Interesting article on factors that affect book sales

Michael Davis · May 30, 2013

Friend just referred this article to me by Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-coker/new-smashwords-research-h_b_3278022.html

Don't know if its been discussed here before, is so, just ignore. Nothing earth shattering but it was interesting that longer books do better, while shorter titles also do better.

Old Hack · May 31, 2013

I'm pretty sure this has already been discussed on AW but I can't find the discussion, I'm afraid.

Michael Davis said:
Nothing earth shattering but it was interesting that longer books do better, while shorter titles also do better.

That made me laugh! Thank you.

James D. Macdonald · May 31, 2013

So the perfect book would be a 900-page tome called "Greed" and priced at $3.99?

Dave.C.Robinson · May 31, 2013

James D. Macdonald said:
So the perfect book would be a 900-page tome called "Greed" and priced at $3.99?

No, the perfect Smashwords book would be a 1,000-page tome called "Sex," and priced at $3.99.

MumblingSage · Jun 1, 2013

Dave.C.Robinson said:
No, the perfect Smashwords book would be a 1,000-page tome called "Sex," and priced at $3.99.

*cracks knuckles over keyboard* Let's get rolling!

The $3.99 price point was complete news to me, but very interesting. I suppose if I was buying a 115,000 word story for $4 I'd be more reassured of its quality than if it were being offered for only ninety nine cents.

annetpfeffer · Jun 2, 2013

Thanks for the article -- the point about short titles interested me. What are the titles of some of the huge recent romance bestsellers? Easy, Slammed, Hopeless, Thoughtless, Breathe, and then for some longer ones: Beautiful Disaster and Flat-Out Love.

Interesting article on factors that affect book sales

Michael Davis

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Dave.C.Robinson

... with the High Command

MumblingSage

Inarticulate Herb

annetpfeffer

practical experience, FTW