My first novel is free right now on Amazon

The eBook for my first novel, Monster Hunter International, is available for free right now. We just added MHI to the Baen Free Library.

My publisher follows the same basic marketing philosophy as crack dealers. The first hit is free! If you like it, there is a whole lot more where that came from.

New Kickstarter, Champions of Aetaltis. I wrote for it.
Kurt Miller is working on the cover for the 3rd Dead Six novel

106 thoughts on “My first novel is free right now on Amazon”

  1. Yeah, they do the same thing with the long “samples” posted to the Baen website under the publishing schedule. You read a third of a novel for free and then you have to buy it. Whoever thought of this is a genius, and evil genius, but still a genius.

    1. I could be wrong, but I think it was originally Eric Flint’s and Jim Baen had the intestinal fortitude to take a chance on the idea. I remember reading some of Eric’s writings that stated one long-time SFF author saw royalty increases across the board within just a couple of months of putting one of her books in the Baen Free Library. It even had an impact on the royalties of books from two publishers back – and not a small impact either.

      1. I know the Free Library was originally Flint’s baby, but I’m not sure how much of the overall “First hit is free” marketing scheme was his and how much was Jim Baen’s. I do remember a comment from Baen, back in the days when CD-ROMS were a thing, that he wanted to ship an Honorverse CD to every home in America, making them as ubiquitous as AOL CDs (this was back when AOL was a thing too).

      2. It was Eric. He had a 5-volume series on the backlist, he knew what the sales were going to be (following the usual pattern).

        He put the first book up for free. Sales of the other books in the series increased tremendously; sales of the first book also increased.

    2. Its a strategy that worked in my case. I looted the free library like a black flag waving pirate. I was introduced to a number of authors and series I would have never read on my own dime. Now I buy their follow up works and even participate on their blogs.
      Trotsky or not, Eric had a damn good idea.

    3. I’m taking advantage of the free book to let people know to grab it for their e-readers.

      So far, two have gotten it. All I have to do is let them hear the first paragraph. That grabs almost everyone that I have shown it too 🙂

  2. I picked it up just to have an electronic copy. I bought the paperback version before I converted to Kindle, and while the book is worth reading and reading again, it’s not worth paying $7 to reread when I have the paperback version.

  3. Dead Six was my gateway drug but MHI is what got me irrevocably addicted. I remember hating myself because I was not only reading a book with werewolves and vampires, I was absolutely loving it and craving more. (And it has one of the best first sentences I’ve seen…)

    It should come with a warning that you’re gonna be forced to buy at least four more books if you dare to read it.

    Ummm…so there’s gonna be more books soon, right?

    1. If the first punctuation mark were a semi-colon, I would enthusiastically concur; as it is not, I would say it has greatest opening two sentences in a novel.

      And encore, s’il vous plait!

  4. Just Say No. You don’t want to end up like me, living a life that alternates between a state of zombiehood waiting for the next book and a angonizingly short state of euphoria while reading.

  5. Just read the omnibus of the first three. Have to tell ya, if it weren’t for the omnibus I wouldn’t have read past the first. Once I read the second, and only then, I got hooked.

  6. It looks like if one has Audible, getting this for free means you can buy the audiobook for $1.99, so extra special bonus deal. (I already got the audio–that’s how I discovered your writing–so doesn’t do anything for me, but anyone who doesn’t already own the audio of this should definitely look into this deal.)

    1. Actually, you don’t even need to have an Audible membership. The $1.99 discounted audiobook is available to purchase if you own the kindle book, period. 🙂

  7. Too late, I already bought all 5. Now stop jabbering here and write another. There is still more to tell.

  8. And the haters will be all, “Look! Correia hurt his career so badly now that his publisher is giving his books away for free!”

    Meanwhile, the rest of us can get MHI for free. 🙂

      1. Wait… no. No. I see what your accountant mind is thinking. The IRS will not take such statements as proof of bankruptcy. Bad accountant. Bad.

    1. I had a used book store owner in Canada give me a hardcover of a John Scalzi book that was lying on his counter. “Here,” he said. “You can have it. I’ll never be able to sell it here.”

