I've been on a tangent in the last few days blogging about the business of writing...
It's been longer than that--as far as thinking. The playing field changes and we have to adapt. I've had too much time to think lately.
On top of a surprise summer conference, my mother fell and has required a lot of help. Driving her around and helping her has splintered my routine and I haven't gotten much writing done at all. But there has been time to mull the changes I'm seeing...
In the next couple of weeks, hopefully the doctors will let her drive, work, and return to normal. The break from writing has been frustrating but given me time to reflect on the business side of things AND what I want to work on.
I've been a huge name or break out hit with my writing. Hopefully the old saying that everything happens for a reason is true! Maybe a little change can have a good result?
So Mid-Sept, hopefully, I'll be headed into the writing cave for a bit. Until then I have promotional stuff and edits plus mom duty...
Don't worry, there will be more Men of Alaska...at least 2 more to see how readers are liking them. But sometimes you need to throw in something different :)
Showing posts with label ebooks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ebooks. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Monday, August 25, 2014
The Pricing Game (hot buttons and not everything needs to be 99 cents!)
Whenever authors want to talk about pricing issues, extremes seem to pop up! Some people think you need to be at 99cents to move books. Or free! If all you want is to make a list or get a best seller tag on your name...I guess.
But this discussion isn't just about extremes. Price points matter in selling items. Many epubs have adjusted their pricing as competition grew and self pub added some pressure.
Sterling New Year is about 28k and priced at 3.99. This book did very well (for me, it's all relative)....
The next book was more like 35k (readers say they like longer books and this one had more to it) but it crossed a price level with the publisher and is 4.99. For a novella, that seems to be too much.
What did I learn? My novellas will be under 30k for this publisher going forward to maximize sales.
Pricing can be this sensitive for readers. They only have so much money and when you can buy full length novels for $4.99...believe me, I understand! Readers have tons of choices but one budget.
Some self pub authors do discount too aggressively. Full length novels for 99 cents or 2.99 permanently? That is devaluing the work. Now, a flash sale or book 4 in the series is out and you do a sale on book 1 for a week...sure.
Before self pub was a big thing, epubs could easily keep an eye on each others pricing levels relative to word count. They didn't stay lock step, that's for sure. Some are much higher than other epubs and now they're feeling that as readers and authors comment. But with so many self pubs wanting to see sales/ success--they are more willing to try anything for results.
For the record, I'm not against free reads. If you put up a short story or two for free, people can try it--that's not bad. But don't make every book free...
Plenty of well known musicians have videos up for free on youtube.com...so you can basically enjoy the song FREE. If you go to itunes to download it into your ipod/iphone etc...it's not free. So there is some good precedence for a free sample.
Or even doing a free code to giveaway for a book at a conference that's good for a few weeks but it's not free for EVERYONE all the time. Specials and sales are enticing.
The pricing strategy continues to evolve and the smart move is to pay attention to sales/reviews and what's changed (like my price point example above). ALSO avoid extremes. Holding your price high because of history or because you're worth more (when the market is at another point) only hurts you.
Going cheap might look like it's working but are you more likely to buy a book that is 4.99 on sale for 2.99? Or a book that is always 2.99? People like sales! If you're always cheap or free, then they'll expect it.
Bottom line:
1-If you're with publishing houses....know the price levels and how they relate to the word count. It can hurt you to jump up $1 because of a few thousand words (That's from personal experience!).
2-If you're self pub, price fairly and put books on sale for a limited time rather than price cheaply. Have a reason for the sale as well. A new release in that series is fine. But don't do constant sales or or it'll be expected...
Writing is hard work and we need to earn a living at it...but ignoring the current market and going too high or too low isn't in your best interest.
But this discussion isn't just about extremes. Price points matter in selling items. Many epubs have adjusted their pricing as competition grew and self pub added some pressure.
Sterling New Year is about 28k and priced at 3.99. This book did very well (for me, it's all relative)....
The next book was more like 35k (readers say they like longer books and this one had more to it) but it crossed a price level with the publisher and is 4.99. For a novella, that seems to be too much.
What did I learn? My novellas will be under 30k for this publisher going forward to maximize sales.
Pricing can be this sensitive for readers. They only have so much money and when you can buy full length novels for $4.99...believe me, I understand! Readers have tons of choices but one budget.
Some self pub authors do discount too aggressively. Full length novels for 99 cents or 2.99 permanently? That is devaluing the work. Now, a flash sale or book 4 in the series is out and you do a sale on book 1 for a week...sure.
Before self pub was a big thing, epubs could easily keep an eye on each others pricing levels relative to word count. They didn't stay lock step, that's for sure. Some are much higher than other epubs and now they're feeling that as readers and authors comment. But with so many self pubs wanting to see sales/ success--they are more willing to try anything for results.
