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Author Spotlight: Guest Post and Kindle Give Away by Scott Nicholson

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Teresa's Reading Corner: Author Spotlight: Guest Post and Kindle Give Away by Scott Nicholson

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Author Spotlight: Guest Post and Kindle Give Away by Scott Nicholson

Today I have a special treat.  I have a guest post from author Scott Nicholson.  I'm sure you've seen other posts from him around the blogosphere.  Please welcome Scott to Teresa's Reading Corner...

E-book prices
By Scott Nicholson
http://www.hauntedcomputer.com

I’ve had a few people ask me about e-book prices and what happens when the author is setting the price.

Actually, for the most part, it’s Amazon setting the price, at least for indie authors. You can’t upload your book for less than 99 cents, and if you want to earn 70 percent royalties, it must be at least $2.99. That earns the author two bucks per book, which is fantastic—nearly on par with what bestselling authors make on hardcover sales. So most authors are happy with that price range, and so are the readers, though a lemon turns up every now and then if you don’t sample before you buy.

Major publishers are still running their books up to the $14.99 level, though more and more seem to be falling in the $8-to-$10 range that Amazon originally envisioned. While outlets likes Barnes & Noble and Smashwords let you give your book away, I’ve yet to hear of many success stories from authors doing that—unless they have significant lines of product to sell. In other words, giving away free books to give away more books in the future is a terrible business model.

I believe that will change as e-books move to sponsorships and content ads, and giving away the book will be the name of the game—such deals will likely be measured by the number of downloads. But some think this will never happen. I’ve learned to never say “never” in the digital age, because most predictions look silly six months or a year later.

Does 99 cents lead to impulse buys? Some cheap books are getting hoarded and may never be read, but I think the same is true of free books. I downloaded a handful of free e-books to read on the Kindle for PC, mostly because they were “real books” usually listed at $8 or so, and I thought I was getting a good deal. Except the part where I realized I wouldn’t read them even if they were free, because time is worth more than money.

If someone is specifically looking for an author’s book, they will probably pay a reasonable amount of money for it. If they are looking for books in similar genres, they may consider price. If they are going around and gobbling up 99 cent books, they probably aren’t paying too much attention to what they are buying. After all, when you can get 10 indies for the price of one “major publisher” book, it’s probably worth the risk. Chances are you’ll find two or three as good as the $10 book.

In my own case, I like to have a mix of 99 centers, and a body of work at $2.99 and $3.99. That means I earn more per book than when I was published in mass-market paperback, and readers have a variety of entry points to my work. I sell a lot more of the cheaper ones, and that suggests those readers aren’t all moving up to the higher prices yet, but we’ll see. This era is still new and raw and experimental.

Readers and writers, for the first time in history, get to sort out the prices on their own, just between them. With a little nudge from Amazon, of course.

--------------
Scott Nicholson is author of 12 novels, including the YA paranormal romance October Girls and the thrillers Disintegration, As I Die Lying, Speed Dating with the Dead, Drummer Boy, Forever Never Ends, The Skull Ring, Burial to Follow, and They Hunger. His revised novels for the U.K. Kindle are Creative Spirit, Troubled, and Solom. He’s also written four comic series, six screenplays, and more than 60 short stories. His story collections include Ashes, Curtains, The First, Murdermouth: Zombie Bits, and Flowers.

To be eligible for the Kindle DX or Kindle 3, simply post a comment below with contact info. Feel free to debate and discuss the topic, but you will only be entered once per blog. I’m also giving away a Kindle 3 through the tour newsletter and a Pandora’s Box of free e-books to a follower of “hauntedcomputer” on Twitter. Thanks for playing. Complete details at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm

Labels:

87 Comments:

At November 21, 2010 at 7:03 AM , Blogger Brenda Wallace said...

I suppose if a person only wanted readers and didn't need money, they might give their books away. I can't imagine not asking a price, though, because, other than raising a child, writing a book is the funnest, yet hardest work I've ever done, and I've worked in some tough jobs. varbonoff22 at cox dot net

 
At November 21, 2010 at 9:53 AM , Blogger Barbarawr said...

Well... I think that there are so many authors out there that it's easier to stick with authors you know and like than try somebody new. So I can see why you'd give books away in the beginning - just to get your name out there. A perfect example - I won a Heather Graham book - had never heard of her before. I read it, LOVED it, and told all my friends who read. So you know that they told their friends...

