Why do some authors not offer a sample?

[ficbot]

I got a review request the other day from an author who does not offer a sample, and I am curious about why not. To me, the sample is the equivalent of picking up a book from the shelf in the store and browsing it. What would be the problem in allowing this?

She offered to send me a coupon code so I could download the whole thing, or to send me a PDF of the first few chapters. But I have to admit, I am tempted to just pass because even though this would let me check the book out for myself, I am not sure I feel comfortable reviewing it and recommending it and then having to send people in there blind, to take a leap on it without even getting a peek at the first few pages.

It seems to me like this is a counterintuitive strategy for attracting readers, and it just baffles me. Why erect a barrier that doesn't need to be erected? What possible harm could it do to allow the readers a sample before they buy? Why would anyone be opposed to this?

I am waiting to hear back from the author in question, but I am curious. Are there any authors here who don't offer a sample? Why not?

[Worldwalker]

My guess is they think their book is So Important that people will buy it unread.

A few years ago, I spotted a very brief trend to encase mass-market books in heat-shrink plastic. The books remained on their shelves, unsold. Eventually they were remaindered, still pristine. The idea failed for obvious reasons: people don't buy books when they don't know what's inside.

That's what authors like the one in question are doing. They want you to buy their book without ever seeing them.

And holy mother of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (does the FSM have a mother?), that person expects you to pay for the privilege of reviewing her book as she requested? People who want reviews send out ... wait for it ... review copies of their books, movies, whatever, to reviewers in the hope that they'll get reviews. They don't require the reviewers to buy their books, or tear off the first few chapters and send them that. (and they expect people to have read the whole book, not just a few chapters, and in fact often get highly irate when reviewers don't)

I'd review what I have now -- which is nothing. I'd tell readers that. I'd tell them that the author wants me to pay for the privilege of reviewing the book, and won't even let me read a sample without paying.

Then again, I'm a curmudgeon.

[jbcohen]

Worldwalker probably has some good points there however I would like to add a few conjectures:

1) They simply don't know that this can be done electronically.

2) Don't need to, they are authors such as Tom Clancy or Clive Cussler and people will buy their novels site unseen without the preview.

[ATDrake]

Regarding 1), OP says the author offered a coupon code for a free download, so it sounds like a Smashwords book.

In which case they'd have to deliberately turn off the default sample amount which seems like a counter-intuitive thing to do. Maybe they're afraid that if people see the actual words, they'll run away screaming into the night?

As for 2), agreed. All of Harlan Ellison's e-Reads published works are no-sample-whatsoever beyond maybe a short excerpt of the introduction he wrote at both Baen & Fictionwise.

But he's Harlan Ellison and his reputation is well-established (for better or worse) and I got both the Dangerous Visions anthologies on the strength of how people had been praising them for years.

[rogue_librarian]

Originally Posted by ficbot

It seems to me like this is a counterintuitive strategy for attracting readers, and it just baffles me. Why erect a barrier that doesn't need to be erected? What possible harm could it do to allow the readers a sample before they buy? Why would anyone be opposed to this?

Did you ask her? Perhaps it's just a lack of awareness, as it were? Never attribute anything to maliciousness if simple stupidity will do.

[rogue_librarian]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

A few years ago, I spotted a very brief trend to encase mass-market books in heat-shrink plastic.

Actually that's quite common in Europe. Bookstores will always keep a browsing copy on the shelf, though, or tear a book open for you.

I'd tell them that the author wants me to pay for the privilege of reviewing the book

I didn't read that into his statement. Apparently the author was prepared to offer a coupon for a free download.

[Worldwalker]

The rules that apply to Harlan Ellison do not apply to normal mortals.

He's spent decades developing and marketing Harlan Ellison. The writing is in some ways incidental to the brand. People know who he is. Anybody who's likely to be a customer of his knows the name. They'll buy what he sells without sampling the text because they're not just buying words; they're buying Harlan Ellison, and they already know what that is (it's hard not to). They have friends who have already read Ellison's writing and tell them "based on what I know of your taste, this would be something you'd like" (or hate, for that matter; Ellison tends to inspire very strong emotions). Love him or hate him, there's no mystery about what you're going to get. You're buying Harlan Ellison.

Also, the rules that apply to Harlan Ellison do not apply to ordinary mortals.

If you're not the kind of person whose grocery list gets quoted in the NYT, you have to give people a reason to buy your stuff. It's the matter of competition, again: If I can read a sample of this and know I like it, or have to buy that sight unseen ... well, I'm going to go with the one I know I like. Buying a story from an unfamiliar author without a preview is like walking into a bookstore and buying a random book with your eyes closed.

Mind you, this doesn't necessarily apply to known authors. I bought "Firemaggot" from Barbara Hambly without even reading the blurb. It was an Antryg & Joanna story. That is, it was a story continuing a series that I had read, and liked, on dead trees, and I know that Barbara Hambly is a skilled author. That's all I needed to know; I almost hurt a finger hitting the "buy" button. But I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't already read so many of her dead tree books; that was a sale to an existing fan, not breaking any new ground.

Something to ponder: Harlan Ellison worked (for one day) for Disney. I wonder where that might have gone, collaboratively-speaking?

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

The rules that apply to Harlan Ellison do not apply to normal mortals.