For the record, I'm not against free reads. If you put up a short story or two for free, people can try it--that's not bad. But don't make every book free...
Plenty of well known musicians have videos up for free on youtube.com...so you can basically enjoy the song FREE. If you go to itunes to download it into your ipod/iphone etc...it's not free. So there is some good precedence for a free sample.
Or even doing a free code to giveaway for a book at a conference that's good for a few weeks but it's not free for EVERYONE all the time. Specials and sales are enticing.
The pricing strategy continues to evolve and the smart move is to pay attention to sales/reviews and what's changed (like my price point example above). ALSO avoid extremes. Holding your price high because of history or because you're worth more (when the market is at another point) only hurts you.
Going cheap might look like it's working but are you more likely to buy a book that is 4.99 on sale for 2.99? Or a book that is always 2.99? People like sales! If you're always cheap or free, then they'll expect it.
Bottom line:
1-If you're with publishing houses....know the price levels and how they relate to the word count. It can hurt you to jump up $1 because of a few thousand words (That's from personal experience!).
2-If you're self pub, price fairly and put books on sale for a limited time rather than price cheaply. Have a reason for the sale as well. A new release in that series is fine. But don't do constant sales or or it'll be expected...
Writing is hard work and we need to earn a living at it...but ignoring the current market and going too high or too low isn't in your best interest.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Writing and keeping the readers happy!
My degree is in business (accounting was my day job for 15 years until I was able to afford following my dream of writing full time).
Business is a part of the writing life a lot of authors don't like. They want to write! Some enjoy promotion, some don't. Some love to analyze trends and numbers, others don't. We all love to meet readers who like our books but bad reviews sting. We're people but all business is made up of people.
I want to stay in business! I want to keep on writing and sometimes that means dealing with the less fun aspects.
Businesses change. Trends shift. Markets and tastes are hard to track at times. Epubs come and go. Business shifts with things like self publishing and how Amazon ranks books.
E publishing freed a lot of authors from the NY system and provided options. NY is slowly changing and learning what readers what, how they want it, and what is workable in the new marketplace. They have a huge structure that needs to be reorganized.
Still, people are creatures of habit. We get used to a routine and we like it. Sometimes epubs do this as well. It's good to be King of your realm and have it your way.
Here's another way to look at it. Henry Ford once said "they can have any color car as long as it's black."
At that time, Ford at the only reliable/ affordable car for the general population. So if you wanted one...you came to his company and bought what he had stock in or you waited for one.
Power Advantage = Ford.
Is that how it is today?? I drive a Chevy. My sister, a Toyota and the color choices are endless.
Great businessmen (and women) are GREAT because they see the new needs. The NEW opportunities. Ford could play the power game for a while but the competition would catch up. They'd offer more things to get customers to come to them. There will always be competition, problems, and new challenges.
When I was in accounting, I worked with A LOT of salesmen. As a company, we knew who our competitors were (domestic and foreign). You had to fight for business at times--China would undercut pricing etc...
In publishing, we don't want to think about competition. Readers want lots of books! We're all good. All warm fuzzies, hugs, and happy thoughts around. The competition here is very different.
Guess what? It's NOT! Competing salesmen are nice to each other. They don't take it personally if you get a sale and they don't. They just work harder to get it the next time. It's not personal, it's business. They don't go into denial that it's competition but they can be friends too. And if they're both getting screwed by foreign competition, they may even share some data to get that business back in domestic hands.
Friends/ Allies/ Enemies/ Competitors...those are some blurred lines!
Don't fool yourself--we do compete in some ways. Some readers have a limited budget so they may want your book but other authors rank above you. This is a good place to be. We're always trying to improve our writing. Move up to that next level. Strive for excellence...keep writing!
But there are other competing factors. Pricing and location are key and authors with publishers don't control either of those. Publishers need to to do their homework. To understand they (and we authors who self pub some of our work) CAN'T control the consumer. We can suggest/ encourage them to buy in one place over another...but do you want Coca Cola to tell you they'll only be at Costco, not Sam's Club too? Or the other way around? You're the consumer...you want it where you want it or you might buy an alternative. Whether you're Coke, Pepsi, or Dr. Pepper...we all want to be in stock on the shelves everywhere we can (EXCEPT pirate sites--but that's another topic).
The customer (the reader) is always right. You want it at Amazon...buy it there. IF a publisher wants to entice readers to their site instead...they need to make it worth the effort. Bonus content free? Buy 10 get 1 ebook free (I know many readers who prefer All Romance Ebooks because of this deal and their rebate offers). Epubs can do incentive programs--some do and I don't know that it actually works. Not enough benefit? Or is it just that the readers value the convenience to buy all books in once place more than the individual epub incentives?
