Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy discussion
General Discussion
>
How much would you spend on a self epubbed book?
date
newest »
newest »
I usually won't spend more than $4.99 but there have been rare occasions where I have spent $5.99 or even $7.99, mostly if it is an author that I already love or a series I have already been invested in.
$2.99 Not because it's an indie, but because I hate spending on virtual stuff. If I'm going to spend more I want to be able to hold it in my hands. Since indie books are often not printed, I may consider it but the synopsis would have to scream to me that I've got to have it, which didn't happen yet (with books at higher cost that is). Also it depends on the length. I've seen indie books sold for $5.99 with around a hundred page. No thank you.
G.G. wrote: "$2.99 Not because it's an indie, but because I hate spending on virtual stuff. If I'm going to spend more I want to be able to hold it in my hands. Since indie books are often not printed, I may c..." That is a really good point about the length, I have a hard time spending more than $2.99 for ANY book under 100 pages, even loved series.
2.99 is as high as I'll go. GG hit the nail on the head. To spend big bucks, there actually has to be a physical book involved.
I'll agree with the $2.99, but usually it has to be from an author that I've already read before and know I'll like it. If I've never read from that author before, it's odd for me to spend even that much. This is mostly because I'm a total cheapskate! haha! I can admit it! Honestly, I never spend more than $2.99 for ANY book - even ones by big publishers. I'll wait until it goes on sale! I also agree with the length - if it's 100 pages or less, I won't pay much more than $.99. Also, I'm not a fan of the fad of serials - I won't even start a first book, even if it's free if it's part of a serial!
I have read 'series' that were complete books. Some I wouldn't even have known they were part of a series if the author hadn't mentioned it. Mine is a series, but it can be read as a stand alone. People should be satisfied without having to open the next one.However, I stay away from Series with huge cliffhangers. I have been burnt a few times with those so if it says in a review that it ends in that manner, I will not read it. Most of the time it feels as if they just cut the story in half to make two (or 3).
I think the real question is "how much will you spend to try an author WHO IS NEW TO YOU". Whether or not they're self-pubbed isn't as important -- that raises a whole new bunch of completely different questions like "is it well-edited?" and "is it properly laid out so pages aren't missing, etc?". $2.99 is a reasonable amount for me to risk for an unknown indie author. That said, once I'm hooked on an indie author, I'll happily pay 5.99 or more for their ebook!
I am glad to know people buy books at all... The amount of free stuff around makes it hard for me to keep up!I think the market is saturated with so many books, it's hard to know what is good and what is not - even the reviews are misleading!
Thanks for raising the issue - interesting for me to know :)
That depends. How much did they spend on an editor?
A definite NO for me is when an e-book costs more than the paperback form.
MadameZelda wrote: "A definite NO for me is when an e-book costs more than the paperback form."I have to admit this frustrates me. If I can drive 10 minutes to my local Barnes & Noble and buy a paperback for $7.19 I hate to have to pay $7.99 for the same book in digital format. If I can get it at Walmart for $5.29 I for darned sure don't want to pay $7.99!
A lot of indie authors pay for editing, cover art, formatting, advertising, etc, themselves. My guess is $250-350 is usual for those. They need to at least recoup their cost. At a royalty of $0.34 per book (which retails on Amazon for $0.99), they would need to sell almost 1000 copies just to break even. Not all books sell 1000 copies, though, so the author would take a loss. But if they charged $2.99 per book they receive $1.94 per copy, so they would have to sell only 180 copies to break even. It makes sense, then, for the author to charge enough to make a profit so thy can pay the bills while they write the next book.
Sorry to pop in with numbers. I'm never quite sure if I should, so mods,feel free to delete this post if it isn't appropriate. Writing is s joy, but also a business.
Vidya wrote: "How high would you be willing to go for a self pubbed ebook that had a blurb or concept that made you really want to read it?$2.99 for a new author, if the book sounds intriguing and has decent reviews; up to $5.99 if it is in a series I have fallen in love with; should cost less than a hard-copy (pass the savings on), but I actually prefer the e-books 100% of the time.
Of course, I am much more likely to try a free or 99 cent first-in-a-series, and then am happy to spend more on the sequels.
Thx for the numbers Maddy! I've always wondered how that works.
Thanks, Maddy! I had no idea about the facts and figures. An eye opener!
