Free ebooks

jbcohen · 04-30-2013, 07:20 AM

If you read a free ebook by an author are you more or less likely to come back for the other paid ebooks?

pdurrant · 04-30-2013, 07:23 AM

More likely. If, of course, I liked the book!

dgillette.rm · 04-30-2013, 08:43 AM

I think your poll if flawed. If your question is "does the fact that I got a book for free make me reluctant to pay for another one?", that is one thing. I agree with pdurrant, it depends on if I liked the book. I have started buying several new authors based on books from the Baen Free Library. I have also acquired a lot of trash from Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, and other sources that I would never buy.

DrNefario · 04-30-2013, 08:55 AM

It's reading them that's the hard part.

DiapDealer · 04-30-2013, 09:06 AM

If I liked a book by a given author, I'm more likely to buy another from them. While the fact that it was free might certainly be considered a bonus, "free" alone, really has no bearing on the "like it enough to read another" scenario.

"Free" only has an impact on my willingness to try something I might otherwise pass on.

David Munch · 04-30-2013, 09:41 AM

Really depends on the content of the book, not the price.

crich70 · 04-30-2013, 10:24 AM

I agree with pdurrant and the others. If I get one free and like the writing (and the story) I would be more likely to buy from them later. Of course price also comes into it. If they have too high a price for a given length of work I'm less likely to buy.

Tattncat · 04-30-2013, 10:54 AM

I would definitely have to say more likely. I have found many new (to me) authors this way.

To further clarify my statement. Not all freebies are good. It depends on the content.
1) I scan the synopsis or blurb, if I'm interested.
2) I pick up the freebie and check it out.
3) I check to see if the author is mentioned on GR.
4) Then I read it.
5) If I liked it, I look for more by that author and buy them if they fit my eBook budget.

samhy · 04-30-2013, 11:03 AM

This is a good way to discover new authors, so if I'll like what I read I'll read works from this author again.

AnemicOak · 04-30-2013, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

If I liked a book by a given author, I'm more likely to buy another from them. While the fact that it was free might certainly be considered a bonus, "free" alone, really has no bearing on the "like it enough to read another" scenario.

Quote:

"Free" only has an impact on my willingness to try something I might otherwise pass on.

Same here, or at least Free will get me to pick up, if not actually try, something I might not have otherwise. At the same time there are so many freebie's out there now that I end up grabbing stuff I have even a slight interest in before it's not free anymore. This causes me to have a pretty big list of freebies and honestly a lot of books get kind of lost in the pile while I'm more likely to read stuff I've paid for first. There have however been a handful of freebies that either came very highly recommended or were compelling enough by reading the description that I read them right away (but many are books I might have bought anyway). The ones I liked I ended up buying more books by that author, but it's not because they were free really. It's because I liked what I read.

Xanthe · 04-30-2013, 08:21 PM

It depends on whether or not I liked the book I read, not the fact that it was free.

cromag · 04-30-2013, 09:23 PM

For free/cheap books, if I like them I do go back and buy more -- IF the remaining books are reasonably priced.

Giving me a good freebie and then asking me to pay around $5 for the next one will probably work. Asking me to pay more than $10 for the next one is a hard sell. Giving me a freebie and then asking me to pay more than $20 for the next one is a waste of time -- doesn't matter how much I liked the free one. There are just too many good books out there that are more reasonably priced.

JSWolf · 04-30-2013, 10:56 PM

The poll is missing the most important option...

If the author is unknown and If I like the free eBook, then yes, I'd read more from this author.

pdurrant · 05-01-2013, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The poll is missing the most important option...

What, "The Blue one next to the Fish"?

dwig · 05-01-2013, 09:27 AM

Neither of the above!

The fact that I was offered a free book and whether or not I read it have absolutely nothing to do with whether I would buy a book from any particular author.

The quality of the book would be the sole determining factor, wheither it was free or not.

