a question for e-book readers

[HappyHiker]

Hope it's okay to ask this here..I could use your help and advice.

You see, I'm soon to publish my first book, a novel three years in the writing, with a timely twist, as an e-book...I'm relatively new to Kindle, but my experience so far has been the quality of the $.99 books has not been quite as wonderful as I'd hoped.

And I've downloaded some of the classics for free..free is good!

But to price my own e-book is challenging. The caliber of the book is, I hope, a cut above the $.99 books, yet surely no one is to be expected to buy a book by an unknown if the price is the same as the NYT's best-selling list. I wouldn't do that myself.

I'm thinking of pricing the book at $4.99. Would you take a chance at that price? Would you buy a Kindle or other e-book from an author you're unfamiliar with if the topic intrigued you for $4.99...? And what might lead you to make the purchase? Great reviews? A cool web site, the topic itself? Other?

The writing and research were my favorite parts, but soon to come is the marketing, where the rubber meets the road...help!!

Thanks so much, your advice/observations are hugely appreciated.

[cdttmm]

Hi HappyHiker, I'm not sure I have much input on the pricing, but I wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS on completing your first novel - fantastic accomplishment!

So far I have only ever downloaded free e-books because I've only had my iPhone to read them, which is not that easy. But I just got an iPad and if I get into downloading books, I think I would spend $4.99 for a book that was an intriguing topic.

[Tradd]

You might want to email/message Miss Minimalist. She published a book and then formatted it for Kindle herself. She could probably give you some ideas.

[Lainey]

What about the way the Amazon site does it with allowing free peeks at first chapters of books? That allows people to get interested in more, and willing to pay to read the rest.

[HappyHiker]

Thanks! I've sent a message to Miss minimalist to see if she'd be willing to share some of her knowledge and the free chapter(s) giveaway is smart..it shall be done!

And many thanks for the congratulations!

After a couple of novellas, a bunch of magazine articles, and too much writing of advertising copy, it's such a thrill to have fulfilled a dream since childhood and completed a full-length novel! My hopes are high, I think it's a lively, gripping tale, and I'm so very excited to share it with a wider audience than my writing group...

[The Storyteller]

Go no lower than $7.95. Less than that and you are telling people it isn't worth buying at any price.

[HappyHiker]

Thanks, Storyteller, that's what I was looking for, advice on the question of pricing advice. From your SL handle, you're an author?

[Koala Dave]

I've heard $2.95 is the magic price, but it all depends on your market. I would not bother catering for the .99 crowd. I'm not much of a fiction writer these days, but I often pay $9.95 for non-fictions books to read.

[The Storyteller]

From your SL handle, you're an author?

No, I tell stories. I'm more of an oral teller of traditional tales, although always with my own twist. Some of my stories are original, but unpublished.

I no longer do it for a living.

[Dharma Bum]

What about the way the Amazon site does it with allowing free peeks at first chapters of books? That allows people to get interested in more, and willing to pay to read the rest.

I just bought a book on iBooks yesterday that let me download the first chapter or so for free. The book was $12 and I had never heard of it, it was just on a list and looked interesting, but I would not have paid $12 blind. Liked the chapter so I bought the book.

[Gardenarian]

I would definitely want to read the first chapter of a novel before I purchased it.
Great reviews are a huge incentive, but they have to be from a reputable source. Do you know anyone who has published a book, or has a popular blog?
All your ideas - letting people know about the topic, creating a web site - are good ones.
I don't read ebooks (yet) but I have downloaded audiobooks. So having an audiobook version would be an incentive to me!

Oh, and congratulations on your novel! :+1:

[HappyHiker]

Okay, all you helpful folks, the deed has been done, my e-book has just been published on Kindle (entitled Falling Through Time) and I am like a kid in a candy store with a whole dollar to spend on sweet treats. You can read five free chapters by going to the Kindle store. That's kind of cool, I think, getting to sample before taking the plunge before buying.

I'd love, love, love if any of you kind souls wanted to sample the book and give feed-back..this is my debut novel after appearing in several anthologies, so I can use all your support and encouragement...and I wouldn't be angry with any of you should you chose to buy the book...

Oh, what's the book about? It's the story of a not-so-nice adverting executive who accidentally ends up 70 plus years in the future and her values, her world of advertising, and her consumerism are put under the microscope of the future people...she must defend her old world while facing huge challenges when she learns she cannot go home again.

Talk about culture clash!! So basically, the book's a futuristic, post-apocalyptic, ecological, simple-living, culture-clash, love story. How's that for crossing through multiple genres??

Falling through Time was lots of fun to write...and much of my inspiration came from you and your observations here...one might say you've all been mid-wives to the book's birth. Thanks! NO more labor pains!!

Please be tender with my small, fragile, tattered ego...

[Stella]

Very cool! When I get a chance I will check it out! Congratulations!

[HappyHiker]

Thanks so much, Stella. I just checked out your blog, Sunnysideuplife, and was so taken by your words and images...especially your observations on "Beauty." Deep and inspiring...just lovely...do you take the photographs? They are so peaceful and serene--very painterly. I adore creative people who notice the small details.

[Stella]

Thanks Happy Hiker! Yes, almost all of the photos on my blog are mine. I love creative people too. I am really lucky to know as many as I do.

[Rosemary]

Congratulations on the completion of your novel! That is a huge accomplishment!

[HappyHiker]

Thanks, Rosemary...it's a relief..the 2.5 years of writing/editing was a long gestation time..good to have delivered--finally. Anxious to see if readers find my 'child" attractive. Of course, I've got to get her face in the limelight...yikes, marketing...not my favorite thing.

[Lainey]

Congratulations, a great accomplishment! Can you still buy it through Amazon if you don't have Kindle, i.e., paperback?

