Many first-time self-publishing authors are unsure of how to price their books. Blurb‘s blog about self publishing has some great tips for book pricing, such as:
Do your research
Research what similar books are selling for on Amazon. You don’t have to beat the price, but know the range. Think of what makes your book different than other books in your genre. Decide how price-competitive you need to be.Think about your goals
So much of the beauty of selling your book on Amazon is about discoverability and reach. It is, after all, the world’s biggest marketplace for books. If this is your first foray into serious self-publishing, you might want to think of this as an opportunity to get your name out there. In other words, take less of a profit on your first book, build your readership, and move towards greater profitability on your next book.Pick a number
Ultimately you want to put up a fair price, taking into account all the things above. There’s no magic number, no multiplier, no formula. It’s that old saw about “charge what the market will bear.” Which is why it’s a good idea to know your market. The important thing, of course, is that you get your work out there.If you’ve already written your book, decided on a price, and are ready to self publish, download BookWright by Blurb and publish your story.
I’ll add to this: knowing your market as mentioned is the first step for marketing your work. So DO YOUR RESEARCH! Trust me, you’ll thank me later. 😉
I like “pick a number.” Get the goods to market!
Yes! One of the things I love about self-publishing is that you, the author, can have control over pricing. You can do research on what is normal pricing in your genre and then test it out, try it a little higher, a littler lower, and then see what works best for YOU. It’s an amazing thing.