However, I think it devalues books. How can it be right to expect free or 99p books, that give you hours of reading? The difference between price and value!
ReplyDeletePrice and value. Good point!
DeleteI agree totally with what Bodicia from A Woman's Wisdom said. Yes, in an ideal world people would totally respect the amount of time and effort it takes to write a good novel, and we would receive at least a fiver per book. I completely see your point of view in everything you say, but this ISN'T an ideal world. Publishers put out books for 99p (and less) on special promotion, and if we want readers to choose our books over theirs then sometimes it is necessary to do this, too. Of course Kings and Queens (122k words long, 8 months of serious work) is 'worth' more than the 99p of it's current Kindle Countdown promotion, but if no-one buys it, who's going to find out? Who's going to then buy the sequel, or the novel I hope to publish in October? If I put it on Amazon for £4.50 then few people would ever have found out whether it's any good or not.
ReplyDeleteTo sum up - you're right, but I tend to work with what IS, not how I would like something to be. Yes, I do get that this makes me part of the problem! I think I must have given out something in the region of 30K free copies of my books over the years, and I've never experienced that rush of bad reviews of which people warn. The comment I've most often received is something along the lines of 'I wasn't expecting much as it was free, but it was really good.' However, four of my books have never been free, and will never be, either. I don't agree in sticking everything out for free all the time, just one of the old ones, occasionally. Oh dear, now I need to do a summing up of the summing up, so I'll shut up!!!
I have to say i response to you, Bodi and Jon (below) that one criminal is emerging from this whole debate, and it is Amazon. If we weren't totally reliant on this behemoth, there'd be far less chance to do discounts and race to the bottom. If Amazon didn't discount without warning you (happened to the ebook of D&D..which I am still furious about) the idea of 'something for very little'' wouldn't exist. Jon's comment is very pertinent on this point.
DeleteAn expectation of 'something for nothing' is becoming all pervasive. In my day job I am self-employed but provide a service in a public sector setting. Increasingly, there is an assumption that I am willing to work 'pro bono' as a loss leader when the reality it is progressively putting me out of business.There needs to be a shift back to a moral principle that you pay a fair price for hard work.
ReplyDeleteA further dimension, in relation to literary creation specifically and the arts generally, is that society and our culture are all the richer for it. If no-one can afford to create we will end up in a much poorer place.
All of that said, I am as guilty as the next in tending to go for the bargain when comparing full price and discounted ebooks on Amazon. Perhaps I should think a little more carefully before I do.
see Terry's comment above and my response...thanks for commenting.
DeleteI'm in the 'won't ever give my books away' camp - the only winner is Amazon (I think someone has already said that). And, as the writer, I feel I'm worth more than nothing!!
ReplyDeleteBut three of my ebooks are only 99p because they are very short (less than 30,000 words) and any reader might feel miffed paying any more for them. I think that's being realistic, but son-in-law feels they are priced too low.
It's a difficult one. But, even though there is so much that is given away, I won't do it. I honed every word to make them the best they could possibly be, so won't scatter them like confetti just to play the Amazon ranking game.
This topic really polarizes people. Luckily, unlike political opposers, we can discuss civilizedly.
DeleteYou're wrong that the only winner is Amazon, Jo - for many people, me included, it was an Amazon free promotion that 'got me started'. Without that, I think I'd still be selling 4 books a month like I was at first. Also, Amazon don't get anything from a free promotion??? Jo, sadly, your son-in-law is living in an ideal world, too. Something you've created is only worth as much in monetary value as someone wants to pay for it, alas - and I would say that 99p for a short 30K word book is about right! Yes, I would have paid £3/4 to read your Laos book, but I only know that after the event....
ReplyDeleteEveryone has the option not to sell on Amazon, of course! If you really don't agree with how it works and low pricing for books, you (I do, of course, mean 'you' generally!) can put them on the other sites and hawk the paperbacks round independent book shops. I suspect, though, that all those who complain about Amazon and all its evil ways would not want to go as far as removing their own books, and thus losing all those sales they get from it...!!
Thank you for a very thoughtful discussion, Carol.
ReplyDeleteAs a new writer, I'm grateful for the fact that ebooks make it possible for me to give books away, because it's allowing me to connect with readers who might not otherwise want to take a chance on a new writer. I've had some lovely and touching reviews that were worth far more to me than the £1 or so royalty I'd have got if they'd bought the book, which most of them wouldn't have done anyway! However, it can definitely be a challenge to learn to value one's own work! I was honestly astonished how many people have been prepared to pay £8.99 for the paperback of my book (I thought it would just be my mum and dad, to be frank) and last night I even found myself thinking, 'should I offer a free ebook?' when an online friend said my book sounded interesting - I can't shake that nagging feeling of guilt that I let her go ahead and buy it!
I'm comfortable with the idea of offering reduced books as loss-leaders, when you also have full-priced ones to sell, but I agree it is risky - what will be the consequences for writers' incomes, long-term?
We are already seeing the consequences, Katharine...as more people reduce prices so the big retailers expect it..leading to more reductions. I am delighted you stopped by to comment, though. As you see, we may disagree but we are always civilized! and good luck with your book!! Whatever price you decide to market it at.
DeleteHi Carol
ReplyDeleteGreat post, thanks. Great comments, too!
