The Culture of Free, and The Power of Less
Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.
A few people on other websites have commented on the irony of me selling a book (The Power of Less) about working and doing and living with less, saying something along the lines of:
“Yes, I’m going to live with less … starting with not buying books!”
I can see the humor and irony in that — in fact, it’s something I’ve debated internally from the start, from when I first decided to write a book. And it’s something I want to talk about now, because as some of you know, I have strong (and sometimes controversial) feelings about whether things should be free. And how to live frugally.
So how do I reconcile selling a book with my philosophy of wanting things to be free, and advocating living frugally? Let’s explore.
The Culture of Free
I’m a proponent of free software, of free information (such as Wikipedia, vs. proprietary info such as a traditional proprietary encyclopedia), of the Culture of Free.
I won’t go too deeply into this philosophy, other than to make a few brief points.
First an important point: we must distinguish between “free” as in you don’t have to pay for it, and “free” as in you are free to distribute and use the information. An ebook (such as Zen To Done) can be free to distribute and copy and re-use (see my Uncopyright) but I can still sell it. When I talk about information being free, I’m refering to freedom of distribution and re-use in any way you like.
I believe that with digital technology the way it is, it is impossible or at least highly impractical to stop the spread of information — whether it be books, movies, music, blogs, photographs, or what have you — the way that this information distribution has been controlled and policed in the past. It will get more and more impractical as things become more and more digital (i.e. as we move from DVDs to downloading movies a la iTunes and other online services).
I believe that people actually benefit from information being free (again, not free as in costs nothing). More people have access to information than ever before, in all of human history. We are more informed, more able to make good decisions. We have more informed discussions. We are better able to evaluate the actions of our government, of corporations, of anything in society, with more access to information.
I believe that art, in all its forms, and creative people of all types, benefit tremendously from free information. When a writer (for example) is able to take the work of another writer and use it and modify it and build upon it in his own work, the artist benefits and so does the world. When an artist can take the photographs of another person and use them to create something new and brilliant, that’s a beautiful thing. Everyone wins.
Why Authors, Musicians, Photographers, and All Artists Win With Free
I believe that artists (of all types) can make a living even if they give away their info, or release it into the public domain. Consider the musicians of old: they made a living playing from town to town, because people liked their music, even though mega-record deals didn’t exist. Sure, maybe they weren’t multi-millionaires, but is it really right for a musician to become super rich simply because people are restricted in their freedoms? That seems like you’re profiting from the shackles of others.
Corporations might suffer, especially the media giants who have been making billions off proprietary media, but artists will still be able to make a living.
Consider the author, someone who has traditionally made only a percentage of the actual sales of his book, because if he didn’t agree to giving the publisher a big cut he’d never get published or distributed. Today, publication and distribution is possible without a big publisher, although publicity is still difficult without reliance on media industry and without a big publisher.
But imagine a world where the author publishes and releases his book into the public domain. He allows the book to be distributed free, digitally, and if it’s a great book, people will get excited about it and share it on their blog, email it to friends, link to it from Twitter and Facebook and MySpace. Good books will spread, while bad ones won’t. That’s the model of the future — unlike the current model, where the publisher is the decider of what gets published and what is successful, and what’s not.
So how does the author make money? Several ways:
- He can charge for the digital book on his site. Sure, you could get it for free elsewhere, but there will always be people who pay for it, if only to show thanks for the great book. This is what I do with Zen To Done, and it works.
- He can sell a hard copy of the book. Many people will always want to read a book in paper form, so they’ll buy it, even if they could get it for free digitally. Many people will want to give the book as a gift, and who wants to email a gift to someone? They’ll buy the paper version and wrap it and give it as a gift.
- He can sell services. If the book does well and spreads, people will want more from the author. They might want him to help them implement ideas from the book. They might want him to do speaking engagements, or seminars, or teleconferences. They might hire him as a consultant. You can make a lot of money doing these things, and if you release a great book, there will be demand.
An author can make a real name for himself if a book does well. His website (such as Zen Habits!) will see a big increase in traffic from a successful book. He can then sell ads on the website and make money. His future books will be in greater demand. He’ll have a reputation as an expert and be in demand for radio and TV shows. Maybe he’ll even get a radio or TV show for himself, or some other cool job, just from the reputation of the book.
You can see what I mean: free distributing of a book might not make you a lot of money directly, but can lead to money in the future. This is true not only of authors but of all artists.
And what’s more: money is not the only definition of success. If you don’t make a lot of money, but thousands or even millions of people learn from your book and lead better, happier lives … is that not worth the time it takes to write and promote a book? I would say that’s more important than making money, although making a living obviously is important.
OK, Cool … So What About Your Book?
And so this leads to the question: why am I selling The Power of Less? How does this reconcile with my philosophy? Great question. Several points:
- I decided to go with a traditional publisher only because they have a much better distribution channel, especially when it comes to physical bookstores, which at this point are still pretty popular (that might change in the future). Why? Because I wanted to reach people who don’t read blogs, people who read paper books. There are millions of these people, and without a hard copy of my book, they’d never be exposed to my ideas. I’m hoping the book will help them.
- I’m also doing it as an experiment. I’ve never been a published author (except in the digital sense) and I want to see how it works out, and what the advantages might be. It’s also a thrill, I must confess, to have a hard copy of my book in my hands, and see it in bookstores. :)
- I still want to freely distribute the information. First, many of the ideas in the book are here on Zen Habits (I go deeper into them in the book), but spread out throughout the site. So the information is already free, if you don’t mind sorting through hundreds of articles to find it. Second, I’m distributing much of the information in other ways, through my free ebook, in audio podcasts, in excerpts, etc. Third, I want to distribute the entire book freely, in the future. More on this below.
What About Frugality? Why Should I Buy the Book If You Recommend Being Frugal?
An excellent question. I often talk about frugality, and living with less, and getting away from the consumer culture. So why buy a book, then?
First, you don’t have to buy it. You can borrow it from a library, from a friend. Or you can buy it used. Or you can not buy it or read it at all.
Second, I don’t actually advocate never buying anything, especially books. Buying some things can actually help. If you spend $15 on something and it makes a huge difference in your life, then isn’t it worth it?
Third, in regards to clutter, I don’t think you should keep buying lots of things and clutter up your life … but if you just had a few good things that really meant a lot, that’s a good thing. I hope that my book can be that for some of you. For others, read it and pass it along.
I hope my book will help people, will make a difference in their lives. People buy a lot of self-help books, and many of them don’t really change anything. I believe The Power of Less will change things, if you put them into action. And the book is designed to be put into action easily.
