Why Free eBooks are Well Worth the Read
Never in my life would I think to write a book and then give it away for free. That would be insane and a waste of valuable time.
That’s what I used to think.
I published a book back in December of 2013 with the idea that I just wanted people to read it and what better way to entice people to read my book, then by putting it on Amazon for free?
So, I did. And, right off the bat, my book soared to the top of my science fiction category. Thousands of people were downloading it, reading it, and, according to the reviews I’ve received in my email and in my book’s review section on Amazon, it was well liked.
And, to think, FREE was an idea I previously looked down upon. I’ve won awards for my previous works and since some of the experts think that I’m talented, then I should be paid for it, right?
Well, to answer that question, I say, “The more you write, the more you learn. The more you publish, the more you find ways to get your books into reader’s hands, regardless of the price and effort.”
I have a passion for writing stories and, because so, I wanted to get my book into as many hands as I could — to the TRUE experts — YOU, the reader.
A year before I ever thought about writing a free book, I downloaded a free book on my kindle with the idea that since it was free, the author must be mediocre, the story must be terrible, and I would most likely be yawning throughout the book. It was free, however, and I couldn’t pass up FREE! My judgmental thoughts were wrong, not by a mile, but by a thousand miles. I found myself completely enthralled in the book. I simply could not put it down. In fact, I was staying up later than I usual did, just to see what was coming on the next page. The book was the first installment of Wool, written by Hugh Howey. I then bought the rest of the installments of WOOL thereafter. And, I laugh thinking about that, because I’m now one of Hugh Howey’s biggest fans. I not only purchased the rest of the series of WOOL, I purchased his other books as well, and they are all just as good! And, to think, it all started with a completely nonchalant click of Hugh Howey’s free download. In fact, I didn’t even know who the guy was at the time. Now, everybody knows him.
Since then, I’ve downloaded several free books from many other extremely talented writers. These writers aren’t well known. They don’t have any NY Times Best Sellers and they aren’t in many books stores either. They are, however, and in some cases, more talented than the big namers, which some of the big namers would agree with.
The writers offering books for free are authors that don’t have best sellers, but what I’ve found, is that they have best seller books. It’s just that they haven’t been discovered yet. Most of them are people I’ve never heard of and I’m an author who peruses author’s blogs, amazon categories, and peer website groups on a daily basis. Heck, I’m an author. Have you heard of me? Probably not.
And, like I said, I didn’t know these authors were talented until they offered me — a reader — a chance at their work at the amazing price of $0.00. They make nothing, nada, zip, zilch, and yet they give you, and me, their hard work and late nights to do what they love — make a story that someone else might enjoy. Two incredibly talented authors and their books come to mind right away when thinking about authors that give away a free book or books; India Drummond’s Blood Faerie, and Monique Martin’s Out of Time. I’ve since purchased the rest of their books in those series and loved every bit of them. I’m now hoping that more of their books will come out soon, so I can get my grubby eyes on them.
So, if you don’t know what I’m saying by now, then I’ll spell it out to you. The majority of free ebooks are excellent, well-written, and full of the author’s soul-filled heart.
I’m also saying it would be wise to give an author that is gifting you a free book, anywhere, some of your valuable time, because they deserve it.
Here is one reason why — I have three children, a full time job, a loving partner, and animals to take care of. Once the kids are sleeping, and the animals aren’t needing my attention anymore, and after I’ve spent quality time with my partner, I then get to my writing. I could be up late, like I was last night, only getting 3 hours of sleep, then heading off to work the next day. So, once I complete a book, get it edited, proof read, design the cover art, and then publish it, we’ve put all of our heart, body, and mind into it. We are rewarded when we see that someone has downloaded it, liked it, and has written a 5 star review. This is why we write, free book or not.
And, so, here I am with a free book that I placed on Amazon just before Christmas — December of 2013. It’s called, “Star Guild: Episodes 1 & 2“. It’s been edited, proof read by my proof reading community, re-edited, re-proof read, and edited again, over and over, just to make sure that it is as perfect as can be.
So, please, go check it out and if you like what you see, then grab a copy. It’s free. Click on the link below:
My second installment to that series is up as well, and though it isn’t free, it’s .99 cents of passion, hard work, and fun.
I hope you enjoy them.
- Brandon
www.brandon-ellis.com
