Why I Raised the Prices On My Ebooks

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When I was first starting out as a self-published author, I jumped right on the train that advised pricing your ebooks low or even free to attract new readers. After all, it makes a lot of sense. There are low upfront costs to producing an ebook as opposed to a physical book, so you don't have to charge a lot to recoup costs, and readers are more likely to take a chance on a new author when there is less financial investment up front if they don't like the book.

Here's the problem: it didn't work for me, and I'm starting to think it's not an approach that will work well for other authors either, in the long run.

A quick story, and raise your hand if you've had a similar experience: When I got my new NOOK, I started looking at the free ebooks on Smashwords to buff up my library. I also purchased a few books by traditionally published authors as well. Can you guess which ones I actually got around to reading?

I think readers are running into this problem more and more these days, because there is such a glut of low-cost ebooks available that by pricing our books low or free, we are having to fight harder and harder to gain an audience and, more importantly, keep their attention. I think we, as authors, would do better to price our books more as if they were released by a traditional publisher (that being said, I wouldn't ever exceed $10 for an ebook). This is especially important for self-published authors who do view themselves as professionals and desire their peers and their audience to do so as well.

The major advantage of this pricing method (besides more money per sale, obviously) is the fact that it doesn't scream self-published author. I love self-publishing and I think it is one of the best things to happen to the publishing industry, but the negative stigma is still very visible and very much there. A higher price tag sends your readers a message: that you are a professional, that you expect them to spend this kind of money on your product because it is worth it. It also makes your book look as though it was professionally published, which might help it catch the attention of readers who avoid self-published books for the aforementioned reasons. And, readers are more likely to invest the time to read your book after they have spent money on it.

The jury is still out on whether or not this new pricing model will work for my books, but I personally feel a lot better about it. I feel more professional, and I think my books seem that way too. What better message can you send to your readers to help them gain trust in how serious you are about your craft?

Agree? Disagree? Where has your "sweet spot" price been for ebooks, as both a reader and a writer? I look forward to hearing from you!

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