To Bundle or Not to Bundle: The Pros and Cons of Boxed Sets for Readers and Authors

Welcome Seekerville guest, Candee Fick!

Happy May Day to everyone in Seekerville!

I don’t know about you, but I am more than ready for Spring weather. In some parts of the country, people say that April showers bring May flowers. Well, here in Colorado—especially this year when it snowed on Easter Sunday and dumped an additional foot of the white stuff a few days later—we’re more inclined to say that April snow makes May things grow…
However, there’s just something about Spring that gives my heart Hope. Maybe it’s the fresh greenery, the scent of blooming flowers, or the warmth of sun on my face after being cooped up inside for months. (And that was before the recent pandemic orders!) But there’s also the reminder that after the dark and cold and barrenness, there is still the promise of Life and Love.
That’s why when a group of fellow authors and I started planning to do a boxed set collection together, I was thrilled that we decided the stories had to be set in the spring or early summer. And while weekends are not the usual for such things, we also picked Mother’s Day 2020 as our launch day for the Love is in the Air collection.

Love Is In The Air 

Yes, that’s in just 10 days… Which means I’ve got boxed sets on the brain! So, let’s talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly, starting with an overview.
When I say boxed set, there’s actually no box involved at all (unless you look at the picture). It’s merely a visual representation that “inside” there is a collection of multiple ebooks. Those books could be part of a series by the same author, or—like our set—a compilation from different authors with a common theme like Christmas, mail order brides, or in our case flying in planes or hot air balloons.
The good news for voracious readers is that they get numerous books for one low price. (And by low, I mean that often these sets are priced at just .99 especially during the pre-order stage.) Readers also get to enjoy books by their favorites plus discover new authors at the same time.
And the good news for authors is that they can get discovered by new readers while multiplying the reach of their marketing efforts through cross-promotion and a pooled budget.
But there’s a lot of work involved in putting together such a set.


In addition to the writing and editing of the individual stories, there’s cover design (individually and collectively), deciding the order to present them, compiling together, formatting, uploading to the publishing platform(s), deciding on the price, and then all of the marketing including guest blogs, social media posts, email blasts, newsletter swaps, and advertising. There are additional logistics and a lot of communication required when it comes to decision making, assigning of jobs, budgeting, and transparency with accounting. Of course, most of these tasks are part of any book launch, so splitting the load between the group of authors makes it easier individually.
For readers, the only bad thing about a boxed set is that they are usually only available in ebook formats. Why? Our set is 743 pages long…which would be a beast to format and expensive to print therefore even more expensive to buy making it less likely to turn a profit for the amount of time invested in creating a print version. So, authors save the work and readers have to be content with electronic files.

Love Is In The Air link
For authors, the biggest downside to a boxed set is financial. For a .99 book on Amazon, authors only make a third of that. Divide that by five authors and you’ll see that’s a lot of work for six copper pennies per sale. Unless of course we sell thousands of copies. Or those new readers we hoped to attract buy other titles from us. Which is why most authors in boxed sets join for the marketing exposure and not the money.
And the ugly of boxed sets that I hinted at? I’ve been blessed with my co-authors not to experience any of this, but I’ve heard horror stories about personality conflicts, mediation, stolen royalties, and the like. We prevented a lot of problems early on with clear communication and accountability, but I can see how things could get ugly.
So, there you have it. The good, the bad, and the ugly of boxed sets. I brought a giant (virtual) platter of homemade, gooey cinnamon rolls to share while we chat. Oh, and as an additional treat, I’m also giving away an electronic copy of one of my books. Just join the conversation to be put in the drawing.
Do you enjoy collections? What new authors have you discovered through boxed sets? Which of your favorite authors would you love to see work together on a set? And if you’ve been on the author-side of such a collection (and I know there were a few original Seeker collections…), what did you gain from the experience?
P.S. Remember that steal of deal at .99? The pre-order special ends on Mother’s Day so if you like Contemporary Christian romance, grab your copy of Love is in the Air today.
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Love is in the Air: 5 Contemporary Christian Romanceshttps://books2read.com/u/3LDxaD  ~ Preorder Price of .99

This collection of five brand new romances is sure to send your heart soaring. Journey from Canada to Georgia and Colorado to Paris by way of Michigan as these couples find love is in the air. All they had to do was look up.
Titles include:
First Class, Wrong Flight by Laura V. HiltonA Castle in the Clouds by Candee FickFlying into Love by Kathleen RouserWritten in the Clouds by Kathleen FriesenTo Gain Forever by Tanya Eavenson-------BIO: Candee Fick is a multipublished, award-winning author. She is also the wife of a high school football coach and the mother of three children, including a daughter with a rare genetic syndrome. When not busy writing, editing, or coaching other authors, she can be found cheering on the home team at sporting events, exploring the great Colorado outdoors, indulging in dark chocolate, and savoring happily-ever-after endings through a good book.
Want to connect? Sign up for her email list or check out her website www.CandeeFick.com