Are Free Books a Good Thing?
Like the random dude at every book signing you’ve ever been to, I’m about to bring up a topic that may make you uncomfortable: money. I know, I know… it’s awkward. It feels like the conversation around the written word should float above those sorts of philistine concerns. We write because we’re compelled to; we read because it enriches our hearts and minds.
But you know what else we’re compelled to do? Eat. And you know what else enriches our lives? A paycheck. So, as much the written word may fill our souls with the gossamer light and wonder of a thousand setting suns, light and wonder ain’t gonna pay the rent.
As professional writers our goal is create a product that people will want—and want badly enough to pay for. Writers are responsible for that half of the deal. Readers are responsible for the other half— being the consumer. But what happens when readers decide they want their books like their samples at Costco, completely free of charge?
The 18,980,000,000 hits on my Google search of “free books” suggest this is a growing trend. I get it, writers aren’t the only ones who find themselves short of disposable income these days. But if the readers of the world drop their end of the deal and stop buying books, the whole system could break down. And that could lead both writers and readers toward a future with fewer books.
Not a week goes by in which a reader—maybe someone I know, maybe a stranger who reaches out through my website— tells me straight up that they do not buy books. “I read way too fast, so I could never afford to keep up.” “I just borrow all my books from friends and family.” “I haven’t bought a book in sixteen years!” These are all real quotes from real people who have said this to me, a real author.
They’re usually saying this in the context of, “My neighbor’s sister’s cousin loaned me your book after getting it from her massage therapist, and I loved it! I’m now gonna pass it on, one by one, to the twelve members of my bridge club. And by the way, when’s the next one coming out?”
Because I recognize their good intentions (and also because I’m Midwestern), I never challenge these comments. I never point out that publishing is a business and without people to buy the product, the business would cease to exist.
I don’t ask them why they feel entitled to get someone’s work for free, particularly an author whom they’ve read before and would like read again. And I don’t ask them to imagine what would happen if everyone felt that way. What if all readers decided they did not want to pay for books?
There’s another reason I don’t challenge people when they say these sorts of things to me: I understand. I totally get the thrill of borrowing the latest $27 hardback from a friend. It makes you feel economical in the best possible way—a little triumphant even! And it makes the person who is doing the lending feel good too. After all, they shelled out good money for that book and can now, after having used it, graciously pass it on for someone else to enjoy. It makes sense.
However, the problem remains. Publishing a book is as much a labor of love as it is actual labor. It takes actual time, requires actual skills, and results in actual expenses. If readers don’t buy books, authors will have to stop writing them— or at least authors who are not independently wealthy. And I ask you, would you want to read books exclusively written by the independently wealthy? Neither would I.
The Authors Guild recently published the results of their author earnings survey and revealed that the median income for all authors in 2018 was just $6,080. Think about that. That’s $6,080 over the course of an entire year. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know a single person who could live on six-thousand dollars a year, let alone support a family. The study concluded that there is a “crisis of epic proportions for American authors.”
Is it because publishers aren’t paying authors enough? Do books cost too much? Are people just not buying them? Are people reading but not buying? Is it Amazon’s fault? Is it Netflix’s? Are we simply becoming a nation of greedy consumers that doesn’t place a high enough value on the Arts? Or could this shift in perspective be it coming from inside the industry. Could the abundance of publishers and authors who, in an effort to develop a following, give their books away for free be conditioning people to devalue books in general?
Sorry to tell you, but I have no idea. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a compilation of all of these factors and more. (Some very smart people have written extensively about their theories, and I’ll include links to several articles at the end of this one.) My perception is anecdotal and comes from casual conversations with writers and readers alike—the vast majority of whom love books, love stories, and love the people who tell them— in some cases, though, just not enough to pay.
I think one major factor is that most readers don’t think about their role in the publishing ecosystem. Or if they do, they don’t realize they’re the lifeblood of the whole thing. If more people realized that unless they buy books (or get them from libraries who buy books) some of their favorite authors will be dropped by their publishers or be forced to stop writing in favor of a job that pays a living wage. If people thought about this, I believe they’d make more intentional choices when deciding how to consume their books.
Before I was an author, I honestly didn’t think about this stuff at all. I lent and borrowed books with righteous abandon. Now that I’ve been educated on how the sausage is made however, I try—when possible— to support authors by buying their books. We all make our choices about what to spend our hard-earned dollars on and for me books make the list.
But when I borrow a book (yes, I still borrow) I always make it a point to post something on social media, talk up the book to friends, booksellers, librarians, etc. I want to see more authors populating bookshelves, not fewer. And I know that cannot happen unless there are people who value a good read enough to pay for it. So, while I’ll continue to cruise the aisles of Sam’s Club for free mozzarella sticks, mini eggrolls, and bite-sized pieces of New York cherry cheesecake on a toothpick, when it comes to my reading material, I plan to put my money where my mouth is.
Related Reads:
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/23/who-doesnt-read-books-in-america/
https://www.thoughtco.com/why-people-dont-read-738494
https://gigigriffis.com/how-readers-buy-books-355-person-survey/
THE UGLY TRUTH
There’s been a shocking double murder in Tuttle Corner, Virginia, involving high-profile players from Washington D.C. This brings national attention―and big-city competition for the story―to junior reporter Riley Ellison’s little corner of the world. Beloved café owner Rosalee is the prime suspect in the violent crimes, but she insists on her innocence. In exchange for protection, Rosalee gives Riley and her fellow reporter Holman exclusive information that incriminates a powerful person.
