Swords Into Plowshares

[seankreynolds]

No by now you've heard about Swords Into Plowshares being available for free.

In its for-sale lifetime it sold around 400 copies.

Sunday night I put it online for free. I just got the download stats for the site, and on Monday it was downloaded 2,400 times.

Imagine if more of those people had bought the book, and how much more money for charity that would have generated....

I suppose that about 1/5 the "freebie customer base" is a pretty good number. Well, hopefully people will like the free download enough to (a) contribute money for the Afghan Girls Fund on their own, and/or (b) buy my next charity book.

 

[Morrus]

I think that part of the problem is that a lot of people are unable or unwilling to use credit cards on the internet. It is a barrier to selling online.

 

[jgbrowning]

I suppose that about 1/5 the "freebie customer base" is a pretty good number.

Yes, it is. We run anywhere from 1-10 to 1-20 for our freebie to sale ratio.

joe b.

 

[seankreynolds]

I think that part of the problem is that a lot of people are unable or unwilling to use credit cards on the internet. It is a barrier to selling online.

Could be. I wonder what it would take for RPGnow to start accepting PayPal....

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Doesn't RPGNow already use PayPal?

Best,
Nick

 

[JeffB]

No by now you've heard about Swords Into Plowshares being available for free.

In its for-sale lifetime it sold around 400 copies.

Sunday night I put it online for free. I just got the download stats for the site, and on Monday it was downloaded 2,400 times.

Imagine if more of those people had bought the book, and how much more money for charity that would have generated....

I suppose that about 1/5 the "freebie customer base" is a pretty good number. Well, hopefully people will like the free download enough to (a) contribute money for the Afghan Girls Fund on their own, and/or (b) buy my next charity book.

Perhaps many folks do not agree with or wish to help out whatever Charity you chose ?

Not trying to be an A$$... just a thought. I personally have no idea what the "Afghan Girls Fund" is. I do know I'd be more likely to help out a well deserving charity here in the states rather than abroad.

:shrug:

 

[Vrecknidj]

Sean,

You could try this. You could put the freebie out there, and then have a mailing address with something like "If you want to donate, feel free to send a check, we'll even take $1. You don't have to use a credit card; please don't send cash." And then put in your stuff about the causes this goes to.

Dave

PS I made Swords Into Plowshares purchase on 8/2/02 for $5; I still have the RPG receipt. But, for me, sending a check is even better than using a credit card. Maybe it would be for others too.

 

[trancejeremy]

Eh. I think 400 copies is actually quite good for a PDF, at least if you're not Monte Cook.

People will take anything if it's free. But if they have to pay 1 cent, they don't want it.

There have probably been 1000s of downloads of FATAL. But how many would buy it?

 

[JimAde]

Sean,

You could try this. You could put the freebie out there, and then have a mailing address with something like "If you want to donate, feel free to send a check, we'll even take $1. You don't have to use a credit card; please don't send cash." And then put in your stuff about the causes this goes to.

Or, if you are set up for it, you could even put a PayPal link right next to the free download. A sort of "if you like this, consider donating to The Afghan Girls' Fund" with a paypal link and a link to info about the charity. Some people might be willing to pay after they get a look at it.

 

[Sarellion]

Morrus is probably right. Using credit cards via net seems to be too risky.
Also, there are always issues if the charity money is really arriving at thhe mentioned source. Another problem is that credit cards aren´t so common in Europe as in the US. I never had one for example and I am doing fine witout it.