There are people (people I know) who keep asking me the same question. “Why,” they ask me, “is the price of your new book so low?”
Everyone I know seems to agree that $1.99 is dirt cheap for an eBook. And when they ask me why, I always tell them I didn’t price it for people I know. I priced it, in fact, for people I don’t know.
Now I know there are a lot of you sales and marketing types out there, people with way more knowledge than I’ll ever have about pricing. And as I actually confessed, a while back, when it comes to sales and marketing, I’m nothing but a hopeless luddite. I don’t really understand anything about that stuff. It’s all black science to me. Way too unpredictable, and way too murky and unquantifiable.
There’s something else I know. This isn’t about revenue. It isn’t about profit.
Because, man, if I really wanted to make a profit, then I’d have never written a novel. No, no. If I wanted to make a profit from writing, I’d have started a SRED consulting business. I’ve run into the odd SRED consultant, you see, and it seems that they make a killing at writing those claims, some of which seem to be pure fiction to boot!
But anyway.
For a little-known author like me, the reason for writing a novel falls under a completely different set of parameters. Nothing to do with revenue and profit.
If you don’t believe me, here’s what the esteemed author, Kurt Vonnegut, had to say. “Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possible can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.
Or to quote from Günter Glass’ epic work,The Tin Drum, “Even bad books are books and therefore sacred.“
So, you see? A different set of parameters. Oh, and before you go. I do have a question.
Whether you’re a marketing expert or not, what do you think? What would you do if you saw an eBook for $1.99? Would it convince you to consider it? Or would you immediately think it’s not worth it? Drop me a line, man, and let me know what you think.