Freebies and Giveaways...Are They Worth It?

Author Lizzy Ford asked her followers on Facebook the other day if they thought freebies and 99c books were a good idea. Did they go for them? Or did the cheap price put them off?

I skimmed the thread and quickly picked up that people love a freebie. It's introduced many to authors they never would have discovered if they'd had to pay.

From a writer's viewpoint, this stings me just a little. It hurts that my hours and hours of time and energy will only be discovered if I make a book free. In saying that, I have found the strategy to be a good one and at the end of the day, I publish my work so people can read it. I know I'll never become a millionaire and I'm cool with that. It's more important to me that people are reading and enjoying my work.

So - in answer to my question... Yes - I think freebies and giveaways are worth it. They are a great way to reach a wider audience, it feels good to play the role of Santa Claus every now and then, plus, I have picked up some very loyal fans. By listing the first book in two of my trilogies free, I've had the flow on effect of selling the other two books in the series. By gifting copies of my books in numerous giveaways, readers have stumbled across my work and then gone and bought the rest of my books. It is a good marketing strategy.

So here's a question for the readers... Is it all too much?

I feel like I am involved in so many giveaways at the moment and I'm worried that I'm bogging down my followers with constant giveaways and promos. I don't want people to miss out, but I also don't want to put people off, because all they ever read from me is promotional stuff.

As a reader, do you appreciate freebies and giveaways? Is your e-reader stuffed with more books than you can ever read? What's your take on it all?

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If you are a fan of the giveaways, I've listed all the ones I am currently involved in, just in case you would like to enter :)

Also - Unknown is currently FREE through all major distributors, if you'd like to pick up a copy.
UNKNOWN FOR FREE.

Giveaways:
Countdown to Christmas Giveaway - a stash of ebooks from Indie Inked Authors.
Spooktacular Hop Giveaway - a massive hop. I am giving away paperback copies of The Elements Trilogy.
The Spooky Spectacular Sale - a huge sale of 99c books, plus a massive giveaway.
The Society of YA Storytellers Giveaway - to celebrate our new website :)
**And keep an eye out for next week when Indie Inked is doing a Kindle Fire Giveaway. I'll post about that on Tuesday.

So Many Things To Tell You!

I have so many things coming up over the next few weeks and I can't wait to tell you about them!

I am so excited for the release of BEYOND on October 17th! So look out for that one coming soon.

I am happy to announce that I will be attending the SuzhouSingapore International School for Book Week! The annual SSIS Book Week will be held from Monday, 21 to Friday, 25 October. It's such a fun event and I feel privileged to be part of it.

To help celebrate the new covers for The Elements Trilogy, I have put UNKNOWN FREE until November 7th. Now's the time to grab your copy!

I also have a blog tour being organised for December. This will be highlighting the Betwixt Series. 
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

On a writing note, I am halfway through editing the first book of my new series - The Masks Series. It will soon be in the hands of critique readers and all going to plan, will be released in December. I'm pretty excited about this project as it is being published by Evatopia Press. This is my first time working with another company and I'm really excited. It's fun to have others onboard and I value their help and support immensely.

If you'd like to stay up-to-date with my news, please sign up for my newsletter. I send it out about once a month and include any sales and giveaways I have going on, plus my latest news.
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January Sale!

It's time for my monthly progress report, but to be honest, with being away on holiday, I don't have that much to share just at the moment. I am slowly finding my feet again and getting back into the swing of things.

I really needed a break and I enjoyed every moment of it. It's good to be back though.

To celebrate the start of a new year, I am having a JANUARY SALE on all my books.
Golden Blood is FREE and the rest of my books are on special at $2.99 for a limited time.

Here is my Amazon Author Page where you can purchase the books.

I hope everyone has had an amazing Christmas and is gearing up for a fantastic 2013. I know I'm excited :)

If you'd like to stay up to date with my news, please sign up for my monthly Book Updates Newsletter. This will keep you posted on all my latest book news and any specials or giveaways I have running.

I have some more exciting news brewing in February and I can't wait to share it with you. In the meantime, have an awesome start to your year everybody!!!