Should Indie Authors Charge $2.99 for Short Books?

You Want to Charge $3 for 35 Pages???

I charge .99 because I am a reader as well as a writer, and I want to make my books affordable. However, I wonder if am I losing potential readers because of my price.

I really want to know what readers think on this one. If you are familiar with my work, you know I normally write novelettes (between 12,000 - 18,000 words). I personally like erotica at that length and feel comfortable charging .99. I am confident it is worth at least that much for the hot sex scenes. ;)

I have been noticing other erotica authors charging 2.99 for the same length novelettes and I am a little shocked, especially if it is part of a series. If an author charges that much for five novelettes within a series, he/she has just made the reader pay $15 bucks for what ends up being a simple novel by the end. That is a lot of money!

* For those not in the industry, an indie author makes 35% for books under 2.99 and 70% for any books sold 2.99 or higher on Amazon. There is a financial incentive for charging more.

However, I think 2.99 is too much for books under 20,000 words. Yet if you look on Amazon's erotica list right now, you will see the series Anything He Wants is doing VERY well, even though reviewers are complaining about the price of the last two novelettes.

So, my question is this:

Do you generally feel that a book is more viable if there is a higher price attached to it - no matter the length?
Let me put it more bluntly...
Do you feel a  .99 book is normally not worth reading?
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Published on July 11, 2012 12:02
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message 1: by Kay (new)

Kay I personally only read your first book because it was free, and then was able to read the rest of the series once I was hooked because they were 99 cents a piece. If they had been 2.99, I wouldn't have been able to have read the rest of the Brie series! Right now I just don't have the funds to splurge like that, especially on erotica!


message 2: by Red (new)

Red Phoenix Kristen wrote: "I personally only read your first book because it was free, and then was able to read the rest of the series once I was hooked because they were 99 cents a piece. If they had been 2.99, I wouldn't ..."

Good, then I am very satisfied with my price. Thanks for the input, Kristen! :)


message 3: by RomanceLover (new)

RomanceLover I love the fact that your books are priced at 99c which means they're easily affordable for me. I bought the first Sara Fawkes one (Anything He Wants) because it was 99c and had good reviews and I really enjoyed it. But I haven't bought the next 2 books in the series because they're both $2.99 and I've read all the reviews for them that complain about the price because the books are too short which has also made me think twice about buying the sequels. However, if the sequels were 99c I would have bought them right away. If they were $1.99 I probably would have bought book 2 but would only have bought book 3 at $1.99 if book 2 had satisfied me. I just wonder how many returns she's getting since so many people are complaining that the books are too short for the price?

I bought a $2.99 erotica book by J S Scott a few weeks ago and while I enjoyed it, I felt a bit ripped off because for $2.99 I thought it should have been at least 20% longer than it was, and I think it had about 50-60 pages in it.

I'm mostly "buying" free erotica on Amazon or occasionally 99c ones that have great reviews. Your books are the only ones I buy whether they're free or 99c and I'm up to no 10 in the Troy/Amy series, waiting for the new Brie and have read the first two Blisfully books and just waiting for the fourth Blissfully to come out so then I can read 3 and 4 straight after each other :-)

I think you provide really good value for your readers at 99c. If you put your prices up I would still buy your books but that's because I'm familiar with your work and look forward to every new book you put out and I only started reading your books about 6 weeks ago!

But if I wasn't familiar with your work I would be hesitant to spend $2.99 on a short erotica novelette and I'm denying myself books 2 and 3 of the Anything He Wants series because I think it's too expensive.


message 4: by Juanita (new)

Juanita Completely agree with Jen.

Today was payday for me and I went to Amazon and bought every book of yours that I had not yet purchased . If you charged more per book I could not have done it.


message 5: by Red (new)

Red Phoenix Juanita wrote: "Completely agree with Jen.

Today was payday for me and I went to Amazon and bought every book of yours that I had not yet purchased . If you charged more per book I could not have done it."


Well Juanita, you are just crazy! :) Enjoy and thanks.

~Red


message 6: by Red (new)

Red Phoenix Jen wrote: "I love the fact that your books are priced at 99c which means they're easily affordable for me. I bought the first Sara Fawkes one (Anything He Wants) because it was 99c and had good reviews and I ..."

I am with you, Jen. Honestly, for 2.99 it has to be a novel and I want it to be good. I too have read books (that were free for a day) for 2.99 and was shocked and the length and editing.

2.99 doesn't seem like a lot, unless you are an avid reader and suck down books all the time - then it adds up WAY too fast.

Your point that the .99 books allow people become familiar with my writing is well taken. Selfishly, I like ALL of my books, so I want them to be read. :)

Keeping it at .99.

~Red

PS - thanks for reading so many! BTW, I like your idea of waiting to read #3 so you can read it back to back with #4. Me, I couldn't wait. I'm immature that way.


message 7: by Juanita (new)

Juanita Red wrote: "Juanita wrote: "Completely agree with Jen.

Today was payday for me and I went to Amazon and bought every book of yours that I had not yet purchased . If you charged more per book I could not have..."


Red wrote: "Juanita wrote: "Completely agree with Jen.

