Posts
“If a Kindle book is priced at 0.99 cents then the chances are it’s going to be really bad.”
Ouch!
Let's look at it another way
1.) At 99 cents, many readers feel there’s little risk in “giving it a try.”
Few Indie authors are household names. We have to entice readers to gamble on an unknown.
2.) Selling your first ebook at 99 cents can work similar to a “loss leader” in the marketing world.
If you have other books in your back list,
getting a reader interested in your prose is worth selling a book at 99 cents.
3.) People with e readers are getting LOADS of free books,
and then a lot are buying only the 99 cent books after that.
4.) The International Market
It's well to remember that a 99c book will cost $2.99 to many readers
outside the US
because of the Whispernet charge that Amazon adds.
That
is why I price some of my books at 99c so that they will be a reasonable price
($2.99 = R21)
to my fans in South Africa.
They can buy a small McDonald's
burger for R18!
At $.99, you can witness impulsive buying from potential readers.
I am in this for the long haul.
Which means I am providing a great looking cover (expensive for me),
evocative images (another expense),and the best prose I can craft.
No one who browses the LOOK INSIDE feature of my books can feel my books look of poor quality.
The total package counts.
6.) Consider the Season
My New Orleans Christmas Ghost Story, Beware the Jade Christmas, is coming out soon.
I am well aware of the Black Friday bargain mindset of potential readers
and their anemic wallets due to holiday shopping.
So I have decided to price my French Quarter holiday ghost story at 99 cents.
In order to compete, you need to build an audience of people who like and support your books.
Offering a new book at 99 cents is one way to expose your writing to a larger audience.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Offering the first book free or really cheap is a good way to get people hooked on your series or other books. My prequel short story is now free, leading into sales of my series, all of which are $2.99.
ReplyDeleteSometimes priming the pump is the only way to get the water flowing. :-)
DeleteI don't think there are any hard and fast rules for pricing. Each book is different--length, genre, audience, similar books, other books author has published and more.
ReplyDeleteCertainly some readers may perceive 99 cents as a book not worth wasting time on (similar to free books), but others may see it as a bargain.
Sigh. I agree. I have readjusted my thinking. Rather than chance the "Cheap=Bad", I will price my Christmas Ghost Story at $1.99 to match my last two shorter books. Thanks for weighing in, Terry.
Delete