My Desire to Make The Power of Less Free
I haven’t actually talked to my publisher about this (although I plan to soon), so this will probably freak them out … but I would love to release The Power of Less for free, in the public domain. Someday, maybe in the near future (like later this year, or next year).
It would still be for sale as a paper book, and I could even sell it at a discounted rate here on Zen Habits. But it would be released into the public domain (in my dream scenario), meaning people could spread it around after they buy it, and re-use it.
I don’t know if this can or will be done, but I think it would be cool.
I believe that it would actually increase the sales of the book … because as I said before, if a book is good people will spread it widely … and the wider it spreads, the more physical copies will be sold, if my theory holds true.
I don’t know if this is true. I believe it to be so. Only time will tell what model of distribution will work for information, but I believe things have to change, and inevitably will. Let’s hope free wins out.
To read more about The Power of Less, check out the website … or order it now:
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Elsewhere:
- Exclusive Lifehacker interview with Leo Babauta
- Green Talk Radio interview with Leo: The Zen of Living Less to Have More
- Video interview with Leo about blogging
- Simply Stated on RealSimple.com: Email Limits to Increase Productivity
- Ali Edwards’ Inspired By
- Interview with Leo on ThirdAge: When Less is More
— Leo, does the phrase “play by the rules” mean anything to you? ;) I think it’s fantastic the way you’ve been allowing people to share your ebooks as well as what you’re doing with The Power Of Less. I like the point you bring up as well about how sites that discuss productivity/GTD/4HWW and on often mention information overload and cutting down reading - and yet we still continue to provide content. I think ideally, the content should be useful, and readers should skim and bookmark it for reference: for when they *do* need some specific information to apply. Reading 10 articles about how to set up and optimize your weekly review and then never doing a weekly review does not constitute GTD ;) Thanks so much for this excellent post. I struggle with finding a balance between wanting (and needing) to earn an income from my blog (which is dedicated to frugal living), while still encouraging people to be frugal. Your post was exactly what I have been thinking about lately. Right on, Leo. One of the reasons I follow your blog is because of your original post about going “free.” It makes me very happy when people support the freedom of information, ideas, and knowledge. A request: Please, call it “free software” instead of “open source,” in recognition of the freedom provided and the underlying principles. (Especially when you include a picture of the GNU project’s gnu logo!) :-) @Scott: Great suggestion … thanks! I’ll change it to “free software” now. Thanks for the positive comments guys! Leo - I was hoping The Power of Less would be available as an ebook, but will settle for Thinking on Less for now. I have previously purchased your Zen to Done ebook. I have stopped purchasing paper books over the Internet because of the high cost of shipping and handling, and also the fact that I have to wait for the book to arrive! When you get round to making an ebook version available for The Power of Less, you should charge for it, as some of us prefer an electronic version. If you still want to give it for free, give it to those who buy the paper version. I love your open source philosophy, Leo! It’s definitely your style and it has seemed to work really well with your past and present products. I certainly don’t believe there’s any contradiction in you selling a book on simplicity. What kills me, though, is to hear people gripe about having to pay for someone else’s hard work. As if they have a right to the fruits of anther’s labor, free of charge. I think the Internet has spoiled us a little in this area. But I agree that it is often when we give things away that we benefit the most from it. I just don’t think this is ALWAYS the case. Eric. Leo, As someone looking to write someday, you bring up some very valid points. I also think it’s very noble of you to provide your content to the world without asking for anything in return (unless people want to show their appreciation). While I agree with most of what you say, the one thing I can’t stress is that if a publisher wants something like software to be protected, then that is their choice. As a long time developer, I’m shocked at how many people think that downloading music, movies, and software is okay. I understand people want to be frugal, but then find a way to do without, not break the system. If it wasn’t offered freely, it was taken. Just another point I thought I’d bring up. Fantastic article. - Slacker @Chet: The Power of Less is already available as an ebook: in Kindle format from Amazon, and in multiple ebook formats from pretty much all the major ebook retailers online (Microsoft Reader, Adobe, etc). @Slacker: Agreed. If a publisher wants to protect his content, that’s his choice. I just think it’s harder and harder to enforce these days, and that it’s not the best policy — making things free would make the distribution much wider, and benefit everyone. However, I’m not going to try to force anyone to make things free! Leo, Sorry Leo, but I still don’t understand your concept of FREE. I’ve been a volunteer most of my life because my oldest son with the label of autism needed me to do the things I did. Now as I am approaching 60 years old, I have lots of plaques and awards of appreciation, but no retirement income. If I am lucky, I might manage enough social security quarters to get the minimum payment and be able to afford some health insurance. I am often in a room of professionals who are all paid to be at the meeting, and I am the only parent–the non-paid person. I know what I do is important, I know I have made a difference in people’s lives, but I can’t seem to be able to make a salary to save my life. There are advantages, I can say things that need to be said and not worry about my boss censuring what I say. Because of that I have made significant change. Fortunately, my husband supports my “volunteer habit” and we are doing OK, it’s not like we are living on the street. We recently went to visit my youngest son’s new in-laws in another country and saw poverty like I have never seen before. I know I have many things to be thankful for. I understand Mother Theresa, the joy of service, and have heard all the platitudes about being rewarded in the next life…. But, If I am going to write a book, this one time I want to get paid. Our society measures success with dollars. Somehow, I have to figure out how to support my oldest son after we die. So, even if it is just once, so I can know that my life work has had value in the traditional sense, I would like to be able to get a paycheck. Another parent friend always kids me, “Even prostitutes get paid.” and then I always feel like a doormat because I know the professionals are using me. Leo, I am benefiting from your “free” advice, so I thank you, and I am thrilled it is working for you, but my perspective must be upside down or something, because I can’t figure it out. Thanks for any suggestions. Mary I’m going to buy your book just because you are crazy enough to try putting your book in the public domain. Thanks for going against the status quo! Leo, Great post. The balance between offering something for free and the need to make a living can certainly be a challenge. Personally, I have no problem paying for something if I’m going to get positive value out of it. I also think, that by charging for your book you will actually help more people. I have downloaded many free ebooks. I’ve actually read very few of them. I have purchased many books. I’ve actually read most of them. Because I pay for something, I’m much more likely to actually read it. Therefore, by charging people, more people will be helped. @Mary Ulrich: First, thank you for your selfless service. We need more people like you. Second, I should stress again that “free” doesn’t mean you don’t charge for things … it means that you allow people to redistribute it and use it however they like, that you don’t use copyright to try to hold on to your information. That means, like I’ve done with my ZTD ebook, that you can sell your book … but at the same time allow people who bought it to pass it on to others, or to use it on their blog, or to sell it in another version, or to modify it