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New release thoughts - price and promo

878 views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  A J Sika 
#1 ·
I've got a new book coming out in a few weeks and wanted to see what everyone's preferred strategy is. Some seem to say that you should release full price, others think it needs to be discounted - any thought? Also is there any promo sites you've had good experiences with for new releases?
 
#2 ·
Here's my experience: I released my first book a few weeks ago. I kept my expectations low and was not disappointed :)

Before releasing my book, I read all the websites and blogs and considered all the options just as you are doing now. In the end, I released my ebook for free at Smashwords and had a reasonable number of downloads the first week. I then listed the book on Amazon and set the ebook price to 99 cents and the paperback price to $8.75 (the lowest amounts Amazon would allow for either format). I later asked Amazon to match the price at Smashwords ($0.00) and they did. Over the next week or so I had far more downloads than I expected and received a few good ratings, too. I then listed the book with Kindle Unlimited, but, in doing so, had to delist my book at Smashwords (per Amazon policy). Unsurprisingly, the number of downloads dipped, but I'm still happy with the numbers. As always, YMMV. Let us know what you do and how it goes.
 
#3 ·
0.99 is my preference. I don't like free, though looks like PQC ^^ got some success with that. Free is a great source for reviews.

For promos, I just sent out a thread so you can see what I've done. I'm not totally finished promoting yet.

0.99 or free is helpful for landing promotions.

Some just release at full price but release often. If you're prolific, releasing a book monthly is arguably just as good a strategy as discounting with promotions. But even then, I'd do a little bit of promoting, particularly to garner some momentum with visibility. Personally, I'm prolific, but I can't comfortably release faster than one title every three months.

Good luck!
 
#5 ·
If it's Book 1 in a series, I release at $0.99 then raise the price to $2.99 a week later. If it's a single-title book, I release at $2.99 then raise to $3.99 a week later. It works for me. However, I do have a very responsive mailing list so I think even if I raised at full price straight from the gate, they'd take it. I'm just doing the discounts to thank them for buying so quickly.
 
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