Are Readers Too Conditioned to Free Books?

[Michael Gallagher]

It seems to have been a wild two weeks – more free books offered from the Amazon Kindle store than any point in time I can recall in the two years I have been blogging about the Kindle; maybe there was a period of time in the first year of the Kindle where Amazon went crazy, but no one seems to be remembering it in the various discussion boards and blogs I monitor / subscribe.

That’s both good and bad.

Here’s the good: as readers we are getting something for free, which is a great thing – I don’t care what our friends and neighbors in Washington say, because I don’t think we ever really left the recession and every bit helps.  Plus, for the new Kindle owner Amazon is getting you used to the experience of reading on an electronic device vs. reading the paper version of the book.  In fact, it’s pretty smart of Amazon: take a small monetary hit now for a recurring revenue stream over a period of years, as you will theoretically end up buying electronic books from the store where Amazon will make a larger profit margin vs. the paper version margin.

Consider it very similar to a drug dealer handing out free samples of crack cocaine to people in the neighborhood – he/she will make a small investment now in a free sample as odds are you will be hooked forever and buying your supply from him / her.

You can groan or laugh at the drug dealer analogy, but if you’ve owned a Kindle for a while and think back on it, odds are you are still buying books in the Amazon Kindle store vs. only reading the freebies.  I know I am to some extent, but I can still say (at least) most of the books I have been reading are (a) free, (b) published by an independent or self-published author and are priced from $0.99 – $2.99, or, to a smaller extent (c) purchases of established authors at prices above $2.99.  

While that is only a small sampling of the good – I can come up with more reasons and I am certain the readers of this board can think of 101 more – I did say there was some bad.  Is it just me who thinks this, or do others feel this way?

The bad I can immediately think of is we are all being conditioned to expect electronic books to be free.  Sure, that’s a crazy thing to say for someone who has a blog with “Free Kindle Books” in its title, but think of it this way – we are all expecting things to be free.  Myself included, as I haven’t actually purchased many books for myself in a while as I have a backlog in the electronic version of the “to be read” pile.  The new offerings from the “established” authors I have previously enjoyed are coming out, usually above $9.99, but I am waiting for a price reduction as well as a decrease in the number of books to be read.  Bringing up the recession point again in a different light, I’m trying to be conservative and selective of what I am spending, so why shell out some more money on books just to collect dust in an electronic pile?  

Personally, I think there have been too many free offers over the past few months, and it is ridiculous now.  As background, before the first quarter of 2011 there were anywhere from 30 – 60 free book offers per month in the Amazon Kindle store: starting in the first quarter of 2011, it started to explode: 423 in 1Q, 765 in 2Q, and there were so many in 3Q I had to quit counting (and I am an accountant by profession!).  This past week alone there have been over 2,000 free book offers and, with the Kindle Lending program allowing independent authors the ability to offer free books, I would expect that trend to continue. Right or wrong, I think most of the books that have been offered for free have been not-so-good (certainly not from this group) and that makes it harder for the cream to rise to the top.  People can’t find your book because of all the freebies, and if they do download one of your freebies it has to wait in line with a couple of hundred other freebies on a person’s Kindle.  If they ever read your book, there is no guarantee they will buy book 2 in a series or check out other books you may have written.

Continuing my hypothesis, since we as readers are being conditioned to expect free we won’t be willing to shell out a reasonable price (whatever that truly is these days) for books to adequately compensate full-time (and good) authors and editors, who will then be expected to get another job in order to put food on the table.  If your books won’t or can’t sell because the Amazon customer has too many free offers to sort through – and begins to expect free – what will that do to the industry?

I’ve had several blog readers tell me they have each downloaded a couple hundred of the free books this week, and are wondering when they are going to have time to get to them all.  I wonder, too.  With so many free offer opportunities out there, it makes me wonder (there’s that wonder word again) if Amazon hasn’t shot themselves in the foot with the lending option as our readers have so many free books to read, we run the risk of readers not purchasing a thing or, if they do, they will want everything priced at 99 cents.  I don’t know about the larger group, but while I’ve sold one heck of a lot of 99 cent books over the least three years it hasn’t been enough to quit my job and write and blog full-time.