and use it in their own work. This has worked for me. I make money off ZTD, but others are selling it in other forms (including on Amazon in paper format — I don’t make any money from those sales). And others have used it in newsletters, blog posts, in the classroom — without needing to get permission from me (other than the permission I posted on this site). Can you make money selling your book but also releasing it into the public domain? I think so. I can’t guarantee it. But publishing it the traditional way is also not a guarantee of making money, and in fact many people have failed simply because most potential readers don’t know about their book. “Free” models can vary. You can give it away for free, without charging, or you can make it public domain, and still charge. Either way, I think if it’s a good book, it’ll be more widely distributed than trying to copy protect it. @Success Professor: You make some good points. But again, I can charge for the book and still put it in the public domain. I think that’s a good balance. People who want to get it without charging can get it from other sources, of course, but if it’s spread widely through other channels, who am I to complain, right? That’s a good thing, imo. :) Hi Leo, I think that the problem with too much “free stuff” is that people don’t place any value on it. I’ve specifically talked about this with regards to offering Life Coaching for free - and you should never do it! Why? - because people don’t place value on something that is free If there is no value, then the coaching is useless to the client. The client won’t make an honest commitment and be coachable - and therefore won’t produce results - so getting coaching for free is really wasteful - it doesn’t provide a benefit to the coach or the client. In my experience, you have to give to get - and sometimes that means using money to do the giving ;) @Steve: Thanks … but again, remember that I’m not talking about “free” as in not charging for the book. It’s “free” as in freedom, not “free” as in beer. Good for you Leo - I think it’s great that you’ve published your book and I wouldn’t listen to anyone who says otherwise. Your book is going to do a lot of people good and why shouldn’t you make a name for yourself in the process? You are a great author and as you said, it is the best medium for reaching the greatest number of people, thereby doing the greatest good possible. leo, wow i am sorry other are giving you a hard time about making a living. i understand what you are trying to do and if a book was in your sights and you got it then that is great. for me, i would love to get the book. i saw your book yesterday and i told my daughter, look, this is from a blogger on the internet! (i felt like i knew you) it was great to see the book. i feel that you do a lot to help me and i will not hesitate to purchase your book! i think it just the thing that i need at this moment in my life. I agree with your point that allowing works into the public domain promotes other works. For years, classical music composers have turned to the bible for text to songs etc. However, these days, each translation or edition of a bible is covered by copyright. I discovered this when working on a composition which I had in mind to use text from “The Message” translation of the bible - which is a version translated into modern day english. My composition was going to use 60 verses - 10 more than the number that I could use without seeking permission. I decided to do the right thing and seek permission, only to discover that it would cost me along the lines of US$250 for a three year license. Putting works into the public domain doesn’t have to take money away, as Leo has mentioned. There’s plenty of other opportunities to make a living from public domain works. Leo, You much know by now how much of a fan I am! As for your philosophy of “free” … it’s more needed now than EVER before because so many people have to learn about “need” versus “want”. A financial break down might not be the biggest joy ride, but it will force a lot of us to look at our lives and set real priorities that feed our souls. As a publisher who has self-published three books that have sold as far as Germany … I can tell you that a “book” reaches a different audience. Much success my friend (online and off line)!!! Miss Gisele B Leo, I bought your book from Amazon and am patiently waiting for it. I have enjoyed your zenhabits site for about a year and have gotten great ideas that have motivated me in a number of things. However, The Power of Less New Year’s Challenge has been totally inspirational to me in developing new habits. I signed on early and I am on Day 11 of 30 days of daily yoga. My trigger is waking up in the morning and laying out my mat. The format of the challenge really works and I thought based on my success so far, I would buy the book to 1) support you as someone who has made a difference in my life and 2) to pass the book on to others who don’t access the internet the way that I do but would be interested in your ideas. I’m already thinking of other habits I want to develop and I’m following the concepts of one habit every 30 days, 10 minutes a day, public committment, triggers, and daily reporting. I know the book will reinforce these ideas. Thank you for what you are doing. You have made a difference for me. Namaste…peace be with you. This is an irony I’ve thought much about (not just in relation to your book!), so it’s great to see you address it thoroughly. We are entering territory where it’s becoming very important to understand how an income can be made from our work through nontraditional means. I actually just posted an interview with someone from Creative Commons on my blog, because I think many of us need to delve deeper into the implications of these changes… Thanks for an insightful post :) Instead of spending all of this energy trying to justify yourself and make sense of the apparent contradiction of hawking a book (whether selling or giving it away) about “less,” why not just revel in the contradiction? For example, I am very much an environmentalist and bicycle/walking advocate, but I enjoy watching auto racing. When people point out the contradiction I just shrug and say “oh well.” We’re humans. The most solid rationale for almost anything we do is that *humans aren’t always rational.* Leo. I have been a long time reader and I just bought your book and am looking fowarded reading. I just wanted to comment on one particular part of of your post. The part where you say that if we buy something and it makes a difference then isn’t it worth it. I think that this is a very insightful statment. I have recently been going through a period that can only be described as a bit of a reassessment of my life in general. Things like finances my direction in life my attachment to posissions and so on. I definatly believe that we do buy too much but even more then that we buy too much stuff that is either of poor quality that we think that we need or doesnt last long enough to actually be of real use. Some electonic gadgets being an example. I am becomeing more and more of a believer that something that is expensive but you only need one or something like a book that has a profound impact is deffinatly worth the cost. That can lead to being not only more frugal because something that lasts does not cost it saves in the long run but also being aware of what we are buying can lead to being more aware in other areas of your life as well. I’m a fan of freeing up information. So much of the world’s best insight is locked up in books, lost on bookshelves. Patterns in software is a great example. We tried to build a shared KB, but the problem was a lot of the most useful information was tied up in copyrights. I see your point, but I still don’t believe that rational people would pay for anything they can get for free. Money is scarce and people would rather pay for housing, food, and other goods than for immaterial goods they get for free. That is what the economists call maximizing the utility. Greetings, Mikko @Mikko: I put my ebook, Zen To Done, in the public domain. They’re free to share it, upload it, torrent it … and yet people still buy the ebook every day. It hasn’t seemed to hurt me one bit. And even better, the spread of my ebook and the use of my blog content elsewhere has actually increased my traffic here at Zen Habits, which increases my income. That’s my economic theory: giving stuff away actually brings you more money in the end. And so far, it’s been proven true, not only by me but by others as well. That’s why I love the craft and makers movement going on right