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By David Rothman

image “…Because there’s another side to this. Price too cheaply and people think you’re selling crap. I mean we’re conditioned to believe that there’s no such thing as a free lunch and you get what you pay for. I know I’ve learned that lesson the hard way a time or twenty. So if I were looking at a publisher, the question would be: Why are their books so cheap ?Nothing against Books for a Buck or other publishers who have similar pricing models, but really, if it’s only a dollar, how come?” – Post in the blog of Pink Petal Books.

The TeleRead take: OK, Rob, take it away. As proprietor of BooksForABook, how would you respond to that quote and the rest of the item? Meanwhile people need to keep in mind that, no, Rob Preece does not price every book at that level—far from it. Midlife Murder, Amy Eastlake’s novel shown above, is going for $1 during its introductory month, ending May 13, after which the price will be $3.99.

My own feeling: It’s a book-by-book decision, and as a trained economist, Rob is in a better position than most to consider all the variables. The more chances shoppers take, such as on a new writer, the less pricing power the publisher will enjoy. Good marketing and publicity, including the right blurbs, can increase pricing power for e-publishers. So can interactivity between readers and writers. Good writing? Sure. But first readers have to discover the author and the work. OK, gang, what other factors? And how about fiction vs. nonfiction pricing, and also pricing among genres and topics?

Related: Rob’s guidelines FAQ for writers.

 
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