Do You Gotta Catch Em All? - Page 2

RainingLemur · 06-07-2011, 03:27 PM

I predominantly only grab what I know I'll read, free or paid.

elemenoP · 06-07-2011, 06:53 PM

I try to only grab what I think I will read. I do look at the reviews first. I always look at the Amazon reviews, even if the book is free somewhere else. I get freebies from Amazon, B&N, and Kobo and I avoid joining other sites.

I do enjoy perusing all the freebies, even if it's rare that I get one. I rule out entire classes of books, such as: romance, Christian, business books. That seems like 90% of the freebies right there.

eP

birdbrainbb · 06-07-2011, 06:55 PM

I do fall under the lure of a good freebie, but lately (as in, over the past year) I've been trying to restrain myself to ones that I KNOW I'm interested in reading eventually. Same with cheapies.

Like people above me have said, though, I don't feel bad for stockpiling freebies. You can never have too many books!

issybird · 06-07-2011, 07:02 PM

Is it just me, or are the freebies worse than they used to be? I suppose it would be fairer to say that there are fewer quality freebies out there, because there always was a lot of junk. But it seems to me that Gresham's Law is in effect.

I'm in the life's too short camp. I won't read anything because it's free and I've become increasingly selective about which freebies I'm willing to try.

Nyssa · 06-07-2011, 07:43 PM

I don't grab everything that is free, but its close. This is especially true if it is in a genre that is relatively new or unknown to me.

amward · 06-07-2011, 07:59 PM

I'm fairly choosy about freebies, but have been pleasantly surprised by most of the ones that I have taken up. I've always been a great user of the library so buying a book is not something I do very often, pbook or ebook although I'm much more likely now to buy an ebook if it's a reasonable price. Pbooks in Oz are a ridiculous price and I usually only read a book once so it's not worth me buying them. I now have enough books on my ereader to last me at least the next year.

Assassin · 06-07-2011, 08:16 PM

Now I learn why free ebooks generate so few reviews. I think the term for what some of you are doing is called hoarding or greed. Many of you set high expectations for the writers but don't uphold your end by supporting the authors with timely feedback. At some point the writers will get tired of providing free materials to you and it will be your fault.

CWatkinsNash · 06-07-2011, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assassin

Now I learn why free ebooks generate so few reviews. I think the term for what some of you are doing is called hoarding or greed. Many of you set high expectations for the writers but don't uphold your end by supporting the authors with timely feedback. At some point the writers will get tired of providing free materials to you and it will be your fault.

In my case, it's called "I read a lot and I'm on a budget."

The only time I have an obligation to provide timely feedback is when I've been given a copy specifically for the purpose of review - a mutual agreement between myself and the author. I have gotten those, and I have upheld my end of the bargain.

Plus, a lot of the freebies I get on retail sites are given away by the publisher to promote an author who has an upcoming release. It's not done to get reviews, it's done to generate sales of the other works.

crossi · 06-07-2011, 08:34 PM

Out of over 700 books about 40 were free. Almost all of those were books I probably would have bought anyway.

SylvieB1984 · 06-07-2011, 08:56 PM

I love getting bargain books, you never know what you will find, so I do read a lot of free books, but will buy the ones I really want.

ATDrake · 06-07-2011, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assassin

Now I learn why free ebooks generate so few reviews. I think the term for what some of you are doing is called hoarding or greed. Many of you set high expectations for the writers but don't uphold your end by supporting the authors with timely feedback. At some point the writers will get tired of providing free materials to you and it will be your fault.

And this is why I get nearly all my free e-books via publisher promotions, rather than via the Smashwords coupons or comment-on-my-blog-for-a-copy.

The only obligation I have to any author who directly gives away their book is to express thanks for the giveaway. I have no obligation to actually read the book, no obligation to comment on it if I had read it, and no obligation to do anything except perhaps purchase another book by the author if I happened to like the first one I read enough to read more of their works.

And I've done that last, for 11 out of 14 authors in the first 5 months of this year alone. Mind you, none of those demanded that I "support the authors with timely feedback" because they may well not have known that their publishers were promotionally giving away their books.

But I certainly hope they noticed the sales boost I provided them in return for the no-expectations-or-strings-attached-hope-you-enjoy-it-if-you-try-it free reads.

Stitchawl · 06-07-2011, 09:04 PM

I'm an e-bibliophile. My library is HUGE now, even though I'll never have time to read them all before I'm gone. But a huge e-library still only takes up part of a One Terrabyte hard drive that sits on a shelf near my computer, connected by a USB cable. There is no reason for me NOT to take in every book I can. I keep about 300 books in my reader's memory, so when I finish one I can quickly choose the next, and top off the reader every few months with a new supply to keep those choices fresh.

Stitchawl

anamardoll · 06-07-2011, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assassin

Now I learn why free ebooks generate so few reviews. I think the term for what some of you are doing is called hoarding or greed. Many of you set high expectations for the writers but don't uphold your end by supporting the authors with timely feedback. At some point the writers will get tired of providing free materials to you and it will be your fault.

I don't understand this attitude.

If the book is free, and I pick it up and NEVER read it, the author has not lost anything. I'm fairly certain that Amazon doesn't charge the author for every download, so the author isn't out anything.

If the book is free, and 1 in 100 people who picked it up reads it, reviews it, and buys the next one in the series, the author has made a sale they wouldn't have otherwise made.

