Who benefits from free eBooks?

[Joe McCoubrey]

I’ve been wondering more and more these days about what readers really make of the current explosion of free eBooks. If you believe the fad is reaching a peak, think again. There’s a lot yet to come, and it remains to be seen whether the craze will result in a welcome sea-change or inflict permanent damage to an industry that is being forced to reconstruct itself in the modern world of push-button technology. SEE MORE AT: http://BLACKLISTED/2012/06/15/who- ... he-author/

[Barbarabillig]

Only the author getting some exposure, and Amazon because the readers have to have a kindle, and the reader who got a free ebook. However, the hardcover publishers are the ones really getting hurt ..... (Harcourt just filed bankruptcy) and the struggling authors trying to sell their work when so much free stuff is available out there. Quite frankly the Amazon authors are complaining how much this give away is hurting their sales. You would think Amazon itself would be losing sales also.

[Fran]

I am be very sceptical of free ebooks (excluding public domain books of course) ...... it does strike me that if the author doesn't think his/her work is worth paying for then why on earth would they think I'd want to spend my valuable time reading it. IMO something free is generally not worth a whole lot .... but that's just me!

[justicehandler]

The author and the reader's mind

[Lakelander]

I am a new Member (3 Posts) and am thoughly enjoying browsing through the Forum and its wealth of comments, advice and opinions, plus the useful information often contained therein. However, I am concerned, as the author of a eBook, a rewly published Award winning omantic novel, to learn from the discussion, "Who Benefits from free eBooks?", that there are in existence websites which are apparently publishing eBooks for free, without the author's knowledge or permission. It would seem such site are robbing authors of their Royalties, while making money for themselves by collecting fees from those equally unprinipaled individuals and companies, prepared to place advertisements on these rogue sites.
This raises two questions in my mind, if the foregoing be true. How do these sites obtain the author's manuscript in the first place and secondly, how do they manage to evade the International Copyright Laws?
Should Members have any ideas, answers, or better still, solutions to this seemingly growing and, crucial to literature, situation, please let me (and every other author in the world) know ASAP.

[DaveOl]

I am be very sceptical of free ebooks (excluding public domain books of course) ...... it does strike me that if the author doesn't think his/her work is worth paying for then why on earth would they think I'd want to spend my valuable time reading it. IMO something free is generally not worth a whole lot .... but that's just me!

I imagine that if an author publishes a book the normal way he or she probably only gets $ 1 or 2 dollars per copy sold. If it is sold through the e-reader sites, he probably gets the same or a little less and they get to sell it for $ 2.99 or so.

[HateToWin]

i think it really depends on the book, when i first got my nook i went to the barnes and noble store and got as many free ebooks as i could find that looked interesting, and have ended up buying quite a few books from those authors that i would not have bought other wise merely because the free book was so good.

[bcling]

As an avid reader of free e-books, I can definitely say I benefit from free e-books! But I'd also like to add that some authors do also benefit. When I read a free book that I really enjoy, I often will go to Amazon and find more by the same author and purchase, sometime multiple books at a time. I see the free books as a chance to sample what the author is like. Of course there are times when I didn't enjoy a book and I know that I will probably bypass others by that author.

[Kaylaqt]

EVERYBODY!! If you go through heaps of books really fast, you can benefit from freeebooks!!

[Chris81042]

their is a lot of benefits through e-books.
1.Money saving.
2.Time Saving.
3.Many Books At a time.

etc.

[DanaB]

I am chiming in to add my agreement with what several posters have said ^^^^ about how reading free e-books often sends me in search of more of a particular author's work. I have been joyfully introduced to many, many good authors and great reads this way.

Granted, there are some wicked bad free e-books out there--however, there are plenty of wicked bad not free books out there, as well!

~~

[changoora]

im new member here can i offer my free ebooks here

[vijaykumarA]

The benefits of ebooks
Ebooks are easily updateable, for correcting errors and adding information.
Ebooks are portable
Ebooks can be printable
Ebooks are cheaper to produce.

[vinodkumaryadav11]

From my point of view everyone is benefited from ebooks....

[Carrie R]

I know of some authors who do this--they say it helps generate recognition of their book, and thus the coveted word-of-mouth that is necessary for success. Those of us signed with publishers don't have the option of a free e-book publicity blitz, but I'm not sure I would want it anyway. Does giving an e-book away for free negatively stigmatize a book? I have no idea, but I've heard pros and cons on both sides of the table.