Do you guys ever put an ebook in the frontmatter of another ebook?

[Gregg Bell]

I've seen it done but wonder if it's worth it. I just put a couple ebooks up for free and then I realized I didn't have my one book that's still kind of selling in the backmatter ("Books also by Gregg Bell") of the books I'd made free. So I was going to put that lone seller into the backmatter of the books I'm planning to use my Select free days with. But then I thought, why not put the lone seller in the front of the freebie books?

I don't know, it kind of feels like slumming doing that. Like I can't wait until the reader has read the freebie. Anyway, what do you guys do (or not do)?

[The Bass Bagwhan]

Well, apart from ignoring the convention of having a sample of another book at the back, it will stuff up any "Look Inside" feature for the book you're trying to sell. And it just doesn't make sense to suggest "read this book instead" when you're attempting to flog the book that sample is in.

[alhawke]

I don't like the idea. You could do it at the back of the book or use a free book as a reader magnet on a website, but I wouldn't offer more at the start of your book.

[Vijaya]

It doesn't make sense. The look inside feature is sufficient for a reader to decide whether they want to read the book you're selling. You can put the freebie in the back.

[Gregg Bell]

Well, apart from ignoring the convention of having a sample of another book at the back, it will stuff up any "Look Inside" feature for the book you're trying to sell. And it just doesn't make sense to suggest "read this book instead" when you're attempting to flog the book that sample is in.

Thanks Bass. I've seen the front matter in other books and like you said it stuffs up the "Look Inside" or Sample. Thing is I'm not trying to sell that book. I'm giving that book away and trying to sell the book in the front matter of the book I'm giving away. But anyway, it looks terrible (and kind of desperate). And I'm not that desperate (I hope). And also those freebie books do sell a little when my lone seller sells, and I'm not going to be going in and out and adjusting the books (front or backmatter).

[Gregg Bell]

I don't like the idea. You could do it at the back of the book or use a free book as a reader magnet on a website, but I wouldn't offer more at the start of your book.

Thanks A.L. I'm bailing on the idea. (Someone must've slipped stupid pills into my orange juice or something.)

[Gregg Bell]

It doesn't make sense. The look inside feature is sufficient for a reader to decide whether they want to read the book you're selling. You can put the freebie in the back.

Thanks Vijaya. I guess I didn't explain myself well because it was actually the opposite: I was giving away books that I wanted to feature a book I was selling. But that doesn't matter because I'm not doing it.

[LilyBLily]

Kindles generally open at the first page of the novel, not at the first page of the book. Most frontmatter is only seen if the reader chooses to go backwards and look for it.

Not always, but enough so that--despite all the stats claiming that if you put a plea to join your newsletter in the front of your book you will get even better results than if you put it in the back--it is wise to assume that no one reads your book from the very first page.

The Look Inside also tends to open on the first page of the novel, not the first page of the book.

[Bill Hiatt]

It depends on how that frontmatter is labeled (or coded). But yes, generally, the Look Inside tries to open on the first page of the book.

Since an author can use a freebie for other things (like reader magnets), it generally doesn't make sense to include it in another book. I've done that once at the end of a book for a particular reason. In that case, the short story I included was the one that inspired the novel to which it was appended.

As others have noted, you can put samples of the next book in the back of the preceding one, an especially common tactic if you're dealing with a series.

[Gregg Bell]

Kindles generally open at the first page of the novel, not at the first page of the book. Most frontmatter is only seen if the reader chooses to go backwards and look for it.

Not always, but enough so that--despite all the stats claiming that if you put a plea to join your newsletter in the front of your book you will get even better results than if you put it in the back--it is wise to assume that no one reads your book from the very first page.

The Look Inside also tends to open on the first page of the novel, not the first page of the book.

Thanks LilyBLily. That's really good to know. And a question. You guys are talking about the "Look Inside" but I don't see that anymore. All I see is the "Read Sample" button. The Read Sample looks like the same as the "Look Inside." Are they the same?

[Gregg Bell]

It depends on how that frontmatter is labeled (or coded). But yes, generally, the Look Inside tries to open on the first page of the book.

Since an author can use a freebie for other things (like reader magnets), it generally doesn't make sense to include it in another book. I've done that once at the end of a book for a particular reason. In that case, the short story I included was the one that inspired the novel to which it was appended.

As others have noted, you can put samples of the next book in the back of the preceding one, an especially common tactic if you're dealing with a series.

Thanks Bill.

you can put samples of the next book in the back of the preceding one, an especially common tactic if you're dealing with a series.

^ Would that be like that the sample has to be less than 10%?

[Bill Hiatt]

If you're in KU, you have to stick to whatever is visible in the Look Inside on Amazon.

If not, you could theoretically sample from any part of the book, but usually, the beginning is the most logical place, anyway. It is where a reader would start the book, after all.

[Gregg Bell]

Thanks Bill

[Lynn]

If you're just talking about an advertisement for the book that sells, put it in the front and back matter and don't worry about whether or not it looks desperate. You'll almost certainly end up with more sales of that book than you would otherwise. Some devices will skip the front matter and some readers will skip the back matter. You want the advertisement there for the readers who go looking.

[Gregg Bell]

If you're just talking about an advertisement for the book that sells, put it in the front and back matter and don't worry about whether or not it looks desperate. You'll almost certainly end up with more sales of that book than you would otherwise. Some devices will skip the front matter and some readers will skip the back matter. You want the advertisement there for the readers who go looking.

Thanks Lynn. I noticed too that even though the Kindle ereader may open to page one, the front matter is still easily accessible with a simple scroll up.