Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
No, every book given away is *not* necessarily a lost sale. No more than every book bought at a yard sale is a lost sale. If the person *wasn't going to buy,* or wasn't going to buy at a higher price, then giving them a free book is a benefit--they might buy your next one, or recommend it to friends.
None of us got to love reading by paying full-price for new books. Almost none of us discovered our favorite authors by paying full-price for one of their books, new.
The idea that every reader is, or should be, a full-price buyer, is a new and ridiculous one. It's like assuming everyone would buy a new car if you banned carpooling and giving rides to friends.
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This.
I had no idea that all the Freebies in the Deals forum represent books that I would have otherwise paid full price for if only the author hadn't given the book away.
I got my Mom a freebie two months ago and she just reported back that she loves that new author. Now I'm looking at her next book in the series, wondering if I want to pre-order it for Mom's Christmas present.
I don't understand how ANYONE can argue in good faith that a freebie is a lost sale. Seriously? EVERY free book in your Calibre library is a book you would otherwise have bought at full price if only the author hadn't been sucker enough to offer a freebie for a week? Really??
