One of the biggest questions for self-publishing authors, is what to charge for your ebooks. Many sources will tell you that there’s a “magic number” or a formula or something that will answer this question for you, but in reality it’s not that simple. Different audiences, genres, regions, and marketing approaches all lend themselves to different pricing habits.
There are many factors that go into pricing an ebook, as I stated above. Some authors will want to go for sales, some for a fan base. There are sweet spots in the pricing game that will help you a little in choosing a price, but it’s really a personal choice. You also take things into account like royalties and programs that certain price ranges qualify for in the digital marketplaces where you host your book. If you want to see some hard numbers, check out these graphs and factoids from TechCrunch: Ten Things You May Not Know About Ebook Prices.
Publisher’s Weekly posted a great article called DIY: How to Price a Self-Published Ebook on the steps to take and thoughts behind pricing your ebook. They talk a little about an author’s goals, and go deeper into the long-term success of your book. Sometimes more than one road leads to the same place, and there’s more than one way to go about selling your work.
Finally, there’s another perspective on selling your work: that your work is valuable, and you should price it accordingly. The Launch Coach talks a little bit about selling yourself short in his article called How to Price an Ebook So People Will Buy It. It’s a great reminder that a lot of hard work and long nights went into the creation that you’re about to sell, and you should keep that in mind. With the right marketing, your audience will believe the same, and you can sell your book competitively.
We hope that the pricing question is a little simpler to answer after these informative posts, and wish you all the best of luck in your journey to successfully publishing your book!