[HappyHiker]

Thanks for asking, right now Falling Through Time is not printed as a paperback (it costs too much $$ for me right now to have the book designed. A new book jacket would have to be designed and the entire book laid-out and designed before printing as a Print on Demand book. This can run several thousand dollars).

However, do you know about the FREE Kindle app for your PC?

For those who have no e-reader (Kindle, Nook, iPad) there is one more option many of us don't know about. You can download a FREE Kindle e-reader app for your PC from the Amazon web site, then you can buy and read all the Amazon Kindle books on your computer.

I've had a couple of friends do that and they're reading the book on their laptops...it seems to work quite well. Sales have been kinda brisk, word of mouth seems to be at play. Who knows where this will go? But it's lots of fun, that's certain.

Last Saturday, a friend threw a publication celebration (go to htp://fallingthroughtime.com for party pictures, and party description written in couplets!).

One of the three elders to whom I dedicated the book came dressed as Sophia, the Village Elder character from the book. What a hoot--she stayed in character all night..you'll see her in the pictures with me. The funny thing is, the other two elders thought Sophia was modeled after them...and uh oh, I've created Elder jealousy.

What a highlight of my life, having these good friends celebrate with me--and I got to read one of my favorite passages from the book--the scene where Dog Man answers "What kind of dog is this...?" and he turns into a walking DNA lab with funny results.

It's so good to have written...

Thanks so much for asking about the book!

[kevinw1]

Happyhiker, are you familiar with Joe Konrath's blog at
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
He is a long time author who converted from print publishing to the Kindle "early" (in ebook years) and has a huge amount of information on his site. Including hard info on pricing.

There's also a lot more Kindle and other ebook publishing info out there: try Dean Wesley Smith's "New World of Publishing" series at
http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?page_id=2168

Don't listen to folks who are not actually doing this ebook thing. It does not work the same as traditional publishing or anything else. (I have 10 or so non-fiction ebooks on Kindle under several pen names as well as my real name).

[HappyHiker]

Thanks, Kevin, for sharing that great info..I will check out both the sources you referenced. And yes, It's definitely a brave new world of publishing out there unfolding...both good and bad, I believe.

The good is that it's just about impossible for a new, unknown novelist to get published traditionally and break out of the slush pile. E-publishing allows the authors to reach an audience directly.

The bad, and this is somewhat determined by the marketplace, is that there are some books that just shouldn't be see the light of day because they're so poorly written. The e-book buyer has to vet a book with due caution before taking the plunge.

I think Kindle's "Peek Inside" feature is excellent and can help readers decide whether a book's worth its price...

But marketing of an e-book or Print on Demand (POD) book remains the author's total responsibility...and for many of us, that can take more time than the writing...

In reading about e-publishing, I ran across a bit of information that was startling--if it's true. The info was that the average e-book sells only 49 copies. I'm assuming that's an e-book written by an unknown author. I'm sure a Grisham or King does rather better than that.

All in all, as ever, making a living as a creative writer or artist or musician is still very challenging for most. I guess that's why my bread and butter writing is for business and consumer publications on trends and generational niche topics...which is fascinating to me and fun to research and write about.

E-publishing is in its infancy, and it's exciting to be part of the journey. The new Kindle Fire should prove interesting--sure seems a lot of readers are excited about its features of color and more apps. I wonder how sales will be? I have friends who have not until now had an e-reader and they're ordering the Fire.

[Juds]

I have been fascinated by this thread. Very exciting and much success to you.

[HappyHiker]

Thanks, Jud. In the words of the Grateful Dead, "What a long, strange trip it's been..." This writing thing...just got to keep on truckin.'

[rosebud]

Got the sample, and am liking it...I like the humor and the voice and the first few pages are hooking me. The job of any writer is simple: Make the reader want to turn the page. You've done that. Congratulations on your accomplishment. I admire writers so much.

I can contrast this with a book that I found in my bathroom today, left by my dd...a YA fantasy book. I picked it up and couldn't get past the first page.

[HappyHiker]

Thanks, Rosebud, for your nice comment about Falling Through Time. A delightful greeting to find on this Monday morning. My goal was to write the book in a voice that was like writing a letter to a dear friend...and to portray a "kinder, more hopeful future" filled with community and simple living. The important things in life from my point of view.

[rosebud]

Thanks, Rosebud, for your nice comment about Falling Through Time. A delightful greeting to find on this Monday morning. My goal was to write the book in a voice that was like writing a letter to a dear friend...and to portray a "kinder, more hopeful future" filled with community and simple living. The important things in life from my point of view.


Best of luck with the book...A kinder more hopeful fugure filled with community and simple living sound like a good basis for Utopia!

[HappyHiker]

A new wrinkle with the book to share with each of you who have been so supportive. Falling Through Time sales fell off after friends and family purchased their copies...and based on some advice and some articles about successful newbie e-book authors I read about in the NY Times, I gritted my teeth and lowered the book's price to $.99. Let me tell you, that was hard to do...did you hear my teeth gnashing and tears falling?

Published the book the other day on The Nook and am working on getting it published for Apple (they don't make it easy to do, unfortunately, if you don't own an Apple computer).

Why the lowered price? After chasing its tail and going around in circles, my mind whispered "maybe it's better to sell a bunch @ $.99 rather than very few @ $8.99." So that's where the book is, at $.99, and the sales are starting to take-off. Though I do think the price should be more than a bottle of water, I'd rather have a goodly number of happy readers demanding a sequel, than a book that languishes and fails to launch.

Right decision? Time will tell.

Thanks for your support along the journey this far. I send all of you my warmest wishes for a sassy, bright, fortunate and gentle New Year.