Ottawa Writing Workshops Blog

Why Give Away Your Book For Free?

12/10/2018

Some writers are quick to give away their books for free - same as some musicians - but this goes against everything we've come to learn about valuing our own work. So why would anyone give away their art, whether books or music, for free?

There are strong reasons for doing so, and in this video, I talk about a couple of them. Join me on my trek to building an author platform through giveaways and free chapters.

Got an opinion on this? Leave a comment, share the link, and start the conversation...

2 Comments

Line

12/11/2018 06:42:50 am

Hello David,
This is interesting and I agree that art is fed by its audience after its been created. I think that sharing your work or part of it is a sound marketing strategy. Business model wise it makes sense but for what return? If it is to interest or hook the customer than it implies as well that you will have more or something else to sell. Which means that, as an author, artist, you are producing for a while before you see a return. What about your food or your bills in this long run? This model is only good if you have income from elsewhere. A full "business" analysis would be fascinating because it might reveal that creation is not a commodity like a loaf of bread. Then again, it might reveal that it is.

David Hamilton

12/11/2018 07:34:45 am

That's a great point, Line. I know that some musicians give their music away for free in order to build a fan base that they can sell other things to, like concert tickets, limited edition shirts or caps... things that actually have more profit than a $10 CD.

For me, there's a difference between making art for its own sake, and making art that people want to buy. It's striking the balance where the artist can still create what they like and also find an audience willing to pay for it because they see value in it for them.

Why Give Away Your Book For Free?

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David Allan Hamilton

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