Yesterday, we linked to an author’s blog post which questioned whether giving away eBooks for free is a good promotional strategy for authors and publishers. AppNewser readers responded to the post, sharing their thoughts on the subject. Below we’ve included some of these comments.

BMarino pointed out a number of negative things associated with giving away eBooks for free: “Some authors boast outrageous numbers of downloads, but that doesn’t mean those books have been read. Sometimes people just see FREE and hit download. Those books can sit on an e-reader forever unread.”

Carmen Webster Buxton pointed out: “Not every strategy works for every author, but for those authors who are a) new and b) self-published, ‘free’ can really help break though the barrier to that first time someone plunk down actual cash for an unknown author’s book.”

KMC528 commented: “I agree. I’ve considered offering a couple chapters free and if they want the resolution to the cliffhanger, they have to buy the whole book. Someone I know who’s about to come out with a new book had a two-days-free special on her old book.”