# $3.00 is NOT too much to pay for a Kindle book! Who's with me?



## J.E.Johnson (Aug 5, 2009)

Howdy fellow authors and readers, 
    Thought I'd start this thread just for fun (like most threads I start, I suppose).  It's sort-of in the same category of David Burton's thread on amazon's new royalty rate, so I hope he doesn't mind if I borrow from his thoughts  .
    I too like cheap ebooks, yet I'm of the strong opinion that $2.99 and even $3.99-$4.99 is still a good price for something someone has put so much time and effort into.  And if I know that having a book priced at $2.99 as opposed to the ever-popular $.99 will mean the author will receive a bigger chunk of the profit, then $2.99 it should be!
    Yes, I did start a thread asking for low cost books (and I do appreciate the $1.00 bargain books), but I also wrote that I was willing to pay up to $5.00.  Furthermore, my own books are currently at the $1.00 bargain price, but I do plan to raise the price in a week or so.  It's good to have a sale every now and again and I don't want to discourage that  .
    This thread is here to stand up for us ebook authors who deserve that 70% royalty!  Here's to those of us who have been pressured into lowering our prices and settling for that small royalty because that seemed to be the only way to sell our books!  Yes, $9.99 is a bit much to pay for an ebook, but by golly, $2.99 ISN'T!  So, who's with me
-Jenna


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

I agree, to a point. At .99 I am willing to try anything that looks entertaining. At 2.99, or more, I will give it a shot if it is in my regular generes, and if it has positive ratings. 

ETA: If I am familiar with an author, and enjoy their work, I don't care of they are "self-published", as long as the editing is good (and from what I have seen they are often better than "professionally" published works) then $6 or $7 is reasonable for me, but it may discourage new readers. A good way to lure in new readers while getting your pay check would be to offer a book or two at a reduced rate.


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2010)

I've been thinking about this a lot. And price certainly is a touchy issue for some people. It's funny because when it comes down to it, this is all chump change, and yet it does make a difference. I guess I thought the same way that you do, and listed my book at 2.99 when I released it just a few days ago. The jury is still out on whether or not that was the right decision. People probably take it on a case by case basis.

Let me toss my book out as a blind test case: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OQUOFI

What kind of impulse do you get when you see this $2.99 book? Too much? Just right? Any feedback would be supremely appreciated.


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## Toni Leland (Apr 22, 2010)

Personally, if I want a book and it's too expensive, I put it on my wish list for a time when I'm feeling more flush. If I REALLY want it, I buy it.

That said, the digital versions of my novels are priced $5.99 and $7.99 and I have had excellent sales at those prices. I suppose I could reduce the prices even more, but what would that accomplish other than maybe a boost in numbers? I think the bottom line figure would be about the same.

For books that took me over a year to write and longer to have published, I don't see that the digital version should be lower than half the print price.


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## D. Nathan Hilliard (Jun 5, 2010)

Well, it looks like this is a situation where a new market is still in the process of sorting itself out. I don't really view any price as too low or high, as long as it's at the sweet spot that will move the book. Volume of sales would seem to be the goal, as opposed to larger individual sales.

I just wish Kindle had a .59 cent short story tier price.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

I'm with you, Jenna...in the midst of the Great Experiment right now, so I'll let you know how it goes!


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

I have 3 at $ 3.99 and 1 at $ 2.99. My $ .99 ones are worth $10.00, but its the reader that counts more. Standing pat.

Ed Patterson


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I would just offer. . .and please understand that this is NOT directed at anyone in particular. . .that $3 is absolutely too much to spend for some of the Kindle books I've gotten. . .I won't mention any titles, but I've been really glad they were only a buck, or, better yet, free.  Though, honestly, if they'd cost more than that I probably would not have given them a try. . . . . .

THAT said. . . .there are a LOT of authors, especially many who post here at KindleBoards, whose books are well worth $3 or more. . . . . .

Not trying to put anyone's knickers in a knot. . .but quality is the main thing. . . and Value for Money.


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Hi there,

I just went from $1.99 to $2.99 on books 4 and 5 of my peacekeeper series. I released book 6 at $2.99, and it did well. Like some other authors, I've changed my mind several times where it comes to the coming changes at Amazon. 

The reason for this flip flopping is simple. I've tried to follow the Konrath model, which suggests $1.99 as the ideal price point. At least that's my understanding of the matter. I'm happy with the results I achieved by following that model. But it was conceived prior to the coming changes, which will add new dynamics to the equations. 

Yes, Jenna, I think my ebooks are worth $2.99. I try to keep things in perspective, and you can't even buy a decent combo meal at a burger joint for that price. A movie rental costs about three bucks, therefore, I think an ebook is worth at least as much as a movie rental. For $2.99 a reader can be entertained for hours with one of my fiction titles. That same money would buy my customer a meal off the dollar menu, or a movie rental. I think that makes the ebook competitive for consumer dollars.

I still have books 1 - 3 of my series priced at $1.99. I am reevaluating price for those books at the moment. Book 1 will probably remain at its current price, but I suspect that I'll be increasing books 2 and 3 to $2.99 in the future.

My short story collection contains an essay I wrote to help couples dealing with breast cancer. That price won't change unless Amazon alters the low price point. My women's self defense book won't be changing either.  I released that book to help women. I want it available at rock bottom prices, so that even the poorest woman can get a copy. 

Have a great day,
Ricky


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Ann: 
No offense taken.
You are absolutely right. Some books, in my opinion, aren't worthwhile even if they are free. Others are priceless.
That's why the decision to purchase should be a thoughtful one. If the bad books you refer to are mine, then I'd be happier if you didn't buy them in the first place. We don't go to all this trouble to disappoint readers! Samples, recommendations, reviews--and, yes, price too--all should enter into the decision. 

I expect there are at least a thousand 'cheap' copies of EH sitting around in people's Kindles. Will they ever be read? Who knows. But I am more likely to read something I purchase for $2.99 after consideration than a book I purchase with the thought 'Well, it's cheap, so why not?'

One dissatisfied reader can do more damage than twenty happy ones. I want happy, satisfied customers--those who probably selected the book on something other than price alone. 

I think the real question is: Given an appealing sample, compelling recommendations, and attractive reviews, would one pay 2.99 for an e-book from a new author?


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Ann is correct. We can't fish around for the monetary value of our works. We either need to price it at something and not worry about what our book is worth to a reader. If we create quality stories, in our own estimation, we need to let that rest with us. Asking readers will get enough diversity in response to leave you exactly where you started. If, however, you have arrived at price for a specific reason and want to raise it for another - you just do it and move on.

Edward C. Patterson


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

archer said:


> I expect there are at least a thousand 'cheap' copies of EH sitting around in people's Kindles. Will they ever be read? Who knows. But I am more likely to read something I purchase for $2.99 after consideration than a book I purchase with the thought 'Well, it's cheap, so why not?'
> 
> One dissatisfied reader can do more damage than twenty happy ones. I want happy, satisfied customers--those who probably selected the book on something other than price alone.


One of the stronger arguments I've seen for pricing your book higher.

David Dalglish


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## Ricky Sides (Sep 16, 2009)

Yep. That archer is a smart lady. She makes a compelling point.


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## Author Eyes (Nov 26, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I would just offer. . .and please understand that this is NOT directed at anyone in particular. . .that $3 is absolutely too much to spend for some of the Kindle books I've gotten. . .I won't mention any titles, but I've been really glad they were only a buck, or, better yet, free. Though, honestly, if they'd cost more than that I probably would not have given them a try. . . . . .
> 
> THAT said. . . .there are a LOT of authors, especially many who post here at KindleBoards, whose books are well worth $3 or more. . . . . .
> 
> Not trying to put anyone's knickers in a knot. . .but quality is the main thing. . . and Value for Money.


This can also be the case with paperbacks and hard covers. Quality varies throughout the industry.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

As usual, I'm clueless.  

Since I reduced the price of my book "Recollections" to $0.99, I've had five straight months of 100+ sales a month. Now that the book has received 31 5-star reviews, I'm tempted to increase the price to $1.99, but I'm pretty sure that sales would drop. The royalties might not decrease, and the amount might even increase, but I like seeing my sales at more than 100 books every month.

So I'm undecided. I'm even more undecided about increasing the price to $2.99 and getting the 70% royalties.

JimC


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## traceya (Apr 26, 2010)

Hi,
I don't think $2.99 is too much to pay for a book of any kind - I like to think that our [potential] readers are generally fairly discriminating. I totally agree with Archer's comments both as a reader and as an author.

When I buy books it's because I know the author or I like the blurb - those are really the only two reasons I have. Price, even before my Kindle, was a very low factor. I've found some wonderful authors because I've taken the time to look at what they say about their books, what others say about their books etc.

Hopefully the fad/trend for super cheap books will fade away and be replaced by discerning readers who buy what they truly believe they will enjoy. That way both reader & writer will be happy, I hope.

Having said that, I'm still leaving Erich's Plea at $1.99 - simply to compete in the current market.

Cheers,
Trace


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## Joyce DeBacco (Apr 24, 2010)

I don't think $2.99 is too much for a full-length novel. In fact, I view a book that's priced less than that as sub-par even though I haven't read it. Human nature, I guess. I think some of us are too quick to want people to read our books that we don't value them enough. If a book is not well-written, it's not worth it at any price. That's why I urge people to read sample chapters. I know I get more sales when people sample the chapters posted on my website.

Joyce


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

$3.00 is *not* too much to pay for a *good* book (granted, that is subjective), but like Ann said, some of the books that are selling for $.99 aren't even worth the time it takes to download them. I know that sounds harsh coming from an indie writer, but it seems like some people think they can throw a bunch of words together, never bother to edit or spell check, and slap it up for sale. To be fair, they absolutely can. But that doesn't mean it's worth reading.

I've pulled samples online from several Kindle books and could only get through the first few paragraphs before I stopped, shook my head, and deleted the sample.

That's why I love samples.


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

I've done a complete 180 on this in the past year after reading the thoughts of authors and writers in places like this (not mindreading, not clairvoyant!).

My attitude used to be "If it's cheaper then more people will buy it which means more readers."  Archer expressed my evolved belief better than I can, but here goes.  "Sure, if it's cheap people will grab it, but the very fact that it was cheap (or free) means there's a good chance it will never be read and thus never talked about or recommended to others."

If somebody likes the presentation of one of my books they'll buy it if it's three bucks just as easily as if it's one buck.  And as Archer says, if price isn't the dominant reason for buying it, if it actually might be their proverbial cup of tea based on the description, there's more chance that they might actually enjoy it.

I can't believe how drastically my opinion has changed on this.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

daveconifer said:


> I've done a complete 180 on this in the past year after reading the thoughts of authors and writers in places like this (not mindreading, not clairvoyant!).
> 
> My attitude used to be "If it's cheaper then more people will buy it which means more readers." Archer expressed my evolved belief better than I can, but here goes. "Sure, if it's cheap people will grab it, but the very fact that it was cheap (or free) means there's a good chance it will never be read and thus never talked about or recommended to others."
> 
> ...


It's a good point, though.


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## daringnovelist (Apr 3, 2010)

The market will sort itself out.  And I expect that when it does, 2.99 will be the standard bargain price, with .99 as the "promotional" price (i.e. the "loss leader" price).  Also .99 will be the price for novellas, small collections and novelties.

For those of you who are considering moving to 1.99 - IMHO, don't even consider that, because it doesn't give enough bang for the difference. Once the new royalty goes into play, 2.99 will give you SIX TIMES the return rather than just three.  If your 100 a month dropped to 17 a month, you'd still be ahead.  And maybe it would drop more than that, and you don't want to raise your price, but if you consider any increase, clearly 2.99 is the price to consider.

