Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Location: Books & Such Main Office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
If the publishing industry is shrinking, what is it doing to stay relevant–and alive? In talking to editors and publishers at the two major book trade shows, I noted that one of the strategies is to give books for free.
For example, a few weeks ago, Hachette, one of the world’s largest publishers, announced that it would offer 38 titles on its website for free. Now, these titles aren’t downloadable; you have to sit in front of a computer (or your iphone) to read the book on your screen. But take a look at Gossip Girl #1 here. While this book is part of a series and might get the reader hooked on reading the other books, some of the Hachette titles being offered (with the authors’ approval) are standalone.
When Hachette announced its plans, it asked for feedback on Twitter. Wendy Lawton looked at a Hachette novel online she had planned to buy when it was released. It was lovely. Wendy tweeted: “How does the publisher or author make a living when books are given for free?” Whoever at Hachette was assigned to respond to tweets, answered, “People will always buy books.” Oh, yeah? Why should they, if they don’t have to?
We’re being taught that we should expect free. We get “free” via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, gmail, music downloads, Wikipedia, etc. So why shouldn’t books be free?
Chris Anderson’s Free: The Future of a Radical Price, caused quite a buzz when it released in July. Andrerson believes free is the new way to do business digitally. (I can’t resist mentioning that the book isn’t free but sells for $26.)
Here’s a review of the book:
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In the digital marketplace, the most effective price is no price at all, argues Anderson (The Long Tail). He illustrates how savvy businesses are raking it in with indirect routes from product to revenue with such models as cross-subsidies (giving away a DVR to sell cable service) and freemiums (offering Flickr for free while selling the superior FlickrPro to serious users). New media models have allowed successes like Obama’s campaign billboards on Xbox Live, Webkinz dolls and Radiohead’s name-your-own-price experiment with its latest album. A generational and global shift is at play—those below 30 won’t pay for information, knowing it will be available somewhere for free, and in China, piracy accounts for about 95% of music consumption—to the delight of artists and labels, who profit off free publicity through concerts and merchandising. Anderson provides a thorough overview of the history of pricing and commerce, the mental transaction costs that differentiate zero and any other price into two entirely different markets, the psychology of digital piracy and the open-source war between Microsoft and Linux. As in Anderson’s previous book, the thought-provoking material is matched by a delivery that is nothing short of scintillating. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What does that mean for books? Well, one thing it means is that libraries are jumpin’ joints. The American Library Association held its convention in July and experienced a record-breaking attendance of nearly 29,000.
In light of the diminished book trade shows I wrote about yesterday, at first blush this seems contradictory. On one hand, trade shows are mere shadows of their former selves, but libraries are experiencing a boon. Why? Two societal surges: the economic downturn and the expectation that what we want should be given to us.
Have you heard about cell-phone novels? They’re popular in Japan and generally are written by amateurs and posted on free community websites, by the hundreds of thousands (yes, hundreds of thousands), with no expectation of payment. For the first time in the history of novels, stories are being detached from dollars.
In addition to cell-phone novels, fan fiction is being produced online. You can read fan-written stories about Star Trek, Jane Austen, or Twilight. Fanfiction.net hosts 386,490 short stories, novels and novellas–in its Harry Potter section alone, according to a recent Time article.
What does this “free”fall away from money mean for those of us who are part of the book industry? Read my thoughts tomorrow.
Question: Have you ever offered anything for free? What was the response? What was the payoff for you?
Aimee Laine
My parents always used to say “You get what you pay for” and being a business owner myself I still believe that line is key. Free is great … to a point. But Free won’t last and as it finds a whole to dive into so too does the quality go. “Free with purchase” is much more worthwhile as both a consumer and a business owner.
The last thing I got for free … ended up costing me over $100 to fix. 🙂
You get what you pay for rings true still.
CKHB
I have yet to offer anything for free (does a blog count?) but I think that free CAN be a good lead-in for new writers.
New writers are battling obscurity. Why take a chance on a debut novel when there’s an equally-priced book available from a known author? It’s much higher risk for the reader to try someone unproven. So, new authors often have to offer SOME sample of their voice to attract those readers. If the publishing-house publicity isn’t enough, maybe a blog or free sample chapters will do the trick. I’ve listened to a podcast novel that I will ABSOLUTELY buy when it becomes available in print, so giving away the content for free in one format definitely hooked me as a fan of the author, and I want something tangible on my shelf as soon as the option is available, even if that version of the book isn’t free.
Of course, I’m still hoping to get an agent… and if I do, maybe we can decide together how much of my work should eventually be offered for free, to build readership for the rest of my work…
Dawn Maria
I’m reluctant to offer my unpublished novel chapters for free on my website. I’ve had material lifted off of other websites with writing credit given to someone else before, so I want to protect my work. The reality is, once you publish it on the web, it can be copied and pasted anywhere. Because of that, I haven’t given any concrete details about my book on my blog.
I think getting what you pay for is really at work in most cases. You’ll have to wade through a lot of junk before you find some good stuff. If you have the time for that, great. This is one area where I think Twitter is helpful because it’s a quick way to access other sites without using up too much personal time.
Genny
This was really interesting. I hadn’t heard of cell phone novels yet.
I’ve written articles for Web sites for free. It’s been a great opportunity to build my resume and I’ve appreciated the doors that have been opened as a result. 🙂
Lynn Rush
My day job is in the sales industry/customer service. And my sales reps have to give away some things for free to get business. You know?
But, there is a limit.
I’m really fond of the “read the first chapter”….or of course, if I’m at a bookstore, I can do that anyway….but that should be about it for the free stuff regarding what you’ve written–in my inexperienced opinion.