now. So many tech savy people are out there spreading inspiring ideas and teaching each other, often times giving freely. Free open software and designs and patterns. It’s so cool and creative! Free and Open Source software, information and products is making its impact felt across the world, fuelling development and saving businesses millions of pounds. I think open source is driven by an ideology as much as price, challenging traditional intellectual property rights and placing power in the hands of the public rather than private corporations. For example, there are some great open-source productivity and GTD solutions out there: @Mikko - I don’t agree. I think your theory would hold true if rationality existed in a vacuum, without the contributing factors of ethics, decency, self-preservation (through a tit-for-tat idea), etc. That is the problem with behavioral theory - it doesn’t take into account messy human nature! Also, in this case, it isn’t a matter of a true necessity. That is, as much as we may love books, or Leo’s ideas, or self-improvement, etc, we aren’t dealing with food, water, shelter, or pure survival. If I choose not to pay a price I think is fair, I can walk away from the transaction. I also agree with many of you - through conditioning or something else, we assign greater value to things for which we have traded something of our own (money, time, goods, etc). Leo - Great points. I love the increase in Open Source/”Freedom” items in the world, but until we can all be self-sufficient in every way to fulfill our every need AND want (which isn’t going to happen), we need to support each other through trading or paying for things. :) Sometimes it’s better to put a value on something, so the person to use it cares more about it and put more effort and joy into it. If your book has a price, the actual reader comes already with something: the decision whether it’s worth to pay or not, and then with the resolution to really squeeze out the real value, the content, of the book. P.D.: Why don’t you English speakers just create 2 terms for expressing “free” as in freedom and “free” as in beer? It’s boring to hear always the same discussion. Libre/gratis, frei/gratis, libre/gratuitement, … Very interesting article! Just this week BBC at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7811481.stm had an interesting interview with Chris Anderson (The Long Tail) about his upcoming book “Free: The Future of a Radical Price”. He talks about companies giving away products but still making profits. Interesting read! Marko Hey Leo, Leo, I respect your desire to benefit others with your work, but I don’t think you owe anyone an apology, or even an explanation, for selling your work product. Software, books, analytical and scientific research, and any other knowledge work deserves the price the market is willing to pay. If no one is willing to pay any amount for the work, then you have the choice of doing it for love or not doing it all. All the means of cash flow you described in your list of alternatives to direct fees from readers will dry up if people stop demanding payment for their knowledge work product, At that point, society will have no time for leisure, as the concept of wealth–or capital reserves–will vanish. If we have no leisure, we’ll have no writing or reading. All knowledge work will be performed by noble classes or clergy. So demand payment for your book. People will pay you based on their perceived value of your words. When they offer you nothing, you’re in big trouble as a writer. When one person pays the cover price, you’ve hit pay dirt Yours, Hey Leo: I don’t think you need to justify yourself. Everybody has to make a living — everybody has to eat. Anyone who wants to read the paper version of your book, but doesn’t want to pay for it, could encourage their local public library to buy it. Libraries are a free information distribution system that have been around for centuries, and my husband and I have recently converted from buying oodles of books to borrowing them — we spend less money, our house is less cluttered, and since we have a limited time loan, we tend to make ourselves read the books, instead of sticking them on the shelf and forgetting them. Regards, A former mentor use to say: “Give away the idea, sell the system.” This is similar to what you’re doing. ZebHabits is free and contains all the ideas within The Power of Less (which is a very enjoyable read, btw). But the ’system’ is inside the book - in greater detail. I see the freedom of distribution and the ability to charge for a service or product as mutually compatible. Rock on, Leo. :) Hi I must admit that I am a little disallusioned with the concept of giving things away for free - or what I sometimes call “sharing”. We have a free application on our website. We decided not to even “force” someone to give us an e-mail address in exchange for the application. We just feel that the application can be so helpful to people that we would rather as many benefit from it as possible. We then also have affirmation lists that can be used along with the application, but users need to sign up to our newsletter in order to download these lists. I have been so saddened by the number of people who try to hack the list downloads. They already have the free application. Surely they see our integrity? This is personal development, I have to wonder what sort of future these people are setting themselves up for? Even outside of the web I see a culture of take, take, take and I dispair. People seem to value something more if they pay for it (for example, I’ve given clothing to those less fortunate and they don’t look after it; but if they pay, no matter how little, they tend to value it more); I’ve given free kinesiology sessions, but people tend not to respect you as the therapist and don’t commit to the process. It all sounds very negative, but, as I said, it is something that I am struggling with. It saddens me greatly. Juliet I’e jsut started reading your blog in the last few weeks. I’m liking what I’m seeing, and have added your new book to my Amazon Wish List (really just a reminder system for me.) You may want to drop Cory Doctorow (craphound.com) a line about publishers who allow free digital along with paper copies. I’ve read all of his books from the free digital copies, and then bought paper copies of a couple of the ones I liked. I think that sounds like exactly the model you’d like to adopt. Good luck. Why not offering a free electronic version, encourage readers to share it, then sell $40 hardcover edition the way Seth Godin did with Ideavirus book: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/12/what-is-viral-m.html Another example is Kevin Kelly’s classic New Rules available via RSS for free: http://feedproxy.google.com/NewRules Think about it :) Leo, Your “uncopyright” is a great and generous thing. On the one hand, everything is, in a sense, free. When I contemplate what I’ve accomplished to “deserve” this beautiful life that I love so much, I come up with nothing. Creation is giving to me abundantly all the time. On the other hand, I believe that nothing is really “free”. Not to get into this in a deep way, but essentially, I believe in karma (cause and effect), so whether you “pay” for something monetarily, or in some other way, some kind of “payment” is a principle. This idea of things being free and not free is only an apparent contradiction. To bring Zen into this, things being simultaneously free and not free is a concept beyond the dual nature of existence (the level that most of us live in, most of the time). Thanks for the post. You’re a generous spirit. Hey Leo, You provide so much fantastic free content that I am stunned anyone would give you a hard time. Its sad that an author who tries to make a living is pilloried. Don’t listen to the naysayers. I will buy your book and keep reading your site. I agree with you on the purchasing of an item that can be found for free. There are many web communities and forums that are free for people to use but also take donations to help with the costs and some do. I suppose its a way of showing gratitude. Leo, I think you have so much integrity. You don’t have to explain to anyone why you do what you do. You have given so much of yourself it’s nice to see you get paid for you book, get more publicity and experience even more success. Enjoy! Leo, I’m a scientist so I am a big believer that knowledge should be free and it should be widely distributed. I think it’s also very easy to reconcile paying for books if you look at it like this: The book is merely a container that holds information. You are only paying for