Email address is in blogger profile

 
At November 21, 2010 at 9:54 AM , Blogger VickyTinky said...

Great post!

vicky.vak8(at)gmail.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 10:09 AM , Blogger Cathy M said...

I've "discovered" quite a few authors because of a free book giveaway, and gone on to buy their entire collection. I think that Amazon is on to something, and gives us a chance to try a new genre and author without putting big dollars on the table.

caity_mack at yahoo dot com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 10:10 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'll pay $5 or $6 for an ebook by someone I know I like to read, but I have to ration the number of those because of my budget.

At $2.99, I have no problem trying out a new author but also have to ration those, they do add up. They may end up competing with the hundreds of other books I have on my wishlist.

At $.99, it's an impulse purchase and is well worth the price. This, or free, is the price point for me for books outside of my usual genres.

I read plenty of free or low-cost ebooks. Out of the 150 or so books that I've read since I got my Kindle last Christmas, there's only one that I didn't really like although I finished it anyway. It was just too depressing. Some of the cheaper books are poorly formatted, which can be distracting, but I figure that's the price you pay. Some more expensive books have a lot of errors too.

I have found new, favorite authors by reading free or almost free books. But it does create ill will if you give away one book for free, then make all of your other 10-year-old books $9.99. The backlist should never be that expensive.

Right now, I'm reading a physical book, the first one I've read in almost a year. I got it used from the Amazon Marketplace because the publisher made the ebook a ridiculous price. No sale for the author and publisher. I have to say, I prefer reading on my Kindle. I got this book because it's the 3rd in a series that I feel compelled to finish. It looks like I'll get the 4th one used as well. But single books not in a series? If the ebook price isn't right, I'll read something else instead.

lorraine_lanning[at]yahoo[dot]com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 10:28 AM , Blogger Unknown said...

Hi again Scott. I have to say I don't see many people moving up the ladder to higher priced books. There are too many free books being offered as a teaser to get people to follow an author or series of a book. I am currently being notified of free books as they come up on Amazon.

I wait until I see a book that is rated a 4 or higher and is in a genre I enjoy and then grab it. I’ve currently got over 30 books to read, which is going to take some time and if they keep offering free books I have no idea how long it’s going to be until I actually have to purchase a book.

That’s not to say I’m not purchasing books. I have purchased several of your books for the $.99 because I’ve really enjoyed your blog posts. Starting with The Red Church which is a great read. I’m also purchasing the books in the Malazan series by Steve Erikson.

I hate to say it, but when there are people willing to give a book away for free that will push people further away from paying for a book when they have a library full of free books they haven’t read.

I can relate to this in the photography business. As more and more people have joined the digital era, more and more people work for free, or extremely cheap. You can now purchase stock photo’s for $1 when in the past you would have paid $100 or more for a stock photo. The arts can suck at times and it all comes down to market, which I think you are well on your way to mastering!

 
At November 21, 2010 at 10:31 AM , Blogger Unknown said...

Oooops. Forgot to include my email address. I should know better at this stage. :-)

randymir@gmail.com

PS. It's interesting how when talking about the price of an ebook there are plenty of opinions out there. People really can get emotional over the subject too. Oh well.

Thanks again Scott!

 
At November 21, 2010 at 10:46 AM , Blogger byonge said...

I think the best way to sell a book is to get someone to either write about it or talk about it. Duh, I guess that's what the blog tour is all about. I've purchased three of Scott's books since the tour started. I think free is OK for the first of a series already published. If you like it (I usually judge within a few pages), you might continue with the series.

byonge@lonepinetv.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 10:52 AM , Blogger Monster A Go-Go said...

Hi!

No time for my usual Scott's secrets tell-all today. BUT--even though I DID just purchase "Scattered Ashes" ("real" version) from you today, I will say that I already have more books than I'll ever read in the remainder of my lifetime. No need to worry about Kindle price wars for me... I only purchase new book releases (like the one I ordered today) for few authors. If they go all kindle on me--I still have piles of other books to read.

Later

 
At November 21, 2010 at 10:54 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pricing is a hot topic and I don't think ANYONE knows the sweet spot. I think it really depends on the book itself. I am a firm believer that e-books should be cheaper than paper books and try to price mine accordingly.

