No doubt that's a bit simplistic but I don't think it's a million miles from reality.
I've been told that I'm a quick writer but I still put countless hundreds of hours into my scribblings and I expect you're the same so that's why I urge caution regarding these freebie days and where they can lead. It’s like a blank check, a plague let loose or an open invitation to all and sundry to do their worst.
Will help flush your work down the toilet |
It's not that which concerns me.
There are a growing number of sites which download books when they're free and then offer them (also for free) to anyone who wants them – even long after your freebie day has gone by. Thus, while your 5 freebie KDP days every 90 days are finite (for the other 85 days your book has to be priced at least 99 cents OR it has to be taken down altogether), this ‘freebie day’ has been turned into a ‘Groundhog Day’. Since we're all after a bargain, why would any of your faithful followers purchase your book at full price when they can get exactly the same for nowt?
While you are an unknown author, your sales will come from 'serendipity' - i.e. people stumbling across your work and liking the look of it. Once you've got a following, that's when the danger will begin as people search for either you or your newest title. That’s when they’ll type your name into a search engine and find the free gift that’s waiting there.
But what's in it for this scumbag site that's ripped off your book? If they're giving the book away, what do they make out of it?
To answer that, one needs to think laterally. Essentially their income (and, remember, they're doing no work at all - this is a 100% automated site) is achieved through 3 different streams.
Firstly, there's the sheer volume of traffic. The more
traffic a site has, the more it's worth. Businesses will pay big money for
sites with lots of visitors - both to buy and to advertise on.
Secondly, there are Google AdSense adverts (or similar),
Amazon adverts and other book-related services which can be promoted. When a
visitor to the site clicks on one of those ads, the host site earns money. Let’s
say there are 1,000 visitors a day, the average click-through rate is 2% and
the average PPC (Payment Per Click) is $0.50. That’s $300 a month for doing absolutely nothing. You’d have to sell
150 books priced at $2.99 to earn that.
Thirdly (and most sinisterly in my humble opinion), in order
to get a free copy of your book, the downloader has to jump through a hoop.
This can mean: complete a survey, leave an email address, download a cookie, click
through an advert etc. Such data has considerable value to internet marketing
companies who can then sell it on to 'relevant' businesses.
This is war - make no doubt about it |
Ah, but I've got DRM (Digital Rights Management) so my book
can't be hacked - I'm safe (you cry). Unfortunately, it's no good clinging to
that straw as it's stuffed full of Uranium (the densest naturally-occurring
element) and most assuredly will not float. The simple plug-in that hacks DRM
is freely and anonymously available on the internet and, in a period of about
20 seconds, your DRM'd book could be turned into an un-DRM'd copy along with
other versions in HTML, Word, RTF, TXT and just about any other household
format.
It's no good threatening these sites with legal action. You
won't find actual contact details and, even if you did, they'd not be in the
US, Canada, UK, Australia, Europe etc. They'll be in a place where no-one will
want to know about how you've had your rights infringed – be sure of that.
Talking of maxims - here's another one of mine. Anything
that can be built by a human can be destroyed by one. Don't let the despicable
bottom-feeders who create these sites steal your work. Instead of giving your
book away, maybe offer something free when the purchaser submits proof of
purchase, for example. Keep control at all times.
I have a nasty sneaking suspicion that there are going to be
even more repercussions to this marketing experiment. Don't be a guinea pig.Clive has written two works of fiction - The Road and Hobson's Choice (an anthology of twist-in-the-tail short stories) as well as a book about lymphedema (a disease he suffers from) and a guide to taking charge of job interviews.
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