Why I've been giving away free copies of my book
Updated: Sep 23, 2021
You may have noticed that for much of last week, the eBook of Under the Emerald Sky was available to download for free, and you may be wondering why I would give away so many copies. I spent a long time writing the book, don't I value my time and effort? Well, actually, I do and in fact that's part of the reason that I did it. Like most writers, I want people to read my book. But as an unknown author, it can be quite difficult to convince anybody to buy it. Give the book away for free, though? That's another story!
It's a simple way to get more readers. Yes, I didn't make any money from it, but it didn't cost me anything either. Plus, I more than doubled my readership in the few days that the book was available for free - which makes it worthwhile in my opinion. Others have found this to be true too. There are plenty of authors who regularly give away their books, even in huge quantities, including some who have books that are permanently available for free. This works particularly well for book series - get readers hooked with a freebie, then they'll buy the rest ... and hopefully tell their friends.
That's why I have every intention of regularly giving away my book for free. And like I did this time, I will try to combine such giveaways with blog features, interviews or other social media events that I have lined up. Getting more readers is the point, not making more money! So, what sort of impact will this have in the long run? I have no idea, but I'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, go check out my recent interview on The Whispering Bookworm here.
And if you didn't get your free eBook of Under the Emerald Sky last week and haven't yet read the book, perhaps reading a sample chapter will convince you to buy a copy. Check out Chapter 6 here.
Happy reading!
by Juliane Weber (@Writer_JW) 23 April 2021 [subscribe on the main blog page]
About Juliane Weber
Juliane is a scientist, turned medical writer, turned novelist. Her debut historical novel, Under the Emerald Sky, is the first book in The Irish Fortune Series, which is set in 19th century Ireland around the time of the Great Famine.
Buy the book here, or visit Juliane’s website to find out more.
He's come to Ireland to escape his past. She's trying to run from her future.