As an authors, I want my readers to be happy! That's the smartest business plan any pub (NY or small) can have. The hardest part is finding the info on what's changing and how I need to adjust to be positioned right to keep the readers happy. While I'm busy writing things can change. The market can shift quickly...so READERS, please tell your favorite authors what you want. Publishers don't always listen to us either...so if you have favorite publishers...tell them too :D Facebook and website with contact info give you the access! Comment and share your opinion! Vote with your reviews if nothing else.
Business is a part of the writing life a lot of authors don't like. They want to write! Some enjoy promotion, some don't. Some love to analyze trends and numbers, others don't. We all love to meet readers who like our books but bad reviews sting. We're people but all business is made up of people.
I want to stay in business! I want to keep on writing and sometimes that means dealing with the less fun aspects.
Businesses change. Trends shift. Markets and tastes are hard to track at times. Epubs come and go. Business shifts with things like self publishing and how Amazon ranks books.
E publishing freed a lot of authors from the NY system and provided options. NY is slowly changing and learning what readers what, how they want it, and what is workable in the new marketplace. They have a huge structure that needs to be reorganized.
Still, people are creatures of habit. We get used to a routine and we like it. Sometimes epubs do this as well. It's good to be King of your realm and have it your way.
Here's another way to look at it. Henry Ford once said "they can have any color car as long as it's black."
At that time, Ford at the only reliable/ affordable car for the general population. So if you wanted one...you came to his company and bought what he had stock in or you waited for one.
Power Advantage = Ford.
Is that how it is today?? I drive a Chevy. My sister, a Toyota and the color choices are endless.
Great businessmen (and women) are GREAT because they see the new needs. The NEW opportunities. Ford could play the power game for a while but the competition would catch up. They'd offer more things to get customers to come to them. There will always be competition, problems, and new challenges.
When I was in accounting, I worked with A LOT of salesmen. As a company, we knew who our competitors were (domestic and foreign). You had to fight for business at times--China would undercut pricing etc...
In publishing, we don't want to think about competition. Readers want lots of books! We're all good. All warm fuzzies, hugs, and happy thoughts around. The competition here is very different.
Guess what? It's NOT! Competing salesmen are nice to each other. They don't take it personally if you get a sale and they don't. They just work harder to get it the next time. It's not personal, it's business. They don't go into denial that it's competition but they can be friends too. And if they're both getting screwed by foreign competition, they may even share some data to get that business back in domestic hands.
Friends/ Allies/ Enemies/ Competitors...those are some blurred lines!
Don't fool yourself--we do compete in some ways. Some readers have a limited budget so they may want your book but other authors rank above you. This is a good place to be. We're always trying to improve our writing. Move up to that next level. Strive for excellence...keep writing!
But there are other competing factors. Pricing and location are key and authors with publishers don't control either of those. Publishers need to to do their homework. To understand they (and we authors who self pub some of our work) CAN'T control the consumer. We can suggest/ encourage them to buy in one place over another...but do you want Coca Cola to tell you they'll only be at Costco, not Sam's Club too? Or the other way around? You're the consumer...you want it where you want it or you might buy an alternative. Whether you're Coke, Pepsi, or Dr. Pepper...we all want to be in stock on the shelves everywhere we can (EXCEPT pirate sites--but that's another topic).
The customer (the reader) is always right. You want it at Amazon...buy it there. IF a publisher wants to entice readers to their site instead...they need to make it worth the effort. Bonus content free? Buy 10 get 1 ebook free (I know many readers who prefer All Romance Ebooks because of this deal and their rebate offers). Epubs can do incentive programs--some do and I don't know that it actually works. Not enough benefit? Or is it just that the readers value the convenience to buy all books in once place more than the individual epub incentives?
As an authors, I want my readers to be happy! That's the smartest business plan any pub (NY or small) can have. The hardest part is finding the info on what's changing and how I need to adjust to be positioned right to keep the readers happy. While I'm busy writing things can change. The market can shift quickly...so READERS, please tell your favorite authors what you want. Publishers don't always listen to us either...so if you have favorite publishers...tell them too :D Facebook and website with contact info give you the access! Comment and share your opinion! Vote with your reviews if nothing else.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Thank you Menage Fans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've nominated for 7...I think I counted right...7 ménage romance fan's awards!!!!
Thanks so much :) I can't even believe it!
Voting is now open...so please vote! There is no limit...
As we say in Chicago, Vote Early, Vote Often!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Jfx3QJppMCsvcpWXlrT68qzMDqnvfHk5-21X0VV9Dm8/viewform
There is some amazing competition so hopefully I can succeed in one category!
I'm really excited that Sterling New Year is up for best Holiday Ménage! It's doing wonderful on Amazon thanks to all of you!!
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,095 Paid in Kindle Store
- #25 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Holidays
Thanks again and please go vote for your favs, whoever they are! I love these awards because they celebrate a genre I can't get enough of! I love writing it and love the fans out there who can't get enough either :)
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