Publishing giant Hachete wants to change $19.95 for ebooks -- and they have their authors out on the streets, hawking the idea. Heh, go for it if you can get it. For me, the challenge is to get enough fans so I can have a big publishing company ask me to hawk their price-gouging practices!
My mystery thriller, In Gallup, Greed started out with a kindle price of $4.99. My adorable fans bought it right way. But, let's face it, that's only about 50 people. That left me with good reviews and no buyers.
But, I have short stories --- in the same mystery thriller series. I gave away free copies of each for a month. mmm...maybe a few books a week. Think of it, FIVE pieces of potential advertising -- In Dulce, Disturbed, In Zuni, Zymotic, In Santa Fe, Salacious, In Roswell, Re-Abducted, In Carlsbad, Cavernous.
All these stories of links at the back to my new book. They have a link for an email list. Still, sluggish sales.
But wait...there's kindle countdown. Okay...maybe a couple of books a day for the first four days. Better than nothing...right?
I am disappointed, to say the least. But, now I read that price is the key. To heck with the debate over what the big publishers want to charge, what about a price that sells books? I've read article after article on price and value and, and, and...when all I want to know is -- what price sells books?
My blessed fans swore that if I wrote a novel, it would sell! But, of course, they are my fans. Now I need a new strategy.
So, this is my next experiment. 99 cents for two weeks, 1.99 for two weeks, 2.99 for two weeks, 3.99 permanently.
I decided run each of my strategies to the end and record how many books seem to sell as a result. There must be a way. This is a good story -- a page turner -- an interesting read. A good airplane book, but where are my passengers?
Stay tuned....
P.S. The Print copy is yet another story. (I started my bookstore visits yesterday. Crystal healing charms, anyone? That's all I got on the first trip.)
Tower Lowe makes up stories about Santa Fe scenes...