I especially like your comment about time being worth more than money. Very true.

authorjcphelps@yahoo.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 11:10 AM , Blogger Candace said...

This was a great topic and something I wondered about. I know I can't convince myself to pay the same amount for a book on my reader that I could get in paper form just because I like to share my books. But if I were just randomly looking for books (maybe if I weren't a reviewer having books coming out of my ears) I would probably snatch up book left and right at 2.99 and 3.99.
candace_redinger at yahoo dot com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 11:38 AM , Blogger Unknown said...

Enter me please!

ashleysbookshelf@gmail.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 11:47 AM , Blogger monapete said...

Great contest..


monacart32 at hotmail dot com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 12:08 PM , Blogger Bookhound78 said...

I usually buy books either when I want them or they are on "sale," such as $2.99 book marked down by Amazon to $1.99 or $0.99. I'm willing to pay up to $4.99 for an e-book without much thought; anything over that price will have to be something I REALLY want and I'll usually wait on getting it.

-Neal

 
At November 21, 2010 at 12:11 PM , Blogger Harper said...

This post is making me tempted to spend a few bucks on ebooks that I really don't need. (My reading list is over 20 books long already!) Great contest. Great blogs and posts. Thanks!

 
At November 21, 2010 at 12:12 PM , Blogger Harper said...

Oops. Here is my email for the contest! blue_krista83@hotmail.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 12:24 PM , Blogger chey said...

I alway thought that ebooks shouldn't be as expensive as print. Production costs can't be the same.
chey127 at hotmail dot com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 12:24 PM , Blogger Gail said...

Lorraine and Randy, you captured my sentiments so well I'm just going to say, "What Lorraine and Randy said!"
Gail in Florida
cowgirl3000 AT gmail DOT com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 12:57 PM , Blogger As I Lay Bleeding said...

Scott Scott Scott...my life will be some incomplete when this tour ends....lol! Who will I stalk???? Joe Hill?

nedsped at verizon dot net

 
At November 21, 2010 at 1:00 PM , Blogger ylime1981 said...

Good to know about the pricing.
Thanks!
Emily ebdye1(at)gmail(dot)com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 1:12 PM , Blogger sohamolina said...

Thanks for the post

eddiem11@ca.rr.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 1:21 PM , Blogger LaQ said...

Great post!

LaQuiet(at)gmail(dot)com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 1:51 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

hufflepuffgrl13@yahoo.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 2:28 PM , Blogger anamlgrl said...

thanks for hanging in and for all your hard work.
anamlgrl@gmail.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 2:41 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Add me !

Barry
anamchara@gmail.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 2:45 PM , Blogger bluefrog said...

I think there is some kind of curse on your blog tour that when I actually write a message longer than "I want that kindle" it gets eaten by internet gremlins.

bluefrog62@yahoo.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 2:57 PM , Blogger Author Scott Nicholson said...

@andy glad you like Drummer Boy

Different authors will find different prices at different times--you just have to try different things.

@candace many authors (like me) make their books DRM-free wherever possible so people can move them to different devices or share them. It's all about respecting the reader to me.

@NedSped whenever you need a fix, drop in at hauntedcomputer.blogspot.com, where I'll be posting more often once the tour is over. Some big news coming up.

Scott

 
At November 21, 2010 at 3:01 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

I've discovered so many great books and authors through free books that I wouldn't have otherwise known about. ....Tiffypoot @ (aol.com)

 
At November 21, 2010 at 3:06 PM , Blogger Dee Martin said...

thanks for the clear explanation of the ebook pricing. It's interesting to see how this is all playing out.

deedeekm@gmail.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 3:12 PM , Blogger lingeorge said...

I don't have an e reader yet. I am hoping to win one or get Santa to cough it up. The biggest change I see for me is that I can read a book sooner. I can not afford hard covers, but with a lesser e book cost....... just maybe
troublelore@gmail.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 3:27 PM , Blogger Regge Ridgway said...

So far I have read all of the ebooks I have downloaded. The price of 3.00 is about right and I am glad authors are finally getting a juicier slice of the pie. Most of my books I have purchased in the bargain section at book stores or from used book stores. I have never paid 25 bucks for a book in my life but realise there are people out there who think this price is resonable. I have stopped reading ebooks on my iphone as my eyes get tired easily and have since aquired an ipad. Much better with the larger print and larger screen. I was holding out for a Kindle but was waiting for the price to fall. Reg

 
At November 21, 2010 at 3:30 PM , Blogger jpearson said...

so when a lirary purchases a book -- do the authors see anything from that at all? i.pearson@comcast.net

 
At November 21, 2010 at 3:36 PM , Blogger Teresa said...

