Quote:
Originally Posted by koland
I have a number of $18 gift codes for Baen, but am hesitating before using them - what are your thoughts on using a free (for beta play) purchase to start one of these chains (which often go on for quite a while; it's only one extra freebie purchase, in any case...
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I'd view it as an extended sampling/promotional mechanism like the officially redistributable CDs from the hardcovers over at the Fifth Imperium site.
I love Baen's approach to e-books, but their actual current self-imprint catalogue is very, very rarely to my tastes, which is why I haven't gone and bought any Webscription bundles myself yet and concentrate on their older reprints and the books from other publishers. Out of all the things from these gift chains over the past year or so, I've only ever read 1 book which wasn't a reprint of a much older paperback I already own.
So it's not like Baen's lost the "purchase" price from me from these (and gained quite a few because I'm willing to splurge on a marginal purchase as thanks for the gift) because I just haven't been reading the books.
However, I think I'll probably put some of my Planet Baen coupons eventually towards some of the retro-monthly bundles from years past which have some of the reprints I want in them.
Sure, I could "buy" just the one book or so per month that I really want individually, but with the gift chain mechanism, I'm willing to spend the extra $4-12 to get the entire bundle and pass it around to other people who might get hooked (or even more hooked) on the other included books I personally have no real interest in reading and thereby provide Baen with even more (hopefully eventually paying) readers.
(Or alternatively, I buy the bundles at full price and save the freebie coupons for some Night Shade stuff, since those aren't available in discount bundles any more).