Camille


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

David McAfee said:


> .....I've pulled samples online from several Kindle books and could only get through the first few paragraphs before I stopped, shook my head, and deleted the sample.
> 
> That's why I love samples.


I agree - the ability to sample books on your Kindle is about the most cost effective aspect of the device. If the synopsis and the reviews have got you as far as wanting to sample a book, then most samples will give you enough to decide if the formatting is good enough, and if it's an author you haven't read before, if you like their writing style and also to decide if the story grabs you enough to want to finish reading it. If the answer to all those questions was 'yes, I want to read more' I don't believe you could consider $3 as too much to pay.

For those who base their purchase on prices, there may be as many people thinking 'if it's that cheap it's probably not very good' as there are people thinking 'ooh, only $0.99, I love getting something for nothing, I'll buy it'. For me anyway, price is the absolute _last_ consideration of the decision to buy process.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Dave: 
(blushes) I can't believe how my own point of view has changed, either. I used to think exactly as you did. Now, for good or ill, 2.99 they are, and 2.99 they will remain. 

(Fortunately, my thoughts don't take long to read, as they are no doubt in short sentences with simple words.  )

Another point: When the new royalty structure goes into effect, the difference between earning nearly $2 per book and earning $0.33 per book will amount to real money. Sales will probably diminish, but I will be getting a better return per reader and, hopefully, those readers will be more likely to enjoy the work.

(That's my story and I'm stickin' with it.)

To follow up on daringnovelist--I saw NO difference in sales between my 2.99 book and the 1.99 one. I agree with you--no point in 1.99.
If one is worried about 'cheap book lists', I've seen several 'under a dollar' ones, but at least one '2.99 or less'. Hopefully, you're right in that 2.99 will be the new standard bargain price, with 99cent introductory sales. That's what I foresee for my own future pricing strategy.


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

I will say that I personally will try fewer new to me authors if I have to pay $2.99 for their first book. I'll stick with authors I know and like or reread books I already have.


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## J.E.Johnson (Aug 5, 2009)

Wow, many of you make excellent points.  As I read through some of your responses, I thought about something else.  Most of us have our books priced below $5.00 to help generate sales or because we feel that ebooks shouldn't be priced higher than that.  Some of you have said that there was no difference in your sales whether you priced your books at $.99 or $2.99, yet some have noticed a drop in sales if you up your price.  What I wonder is how the sales are going for the 'established, traditionally published' authors whose books are set at $9.99?  It would just be interesting to know . . . .
-Jenna


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## J.E.Johnson (Aug 5, 2009)

Intinst,
    Even if you have access to a sample of the book (a sample which intrigues you), and the book itself has received many high reviews?
-Jenna


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

intinst said:


> I will say that I personally will try fewer new to me authors if I have to pay $2.99 for their first book. I'll stick with authors I know and like or reread books I already have.


This post juxtaposed against the ones just before it illustrates the dilemma for an unknown like me. Which you already knew.


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

For me a lot of it would have to do with the size of the sample. If I can't get a good sense from the sample of the writing and the quality of the formatting of the book, I won't pay more than garage sell prices for a book by an author I'm not familiar with. But, that is just me. If I like it, from the sample, then I'll pay $2-4 for an author I'm not familiar with, and that goes for "famous" ones as well. Just because I've heard the name doesn't mean I'm familiar with their writing. I will say that a bad sample will lead me to be much less likely to investigate that author again. My time to read a book is worth more than any book costs. No matter if the author is self published or Shakespeare, if it's bad (and yes, Shakespeare wrote some of those, too) it is my time I get irritated with having lost.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

That's why you run an introductory special. Once folks start recommending you, that should carry some weight. 
I can honestly say that I have never bought a book on price alone. It had to be recommended first (by someone who was not the author's mother)--even if it was free. 

Dave, there will always be those who are not blessed with recommendations, thoughtful reviews, and so on. Some will always be relegated to the 'cheap or free' pile, even should they wish to take a chance and escape it. I sense that you are not one of them! 
That reminds me...which of your books do you think I should try first?

Which also reminds me...I need to get busy and write some reviews. Xanthan Gumm, Weight of Blood, Cost of Betrayal...


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

archer said:


> That reminds me...which of your books do you think I should try first?


C.S., you asked me that in November or December and I never figured out the right answer. Three of my books are YA (two about high school wrestling) so that didn't seem right for somebody who drives the elfmobile. Another is an empty-headed satire full of cheap laughs and the other is a thriller that I'm not sure is so thrilling. So I thought maybe my NEXT book might fit the bill (which I'll probably ALWAYS think )


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Egad, man! You need a serious dose of 'confidentality'! 
I think 'Snodgrass' sounds like something I'd like. I love a good satire.
Off I go...


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

J.E.Johnson said:


> Intinst,
> Even if you have access to a sample of the book (a sample which intrigues you), and the book itself has received many high reviews?
> -Jenna


1. It would have to be recommended by other KBers.
2. Many of the samples are so short that they do not include enough of the book to make an informed decision.
3. I have bought books priced from .99 to 9.99 that I have enjoyed. I have also deleted books from my kindle in that same price range that I never want to see again.
4. I am not saying I would not buy a new author at 2.99, just that there will not be as many. I have given many .99 cent books a try. Some were not worth even that price, some were delightful. Those I have bought or will buy the rest of the author's offerings, no matter the price.


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## Magenta (Jun 6, 2009)

Bottom line for me is if I want to read it I will buy it.

Considering I have many "to be read" in my Kindle and physical library, I sometimes will put a book on my shopping list to wait for the price to come down to $9.99.

However....if I am eagerly awaiting a new book...I won't care what the price is or what form it is in.  I will pre-order the version that will get it into my hands the fastest.  I go so far as to order books from amazon.co.uk just to get them sooner!


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

intinst:
No FAIR! I live in the midwest and you're making me want to run away to a deserted island!


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

archer said:


> intinst:
> No FAIR! I live in the midwest and you're making me want to run away to a deserted island!


If I were you I wouldn't worry, I have all of your books.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Price wise I'm really not that concerned about any book prices below $5.  As Ann mentioned earlier in the thread, though, I am concerned about editing and overall quality.  An author published through a more traditional publishing house I'm more likely to assume has been edited properly; but then I've read independents whose novels are just as well edited so that's all a bit of a crap shoot.

The growth of the ebook market does give independents a leg up as they have access to a much wider audience and they are on a more level playing with more traditional authors (I guess I'm preaching to the choir at this point).  But, with that increased access, there will be a greater demand for quality.  I'm all for the increased selection I now have in authors and I think I'm reading more books with more creative ideas than I have in a long time.  This is all good but I've also gotten some books that are pretty unreadable.

It may be that I have to become more discriminating in my choices.  I'm really curious how this is all going to sort itself out.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Intinst:
No...it's the pictures on your icon! I just came back from Maine, and I already wanna go BACK! I ordered a cd of 'surf sounds'. Is that pathetic, or what?

(And, I'm very glad you have all three of my books. That's why we write.)


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## scottnicholson (Jan 31, 2010)

It's a big crazy stew--don't forget that while indies are tempted to go UP, NY titles are coming down (that whole "agency spat" will be spit in the wind in about six to 12 months). So there's going to be a ton of competition there in the $3-$5 price range, new authors competing with solid authors with established followings.

What's funny is that my paperback audience doesn't even seem to own e-readers yet, so I am reaching a whole new audience, so it's like starting all over again, for better or worse.

I look at "worth" as relative--as a writer hoping to make this my living, or at least my retirement fund, I am most interested in "What will give me the most money overall?" Second to that is the artist brain, the "What will get me the most readers (but not the most money?" Third, what is my book worth to the reader?

At 70 percent of $2.99, that seems like a perfect mating of my three considerations. That's not a huge amount of money commitment, I get a very generous compensation, and there's the possibility of a steady income stream. But all that could change tomorrow--Amazon might decide on different price structures, or NY might weigh in somehow and really change the dynamics. But now that B&N and Apple seem to be following suit, I guess Amazon will be the ringleader of book values (as it really has been all along).

It's easy to lose sight of it in all the real-time sales and rankings data, but these books should be there for the long haul.

Scott


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## scottnicholson (Jan 31, 2010)

To follow up on Geoffrey's and others' comments about quality, I was doing a lot of browsing for a new indie column I'm writing for Suspense Magazine. I noticed many cases where there was incredible presentation--professional, eye-catching cover and a decent pitch, yet the quality of writing in the sample was pretty much garbage. Others, the graphics seemed tapped out by somebody's third-grader, but the writing was really good. Right now I think the slick presentation has a leg up, especially at impulse prices, but I can also see where "burned readers" might get a little gun-shy at higher prices.

I do think it will shake out in time, as the freelance supporting industries (editing, cover artists, formatters) evolve and readers spread around their recommendations. Of course, the first wave of early adopters will probably always be the core e-book consumers in the U.S. The habits of the "second wave" might be more difficult to gauge, as I suspect they will be people who love paper books and a bit more reluctant to jump in--and I bet they will be a lot more likely to stick to the tried-and-true authors they knew in paper. Of course, in 10 years, the whole generation will be turning over, then it's anybody's guess.

Scott


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

JimC1946 said:


> As usual, I'm clueless.
> 
> Since I reduced the price of my book "Recollections" to $0.99, I've had five straight months of 100+ sales a month. Now that the book has received 31 5-star reviews, I'm tempted to increase the price to $1.99, but I'm pretty sure that sales would drop. The royalties might not decrease, and the amount might even increase, but I like seeing my sales at more than 100 books every month.
> 
> ...


Think of Indie book sales as circulation, not as sales=eggs and cheese. If your book has been acquired by a reader and is in proximity to a reader, we have fulfilled one of the prime directive - getting our work into reader hands. I lowered my prices as a promotion - but didn't raise them again after listening to readers call Indie authors a bunch of used car sales people. "Last Chance to get your copy at $ .99. Tomorrow it'll be $5 buckos." But part of Indie publishing is to arrive at a price independant of either an industry or a cartel. Nothing serves a consumer less than a banding together of companies to set prices for the benefit of the company. I am an ex-Marketer and shall not be carteling today. I support my Indie author colleagues, but the only way I'll support a conscience royalty increase as an Indie movement is if it doesn't roll downhill at the expense of my readers.

Edward C. Patterson


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

archer said:


> Which also reminds me...I need to get busy and write some reviews. Xanthan Gumm, Weight of Blood, Cost of Betrayal...


*bounces up and down excitedly*


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## J.E.Johnson (Aug 5, 2009)

Archer,
    You could always visit me on the west coast.  The ocean is very close by and it's not as crowded as L.A. (not yet, at least  ).
-Jenna


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## bvlarson (May 16, 2010)

I think we will see a lot more $2.99 books when the royalty system changes. And yes, the books are worth that. The question really is one of marketing for the authors. You will get about $2 for a $2.99 sale, but only 35 cents for a $0.99 sale. That means if author wants to be paid for their work, you have to sell about six $0.99 books to be worth one sale at $2.99. Clearly, you will make more money at $2.99. But if you just want people to read your book, indie authors will move higher on the charts with $0.99.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Jenna--Be careful what you wish for! I might show up!


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## AnnaM (Jul 15, 2009)

Just posted this on my regular book thread. I agree that 2.99 is a value price, and I believe most will make as much money (or more) at 2.99.

------------------------------------------------

I just pushed the "publish" button on Unbroken Hearts so the price will go up within the next couple of days. 

When I raised the price from 99 cents to 1.99 (on Unbroken Hearts) back on April 4th my sales dipped a bit but my revenues (profit) rose. Oddly, I also received a lot more reviews after the price increase (do more people actually read the book when they pay more for it?).

