Quote:
Originally Posted by Taylor514ce
A matter of degree, then - but the underlying point is still valid. Even if posting that I felt "screwed by Tor" was excessive (and I'm willing to admit it was), discerning the basic point should still have been possible. Instead, we get the, "Hey! Look at this guy who thinks we cheated him out of something by giving away FREE E-BOOKS! Oh, har har har!" reaction.
Or, maybe I'm the only guy in the world who reacts this way. I also get mad when a great show ends with "see Part Two next week". I just spent an entire hour watching a "free" show (spent vs. free, get it?) expecting it to wrap up, and it ends NOW?
It's worse with books. It's worse with e-books, and the Part 2 isn't coming next week. It may not be coming at all. The people to ask aren't answering, and treat you like an idiot for asking.
Just me? Really?
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I've got your back, Taylor!
You know, publishing is supposed to be a business. As such, the object is to
make money! You use advertising to
increase demand for a product. To make the
most money, you must use your resources in the most efficent manner you can. So...
What the hell are you selling, TOR! How do you expect to make money off of your website? More sales of p-books? Advertising of non-related products? Duh! E-books are the up and coming new market for your wares - and you used e-books to advertise your forthcoming website. Marketing 101 would expect that you would be selling e-books at the new web site, because that's what you are advertising with your freeebies! To give a mundane example, I'm going to open a restaurant, and I give away free ice cream on a street corner to drum up excitement. So I open, and only sell hot dogs. Then I tell the customers who show up for the opening "what made you think I'd be selling ice cream?" A complete marketing disconnect, and a total waste of marketing dollars. The people who want hot dogs still don't know about your restaurant and the people who want ice cream feel left out at the opening.
Finally, sneering at your customer is really great way to lose your customer. Ask any retail business manager in the non-publishing world. And remember, customers pay your paycheck. Look up what happened to Judy-Lynn Del Rey's boss after he publicly sneered at her for landing the first Start Wars book....