Amazon has a similar thing called "Matchbook", but it's opt-in for authors, and I don't think it's very popular. I'm pretty sure Baen does this too.
ETA: Matchbook is not only opt-in, it's not necessarily "download it free" but could be "download for only $2.99" (or some other price.) But the author can choose free, if they want.
Yeah, I think it would be a great way to get people to buy more, actually.
It makes sense, to me, to first read the ebook. And it angers me that I then can't get the paperback/ebook combo, because I already PAID for the ebook.
Maybe they could take the ebook price off the paperback, add shipping, and OHOY! Hehe
I don't think they'd do it, only because DTBs are so much more expensive. I wouldn't mind, however, if after the purchase of an ebook they would take that amount off its DTB version if you decide to go for it.
You know what would be nice? A movie rental model for books. That's what Amazon does today but charging horrors for the rental. It could be easily implemented on today's model. You could buy the paperback(and gain the ebook for free) or just "rent" the ebook for a period, read it and delete it afterward(for a much lower price than the paperback version). I guess it's almost done actually: all still needed is to low the ebook prices(a 1/10th of the paperback seems fair) and delete then after a period.
Ugh, of course it's a useless, unethical fanfic publisher that's finally bundling. I've been waiting forever for pubs to pull their heads out of their ass regarding this. =/
There's a site called Oyster that "rents" ebooks. You pay a monthly fee to read as much as you want. I think other publishers are trying this out too, but none of them have enough books that I'm interested in. https://www.oysterbooks.com/
Interesting thoughts and insights, people. Mammarella, that is exactly what I would want, too.
I'm not liking the idea of renting books at all, I have very strange reading habits, and books can stay on a hiatus for months on end with me, Sherlock, so that wouldn't work at all on this side.
I know, OstensiblyA. They've bettered their ways somewhat, however, and this is a good signal.
KindleRomance, Oyster sounds interesting, for people who read books in one go and don't go back to reread. It wouldn't work for me at all. :-)
ETA: Matchbook is not only opt-in, it's not necessarily "download it free" but could be "download for only $2.99" (or some other price.) But the author can choose free, if they want.
Do you know of any publishers that do it the other way around? That gives you the option to get the paperback AFTER reading the ebook?
It makes sense, to me, to first read the ebook. And it angers me that I then can't get the paperback/ebook combo, because I already PAID for the ebook.
Maybe they could take the ebook price off the paperback, add shipping, and OHOY! Hehe
I think I need to talk to publishers about this.
I'm not liking the idea of renting books at all, I have very strange reading habits, and books can stay on a hiatus for months on end with me, Sherlock, so that wouldn't work at all on this side.
I know, OstensiblyA. They've bettered their ways somewhat, however, and this is a good signal.
KindleRomance, Oyster sounds interesting, for people who read books in one go and don't go back to reread. It wouldn't work for me at all. :-)