      1. The bookstore owner was missing out. There are many non-developed areas in Canada.

        The trick is to tear out one page of a John Scalzi book at a time, then crumple it alternating vertically and horizontally until it’s soft. It gives you something to do while you’re multitasking alone.

        Added another three pages and that selection becomes very, very useful.

        Save the “About the Author” section for last.

    2. My thanks to Mr. Correia – always trying to reduce the paper around here. (Now, I may take the paperback up to the local middle school to hook some poor hapless kid…)

      Yep, really hurts his valuation. Go to the link – the “collectible” (signed first printing of the paperback) – $500.00 (plus shipping).

  9. Did you maybe jump the gun a little? Right now, it isn’t free on Amazon, and it isn’t listed on the Baen Free Library.

    1. I bought it on amazon free an hour or two ago. Make sure you are looking at the ‘kindle’ version.

  10. I don’t understand why more publishers aren’t doing this with authors of popular series.

    Alas, I already own the MHI.

    1. Does anybody know when the Baen Free Library opened? Seems to me it’s been more than ten years ago. I know I downloaded some Andre Norton books from there for my Palm Pilot at least that long ago.

      I already have a paid copy of MHI. Can I take a rain check on the free one and use it for a discount on the next one?

      1. Looks like it was 1999, according to Wikipedia. I remember that was one of my major uses for my Toshiba Pocket PC at least ten years ago.

        1. I know it was prior to Y2K because someone had made a UI mod for Everquest at about that time that allowed you to download the Baen Free Library so’s you could read the books while stuck waiting for whatever.

          It was very useful for those long “Looking for Group” sessions in new zones or waiting for raid groups to gather and get organized.

    2. Hum, lets see how many different version of MHI I own:
      Baen eBook, Baen Omnibus Monster Hunters, Kindle, Kindle Omnibus Monster Hunters, Audible..

      For all of the future Correia book, my purchase pattern is likely to be: eARC, Kindle Audible.

    1. It just has an afterward about the creation and history of the book. Because of the contractual dealings with Amazon, in order for Baen to be able to have books in the free library they need to be different versions, because Amazon gets to discount any particular thing they have for more.

  11. This is extremely fortuitous, as my copy of MHI has been mangled by giving it to ten year old as practice reading.

    After going through half the book she started drawing pictures of monsters and monster hunters, and demanded gun magazines so she could draw the guns better.

    Currently the chief monster hunter’s name is Alice. She wears a yellow raincoat and carries a Kel-Tec RDB. Because on full-auto you can cut off a vampire’s head with it, even though its only a wussy 5.56. For the Eyeless Jackleens you have to shoot ’em in the X on their head. Alice prefers a revolver for “off duty” carry. Because revolvers are cool.

    She’s three quarters into MHI by now, and seems to have abandoned reading in favor of massive picture drawing and world building activities. Eyeless Jackleens are serious business, apparently. They have a Queen and everything. ~:)

  12. I found MHI and MHI:Vendetta at booksamillion several years ago while looking for something different to read. After looking in the sci-fi/fantasy section for nearly an hour, I was about to give up and leave when I spotted them side by side on the shelf. And read both books back to back during a rare snowstorm for SC. I devoured the first book and without missing a beat when right into the second. That was the first time I’d done that for any other author’s works.

    And I’ve been an MHI junkie ever since

  13. Many thanks, Larry. I always see Books 2 or 3 at the bookstore and think — man, I need to read the first one first, then I can buy those! Now I can go and buy your books once I read this one. 🙂

  14. IRT “My publisher follows the same basic marketing philosophy as crack dealers. The first hit is free! If you like it, there is a whole lot more where that came from.”

    I offer:
    “Mum! Dad! Don’t touch it! It’s EVIL!”

        1. Mike, that is truly awesome. I have both of the Old Disc World maps matted and hung (a brief matting phase I went through with a gf a few years ago) and that would add some serious geek chic to the wall between them, lol. Thanks for that link.

  15. I already own all of MHI on Audible, so it will be nice to have the first in print. Maybe my twelve-year-old would like to take a gander.

  16. I already bought all the MHI books on Kindle and am now working my way through Hard Magic. I am hooked! 🙂 And I bought all the paperbacks of the MHI series that I could find for my son. Told him he would love all the gun porn. Heh!

