The trouble with free books is:

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jenniferhurley
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Re: The trouble with free books is:

Post by jenniferhurley »

i agree. about 5 different series have got me to part with money in this way, but the subsequent books are usually cheap ($1-3) so i don't notice and them i'm on the 6th book and have spent 20 quid without realising. but then, i guess they take the risk when making it free that 95% of readers will read the free one and leave it at that
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ipekbunsal
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Post by ipekbunsal »

The book I recently read was not like that, I did not wait for the ending. I just read :D
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Post by Reading lady »

Yes I understand the marketing behind the free ebooks that are the first to a series. But look at it this way. It is a way to find out if you like the series and the author and you get one for free. You don't have to buy the first one and find out you don't like it. Also free ebooks are a way to discover new authors you might not have tried. In my mind it is a win/win situation.
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mwitt21w
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Post by mwitt21w »

I absolutely love free books. There are several times I have got hooked and had to read (pay) the entire series. Some free books are ok, but I have found some real hidden gems.
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Post by booklovingolfer »

I love searching Amazon's top free books. I have found numerous authors and new book series this way. One issue I have found is that the first book of the series always seems to be the best and the rest of the series tends to repeat plots.
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Stacilyn
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Post by Stacilyn »

The trouble with the free books I can get on my kindle is that I have soooooooo many that I want to read and so many that I have downloaded sometimes I don't know where to start!! It can become a little overwhelming at times!

-- 20 Aug 2014, 20:20 --
booklovingolfer wrote:I love searching Amazon's top free books. I have found numerous authors and new book series this way. One issue I have found is that the first book of the series always seems to be the best and the rest of the series tends to repeat plots.
I totally agree with you there :D
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Post by Alison97 »

On a kind-of related note, I think it's awesome that you can read public domain literature for free on your e-reader or computer. I mean, it's great that some of literature's greats are universally accessible like that.

But on the topic of free e-books sold on Amazon, I agree that the editing isn't always top-notch. But if the concept's intriguing, or I'm somehow engaged in the plot, I'm willing to tolerate the (not so) occasional typo. I guess I have low standards like that ;)

But seriously. To me, books have always been more about the bigger ideas (character, plot development) than grammar or sentence structure, though those certainly help.
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Bluefirerose
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Post by Bluefirerose »

Has anyone else run into the problem of getting a free book and then finding out it's a series, but the series aren't numbered? So you have to guess which is the next book?!
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ALynnPowers
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Post by ALynnPowers »

For me, the trouble with free ebooks is that the authors have such vast different reasons for making the books free in the first place. In the end, the poor books gets lumped together in the same category ("free") and not given their fair share of credit.

Some of those free first books to get readers hooked on the series. Some are books that are so terribly written that the author has no choice but to give them away because someone would be crazy to pay money for it, and then there are those wonderful, not-very-well-known indie authors who are just trying to get their stories out there to the world. When you can find those in the third category, it's awesome. I've found some of the best stories/authors from those free books. I've also found some of the worst...
booklovingolfer
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Post by booklovingolfer »

The trouble with free books is some of the authors choose to not to have a editor. Editors are very important to a book and can help many with grammar, plots and other ideas.
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Lucy23
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Post by Lucy23 »

I think giving away a free ebook is a good idea for authors that have written a series it gets the reader hooked so that they want to buy the next books, clever idea. Is a tad frustrating if you are unaware that you will have to pay for the follow ups. I have been caught out like that but have paid for the follow ups as I have got so involved with the characters.
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ALynnPowers
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Post by ALynnPowers »

I just "bought" a ton of free books and now I feel like I can't read them fast enough! There are still so many more I want!
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kybunnies
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Post by kybunnies »

Some free books are great and I will buy the rest in the series as soon as I am finished. Others are horrible and I will place the series (and sometimes the author) on my do not buy list. Just me.
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Post by Allison »

I generally find with free books (and no offense to anyone) that the plot lines and characters usually are not very well developed. I don't like to waste my time with books that aren't very good with regards to multiple grammatical errors or loose story lines, but I still think an aspiring author deserves a chance.
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pretzelsnow
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Post by pretzelsnow »

I own a nook and kindle and most of the time I start with one free nook book and then if I really like it I pay and buy the other ones in a series.
When all think alike, no one is thinking very much.
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