When Amazon makes something free ...

mr ploppy · 10-06-2011, 12:46 PM

How long does it stay free for? I always thought they would stay free as long as there was somewhere else (non-pirate) where you could get them for free, but I just noticed The Facebook Killer part 1 is back up to full price again.

crich70 · 10-06-2011, 03:24 PM

I think it's probably a few days to a week that they have things as free, though I don't know for sure. sort of like a coupon period where from date to date the book is reduced or free.

VydorScope · 10-06-2011, 09:11 PM

My novel has been free since may, so dunno how to answer that.

Maybe for as long as they know its free somewhere?

Scott Nicholson · 10-06-2011, 09:25 PM

they can do anything they want. There is no set formula for it, apparently.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-12-2011, 03:36 PM

There's no set anything at Amazon. I've been trying for over a month to get them to list my book Evoguia as free, sending them links to the Smashwords page in which it is free, and even changing my book description to specify the book is free. Not only have they not changed the price, but they won't update the description.

I've finally unpublished the book from their store, out of frustration.

mr ploppy · 10-12-2011, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

There's no set anything at Amazon. I've been trying for over a month to get them to list my book Evoguia as free, sending them links to the Smashwords page in which it is free, and even changing my book description to specify the book is free. Not only have they not changed the price, but they won't update the description.

I've finally unpublished the book from their store, out of frustration.

Maybe it's because you are reporting it yourself? Or maybe they just don't discount on things that are only on Smashwords. I don't see the point pulling it though, you might as well leave it up for anyone who wants to buy it. I sold a few before they made it free. I felt a bit guilty about that, but it was their choice to pay for it.

VydorScope · 10-12-2011, 07:37 PM

Mine was on a dozen ebook stores for free for a months till Az made it free. Impossible to guess when/what they will do, but I agree with Ploopy... leave it up.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-12-2011, 10:13 PM

I would leave it up, but since the edits I made to the description should've gone up in a few days... and it's been over a week... something funny is going on. I may have to abandon the old publishing cycle, and publish the book again, to solve the problem.

Nancy Fulda · 10-13-2011, 12:01 PM

It depends. Most of my freebies have gone back to full price within two weeks.

Hexes and Tooth Decay, however, got picked up as a freebie by Kobo Books and went on a second freebie cycle. Rather annoying, since the book was selling about 5 copies per day at the time. It's still free, and I have no idea when (or if) Kobo will put the price back.

(I hope the two sites aren't price-matching each other. Otherwise I could be out of income from that story for a long while.)

Nancy Fulda · 10-13-2011, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Maybe it's because you are reporting it yourself? Or maybe they just don't discount on things that are only on Smashwords.

My impression has been that Amazon will price-match Barnes & Noble, but not Smashwords. Additionally, Amazon.co.uk will NOT match B&N, but WILL match Kobo.

I also suspect there's a real live person in the mix somewhere, looking at cover art and making sure there aren't too many freebies in any given category at a time -- but I have no evidence of that.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-13-2011, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nancy Fulda

My impression has been that Amazon will price-match Barnes & Noble, but not Smashwords. Additionally, Amazon.co.uk will NOT match B&N, but WILL match Kobo.

B&N's PubIt! store won't let you designate a book as free... so Amazon can't be getting its price references for free books from B&N. (B&N also has no formal mechanism for alerting them to a lower price.)

Amazon also wouldn't take price cues from my site. It's like they locked my book down from further changes of any kind. That's why I unpublished it, pending a way to make changes. I'll probably try to make changes while unpublished, and see if republishing it "frees up" the changes.

Nancy Fulda · 10-13-2011, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

B&N's PubIt! store won't let you designate a book as free... so Amazon can't be getting its price references for free books from B&N.

My typical approach to getting a book free on Amazon goes like this:

1) Make book free on Smashwords. Submit it for premium distribution to B&N and other outlets.

2) Wait 1-2 weeks for Smashwords to send B&N the latest update. B&N then makes the book free.

3) Wait 1-2 more weeks for Amazon's web crawlers to notice the free book on B&N.

4) Book goes free on Amazon.

Nancy Fulda · 10-13-2011, 12:36 PM

I'm guessing that B&N is price-matching Smashwords, although I can't say for sure. All I know is that the approach works.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-13-2011, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nancy Fulda

My typical approach to getting a book free on Amazon goes like this:

1) Make book free on Smashwords. Submit it for premium distribution to B&N and other outlets.

2) Wait 1-2 weeks for Smashwords to send B&N the latest update. B&N then makes the book free.

3) Wait 1-2 more weeks for Amazon's web crawlers to notice the free book on B&N.

4) Book goes free on Amazon.

Well... long and drawn-out, but it's a method I haven't tried...

VydorScope · 10-13-2011, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nancy Fulda

I'm guessing that B&N is price-matching Smashwords, although I can't say for sure. All I know is that the approach works.

B&N honors what ever price you set in Smashwords when Smashwords ships it to them.

10-06-2011, 12:46 PM	#1
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	When Amazon makes something free ... How long does it stay free for? I always thought they would stay free as long as there was somewhere else (non-pirate) where you could get them for free, but I just noticed The Facebook Killer part 1 is back up to full price again.

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10-06-2011, 03:24 PM	#2
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,306 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I think it's probably a few days to a week that they have things as free, though I don't know for sure. sort of like a coupon period where from date to date the book is reduced or free.

10-06-2011, 09:11 PM	#3
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	My novel has been free since may, so dunno how to answer that. Maybe for as long as they know its free somewhere?

10-06-2011, 09:25 PM	#4
Scott Nicholson Scott Nicholson, author Posts: 363 Karma: 2029337 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Boone NC Device: Kindle	they can do anything they want. There is no set formula for it, apparently.

10-12-2011, 03:36 PM	#5
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	There's no set anything at Amazon. I've been trying for over a month to get them to list my book Evoguia as free, sending them links to the Smashwords page in which it is free, and even changing my book description to specify the book is free. Not only have they not changed the price, but they won't update the description. I've finally unpublished the book from their store, out of frustration.

10-12-2011, 07:37 PM	#7
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	Mine was on a dozen ebook stores for free for a months till Az made it free. Impossible to guess when/what they will do, but I agree with Ploopy... leave it up.

10-12-2011, 10:13 PM	#8
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I would leave it up, but since the edits I made to the description should've gone up in a few days... and it's been over a week... something funny is going on. I may have to abandon the old publishing cycle, and publish the book again, to solve the problem.

10-13-2011, 12:01 PM	#9
Nancy Fulda I write stories. Posts: 700 Karma: 16437432 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern Germany Device: kindle	It depends. Most of my freebies have gone back to full price within two weeks. Hexes and Tooth Decay, however, got picked up as a freebie by Kobo Books and went on a second freebie cycle. Rather annoying, since the book was selling about 5 copies per day at the time. It's still free, and I have no idea when (or if) Kobo will put the price back. (I hope the two sites aren't price-matching each other. Otherwise I could be out of income from that story for a long while.)

10-13-2011, 12:36 PM	#13
Nancy Fulda I write stories. Posts: 700 Karma: 16437432 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern Germany Device: kindle	I'm guessing that B&N is price-matching Smashwords, although I can't say for sure. All I know is that the approach works.

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