Why might an author offer free digital copies or excerpts of a book?

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A person holds a Sony e-reader displaying text in front of a large illuminated sign reading e-book multiple times at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany. — e-book An e-reader on display at the Frankfurt Book Fair, Germany, 2012.

In the context of the modern e-book industry, authors may offer free digital copies or excerpts of their work primarily as a strategy to increase their visibility in an increasingly crowded marketplace.1

As e-book production has become easier, the resulting abundance of content makes it more difficult for individual authors to stand out and attract significant sales. To counter this, authors use free distribution and open licensing models—such as Creative Commons licenses—to encourage sharing and reuse of their work. These promotional efforts, often paired with social networking and blogging, are intended to help authors distinguish themselves from the crowd and build an audience.1