Thoughts on pricing and timing?

ALM · Nov 3, 2016

A 25,000 word e-novella of mine is coming up forpublication, and I have to decide on price and publication date. I’m wonderingwhat current opinion is on these subjects. I’ve read and heard diverse ideasabout price, ranging from "set it high to indicate it has value" to "make itirresistibly cheap."
As for the publication date, do I get it out before Christmas,in the hope that all those people with electronic devices in their stockingswill want something to read? Or do I wait until after holiday distractions? Ordoes it make much difference either way?

c.m.n. · Nov 6, 2016

The general consensus on pricing erotica goes something like this:

$2.99 for erotica no matter how short it is
$3.99 if it's above 30k
$0.99 if you're a new author or if it's a new book in a series BUT only for 2-weeks, then set it back to $2.99.

Are you planning on going exclusive on Kindle Unlimited? This decision might affect your pricing.

As for timing, I found that publishing before Christmas or just after Christmas is a good time. After January, all those people with new Kindle's might lose their Select trials, so sales are much slower in February and March.

Alcasgra · Nov 6, 2016

c.m.n. said:
The general consensus on pricing erotica goes something like this:

$2.99 for erotica no matter how short it is
$3.99 if it's above 30k
$0.99 if you're a new author or if it's a new book in a series BUT only for 2-weeks, then set it back to $2.99.

Are you planning on going exclusive on Kindle Unlimited? This decision might affect your pricing.

As for timing, I found that publishing before Christmas or just after Christmas is a good time. After January, all those people with new Kindle's might lose their Select trials, so sales are much slower in February and March.

Thanks, c.m.n. I've been wondering about the pricing too.

But do they price at $3.99 even if the word count is above 40k or 50k?

c.m.n. · Nov 6, 2016

Alcasgra said:
Thanks, c.m.n. I've been wondering about the pricing too.

But do they price at $3.99 even if the word count is above 40k or 50k?

I believe so. Unless your book is over 50k, I'd suggest to keep it around $3.99 for 30-50k. For romance, and erotic romance, the pricing is a bit different:

$0.99 - $2.99 10k to 30k+. But there are some authors who found pricing at $3.99 to be beneficial, too. Just stay away from $1.99. For some mythological reason, it is the "black hole".

You could probably get away with $4.99 for a 80k+ epic, if you dare. A lot of it is just playing around with prices until you find one that works. LOL

ALM · Nov 7, 2016

Appreciate the input. It has helped me decide how to proceed. The prices you recommend, c.m.n., seem low after all the hours I've put in. But it all depends, of course, on how many people buy. Obviously I'd rather lots of readers buy at a low price than a handful at a higher one. I was wondering about Christmas for publication, so it was encouraging to hear of your positive experience of that time of year.

Alcasgra · Nov 7, 2016

c.m.n. said:
I believe so. Unless your book is over 50k, I'd suggest to keep it around $3.99 for 30-50k. For romance, and erotic romance, the pricing is a bit different:

$0.99 - $2.99 10k to 30k+. But there are some authors who found pricing at $3.99 to be beneficial, too. Just stay away from $1.99. For some mythological reason, it is the "black hole".

You could probably get away with $4.99 for a 80k+ epic, if you dare. A lot of it is just playing around with prices until you find one that works. LOL

Pricing has turned into a Fantasy/Sci-Fi saga. LOL!

Writing 50K and above can be insanely difficult though. I'm the kind of writers who can't stop editing even though the manuscript is not completed yet. I'll keep scrolling up and checking the pages before the last page to make sure that everything is as tight as possible. Even then, I'll usually re-check twice or thrice before sending the completed manuscript to a potential publisher. LOL!

c.m.n. · Nov 8, 2016

Pricing algorithms do sound low, but others have experimented with pricing for years and found those to be most beneficial. There are even arguments presently as to if publishers should drop their prices on ebooks, too. The consensus on that is a big fat yes, as a lot of publishers (I'm talking small romance presses) still price high aka 4.99 for a 30k.

Alcasgra · Nov 9, 2016

c.m.n. said:
Pricing algorithms do sound low, but others have experimented with pricing for years and found those to be most beneficial. There are even arguments presently as to if publishers should drop their prices on ebooks, too. The consensus on that is a big fat yes, as a lot of publishers (I'm talking small romance presses) still price high aka 4.99 for a 30k.

That's a dilemma. On one hand, writers are working their asses off and publishers are incurring costs. On the other hand, high prices may lead to lower sales volume. *sigh*

dangerousbill · Nov 9, 2016

I thought cheap was the answer, but when I tripled the price, sales remained steady or even increased. People do associate price with value, whether they think so or not.

Maryn · Nov 9, 2016

I know I do. I've gotten novels for free during promotion periods, and they were good. But every 99 cent novel I've bought has been poor. Every one.

Not that I'm a representative sampling, by any means. I don't buy a lot of ebooks.

Maryn, big fan of paper

Alcasgra · Nov 9, 2016

Money, money, money. Can't live without it, can't live with it. LOL! Sorry, not making sense anymore. Too depressed by the result of the damn election.

Thoughts on pricing and timing?

ALM

c.m.n.

Beary cute ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Alcasgra

c.m.n.

Beary cute ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

ALM

Alcasgra

c.m.n.

Beary cute ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Alcasgra

dangerousbill

Retired Illuminatus

Maryn

Baaa!

Alcasgra