Quote:
Originally Posted by SpiderMatt
I think you're likely to find more people willing to download without paying than vice versa. This is just how the internet operates. I don't mean for that to be discouraging but I think it's a reality. You're not Stephen King, so expecting something close to 75% of people paying for your work may be a high expectation. Also, if you retain full copyright (i.e. people aren't able to freely distribute your work outside your website) then you don't get the full benefits of releasing your book for free. For an unknown author, the word of mouth promotion and the propagation of a book around the web may be the most important part. Then again, Coehlo seems to have made it work while retaining copyright restrictions. Depends on the book, I guess. If you want to go that route, you can release your book for sale only and if sales don't meet your expectations after the first decade, you can put it online for free. 
But seriously, I hope you find something that works for you and your readers. |
Thanks for all the good feedback, SpiderMatt. Like Elfwreck, you've been very helpful.
I should qualify what I wrote. My "honor system" idea would include the permission to send a copy to a friend, with the understanding that the same "honor system" applies to all.
It was Coelho's experience which gave me the idea for the "honor system." I'm curious, what do you mean when you say, "it depends on the book"?