Maybe I am just feeling gloom and doom after the Summer of Hope and Change fizzled, or maybe I’m right.  Speaking of putting food on the table, I hope they continue to offer freebies as after all, that’s why I have the Free Kindle Books blog.

Anyway, just something to think about as I sit here typing in a dark room…what are your thoughts?  Are there too many freebies?

[Terrence OBrien]

"Continuing my hypothesis, since we as readers are being conditioned to expect free we won’t be willing to shell out a reasonable price (whatever that truly is these days) for books to adequately compensate full-time (and good) authors and editors, who will then be expected to get another job in order to put food on the table.  If your books won’t or can’t sell because the Amazon customer has too many free offers to sort through – and begins to expect free – what will that do to the industry?"

There's really nothing wrong with having a job to put food on the table. I suspect that's the case with the authors of the great majority of books that have been published.

[GlennGamble]

Amazon needs to allow authors to offer a free book a limited number of times per year.  Allow 1 free book to stay free indefinitely and one free book per month to remain free no longer than 30 days for any additional titles, or else free becomes ineffective.

[R M Rowan]

Most of the authors who put their work up for free are doing so to garner attention for their other titles, which often are not free.  So, if they catch a few hundred who really like book one and are desperate for book two, they just may pick up the paying customer and have a fan for life.    

[Kevis 'The Berserker' Hendrickson]

One of the things I haven't heard anyone discuss is to ask the real question. At what point does offering free books hit critical mass? In other words, is there a point where there will be so many free books offered that people stop downloading them? Not so long ago, 99 cent books used to be all the rave. When that pricing strategy hit critical mass, 99 cents lost its appeal to most readers. The authors who sell large numbers of 99 cents books tend to outperform their peers based on a book's quality, name recognition, visibility, sales ranking, word of mouth, etc. (price is just a factor for the volume of their sales, not the primary reason for it).

Just because readers are devouring free books today, doesn't mean offering a free book will always have the same power in the marketplace. Eventually, readers may simply get tired of filling up their Kindles with books they won't read and only download the ones they're genuinely interested in.

[Terrence OBrien]

"At what point does offering free books hit critical mass? In other words, is there a point where there will be so many free books offered that people stop downloading them?"

We may have reached that point, but don't know it. Only Amazon knows. They would be looking for the relationship between free offerings and free downloads, where downloads is a function of offerings. They would probably also weight the books by ranking prior to going free. This would give James Patterson a high score while I had a much lower score. We might call that the value index.

So, many crappy books can generate fewer downloads than a few very good books. The total value index would move the whole curve up and down, while the number of books controlled its slope. (See, I can't help myself.)

[Decon]

I don't think they all are.

I've just been checking my sales to free results over the last two months.

Granted I target the short story market, so I don't experience the mega downloads full books experience. I make clear my free story is a short and have links at the end to the compilation.

Sales to free are pretty consistant over the two months at 11.176%. Seeing how my compilation is $4.99, then I think a % my readers are using it to check out my style before buying.

[LisaGraceBooks]

No. I think once a reader likes an author, they keep buying the author's works. The american association of publishers put out a report, (which I posted in one of the threads around here), lol, that indicated readers like to read everything an author has written if they like the book.

Very few traditional authors make a living writing fiction novels. Advances of $3,500-$50,000 may not be enough to pay all the bills for a year. Advances (I hear) have been shrinking according several authors I've talked to.

So is it reasonable to expect to make a living as an indie writing novels? I don't know, but I've got a five year plan and I'm working it.

[Franklin Eddy]

So is it reasonable to expect to make a living as an indie writing novels?

I think a few authors may end up making a living out of their writing.  However, I think the majority of Indie authors will probably be lucky to earn $50 a month.

[Atunah]

As a reader I am not conditioned to free. I am conditioned to reading what I like to read. I like what I like and I am not going to read a book just because its free. Doesn't matter to me if there are 2000 free books in a day if I can't find anything among there I want to read.

I like a deal like anyone else does, but it has to be still a book I can vet and will probably like based on my steps of selections.

Honestly, I've lost patience in the last few days sifting through the slug and mostly awful stuff that has been put up free.

[R M Rowan]

So is it reasonable to expect to make a living as an indie writing novels? I don't know, but I've got a five year plan and I'm working it.

Look out!  We've got a woman with a plan.  I love planning.  Sometimes I plan TOO much instead of the actual 'doing', but my 'plans' usually work out.  Good luck, Lisa!  

