Welcome to Tuesday Book Chat. This is where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week.
Today’s question is:
Do freebies inspire you to join an author’s newsletter list?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation by commenting on this post or on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.
Let’s chat!
The simple answer is no. I will check what the freebie is but unless I want to read the author or want to be on the newsletter list I normally won’t join. Mostly I ignore the promos to get free downloads with the catch being you join the newsletter list. They all say you can unsubscribe but I got burnt last year by being added to so many lists and the unsubscribing was annoying. If the freebie is a novella that is connected to a series that may make me sign up.
Your turn.
I look forward to reading your comments here or at the FB group. Remember all comments go into the monthly drawer for a gift voucher.
That depends on both the freebie and on how interested I am in the author without any freebie. I don’t sign up just for the freebie, but it can be nice to get one.
I’ve never given a freebie for signups , mostly because I don’t have a short story or novella that would be suitable. But the backstories of both the main male characters and the main female character of my current WIP are interesting enough that I could easily write something novella length with half being his story and half hers. They don’t overlap in space during their backstory periods, so it would be two different stories, either as part 1 and 2 of a single novella or two novellas.
Do you think that would be an attractive freebie?
Hi Carol for your readers it would probably be a good freebie. I know of authors who already have a list and will do a freebie for them. It maybe something they sign up for.
Again it depends where they are signing up from. Is it from your website or from a group contest where they are signed up to the newsletter.
Often when I sign up for a newsletter I don’t take the freebie. I sometimes will but it may take awhile for me to read it. When its a prequel or extra chapter then I am more likely to read it. (or if its short) I joined Jessica Wakefield’s list last week as she has a book coming out in July her debut and there is a short story (which I have to read) but its only about 20 pages which is enough to wet the appitite and get to know the authors voice.
I have published two Children’s Picture Books (Book number three is still a ‘work in progress’ after three years…I’ll ‘get there’…I only have a few more illustrations to finish), and I offer free colouring sheets for following my webpage. I have only added about two updates since I created my website 3 years ago.
Thats something I have joined newsletters for. I have been to websites that offer this too. I know one newsletter I was on did a monthly screensaver calander but being American and very American in the seasons etc It wasn’t as helpful for me.
Yes. I have signed up just for the freebie several times. I don’t always stay signed up. That depends on if I liked the freebie and if the author/mentor isn’t bombarding me. I tend to unsubscribe from an author newsletter because they send more emails than I could be bothered to read (I only want to know about your next book), but I’ve stayed signed up to most of the craft-learning newsletters.
However, if I would catalogue which of the freebies I enjoyed better, it would be the books. So, I think free stories certainly have a place. You might not keep me as a subscriber, but if I liked the short story, you’ll keep me as a reader.
I agree. a couple of new writers I read the short story and decided I really want to read more. But I have had some I wasn’t sure about and the short story was enough to know it wasn’t my cup of tea. Jennifer Mistmorgan is one of them I read her short novelette The Finishing School (I think that was its name) and I want to read more but then WW2 interests me and the fact it deal with spies as my uncle was in the Z force in WW2 (a spy force which was kept secret for many years after the war. infact my Aunt didn’t know til after he died). I am still on her newsletter list awaiting her debut book.