Or to just sell it for free?? I published a short story there last month but I didn't know which one was better so I made it free to download. Also, is smashwords even a good idea??? I want to be as known as possible and have my stories read by people so is this a good place for them???
I don't see the harm in posting. If anything it's extra publicity and another result in a Google search. One of the self publishers I know posts on both Smashwords and Amazon and makes an income from it similar to a part time job. But I don't know which pays more. Self publishing is too fluky to get any guarantees. You're best bet if you want to create a name for yourself is keep offering stories consistently and maybe even using similar cover art - i.e. kinda branding yourself.
That's great, but do you think I should maybe price it at 2.99 or something? Or have it free ?? Which is better?
If you have multiple works, there may be some value in providing one for free as a promotion, to encourage people to check it out and hopefully buy your other works. If that's all you have so far, I don't know that I'd necessarily have it available for free. You're basically telling readers that you don't think the story is worth paying for, whereas when one of many works is free it looks more like a promotion and that you do think your work has value.
As a writer I can appreciate the work an author has put into his/her work and don't mind paying for the privilege of reading it . . . but that probably wouldn't apply to a non-writer. On the other hand, most sites offer a percentage of the book to read for free before purchase so the can decide if they'd like to pay/read it (I don't know Smashwords and whether they do that). I can only suggest a few freebies to give readers a feel of your style and skill but charge money for longer works or special projects you're working on.
I'm with Steerpike and Jeff - I wouldn't put your first story out there for free. The free idea is usually done when writers have several short stories or a series available and want to generate a buzz. So they offer something for free. And sometimes they only offer if for free for a limited time, hoping to generate some comments.
Thank you all for your input. My first short story was 8,000 words and it was free. Since that was sort of an introduction to my style, I will charge readers for my next short story which is around 9,000 words.
