377 Days - Blog #57, now appearing free on Smashwords

So as I start to get my writing momentum back and determine what manuscript I will polish up for a release this year (I think I just added something to that list), I have decided to make the ebook of An Ever Fixed Mark free.  At least through the rest of the calendar year.  Well, free every place except Amazon, that forces an author into exclusivity to do such a thing.  And that’s dumb.

So, you can find it on Smashwords and Barnes and Noble… and hopefully on iBooks (there was some issue with the metadata or some such) by the end of the week.

It’s actually been free on Smashwords since July – the month when Smashwords celebrates an anniversary and promotes free and discounted books.  I am honestly uncertain how to navigate their new daily sales reports – which only seem to go back thirty days.  But in the last thirty days, over 100 people have downloaded my book.  Since I uploaded the book to Smashwords three and a half years ago, over 1600 readers have added it to their library.

Wow.

Mostly wow because that is where I have put the least effort… beyond just saying, hey, this is free.  And I’m going to guess that after the first 100, most of those downloads are complete strangers.  Unlike every festival I go to where I sell hard copies and pretty much every one is purchased by someone I know within two degrees of separation.

I doubt that all 1600 have read it.  If even 1% have, I’m still pretty excited.   I wish they would post a review… but, then again… I haven’t asked.

I suppose it really is small beans in the world of books and publishing.  But it is a step out of the world I knew a few years ago where my writing was something I kept to myself, but for a few myspace blogs and the off occasion I would sheepishly ask a friend to read something… that they wouldn’t because time didn’t allow.

There are a lot more steps I can take after this.  But for now, I’ll keep the book for free on Smashwords.  If you haven’t read it yet, by all means, it is yours for the reading.  Tell me what you think of it.  I’d love to know.