We've probably all heard about giving away podcasts (http://www.scottsigler.net/) or e-books (http://www.forbes.com/2006/11/30/cory-doctorow-copyright-tech-media_cz_cd_books06_1201doctorow.html) for free in order to sell paper books. Today, I read this interesting note from author Darrell Bain (www.darrellbain.com) on the Yahoo e-book community group, which turns the whole thing upside down again:

"I'm doing something right now sort of the opposite of giving away e-books. Each month from my web site newsletter (www.darrellbain.com) I give away five free trade paperback books as promotion for my e-books and print books both! This works fine for me at present since I have a surplus of some of my books and does appear to increase sales, particularly of my e-books."

It's actually a much more traditional merchandising approach, if you think about it. The really cool thing is that his stated goal (to this e-book audience, anyway) is to sell e-books. And, by the way, Darrell is not just some hack trying to learn how to write - he's the Fictionwise 2005 Author of the Year and Double Eppie Award winner 2007.

If you want to enter this month's free paper book giveaway, you simply have to be one of the first five to send the Darrell an email with the book's name (Hotline to Heaven) in the subject line. Details are available in the April newsletter (http://www.darrellbain.com/newsletterApr07.html). But as I've already sent in my request, I guess that leaves a maximum of four books left.

Thanks Bob! I sent him one too (though you were a bit sneaky about leaving out his email address :) ) If not this month, maybe next. Hopefully anyone who wins won't mind posting a review, meeting his request to "let five friends know," so we can see how good his work is.

Well, looks like we all just barely missed out for April. But Darrell says the next newsletter comes out next month, with a new title given away.

So if some of us keep an eye on his site, I'd say there is a good chance of a MobileReader getting one.

Yup, that's what I recieved too! However, it was nice to receive a personal email from the author (I thought it might just be some auto-response, if any at all). ;)