Do free downloads kill paperback sales?

[JoeD]

I don't buy paperback books anymore, so if all of the books in your series are up for free then I'd download them and you wouldn't make a sale. If there's a donation link and I enjoyed the books I might make a donation but there's no guarantee.

Putting up the first few books in a series for free when you're about to bring out the next in the series is a great idea though. I'll download and read the first one or two and if I like them will buy the next (so long as it's available as an eBook at a price I consider reasonable).

IMO (based on no evidence at all, just opinion) if you have several series, then putting up the entire of an older one may work. It gives readers a complete look at what you can do and hopefully cross sells your newer series. If you only have one series though, I wouldn't put them all up for free. One thing I'm certain of, I wouldn't have downloaded your books and have them in my to read list if they were not free. So once I've read them and assuming I enjoy them, you'll have one more customer for your next book than if you hadn't made any free

If you have a new series with a new release coming up, put up the first one or two of your new series but not the new release. Whilst I have no evidence for that working, the Baen free library stands as a good example that it can and does work.

All that said, there may be a number of other reasons why a paperback failed to meet sales expectations. It may have sold similar numbers whether you had the free eBook or not.

I would never buy a paper version of a book that I have purchased in e-book format with one exception as noted later. As far as purchase of later books in a series when the the first in the series (or the first few) have been offered free as an inducement to make me take a look at an author I don't know? Sure if I liked the first few.

Unlike some I am not so inclined to whine about the cost of an e-book that I know I want. “As in why is the price the same as the paperback, etc.?” Generally the discussion is over an amount less than the purchase of a fancy drink at Starbucks. If I don't want to pay that then I did not want or need the book that much anyway.

When would I buy a paper version when I already have the e-book? When the e-book is crap. This is usually not due to the markup (note I buy e-books in epub format or immediately convert to it). Provided that is that the markup has followed what I feel should be cardinal rules: 1) keep markup to a minimum. Every tag should serve an essential purpose. I see too many books with all sorts of unneeded span tags. 2) Put all style information in one external stylesheet. If these rules have been followed it is not that hard to fix it to an e-book I can enjoy.

No I am talking about bad data: typos, misspelling, or even missing content. Then I curse the supplier for tricking me into buying a worthless product and, if it is a book I really want, buy it in paper.

Sorry for the rant but I just made such a worthless e-book purchase.

[starrigger]

Just a quick post to say hello. (I'm at Cape Canaveral for the Nebulas, and watched the shuttle Atlantis lift off yesterday--fantastic.) I just did a quick fly through the comments since I left, and I'll let most of them pass for the moment. But I will affirm what one person said on my behalf: it was not my wish for Sunborn to be published with DRM, and I had been given assurances that the publisher was trying to work out a DRM-free distribution deal. But in the end, that failed and the book came out with DRM in all stores. (It was driven mostly by Kindle, I was told; Kindle controls most of the sales, and Kindle requires DRM.) I'm not happy about it, but that's the story.

That said, while I also hate DRM on books I buy, I wouldn't personally not buy a book because of it. Maybe I remove the DRM and maybe I don't... But I buy books based on whether or not I want them, and find the price acceptable.

Bye now. I probably won't check back in for a few more days.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by starrigger

(It was driven mostly by Kindle, I was told; Kindle controls most of the sales, and Kindle requires DRM.)

Whoever told you this lied or just doesn't know any better. Amazon does not require the use of DRM.

[ATimson]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Amazon does not require the use of DRM.

My understanding from posts on Baen's bar (which I can't find in a search right now, so this may not be correct) is that while Amazon's willing to sell Kindle titles from individual authors, etc. without DRM, they won't budge on it for large publishers like Macmillan or Baen. (Hence why Baen titles are not available from Amazon.)

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by ATimson

My understanding from posts on Baen's bar (which I can't find in a search right now, so this may not be correct) is that while Amazon's willing to sell Kindle titles from individual authors, etc. without DRM, they won't budge on it for large publishers like Macmillan or Baen. (Hence why Baen titles are not available from Amazon.)

From what I've read it's due to the way those publishers choose to upload books to Amazon (going through Mobipocket or something).

[Lemurion]

I can only speak for myself, and while I won't buy the paperback of a book I've downloaded (though I will buy the ebook of a paperback I already own) I wouldn't say it was the free download aspect that did it.

It's simply that since I bought the Sony, I've stopped buying paperbacks. I still buy hardcovers, but I don't buy paperbacks for my personal consumption any more.

[starrigger]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Whoever told you this lied or just doesn't know any better. Amazon does not require the use of DRM.

Amazon does require DRM from publishers. And yes, they have to upload through mobipocket, and it's an atrocious system that results in delays and screwed up listings that are nearly impossible to get corrected.* This is why my Ereads titles, which are DRM-free on Baen and Fictionwise, nevertheless have DRM at Amazon. Also, at Sony and B&N, and probably Apple. Because the retailers require it.

