Day 57 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

Do I Feel Book Giveaways Help Or Hurt?

 

I have strong feelings in this, having been in business for myself more than once. Its a fact of life that if people can get something for free this time then they balk at having to pay for something the next. It's the old free milk and the cow thing.

 

I constantly contended with the approach that ran to, "If you give me a break on the cost this time then we can do more business later." I'm afraid I'm from the , "Why don't you pay what I'm asking this time and if this relationship works I'll make you a good deal on REPEAT business," school! Why do you think Kindle Buffet and the several other sites like it exist? They know that if they generate enough traffic then they'll make a living! That doesn't mean the authors whose books are on the Kindle Freebie list are making a living.

 

Even at 70-80 percent to the author, how much do you make on a ninety-nine cent book? Now how about the math of 25-30 percent on an eight dollar and ninety-five cent book? Seems like simple arithmetic to me. Even with the, "But it's the exposure!", argument, how much do you think the buyer values your work compared to the higher priced item? It's the perceived quality trap.

 

Yup, it's a definite uphill slog to get those more lucrative positions and deals. Then, just maybe, on the way up the hill your craft might get polished brighter, your voice might become more distinct and original, and your stories more memorable. Or not, but then again this is just an observation. I've had the pleasure to read and participate in several venues (a number of which actually paid for the privilege), I've sold poetry and short fiction, and I've sat on editorial staffs, and there's one thing that always held true...If I hadn't valued my art and craft, no one else would!

 

 

Accepting short fiction to 1200 words, poetry to 25 lines, and carefully crafted essays for the Your Work/Your Love page. Nope, still no pay, just glorious exposure! You can send your work to me via e-mail at dbaylis805@gmail.com. Authors retain all rights. You can also follow or subscribe to this blog. There are gadgets for that on the right side of this page. I love the company and it helps with the search engine ranking. Comments, critiques, and questions are always answered in as timely a manner as I can manage between my day job, writing, studies, blah, blah, blah. There's a form at the bottom of the page for your use.

In the meantime, remember...live, love, write.

Dane F. Baylis