Cheap or Free - Not Always a Good Thing
Almost every literary website's discussion groups include one or more threads in which an author, editor, publisher, blogger or reviewer offers their books or services very cheaply or even for nothing. Sounds like a great deal; right? Well, not always.
The Merriam-Webster English Dictionary provides the following definitions:
cheap - 1: inexpensive 2: costing little effort to obtain 3: worth little: shoddy, tawdry 4: worthy of scorn 5: stingy.
nothing - 1: something that does not exist 2: zero 3: a person or thing of little or no value or importance.
There is an old saying: "You get what you pay for." Old sayings are old because they have been around for a very long time. They have been around for a very long time because they have, far more often than not, been proven correct.
In a free-market economy, the price of a product or service is determined by demand. The more the consumer is willing to pay, the more the vendor will charge. Products and/or services are usually offered for little or no cost when very few are willing to pay much, if anything, for them. There are exceptions to every rule; however, one should think very carefully and perform due diligence before obtaining anything merely because it is free or cheap. The established price of a product or service is usually directly related to the level of quality of said product or service and the consumer's perception of its value.
Can something that is available for free or inexpensively be a good thing? Certainly; however, one should always ask oneself: Why would anyone sell something very cheaply or give it away for nothing if one were able to ask for and get a higher price for it?
Providing free samples of a product or offering a service at a bargain rate can be a very effective marketing tool, if done in moderation. Over utilization of such tactics can create an entitlement mentality among some consumers. Many of those entitlement-minded people may eventually adopt a personal philosophy of "why pay anything for something you can get for nothing".
If you produce a good quality product or perform a great service, there will always be those willing to pay a decent price for it. Don't and they won't. Another old saying: "Anything worth doing is worth doing well."
The Merriam-Webster English Dictionary provides the following definitions:
cheap - 1: inexpensive 2: costing little effort to obtain 3: worth little: shoddy, tawdry 4: worthy of scorn 5: stingy.
nothing - 1: something that does not exist 2: zero 3: a person or thing of little or no value or importance.
There is an old saying: "You get what you pay for." Old sayings are old because they have been around for a very long time. They have been around for a very long time because they have, far more often than not, been proven correct.
In a free-market economy, the price of a product or service is determined by demand. The more the consumer is willing to pay, the more the vendor will charge. Products and/or services are usually offered for little or no cost when very few are willing to pay much, if anything, for them. There are exceptions to every rule; however, one should think very carefully and perform due diligence before obtaining anything merely because it is free or cheap. The established price of a product or service is usually directly related to the level of quality of said product or service and the consumer's perception of its value.
Can something that is available for free or inexpensively be a good thing? Certainly; however, one should always ask oneself: Why would anyone sell something very cheaply or give it away for nothing if one were able to ask for and get a higher price for it?
Providing free samples of a product or offering a service at a bargain rate can be a very effective marketing tool, if done in moderation. Over utilization of such tactics can create an entitlement mentality among some consumers. Many of those entitlement-minded people may eventually adopt a personal philosophy of "why pay anything for something you can get for nothing".
If you produce a good quality product or perform a great service, there will always be those willing to pay a decent price for it. Don't and they won't. Another old saying: "Anything worth doing is worth doing well."
date
newest »
newest »
Alicia wrote: "What kills me is that, for example, I read that Darci Chan (The Mill River Recluse) sold 600,000 copies - at 0.99.I was one of the purchasers; it was okay. I never recommended it. She got a tradi..."
Alicia,
Taste and preference regarding genre and writing styles differ as much as the individuals who read them. Be patient and persistent; eventually you will find your audience or they will find you.
Thank you for taking the time to view and comment upon the blog post.
Jim Vuksic
I was one of the purchasers; it was okay. I never recommended it. She got a traditional publishing contract out of it, wrote at least one more book.
I would not have bought it except that it was a Pet Rock phenomenon. I wouldn't have returned it, but it really isn't my kind of book.
Ditto Fifty shades, Amanda Hawking... throw in your own examples of 'viral.'
That's not what and how I write - but it's hard not to be envious of the meteoric rise.
IF I'm going to be famous, I'd rather it be before I was dead. If possible.