View Poll Results: When you read a free book from an author are you
More likely to buy from that author	54	100.00%
Less likely to buy from that author	0	0%
Voters: 54. You may not vote on this poll

04-30-2013, 07:20 AM	#1
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	Free ebooks If you read a free ebook by an author are you more or less likely to come back for the other paid ebooks?

04-30-2013, 09:06 AM	#5
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,547 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	If I liked a book by a given author, I'm more likely to buy another from them. While the fact that it was free might certainly be considered a bonus, "free" alone, really has no bearing on the "like it enough to read another" scenario. "Free" only has an impact on my willingness to try something I might otherwise pass on. Last edited by DiapDealer; 04-30-2013 at 09:09 AM.

04-30-2013, 10:54 AM	#8
Tattncat Bookworm Posts: 673 Karma: 1029391 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Device: Nook Tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab3, Sony PRS700, Sony PRS505	I would definitely have to say more likely. I have found many new (to me) authors this way. To further clarify my statement. Not all freebies are good. It depends on the content. 1) I scan the synopsis or blurb, if I'm interested. 2) I pick up the freebie and check it out. 3) I check to see if the author is mentioned on GR. 4) Then I read it. 5) If I liked it, I look for more by that author and buy them if they fit my eBook budget. Last edited by Tattncat; 04-30-2013 at 11:01 AM.

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04-30-2013, 07:23 AM	#2
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,496 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	More likely. If, of course, I liked the book!

04-30-2013, 08:43 AM	#3
dgillette.rm Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 10072 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: sony	I think your poll if flawed. If your question is "does the fact that I got a book for free make me reluctant to pay for another one?", that is one thing. I agree with pdurrant, it depends on if I liked the book. I have started buying several new authors based on books from the Baen Free Library. I have also acquired a lot of trash from Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, and other sources that I would never buy.

04-30-2013, 08:55 AM	#4
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,099 Karma: 11315768 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	It's reading them that's the hard part.

04-30-2013, 09:41 AM	#6
David Munch Scholar Posts: 1,008 Karma: 3999312 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kobo Libra H2O + iPad Air 4	Really depends on the content of the book, not the price.

04-30-2013, 10:24 AM	#7
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I agree with pdurrant and the others. If I get one free and like the writing (and the story) I would be more likely to buy from them later. Of course price also comes into it. If they have too high a price for a given length of work I'm less likely to buy.

04-30-2013, 11:03 AM	#9
samhy Wizard Posts: 1,820 Karma: 9503859 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: France Device: (Sony (J) PRS 650), Kobo Mini, Kobo Glo HD	This is a good way to discover new authors, so if I'll like what I read I'll read works from this author again.

04-30-2013, 08:21 PM	#11
Xanthe Plan B Is Now In Force Posts: 1,894 Karma: 8086979 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Surebleak Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2	It depends on whether or not I liked the book I read, not the fact that it was free.

04-30-2013, 09:23 PM	#12
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 24,279 Karma: 459220161 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	For free/cheap books, if I like them I do go back and buy more -- IF the remaining books are reasonably priced. Giving me a good freebie and then asking me to pay around $5 for the next one will probably work. Asking me to pay more than $10 for the next one is a hard sell. Giving me a freebie and then asking me to pay more than $20 for the next one is a waste of time -- doesn't matter how much I liked the free one. There are just too many good books out there that are more reasonably priced.

04-30-2013, 10:56 PM	#13
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The poll is missing the most important option... If the author is unknown and If I like the free eBook, then yes, I'd read more from this author.

05-01-2013, 09:27 AM	#15
dwig Wizard Posts: 1,613 Karma: 6718479 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Paradise (Key West, FL) Device: Current:Surface Go & Kindle 3 - Retired: DellV8p, Clie UX50, ...	Neither of the above! The fact that I was offered a free book and whether or not I read it have absolutely nothing to do with whether I would buy a book from any particular author. The quality of the book would be the sole determining factor, wheither it was free or not.

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