Post #204 February 24 2020

“Pricing Your Work in Today’s Market”

The year 2020 has proven to be an interesting year for me as an online author.  Last year, with all my works available through Smashwords and other fine ebook retailers set to free, my total net downloads were 24,042.  Not bad for a relative unknown.  This year, I have continued to maintain all titles that have been free as free downloads.  Seems only fair.

However, I have been persuaded by some of my writer friends to start putting prices on my new work.  I uploaded the first ‘priced’ title on February 7.  The price is set to $0.99…in other words ninety-nine cents.  The title is Quantum Troopers Return Episode 1: Fab Lords and it is episode 1 of a proposed 10-episode series for this year.

Total downloads for all titles in 2020 so far? 1020.  Total downloads for my one priced title?  A grand total of two.  That’s right.  2.

Aside from the obvious fact that people don’t want to pay for something they think they can get for free, what causes this buying behavior?  More particularly, why put a price now on my work?  Some thoughts….

1.  Many friends (including some writer friends) have told me I have the download numbers to justify pricing at least my new work.  I happen to agree.  The numbers are what they are.
2. Writing stories is hard work.  If you don’t think so, try it.  In my case, some of my work are multiple episodes of a series, with a public upload schedule that I am loath to ignore.  So, there’s time pressure.
3. Readers value what they download more when there’s a price.  I feel that way when I pay $30 for a hardcover book, which admittedly isn’t often these days.  If they really want to read the work, they’ll buy it.  Which leads me to this…
4. Do they really want to read my work?  Judging from the response to the one priced title, I’d have to say, no…not really.  But then how to explain the 24,000 downloads last year?

When I first joined the Smashwords community, I did have prices on my initial uploaded work.  Downloads were respectable but eventually plateaued off.  I checked with Smashwords for recommendations on how to boost your downloads and one of their recommendations was to lower the price or try setting your work to free, just to see what happens.  So, I did that.

Lo and behold, my downloads took off.  Really spiked and they’ve stayed high ever since.  Why did I keep setting my uploads to free?  I told myself I was trying to build a readership and since I was an unknown author, when you uploaded my work and it was free, you really weren’t taking much of a chance.  My total downloads since I went online with Smashwords and other retailers is now at 43,656.  Other things I’m doing to connect with potential readers is writing and hosting this Word Shed blog.

So that is the situation today.  I’m keeping all titles that have been free before free for now.  New titles that I upload this year will have a price, something between 99 cents and $1.99 or thereabouts.  I’m confident enough of my work and my small readership to feel that I can encourage downloads even of titles with prices.  And as Smashwords always reminds their authors, write the best damn book you can and don’t upload it until you’ve made it your best work. 

I’ll keep you posted on further developments in this area.  In the meantime, many thanks to the 2 brave downloaders who paid 99 cents each for Quantum Troopers Return: Episode 1: Fab Lords.  My payout from this is now up to $1.12.

The next post to The Word Shed comes on March 2, 2020.  See you then.

Phil B.