Everyone blames publishers for the DRM, but it is often not their fault.

*Actually, I know this upload system to be true of what Ereads has to do, and believe it is true of the other publishers. But as for the required DRM, Tom Doherty (founder of Tor) confirmed it to me in person yesterday. And if you think Tom Doherty doesn't know his business, you don't know Tom Doherty. I doubt there's a person in publishing who knows the industry better than he does.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by starrigger

Amazon does require DRM from publishers. And yes, they have to upload through mobipocket, and it's an atrocious system that results in delays and screwed up listings that are nearly impossible to get corrected.* This is why my Ereads titles, which are DRM-free on Baen and Fictionwise, nevertheless have DRM at Amazon. Also, at Sony and B&N, and probably Apple. Because the retailers require it.

Everyone blames publishers for the DRM, but it is often not their fault.

Ok, my bad. I'm not clear on why they can't use Amazon DTPinstead of Mobipocket (which you can't even get an account for anymore), but don't you think if publisher's pushed they couldn't get this changed if they really didn't want it (maybe someone like eReads couldn't, but Macmillan)? I mean they got Agency pricing pushed through.

[hch568]

I'd used US public library for audio books and printed novels, and they are free for sure. In this way, I've known some authors that I enjoyed reading/listening very much, and some that I don't like.

Later, when I returned to my home country, I've searched high and low to find books from those authors that I liked. And I actually bought several old series of several authors' books through airport, internet, mail-order and local English book store. Without the free source, I might not be interested in buying any books from those authors.

Free source is just like the advertisement for readers to get to know the author. There's a sea of old and new authors. From the Public Library, I got to know many "old" authors that have been famous in the book world for many years, but to me, they are just new authors like any other new budding authors.

The decision of buying new printed books depends on several factors:
(1) the desire to know the story immediately(these reader would buy hard cover copy instead of waiting for a cheaper paperback, in this case, free ebook might not be a good idea)
(2) the desire to own the "physical" book (ebook won't influence the sale)
(3) the desire to read the book but doesn't like to read in e-form (like most of my friends).
(4) do I really want to read the book or doing something else, such as watching movie/TV, play games, or else?

It is undeniable that less and less people are reading seriously, and less and less people are buying books.

[pricecw]

As I think about this, I believe there is an issue here for Authors to ponder. In times past, with paper books, an author got a publisher, publisher helped get manuscript to printable form, printed, delivered, etc. They would sell this product (paper book) to any bookstore, chances of an author having alienated consumers was very small, don't like big box bookstore, your little corner mom & pop will order you the paper.

Now we are moving into the digital age (this problem will worsen as more people move to ereading). Now, the point up to printing and distribution are about the same, and the authors want to think & work the same. However, publishers are making a rights grab, they never liked used sales, and they see DRM as a way to stop this in the new world. So, they will only sell to others that feel like they do. For instance, Amazon, Apple, Sony, who see DRM as a lock in method for their devices. Now, for the first time, authors see angry consumers. And as we are in the early stages still, fairly knowledgeable consumers. They know the rights the authors had, and are angry they sold them out. Some are taking a stand, and coming through looking really good (as Mr. Carver referenced, Cory Doctrow).

I believe, authors need to start asking themselves if the contracts presented to them are going to alienate readers, and potentially damage their reputation. It is not the publishers name front and center on the cover of the book, it is theirs. They are the one that has the rights, and thus the ability to control their work. And I believe, they deserve the wrath of angry readers as much as the publishers and wholesalers that want the DRM.

--Carl

[JSWolf]

Because of the free eBooks, I went and bought the backlist eBooks.

I have not purchased a paper book in a long time. If there is a book I want to read that isn't available as an eBook or is too expensive as an eBook, I will try to get it from the library.

[Xenophon]

Although it's already been said by many others, I'll chime in:

Because of the free eBooks, I went and bought the backlist eBooks. But I forgot to go buy Sunborn*, so I'll have to fix that today.

Xenophon

*I skipped the free download, because I intended to pay for the bits when they became available... and then the delay was long enough that I forgot.

[GA Russell]

Jeffrey, you've talked me into downloading the four free eBooks at your website.

In regard to your current book, I haven't figured out yet how to strip DRM (I haven't needed to yet). At present, I don't see myself buying a DRM eBook until after I have learned how to strip the DRM.

[orwell2k]

I think the points been made in many of the replies - the existence of free downloads isn't an issue, it's the very concept of eBooks that would pose any threat to paperbook sales. If you are an e-format supporter, you will buy or download free rather than buy paper, period.

The level of impact eBook sales have on paperbook sales is still to be seen - it must have some, but I think at the moment it's still early days.