  17. It should be noted because this is whispersync you can get the audiobook for $2 using this, which is a pretty darn good deal.

  18. Great news and thanks Larry! I’ve about worn the covers off my original paperback. Having it on my travel Kindle means even in the soul-sucking abyss of modern airports I’ll still have something to keep my brain occupied.

  19. Yeah, my first exposure to Correia was a free offering of MHI. Now, much later and somewhat poorer but, very entertained, I wait impatiently for the next. Or, as the dialogue in Animal House [the movie, not the Vox blog] went,
    “Thank You, Sir! may I have another’

  20. Thank you, Larry! You’re in my stack–which, since I have a Kindle, has lots of books, but when I read yours I will give feedback.

    I wonder how Amazon picks those ads that appear on a Kindle. I’ve had mine about 5 years. In all that time, not once have I ordered chick lit. But the ads are always for chick lit. My first name makes my sex obvious. I was wondering–what kind of Kindle ads do you gentlemen get?

    1. I got a week of ads for the Boeing EA 18-G Growler.

      Yes. The plane.

      No, I have no idea what the price was, they were pure ‘splash’ ads with just pretty pictures, and the words “Boeing EA18G Growler”.

      What I want to know is how they decided I was a politician.

    2. (Checks Kindle)

      Um, various flavors of Mott’s products with the minions from Despicable Me on them.

      I’ve never ordered either Motts or those movies from Amazon.

      And now it’s Jupiter Ascending, which at least sorta makes sense.

  21. Still have my Hugo pack copy from ’11.

    Hunted down a used copy of Vendetta.

    Alpha and Legion new in paperback.

    Nemesis new in hardcover last year at WesterCon…

    Still has one of the best opening chapter/line I’ve read…

  22. Have it in paperback,grabbed it on kindle and added the audio since my wife has been curious about it and has to use audiobooks due to reading issues. I’ve been raving about the book since it was first in paperback.

  23. I have come up to with the solution to the problem of the Hugos. Tom Knighton has a post up at his blog talking about the root of all the problems we have with the Hugos, which is the fact there are so few voters. Obviously, the solution is to increase the number of people voting in the process. But how to get the word out?

    All the publishers of science fiction and fantasy agree to put an ad in the back of every SF/F book they publish that says, “Are you a science fiction fan? Did you like this book? How would you like to vote for the best books of the year? Go to xxxhugoxxx.com and that will tell you how to join and vote.”

    The link would update every year to be current with the books that actually eligible for that year or something.

    That would cause the Hugo voter numbers to explode.

  24. Too late. I bought the Monster Hunters triple combo years ago. Now I collect the audible books to listen to at the gym.

  25. Too late. I bought the Kindle MHI triple combo years ago. Since then, I bought all the books on Audible to listen to at the gym.

  26. I got my husband hooked on your novels as well, there’s just one problem 😛 you keep describing all these awesome customized guns that he’d love to have, but we either cannot afford them right now, or cannot legally own 😛

    P.S. Baen free library was a reason for quite a few new authors in my library

  27. Too late! I just bought all three in hardback. Darn they’re good fun.

    It’s funny how a book by that hot mess Jemisin gets so much promotion that I actually picked it up twice before realizing “it was that book with the half-assed world-building and disaster of a plot that I gave up on 1/3 of the way through” i.e. barely readable, but I never discovered your books until Sad Puppies 2 campaign.

    And they’re so much fun! Granted, they’re not on par with say, Cordwainer Smith (not much is) but they’re definitely in early Bujold or Honor Harrington territory. So… how does Monster Hunters disappear down the official memory hole? Must be privilege…

    1. lol, another cordwainer smith fan! i am not alone! there is something about him that you can’t really explain to non-fans. nothing like it in spec fic before or since.

  28. I really love how you likened your publisher to a crack dealer. Are they aware of that? Are you still on their christmas card list? Or do they just send you an eight ball? But really, thanks for the heads up, I’ll notify a few friends and check out this free library. See if anything floats my boat.

    1. Oh, they’re fully aware of it, and people have been making those “the first one’s free” jokes about the Baen Free Library for a looooooong time.

