Honestly? In your genre and at that length, I'd push it to $4.99. You can always lower it if it doesn't sell that that price point. But I think $4.99 is very reasonable and readers who want to read it will feel the same way. Every time these discussions happen (I think we had one yesterday or the day before), authors say they sell better at $3.99 than $2.99.
Pricing help! $3.99?
Hey everyone. I'm putting the finishing touches on my second book before it gets sent to my editor, and my co-author and I are having a bit of a disagreement when it comes to pricing. She's pretty adamant about sticking to our usual $2.99 (worrying that people might turn up their noses at the higher price), but as I keep watching the word count go up (and subsequently the editing and proof-reading costs), I am wondering if $3.99 is a more reasonable price point.
The book is the second in a series. Epic fantasy/young adult/LGBT. Estimating the final word count to be between 150k-160k. We plan on enrolling it in KDP Select for at least one term.
I don't want people to scoff at the price, but I don't want to undersell the book either. Do you think $3.99 will kill sales, or am I worrying for nothing? Have you had success (particularly in the fantasy genre) with pricing your book higher than the standard $2.99? Would love to hear your stories and experiences on the matter.
Thanks.
The book is the second in a series. Epic fantasy/young adult/LGBT. Estimating the final word count to be between 150k-160k. We plan on enrolling it in KDP Select for at least one term.
I don't want people to scoff at the price, but I don't want to undersell the book either. Do you think $3.99 will kill sales, or am I worrying for nothing? Have you had success (particularly in the fantasy genre) with pricing your book higher than the standard $2.99? Would love to hear your stories and experiences on the matter.
Thanks.
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I echo everyone else. Especially for your genre and length, 3.99 is a great price
Interesting!
Being a new author still, I'm not sure I'm ready to push the price to 4.99, but perhaps when it comes time to release the third book, I will. $3.99 is sounding better and better for "Nightfall" though.
Being a new author still, I'm not sure I'm ready to push the price to 4.99, but perhaps when it comes time to release the third book, I will. $3.99 is sounding better and better for "Nightfall" though.
I had a similar situation... book one in this series had been out for a while before I got around to putting #2 up for preorder. Book #1 has been at $4.99 for at least a year, so I set the preorder price at $2.99 with a mention about the discount in the blurb, and that it would revert to full price upon publication. I think that really helped to goose the pre-orders along. I considered raising #2 up to only $3.99, but in the end I decided to raise it up to $4.99 (same as the first book) so that when I ran I promo price soon I could take it down to $2.99 (keeping the 70% royalty) and it would still look like a good deal.
The books are snarky paranormal suspense with an LGBT slant. Both are on the sub-cat top 100 lists for "fantasy...blah...blah-lgbt" and I didn't notice a change in sales when I bumped the price up either. Book Two has only been live for a week (today) and it's moved over 125+ copies so far (US only, I haven't looked at the other stores yet- about 80% actual sales, 20 % KU borrows).
So I'm set to have my best month ever because of the higher price points, IMO.
I think a slightly higher price actually drives the book along a little better too; I definitely get more borrows with my higher priced books. It makes sense that there is perceived value in the price tag. Just my two cents
The books are snarky paranormal suspense with an LGBT slant. Both are on the sub-cat top 100 lists for "fantasy...blah...blah-lgbt" and I didn't notice a change in sales when I bumped the price up either. Book Two has only been live for a week (today) and it's moved over 125+ copies so far (US only, I haven't looked at the other stores yet- about 80% actual sales, 20 % KU borrows).
So I'm set to have my best month ever because of the higher price points, IMO.
I think a slightly higher price actually drives the book along a little better too; I definitely get more borrows with my higher priced books. It makes sense that there is perceived value in the price tag. Just my two cents
Since we're on the topic, do you guys think the same thing works for Urban Fantasy? Space Opera?
Or just Fantasy Fantasy?
I know my book is going to be very long... maybe over 150k c_c so I've wondered about this too.
Shiriluna, totally up your price. I thought about your book the other day and I think I'll end up buying it when I get through my backlist a little more. 3.99 vs 2.99 wouldn't make much difference in my choice. If I want to read the book, I'll pay 4.99 for it if I have to. First in series, 2.99 is better, but second one? If you've hooked me, the difference between $3 and $5 is nothing.
Now $9 is a different matter entirely. *Grumbles about traditional publishing and favorite authors who need to get in line with indie prices damnit.*
Or just Fantasy Fantasy?
I know my book is going to be very long... maybe over 150k c_c so I've wondered about this too.
Shiriluna, totally up your price. I thought about your book the other day and I think I'll end up buying it when I get through my backlist a little more. 3.99 vs 2.99 wouldn't make much difference in my choice. If I want to read the book, I'll pay 4.99 for it if I have to. First in series, 2.99 is better, but second one? If you've hooked me, the difference between $3 and $5 is nothing.
Now $9 is a different matter entirely. *Grumbles about traditional publishing and favorite authors who need to get in line with indie prices damnit.
*
It's encouraging to know your sales haven't suffered from pricing higher. I was starting to sweat all the costs I am putting into this massive project and it will definitely help to be able to price a little higher.
Arsh, that's what I told my co-author. From a readers perspective, I would TOTALLY spend a couple extra dollars to buy the next installment in a series if I loved the first book. (and wow, 150k+ words for a debut novel is crazy ambitious, by the way!)
Anyway, she and I are in agreement on 3.99, and maybe 4.99 for the next book (which could very well top 175k words or more--why do our outlines keep getting longer and longer
)
Arsh, that's what I told my co-author. From a readers perspective, I would TOTALLY spend a couple extra dollars to buy the next installment in a series if I loved the first book. (and wow, 150k+ words for a debut novel is crazy ambitious, by the way!)
Anyway, she and I are in agreement on 3.99, and maybe 4.99 for the next book (which could very well top 175k words or more--why do our outlines keep getting longer and longer
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