[Kevis 'The Berserker' Hendrickson]

"At what point does offering free books hit critical mass? In other words, is there a point where there will be so many free books offered that people stop downloading them?"

We may have reached that point, but don't know it.

I agree. I don't have any way of quantifying the numbers. Maybe Krista's new study on Free books will provide some answers. But I've noticed from my own experience having offered a number of free titles, that it's getting tougher to get a high ranking with a free book. Part of that is due to the sheer volume of free books vs. the current number of Kindle owners perusing free books. I also get the impression that many readers have become jaded to any cheap book, be it 99 cents or free, and have ceased downloading free books. It should be interesting to see what sales numbers are like across the board for authors offering free books after Xmas.

[kookoo88]

People who have money and value books will buy books.  People who don't have money or don't value books will not buy books even if they aren't free.

I will buy books if I have the money and am able to.  If I don't have the money, I'll download a few freebies. (I won't steal)

I have been told the same by fans as well.

[Krista D. Ball]

Honestly, I've lost patience in the last few days sifting through the slug and mostly awful stuff that has been put up free.

You're not allowed to say that. 

[Marilyn Peake]

It's hard to say what will happen in the future. I have to admit, after offering three of my short stories and thinking about offering at least one of my novels for free on Kindle through Amazon's KDP Select program, I started notcing how many free Kindle eBooks there have been available on Kindle lately - I'm pretty sure I downloaded at least 30 of them in the past few days, and I only downloaded eBooks with great professional reviews! Then, today, feeling renewed excitement about so much great literature, I purchased three books by Haruki Murakami - at $14.99, $12.99 and $11.99 each. After all the free books, those prices really hurt; but, then again, I love great literature and those books had fantastic reviews, so I crossed my fingers and hoped they're worth the price. Whether or not most readers will continue to pay for well-written books, I have no idea. 

[Atunah]

You're not allowed to say that.  

Why, its the truth  . Am I going to get voted off the island or something now?  

I use a site that lists the free books with large covers and you just scroll through it. I have seen floating horses and wolfs, I have seen revenge on russian chick books with a beaten bloodied apparently russian woman laying on the ground. Then there are the covers that are just photographs of.... um things  
Others have no covers at all. Most of it is garbage. The good stuff might be sprinkled in there somewhere, but I can't take any more floating animals to find out, don't make me  

[Marilyn Peake]

People who have money and value books will buy books.  People who don't have money or don't value books will not buy books even if they aren't free.

I will buy books if I have the money and am able to.  If I don't have the money, I'll download a few freebies. (I won't steal)

I have been told the same by fans as well.

That makes so much sense to me, and how I've been approaching this as an author. If the economy is horrible and many people simply can't afford to buy books, how cool that they can get them for free. Hopefully, if and when the economy improves, great books will be remembered and people will be willing to pay more money for them. If the economy doesn't improve...well, then, we've all got a lot more problems than whether or not our books have been downloaded for free for a few days.   

[MichMasoch]

Perhaps I am overly-optimistic, but think free books shouldn't hurt good authors. If anything, it should actually help business.

Free books isn't new. There are few people who don't have a public library where they can borrow books. When I've lived within better library systems, I could generally find most of the new books I wanted to read and reserve a copy. In LA, I can even order it online to be brought to my local branch. Many of us already had plenty of free available, even before ebooks, and the business of book-selling was fine. Here's part of the reason:  If I don't want to wait through the queue, I buy instead. If I really love the book, I may still buy it anyway, to add to my own collection.

With so many free books, there are bound to be great ones in the mix but also, we must admit, some real stinkers. So, if readers have to scroll through pages of eye-searing covers and clumsy blurbs, then maybe get a few bad reads, the mass of freebies could actually work in favor of sales. I know I can only wade through a swamp of *meh* for so long before it gets old and I'd rather spend a few bucks for a better chance at a book worth the investment of my time.

At least, that's my opinion with a side of hope, since I plan to release a bunch of my work in 2012 (and further hope they will be some of the good ones).

[Krista D. Ball]

Why, its the truth  . Am I going to get voted off the island or something now?  

