Is free just another way of spending the advertising budget?

I was drawn to write this post after reading Chicki Brown’s Thursday Thoughts, where she responded to another blog as to “Why are More and More Authors Faking Their Way to the Top of Bestsellers Lists?” Since I started on this journey, I have read a number of articles by indies decrying those who allow their books to be downloaded for free. They are cheapening the market, it’s a race to the bottom, and it’s an unfair way of rising in the Amazon rankings I seem to read every other week. But is...