Free Stuff

One of the things that has become relatively commonplace is for writers (and other artists) to give away some of their work in order to draw attention to themselves in hopes of building up a following. (I suppose there are also a good number of people out their sharing their creations with no other motives, too.)

I have to admit to having been on both sides of the give-away fence. Initially, it bothered me to think that anyone who created something had to give it away. After all, no one expects the non-artist to give away her services. We are a firmly established you-get-what-you-pay-for society. (Okay, maybe we’re more a how-much-do-I-get-for-doing-that? society, but that’s another post.)

Here are two examples:

First, there was a time when buying a printer meant inside the box was everything one needed to hook that puppy up to a computer, press a button, and watch the ink fly. Then, times changed, and buying a printer meant deciding whether or not to buy a cable, too. I was one of the idiots who was caught off guard by this the first time: I had moved from a serial printer to a USB printer, so I had no compatible cable. Imagine my surprise when I called to complain that my order had been shorted a cable only to be told I hadn’t ordered one.

Let’s be realistic here: a printer will not work without a cable, so why not include it? (I understand the logic and cost effectiveness of not doing so, but c’mon.)

Second, I will say up front this is not an assault on a profession but an evaluation of what is and what is not free. Let’s look at the concept of tipping a waitperson. Why is it that the consumer is forced to pay part of an employee’s salary? Do I get the option as a diner of grabbing my own seat, my own menu, my own silverware, and my own water? Am I allowed to place my own order with the cook, pick it up, and take it to my table? (Uh, yes, and it’s called eating at home.) The simple truth is eating out is done to avoid serving oneself, so why do we pay someone to serve us? Service is part of running a service business, so why aren’t the owners paying their service staff to serve?

I find it odd we tip a server for serving us. I find it even odder that we tip well if the service has been exemplary. Shouldn’t I expect great service when I’m paying $20 for a meal I could easily fix myself? (What about pride in one’s work?)

I could go on and on with the things we pay for in society versus those we do not, but my point is that for a time I was adamantly against giving my stuff away, and these things were at the root of my reasoning.

Then I discovered a few sites where I could download free ebooks, free music, free podiobooks, and free podcasts, and often these sites were owned and operated by well-established writers/artists. Two things began to happen as I took advantage of these freebies. I found the items offered for “free” were not castoffs or lesser pieces. I also discovered some artists I would have missed had these things not been “free.” (I don’t have a ton of extra money hanging around to spend on books, and I already have lots of unread items lining the walls of my office. Reading is a big commitment, and as much as I enjoy it—it’s something I do every day—I am choosey about what books I give my time to.) Like almost all humans, I am attracted to free things in the same manner I am attracted to shiny objects, and free books get a few pages of my attention instantly.

Being an avid reader, I understand as a writer that one necessity is to get readers to want to read my stuff more than any other stuff they have available to them, and if that means giving some of my work away to showcase myself, I can do that without feeling as if I’m selling my work short.

(I still think all printers should come with cables and all restaurant owners should pay their wait staff a sum of money that includes waiting on customers, however.)

Which brings me to my latest project: podcasting. I’ve been posting short stories over at Scribbled Stories for eight months, and I really love the process involved in the writing I do for that site. After finding Podiobooks and the podcast novel Crescent, I had to give podcasting a shot, and I couldn’t think of a better way to get good at recording than by creating some small pieces.

Now, I am no Phil Rossi, and my first effort is by no means perfect, but for your listening pleasure, I present my first Scribbled Story Podcast, and it’s absolutely free.

The Creator