How Giving Away for Free Can Yield Powerful Results
Starting Your Own Wave of Sales
She sold 4 million copies of I Don’t Know How She Does It. A widely respected and much-followed journalist, her career is studded with acclaim, awards, recognition.
Why would she — and her publisher — offer free copies of her latest?
St. Martin’s Press and Allison Pearson have just released How Hard Can It Be? A sequel to her previous novel about the resourceful, stressed, and brilliant Kate Reddy, the book has already received wide praise and is selling well, much as they probably expected.
Why were the earlier reviewer copies offered on NetGalley and provided at conferences and other book-oriented events?
Because free copies yield incredible benefits.
Here are just a few of the benefits in offering free reads:
Early Reviews
I read a copy of the novel on Netgalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. This was a book that kept me up way too late, diving into it at every opportunity. I laughed, cheered, and thought deeply throughout the read. I posted my review and the review was simultaneously released to amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads where it boosts essential metrics in sales velocity and influences prospective buyers.
Word of Mouth Buzz
I’ve been talking about the book everywhere I go, at lunch with book-loving friends, with strangers at the library, virtually anywhere and everywhere I spot a person who reads.
The word of mouth in the virtual world by way of book selling and review sites is exceptionally powerful and drives sales. Now that I’m thinking about it, my review also appeared on Facebook — more word of mouth by way of the internet.
Generate Multiple Copy Sales
I read the book. So enjoyed it and so wanted to meet the author that I drove two hours to an event, bought two copies (one for myself, one for my sister).
Another person bought two copies. She’d read a galley copy that she nabbed at a book event. One copy was for her. The other for her Facebook community numbering in the thousands — an eager and receptive audience for her endorsements and engagement with the giveaway promotion that she has planned. Ah, publicity for free while selling several copies!
Book Club Boost
The book covers so many important issues: career, motherhood, aging, relationship, teenagers, aging parents…and the list goes on.
This is perfect for book clubs, whatever their organizing theme or preference. Pearson’s book is neither light, inconsequential “chick lit” nor heavy, ponderous, righteous tome. She hits the sweet spot of delightful, thought-provoking read.
For myself and for other bloggers in the audience, we are happily recommending the book to all the book clubs that we know — boosting library sales (which reminds me to poke at my library to see if the book is included in their book club program with the purchase of ten or more copies).
Book club members tend to be book givers — of books that they might not normally read and then devour with joy. I expect that there will be many happy birthdays, life events, and holidays including this book as a gift, coming from “free” or shared copies with other readers.
The Ripple Effect of Giving Away a Read
There are other benefits, yet more to be gained by offering a free read to the readers committed to books, to sharing what they read, and to pressing books into the hands of others, saying “You have GOT to read this!”
Imagine the free read being like a pebble tossed into a pond. That small impact ripples out in steady arcs, reaching far beyond what you would have imagined from one little rock.
From one reader, you gain the reviews you need to start momentum and a climb up bestseller lists. From another, you gain multiple sales. Yet another influential reader exults about the book to her large audience.
It cost nothing to offer a digital advance reader copy. Against the tired, untested, and negative response that offering free reads brings down sales, I offer this story and encourage those creative, imaginative types in publicity and marketing to figure out ways to leverage the power of free in a way that works for everyone. Consider ways to generate ripples and enjoy the backwash that comes back in sales and status.
