But I'm starting to go public! Invitations to speak are setting up a busy time by the end of this year. People really want to hear face-to-face more about my books, the writing process, and self-publishing.
ROW80 update: Posted Round 3 Goals on Monday, July 7, and tried to simplify them. So far this week, I've made very slow progress as we begin the countdown, doctor visits, and tests for back surgery for hubby within the next 6 weeks.
Writing: Wrote 350 new words and worked on publishing surprise (completed formatting: this week finish proofreading, write blurb and order cover). Met deadline for quilting article.
Marketing. Wrote bookstore and bookclub. Reorganizing and filing by folders (that darn binder got too big!).
Community/Reading. Keeping my commitments to F2F groups. Currently reading Carol Kean's Ironwolf (beta read) and Emmy Werner's Pioneer Children on the Journey West. Werner uses diaries and letters to share poignant experiences. Children lost, hungry, yet sturdily stubborn and persevering.
Question of the Day: Mark Coker said somewhere that $2.99 and $3.99 were the 'sweet spots' for e-book pricing. I'm noticing that established names are pushing the Kindle e-book prices way up. I hesitate when buying an e-book priced over $2.99, but I'm a penny-pincher. What's your reaction? How do you decide what price you're willing to pay?
Save the Date! If you are reading this, you are a writer or a fan! To say thank you, I'll run a promotion for Years of Stone, a Count Down deal through Amazon on August 1, 2, and 3.
Read what other ROW80 writers are up to HERE.
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| Lazy days of summer Along the California Coast (Camp August 2013) |
I don't understand how authors sell any e-books that are priced as high as paperbacks. I think too, that $4, $5 at the most is the price to pay for e-books. There is very little cost involved in getting them out there (once the book is formatted and all that), but I think the author should be able to make a little money on each one. Still haven't started Years of Stone. I just discovered that a distant cousin of mine wrote a book, so I felt obligated to read that first! And plus, once I start your next book, I won't eat or sleep til I finish, so I have to set aside a block of time. I will keep you posted!
ReplyDeleteYou are such a sweetie, Chris. Thank you for your kind words once again! I hope you love your cousin's book and will feel inspired once again to persevere on your own writing. PS I really liked that pic of Dino on Dino Chronicles. :)
DeleteI can't understand ebooks being priced at the same price as paperbacks. It doesn't make any sense. $5 is probably about the most I'll pay for an ebook. And it had better be good, if I do! :)
ReplyDeleteGlad Round 3 is off to a good start.
Oh, intimidation! Thanks for commenting, Lisa. I still remember paying under a dollar for a loaf of bread Today, it's over $5 just for a loaf of bread that has seeds in it. So it is hard to translate what the appropriate price is for a project that, in my case, any way, can take up to 3 years from idea to print (or e-book). Let's hope our work IS good in this very new and growing field of self-publishing!
DeleteI tried to post here yesterday and somehow my comment didn't make it.
ReplyDeletePricing strategy is a really complicated thing, and unfortunately, data analysis is not Mark Coker's strong point. He constantly misreads his data, and to come anywhere near the kinds of conclusions he draws, the data itself really has to drill down a lot further in to both the books and into the patterns of customer behavior.
Amazon, of course, has really done this complex data, and they interpret it beautifully, but they don't share the information with us, except indirectly. (Such as giving us a bonus when we price between $2.99 and 9.99.)
I know a few writers who do well pricing equivalent to paperbacks (6.99) and then cover the discount audience with sales. I'm sure this works better for well established names, who have a lot of books.
Thank you, Daring Novelist. My hubby says I jump to conclusions far too fast. I appreciate your comment -- and will be using discounts and promo deals for the first time. I guess we learn as we go in the self-publishing world! Still would love to do an audio-book. .. . guess that's another challenge!
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