Thank you everyone for stopping by today. My two cents on ebooks. I don't have a reader so I haven't really experienced them. I did have a palm pilot years ago in which I read a couple of books. It sure was handy to have around when I was unexpectedly stuck somewhere.

I think the benefit of a free or inexpensive book is that it attracts a reader that might otherwise have overlooked the book. If I have to pay big money for something its going to be for an author that I know I like. I'll take a chance on someone with a less expensive book and if I like them, then I'm more willing to spend money on their work later on.

 
At November 21, 2010 at 3:38 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

Great contest. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 4:01 PM , Blogger Emily K said...

I love finding really great new indie authors... And since I've been buying mostly indies lately, I find it increasingly difficult to pay more than $10 for an ebook, especially if the paper version costs less than the digital!

Love your books, Scott... Thanks for posting!

emilyking630at yahoo dot com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 4:15 PM , Blogger HODGEPODGESPV said...

happy sunday! spvaughan@yahoo.com spvaughan@yahoo.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 4:23 PM , Blogger Inanna said...

It's true, time IS worth more than money! :)

inannajourney at gmail dot com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 4:26 PM , Blogger Dan said...

That is one of the best and clearest explanations of ebook pricing I have read. Great job!

Thanks for sponsoring the contest!

lee dot daniel dot r at gmail dot com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 4:44 PM , Blogger Debra L Martin said...

Hi Scott,

I agree with your reasoning about cheap or free ebooks especially if you don't read them, they are not much of a bargain. I've gotten quite a few books for free and have only read a couple so far. Who has all that time???

Deb
dlmartin6@yahoo.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 5:09 PM , Blogger Paul McMurray said...

Scott, I think your books are priced just right.
Count me in for the Kindle please!
Paul
mrluckyATcharterDOTnet

 
At November 21, 2010 at 5:18 PM , Blogger Estella said...

I have discovered a number of new to me authors via free books Now I buy their books.

kissinoak at frontier dot com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 5:24 PM , Blogger Riva said...

I'm more willing to try a new author at 2.99 or 3.99. For authors I know, I treat the e-book as a mass market paperback and buy at that price point. I never bought hardcover books when I read paper anyway.

 
At November 21, 2010 at 5:38 PM , Blogger Kristie said...

I had no idea that bestselling authors only got about $2/book. Gee whiz! kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 5:43 PM , Blogger Douglas Dorow said...

With the ability to sample on Kindle and easily buy the rest if you like it, readers will be more likely to try authors they don't know. Covers, price, Amazon sorting if you like this one you'll like these and a good story that will bring good reviews all seem like good things for the writer as well as the reader.

It's a changing world and I think indie authors will have the advantage as long as publishers keep prices elevated people are looking for value with story.

dwdorow@gmail.com
thrillersRus.blogspot.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 7:25 PM , Blogger Brenda Wallace said...

This is an interesting blog tour. I'm learning a lot just from reading other people's comments. Giving me a lot of food for thought. varbonoff22 at cox dot net

 
At November 21, 2010 at 7:55 PM , Blogger Bev said...

Great post, Scott! Great info. And a great quote from you: "Except the part where I realized I wouldn’t read them even if they were free, because time is worth more than money."

Write2Bev@gmail.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 8:07 PM , Blogger doreen lamoureux said...

Finally got caught up. Been so busy with moving...I have been falling behind on the tour.Thanks for another great post and another entry :)

dorcontest at gmail dot com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 8:37 PM , Blogger Cici said...

Ok...you have done a great job with this blog tour! I can't imagine the time and effort you put into the different blogs. Thanks for so many great reads. I put you on my Christmas list...well not you, cuz that would be like super creepy, but your books! I told my husband that I will need a gift card for all the books I am going to buy when I get my Kindle...either from you or Santa!

Thanks so much, it has been a blast!
Cici
cicistheories@gmail.com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 10:25 PM , Blogger Charlotte said...

