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If Cory's approach works to make writers who are already bestsellers even bigger bestsellers, that is one thing. But does it work for writers who are less well known (who may not be in a position to ask for or fund the kind of audaciously layered publication Cory describes in the video)?
I'd say yes, but on a smaller scale.
I released six novels as free ebooks. One was a new title, the others were out of print, or effectively so. When I later had nine books released/rereleased as commercial ebooks, I saw a definite sales spike that I would attribute to new audience from the free promotion. But has the promotion had legs? That's much harder to tell. Even though everything is digital, there's still a very long lag between sales and reporting of sales to the author.
Did the free promotion boost hardcover sales of the new title? I'm sure it did; people told me that's why they bought it. But numbers? I can only guess, but my guess is that it gave a modest boost to sales.
Did it boost sales of Print on Demand editions of the commercial ebooks? Unknown; see earlier remark about reporting. POD sales are more hype than reality, in my experience. But like everything else, that could change.
Yes, writers have to adapt. But it's a devilish business trying to figure out which way to turn. The skills that make someone a good writer are not necessarily the same as the skills that make someone a good promoter.
But I guess that has always been true.
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