You think your book is too good to go for such a low price? I think so, too…or rather, that’s what I feel. However, author Jackie Barbosa makes a great case for why we shouldn’t listen to those diehards who believe a low price must indicate that we’re trying to fob off a crappy book.
For instance: “…unfortunately, writers can’t make their living by depending solely on the readers who see a higher price point as a sign of quality. We have to appeal to the readers whose impulse buy point is free or 99 cents or “look, it’s under $2 and on a bestseller list so it must be a good book.”
I love this post. It’s tastes vinegary, but it’s good for us to keep in mind when we set prices for our books.
Read the entire argument by Jackie Barbosa here.
Filed under: publishing, bestseller list, books, E-book, how to set book prices, impulse buy, Jackie Barbosa, Literature, Price point, Pricing, setting prices, Writers Resources
C h a z z W r i t e s . c o m 
I agree with Ms. Barbosa on the point that we are in the game to sell books. However, if you’re an indie author, where does the price drop end? I have a 90K word novel priced at $9.99, two 10K word children’s books at $1.99, a non-fiction book for indie authors at $2.99, and a 20K word novella at $3.99. Guess which one hasn’t sold? The children’s book!
I price based on word count. My time is money and the quality of my books is good. More books give you a chance to gain more fans. Once you have fans, they aren’t going to care what your books are priced at, they’ll buy them.
This is where free promotions come in handy. You’re using them to build a fan base. That doesn’t mean you should undercut all your prices or give your books away free forever. If you’re a good writer, your fans will return.
Look at some of the big name authors. You don’t see them selling at $0.99. There’s a reason for that. I think indies are too eager sometimes to make sales and fail to focus on the mantra of: More work will get you more sales.
Anyway, I’m being long-winded. Just know that I’ve had a number of people praise the fact that I sell my books at the price point I do and they haven’t hesitated to buy when I release a new title (all but the children’s books, but I’ll figure that one out over time).
Great post! WRITE ON!