I raised the price of the second book in the series, (Untamed Hearts), in early May (from 1.99 to 2.99). I also experienced a slight dip in sales on that title, but higher revenues overall.  Untamed Hearts is making nearly as much money as Unbroken so far this month, and sales of that title are accelerating over last month. I consider that a good sign for July, when prices go to 2.99 and royalty rate doubles.


My hope is that Amazon is building a model which allows indies to earn enough to make writing a career choice, not just a hobby, while giving readers a good value. I think $2.99 is an excellent value price. It allows indies who start at a lower price (99 cents or 1.99) to quickly build revenues once they have name recognition. 

OK, taking a big breath now, and I'll try not to freak out when my ranking drops on the lists . . .


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

AnnaM said:


> Just posted this on my regular book thread. I agree that 2.99 is a value price, and I believe most will make as much money (or more) at 2.99.
> 
> ------------------------------------------------
> 
> ...


Reviews have a time lag, so it is probably that those reviews were from readers who bought the book at $ .99. However, price has very little to do with anything but your royalty. When I first published on the Kindle December 2007, the sweet-spot price was $ 3.99. However, the lower price represents an entry level for most Indie authors and last year some authors ventured into the $ .01 novel (dennis batchelder leading the way using mobipocket to get them on Amazon). Many authors lowered their prices to $ .99 as an experiment and, after reader feedback and the recession, the world of $ 3.99 has changed. I have no problem selling my books priced at $ 3.99, but readers have invested a hunk of cash in the eReading Devices. So Indie authors need to individually decide their own pricing strategy. For me, it's simple. I get sales at both prices and I am not hungry for dimes and quarters, but for readers. Readers are my gold. Royalties are like quarks. We know they exist, but we might not see them. So decide whether you're pricing scheme is focused on serving your needs or your reader's or Amazon's or all three, and do what's best for your art.

Edward C. Patterson


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## P.A. Woodburn (May 22, 2010)

If you buy books at garage sales you have to spend time and gas going out and looking for them, and you may not find what you want.
If you buy 0.1 books from Amazon you still have to pay $3.99 on postage and wait for the book to arrive. What can you buy today for $2.99? Barely a cup of coffee.

When you consider the time,energy and work that the author has put into a novel, and assuming it is reasonably well written I think $2.99 is a bargain. 0.99 is a good introductory price.

I read yesterday that almost 300,000 dead tree books were published last year as well as almost 800,000 Indies. I truly wish I'd made a
note of the source and exact figures, but I didn't. These figures really bother me because if this rate of publication continues how is anyone going to get noticed or read?

It is interesting to speculate what may happen, but I don't think any of us can really know. I guess we just write the best book we can, and keep trying to improve and watch the trends.

Ann.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

This is part of the reason I decided to realease the anthology. (Note: I wanted to make the stories in it free but Amazon won't let me.) 

My novels are all going to be $2.99 (Saying Goodbye to the Sun is $1.99 for the first month), but I have the 99 cent anthology for people who'bve never read my work and might want a taste. If they like it, hopefully they look at the longer works. If they hate it, they are only out 99 cents. And if they return it, I'm only out 35 cents.


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## G. Henkel (Jan 12, 2010)

I will go even as far as saying $9.99 is not too much for an eBook. Heck, I bought an eBook for $14.99 the other day and I have not regretted it, because it was an awesome read.

However, I bought an independent author's eBook for $9.99 the other day only to find that it was ridiculously amateurish, riddled with spelling errors, grammar errors, punctuation errors, formatting errors on every page. That, of course, ifs a rip off and got me worked up quite a bit.

Unlike many other people, I value a book for its entertainment value and if I get some decent entertainment out of it I don't mind paying for it. In fact, I will not even look at 99cent or $1.99 books as a rule of thumb because that price category screams desperation in my opinion. If not even the author thinks the book is worth more than a few cents, why would I even want to waste any time on it.

So, to answer your question, I do not think that $3 is too much for a quality eBook. It is too much for a piece of crap, though, but then again, anything is too much for that.


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## scottnicholson (Jan 31, 2010)

I think considering the author's "time, craft, energy, practice," etc, it's not as straightforward as saying, "I worked hard on this, I deserve $2." 

If you sell 10,000 and make 30 cents each, that's $3,000. If you sell 1,000 and make $2 each, that's $2,000. Which one makes you "worth more" to the reader or make you feel more valuable? Having gotten the higher price, or making the most money? I don't think it's as easy as pinning it on one individual transaction between two people, because it's spread over (hopefully) many, many transactions.

I think the readers will end up influencing this more than Amazon or authors over the long run, anyway. I see 99 cents as the eventual price for most digital content. Look at all the cheap game apps and movie and music downloads you can get. E-book prices still seem way too high by comparison--but then, it's likely e-books will never have the sales volume, either.

Scott


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## J.E.Johnson (Aug 5, 2009)

Well, it's definitely something to think about.  Yes, I do want to make money off of my sales, but I don't necessarily want to make millions or even thousands (though that would be nice); that's not what I'm aiming for.  If you asked me what I really felt, deep down, I'd say 'I want people to read and enjoy my books'.  
    I love writing and crafting new stories, worlds and characters; for those who don't write: it's thrilling, to say the least (I'm sure my fellow indie authors will agree).  BUT it is hard for us to make this our exclusive job and finding time to get the writing done that we want is tough.  If I can make a little bit more off of my books and put it away, and if I sell enough books, who knows, maybe one day I'll be able to quite my day job and become a full time author.  Of course, that's a dream many of us wish for but few of us obtain, unfortunately.  It's just nice to earn that little extra cash because goodness knows, we've worked hard for it.
-Jenna
p.s. Archer . . . I'll be watching for you


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## A_J_Lath (Jun 6, 2010)

Hmmm. I'd be interested to know what people think of the idea of offering the first 50% of your ebook for free. I mean, surely the customer cannot lose out on this; if he or she doesn't like it, then no harm done - and if they do like it, then they'll probably be willing to shell out for the complete novel. It's what I've done with my ebook - seems like a good idea to me.


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## daringnovelist (Apr 3, 2010)

I would like to make a living at my writing.  I don't really care if that is accomplished by selling a hundred million copies at a penny, or one for a million dollars.

The thing is, I was reading a thread like this on Amazon's Kindle boards, and I realize that the problem here is that, contrary to what big publishers and marketers would have you believe, books have always been a "pay what you can afford" product.  

Listen:  Books are way too expensive to produce to price so that everyone can afford all they need - that's how it's always been. But society benefits from everyone having as much access to books as possible.  So physical books are priced for sharing. Sure, those with more money buy hardbacks and keep them, and others buy paperbacks, and others buy to resell.  Some can only afford used books (or a mix of used and new) and some use the library or swap, or use only garage sale prices.

Books have never really had a set price before, and when people won't pay a higher price, it isn't just because they have a preconceived notion of what they should cost.  People are used to paying what they can afford for books.

When you raise the price, you simply drop a portion of your audience.  And unlike other luxury goods, this poorer audience is already a well-established audience one that IS used to buying an reading a lot of books.  We're talking about voracious readers here.  That audience is not yet a big part of the ebook market but they're coming.  And if one publisher doesn't serve them, somebody else will.

Now, three dollars is definitely a good price - and suits much of the used book market to to a T, but it isn't just because "people are used to it."  There will continue to be those who can't afford it - not at the rate they read - no matter how well established that price is.  And I don't think it's a wise decision to completely ignore that audience either.

Not that these thoughts have changed my mind about my own pricing - I will likely be offering most books at 2.99 in the near future, and I will still use .99 or free as a promotion.


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## G. Henkel (Jan 12, 2010)

@scottnicholson

Scott, it is good that you mention game apps and their 99 cent price point, because those game apps have literally destroyed an entire industry. I've been working in that industry for many years and there was good money to be made. Games were priced at a reasonable price around $5 and sales volumes were comparably high. Along came the iPhone with all its hobbyists and garage developers who had absolutely no need to make money, because they were working out of their mom's house or had a day job. They started giving away their games for free or 99 cents, flooding the market with mediocre content ad nauseam. Despite the lack of quality, they dominated the sales charts because of the sheer volume they moved. As a result, anyone who wanted to have any shot at success had to price their product similarly, no matter how much development cost went into it. As a result we now have triple-A mobile games for 99 cents that shoot up the charts for a day or two and are instantaneously replaced by another game. While that cheap price point may be good for consumers, the sad fact of the matter is that it has driven 75% of the professional industry out of that business because it has become impossible to make any money on these 99 cent apps. There is simply too much free clutter hat prevents people from ever really discovering good apps. In addition it has bred an expectation in people that games are not worht more than 99 cents, which is a lot of bologna, considering the time, effort and costs that go into the development of these titles.

I see the same happening in the eBook sector already. Every new author is under the impression that it is important to price their book at 99 cents to gain readership. What they are completely overlooking is the fact that they are breeding a generation of freeloaders who feel entitled to everything being 99 cents. The time to raise the price for their books will never come for those new authors, because by the time they have the readership there's already 10 other new authors vying for readers' interest by giving their books away for free. This whole "free" and "99 cents" business is killing the independent book publishing in the long run, I promise you, because there is no money to be made. 

Like all other media, eBooks need to be priced properly, which means there needs to be a balance between reader expectation and author/publisher earning requirements. Books need to be priced with common sense and not at 99 cents simply because the public want it to be that way. People seem to forget that this is a business and needs to be treated as such.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

The same deluge nearly buried video games during the Atari age. A massive glut of poorly made titles buried and hid the good ones. Nintendo managed to prevent this with their Seal of Approval when they launched the NES. Question is, who does that for ebooks? Should we have to apply for a Amazon Seal of Approval to publish on the DTP?

However, the fact that Amazon has separated the free books from the rest of the charts means they are aware of this potential danger. You also have to both be a publisher and ask for permission to sell your book for free. What happens if one day Amazon simply starts saying no...to everyone?

From experience, my wife has read free books non-stop ever since we got the Kindle. Sometimes she'll move on to buy other books from the same author, but far more often she'll delete and move on. Only recently has she started purchasing 99 cent books. For her birthday, I told her to buy 30 dollars worth of ebooks. She went to town and got a ton of books she wanted but hadn't originally been willing to buy. Maybe perceptions change, maybe they don't, and maybe people just need to get used to actually paying money for an electric copy.

You're right, though. People not expecting to make any money could undermine people hoping to make an actual living. The cynics out there might say that if you're self-publishing and hoping to make money, you're a fool. They also do have a bit of lengthy history on their side.

We're still in shaky ground. Everything is moving. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if so many free and 99 cent books end up having such shaky quality that people start swearing them off for the more expensive stuff, determined to get good quality for their money. I think that's something that will take time.

David Dalglish


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

daringnovelist:

Well said. Bravo. I'm too old to drive myself crazy over pricing. By the time we know the answer, I'll have 23 books out there, and the luxury to change prices at will, if I want. Of course, I'll probably need to hire someone to keep track of pomotion. And there's always the issue of who to leave my stream of $ .35's   Because although I intend to read the Kindle for an eternity, you can't take the royalties with you, but you can leave a legacy for your readers.

Edward C. Patterson


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## JA Konrath (Apr 2, 2009)

Half-Orc said:


> The same deluge nearly buried video games during the Atari age. A massive glut of poorly made titles buried and hid the good ones. Nintendo managed to prevent this with their Seal of Approval when they launched the NES. Question is, who does that for ebooks? Should we have to apply for a Amazon Seal of Approval to publish on the DTP?


The video game bust happened for a variety of reasons, but shelf space was a factor. Stores could only display a limited number of games. There is no competition for shelf space on Amazon--everyone is equal.

