[abgwriter]

Hi, guys!
I've been away from the publishing world for a while now, but for 2021 I've decided to get off my backside and get rolling (otherwise I'm afraid I'll never get back into writing at all), and in the spirit of working better under pressure, I've planned a soft relaunch of my book for February 14, with two more books on rapid release after (pre-orders should be up in a couple of days).
With that said, I was wonderign what are the current views on pricing. Is $2.99 still the baseline for e-book or are there any new best-practices I should be aware of?
If it helps, my currently published book lands at 75k words (YA Coming of Age Fantasy) and upcoming books are a novella (50k) and another novel (80k), same genre. 

 

[ShayneRutherford]

...and upcoming books are a novella (50k) and another novel (80k), same genre.

A novella is 39,999 words or less. That 50k story is a novel.

 

[abgwriter]

Huh... I thought the novel mark was at 60k 

 

[Carol (was Dara)]

Personally, I like $2.99 for novellas, $3.99 for series starters, and $4.99 or $5.99 for sequels. Everyone has their own strategy, different genres, etc, but I feel like those prices are generally low enough to be a bargain, high enough to make a profit, and they leave room for occasional free or $0.99 discounts.

 

[abgwriter]

Would you say novel length impacts those amounts?

 

[Carradee]

Huh... I thought the novel mark was at 60k

As a broad rule of thumb, how writers define "novel" tends to be 40k+ words, because various associations and awards come from times when this was the normal market convention.

But for the past several decades, publishers have established other lengths as "normal" for novels, so people who define "novel" based on their own experiences as a reader will generally not perceive something as a novel unless it falls at least close to those conventions. That's where longer definitions of "novel" tend to come from.

The "60k+" definition is a practical starting point for reader perception, though in practice, science fiction and fantasy tend to start at 80k-100k.

Some self-publishing authors choose to use terms based on reader perception, like one author who has used the term "novella" for works that are significantly shorter than other entries in a novel series, even if those so-called novellas are actually novel length. It's up to you if you go this route, use the market-based definitions, or use the more formal writer ones.

 

[Rod Little]

It depends on the genre. My sci-fi books do best at 5.99 (and can't get higher than that), but my horror and thrillers sell best at 7.99 to 9.99 - If I lower the price, sales drop (perhaps perceived quality). Genre matters. Thriller/mystery readers don't care about budget, while a few other genres demand low prices (even 3.99).

Experiment to see what works for you. In the early days, I started at 3.99 then bumped up to 4.99 after one month, then 5.99 etc. Some reached 9.99 before sales fell. Do this until you find the right spot. Caveat: Advertising is a must during this trial phase or your results mean little (real advertising, not those bargain email blasts).

Price factors: Genre and Size of Book.

Good luck.

 

[Doglover]

Huh... I thought the novel mark was at 60k

I consider a novel to be anything above 40,000 words. Certainly 50k is not a novella. As to price, it depends on the genre and the length, or if it's a series or not. I have one or two novels priced at $5.99 but they are over 70k.

 

[Matt.Banks]

Good luck with your writing goals! I bought several covers from you years ago and I still haven't gotten around to writing those stories. Since the pandemic, my schedule has changed to working part time but instead of writing I've been binging Netflix. So much time has passed that I've lost interest in those earlier story ideas and I'm not even sure where to put my focus right now. I need to come up with a plan and commit myself to it. I am cheering for us both!

As for pricing, I was outlining my books to be around 60-65k words and it was my intention to price them at $4.99.

 

[jb1111]

Look at your competitors, then choose a price. If it doesn't work, you can always move it.

With the economy fluctuating, I would guess that the average price for books in your particular genre might also fluctuate.

Good luck to the OP.