  29. The Free library, and the extra books I get when I buy a bundle…

    Yeah, that’s cost me a chunk of money over the while.

    That November bundle, when it releases…

  30. Dammit Larry.

    You’re already on my list of “shut up and take my money!” authors.

    Though I haven’t read any of the Dead Six books, cos I like my books to have fantastical goings on in them. If Dead Six included zombies, vampires, aliens or demons, they’d be right up my street. Sorry.

    Please release more MHI and/or Grimnoir books so I can buy them.

    Or some spin-off serieses:

    “One Weird Trick: The Misadventures of Melvin Troll”

    “Grant Jefferson: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Myself”

    “James And The Giant Tetsubo”

    1. How about something that might just be a secret shadow war between secret organizations that would thrill and terrify a conspiracy theorist’s dreams?

        1. No, the fantasy in Dead Six, et al., is more men in black. Human agencies. Illuminati vs. Templars sans mysticism type stuff.

  31. I read said first book last January and now have the whole series on my must read list. I first came to this site through an Instapundit link during SP2, checked I once in a while, and now I am a fan, a Worldcon supporting member,and I am checking out the authors on the SP3 list. And having fun with it all.

  32. That opening had me hooked, that horrid boss and job gave me flashbacks to my days as a bookkeeper. Kind of wish my old boss had turned into a werewolf and gave me an excuse to push him out of a window.

    You have a new fan.

  33. Jim Butcher gave it a shoutout yesterday on Twitter. Never read any of the Monster Hunter novels before. I’m on chap. 3 and loving it so far.

  34. I have this mental image of SJWs getting the free download to misquote characters and further harass Larry. Four hours later they awake from their awesome induced reading coma to discover that they like it and are now full of more self-loathing than even they thought possible.

  35. Larry- I read some where that you’ve actually one some awards (Audies) and then I was told you were up for some overseas awards.

    Is there a comprehensive list somewhere of your nominations and awards?

  36. Upon re-reading this novel… I’m at the basic training part and wonder, what’s the electronic noise suppressor MHI was using that allows for conversation but filter anything louder. Is that an existing product or just stuff we all wish exist.

    1. Yes, that exists. You can get electronic earmuffs that allow you to hear normal conversation but suppresses the sound of gunfire automatically. You can also get electronic ear plugs that do the same thing. (They’re kind of like hearing aids.) Both of these are available to pretty much anyone. Search for “electronic hearing protection.”

      The part in the book about being networked together may be just a touch fanciful. You can get muffs that will connect to a 2-way radio so you can use it while shooting but it’s not as hands-free as a Star Trek communicator.

      1. They’re cheap, too. I’ll grant that the expensive ones probably work better, but the cheap ones get the job done.

  37. “My publisher follows the same basic marketing philosophy as crack dealers.”

    As one of the lucky fans who got a signed copy from the actual ton of MHIs last year at Gen Con, I can testify to Baen’s wisdom in adopting this tactic.

  38. Grabbed a copy. If this is as good as the Grimnoir series, I will be most pleased and have a lot of new reading material after I finish the Hugo material. (Proud SP3 supporter)

  39. I downloaded one to my son’s Kindle, but he ignored it because, Parent.

    Just came home from a business trip and he while expressed enthusiasm about my arrival, he really wanted to negotiate for the next book. He read MHI and LOVED it. He asked me if it was possible that the other books were as good and got very excited when I affirmed that the subsequent books were even better.

    Just purchased The Monster Hunters for him. Second son is now reading MHI.

    I was really tickled at how much he liked it.

    Thank you, Larry!

  40. Just finished re-reading the free version. It definitely passed the very challenging “worth re-reading” test!

  41. First-time poster. This crack thing works. I’d never thought I’d like a book with “Monster Hunter” in the title, but these are fantastic popcorn and I just ordered #5 now. Well played, dammit.

  42. I have now purchased all 5 of the Monster Hunter Books for the youngest son (last 2 with his money) as he has been insatiable after reading the first one. I suspect my oldest son will be making similar demands as soon as finals are over.
    Damn crack dealers…
    Thanks, Larry!

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