the container. Because what’s inside the container can be valuable or useless depending on what you do with it. Patrick I didn’t even bat an eye at purchasing your book and here’s why. Not to mention, if they want it free… they can also talk to their local library about purchasing the book for their shelves then they can borrow it from them. First, I heard about your book and website via Lifehacker. I’m not much into paper books, but I bought the audio version from iTunes and have been enjoying it as I drive. Honestly, the ideas aren’t new, but as you well know, a good idea is only worth something when it becomes an action, and hearing good ideas repeated multiple times in different ways from different people helps encourage me to take action. Second, I may have to take exception to your statement “is it really right for a musician to become super rich simply because people are restricted in their freedoms?” To what freedom do you refer? The freedom to benefit from someone else’s work and creativity? I wouldn’t go so far as to attach a moral element to income. Is it “really right” for Paul McCartney (for example) to have achieved multi-millionaire status via his music? Why not? Why is it wrong? I don’t see his net worth as a right or wrong issue. Perhaps what he *DOES* with his money, but that’s his personal responsibility, and not mine. I have to answer for what I have and what I do. I’m a songwriter and musician and make part of my living from my music. While I heartily agree that “open source”, indie, self-produced, whatever-you-choose-to-call-it music is a great idea, and am happy to see it gaining acceptance, it seems to me that each artist/writer/photographer/etc should be free to control how they make their own work available. It was born to them, so to speak, and if they choose not to freely share it, that’s their prerogative. You didn’t say it in just so many words, but I’d be surprised if you didn’t agree. I plan on buying the book and then passing it around to my friends to read. I still love to read an actual book, so I’m glad you have a non-digital version! I’ve purchased both Power of Now and Zen to Done in book form. I had previously purchased Zen to Done in eBook but, wanted a hard copy. I’ve begun doing Zen to Done since I have a copy to read. I had only saved the eBook and had not read it. I like buying and having books. Books are not clutter! Enjoyed listening to your Power of Less podcast tips. However, I cannot seem to find how to download it to my ipod so that I can listen to it offline. Is that not an option? and if not… why not. Seems to me that making your ideas available offline is a good fit with your philosophy of “free” makes a better world, which I endorse. If things were free, you wouldn’t have computers, the internet, electricity, eBooks, or anything else. The essence of real freedom is the power to choose. I’m glad people got rich so I could find Leo and read his content for free. BTW I bought the hardback copy the minute I could. It will be in my library forever. I think the idea of releasing a book for free is a great one. I also believe that you would be able to sell more hard copies of a book that is made available for free online, for example. I don’t think we have to put the entire philosophy into a box. There are always gray areas. You can easily make the argument that the book will allow Leo to reach a bigger audience making the overall ideas that he advocates spread. Besides, you have a choice to buy the book or not. And he has a right to make a living and take care of his family too. ~Gennaro Well, as I said in response to an earlier article, I did buy two copies, full price even though I had a 40% off coupon from Borders. If TPOL had been available at my library I would have gotten it that way, but seriously, the book is prices about 25% less than most first-run nonfiction hardcovers ANYWAY. After the publisher and distributer get their cut, Leo probably sees $5 of that $16 dollars. I think he’s worth $5! :-) I also like the idea of supporting a self-publisher, or at least a small-scale publisher such as the kind I once entertained the thought of being. I don’t have any “crisis of consciousness”. Living with less doesn’t mean living with nothing, and I don’t think that making Leo out to be some modern-day St. Francis doesn’t do him or his ability to write and serve people any favors. Please do not apologize! It is your knowledge; you have every right to earn from your hard work. Congrats. I hope my library system buys it so I can borrow it from them. I am frugal but I will buy it if the library doesn’t order it. Then I will pass it on to my aunt who has similar tastes as me. I’ve been sick with the flu, so I am just catching up with the DVR . . . if you didn’t see it, check out The Colbert Report from Thursday (Jan 8) night. Stephen’s guest is Lawrence Lessig, author of “Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy.” This is directly relevant to this discussion of “free” and “paid.” Hi Leo I must say I totally agree with all you have said - The publicity value of releasing stuff freely must surely outweigh any lost income especially for less established authors etc. I myself only discovered your website here through finding a copy of ZTD on a file sharing site whilst looking up gtd. And in the music industry a lot of the young bands realise this as well, The Black Keys for example are happy for anyone to record their gigs only asking that you send them a copy. And having too much stuff? William Morris summed it up when he said ” have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be usefull or believe to be beautiful” good luck with the book peter A very interesting and timely article. This is the year I have determined to reduce the clutter and live more simply. While this has been an on going phase for awhile it seems to be taking on more importance too me. The question of how we derive an income from what many us do while staying true to our ideals is certainly food for thought and lots of discussion. I think the changing reality of our financial institutions and economic situation, is part of the ongoing change brought about by our digital age. Love your work, thought, and will we be ordering the book. Nick Leo, As far as I understand simple living and simplifying, it is a process of getting rid of that does not bring “life” to you–whether it is slimming down the amount of inboxes you have or getting rid of possessions you don’t really need. Personally, I feel books that provide solid, life-enhancing information are exactly what should not be shed from our lives. And while the world still operates on an economy of money and not bartering and swapping, you do deserve to receive funds for your work. I doubt that your mortgage holder will swap you a month’s payment in return for copies of your book (though they should). So…to those who would criticize you or your business decisions, I think it would be alright to say that while we live on planet Earth and operate under the economy that we have to, they shouldn’t judge you for wanting to provide for your family. Just my opinionated two cents. I support your work Leo and more than that, I am grateful for it. Several well-known books are out of copyright now (and downloadable for free on the internet), but people still buy them in book form, so I think Leo has a good point about making his e-book free and still selling hard copies as books. Wow! I’m really glad this post has stirred up so much interesting, intelligent conversation. I just read through all the comments that have been posted while I was away at a family gathering … and then sleeping … and it’s great to hear all the different perspectives, even if I don’t have time to respond to all of them. I’d just like to thank all of you — first, for all of the encouragement, as always, and second, for making this such an excellent comment thread. You guys rock. Oh, I do want to make a comment for those who said I don’t need to explain or justify myself, or make an apology: I agree. This isn’t an apology or justification … I just thought the comments that some people have made would make for an interesting discussion point. As Barack Obama said when the controversy erupted during the election over comments made by his minister … he saw a teaching point. I thought this was a great opportunity to discuss the ideas of frugality and freedom in regards to books and all creative works. I don’t get that chance too often, so I jumped at it. I’m glad I did. :) Hey Leo, First time at your blog. I read ch. 5 of your new book and am impressed with the simplicity and practicality of your advice. Implementing