Today was payday for me and I went to Amazon and bought every book of yours that I had not yet purchased . If you charged more per book I could not have..."

True I am crazy. Mostly for your books. Thanks for noticing . Been working work at it for years.:-)


message 8: by Kimberly (new)

Kimberly I think $.99 is a great price for a book. But IMO I think that if there are going to be a whole lot of books in that series then maybe putting 2 books into 1..at least every now and then. Giving the reader a little bit more to read. I LOVE the Brie series and am waiting for the new one to come out. You have me hooked and can't wait to read what happens next. Keep up the awesome job!


message 9: by RomanceLover (new)

RomanceLover Can't wait for Brie #6, Red :-) Will buy it as soon as it's out!


message 10: by Red (new)

Red Phoenix Kimberly wrote: "I think $.99 is a great price for a book. But IMO I think that if there are going to be a whole lot of books in that series then maybe putting 2 books into 1..at least every now and then. Giving th..."

Kimberly, there will be 3 more after #6 comes out next week. One a month, that's my goal. :) Tickles me that you are enjoying the Brie series!


message 11: by RomanceLover (new)

RomanceLover Hi Red, I was wondering if there were going to be 9 in total (5 for each week after the first half week at the school). The auctions are one of my favourite parts :-)


message 12: by Red (new)

Red Phoenix Yep, 9 total in the series. The last will not have an auction, because Miss Brie will choose her Dom in a lovely ceremony. :)

~Red


message 13: by Kelly| Just Another Horror Reader (last edited Jul 15, 2012 05:49AM) (new)

Kelly| Just Another Horror Reader I didn't know she'd be able to choose her Dom at the end of the series, Red! Lucky Brie!

To answer your question, I don't feel charging a higher price makes a book more viable. I've read many 99cent and free books that were better than the more expensive ones.
Charging $2.99 for a novelette is ridiculous, in my opinion.


message 14: by Red (new)

Red Phoenix The girls are given the chance if they feel that have met their Dom, otherwise they can continue to search. It is going to be a nail biter which one she will choose. (grins)

~Red


Kelly| Just Another Horror Reader Well aren't you the clever one! I know who she better chose! I would chose (in my fantasy world!) and it wouldn't be who I want Brie to chose!

On a side note, our power is out and I'm typing with my thumbs again! So I'm hot, and not in a good way, and I have sore thumbs! lol! ;)


message 16: by Red (new)

Red Phoenix So I'm hot... and I have sore thumbs! lol! ;)

Here I was imagining you were with a sexy Dom and he had thumb cuffs on you. ;) Sorry it is just from lack of power, girlfriend.

~Red


Kelly| Just Another Horror Reader That sounds like a better way to get sore thumbs, Red. ;)

~ Kelly aka LG


message 18: by RomanceLover (new)

RomanceLover Ooh! At this stage I'm guessing it's between Sir and Tono although sometimes I wonder about Blue Eyes :-)

Can't wait to read the rest of the books :-)


message 19: by Red (new)

Red Phoenix Jen wrote: "Ooh! At this stage I'm guessing it's between Sir and Tono although sometimes I wonder about Blue Eyes :-)"

There are a few Doms hanging out on the sidelines about to make their move. :)


message 20: by Kimberly (new)

Kimberly Red wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "I think $.99 is a great price for a book. But IMO I think that if there are going to be a whole lot of books in that series then maybe putting 2 books into 1..at least every now an..."

Yes i am enjoying them. :)
Its hard for me to get into a series with so many books but I can't put them down. My husband has been dissappionted at my reading so much, lol. Guess I will have to make it up to him later.


message 21: by Red (new)

Red Phoenix Kimberly wrote: "My husband has been dissappionted at my reading so much, lol. Guess I will have to make it up to him later. "

(Smile) Good to hear it. That is the point of the books after all. ;)


message 22: by RomanceLover (last edited Jul 16, 2012 09:15PM) (new)

RomanceLover Cool, Red :-) I was just thinking of Baron this morning, can't believe I forgot him yesterday. And it will be interesting to meet more Doms.

I was also thinking this morning, are you going to write about Brie's adventures with her Dom after graduation?


message 23: by RomanceLover (new)

RomanceLover I just noticed yesterday on Amazon that Anything He Wants 2 is now $1.99 and I have to admit that I bought it but haven't read it yet. No 3 is still $2.99 though.


message 24: by Red (new)

Red Phoenix Jen wrote: "I just noticed yesterday on Amazon that Anything He Wants 2 is now $1.99 and I have to admit that I bought it but haven't read it yet. No 3 is still $2.99 though."

She is smart then. When people stop buying it does send a signal. I really do wish her success, just thought she went a little crazy with the price considering the length. :)


message 25: by RomanceLover (new)

RomanceLover I totally agree. I hope she lowers the price of Anything He Wants 3 as well if I still want to buy #3 after reading #2 :-)

Although I noticed last night that when the product description says 7 pages for example, there are more pages than that on my Kindle. So I'm wondering if sometimes that applies to Word pages and not Kindle pages? I have it on normal sized font, eg 12 pt.


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