Reading for Free

How do you become a best-seller on the Kindle? Give the book away, says an article on the New York Times. It's unbelievable how new technology is change the business model of old businesses. The article explains how new writers are becoming popular by giving a book for free on the Kindle. It also discusses why publishing companies are uneasy about giving their merchandise at no cost. "Free is not a business model", says the chief executive of Harper Collins, but others suggest that by letting people download one free book, they will eventually buy from the same writer if they like it. Could the publishing industry be going through the same process that has changed music? If so, who will pay for the new books? Advertisers? I don't know. It seems to me that a downloading a book for free is a powerful incentive for readers and advertisers could tap into that market. On the other hand, I don't think advertising will solve all the problems and we in the media must look at an alternative source of income.