
However, there are other strategies. I attended a presentation at a Florida Writers Association mini-conference on utilizing Amazon's KDP to publish your books. The presenter recommended upping your price to $5.99. The reason for this is because some readers will not look at a book priced below the five dollar threshold. Apparently there are those who think if a book is priced too inexpensively, it must not have any value. Now, that's a double-edged sword. On the one side, I've written a lengthy novel, and I would spend much more than 99 cents for a novel of the same length in the grocery store. On the other hand, the fact that I can price my novel at 99 cents allows me to build an audience as an unknown writer. The author giving the presentation already has a readership, so it was easier for him to push the price of his books up.
So, what is my pricing experiment? I am leaning towards the 99 cent price to build my readership.
The plan:
- Spend this week editing Flames in the Midst one more time.
- Schedule 3 free days (April 30-May 2) with KDP select.
- Advertise my free days on free sites.
- Find book bloggers to read Flames in the Midst. (By the way, last time I ran free days through Amazon's KDP Select, I didn't know about marketing. I made about $400 after 8,000+ free downloads with no advertising or work on my part.)
- Change the price of Flames in the Midst to 99 cents.
- After one month, evaluate. I will either stay at the 99 cent rate or move up to $1.99 or $2.99 for the next month.
- If sales slow way down, I do have 2 additional free days I can use.
- In August/September, release book 2 in the Jade Hale series, Dreams in the Midst (tentative title).