one habit change at a time should workout well with my fitness boot camp clientele. Best of luck with your book release! Sincerely, Curtis Well said. Freedom is incredible and rarely regrettable, really Leo, you intuition is right, stop listening to publishers and just make your book free. MAKE IT FREE! wow, great site man. Coming by way of Guamology.com GO GUAM! I don’t think anyone should have to justify their choice of how to sell or otherwise distribute their own product. It’s obvious to me that living with less or without clutter or with frugality does not imply never purchasing or using anything new. In this particular case I think that more (a helpful tool such as The Power of Less) could actually be less. Hey Leo - Thanks for the thought-provoking article! Any plans to release the book at http://www.ebookwise.com so people with dedicated ebook readers can read it? Hi Leo this is my first time posting. I hope the negative messages you have received aren’t getting you down. In general many people are already living with less: less time spent on self development. Self development tools are just that tools not clutter. It is widely kown in the self improvement circles that spending approximately 15% of your resources on self development is essential, this is not an area to go skimpy. I am one of those people who will buy the Power of Less. I like to read paper-and-ink books, and I want to share it with my husband, who is even less inclined to read a book online or from a download than I. I’m also a person who has many books that I will never read again, so I’m planning a book exchange party. Guests will bring books they no longer want, and everyone will be free to browse through the offerings and take what they would like. The leftover books will be donated to a library. I think this is a good way to have a low-cost get-together with friends and get new stuff to read without spending money or adding more books to your overstuffed shelves (since presumably you would have brought some of your unneeded books to share). I use the library - if I want the book badly enough; I’ll buy it. It is your creation therefore I think you can/should do whatever you want with it. Sharing the book for ‘free’ is good, but sharing your knowledge is better. Help others get what you have, blogs, no debts, book deals, etc. Don’t give the fish; teach someone how to fish. Wonderful message Leo! I think the way you describe free information is certainly the way of the future. I know I will always enjoy the feel of holding a real book and if I read one online that I enjoyed, I would buy a hard copy to add to my library. Browsing books online would be a good way to know if one is worthy of being added to your collection. As you mention, The Power of Less is about quality over quantity. I didn’t read all the comments but wanted to say that Bruce Ekel (http://www.mindview.net/Books/TIJ/) uses the same model offering an earlier edition of his book as a free download and it’s also available in print for a fee. It seems to work very well for him. The book is a class for Java developers and has been reprinted several times. The open source book was set up with hyper-links so that readers could provide instant feedback to the author in the form of corrections to the copy and comments about the actual content. Really great insight. Much love, bro. I can see why you would want to make your book free. BUT I am also a huge believer that one should be able to get value (money) back for giving value (your book, which I hear is awesome :-) In the end it really depends on your values - and you seem to have some very honorable ones Thanks for the great post, Leo. As a great supporter of free software & free culture myself I’m so happy that your content is released under such sociable terms. One possible suggestion should you meet resistance from your publisher would be to offer to license the work under a Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY). That way people would still be almost as free to use and distribute your work how they saw fit, they just would have to credit you (and the publisher, if you chose), therefore there’s less risk of your stuff losing connection with you and the printed version, as it’s transformed and re-used. ‘Course you seem to be doing pretty damn well at marketting, so that may not be such an issue. Your stuff is great, and has enriched my life. I look forward to donating a little to you again when I’m able. Sincerely, Nick How naive. I don’t believe writers can sustain themselves by giving away e-books while dreaming of having a talk-show some time in the future. very interesting as usual leo i am alawyer with 20 years experience who has come to the conclusion that new technologies offer the possibility for help with legal matters to be less costly. at the monment good legal advice is mainly only available to the rich or sometimes the very poor if legal aid exists for the problem. sadly for too many lawyers the law is just a way to become wealthy. i think the way the music business is developing shows the way. much better if many more creatives get the chance to work and many more may enjoy the results. i have started my own firm to explore the possibilities and i hope i can practice my craft for public good and make a reasonable, modest, living. i am not as well off as i was but i have never been as exited and satisfied by my work. in my view the law does not exist to make lawyers wealthy it is much more important and interesting than that. Um, have you actually tried selling music recently, or even giving it away? Dude, you are so wrong on this one. I have been a musician for many years, not only this but I have given away thousands of mp3s for free in an effort to generate web traffic. The visitors to my sites take the free stuff and move on! Myself and most of the musicians around me are having our way of life crushed out of existence by the fact that so much music is available for free that most people simply don’t bother buying any. I have been in record deals signed to majors. I have performed live on four continents and produced nine albums. And I have had to abandon completely the idea of making a living through recorded music for the time being, because whether I give it away or whatever, it doesn’t pay the bills any more. I currently make way more money giving away ringtones free and profiting from the clicks on my advertising than any other source. But it’s a fraction of what I need to live on - and to suggest that musicians are benefiting in the current climate of “give stuff away free” is basically, naive. A few may prosper but most of them are going broke. As for the statement “is it really right for a musician to become super rich simply because people are restricted in their freedoms?” - what on earth are you talking about? Leo: I am a new reader of your blog, and I was hoping your book would be available on the Kindle. When I looked previously it was not. Anyway…I read your comments on this post and you said it WAS available. However, if you follow the link to your book, the page on Amazon still says “Would you like to see this book available for Kindle?” I was able to find the Kindle edition by doing a search. Anyway, just wanted to let you know so you can get Amazon to fix your page. This is a book that I am sure would appeal to many Kindle-ites. I can’t wait to start reading!!!!! Excellent post! I wanted to add that even authors who publish with a publishing company are not likely to get mass amounts of media or marketing attention. My mother has published some 2 dozen books and still has to initiate her own marketing and press. In fact the publishers LOOK for authors who have big networks of fans, blogs, fansites, etc. Increasingly they do not want to spend money on promoting their authors so this is just another reason why going out on your own could be a better deal. Great information! I just found your website in Thursday, love it so far. I walked into Barnes and Noble Fridday night and the book practically jumped into my hands. I am waiting on my husband to finish it so I can read it. I am starting a budget in 2009, and trying to finds ways to cut spending and remain happy! I spent all day yesterday on the “budget”. Hard but it will be worth it I am sure. Leo, You manage to respond to a criticism in a thoughtful, non-defensive manner. We could all take a lesson in that. Hi Leo, It is definitely true that internet has definitely change the way people do things and as you mentioned, artist can now give away their music or writings and if it is good, they can still make a living out of other engagements they received due to the