With over 500,000, people are still able to navigate, surf, browse, and discover authors. I don't see this changing with ten times the number of ebooks available.

That said, reviews and reviewers are going to be more important than ever.


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

I think the vast majority of kindle readers shop straight from the amazon store on their kindles. Just like I do. I rarely visit the amazon forum or the kindle bookstore from my computer. I "pay for digital content" and have been used to doing so from from the begining.  Maybe kindle/amazon forum readers need to "get used to paying for content." But IMO, these are a very small number of kindle users. The most common users are like me, shop from their kindles for the titles they are looking for. Or occassionally go from the kundle to the store to the top sellers and recommended books. Most are used to paying for content. I think these boards give a false identification to the majority of users, who don't know these boards, and (not to offend) but don't know these authors exist. For free or money. JMO.  And I'm not saying any of this refects on the quality of the authors, but I think the perceptions of readers is off the mark for the majority.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Jack Kilborn said:


> The video game bust happened for a variety of reasons, but shelf space was a factor. Stores could only display a limited number of games. There is no competition for shelf space on Amazon--everyone is equal. ...That said, reviews and reviewers are going to be more important than ever.


There may not be shelf-space in a physical sense, but you could view reader's time in the same way. Just like you can only stock so many games on a shelf, you can only read so much in a month. If that reading time is filled up with free and 99 cent titles, why would people buy the higher priced books?

You can also view the top 100 rankings in the different genres as a shelf too. Fifty million or five hundred books, there will still only be 100. I know you yourself have talked about how important it can be to stay on those lists so more people may find you.

Granted, I feel a little dumb here. This is Konrath I'm arguing with, and I'm standing squarely in his home territory.

David Dalglish


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Half-Orc said:


> There may not be shelf-space in a physical sense, but you could view reader's time in the same way. Just like you can only stock so many games on a shelf, you can only read so much in a month. If that reading time is filled up with free and 99 cent titles, why would people buy the higher priced books?
> 
> David Dalglish


Then I hope Reality Shows go off the air. 

Ed Patterson


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

LauraB said:


> I think the vast majority of kindle readers shop straight from the amazon store on their kindles.


Very interesting. I never shop via the Kindle. I'm going to make a poll and see how people here lean.


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

Ok. But keep in mind most kindle users dontvisit these forums to answer a poll   and that is sort of my point. Our view, as friendly as we are, is slanted to the side of people who read kindles and go to forums. I think the vast majoity of kindle owners by books based on what they would buy if they were reading paper. And I believe they, like me, just assume we have to "pay for content".  Just like we would paper content. The forums visitors are vocal, and are slanting the perception of what a kindle reader really is, really skips like, I don't care to be plopped in with the "thrifty will read anything if it's cheap or free" crowd. That crowd may not really exist but is percieved to because of a very vocal few.


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## Ciar Cullen (Jun 7, 2010)

I really struggled on how much to pay for my first Kindle self-pricing (my publisher has set the price for my other titles). I earn less than a buck for any copy sold, and that's close to what I'd get for my print copies and my publisher-sold copies. For a full-length book, I really don't see that as excessive.


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## TC Beacham (Nov 23, 2009)

As a reader I have purchased a lot of ebooks well over $3, but when the prices jumped above $9.99 I started reading a lot more indie samples and looking more carefully at "bargain basement" priced ebooks.

As a writer I hesitated to set a $.99 price because I was in the habit of ignoring things priced that low, thinking they must not be very good. But I finally did run a $.99 Spring Special and was thrilled at the number of sales. On June 1st I went to $2.99, the low end of what I think of as a fair range for ebooks (up to about $7). So far I'm happy with sales at that price point (in spite of the drop in ratings) and this month should make about twice what I did at the sale price - much more once the new royalty rate kicks in.

I agree with those who think $2.99 will become the usual low end price for indie novels, with $.99 used for promotions and short pieces.


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## P.A. Woodburn (May 22, 2010)

I was gone all afternoon, and having read the newer posts I'm wondering if I should just start my book at $2.99 rather than 0.99. I would like some readers, but I do not want my effort to be worthless. I want Indie authors to be  able to get that 70% royalty. I can't say I'd like to make a living sometime in the future. I am retired-I may not have a future. I would like to make enough to supplement my retirement now. I don't care what happens after I'm dead.

When I say I don't care what happens after I'm dead I don't mean I want the world to fall apart. I have no interest in being one of those authors who only sold one or two books when alive. I know that could happen, but I hope not.

Ann


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## sherylb (Oct 27, 2008)

I don’t think $3.00 is too much to pay for great book. That being said, from the tone of this thread it seems like most authors think that those of us who choose to pay $0.99 to $3.99 are cheapskates and/or poor. I do read more books than the average person and I’m firmly middle income, and I think in this economy we must find any way of affording everything we need to make our lives bearable and if that includes only paying less than $3.00 for any given book, then so be it. Maybe that lets us go to the movies that week or buy 3 books instead of one. It seems like authors forget it is not a personality contest, this is business. If your book does not sell at $3.00, then lower your price or do some more PR work. Quit taking it personally. I know you all put your heart and soul into your books, and they take a long time to write, I get that. But you know what? At least with that one book, you will get royalties in perpetuity. You don’t have to write that book again for each person who wants a copy.

I design and handcraft jewelry. I also have a full time job. Where I choose to live, I cannot sell my jewelry for what it would sell for in a large metropolitan city. When I do an arts fair, if I have a piece still there on the second day and everyone that comes by says it is a lovely piece, then maybe I have it priced too high! On the other hand, if I get no feedback and the piece is not selling, maybe it is not what that particular market is looking for or maybe it isn’t as good as I thought it was. I don’t take it personally, because everything I make, I like and I think it is good. I have items priced from almost $400 to items only $2.50 so I have something for everyone. I feel everyone should be able to afford good quality, handcrafted jewelry and I don’t look down on anyone who chooses my $2.50 items over my $300 items because I put the same effort into both items and know they will love them the same.  I have to buy the materials and spend the time to make the item, but I know I can never price an item so I can fully recoup the hours I spend designing and crafting it. I make jewelry because I cannot help myself. It makes me happy. It makes me whole. It is something that at this time in my life, I cannot live without.

I guess what I am saying is stop taking it so personally. Write because you want to write. Write because you love to write. Tell us the stories you want us to read. But don’t look down on us because we want to be able to afford to read more books by other great authors. Very few authors are able to make a living with their writing. You may get lucky, or you may not. Get on with your life and continue to do what you love. (Gets off the soap box  )


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Bravo, Shelby -

ECP


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

Having bought many books for under3 dollars and a few at 9.99, I will say that I do not think that  a book priced at 99 cents is worthless. I have read many of them and some are good and some not, same with the 9.99 ones. Even being able to sample doesn't prevent the purchase of a stinker now and then, but it hurts a lot more withe the expensive ones.I am very hesitant to spend 2.99 for an author I have not read before, even with many good reviews. How do I know that the reviewer has tastes similar to my own? I am far more willing to pay .99 for a new to me author's book and then pay more for the rest of his or hers work. You have to hook me before you can reel me in, and if I don't like your bait because of the price, you've lost one and perhaps many more sales.


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## daringnovelist (Apr 3, 2010)

Half-Orc said:


> There may not be shelf-space in a physical sense, but you could view reader's time in the same way. Just like you can only stock so many games on a shelf, you can only read so much in a month. If that reading time is filled up with free and 99 cent titles, why would people buy the higher priced books?
> 
> You can also view the top 100 rankings in the different genres as a shelf too. Fifty million or five hundred books, there will still only be 100. I know you yourself have talked about how important it can be to stay on those lists so more people may find you.
> 
> ...


I'm not Joe, but I think the difference lies in the fact that every reader's time is a _different shelf_. We're in a "Long Tail" world now. When it was store shelf space - especially since the eighties when the big distributors took so much control - every store tended to replicate one another. If the people who were interested in a title were too scattered, no store could afford to gamble the shelf space on it.

Now, everybody in a niche audience can connect with a product they like. In other words, maybe the audience that LOVES your particular kind of work is small, but they can all find you. There are many ways they can find you, but almost all through connections. Audiences with similar tastes may find each other first through social networks or forums. Then if any one of them finds you, you suddenly have some shelf space in their group. There are boolean searches - a friend of mine, when she's looking for new books will put together a string of elements that interest her, and find all sorts of books she never would have otherwise found. (regency vampire cat mysteries)

I don't know if monster best sellers are going away any time soon, but considering they were originally created by the old model (where distributors controlled shelf space and placement and even conspired on publicity and such), I think the midlist is regaining the advantage. Books with a smaller, but steady and devoted audience.

Camille


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## Gayle Tiller (May 23, 2010)

Unless it's a short story, I think a novel of let's say 25,000 or more words is worth $3.00. Most authors don't write a story over a few days. It takes time to write and then there's the editing process. So $3.00 seems like a fair price for an unknown Indie author.


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## David Derrico (Nov 18, 2009)

I don't think many people will disagree that $2.99 is a very reasonable price for a well-written e-book.

On the other hand, $0.99 and $1.99 e-books become "impulse buys," like ringtones and apps and phone wallpapers. People might not even bother to sample or do much research, if it's 99 cents they just pick it up. Maybe they read it, maybe they don't.

$2.99 is a fair price, but it takes some thought. People will be more likely to check the sample, read reviews, etc. Some may find something they don't like and won't buy it. But those who DO buy it are (a) more likely to read it and (b) more likely to enjoy it, since they've sampled your writing style and know they like it. Sometimes, selling a bunch of 99 cent books to people who might have been looking for a different style can be a bad thing (as Archer pointed out earlier).

I do fear that 99 cent e-books could undermine the ability for indies to make a living. But it's a tragedy of the commons issue: if you make more money at 99 cents, I certainly wouldn't tell you to stop. But too many books being given away for free or with no regard to profit could make it unsustainable for us all. (For the record, I'm at 99 cents now, but will go up to $2.99 later this month. I saw 99 cents as paying my dues and building an audience for the long term and my 3rd and hopefully 4th, 5th, 6th books.)

One other point: sometimes authors are looked down on for saying they actually want to -- gasp! -- make a living writing. We should do it just for the "love," or we won't be able to compete with authors so happy to find a reader or two that they'll give the books away. This is the same thing happening with newspapers, by the way. Yes, I do love writing. I love it so much that I want to keep doing it. But it becomes a simple issue of math: if I can't pay rent and buy food, I can't write anymore. If I have to go back to practicing law, working 60-hour weeks leaves hardly any energy for writing, I certainly couldn't write nearly as often or as well, let alone have any time to promote. Now, I KNOW I'll only make a tiny fraction AT BEST as an author as I would as a lawyer, and that's OK: I'm not doing this to be rich, but I do have a powerful need to eat sometime this month. If the people who are good at writing (or journalism, or making apps) can't even make a living at it, they'll go do something else that pays the bills and we'll all be poorer for it.

JMHO, and I do understand the thrill of finding readers without regard to making any money, but I also understand that I'd like my writing to be sustainable so I can keep finding readers for years to come.


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## P.A. Woodburn (May 22, 2010)

David Derrico I agree with you. I'm assuming You were or are a lawyer, but prefer to write. What is wrong with that? Why do most of the human race have to struggle for years in jobs that we don't like just to buy food, shelter etc? It seems almost sinful to want to make a living out of writing because it's enjoyable. I used to hate getting up to go to work. It's not that I'm lazy. Here I am at 12.52 am busy editing away while many sleep. I just did not like my work. I despised the way we were treated. I think we should do everything we can legally to keep the price at least as high as $2.99.

