Why an eBook?!
Hardbound, and even paperback books are expensive — especially if photos and/or graphics are involved. I want this to be accessible to everyone, and anyone. That's nearly possible with an eBook. With an eBook, it's much easier to set a low price, and even offer it for FREE! Because there's very little overhead. No expensive paper, or printing and binding costs. And, since I'm doing all the work myself — the website, the graphics, the marketing, the begging for a buck — I can really control costs, 'cuz I'm the only one who might complain about a diminutive paycheck!
It's here that I need to make a distinction between my "FREEish" eBook, and the full featured Kindle ready eBook I'm offering on Amazon. The FREEish version is a PDF, and thus is not really a proper eBook. BUT, I have COMPLETE control over how it is offered. Whereas, Amazon takes a cut, so there is a slight bit of overhead. Thus, the Kindle version is not quite free.
I also plan to release a paperback version of Happy For No Damn Reason, and maybe even a hardbound. And, it will be more expensive. Quite a bit more expensive for all the reasons listed above. But, the eBook will always be available for those with limited funds. And, I will always keep the Kindle eBook price as low as I can, and the PDF version, when available, will always be FREEish. I say "when available" because there is the possibility of utilizing the Amazon marketing engine, but they prohibit any of my "FREEish" nonsense. Apparently, they fear the competition, being the hard-nosed, and unenlightened capitalists they are.
I'm even contemplating an audio version — read by me. But, there are obstacles to surmount.
What do you mean by "FREEish"?
That's my playful way of saying it's truly "FREE". I mean, I don't require any money up front, nor do I ask for a credit card number to keep, just in case. NO, it's really free. But, it's 'ish' because I do ask for a buck if it doesn't suck.
The word "FREE" is bandied about by vendors who snicker at the thought of you falling into their little emotional trap. You see, it never really is free, is it? There's always a caveat, isn't there. So, being that, in my case, there is an ask at the back end of this deal, I didn't feel right using the word "FREE". Thus: "FREEish". In other words, I'm being uncharacteristically honest with you. You're welcome.
Why only a buck?!
Because it rhymes with "suck".
But seriously, because this is my stand against the ridiculous pricing of eBooks! It's like how the price of a DVD didn't really come down from the days of VCR or BetaMax tape offerings, even though the material and machining costs of producing a DVD are far less than tape! And, don't get me started on Blu-Ray!?! WTF?!? Or music CDs. Again, WTF?!? And, a dollar a track for downloads?! Again, a resounding WTF?!?!? An eBook avoids all the massive material expenses of paper, and tape rolls, and the mechanics of a VCR cartridge, or even the metal and plastics of a DVD/CD, yet, you really don't see much of that savings reflected in the pricing of a typical eBook!
Also, I don't accept, or even understand "Supply and Demand", and I especially don't agree with "Charge what the market can bear"! How about: "Charge what seems fair for both consumer and vendor". How about only taking a reasonable amount — enough to live on, with a little extra for fun stuff (in moderation), and finally a bit to go into the retirement fund — a fund that really doesn't need to exceed, say, 5 million. You can live quite comfortably on the interest generated by that amount. Why does anybody need hundreds of millions of dollars, or billions!?! Especially if the people that helped that grubber amass such a ridiculous, and even larcenous amount, had to work two or three jobs to make ends meet, let alone manage to put some aside for a rainy day! Where's the gratitude? Where's the decency? Where's the love for your brother/sister humans?
And, what the heck, if this book is any good — if people like it, and enthusiastically share it with others — it will gain a wide audience, and a buck-a-read will quickly add up [actually it's more like a-half-a-buck-a-read, after PayPal's cut]. If that happens, my only problem will be dealing with the high-volume web traffic!
But, really...it's because it rhymes with "suck"!
Why are you practically giving it away?!
Think of it as a fully guaranteed free trial. Your money back if you don't like it — wait, I didn't take your money, or even expect you to register a credit card number — so, actually it's: I don't get paid if you don't like it. I trust you to do the right thing, and pay me what you think it's worth.
My inspiration for this is from something that happened in the world of tech, back in 2005. Something called the "Arduino", a little "Single-board Microcontroller" (a type of Computer) that not only helped a lot of enthusiasts (like me) learn electronics and computer programming, it also took the Maker world by storm, making it far easier to add computer control to a project.
What is a Single-board Microcontroller [SBM] you ask? In a nutshell, it's a small computer with lots of fun "accessories". Things like timers, and counters, and stuff that makes it easier to control motors and lights and pretty much anything. Also, stuff that makes it easier to use things like temperature sensors, water level sensors, pressure sensors, gas detectors, etc. Just connect stuff to it and write a little computer program, and you can control the World, or at least some small part of it.
But, the true innovation of the Arduino is how it was released: Though not free to acquire one [As of this writing it has a $27.60USD price tag], the company that designed it, placed into the Public Domain, ALL of the information needed to make your own "Arduino Clone". In other words, anyone can not only roll their own, they're also allowed to sell it as their own. They basically gave it away. After a bit of nasty business within the organization [humans!], the company now has an estimated annual revenue of $56.8M per year! I should be so lucky!
What's different about the Amazon eBook?!
In a nutshell, the FREEish PDF that you can download on this website is just that: A PDF. Whereas the Amazon offering is an official eBook that can be read on various eBook readers. Also, by purchasing it from Amazon you get the warm-fuzzy of knowing it's legit, and covered by Amazon policy and protections. I get that you might not want to download the PDF from my website -- I mean, who the heck am I? Will you be downloading a virus, or malware of some sort? Will the PDF track you, or keylog you, or behave in some other nefarious way? The Internet is the new Wild West, and isn't always safe. But, purchasing an eBook from Amazon is pretty much risk free.