popularity of their products. I like the way you handle criticism too and I wish that you great sales for your book. Cheers @Sid: [i]I like the point you bring up as well about how sites that discuss productivity/GTD/4HWW and on often mention information overload and cutting down reading - and yet we still continue to provide content. I think ideally, the content should be useful, and readers should skim and bookmark it for reference: for when they *do* need some specific information to apply. Reading 10 articles about how to set up and optimize your weekly review and then never doing a weekly review does not constitute GTD ;)[/i] Good point. I’ve actually reading my own blogging drastically after going on the low information diet. After becoming sensitive to how much filler content I was consuming, I also became aware of how much I was producing, and felt like a hypocrite. I think that bloggers unconsciously model their output after newspapers without questioning whether or not that production cycle is warranted. It takes some serious introspection to ask, “How much is enough.” Most most consumers, the preliminary answer is “less.” Hi Leo, Thanks for sharing. You make some good points about digital distribution. Many of my friends download music illegally on a regular basis, simply because they begrudge paying money when they can get something for free. I, on the other hand, download from iTunes. It’s not even really because I don’t think they have a point; it’s that iTunes has made it so easy for me to download it from them, that it’s worth the 99c. And that adds up over time! But I do feel a little karmically better. I would love to have an eBook copy of the Power of Less on my computer. I’ve only skimmed it so far (reading Four Hour Workweek right now and don’t wanna get myself confused by reading both at once!) but it looks great. One thing I wanted to mention, and I don’t know if there’s anything you can do about this, but in Canada, at Chapters/Indigo, the main book store, your book is in a very odd section, labeled “Careers/Resume Writing.” I had to dig and search to find it, and I’d think it should be more under Self-Help or something of that nature? Thanks again, I’ve heard the saying before that one of the best investments you can make, is on yourself and your education. Buying a book does not make for a complicated life, There are only a few technical books, and the Bible that I actually keep, everything else is thrown out or donated/given away as soon as I’m finished with it. Let’s be honest, as it stands right now, studies are not the book bearing things they used to be. They’re model has changed to a “home office” model, which replaces bookshelves with the wide range of digital references we have a click away. If you think about why people actually had to keep a study full of books, it was likely 9/10 times, for future reference on topics that they might need to expand/refresh on. Leo, sell your books, make money, all it does is prove that a simpler way of life, is more profitable. Hi Leo - I ordered your book through Amazon and it just arrived today! I love the gleaming white cover - it reminds me of an ipod! I like free stuff as much as the next person (especially free beer :)) but paying for something that gives me value is like a positive exchange of energy. Thanks for all you do! @Mikko, I will order and pay for Leo’s book because I want to say “thank you” for all the good he’s brought to my life through ZH… Maybe that’s not rational to you, but economists have really taken one in the chopper recently because of their faith in the rationality of human decision making. Just a thought for you. Leo, my dad’s aunt employed your concept running a neighborhood grocery store in the 50’s - She gave away a bottle of wine with each holiday turkey, to thank old customers and to attract new customers. She also used to tell me to save my pennies — “ten pennies equals a dime and ten dimes equal a dollar”… And yet they hosted huge get-togethers frequently on weekends for family and friends. Needless to say she and her husband did very well in life, successful in every way. Thanks for supporting the Free Culture movement! I think having more things freely available to everyone will help us all to let go of the things we hoard in our lives for fear of losing them. Sometimes the best way to preserve the things that are the most important to us is to give them away to the world. Hello Leo, I don’t think we will all get out of this life without paying for something. We just need to be smart about our choices. I took a survey via Borders.com and for my efforts, I received a 25% off coupon for my next purchase. That was fair & equitable. Next, I went to our local Borders store; your book was on the shelf and I purchased it. With my discount coupon, I saved $4.95 off the purchase price! I hadn’t even got past the book’s introduction before I was underlining passages. That’s the sign of a valuable book. I’ve got my return on my investment already! Peace, Most people think Frugal = Free/Cheap, when it really mean getting the most value for your buck. If buying a book for $20 will lead to $100 profit then being frugal just made you $80 or whatever… in Life there is no Free Lunch. Don’t mind the haters Leo. Books that help me do better, become better, which tell me something in a shorter time or in a more understandable way than it would take for me to figure out on my own - these books become tools for which I’m willing to pay for. No dispute or confusion from these quarters on your message, Leo, nor what you are attempting to do. For me, when these tools become memorized enough that I can quote from them, then I pass them on to others so they may also benefit from the knowledge and find good paths in their lives. Hey Leo oooops! I was just saying it’s amazing how quickly it adds up! Thanks Leo for an amazing and literally life-changing blog. Everyone wants free these days because the cost of living has increased greatly. And with things like Broadband making downloaing of files much quicker, it has caused there to be a great surge of people wanting to undertake it because really the copyright laws dont mean much to them as the chances of them being caught is very minimal. And think about it, the amount of people that would go to jail for this would be unprecidented. However, its not worth the time and effort for the law enforces to get the individuals, hence they go for the distributers of such things.
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Brilliant comments (96)
Sid Savara Says:
January 9th, 2009, 22:22 pm
Christina Says:
January 9th, 2009, 22:34 pm
Scott Carpenter Says:
January 9th, 2009, 22:47 pm
Leo Says:
January 9th, 2009, 22:53 pm
Chet from Malaysia Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:02 pm
Eric Hamm Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:03 pm
Slacker Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:05 pm
Leo Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:11 pm
Deborah Kunzie Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:13 pm
I love your new book. I bought it, I have read it, at least 4 times. It came at the perfect time for me. Beginning a new year. Looking for answers to questions I had. I am a web programmer and photographer. I would love to find the way to just give my stuff away to like you do with your uncopyright. Its brilliant and the best part is no worries. I wrote a little about it on a new web site I am starting here http://notetoself.me/blog/blog/070109082648/January-5th-2009.htm . I have followed you for a long time now and each and every article has been a wonderful contribution to your readers. So thank you. Now if I could just figure out how to make it all work in my world I would be forever grateful! God Bless—
Mary E. Ulrich Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:16 pm
Stuart Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:17 pm
Success Professor Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:21 pm
Leo Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:28 pm
Leo Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:31 pm
Steve @ Freedom Education Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:40 pm
Leo Says:
January 9th, 2009, 23:47 pm
Tabitha (From Single to Married) Says:
January 10th, 2009, 0:13 am
missy Says:
January 10th, 2009, 0:14 am
Ben Clapton Says:
January 10th, 2009, 0:17 am
As such, I abandoned the text that I really wanted, and used an open source bible translation. I’m slightly annoyed that the composition won’t be as I’d envisioned, but they will have missed out on an opportunity to have their text used in creative ways.
