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The lost sales are not the "free so I didn't have to pay." They are the "I didn't bother to buy anything on my wishlist because I picked up so many freebies this week." THOSE are the lost sales.
I've seen the threads, especially from people who just received an e-reader this holiday. They were hit with so many freebies--very visible freebies, their shopping has become "What's free today?" rather than, "I'm looking for a good book in genre x...what is out there...?"
It has even affected me. I almost always browse Books on the Knob and DailyCheapReads, but lately, I don't even need to. I've downloaded probably 100 freebies in the last month (and I'm fairly selective. I don't grab everything I see. I do sort and read reviews before even bothering with the freebies in most cases.) My wishlist? I'll look at it if I'm already on Amazon to buy something--there might be a cheap paperback to throw in the order. But I used to peruse Books on the Knob pretty carefully for bargains. At the moment I have so many freebies and the constant threat of more that I'm lucky to take the time to make sure a favorite author isn't on the bargain list (something I used to check for pretty carefully.)
As Fbone said--let's hope the retailers and those who have books for sale can last through this period. They are the ones with lost sales.
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