Delta wrote: "Vidya wrote: "How high would you be willing to go for a self pubbed ebook that had a blurb or concept that made you really want to read it?$2.99 for a new author, if the book sounds intriguing an..."
I'm the same way and that is how I found some of my fav new authors from B&Ns free book give away they use to do on Friday. So let say I start with a free read and really like the sires of a indie author I am well to spend 2.99 and to 4.99 on a ebook. If its a none idie book and I can find it some were cheaper I will.
I will rarely pay more than $5 for an ebook from traditional/indy/small press.For self-pub that's well reviewed (and not obviously sock puppets), I'll go as high as $1.99, but usually my target is $0.99.
I don't actually care too much if it's an indie author or not. What I evaluate my value-for-money on is if the blurb is catchy, well-written and error-free, the preview further sparks my interest (and shows good storytelling and grasp of language) and of course the reviews.
If all these things aren't up to 'my standards' then it could be thrown at me by Bloomberg, I'd still duck.
That being said, I'd rarely go above £3.99 (sorry, I use amazon.co.uk so not quite sure what that is in $ - maybe around $5??)for a non-physical copy of any fictional book, unless it's an omnibus or just longer than average (thinking George RR Martin-length), and not if I'm not already familiar with the author.
I don't think I've paid more than $8.99 for an ebook but I have spent that before - I find when I've paid $2.99 or less they are more novella's but that is just my experience. I don't mind paying $5+ as long as I enjoy the story, than to me it's worth it.
I read in a couple self publish how-to books that $2.99 is a good price because people are more apt to impulse buy. If you go up from there you are less apt to get buyers especially if you don't have many high star reviews. I enjoy finding new writers and will give them a chance. What turns me off are poorly edited or written works. I also don't like thinking I've purchases a novel when I've only paid for a chapter or scene.
Pay to have a professional edit your book and if it's well written you will quickly recoup the cost.
Before ereaders came along I would treat myself to one book a week! now with e readers I can read 3-4 books a week and I'm sure a lot of people's habbits have changed. So with my family budget I spend no more than £3 which is about $4.50.I appreciate authors have to make money but without ereaders I don't think they would sell nearly as many books! With the likes of GR its having free advertising.
I don't think it is that easy to sell books (from experience) - I have great reviews and yet it's hard to get readers to give it a go!So, I don't think it's about the price - its about the genre, your contacts, how much time you have to market/ promote, etc...
I would happily pay more for an author I rate, but at the moment since I get loads for free I rarely need to buy. I am also a dinosaur in that I still prefer print books... So, hey...
I would love to know what makes readers read a book or how they find SP books? Anyone?
As for the question, I would not pay more than $3 for an author I don't know, and even then it is only likely to happen via recommendation - twitter, amazon forum, Goodreads, etc...
Vanessa wrote: "I would love to know what makes readers read a book or how they find SP books? Anyone? "SP books being self-published, right?
I search amazon under my favourite genre(s), look for free promos that sound interesting and/or popularity. Then read the blurb and ratings, glance the preview, and then decide if I want to give it a go.
If I have one directly recommended I'll also have a look at the blurb and preview before deciding.
Thanks for that, Sarah...Problem is there are so many that it's hard to "share" the news... I try to promote, but I don't want to hound people! I have always been better at talking about other people than myself (but I am trying).
If you have time can you look at my books and send me a message on what you think. I would appreciate the impartial advice & feedback.
Thanks a lot,
Vanessa Wester :)
I won't spend more than 3.99 on any ebook. I have one that I've wanted to read for quite some time but it's 7.99. I don't care how great the reviews are, if I spend that much, I want to be able to hold the paper copy in my hands. Then if Amazon decides to pull it from their bookshelves they can't take it back from me.
It depends on how much it's recommended by others and if it has good reviews. I will pay more if it comes recommended or has really good reviews. If I feel like I'm taking more of a risk, then I won't pay much for it.
Depends on how bad you want the book, and where your getting it. Normally, if I'm buying something I've wanted, I buy through the Nook app. All my electronic devices are android, so I can access at any time. Normally, $2.99, but I've paid $9.99 for popular new releases I really wanted to read.
at one time a lot of people, including me, would spend no more than 2.99 for a self pubbed kindle book. But I think now times have changed.
How high would you be willing to go for a self pubbed ebook that had a blurb or concept that made you really want to read it?