My own theory is that Amazon doesn't like the free books...[snip] ...But from what I've observed, Amazon actually does the opposite. They've separated the frees from the paid rankings and they hide the free list. They have never offered authors the option to sell books free. It is only a side effect of their price-match policy. If they wanted the Zon platform to sell free books, it's so easy for them to make that happen. The fact that they don't, and in effect actively discourages free books' visibility, speaks volumes...
Exactly!!!How do you get your books to be free on Amazon?Method 1: Join KU and then use the five free days that you're allotted.
Method 2: Do a little dance--(a) Set the price on Amazon (b) Set the price free on another site (c) Notify Amazon that your book is free on another site [d] Keep notifying Amazon that your book is free on another site until they listen and change your price.
(
note: This is what the terms of service says about pricing you books on Amazon:)
4. Setting Your List Price
You must set your Digital Book's List Price (and change it from time-to-time if necessary) so that it is no higher than the list price in any sales channel for any digital or physical edition of the Digital Book.
But if you choose the 70% Royalty Option, you must further set and adjust your List Price so that it is at least 20% below the list price in any sales channel for any physical edition of the Digital Book.
By "list price in any sales channel," we mean the suggested or recommended retail price or, if you sell your book directly to end users, your own sales price, for an edition of the book available outside of our Program.
Method one is a legitimate way to make your book free on Amazon. Method two, is at best, highly questionable.
What are the rewards for using method one versus method two: If you use method one you get 5 free days in a three month period. If you use method two you get an unlimited amount of free days.
So what happens when writers who are not as astute as the writers on Kboards learn that there are people who get unlimited free days for skirting the terms of service, while they who follow the spirit and letter of the t.o.s., get five days in a three month period (while also giving up the ability to list their book elsewhere)?
Does Amazon know? Does Amazon care? Why does Amazon not do something about all of those writers who go around the t.o.s. in order to make their books free? Is it not important since it is Amazon who actually price-matches and makes the books free? Is Amazon turning a blind eye to this debacle?
But they know, don't they?
They have to know--because they are the ones who change the price on the books to make them free. Right? So they don't really care?
If they don't really care, why can't you make your book free from the dashboard then?
::shrugs::
"Maybe Amazon just likes watching people dance."