But, you do have to spend a little money to make some. So free, yeah, do bookmarks, cards, things to bring in readers….Get creative.
I got a free keychain once at a nice hotel. You know, it even had a light on it. I was, like, “Sweet!” Yeah, not so much…broke shortly thereafter.
So—If you’re gonna have free stuff associated with your name/brand, make sure it’s quality. . .
Lynn Dean
I self-publish a state history curriculum for homeschools on CD-ROM because that format allows me to use full-color illustrations and link YA readers to related websites via hypertext. (It also allows me to keep zero inventory–a distinct advantage at tax time.) Kids love the program, but some parents have concerns that the product will become obsolete as web addresses change. To overcome that objection, I offer free replacement disks of the latest version–no questions asked. In the minds of my customers, the curriculum is a significant investment with a lifetime gaurantee. To me, it’s a way to convey the lasting value of the material for only $1.50/disk (hard cost). The goodwill marketing value has been worth much more than that.
Now I’m working on a subscription website by and for homeschool moms with free writing exercises for students eager to learn the craft. Of course, links to the authors’ individual sites, promos of their titles in print, and a calendar advertising their publicity events will be prominently featured. The value to the contributing authors is name recognition in a niche market that can be difficult to reach but loyal once won.
The idea of “something for nothing” can be a type of entitlement thinking that runs counter to my Judeo-Christian work ethic, but it is certainly valid that not all exchanges have a material value. How do you set a price on good will or a solid reputation…or grace, for that matter?
Karen Robbins
I have the feeling “free” on the internet will not last forever. It can’t. Eventually there will have to be ways for information to be passed along at a price. Take newspapers for instance. They are hurting now too. Much of their material is “free” on the net. Why buy a paper? (Excepting the old “wrap your garbage in it” reason.)So I expect that those CEOs with MBAs will be finding a way to charge for what becomes available on the internet. The same will probably happen with books. Capitalism will prevail.
Janet Grant
CKHB, I so agree that showing off your voice to entice readers is a good plan. I was with you all the way into your comments until you mentioned giving away the whole book. I think most people buy a book in one format and are unlikely to want it in more than one. (If I buy it on Kindle 2, I can both read it and have it read to me, but that’s still one purchase.) If you give away your entire book, I’m afraid I, at least, won’t buy it, but I will enjoy reading it. Meanwhile, how will you make money from my reading experience?
Janet Grant
Dawn Maria, piracy is a problem that is likely to grow in upcoming years, as books become available in more digital formats. Publishers are just as worried about it as you are.
And you’re right: As more books are “self”-published on websites, etc., without any gatekeeper to work through the manuscripts, the reader is left to find the treasures among all the rubble.
Nikki Hahn
I guess starving artist is now starving book writer. lol. It’s a good thing I enjoy writing and know I’m going to always have a day job. lol.
Nikki Hahn
There are some newspapers that give a limited view of their newspaper, but charge to actually see the whole thing. A teaser.
I don’t read alot of things online because of trying to find the treasures in the rubble, but I do have my favorites sites to peruse.
I like it that Amazon gives you sample chapters to read. It makes me want to buy the book.
Nikki
Valerie C.
I’ve never found that free actually works for me. All it seems to accomplish is to devalue the things I do best. In my experience the price tag brings with it a level of respect and the recognition that I am a professional. It’s not that I don’t see the theoretical value of free (sample chapters, book giveaways, gratis writing) but in my experience the net effect seems to be that it undermines my profession and I have to work even harder to redeem it (sort of two words backwards for every three words forward, if you will). I know this is the struggle that publishers and writers are facing in so many areas and am waiting to see if someone comes up with a really good solution. I haven’t yet but continue to mull…
T. Anne
I’ve read more than my fair share of free novels on my Kindle and to be honest most of them cost me too much time. I value quality over quantity.
Janet Grant
I think free works when it’s an enticement to spend money. And when we do spend that money, we are thoughtful and purposeful in making the decision to do so. Free falls into the category of the free keychain Lynn Rush received at the hotel. It’s a passing, feel-good moment to receive something for nothing. But then we’re onto other things in life.
CKHB
I’ll say that I certainly don’t have the nerve to give away any of my work for free yet, but apparently it HAS worked for others, who built such a loyal and devoted following through their free work that their fans are clamoring for more and will buy pretty much anything they write now!
I’m thinking of Scott Sigler in particular… he did free serialized podcasts of his fiction, then the book got picked up for “regular” publication, and he ended up on the NY Times bestseller list!
Michelle Ule
My daughter is a fan fiction fan for Harry Potter and says some of the stories are very good, but most are poorly written with spelling errors and other problems. “I’ll always buy another Harry Potter book,” she says–but is reading on mugglenet right now. 🙂
Saoirse Redgrave
I think free can work–within reason. I actually won the first-ever cell phone novel contest in the western world last year (through Textnovel.com) by posting my YA paranormal novel 13 to Life: A Werewolf’s Tale in serial segments on the site.
The win landed me an agency contract, some cash and a multi-book deal with St. Martin’s Press. The first book (greatly expanded)in my series is currently slated for a Spring 2010 release.
I think considering the sheer volume of writing agents and editors have to sift through, new ways to get yourself noticed can truly make a difference.
Will it land you a contract? Who knows? But it may teach you a lot about building connections, an audience and a product that captures readers’ imaginations.
~Saoirse Redgrave
13 to Life: A Werewolf’s Tale (A Tale of Teenage Love, Loss and–oh, yeah–Werewolves.)
http://www.Twitter.com/AuthorSaoirse_R