The TRUTH about When to Make Your Book Free (and when to AVOID it)
When Is Getting 12,000 Free Downloads the Wrong Choice?
When is getting 12,000 downloads in a single month actually the wrong decision for your book?
That’s the real question behind this post—and behind my recent experiment with BookBub’s new Free Reads program.
BookBub’s pitch is compelling. They claim they’ve curated their massive email list down to the most active downloaders in each genre. In theory, this should mean more readers, more visibility, and more success.
But does it actually work that way?
The results surprised me.
My BookBub Free Reads Experiment
At the time, I had three books on sale in the same series. BookBub offered a Free Reads slot for the first book.
The cost didn’t initially scare me. I’ve run BookBub Featured Deals before—and in some cases, I’ve made a profit. So I decided to test it.
Day One Results:
Over 9,000 free downloads
Only 76 total sales
71 of those were the discounted second book
Just 2 sales came from full-price titles
On the surface, 9,000 downloads in a day sounds incredible. In fact, it outperformed many paid Featured Deals.
But the backlist sales were far lower than expected.
The Drop-Off Effect
On day two:
About 2,000 additional downloads
Roughly 38 more sales
After that, the tail dropped off quickly.
So the big question became:
Was this worth it?
To answer that, I use a simple decision framework—one you can apply to any publishing promotion.
The Write Path: 3-Factor Decision Framework for Promotions
Every major book promotion comes down to three things:
Scope – How many readers are you trying to reach?
Cost – How much are you willing (or able) to spend?
Time – Do you want results now or later?
Here’s the hard truth:
👉 You can only pick two.
You can’t have:
Massive readership
Low cost
Fast results
You always have to sacrifice one.
Where Bookbub’s Free Reads Shines
BookBub Free Reads does very well in two areas:
Scope: Access to potentially millions of readers
Time: Results are fast—downloads happen immediately
But there is a cost.
And the real question becomes:
Can you mitigate that cost?
Backlist Authors vs. One-Book Authors
If you only have one book, making it free means:
No immediate revenue
All cost, no return
In that case, you’re intentionally choosing:
Readership + speed
And sacrificing cost entirely
That can be valid—if you’re okay losing money to build awareness, reviews, or early readership.
But if you have a backlist (2, 3, or more books), things change.
Now you can:
Make Book 1 free
Discount Book 2
Keep Book 3+ at full price
That’s how you try to offset the cost.
What Actually Improved (and What Didn’t)
From a visibility standpoint, the results were strong:
Over 100–150 new ratings and reviews
Ratings held steady at about 4.3 stars
#1 free ebook in the U.S. on Amazon
#1 in multiple subcategories (mystery, thriller, etc.)
International visibility also spiked
That kind of social proof does matter—and it can encourage future downloads.
So yes, from a readership and branding perspective, Free Reads worked exactly as advertised.
But Here’s the Real Problem
You can’t build a sustainable career on promotions that consistently lose money.
Budgets add up quickly—into the thousands.
You’re not doing this just to give books away forever. Most authors want:
A career
A reliable income
Or at least a profit that justifies the time and effort
And that’s where Free Reads becomes a strategic—not emotional—decision.
Who Should Use BookBub Free Reads?
This program may be right for you if:
You have a solid backlist
You’re trying to grow readership fast
You can potentially recover costs through follow-on sales
You should avoid it if:
You only have one book
Cost matters to you right now
You don’t have budget flexibility
If all you want is quick exposure and you’re willing to absorb the cost, Free Reads can absolutely deliver.
But ask yourself:
👉 How many times can I afford to pull that trigger?
The Bigger Lesson
This isn’t just about BookBub Free Reads.
It’s about making clear, intentional publishing decisions.
Every promotion forces you to choose:
Scope
Time
Or cost
Pick two—and be honest about the third.
If you need fast readership growth and don’t mind spending money, Free Reads may work beautifully. If cost matters and you don’t yet have a backlist to support it, this might not be the right move right now.
Later—when your catalog is deeper and your budget more flexible—it could make sense.
Your Turn
Have you used:
BookBub Free Reads
Featured Deals
New Deals for Less
Drop your experience in the comments. I’d love to hear how it worked for you—and I know other authors will benefit from it too.