Ann


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## J.E.Johnson (Aug 5, 2009)

Sherylb,
   I didn't start this thread to make it sound like I'm taking this all personally, and I hope I'm not coming off as one to call readers cheapskates (I'm one of those readers always looking for a good deal  ).  I simply wanted to say that 'Hey, $2.99 is a decent price to pay for a book; not too high, not too low, and the indie authors will get a little more out of it.'  But of course, if you can find a better deal, go for it!  Like I said, I'm totally up for having sales every now and again.  And believe me, I do write because I must, just as you create hand-crafted jewelry.  It is something that is in our blood, something we cannot help doing.  Regardless of where my writing ever takes me, I'll keep on truckin'  .
-Jenna


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

I have some interesting numbers to share regarding this, actually. 

In April, I dropped the price of 33 A.D. to 99 cents for a trial period. That also coincided with my first post here on the Kindle Boards. On May 8, I changed the price back to $2.99. Ignoring April, and just looking at May's data, here are my numbers:

@ $.99: 44 copies sold. Total royalties: $15.40
@ $2.99: 102 copies sold. Total royalties: $107.10

For the 8 days the book was available for $.99 I averaged about 5.5 copies sold per day.
For the remainder of May I averaged 4.5 copies sold per day. 

So the number of copies dropped overall, but not by much.

Also noteworthy, my three best sales days have been 13, 10, and 10. All three occurred at the $2.99 price.

So, no. I don’t think it’s too high a price for most people, and I like the fact that most people who buy it now probably put a little more thought into it than “Oh, it’s 99 cents!”

Just my opinion.


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## Ciar Cullen (Jun 7, 2010)

I think if we don't value our own work, no one else will. I don't often give my books away. I haven't found it helpful to increase readership, and I learned a while back that I need to send a message to myself that my product is worth something. I don't think a book that took many hours to craft is worth less than a large frappacino at Starbucks.


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2010)

scottnicholson said:


> If you sell 10,000 and make 30 cents each, that's $3,000. If you sell 1,000 and make $2 each, that's $2,000.


Except that the price rarely causes that much of a difference in volume. Even Ed has noted that he sells books at all different prices, and they all sell relatively the same. In all my years of publishing, the retail price has very little to do with sales volume.

There is a finite market for your book based on your marketing reach. You can only sell to people that know your book exists. Your job as a publisher is not to produce a commodity on the cheap, but to build value in your book so that people want to read it.


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2010)

I just want to touch on another point. Some folks have talked about "impulse buys" and "testing" stuff at 99 cents even if it isn't a genre they normally read.

Well, I write speculative fiction. I don't write for people who don't read speculative fiction. It really is not my concern if someone who does not read speculative fiction "might" try my book at 99 cents. They are not my target market and I have no interest in them. The entire point of indie publishing is to NOT cater to the mainstream! I don't really WANT people who don't like or usually read speculative fiction to read my stuff, as chances are they won't get it, won't like it, or will think it's "just like _Lord of the Rings_" because that is the only other fantasy book they read in their lives and so that is their only frame of reference.

My goal is not to collect the most random buyers. My goal is to make my readers happy. Huge difference there.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

I'd agree with you Bards, except I've had an overwhelmingly positive response from people about my fantasy novels from people who don't normally read fantasy novels. I think it just depends on your books and your goals.

David Dalglish


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Part of the problem authors have is supply and demand. The supply of interesting books is growing exponentially, it seems. As a reader, there are literally thousands of books I would be interested in reading but likely will never have the time. You may have a book in a genre I am interested in but there are thousands of other books that look at least as good.  I don't know what the answer is but I know I have grabbed some "might be interesting books" because they were inexpensive. It think the most effective option has been the cheap or free first book. I have bought many full priced series because I got hooked on the first one. (this does not work if your book is not good


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I want to expand on something intinst alluded to a couple of pages back regarding being less likely to try a new author if the price is 'too high'.  

There are A LOT of authors here at KindleBoards.  New ones come every day and post their books. . . .Now, which of those am I likely to respond to?

Almost NONE of them on first post. . . unless the book is under $2.  However, the more you post at KB -- outside the Book Bazaar -- the more I get to know you as a person.

So a couple/three weeks down the road, I happen on your thread here again. . ."hey," I think to myself, "that's the guy/gal said that funny thing down in Not Quite Kindle or had a really good and well written comment in Let's Talk Kindle. . .what's the book about again?"

NOW I am much more likely to give it a try, even if it's $3 or $4.

But that's just me. . . . . .


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## Ciar Cullen (Jun 7, 2010)

bardsandsages said:


> My goal is not to collect the most random buyers. My goal is to make my readers happy. Huge difference there.


That's really well said. I recently went through a bit of identity crisis when it came to marketing my steampunk ROMANCE. Truth is--the likelihood of hardcore spec fiction people wanting to read a romance (even though the romance does not drive the plot, per se) is slim. And I was going to the wrong people. Not MY people. I think if you write genre fiction, if you shoot for very broad appeal (or mark yourself down hoping that will garner wide sales)--you'll be watering down your brand--YOU.


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2010)

Ciar Cullen said:


> That's really well said. I recently went through a bit of identity crisis when it came to marketing my steampunk ROMANCE. Truth is--the likelihood of hardcore spec fiction people wanting to read a romance (even though the romance does not drive the plot, per se) is slim. And I was going to the wrong people. Not MY people. I think if you write genre fiction, if you shoot for very broad appeal (or mark yourself down hoping that will garner wide sales)--you'll be watering down your brand--YOU.


A lot of folks don't think about their brand. I have a long term outlook on my publishing. I'm in this for the long haul. I know that 80% of my business comes from 20% of my customers, so my job is to focus on that 20% and make sure they are happy. The other 80% are welcome to tag along, occassionally buy something when it is on sale, or whatever, but my focus is not on quantity of buyers but quality of relationships with my readers.

And all this said, I like to think I take very good care of my readers. Folks that subscribe to my monthly newsletter get all sorts of freebies and sales from me (like being able to download the Quarterly journal for free!) If you follow me on Facebook, you get special deals too. But there is a difference between rewarding your fans (i.e., giving them an exclusive discount or freebie) and just sort of giving your work away to anyone and everyone for next to nothing.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

What's really worth 99 cents these days?

When I go to the coffee shop to write, and buy a coffee, I usually spend between $2 - $5, depending on what drink I choose.

If I buy a muffin, I'll spend another $1.50-$2 or so.

If I go to McDonalds, even the cheapest kid burger costs $1.50; a Big Mac would cost me around $4.

A pair of socks... cheap flip flops... sponges for washing the dishes... a small bottle of liquid soup... all those cost more than 99 cents, too.

So what IS worth 99 cents in this world?  If all the above are NOT, why should a novel -- which can entertain you for 10 or 20 hours, maybe even excite or move you -- cost 99 cents?  Certainly a novel is worth more than a donut; and better for you, too.

I think $2.99 - $9.99 is reasonable for an ebook, and I buy ebooks that cost that much.  If a book sounds boring, I won't buy it even for 99 cents.  If it sounds fantastic, I'll pay $9.99.  And I think most readers agree; they want the great books, even if they cost more.  Check out the Kindle bestsellers.  Most of them cost $6-$10.  We're always talking about 99 cents, $1.99, maybe (gasp) $2.99, but really -- the bestselling ebooks often cost $9.99.  If it's a great book, people will buy it!  If the book is dull, 99 cents won't help.

My 2 cents.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

On the other hand, it's not a bad idea for an author to experiment. I wrote some erotica years ago. Erotica is the last thing you'd associate with my YA-appropriate adult-level fantasy, and that's why the erotica was published under a pseudonym. (It was picked up by a fantasy/erotica publisher)

It's not part of my 'brand', though I had an interesting time writing it and it was well reviewed.

Bards: Sounds like we're pretty much on the same page. Again, I'm waiting to see what happens. David, I also have a very wide readership (which, in my opinion, is an asset). My marketing is not always 'targeted', either. I promote whenever and wherever people gather in an appropriate setting. Usually what happens is that the cover image prompts folks to ask, I talk, they mull. They might have been looking for someone who is into the genre, but they find themselves intrigued. 
That strategy has allowed me to sell over 2,000 print copies on my own. 

Yes, I sell more at genre-specific cons, but my BIGGEST sales in the shortest time are at equestrian events. Why? They are not clogged full of promoting authors. I have 'street cred' in that world. The cover art draws horse-lovers like flies. Horse people like to read good books with horses in them. They might never have picked up a fantasy book in their lives, but they will buy the whole set. They don't tend to post reviews on Amazon, but believe me--I hear from them, and they are not disappointed.  

Now, THAT is part of my 'brand'.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

Archer, is Elfhunter available in ePub anywhere?  I can't find it on Smashwords or the Kobo Bookstore.  It sounds interesting, but these days I read mostly on my Kobo, so I'll need an ePub.  

Also, I'd love to hear more about how you promote your print books.  I've sold about 900 copies of Firefly Island so far--650 hardcovers, 250 ebooks (and counting).  I sold virtually all of these (aside from a handful of hardcovers) online.  How do you go about selling your print copies in the "real world"?  Do you rent trader booths at cons and such?  Through I write fantasy, I've never even visited a fantasy/science fiction convention, and would love to hear about your experience selling books there.


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## G. Henkel (Jan 12, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> being less likely to try a new author if the price is 'too high'.


To me that seems to be the jack-of-all-trades excuse for new writers. The fact of the matter is, however, that most people do not know whether you are a new writer or not. I am picking a book because it appears to be interesting - and I would assume most people are like that. It is only of peripheral interest to me whether it's been written a new author or someone who wrote another handful of books. I don't think members of this forum are a good representation for a "regular" reader. The fact that they signed on to a Kindle-related message board alone shows that they are much more involved in their reading than most people, who take their reading suggestions from Oprah, the New York Times bestseller list or may even be simply browsing bookshelves at Borders.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Where does the Elfmobile fit into the brand? Shouldn't you be riding around a painted Elf-Equestrian or something?



David Dalglish


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

Guido Henkel said:


> To me that seems to be the jack-of-all-trades excuse for new writers. The fact of the matter is, however, that most people do not know whether you are now writer or not.


Kobo Books recently surveyed readers, asking what convinces them to buy a book. Price was very low on the list. Also, the survey indicated that the average price people were paying for ebooks was $9.

Readers care about the sample. They care about the cover art. They care about the premise, the pitch, the synopsis. They care about reviews. They care about word-of-mouth. THEN they care about price.

Yes, for 99 cents, you'll get a bunch of impulse buys, and that's great. BUT a better approach, in my opinion, is to keep writing, and write WELL. Write a fantastic book with a great premise, great tagline, get some great cover art, get some great reviews. Word of mouth will spread. And readers will realize it's worth more than a buck. A brilliant book will sell even for $9.99. See the Kindle bestsellers. Most cost $9.99.


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2010)

Guido Henkel said:


> To me that seems to be the jack-of-all-trades excuse for new writers.


I agree. Whenever someone says this, I want to ask "So, how many of Simon & Schuster's first time authors have their books selling for 99 cents?" Major publishers treat their first time authors the same as their established authors when it comes to pricing and such.

There are a lot of authors that have sold lots of books that I never heard of. They might be new "to me" but they aren't new. When we first published Dr. Sadler's novel Foot Ways, I had no idea the woman had published about one hundred stories, books, and poems already. All I saw was a talented writer who had entered my writing contest! One of the folks co-sponsoring this year's writing contest, David Niall Wilson, wrote one of my favorite clan novels from the Vampire: Dark Ages series (_Dark Ages: Lasombra_) but it didn't even connect in my head until I started to prepare promotional literature and finally ran over to my bookshelf to confirm the author!