Sounds like a great book! Count me in, thank you.
iloveegypt602 at yahoo dot com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 10:36 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

Hot topic, Scott. I have found of bunch of great new (to me) authors and genres because of the 99 cent price.

dreamer dot ima at gmail dot com

 
At November 21, 2010 at 10:37 PM , Blogger Jesse said...

Oh, you've touch a topic that I've had issues with. It is increasingly frustrating to see my favorite authors' ebooks priced the same as paperbacks or higher because that'll just drive me away from buying them. However, what depresses me is seeing many titles from major publishers being in the top 100 bestseller on Amazon. That indicates many readers are happy to pay at the prices the publishers have set and that will only encourage the publishers to continue that kind of practice. I have found it increasingly difficult to buy an ebook higher than $4.99. Why should I buy something with a higher price when it isn't physical and I couldn't sell it once I'm done with it?

Also, in terms of paperbacks by the major publishers, I am of the opinion that older works should cost much less than recent ones. I believe it would encourage authors to push themselves to produce something better each time. Setting the same price for 20 years worth of books from an author means easy money for the publishers which they don't deserve.

-Jesse

 
At November 21, 2010 at 11:29 PM , Blogger Carol said...

I certainly have no problem paying $2.99 for an ebook by an author that I am unfamiliar with if it sounds like something that interests me. Higher than that and I think twice about it. I have found, tho, that if I get a free book from an author and I like it, I generally go on to buy more of their work.

 
At November 22, 2010 at 12:00 AM , Blogger Stefanie said...

I have been reading a lot of indie authors lately, and most have been of equal caliber (or even greater caliber) than most agency authors. This makes it very hard to pay $9.99 and up for any ebook. I really feel like the major publishers are pushing the limits of pricing, to find out just how much than can get away with charging the reader. I don't really buy them on principle alone. Although, if they drop the prices for a sale or something, I might, if I reeeaallyy wanted the book, and it was under $6.

Stefanie647@msn.com

 
At November 22, 2010 at 12:25 AM , Blogger author Christa Polkinhorn said...

Ever since I got a Kindle and published my own book, I have been searching for good ebooks. It seems that the $2.99 ones are often from authors who publish their books independently. I have found some real treasures. A few weren't that great but the good ones far outnumbered the flops. So, like many of the commentators, I have a hard time spending high prices for ebooks, some of which are even higher than the paper versions. I got spoiled.
I do download free ebooks occasionally, usually the classics, such as Charles Dickens, which were formatted by volunteers for Amazon. Great deals!
I also grab the 99 cents books when I want to try out a new author.
Christa
cpolkinhorn@msn.com

 
At November 22, 2010 at 2:40 AM , Blogger Bibliophile said...

I am unable to understand why most e-books cost as much or more than physical books, when there is no material, printing or shipment cost involved. Your pricing method makes good sense.

 
At November 22, 2010 at 3:08 AM , Blogger Miss Delirious said...

We have trouble in NZ buying some ebooks because of copyright laws.

Bugger!

gem.wood@gmail.com

 
At November 22, 2010 at 7:01 AM , Blogger Kathy Habel said...

Thank you for the giveaway
bkhabel at gmail dot com

 
At November 22, 2010 at 7:13 AM , Blogger James Rasmussen said...

Well, as with anything young, only time will tell how ebooks handle growing up...

jamesemr (at) gmail (dot) com

 
At November 22, 2010 at 7:28 AM , Blogger Teawench said...

I agree with what most people have said here. I have no problem paying $2.99 or $3.99 for an ebook from an author I don't know (or wouldn't if I had an ereader). I spend at least that much at the used book store, sometimes more, and there the author isn't getting my money. There are some authors I'd be willing to spend more on for ebooks but I'm not going to pay hardcover prices, either.
teawench at gmail dot com

 
At November 22, 2010 at 8:01 AM , Blogger Armand said...

I'm a big fan of eBooks, having a couple of my own books available this way... but I still get people who are reluctant to buy them... and when I win this Kindle (please, please, lol) I'll be able to read more of them...

Armand Rosamilia

armandrosamilia@gmail.com

 
At November 22, 2010 at 8:14 AM , Blogger Sirhijinx said...

Keep up the Good Work Scott!!

 
At November 22, 2010 at 9:20 AM , Blogger Deanna said...

I would LOVE a Kindle DX. Thanks for the opportunity to win one! :)

P.S. Click on my name for my contact info. ;)

 
At November 22, 2010 at 9:31 AM , Blogger Unknown said...