Of course not. Which is why my benchmark for author shenanigans I'm willing to put up with is measured at "You must be thi-i-i-s talented (holds hand up Ellison-high) before I'd still read/maybe buy your books".

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

They'll buy what he sells without sampling the text because they're not just buying words; they're buying Harlan Ellison, and they already know what that is (it's hard not to).

Um, actually I bought because of the reputation of the quality of the particular stories collected, not that of the overall talent of the man himself, although I concede that's a factor in getting me to consider his lesser-known-to-me works.

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

Buying a story from an unfamiliar author without a preview is like walking into a bookstore and buying a random book with your eyes closed.

Exactly, which is why only very well known authors were cited for the examples above. Regardless of actually quality, people know what they're getting into when they buy, based on reputation. They know what a Clancy or Cussler book will be like, and know what to expect from the story.

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

But I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't already read so many of her dead tree books; that was a sale to an existing fan, not breaking any new ground.

Hambly is one of my favourite authors and I own practically all her books that I've been able to track down in paper in 2+ languages, plus a slowly growing set of e-editions re-buys when I can get them cheap with discount coupon. It's precisely because I've read and liked her so much that I'm willing to take a chance on even her unseen work and pre-order basically everything*.

I would never do that with an unknown author, even if they had a very good reputation. Even for modern semi-classics in a genre, like R.A. MacAvoy whose books I recently bought the lot of from Fictionwise, I insist on sampling and preferably reading a full work from the library/promo freebie/deep discount before I commit to actually buying more than one book.

Authors really do have to earn the sight-unseen no-sample auto-buy privilege.

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

Something to ponder: Harlan Ellison worked (for one day) for Disney. I wonder where that might have gone, collaboratively-speaking?

Fandom Wank?

* Though I wish she'd bundle up her online shorts as MultiFormat, instead of insisting on selling the PDF/ePub/Mobi files individually. Aargh. It's not a paperback/hardcover difference anymore! Shift, paradigm, shift!

[ficbot]

To clarify, I *did* ask the author Her reply was that she was sending me a coupon code to download the book. Which, again, is nice, but only helps ME decide The other issue for me is a workflow one. I do most of my sampling on the iPad during breaks. If I have to download the book and load it onto the reader, that happens at home and by the time I get home to do it, I probably won't remember that it's there.-

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I'd suppose, to her sending you a coupon is the same as sending you a review copy, which she may consider to be superior to putting a sample online... after all, if she gets good reviews, she surely expects people will read the reviews and buy the book without reading a sample (something many people do).

[mr ploppy]

Is it a short fiction anthology?

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

A few years ago, I spotted a very brief trend to encase mass-market books in heat-shrink plastic. The books remained on their shelves, unsold. Eventually they were remaindered, still pristine. The idea failed for obvious reasons: people don't buy books when they don't know what's inside.

I got a set of Hitchhiker's Guide that way. Was sealed, no one read it, no one bought it, and then it was clearanced out for like $5.

[DMSmillie]

Just a couple of thoughts on this:

Samples - if it is Smashwords, the default there when you're setting up a book is a 50% sample. It's just possible that some authors who don't want to provide a sample that large don't realise they can reduce the percentage, and think it's a case of 50% or nothing?

Review copies - again, if it's Smashwords, you can only post a review on the book's listing page if you buy a copy, and using a coupon (even a 100% coupon) qualifies as "buying" for that purpose. I saw a post a few days ago by a starting-out reviewer who said they preferred to receive a coupon because then they can post a brief review on the book's page, with a link to the full review. Perhaps this author has been asked to do this by other reviewers for similar reasons? I realise that ideally, authors should ask each reviewer what their particular preference is, and try to be as flexible and accommodating as possible, but a novice author might perhaps assume that what one reviewer wants is common to all reviewers?

[CleverClothe]

Originally Posted by ficbot

I got a review request the other day from an author who does not offer a sample, and I am curious about why not. To me, the sample is the equivalent of picking up a book from the shelf in the store and browsing it. What would be the problem in allowing this?

She offered to send me a coupon code so I could download the whole thing, or to send me a PDF of the first few chapters. But I have to admit, I am tempted to just pass because even though this would let me check the book out for myself, I am not sure I feel comfortable reviewing it and recommending it and then having to send people in there blind, to take a leap on it without even getting a peek at the first few pages.

It seems to me like this is a counterintuitive strategy for attracting readers, and it just baffles me. Why erect a barrier that doesn't need to be erected? What possible harm could it do to allow the readers a sample before they buy? Why would anyone be opposed to this?

I am waiting to hear back from the author in question, but I am curious. Are there any authors here who don't offer a sample? Why not?

First word cost you $9.99. All other words come free. Very good deal.

[Toxaris]

When I consider to buy a book (electronic or paper), I at least read the back or alike. If there is no information or the book, I would like to read at least the first few pages. This to see if I like the writing style of the book.
Others I just buy, based on recommendations of people I trust and know me.

With e-books this is more difficult. Most authors do not give you that option unfortunately. Sometimes it is intentional, sometimes it is restricted by the store, publisher or format. Some authors work around it and actually use it. They publish the first few chapters on their personal website, sometimes a chapter a week just before the book is published to generate attention. I feel that is a good method and I wish more authors and/or publishers would do that.