Miss Gisele B | myBeautyMatch.com Says:
January 10th, 2009, 0:19 am
cyndylooo Says:
January 10th, 2009, 0:22 am
Zoe Says:
January 10th, 2009, 0:24 am
John Says:
January 10th, 2009, 1:15 am
sociology through life Says:
January 10th, 2009, 1:22 am
J.D. Meier Says:
January 10th, 2009, 2:57 am
Mikko Says:
January 10th, 2009, 4:06 am
Leo Says:
January 10th, 2009, 4:16 am
Katy Says:
January 10th, 2009, 4:49 am
Rob Says:
January 10th, 2009, 5:03 am
Tara Says:
January 10th, 2009, 5:22 am
Juan Miguel Cejuela Says:
January 10th, 2009, 5:38 am
HowToMakeMyBlog.com Says:
January 10th, 2009, 6:24 am
Petar Says:
January 10th, 2009, 8:50 am
Thank you for such an elaborate explanation. Personally, I didn’t have any problems understanding the difference of free as in freedom and free as in lunch, simply because my native language uses different terms for these. Nevertheless, I think that this explanation of yours elevates the level of confidence of people reading your writings and brings them even closer to the way you think, which is priceless.
Bill Hennessy Says:
January 10th, 2009, 9:33 am
Bill
Mara Says:
January 10th, 2009, 9:34 am
Mara
SoloDad Says:
January 10th, 2009, 9:36 am
LifeMadeGreat | Juliet Says:
January 10th, 2009, 9:36 am
Rick Lobrecht Says:
January 10th, 2009, 9:44 am
Dmitri Eroshenko Says:
January 10th, 2009, 10:37 am
Ruth Says:
January 10th, 2009, 10:53 am
Langston Jones Says:
January 10th, 2009, 10:54 am
Rick Colman Says:
January 10th, 2009, 11:06 am
I just discovered your blog this week and have been amazed. It has struck a chord with me and I am visiting daily. I just purchased your book 2 days ago and even if it was offered for free, I would have purchased it just to say thanks. So…..thanks Leo!
Tess THe Bold Life Says:
January 10th, 2009, 11:15 am
Very Evolved Says:
January 10th, 2009, 11:40 am
Saw your book in the store today, nicely displayed, congratulations.
veryevolved.com
Katrina Says:
January 10th, 2009, 11:47 am
1. $8 on amazon is NOTHING for a book that could potentially better your life.
2. Pass it on! Just because you paid for the book, doesn’t mean you have to keep it. Read it and pass it on to someone who needs it more than you. Then it not only makes your life better but gives that chance to a friend.
3. Supporting someone who has made my life simple, and even unknowingly saved my relationship with my husband, (Thank you, Leo) is the least I can do. $8 is less than what you would pay for dinner, movie, or Starbucks for 2. Why NOT support someone who has done so much to help change our lives? 
Lance Says:
January 10th, 2009, 11:48 am
Fit Bottomed Girls Says:
January 10th, 2009, 13:14 pm
Peter Says:
January 10th, 2009, 13:16 pm
Brian Scott Says:
January 10th, 2009, 14:12 pm
Chuck Stanley Says:
January 10th, 2009, 14:15 pm
Simona Rich Says:
January 10th, 2009, 14:30 pm
Enduring Wanderlust Says:
January 10th, 2009, 14:32 pm
Iris M. Gross Says:
January 10th, 2009, 14:56 pm
Tammy Says:
January 10th, 2009, 15:06 pm
Teresa Says:
January 10th, 2009, 15:59 pm
Thanks! Leo
Tara Says:
January 10th, 2009, 17:33 pm
Peter Says:
January 10th, 2009, 17:43 pm
Nick Grimshawe Says:
January 10th, 2009, 18:34 pm
Jennifer Spedowfski-Martin Says:
January 10th, 2009, 18:36 pm
I think it is a shame that you others are commenting that it should be free or that simplifying with less can begin with not purchasing your book.
Blessings.
Ian Says:
January 10th, 2009, 19:14 pm
Leo Says:
January 10th, 2009, 20:08 pm
Leo Says:
January 10th, 2009, 20:13 pm
curtis ludlow Says:
January 10th, 2009, 20:15 pm
Eolake Stobblehouse Says:
January 10th, 2009, 20:46 pm
NYC Memories Says:
January 10th, 2009, 21:02 pm
trench Says:
January 10th, 2009, 21:15 pm
Kat Eden Says:
January 10th, 2009, 21:23 pm
Sally Says:
January 10th, 2009, 22:00 pm
Japanese Elegance Says:
January 10th, 2009, 22:39 pm
In regards to selling your book, people should be fairly paid for the work they do, and people should not take advantage of others. Putting these two together there is no contradiction in your message and trying to sell your book. You are a writer by profession and your book is being sold at a reasonable price. Expecting someone to spend a year researching and writing a book, then giving it all up for free is quite inconsidereate and has nothing to do with ‘frugality’, you are simply taking advantage of that person.
Based on the free content on this site, I am sure your book is worth its weight in gold. Sayonara
Becki Says:
January 10th, 2009, 22:53 pm
GGGGAAA Says:
January 11th, 2009, 0:01 am
Erelen Tar-Hiriel Says:
January 11th, 2009, 0:19 am
Mary Says:
January 11th, 2009, 4:54 am
Shawn Says:
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Vincent
Personal Development Blogger
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January 11th, 2009, 19:07 pm
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January 13th, 2009, 12:25 pm
“Guide by the Ancestors”
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Sarah Turner Says:
January 16th, 2009, 5:56 am
I downloaded your ‘Thriving’ ebook this week and what a great read. Under the section on giving up your daily coffee run I think it should be $960 a year, not $260. Even more reason to give it up. I adoped this practice last year and saved myself £40 a month. I also stopped buying a daily newspaper and weekly magazine. Another saving of £23.60 a month. I just read online now instead. I also invested in a piggy bank. Pretty old school I know. But every couple of days I empty my wallet and keep the £1 coins and 50ps but chuck everything else in the piggy bank. It’s amazing how qu
Sarah Turner Says:
January 16th, 2009, 5:58 am
Free iMac Says:
May 28th, 2009, 6:41 am
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