Friday, March 03, 2017

No, I Will Not Give You My Book

Over the years when I have announced that I have a new book coming out, people I know will ask me for a free copy. I generally spend months writing a novel. And when the book appears in print, people want me to give it to them. For free.

Try asking your doctor for free medical care. Go to your mechanic and ask him to fix your car for free. The next time a carpenter arrives to do repairs at your house, ask him if he'll do the work and not expect any money for it.

So, to answer all of the people who ask--no. I will not give you my book.

I write for many reasons, but one of them is to try to make a living from my prose work. Some years I have done quite well at it, and other years not so good. But the fact remains that I am selling my novels. If you want one, then buy it. If you don't want a copy, then please don't insult me by asking me for a free fucking copy.

Part of promotions is sending out some review copies. Some of my publishers generally do this, and most of them tend to send me a box of copies for me to send out to professionals who write review columns. So, yes, there are a tiny handful of people who get "free" copies of my work, but most of those people end up reviewing and promoting my fiction which results in sales.

Once again--unless you want to piss me off (and I understand that there are people out there who do want to do that), don't ask me for a free copy of my books. If you want one, buy one.

My latest novel. It's available in two formats: paperback and ebook. You can buy copies HERE!

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