Comments on: Why Publishers Are Stupid About Book Pricing

By: how to play bass

how to play bass — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:35:10 +0000

This post is just as relevant today (June 2010) as it was 15 months ago.

By: SEO Copywriting | SEO copywriting daily candy: Should you write an ebook?

SEO Copywriting | SEO copywriting daily candy: Should you write an ebook? — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:41:44 +0000

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By: Sean DSouza

Sean DSouza — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:22:32 +0000

Hmm, I did leave out that part didn’t I? But yes, there’s a scientific method to pricing. And starting your book at $29 is a good idea. But then you want to increase prices as you go along. And do it scientifically. Here’s a link: http://www.psychotactics.com/blog/how-to-increase-your-prices-yes-yes-factor/

By: Susan Greene

Susan Greene — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:45:02 +0000

Sean,

Interesting article. Can you give some guidance on how to price an ebook? It’s impressive that you’ve been able to sell your books from $99 to $299. But is that realistic for most ebook authors?

I have an ebook that I’m almost done writing, approximately 150 pages. It should have broad appeal. I was thinking of pricing it at $29. Now you have me wondering if I’m leaving money on the table.

Susan

By: MCE Round Table: Your Big Mouth and Other Biting (Wit) | Maximum Customer Experience Blog

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 09:13:59 +0000

[...] If you hope to expand your small business by authoring a book, you need to hear what he says in Why Publishers Are Stupid About Book Pricing at the Psychotactics [...]

By: Sean D'Souza

Sean D'Souza — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:00:37 +0000

Yes, I agree with your assessment.

But I’m not sure whether publishers are in a position (or want to be in a position) where they actually start looking where the market is going.

I think like all the dinosaurs of the last century they too will soon find that their age-old model needs change and needs it fast.

By: David Barnes

David Barnes — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:17:52 +0000

Sean, the stupid low prices charged by publishers is more a result of sales channels (historically) than just plain fear.

The only way you could sell a book 10 years ago was to get stocked in as many book stores as possible. And the only way to get stocked in book stores was to offer prices that appealed to a mass market. Book stores wanted titles that thousands of browsers would buy on impulse, not that hundreds or tens of qualified customers would buy because they recognized an urgent need.

People who DID have that urgent need got a bargain — they paid a fraction of what the content was worth to them. Thousands of others spent a few bucks for a book that they might never read, and certainly weren’t desperate for.

This has changed now. If you have an ebook that sells for $100, there’s no reason it wouldn’t also sell as a printed book for the same price or a few bucks more. It’s not the format that has change, or the attitude of publishers, it is the sales channel. With the web you can market your product to the tiny slice of people who are desperate for the info, and will pay anything for it.

The Long Tail says that “the future consists of selling less (units) of more (product variety)”. For publishers it also means “charging more to fewer” — we’ll produce targeted products that sell relatively fewer units, but with much higher margins and prices.