I use a site that lists the free books with large covers and you just scroll through it. I have seen floating horses and wolfs, I have seen revenge on russian chick books with a beaten bloodied apparently russian woman laying on the ground. Then there are the covers that are just photographs of.... um things  
Others have no covers at all. Most of it is garbage. The good stuff might be sprinkled in there somewhere, but I can't take any more floating animals to find out, don't make me  

Sadly, it's all a part of the "let's make it free to get readers." What a lot of people don't realize that some books aren't presented in a manner that makes downloading worth the time costs. It's sad, really. Not in a "oh you're so pathetic" sarcastic sad, but an honest sad where I do wish I could sit these people down and explain they aren't helping themselves.

Of course, those might be the people who send me hate mail...

[Rykymus]

I have been turned on to a few really excellent story tellers (and not bad writers) because of free offerings. And a few of them I had passed over even for $2.99, just because the blurb sounded so-so to me.  And I have read samples that got me interested enough to drop $2.99 on the book, only to find out that the story went to hell later. (And I am not that picky in what I read.) And I've purchased books that had 50 reviews, most of them 4-5 stars, that I wasn't able to finish because they were SOOOOO bad.

I think free works to some extent, especially for new authors.  But the system they're using is broken.  There needs to be limits on who can go free, for how often, and more importantly how many at a time can go free. (Maybe a lottery?)  But I am against it as a marketing tool to bump sales.  Perhaps in order to get a free book, you have to agree to post a review for it within, say 30 days?  Post the review and get a refund on the cost of the book? (There would have to be limits on that as well, I suppose.) 

After much consideration (as well as some stern words from my wife) I have decided that I will not give away my work to anybody who clicks the button on their Kindle.  I will offer it for free to those that would review it. And I may promo some freebies through FB, but not through Amazon.

Well, since I'm on a rant. The Kindle search algorithms stink. Their ranking system is just a smelly.  I mean come on, is it supposed to mean something to me that they ranked 100,000 paid?  Out of how many? That's like saying you got 20 questions right on your test. If you don't know how many questions there are on the test, it's meaningless.

Okay. I feel better. You may now return to your regularly scheduled program. 

[Terrence OBrien]

"But the system they're using is broken.  There needs to be limits on who can go free, for how often, and more importantly how many at a time can go free."

What's broken? Amazon is not running this for our benefit. They are running it for their benefit.

[Rykymus]

I think they're being short-sighted. It would be in their best interests over the long term to prevent such saturations, because when it happens it no longer works. Of course they are in it for themselves, and I wouldn't expect otherwise. I just believe there is a better way to do it in order to benefit all, including their bottom line.  Success for an author should come because readers like their work. But if there's a zillion freebies for people to wade through, I don't see how that helps anyone, even Amazon.

Of course, I'm new here and have yet to publish anything. So I'm probably wrong.

[Kevis 'The Berserker' Hendrickson]

Of course, I'm new here and have yet to publish anything. So I'm probably wrong.

Hate to say it. But the only thing I agree with is the last part of your rant. Play this game long enough and you'll understand the importance of being able to promote your books with the available tools. Free is just another tool in an author's arsenal. It's tough to say the system is broken when it's putting $ into the coffers of both Amazon and authors. As the saying goes, if you can't beat em, join em.

[Terrence OBrien]

"I think they're being short-sighted. It would be in their best interests over the long term to prevent such saturations, because when it happens it no longer works."

Without the data, there is no basis to say what is in Amazon's interest. Regarding individual authors making their books free, I accept their evaluation that they benefited.

[Kevis 'The Berserker' Hendrickson]

"I think they're being short-sighted. It would be in their best interests over the long term to prevent such saturations, because when it happens it no longer works."

Without the data, there is no basis to say what is in Amazon's interest. Regarding individual authors making their books free, I accept their evaluation that they benefited.

Couldn't agree more. Amazon doesn't jump into things blindly. They beta tested having free indie books in the Kindle store not once, twice, but at least three times to see what would happen if they started matching books that were priced free at their competitors. This might be news to some. But pay close enough attention and you'll pick up a few things about Amazon's evolving strategy to maintain its marketshare of the ebook industry. And the one thing that's constant is that Amazon's business isn't about charity. It's to make money, end of story.

[Krista D. Ball]

Someone asked me on twitter why I randomly give away a short story to followers. I said because I like to occasionally pretend I'm a nice person.