I can say that if I had a Kindle, I'd probably be quite prone to impulse buys in the proverbial 99 cent bin. Those displays at the checkout counter in grocery stores still get me from time to time.

therabidfox[at]gmail.com

 
At November 22, 2010 at 10:10 AM , Blogger jessica said...

Another comment made by Scott that I find myself thinking of. . . 'because time is worth more than money'. I have to ponder this one over and have to post it on my facebook page to have all my other friends/family ponder it over too. . .

jessangil at gmail dot com

-Jessica

 
At November 22, 2010 at 10:52 AM , Blogger Teresa said...

Jessica,

You are right, that is something to ponder. So true, but we often forget it.

 
At November 22, 2010 at 12:09 PM , Blogger Katie said...

Interesting discussion, for someone who isn't an author but is always curious about how this stuff works!

kt1969 at comcast dot net

 
At November 22, 2010 at 2:50 PM , Blogger Jeff said...

I hope you made some money on the books that I snapped up at 89 and 99 cents! How did the 89 cent books get on Amazon then? I know the publishers did a lot of the grunt work of the book business in the past and are trying to hang on to a market that they see disappearing, but I can't help feeling ill-used when they charge the same for e-books as for paperbacks or even hard backs! I like the idea of the author getting most of the money from the venture, in any case. Time is definitely worth more than money... you cannot buy it back, no matter what you offer!!

Jeff White.... whitejw@ameritech.net

 
At November 22, 2010 at 3:02 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

@ Randy - those Malazan books are great. Between Erikson and his partner who is also writing books set in that world it comes out to something like 15 books.

@ Scott N - Great post. Pricing is such a hot button right now.

dalelmurphy(at)gravesidetales(dot)com

 
At November 22, 2010 at 4:32 PM , Blogger Amy said...

I don't currently own an e-reader, but I imagine I would feel about them the same way I feel about apps- I tend to prefer the free ones, but I'm willing to pay for quality!

amyatsea (at) hotmail (dot) com

 
At November 22, 2010 at 7:23 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

I also dont own an e-reader aside from the free kindle app on my pc - so I don't have much experience in judging what I feel is a fair price to pay for an e-book. What I can say for sure though is that I would never pay the same for an ebook as I would a printed book. I believe that a few dollars (perhaps up to $6.00) is fair. I don't believe I'd spend $6.00 on an unknown author if I couldn't read a bit of the book first, but I'd sure spend up to that much on an author I already know and like.

calseeor (at) gmail (dot) com

 
At November 22, 2010 at 9:03 PM , Blogger Margay Leah Justice said...

Great information as always, Scott!

Margay1122(at)aol(dot)com

 
At November 23, 2010 at 8:56 PM , Blogger Cathy W said...

Enter me please
cjwallace43 at gmail dot com

 
At November 24, 2010 at 1:50 PM , Blogger Author Scott Nicholson said...

@Jeff, Amazon discounts to match outside discounts. Kobo of Canada is notorious for trying to undercut everyone else but what it is doing is driving away indie authors (which is a growing share of the market). History teaches us that losing the growing share of a market is not a good business move, because all you have left is the shrinking segment...

2Miss Delirious I believe you can get ebooks from Smashwords without trouble in NZ but of course you don't get major publishers

@Bibliophile, Amy, Eric That's the crux of the issue--publishers are trying to protect a totally different product instead of accepting that they are selling two different products (paper book and e-book)

Scott

 
At November 24, 2010 at 2:32 PM , Blogger hendy said...

Great info. I can't wait to start buying e-books :).
hmhenderson AT yahoo DOT com

 
At November 24, 2010 at 2:35 PM , Blogger Doreen said...

Keep on keeping on! We're almost coming to the end of this tour! Woohoo! Hope, hoping to win me a Kindle!! ;)

purposedrivenlife4you at gmail dot com

 
At November 25, 2010 at 2:20 AM , Blogger Stacey Smith said...

Thanks for the giveaway hope your Having a fun blog tour.
sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com

 
At November 25, 2010 at 9:57 AM , Blogger Hank Brown said...

Amazon marked Virtual Pulp down to 99 cents for some reason. I opted out of Kobo, but the price has remained there. Hmm.

Twitter: MachineTrooper

 
At November 25, 2010 at 12:34 PM , Blogger A.P. Fuchs said...