Meanwhile, Personal Romance Concierge™ Regina H. is back, offering once-again-single Riley not just online dating expertise but also a new subscription self-care service that promises such benefits as “the sensation of emotional bravery on a micromolecular level.”
Riley and Holman eventually begin to wonder if Rosalee is telling the truth. They head down separate investigative paths until one of them finds the truth… and one of them finds the killer.
This third installment in the Riley Ellison mystery series is rich with all the suspense, humor, small-town charm, and captivating characters that made the first two books a hit with critics and fans alike.
Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips
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I am a US expat who lives in Norway, where I cannot easily get books in the English language, nor can I get books that have been recently published, so I ask for review copies and then I review them on my site at Forbes. (I republish those reviews on my Medium site and on GoodReads, and I try to get those reviews into the print media whenever possible. Sometimes, I succeed.)
However, that said, despite getting “free” books (that I review), I actually do buy books — a lot of books. Whenever I or my spouse travel to the UK, I bring an empty suitcase that I (or he) fill up with books — I’ve currently got a list of around 500 titles that I want to read. And yes, I do worry about contributing to authors’ incomes since I do enjoy reading so much, and since I too, aspire to write books. As an aside, I would love to make a living at writing, but I recognise that’s a bit too optimistic. Kudos to those of you who manage this!
As an author, I don’t borrow books. Period. If I can’t support publishing, how can I expect readers too?
I completely understand that writing is a business, but I could not imagine a world where my friends and I didn’t share books. I have a limited discretionary income, and I don’t typically buy books that I know nothing about. If I LOVE a book, I go out and buy it for my Kobo e-reader, and I am likely to gift it to like-minded friends. But I don’t like to put my money down on something unproven, especially if it is indie or self-pub because the quality can vary so widely.
Like other responders, I no longer accept free books unless it’s someone I know I love because I just have too much to read already!
Word of mouth is a good thing. If all twelve of those folks love the book, the odds are much higher that they will be in line to buy the next one.
Important points well made. I’d also ask authors and readers what they do with the books they don’t want to keep. I suggest donating to libraries (so the author gets a cut) rather than charity shops (by all means, support the charity, but not by recycling books).
I only rarely do a “free” with my books. I discovered early on that most never even get read, but sit on kindles and other readers forever. And if they do get read, they are rarely reviewed.
And unless I’m beta reading, I seldom accept a free book. I have too many books to read as it is.
I do, however, patronize my library. Libraries buy books from publishers and authors, so the author does get paid. And if no one checks books out, libraries would cease to exist and that would be a tragedy.
Hi Jeanne – thanks for reading and commenting. I could not agree more: libraries are ESSENTIAL to our society, not to mention to us as writers! In fact, libraries are some of my favorite places to do book talks because the range of people who use the library is so diverse, it makes for great conversations. Thanks again for reading and chiming in on the discussion here!
As a self-published author, if a library were to ‘buy’ one of my books I would get cents in royalties given the discounts that Amazon provides.
Jill, this is why I have not succumbed to the free book thing. You have so many great points here: the Costco freebies; do we want to only read work from the wealthy?
This says it all. “I want to see more authors populating bookshelves, not fewer. And I know that cannot happen unless there are people who value a good read enough to pay for it.”
Exactly. This has been my reason for not tossing out my newly published book to any old bargain shopper. I want someone who reads my back cover, then my sample introduction, and feels it’s worth taking a chance for not much more than a few cups of Starbuck’s coffee. I know the amount of time I put into my book is worth that.
Again and again, I read 1 star book reviews that go something like this, “I wouldn’t have read this. It’s not my thing, but it was free… and I loathed it.” They had no skin in the game. That reviewer didn’t VALUE it.
Also, there’s psychology regarding the value. Here’s my free book reeks of cheap, just as a .99 cent plastic toy at the .99 Cent store reeks of chemicals and plastic. I used to work in a high end retail store and gave lots of thought to buying habits and the psychology, as I worked the cologne counter. Would the majority of people flock to my counter if I were selling $14.99 pharmacy spritz? Nope. But give that spray a fancy box, a French name, Eue de Expense, and people will put that crap on credit. Same with all the designer clothing they couldn’t really afford. The price helped to give the product psychological value.
And yes, writers buying into giving away books are not helping their fellow writers. I used to make a monthly income writing for a magazine. Then those sites where writers auction off their years of craft and skill for cents an hour popped up. Blamo! The job boards began offering jobs in “exposure.” We can’t pay our mortgages on exposure.
You’re one of the few writers I’ve read who agree with me. Thanks for writing this.
Thanks for this thoughtful comment, Michele. As writers we are in such a tricky spot between wanting to “break through” and needing to make a living. I 100% agree with your point about the psychological value of getting something for nothing… and I am of the opinion that ultimately hurts books on the whole. As I said, I don’t pretend to know the answers, but I think these are good questions to talk about. I love hearing your perspective as someone who has faced these decisions. Very interesting. Thanks for reading and commenting!