Very few authors, even those that have sold hundreds of thousands of books, are household names. Heck, I think combined with all my titles I've sold well over 30,000 books between print and digital format, but who here would know who I was if I wasn't a regular poster? I may be new to some people, but that doesn't mean I am new.


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

Half-Orc said:


> Where does the Elfmobile fit into the brand? Shouldn't you be riding around a painted Elf-Equestrian or something?
> 
> 
> 
> David Dalglish


I'll bet the paint kept peeling off the horse.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

David: There are horses on the Elfmobile.  

Eminent Mr. Arenson: 
E-book Elfhunter only on Kindle right now. If you would like to have a chat about conventions, by all means let's do!
I have not used Smashwords or Kobo. (How does one do the Kobo thing? I don't even know what one is. )


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

archer said:


> E-book Elfhunter only on Kindle right now. If you would like to have a chat about conventions, by all means let's do!
> I have not used Smashwords or Kobo. (How does one do the Kobo thing? I don't even know what one is. )


Kobo is the Canadian Kindle, more or less.  It's a popular ereader up here. It reads ePubs. Kobo Books is the main ebook store for Kobo ereaders, but the Kobo can read any ePub (with Adobe DRM).

It's rather easy to upload ebooks onto Smashwords; any reason you haven't gone that route? I sell mostly on Kindle, but I sell on Smashwords too every now and then, and I prefer to buy from Smashwords or Kobo Books.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Well, I suppose I could do the Smashwords thing. I'll ask Jeff-he keeps promising to do the uploads for me. I'd love to have you as a reader.


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## michaeljasper (Apr 20, 2010)

To me, $2.99 is sort of the sweet spot for ebooks. I'd definitely take a chance on an author for a price like that.

But publishers want the higher price point to make their margins. Can't say that I blame them. Maybe Three Bucks is best for indie-type books (I'm using that price for the books to which I retained the e-rights).

I'm curious to see how my novel priced at $7.99 sells (price set by my publisher) compared to my books priced by me at $2.99 (and one at $1.99 as an experiment).

I'd think twice myself about shelling out eight bucks on an author I hadn't heard much about...


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Guido Henkel said:


> To me that seems to be the jack-of-all-trades excuse for new writers. The fact of the matter is, however, that most people do not know whether you are now writer or not.


By 'new writer', I meant, 'new to me'. . . . I have the same reservations about non Indie authors. . . . . .I kind of have to research them for a long time before I give 'em a try . . . and there usually isn't the relatively low price to lure me.

But the main point of my post was that for KB authors. . . .the better I get to know them via their community presence. . . .the more likely I am to try their books. . .to that extent, they have the advantage in getting my attention. . . .I'm not likely to be able to engage in casual conversation with 'well known' writers. . . .and yet I do it daily here with Independents. That's a good thing.


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## A_J_Lath (Jun 6, 2010)

Fascinating thread this - wish I'd discovered it sooner!

Question: has any writer here ever offered a free 'sampler' book alongside his/her priced ones (I'm talking epublishing, BTW)? I'm thinking of releasing a collection of my short stories for free, in the hope that it will spur readers into sampling my priced work. If any of you have tried anything similar, what were the results, in sales terms?

(course, this is all in the hope that one's work is actually any good in the first place, ho ho)


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

If you're curious about releasing something like that, Smashwords is the way to go. Fairly easy to do, and you can make it free, unlike Amazon.  We've got a couple authors here who have recently released 99 cent short story collections to try and spur sales, but so far haven't really heard anything back from them about how successful that was in spurring sales in their other titles.

Oh, and welcome to the boards!

David Dalglish


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## G. Henkel (Jan 12, 2010)

michaeljasper said:


> I'd definitely take a chance on an author for a price like that.


You are taking a chance EVERY TIME you buy a book you haven't read before - new writer or established trusty old shoe. I have had books from my favorite authors that turned out to be duds, and I have read some marvelous novels from first-time writers that I had never heard of before. It is always a gamble and to expect a new author to cut down on his price just to incentivize people to take a chance on their work is - in my opinion - just plain wrong.

One thing that is never mentioned anywhere is that most people who buy these 99 cent books probably never read them. Ask the how many books they have in their to-read stack and you will very quickly find that they are, in fact, hoarders who will never get around to reading your book anyway. Sure, you made 30 cents, but other than that you did not get very far as an author...


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

It may take her awhile, but my wife reads every 99 cent and free book she downloads. Yes, people are hoarders and snap up free books and the cheap books, and yes it may take them awhile to get to them, but I still think most get read. It just may take muuuuch longer for people to get around to them.

David Dalglish, aka Devil's Advocate


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## AppleHeart (Apr 10, 2009)

I don't read samples or reviews.

I buy NTMA's books (HC,PB, EB, etc...) if:
>I like the premise of the stories (synopses)
>The price fits my 'perceived' value of the books, i.e. short stories or novellas v/s full-length books - I will not pay more (or the same price) for a 45 pager than I'd pay for a 200+ and above pager 
>I've read KB authors' posts/responses to others' posts, et.al. and I like what they're saying (or if we're on the same wavelenghts) or we have similar opinions
>It (they) was (were) highly recommended by other KBers who have similar tastes as mine
>I wanted to try a new genre and all the above fits/feeds my curiosity

Exception to above: If I add you to my auto-buy list, I'll continue to support you and your efforts, no matter what! That's the kind of reader I am - because it's my way of giving thanks for all the hours of reading pleasures your books have given me. (A very good friend had the audacity to point out - and I wholeheartedly agree with - that going to a professional to relieve the stress encountered during the day's work is gonna cost me more than the cost of a book! Even the cost of a poorly written book can make me laugh, and WHAT a stress reliever laughter is, btw.)

That said, I have discovered a lot of very good indie authors since owning a Kindle and some I'll never read or buy (again) or recommend to anybody. Not saying that they're lousy or just bad, just that their efforts are not good enough, for me....

Guess what I'm trying to say in a round-about way is: Price is not really what I look at when buying books (or CDs or DVDs or audiobooks), it's what's inside the covers that counts! I can and have even ignored poor formats and grammars, etc... but if the story s**ks, I will never, ever, read you, again. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." or something like that.

There are several authors here whose complete booklists I've bought and read, and there are a few whose future offerings will be joining the other books in my library.

I still need books (DTBs, if any authors here are interested in donating for the raffle baskets I am still building, which will be raffled off on July 11 and whose proceeds will go toward a charity that the Nora Roberts Foundation and ADWOFF will decide as a worthy 2010 recipient.) for my baskets and will be getting in touch with the authors who have pledged to donate or sign the books I've bought.... or send me signed labels to affix to the books. I apologize for not getting around to doing this sooner but LIFE got in the way....  _*Note to Mods: Please delete this sentence if I've stepped over the line? Thanks.*_

Ed, will send you a PM as soon as I can, ok? Thanks.

ebc


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## blackbelt (May 4, 2010)

My two bestselling e-books are priced at $4.99 and not a day goes by without at least a few purchases... so I think over $3.00 is not out of the question.


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## A_J_Lath (Jun 6, 2010)

Half-Orc said:


> If you're curious about releasing something like that, Smashwords is the way to go. Fairly easy to do, and you can make it free, unlike Amazon. We've got a couple authors here who have recently released 99 cent short story collections to try and spur sales, but so far haven't really heard anything back from them about how successful that was in spurring sales in their other titles.
> 
> Oh, and welcome to the boards!
> 
> David Dalglish


Thanks Half-Orc. Well, I'm already on Smashwords - I couldn't find any other e-distributor that could get your work on so many formats. Luckily, I just got news that I've made it to their premium catalogue, which should see me distributing through Amazon, Apple, Sony etc in a couple of weeks' time.

I'm in two minds about the free sampler thing: one the one hand, I have nothing to lose - except a little time and work - and everything to gain. On the other, I'll be contributing to the 'dilution of value' effect that a lot of writers here have raised some genuine concerns about. I'll have to think about it...


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## P.A. Woodburn (May 22, 2010)

A lot of good comments here and most of then I agree with.
Ann


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Half-Orc said:


> It may take her awhile, but my wife reads every 99 cent and free book she downloads. Yes, people are hoarders and snap up free books and the cheap books, and yes it may take them awhile to get to them, but I still think most get read. It just may take muuuuch longer for people to get around to them.


Thank you for saying this...again...as I'm getting rather tired of those who harp on the readers who have a lengthy list of books to read. To those authors who are so concerned about us 'snapping up' freebies and 99 cent books and 'hoarding' them, pray pardon us for wanting to get a bargain just as much as the authors want to make money, for we also have mortgage or rent to pay and food to buy and utilities to pay (and broken air conditioners to fix in the blazing heat of not-even-officially-summer Texas) and so on. The price comparisons so blithely thrown out don't always work either, as not everyone buys 5-dollar fancy coffees on a regular basis (I don't even drink coffee) nor goes go the movies regularly nor buys DVDs of all new releases nor rents movies every weekend. Reading is my main entertainment, and I read quite fast and therefore quite a lot -- at roughly 100 pages or more an hour, I can finish a different book every evening if I so choose. So I'm not going to apologize for having 100s of books waiting for me to read, in all sorts of genres from all sorts of authors at all sorts of prices. But just as repeated exposure to KB authors can make me more inclined to try their wares, so too can repeated exposure make me more inclined not to...


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## J Dean (Feb 9, 2009)

Half-Orc said:


> I'd agree with you Bards, except I've had an overwhelmingly positive response from people about my fantasy novels from people who don't normally read fantasy novels. I think it just depends on your books and your goals.
> 
> David Dalglish


I've had the same results, and concur. (Man, I REALLY wish the people who have told me such things would actually write reviews!!!  )


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## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

I've been battling a lot with myself recently whether or not to raise the price on my books, and I'm very unsure about it. Perhaps it'd be too much to ask for a book that's under 200 pages, but not so big a question for a book that's 228 pages (there's a 15000 word discrepancy between my first and second book). I dunno whether to raise the price of one but keep the other, or raise the price of both, or once I get to that point, what price to raise it to.

In the meantime I've just avoided thinking about it, which probably isn't the solution.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

If you've got two books, and you're unsure, take one and price it higher and take the other and price it lower. You can directly compare their sales. You might not notice a drop at all on the more expensive one, you might notice a huge one, etc. At least you're not in the same boat as many authors with just one book.

David Dalglish


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## Nancy C. Johnson Author (Apr 28, 2010)

Personally, I don't think 2.99 is too much to pay for a well written Kindle book, and it shouldn't make a difference to purchasers. I think it will make a difference though in the total number of books purchased from new writers ... less, but the author's profit will be more and that should make up for that.

I'll wait to see how this goes before I make my decision. My book is priced at $1.99 right now. The good thing is you can play around with the price. It's not something set in stone.

Nancy


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## A_J_Lath (Jun 6, 2010)

@Steph H

I'm cool with that. Hell, we all like a bargain or a freebie - well, I know I do. And none of us are adverse to making a bob or two out of something either, I'll wager. I'm pretty sure that the best way to meet the customer halfway is to offer a large portion of your book for free. If they like it, they can pay up to read the rest; if they don't, no coin lost, no harm done. 

BTW - I can read faster than you. 100 pages an hour is for newbs


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

A_J_Lath said:


> BTW - I can read faster than you. 100 pages an hour is for newbs


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)

I have been agitating over this. Mine is at $1.99 and is ok at the moment. I am thinking of pricing the sequel (which will be out soon) at $2.99 or even $3.99 ( )......  what do you think?