Sure, giving a book away for free nets the author less immediate profit than selling the book, but you may have noticed that a lot of people here don't buy books from authors they haven't read before. There's too much good stuff in my existing To Be Read pile to shell out cash for an unknown entity. But a KNOWN entity? A good author that I encountered through a free book? I'll plunk down lots of cash for those.

amward · 06-08-2011, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assassin

Now I learn why free ebooks generate so few reviews. I think the term for what some of you are doing is called hoarding or greed. Many of you set high expectations for the writers but don't uphold your end by supporting the authors with timely feedback. At some point the writers will get tired of providing free materials to you and it will be your fault.

Well I do give reviews, unless there are already several that more or less say what was going to, that seems a bit pointless.If I have a different point of view I'll air it.

odiakkoh · 06-08-2011, 04:02 AM

I only get books that interest me. If they happen to be free it just means I'll get it sooner rather than later.

I hate giving reviews. I don't follow them and I don't really want someone following mine. I have hated many 5 star books and loved many 1 star. I suck at explaining why I liked or didn't like a book too lol. I did write a review up earlier for a book I got from Smashwords because they didn't have any reviews at all. There's another book at Smashwords I would leave a review for but since I bought the book at Amazon it wont let me. Sucks but meh, what's a girl to do?

View Poll Results: Books go into your library if...
Free or paid, I only select books that I know I will want to read.	40	35.40%
If it's free, I'm more likely to pick it up, but I still verify it's something I'm interested in.	64	56.64%
Free books pretty much automatically go into my Calibre library, whether I will ever get to them or not.	9	7.96%
Voters: 113. You may not vote on this poll

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06-07-2011, 03:27 PM	#16
RainingLemur Spork Connoisseur Posts: 2,355 Karma: 16780603 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	I predominantly only grab what I know I'll read, free or paid.

06-07-2011, 06:53 PM	#17
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	I try to only grab what I think I will read. I do look at the reviews first. I always look at the Amazon reviews, even if the book is free somewhere else. I get freebies from Amazon, B&N, and Kobo and I avoid joining other sites. I do enjoy perusing all the freebies, even if it's rare that I get one. I rule out entire classes of books, such as: romance, Christian, business books. That seems like 90% of the freebies right there. eP

06-07-2011, 06:55 PM	#18
birdbrainbb Addict Posts: 287 Karma: 2191035 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Anaheim, CA Device: Kindle Oasis, Kindle Paperwhite 5	I do fall under the lure of a good freebie, but lately (as in, over the past year) I've been trying to restrain myself to ones that I KNOW I'm interested in reading eventually. Same with cheapies. Like people above me have said, though, I don't feel bad for stockpiling freebies. You can never have too many books!

06-07-2011, 07:02 PM	#19
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,303 Karma: 234636059 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	Is it just me, or are the freebies worse than they used to be? I suppose it would be fairer to say that there are fewer quality freebies out there, because there always was a lot of junk. But it seems to me that Gresham's Law is in effect. I'm in the life's too short camp. I won't read anything because it's free and I've become increasingly selective about which freebies I'm willing to try.

06-07-2011, 07:43 PM	#20
Nyssa Series Addict Posts: 6,180 Karma: 167189477 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Florida, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite (2nd Gen)	I don't grab everything that is free, but its close. This is especially true if it is in a genre that is relatively new or unknown to me.

06-07-2011, 07:59 PM	#21
amward Wizard Posts: 1,299 Karma: 2081110 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: SW Australia Device: Eco Eclipse, Sony PRS 350 (pink), Ipod Touch, Kindle Touch	I'm fairly choosy about freebies, but have been pleasantly surprised by most of the ones that I have taken up. I've always been a great user of the library so buying a book is not something I do very often, pbook or ebook although I'm much more likely now to buy an ebook if it's a reasonable price. Pbooks in Oz are a ridiculous price and I usually only read a book once so it's not worth me buying them. I now have enough books on my ereader to last me at least the next year.

06-07-2011, 08:16 PM	#22
Assassin Connoisseur Posts: 54 Karma: 40000 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Midwest Device: kindle	Now I learn why free ebooks generate so few reviews. I think the term for what some of you are doing is called hoarding or greed. Many of you set high expectations for the writers but don't uphold your end by supporting the authors with timely feedback. At some point the writers will get tired of providing free materials to you and it will be your fault.

06-07-2011, 08:34 PM	#24
crossi Guru Posts: 997 Karma: 12000001 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle Wahington U.S. Device: kindle	Out of over 700 books about 40 were free. Almost all of those were books I probably would have bought anyway.

06-07-2011, 08:56 PM	#25
SylvieB1984 Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Kindle	I love getting bargain books, you never know what you will find, so I do read a lot of free books, but will buy the ones I really want.

06-07-2011, 09:04 PM	#27
Stitchawl Opsimath Posts: 12,344 Karma: 187123287 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy	I'm an e-bibliophile. My library is HUGE now, even though I'll never have time to read them all before I'm gone. But a huge e-library still only takes up part of a One Terrabyte hard drive that sits on a shelf near my computer, connected by a USB cable. There is no reason for me NOT to take in every book I can. I keep about 300 books in my reader's memory, so when I finish one I can quickly choose the next, and top off the reader every few months with a new supply to keep those choices fresh. Stitchawl

06-08-2011, 04:02 AM	#30
odiakkoh Guru Posts: 823 Karma: 1818344 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: iPhone 5s	I only get books that interest me. If they happen to be free it just means I'll get it sooner rather than later. I hate giving reviews. I don't follow them and I don't really want someone following mine. I have hated many 5 star books and loved many 1 star. I suck at explaining why I liked or didn't like a book too lol. I did write a review up earlier for a book I got from Smashwords because they didn't have any reviews at all. There's another book at Smashwords I would leave a review for but since I bought the book at Amazon it wont let me. Sucks but meh, what's a girl to do?