After taking care of a morning of errands and beating at my reader twice in one day, I think I’m going to pose a question. I know I’ve asked it before, but my mind is confused after selling over 2,000 copies.
I’m not sure what to price Prodigy of Rainbow Tower at when it debuts. The original plan was to start it at .99 cents and boost it to 1.99 after a month. It’s been pointed out that this plan could help it get onto the Hot New Release list like Beginning of a Hero. Yet, with so many sales, I wonder if I could get away with a 1.99 debut. I don’t know exactly how many people are going to return for seconds of my writing, but if it’s a big number then 1.99 would be more beneficial. Though, it could also scare off people that are on the fence. So, I’m really torn between my boosted ego and my reflexive caution.
So the choices are:
- .99 cent starter and 1.99 after a month.
- 1.99 right from the start and throw (fixed thanks to Danielle Taylor) caution to the dumpster.
Legends of Windemere 
*Erhum… cough cough…* Throw?;)
And I think perhaps a one month debut at .99 might be worth it to draw in the attentions… Then after 2-3 months at 1.99, do another week on sale?
Then again, I dunno much about anything to do with numbers lol. They give me a headache
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Numbers give me a headache too, which is why I’m struggling. The main plan is to eventually get books 2-15 up to 2.99 while keeping the first book at .99 cents.
Thanks. Though, I’m not sure what you want me to throw.
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Through the dumpster… Throw the dumpster?
Maybe I got that wrong?
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Nope. You were right. I’m probably going to have to keep this as a 1 chapter day since my head is a little heavy. I have an eBook to read anyway. 😉
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LOL!! Shame, lovely. Maybe take a nap too ha ha!
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Naps are my kryptonite. I always wake up feeling like I got run over by a garbage truck. Family curse from what I’m told. Eh, I’ll just have to be more careful.
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Oh my gosh, me too! I wake up feeling I spent the last 24 hours drinking, even when I didn’t!
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That’s a better analogy. Never realized how similar it is to a hangover. Almost like my body isn’t sure what just happened. Better to muscle through it to my normal coma time.
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Er, throw caution to the dumpster?
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In response to the run over comment…to both of you…ever consider you have sleep apnea? Especially if it is a life long problem…just wanted to throw that out there…into the dumpster 😉 lol
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I probably do, but it’s caused by overweight and it’s disappearing as I lose weight. I’m also a very light-sleeper, so I’m the one getting up to handle the toddler when he’s making mysterious noises.
Though, this time was because of a new eBook that made me lose track of time. I kind of thought it was still 10 and it turned out to be midnight.
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Charles…
I was going to write this long spiel but I’m sure you’ve read a lot on pricing. I say, you should put it at $1.99. I don’t particularly think the whole dollar off will sway a person one way or another. I’ve read a lot of things that say pricing it too low can actually harm sales because people see that as your OWN value of your work. Either way, I think your sales will be just great! 🙂
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Thanks. Definitely something to think about because I’ve heard it too. I hope my sales are good when the time comes. Technically, I could have over 2,000 people waiting for the sequel, but it all depends on how many people actually liked the book. That’s always the mystery. Still, there are worse problems than pricing a sequel to a successful book. 🙂
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I have been struggling with the same situation over here, I know how it can be.
My humble opinion: never sell yourself short. You had a great reception for Beginning of a Hero, so pricing your new release just slightly higher is a totally reasonable thing to do. It’s not as if you are trying to set the price to $9.99 or something absurd like that (you know, for an eBook). New release? $1.99 is totally reasonable! That is probably how Heretic Priest will end up being priced. And you can ALWAYS knock it down to .99 cents (if you feel like you want to or should) when book #3 comes out to give your readers an incentive to catch up in the series.
I see it as the Hardback/Paperback equivalent of the traditional publishing world. The hardcover of a new release always comes out first, and those who are REALLY excited will grab it off the shelves as soon as it comes out, while those who still want to read it but are cheap-asses (like me, let’s be honest) will wait until the paperback comes out to read it.
Just my opinion – I hope that made sense!
