Should Writers Give Away Their Work?
What it Means When Writers Give Their Work Away for Free
It’s always been interesting to me that people expect to get free books from authors. It’s like they have no idea that the book is a product that took many people and resources to produce.
Friends, family, acquaintances, and reviewers of course expect a free book when the author releases a long-awaited book. Professional reviewers I can understand wanting or needed free copies. They read a lot and provide a service to the author. But the author’s favorite aunt or best friend who expects an autographed copy of the book is missing an important truth — writing is a business and people who are in business cannot afford to give away their products for free.
Most of the time, writers get a few author copies from the publisher to pass on to reviewers or to give away as they choose, but aside from those few copies, authors must buy their own books. They buy the books at a reduced price, but they still must purchase the books. This is something else that those close to the writer might not know or understand.
Royalties, if an author ever receives them, come over time, usually years. Therefore, the writer is probably working without an income for months and years. Writers get an advance when they sign their contract, and…