One thing that no one has mentioned is that as authors we have to see ourselves as competing with the rest of the entertainment industry. I provide entertainment, which means I'm competing with Netflix and Lovefilm as was, and Tesco bargain DVDs.
None of these outlets give stuff away, and I wouldn't either. But reducing to 99p is very much inline with modern retail practices and places our books competitively with the rest of the entertainment industry.
I think this is a really good point, Michael - we provide entertainment, you can't compare it with paying for a service. Books are a luxury item. At t'end of t'day, like, it's down to this - do you want people to read your stuff or not? If offering it very cheap will encourage more people to do so, then that's all good. Libraries are free, too :) (or thereabouts!)
DeleteSorry, my comments freeze at a certain point in my phone! It's about choice, as with everything, but for new authors, the game is already being played so you have to decide whether to join in or not. Basically, what Terry said, only more long winded :)
ReplyDeleteHere! Here! I always thought it was me not 'getting it' when I saw those tweets offering a book for free but you've agreed with what I think so it's now official. Don't give hard-earned work away for free. I did an hour for free in a number of schools last term but that was on condition that they arranged the purchase of many books from staff and children. I'm now charging £100 a visit but so far have no bookings! Eeermm! Not sure about this one!!
ReplyDeleteSchool visits are another minefield! I got severely taken to task by a fellow children's writer coz I only charge expenses - on the basis that schools have limited budgets and I sell my books full price. She charges over £200 for a visit. The same writer does free promos.Go figure, as they say.
DeleteWriters should be paid. Also, loved, adored, and taken to lunch. Thanks for a wonderful post, Miss Carol. ( - :
ReplyDeleteIt’s a tricky one, isn’t it?
ReplyDeleteI think the first thing to do is to separate out two different aspects of the question. The first is: does it make sense to give books away? The answer here is that it’s a commercial decision. I am published by one of the UK’s larger independent publishers (Accent Press) and they decide on how to price and promote my books. One reason I don’t self-publish is that I suspect that they know more about the commercial realities of publishing than I do, so I leave it to them. I don’t like seeing my hard work given away for nothing, but if they think that they’re setting a sprat to catch a mackerel (gosh, I haven’t heard anyone say that in a while) then I’m happy to sacrifice the odd sprat.
The second question is: are writers undervaluing themselves by pricing their books cheaply? This isn’t just a problem for writers. Musician friends are always posting on Facebook to complain that they are asked to play gigs for ludicrously low fees or even for no money at all.
I am in a Facebook group run by a university Creative Writing department that offers a respectable MA. Recently there have been many comments on a survey that suggested that writers earn a median £11,000 a year. Most of the comments have suggested that this is a ridiculously low figure. Creative Writing students argue that their efforts and their contribution to the nation’s cultural life are worth far more than that.
Clearly, they’re wrong. In a capitalist free market things are worth what people are prepared to pay for them and, alas, people are not prepared to pay enough for me (or you, dear reader) to make a decent living out of it. This is very sad and one of many things that can be held against capitalism. Other economic systems are also available but, it must be said, they come with their own problems, which often include strict limits on what their (comparatively well-paid) authors can write. In any case, right here, right now, capitalist free market economics are what we’ve got and they say that your book is going to be sold for a paltry two or three pounds on Kindle.
So, that’s where we are. It’s not fair. I couldn’t agree more. But it is what it is. Interestingly, the only people I know who actually have commercial novels out there and responded to the Creative Writers both said (full disclosure: I was one of them) that nobody makes anyone write. If you don’t like the pay, do something else. Of course, you can simply charge what seems a fair price and accept that you won’t sell many books. I have a friend who was a talented artist and took just that line with his paintings, refusing to discount them on the grounds that his prices were more than reasonable. He was entirely right and his moral stand was absolutely correct. Unfortunately, he had to take a teaching job to survive and now can’t bear to paint any more. So no paintings (and he really was talented), but he does have self-righteousness to keep him warm at night.
There was some mention of school visits, which touches on a wider issue of payment for what we might call ancillary services: all those things we do while we’re not writing our novels. Writing blogs, for example. Here I couldn’t agree more: we undersell ourselves terribly. This response (not even on my own blog – http://thewhiterajah.blogspot.co.uk – though I suspect that a reworked version soon will be) runs to 750 words, for which I get the grand sum of nothing at all. We all write blogs or review other author’s books or write articles about the things in our books, all because it “increases exposure”. Trust me, if half the people who read my blog bought my books, I’d be well on my way to the Best Seller lists. Perhaps we should be looking at these things before we complain about the price we sell the novels for. After all, if I give away a book, that is the book I wanted to write. Many of the other things I do for free are done not because I particularly want to do them, but to get people to read the novels.
Excuse the length of this reply. I'll stop now.
Thanks for taking the time to reply at length. I knw that when I was younger (I'm now pushing 65) although I desperately wanted to write, there was no way I could make a living from it..and that was because of the scrapping of the Net book agreement. This lies at the heart of the matter...once it had gone, any book could be priced any how. And book shops/supermarkets could discount at will. Would I like it to return? Hell yes!
DeleteYes! I share your dream and commitment to craft! I'm surprised, though --you'd buy a peanut farm? How about a cake parlor? ;-)
ReplyDelete