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Never thought of the hardcover/paperback situation. That does make sense since it demonstrates a price change to get new readers. I think the idea of dropping Prodigy down to .99 cents for a month when Allure of the Gypsies comes out at 1.99 definitely has merit. I’m curious how well people do at the 2.99 level, which is what I’m hoping to boost Prodigy and Allure to at some point.
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I’ve done some research, and it seems like the popular books are $2.99. I really think you should start off with $1.99, and leave it there for a month. Then compare numbers with what you sold in the first month of Beginning of a Hero, and see what the difference is. If you have a dramatic drop in sales, try reducing the price. But if that doesn’t raise the numbers, go back to $1.99. At this point, 2000 ebooks later, your name is out there are you either have a lot of fans, or some people who aren’t exactly crazy about your work. But I think the majority of people who read the first book will be eager to get the second part, so I think they’d be willing to pay the extra dollar. If I get my stuff together, I’ll read the book and write you a review, and maybe you can post it just before the actual book comes out so that people will get a feel for what’s coming.
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Thanks. I’ll do that and it would be nice to have a few immediate reviews to hit within the first week. Every little thing will help. Still hoping for a May debut, especially since my cover artist mentioned something and I’m really excited. He said the second cover will be better than the first. Knowing that Nyx is going to be on there, I’m really curious. If Luke is a calm forest, Nyx is a roaring inferno.
I should keep in mind that I can drop the price if need be. I keep forgetting that, which is probably caused by pride. I do wonder if I have more fans than critics after the 2,000 mark, but there’s no way to tell. Best to think everyone that’s silent adores me. 🙂
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Good plan! I’m sure you’ve got hundreds of silent fans out there, chomping at the bit to get the next book in their hands or on their Kindle! And I’ll try to get to that book soon! Do you have a date you need it by? Like the middle of May or sooner? If it’s sooner, I can clear something off my planner (or just stay up a little later) and get that book read. Just let me know!
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I’m impartial. Just enjoy the read and don’t rush through it. Unless it’s so exciting and gripping that you can’t put it down. 🙂 As much as I want reviews, I don’t want to rush readers.
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Okay. (and I’m sure it’ll be a hard book to put down!) 😉
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As a non-writer, but an avid reader, I would say that sometimes when I see books priced too low, I wonder why it is so cheap – isn’t it any good – is it really a short story? I certainly don’t bat an eye at a $1.99 price point – don’t sell yourself short.
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And I better hurry up and read the first one so I’m not too far behind 🙂
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Thanks. I always saw the .99 cent as a good way to get my foot in the door and other authors who do series told me it works as a good intro book. It’s basically a marketing trick for those of us with no name recognition. Adding my ‘unique’ writing style, the .99 cent definitely has it’s perks at the beginning. Good to hear that $1.99 doesn’t make people bat an eye. 🙂
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Option 1 certainly has less potential downside. I guess it really depends on your stomach for risk. Even at $1.99 it isn’t expensive so it probably wouldn’t hurt you too badly if you chose to start off at that price. Tough decision, good luck.
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Thanks. Maybe I should go with my gut. Though, now it’s telling me to have more early birthday cake. It’s never helpful when I need it. 🙂
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I have absolutely no idea in terms of any expert opinion – only two things occur to me: first, its a general law in sales/business that if you under-price something people will under-value it; second any book that is $3 or less, so less than the price of a cup of coffee, would be likely to be very attractively priced to my mind if I was thinking of buying. But still, I have no idea what works in the ebook world and will be fascinated to hear how you develop your strategy Good luck with it, whatever you choose to do!! 🙂
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I’m thinking my strategy is going to be developed by good, old trial and error. Crossing fingers and begging might come into play too. 😉
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I think $1.99, too. That wouldn’t scare me off as a buyer. 🙂
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I needed this discussion. I have to decide what to price my debut novel at when it’s released this summer.
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I can only talk from my experience, but (as long as we’re talking Amazon) it doesn’t hurt to start at .99 cents to get some attention. You can raise the price as time moves on and you release more books. As debut authors, we have to focus more on the fanbase than the money. That’s just my opinion then.
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