cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/questions/p/1330162/why-do-american-authors-who-advocate-for-noble-causes-keep-their-books-behind-paywalls-i

That one thing that keeps puzzling me.

it feels weird when an American author keep giving media interviews talking about the cause they are advocating for and keep referencing their paywalled book.

Why do they not at least release the book for free after say a certain period(say 3 months) to advance their cause beyond their existence.

I had seen this phenomenon with American politicians, people important in technology and even feminists and social advocates.

Why?