Im


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## G. Henkel (Jan 12, 2010)

@Steph H

I am sorry if my comments have offended you, but let's face it - you are the exception from the norm. Not a lot of people read at your speed or in the volumes that you consume. Most people have a tendency to just keep adding without any real way of actually reading it all. Again, sorry for stepping on your toes by saying this.


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## flanneryohello (May 11, 2010)

Chiming in late, I know, but this is a very interesting thread.

Currently I have four novels published by a traditional small publisher, and am under contract to deliver a fifth. Though I've had a very good experience with my publisher, I've been playing with the idea of self-publishing something outside their genre (my publisher has rights of first refusal for any books I write within the genre they publish). I've found these boards to be a very valuable and interesting resource as far as understanding the indie publishing landscape and issues like marketing, pricing, etc. for indie authors.

I'll admit that I was very surprised when I first dove into this world and realized just how many indie authors price their ebooks at $0.99! While I understand the arguments in support of that price point (capturing impulse buys, introductory price, more readers is more important than making more money per sale, etc.), I have to admit that I would never personally sell my work for $0.99. At least not in the long-term (I can appreciate the concept of a $0.99 introductory price to generate reviews and get the work some attention, though I'm still not convinced I'd do it).  I appreciate seeing discussions like this one, especially when people are willing to chime in and share sales numbers at different price points.

It seems clear that pricing an ebook at $0.99 rarely translates into a bigger profit, though it may marginally improve actual sales numbers. To me, that's a big argument against pricing my work at under a dollar. The other big argument is that I genuinely feel my work is worth more than that. Having gone through the process of publishing four books already for a company that still assigns editors to their authors, I'm used to the idea that publishing a book is a lot more involved than simply writing something and deciding to share it with people online. That's where I started...posting my work online for free. When I did that, I would self-edit and send my work to a couple of friends to beta-read, but that was it. I cared deeply about putting my best foot forward, but the "editing" process I'd go through after completing a story rarely lasted more than a couple weeks. Now that my work is being sold, it goes through a much more deliberate and methodical process to prepare it for publication. Part of this is simply being more experienced as an author. My concept of revision now is very different than it was before I was published. Now I'll spend months revising and polishing a first draft before I'm personally satisfied that it's ready to be "set in stone" in print.

Granted, if and when I self-publish, the process will be less structured and time-consuming than it is with my publisher. I won't have a professional editor to take two or three passes through my work, nor will I have a professional copy editor to spot any typos. But having gotten used to that process, I'm definitely going to do my best to put any self-published work through the same paces. Given that writing a novel takes me anywhere from 2 - 6 months, revising takes another few months, and I would imagine securing a good cover design and implementing reasonable marketing tactics will take additional time and resources, when all is said and done, I've put a ton of time and effort into my work. So to then sell it for $0.99 when I can't even buy a fast food value meal for that price? No way. Never.

I agree with the posters upthread who say that authors need to start valuing their work more. I also agree with those posters who noted that there are plenty of Kindle books that aren't worth more than $0.99. It's true: when anyone can slap together a first draft in a month then toss it on to the Kindle store for sale, there are bound to be books out there that are overpriced at under $1.00. I am confident enough in my work, and put sufficient effort into it, to know my book isn't one of them. The lowest I will price an indie ebook is $2.99. I think that's more than fair considering the time and energy it takes to create a publishable novel.

I honestly hope that prices trend upward to the $2.99 - $9.99 range instead of becoming normalized at $0.99. Look, I appreciate a bargain as much as the next person, and I certainly understand economic hardship (I was laid off from my full-time job last summer and it took many months for me to find new employment). But at the end of the day, writing takes a lot out of a person. When you're juggling a family, a full-time job, and maybe even friends and hobbies, it takes a lot of motivation and perserverence to continue writing and publishing. Very few people start writing thinking that they're going to make lots of money (those that do are generally delusional!), but the reality is that making money makes it easier to do more writing. My dream would definitely be to support myself by writing...not because I think it's a way to get rich, but because I love doing it. So money matters. And underpricing my efforts isn't going to be the difference between making a living at writing or not. Writing good books that people want to purchase regardless of price (given that the price is reasonable!) is the only route to success...and even then it's far from guaranteed.  

Also, I think that while there are definitely people out there who are going to be a lot more hesitant to spend $2.99 on a book than $0.99, I honestly believe that most people who use e-Readers and who aren't active on boards like these don't necessarily expect an ebook to cost only $0.99. Digital publishing and ebooks are still a relatively new animal, and prior to the explosion of things like the Kindle store, people usually spent anywhere from $6.99 to $24.95 to purchase a book, depending upon format. Given that, $2.99 for a Kindle ebook is a freakin' steal! The only thing that will change the consumer's mind about what a book is worth is authors' and publishers' self-sabotaging bargain basement prices. If $0.99 becomes the "new normal", then yes, people will look at $2.99 as being too expensive. I don't think we're there yet. I honestly believe that if you produce a well-written book with a compelling sample, a professional-looking cover, and an intriguing hook, you'll find plenty of readers willing to spend more than a dollar to check it out.


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## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

Any book, any product is worth exactly what people will pay for it. It's the *perceived value* that matters, not the time or expense that went into the making the product, and I say that from the perspective of one who has slaved hours over a single paragraph to make it "just right". If my book brings $3 worth of pleasure, knowledge, or status to the reader, then it is worth $3. If he enjoys my writing enough to fork over twenty bucks, then that is what it is worth. If no one will cough up even fifty cents to read my material, well then, we know what that means.

As self-published or indie authors, the question really is, are you more interested in wide distribution and/or building a following, or are you more interested in receiving what you feel is fair compensation for the time and effort you put in? If the former, then keep prices low or offer initial freebies, discounts, etc. (like you can do on Smashwords). If the latter, price it higher. The Law of Supply & Demand will determine your book's true value in the long run.


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## Nancy C. Johnson Author (Apr 28, 2010)

I Rose said:


> I have been agitating over this. Mine is at $1.99 and is ok at the moment. I am thinking of pricing the sequel (which ill be out soon) at $2.99 or even $3.99 ( )...... what do you think?
> 
> Im


I think that is a good idea, Imogen. Certainly, if they loved the book at $1.99 and are hooked, they will gladly pay $2.99 or even $3.99.

Plus, you can periodically offer a sale price on the new one possibly. See what happens...

Nancy


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2010)

J Dean said:


> I've had the same results, and concur. (Man, I REALLY wish the people who have told me such things would actually write reviews!!!  )


I'm not saying people wouldn't like my book if they DID read it. I'm saying I am not going to adopt a price structure to waste time chasing people who are not my target market when I already have a price structure my core market is happy with.

When your marketing plan is based on low price, your book becomes nothing more than a commodity and will never be more than a commodity. You will always be competing with an ever growing list of "new authors" who sell their book for next to nothing to a specific demographic that will buy those books. I don't sell commodities. I sell books.


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

Well, supply and demand doesn't exactly apply to an Ebook, because the supply is limitless. However, if the book is good, it will support sales at a higher price. If it's not as good, it won't.

The thing with someone who has been traditionally published is the fact that they do have some name recognition. So, "indie" doesn't exactly apply. They already have some followers. Us "unknown" indie authors have to do something to get "noticed". Sometimes that means lowering the price of our books so that we can compete.

That being said, I *don't* think $2.99 is too high for an ebook. It just depends on if your readers will take a chance at an unknown author. I love the idea of pricing one of your books low, and then the rest at $2.99 because if readers like the one, they'll be back for more. Unfortunately, I only have one book right now. So, I plan on raising the price to $2.99 in July. It's selling quite well at $1.99. (I've sold 74 in June already.) So I'm thinking it would still be okay to raise the price just one dollar. (Crosses fingers that sales won't plummet.)

Vicki


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Okay...so, I am about to do a courageous and possibly very stupid thing: I am going to ask the participants of the main Kindle forum on (you know where) to weigh in on the issue. I'll get more reader responses than authors that way, but if they shred me, O Lie Me Under the Greenwoode Tree.

See you later (I hope...)


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## Dawsburg (May 31, 2009)

Half-Orc said:


> If you've got two books, and you're unsure, take one and price it higher and take the other and price it lower. You can directly compare their sales. You might not notice a drop at all on the more expensive one, you might notice a huge one, etc. At least you're not in the same boat as many authors with just one book.
> 
> David Dalglish


Well, I've hardly been selling any anyways...may as well give it a shot.


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)

archer said:


> Okay...so, I am about to do a courageous and possibly very stupid thing: I am going to ask the participants of the main Kindle forum on (you know where) to weigh in on the issue. I'll get more reader responses than authors that way, but if they shred me, O Lie Me Under the Greenwoode Tree.
> 
> See you later (I hope...)


I'll come over and try to keep you safe


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Don't do it Archer! It's not safe. One doesn't just 'walk' into the Kindle forums and post as an indie author. You need a fellowship! Maybe we can armor the sides of the elfmobile, grab a short guy with a beard and call him a dwarf...

Anyone got a spare ring of power? I trust Archer with it...

David Dalglish

p.s.

Honestly, though, good luck. That place scares me.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

Victorine said:


> Well, supply and demand doesn't exactly apply to an Ebook, because the supply is limitless. However, if the book is good, it will support sales at a higher price. If it's not as good, it won't.
> 
> The thing with someone who has been traditionally published is the fact that they do have some name recognition. So, "indie" doesn't exactly apply. They already have some followers. Us "unknown" indie authors have to do something to get "noticed". Sometimes that means lowering the price of our books so that we can compete.
> 
> ...


A bit off topic, I know, but are you planning on releasing NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS in print at all?


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Half-Orc said:


> Don't do it Archer! It's not safe. One doesn't just 'walk' into the Kindle forums and post as an indie author. You need a fellowship! Maybe we can armor the sides of the elfmobile, grab a short guy with a beard and call him a dwarf...
> 
> Anyone got a spare ring of power? I trust Archer with it...
> 
> ...


Those people do not know how to have a civil conversation.

Falls under the I.I.A category. (Internet Ignorance Aggregator)


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Love your pic, Chad. I just finished that series and had an absolute ball with it.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Over there, promote and try not to have any conversation.  

Ed P


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

David McAfee said:


> A bit off topic, I know, but are you planning on releasing NOT WHAT SHE SEEMS in print at all?


Hi David! Yes, I do plan on using CreateSpace soon. I'm kind of scared to do it. (I'm such a wimp.) Plus, I wanted to try it for free on Amazon DTP first, to see if it would actually sell, before shelling out money on it. 

Vicki


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## Victorine (Apr 23, 2010)

I Rose said:


> I have been agitating over this. Mine is at $1.99 and is ok at the moment. I am thinking of pricing the sequel (which will be out soon) at $2.99 or even $3.99 ( )...... what do you think?
> 
> Im


Um... I shouldn't admit this but I think I'd pay upwards of $5.99 for your sequel... because your first book ended with such a cliff-hanger... you naughty naughty writer. 

Vicki


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Agent X-7 reporting from (you-know-where):
So far, everyone is being very helpful. 

We'll see what happens...


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

It won't last. Good conversations are like a nice steak: great for a little while, but once the flies smell them, they'll come in massive hordes...


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

We'll see, my pretty. We'll see. I have a small amount of faith. After all...I am not participating. They are.


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## Ciar Cullen (Jun 7, 2010)

As a result of reading this conversation start to finish, and looking at my titles priced by my publishers (one is positively absurb, but I don't work with them anymore for a variety of reasons) I changed the price of my only Indie book upwards to 2.99.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

archer said:


> We'll see, my pretty. We'll see. I have a small amount of faith. After all...I am not participating. They are.


What are they saying over there?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

David McAfee said:


> What are they saying over there?