A lot of writers are touting cheap eBooks as the way to go.

I disagree, as I went experimenting this year and for months had books on the cheap. ($2 or $3.) Download quantity was the same as it was when it was priced higher. The problem was I was making less money, and since this is my sole source of income, I had to increase the prices and I’m happy to report that sales are still the same. Okay, not happy, in that we all want as many sales as possible, but happy because at least I didn’t lose any sales in the process.

So as it stands, I’m sticking with the price range I have unless the publishing game dictates otherwise.

Coscomentertainment [at] gmail [dot] com

www.canisterx.com

POSSESSION OF THE DEAD and ZOMBIE FIGHT NIGHT (and others) at the Amazon Kindle store. Grab your copies here!

 
At November 25, 2010 at 3:54 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

Great post there Scott. Still amazed that you're still getting these posts in each day. Thanks again for another good read.

pjtansey@hotmail.com

 
At November 25, 2010 at 4:01 PM , Blogger booklover0226 said...

I usually buy directly from the publisher. From what I understand, the author earns more money that way.

Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com

 
At November 26, 2010 at 7:10 AM , Blogger Pink Panther said...

That's so... informative... Thanks! :)
You can reach me at luvpinkpanther@gmail.com

 
At November 26, 2010 at 10:17 AM , Blogger The Undead Rat said...

Scott, you wrote:

"publishers are trying to protect a totally different product instead of accepting that they are selling two different products (paper book and e-book)"

I think that is absolutely spot on. The publishing companies that don't realize that, and soon, will be the true causalities of the e-book revolution -- and it need not be that way.

I don't think that the demand for books will disappear completely. But the big publishers need to learn to adjust their thinking.

E-Books will become their cash cow and sooner than they realize. Books will be for collectors, people who are completely devoted to the book form, and people who fell in love with the e-book and want a paper copy to adorn their shelves -- very selective buyers.

I see that already beginning with the horror small press. And with me. I'm buying e-books (even though I don't have a reader yet) and cutting back on my book buying. I'm only buying special editions of particular books that I want as a book to put on my bookshelf.

Thanks for the contest,
Greg "The Undead Rat" Fisher

theundeadrat (@) gmail (.) com

 
At November 26, 2010 at 12:37 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mm, I'm not sure I like the idea of sponsors and adverts in books. I think I'd rather pay a little more and just get the book, like we do now. I can't imagine turning a page in an exciting chapter of a book and ... Getting an ad!

Theslowestbookworm@gmail.com

 
At November 26, 2010 at 9:01 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting information on the price structure in the publishing industry. I knew the margin of profit on books wasn't very large, but I did think it was a bit bigger than it is. Going to e-book format make sense from a profit standpoint. The cheaper price per book will encourage/tempt people to buy more books, even those we know nothing about. Over time, we will all get more used to this new format, and marketing and purchasing will reflect that.

librarypat AT comcast DOT net

 
At November 28, 2010 at 5:10 PM , Blogger Author Scott Nicholson said...

85 comments, thanks and good luck!

Bookworm, not sure how the sponsorship model will work but corporations are already funding their own movies, so we'll see. It may be more about product placement than ads.

Librarypat, the trouble is that the lower price has to build in a profit margin for the whole corporate structure, including lots of people who don't do very much (officers and shareholders). For better or worse, readers are paying the difference. Even with an e-book, there's a server or distributor involved (unless you buy directly from the author via the Internet).

Tracey D, that's a tricky one--authors are usually paid a fixed royalty on the cover price no matter where it is sold, or at what sale price. The best way is, again, buy directly from the author if they are allowed to sell their own books.

Hank do Google searches of your book and see where the discount is. Amazon also has the option of discounting your book if THEY want to, but your royalty rate should be the same.

AP every writer will get a different result, so really, you just have to try different things.

For those here willing to pay $2.99, the obstacle seems to be discovering the book int he first place--that's where a lower price might help someone get more sales and improved visibility for a while. Price doesn't seem to be the main factor to most people, it's whether the book sounds good and interesting.

See you on the final stops!

Scott

 
At November 28, 2010 at 10:29 PM , Blogger Beth said...

That's quite interesting. Thanks for letting us in on the "behind the scenes" details.

wordygirl at earthlink dot net

 
At December 2, 2010 at 7:58 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm in.

 

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