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emellaich · 10-16-2010, 01:40 AM

Ditto on what most others have said. For an author I know that I like I am likely to pay more. Also, I am likely to pay more for an unknown author from a publisher. It seems that there is significant quality risk with self-published works from unknown authors. Of course, the tough thing about this is that some publishers believe their premium is worth too much. Generally I won't pay more than $9.99 unless its someone I really like and an existing series I am anxious to latch onto.

Unless it really has good reviews (not just 4 or five reviews) I'm not likely to spend much (anything?) on a new self-published work. Realistically, this means that I look for self-published authors who have several works, and the first one is free. Once I sample the free book, I am willing to pay even more ($5 to $10) for subsequent books.

The one exception to my $9.99 rule? Baen's ARC books at $15. They've found an interesting way to monetize the value of time. If you want it so early that its not even proofread yet, you can get an advanced copy for $15. So, I'd think about ways to sell something other than just the book if you are looking for more money. Off the top of my head:

- ARC's like Baen does
- Run an ebay auction -- the highest bidder gets to name one of the characters in your book. It not only brings in some money (possibly not that much) but it generates publicity.
- On a different route, make a book free only for the first 50? 100? requests and ask each free reader to 'pay' you by leaving an honest review -- you aren't paying for biased reviews, just for leaving any reviews at all.
- If ARCs have value, I wonder if rabid readers would be willing to pay for a brief outline, and then for a copy of the book as soon as it is released? Yes, the outline would be a massive spoiler, but for fans, it might just peak their interest and getting them to generate a buzz in advance of the release. The biggest problem with this approach would be the headache if those fans think that they can critique the work and change it since its still a work in process.
- If you are into writing short stories, here is another interesting angle. Write a short story and make it free on the web. At the bottom of the story, include affiliate links to amazon, like this: Other books in this style include: The Dresden Files, by ....

Can anyone else think of ways an author can extract value from their work? Is there some way to give away a book and make money on advertising (it doesn't seem to me that you could generate enough this way, but any ideas out there?)

10-16-2010, 01:40 AM	#29
emellaich Wizard Posts: 1,101 Karma: 4388403 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Palm>Ebookman>IPaq>Axim>Cybook>Kndl2>IPAD>Kndl3SO>Voyager>Oasis	Ditto on what most others have said. For an author I know that I like I am likely to pay more. Also, I am likely to pay more for an unknown author from a publisher. It seems that there is significant quality risk with self-published works from unknown authors. Of course, the tough thing about this is that some publishers believe their premium is worth too much. Generally I won't pay more than $9.99 unless its someone I really like and an existing series I am anxious to latch onto. Unless it really has good reviews (not just 4 or five reviews) I'm not likely to spend much (anything?) on a new self-published work. Realistically, this means that I look for self-published authors who have several works, and the first one is free. Once I sample the free book, I am willing to pay even more ($5 to $10) for subsequent books. The one exception to my $9.99 rule? Baen's ARC books at $15. They've found an interesting way to monetize the value of time. If you want it so early that its not even proofread yet, you can get an advanced copy for $15. So, I'd think about ways to sell something other than just the book if you are looking for more money. Off the top of my head: - ARC's like Baen does - Run an ebay auction -- the highest bidder gets to name one of the characters in your book. It not only brings in some money (possibly not that much) but it generates publicity. - On a different route, make a book free only for the first 50? 100? requests and ask each free reader to 'pay' you by leaving an honest review -- you aren't paying for biased reviews, just for leaving any reviews at all. - If ARCs have value, I wonder if rabid readers would be willing to pay for a brief outline, and then for a copy of the book as soon as it is released? Yes, the outline would be a massive spoiler, but for fans, it might just peak their interest and getting them to generate a buzz in advance of the release. The biggest problem with this approach would be the headache if those fans think that they can critique the work and change it since its still a work in process. - If you are into writing short stories, here is another interesting angle. Write a short story and make it free on the web. At the bottom of the story, include affiliate links to amazon, like this: Other books in this style include: The Dresden Files, by .... Can anyone else think of ways an author can extract value from their work? Is there some way to give away a book and make money on advertising (it doesn't seem to me that you could generate enough this way, but any ideas out there?)