Just a quick reminder that one of the underlying tenets of this board is "What happens in 'Vegas' stays in 'Vegas'" 'Vegas' meaning the whole rest of the internet. . . .in this case, specifically, Amazon discussion boards. . . . .so, good or bad, please don't re-post it here. . . .anyway, we're having a nice discussion ourselves! 

Thanks for understanding,

Ann
Book Bazaar Moderator


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)

Victorine said:


> Um... I shouldn't admit this but I think I'd pay upwards of $5.99 for your sequel... because your first book ended with such a cliff-hanger... you naughty naughty writer.
> 
> Vicki


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Very true, Ann. 
Anyone who is interested can go and check for him/herself.


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## TulipTrainer (Jun 6, 2010)

I don't think $2.99 is too much, but that does start to add up. I'll grab a copy here and there, but I certainly won't go running around grabbing things like I do at 99 cents.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

Yes, get baptized. he he he  

Ed a d P t r on
(They got me)


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## Nancy C. Johnson Author (Apr 28, 2010)

archer said:


> Okay...so, I am about to do a courageous and possibly very stupid thing: I am going to ask the participants of the main Kindle forum on (you know where) to weigh in on the issue. I'll get more reader responses than authors that way, but if they shred me, O Lie Me Under the Greenwoode Tree.
> 
> See you later (I hope...)


I fear for you, Archer. Bring an arrow or two. I will be hiding behind Imogen. (She's braver than I am.)

Opps. I was reading through the thread and thought I was on the last page, so this message comes too late. Glad you had a good experience over there.

Nancy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

(BTW, archer, the Boy just got home for a short visit and began ransacking my bookshelves. . .wanted to know if I had the next one of that Elfuhunter book. . . . I told him he'd get it for his birthday. . . .he doesn't have a Kindle so, for the record, it cost significantly more than $3.   But he's worth it!  It should be waiting on his doorstep when he gets back home. . . . .  )


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Just a quick reminder that one of the underlying tenets of this board is "What happens in 'Vegas' stays in 'Vegas'" 'Vegas' meaning the whole rest of the internet. . . .in this case, specifically, Amazon discussion boards. . . . .so, good or bad, please don't re-post it here. . . .anyway, we're having a nice discussion ourselves!
> 
> Thanks for understanding,
> 
> ...


Sorry, Ann. I forgot.

I'll have to go check it out. Provided I can find archer. I can never get the hang of navigationg over there...


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

Ann! Ann! 
You should have told me...I would have sent you one!
 (and, yes...I know the DTB are salty.)

Well, he'll get Ravenshade as a gift from me, anyway. I have a few sitting around--they need good homes.

(I sound like a dog rescue. )


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Thanks, Archer. . . . .I'm sure he'll appreciate it. . . . .He did get Elfhunter free, if you recall, as it was during one of your giveaways. . . .I felt like one should periodically actually purchase a book if one likes the author.   . . . . . btw, his name is Nick. 

Sorry. . . .here ends the thread hijack. . . .back to the value/price discussion.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

(Sorry, Ann...I'll remember to PM next time. I just got excited for a minute.)


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## J.E.Johnson (Aug 5, 2009)

Yikes!  A heck of a lot of people have posted since I last visited.  Looks like this thread is doing well (not sure if that is a good or bad thing  ).  It seems the general consensus is that a good book will sell, wether it is priced at $1.00 or $10.00.  That also can be a good or bad thing: if your book sells, then you've done a good job forming it; if it doesn't, maybe you should go back and reform.  So, it seems it all comes down to marketing (this can be proven with traditionally published books - some are stellar, some horrible (all depending on your opinion) and some of those are even on the bestseller list).  At least in this day and age with ebooks us authors can have some control in how our books sell   .
-Jenna
p.s. Archer - be careful out there in that otherworld . . . .


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## G. Henkel (Jan 12, 2010)

kinbr said:


> If the price is higher - then recommendations, reviews, samples, etc become more important.


I am so happy that the Kindle offers a nice way to get free samples of the books. It gives you a chance to start reading and getting a good feel for the book before committing money to it. Funny enough, though, I often keep forgetting about that feature and buy a book, only to remember that I _should_ have used the sample option when I realize that I don't particularly like the book.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Half-Orc said:


> Love your pic, Chad. I just finished that series and had an absolute ball with it.


Yea, it was a good series.....but its only still up there because I used to update my Avatar with the book I was reading ath the time....that kinda petered out and that one just got stuck there.


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## Ciar Cullen (Jun 7, 2010)

Steph H said:


> So I'm not going to apologize for having 100s of books waiting for me to read, in all sorts of genres from all sorts of authors at all sorts of prices. But just as repeated exposure to KB authors can make me more inclined to try their wares, so too can repeated exposure make me more inclined not to...


I missed something. I don't see that you should apologize for buying inexpensive books or uploading freebies. I do that too, if it interests me. Was someone saying you shouldn't? I don't have the money to buy very expensive books, if if I wanted to. I don't have the money to buy a lot of things I would like. But I don't think that means that Lexus should lower their car prices for me (well, actually, wouldn't mind if they did)--just means I won't be buying it. Free market society and all that. Whatever the market will bear... 
I did mention a $3 cup of coffee, and no, I don't typically pay that (unless I'm in Manhattan and really desperate), but it seems fair for a book--more than fair for a full-length book. But if it's too much for some, they of course have the right to look away! I agree, no one can tell a reader what they should pay or what they can afford, but no reader should be able to set the price of a book either, except by "voting" in a sense by not buying.


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

My books are healthier than junk food.   I mean, what would you rather pay for . . . a book or a twinkie?    (It's a rhetoric question)

Edward C. Patterson


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## Sharlow (Dec 20, 2009)

DArenson said:


> What's really worth 99 cents these days?
> 
> When I go to the coffee shop to write, and buy a coffee, I usually spend between $2 - $5, depending on what drink I choose.
> 
> ...


 Wow expensive Mcd's there. Where I live I can get a Mcdouble for 0.99. Always that price, and right now they have a sale, $1 for any size refillable pop. So for $2 I can get a sandwich and drink, and kick back and write. Then if it's hot, I buy a $1 cone =) . Thats how i spent my summer last year writing Storytellers.


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

Guido Henkel said:


> @Steph H
> 
> I am sorry if my comments have offended you, but let's face it - you are the exception from the norm. Not a lot of people read at your speed or in the volumes that you consume. Most people have a tendency to just keep adding without any real way of actually reading it all. Again, sorry for stepping on your toes by saying this.


Actually, I read that fast as well. And I have really enjoyed a good number of my freebies. Some I enjoyed enough to purchase the rest of the author's books around the $6.99 price point. If I hadn't gotten the first book free, I would not have made those purchases.
And a new to me author is more likely to get a sale from me with a price below $4-5. I have to stretch my book budget as much as I can to keep up with my habit 

For a known author where I would have purchased a hardback in the past, I will pay for the instant gratification of the ebook as long as the price is less than that of the hardback. My philosophy on the paperbacks is the same - I want an ebook that costs less than the paperback. But you've got to get me invested in your stories...


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## daringnovelist (Apr 3, 2010)

I may have mentioned this in this thread before....

When I was a kid, my friends and I would get two dollars to take to town. We'd buy a Big Mac meal for 94 cents, and get TWO paperbacks with the other dollar. (Or one paperback, and a couple of comic books.) A few years ago, you could get two Big Mac meals (now with large fries rather than small) for the price of a single paperback.

Prices have shifted a little, mainly because consumers balked at raising the price of a paperback any further, even as other things rose. (I notice that the publishing industry has got around that limit by shifting to more trade paperbacks, each of which cost as much as two _supersized_ Big Mac meals.)

Going by the Big Mac Meal Rule then, a fair price should be about 2.99.

Camille


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## Eric C (Aug 3, 2009)

It doesn't really feel as though the price of my books is up to me. It's feels as though it's up to the consumers as well as my competitors (for lack of a better term) because there's only so much marketing I'm willing to do on my own (as I'd rather be writing).

How many consumers will take a chance on this unknown at $2.99 and how many competitors will price their books at a lower price, thus reducing the answer to the first question? If my books slip off Amazon's brilliant recommendation system then I'd be foolish not to lower prices.


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## J.E.Johnson (Aug 5, 2009)

I agree with Ciar, and I too take advantage of low book prices (and I usually only purchase a book if I'm interested, low cost or not).  I'm just of the opinion that $3.00 isn't that expensive, in the scheme of things.  May not be what you can or are willing to pay at the moment, but still a decent price for what you're getting.  As delicious as the vanilla chai lattes are at Starbucks, a good book for the same price is that much sweeter and longer lasting  .
-Jenna


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

I feed my editor lunch and my beta-readers get hugs.    And a short work for me is 400 pages (so $ .99). Anythin above that (600 - 750 pages) $ 3.99.

Edward C. Patterson


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## Sam Landstrom (May 29, 2009)

Ya, if you can write an iPhone app in a few days with the sole purpose of making different fart sounds and sell millions of them for a dollar, then yes, I think a novel that took months if not years to craft is worth $3.

On the other hand, something is worth exactly what someone else is willing to pay for it... Apparently, it's hard to beat potty humor on the open market.


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## Imogen Rose (Mar 22, 2010)

Sam Landstrom said:


> Ya, if you can write an iPhone app in a few days with the sole purpose of making different fart sounds and sell millions of them for a dollar, then yes, I think a novel that took months if not years to craft is worth $3.
> 
> On the other hand, something is worth exactly what someone else is willing to pay for it... Apparently, it's hard to beat potty humor on the open market.


Sam, your "metagame" link in the signature is not working.

Imogen


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

One of my $ .99 took 37 years to write and it's still going. Now when I finished it wll be a 5 book series (2 are out), So let me see, that will be $ 4.95 and 2,000 pages. Well, I guess I'll need to leave the pricing up to the committee to decide. 

Edward C. Patterson
I feel like a cheap


Spoiler



whore


, only


Spoiler



whores


 don't charge, do they.


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## DickStanley (Jun 7, 2010)

$3.00 is not too much to pay, by any means, but $1.99 is more seductive. $9.99 is ridiculous.


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## karinlib (Jan 1, 2010)

I agree 3.00 is not too much for a book; however, if it is more than 2.00, I think the editing ought to be pretty good.  

What I love about the Kindle is the free first of a series, for example Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy.  Amazon offered the first in the series for free. Once I read the first 50 pages, I had bought her next 5 books 7.00 a piece (or 8.00, I forget).  Now I have a total 10 books by Hobbs, and I am willing to pay up to 9.00 for her books. 
My only gripe with pricing is when I know a book is 7.99 in mass market paperback, and the ebook is 12.99, that is despicable.  I go to the books stores, and I check the prices. I also think that childrens books shouldn't be more than 5.00 for an author who has been in print a long time, for example Beverly Cleary or Madeleine L'Engle.


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## Guest (Jun 8, 2010)

Edward C. Patterson said:


> Edward C. Patterson
> I feel like a cheap
> 
> 
> ...


No,


Spoiler



whores


 do charge. It's the


Spoiler



sluts


 that are free.


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

karinlib said:


> I agree 3.00 is not too much for a book; however, if it is more than 2.00, I think the editing ought to be pretty good.


I'll go one step farther and say that the editing in EVERY book ought to be pretty good. I don't want to pay anything for poor quality.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

archer said:


> I'll go one step farther and say that the editing in EVERY book ought to be pretty good. I don't want to pay anything for poor quality.


Amen


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## Edward C. Patterson (Mar 28, 2009)

bardsandsages said:


> No,
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> ...


Glad I'm a high priced


Spoiler



call girl


.

Miss Chatty


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## Ciar Cullen (Jun 7, 2010)

Wow Fair Mason! This is a very small huge world!!! Good to see you here...


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