You finally get around to buying that book you've been eying on Amazon. You paid 2.99 for several hours of entertainment and feel pretty good. Cheaper than a movie rental or a hardcover at B&N.
Then it goes on sale! For .99!
And you feel so ripped off.
I get this. No one likes to feel like they just threw away two bucks.
So, why do authors do this?
I'll tell you why, but first I have to say there's no good time to go on sale. There's always going to be someone who bought the day or so before and you know you're going to tick someone off.
I did.
Here's the review to prove it.
Ok, I enjoyed Clockwise and would write a rave review about it but I just noticed now coming to write the review the book I bought a few days ago for 2.99 it is now only .99. That just irks me beyond words! Why do authors do that? This is not the first time it has happened to me. I may give up buying books over .99 from now on.
Anyway, buy the book.
If you're a reader and you want to know why authors do this, here are the reasons:
1) We need to sell books in order to justify all the time and money spent writing and publishing them.
2) Amazon is set up in such away that the more people who buy your book (at any price, even free) the more they will tell people about your book and the more people will buy it. It's the algorithm merry-go-round. (B&N and others have even less effective ways to get word out about your book.)
3) If you find your book isn't selling enough at the price it's listed in order to hop on that merry-go-round, then you have to lower your price so that you can.
4) You can only hope that people who bought at the higher price will still think they got good value at 2.99 and will still enjoy reading your book while they sip the 4.50 cup of coffee they bought at Starbucks.
So now you know why.
I agree that even in me it does produce a little of the feeling of 'I might as well wait until it goes free' because I have plenty of books laying around to read while I wait. And I do understand why that frustrates readers. But I also understand it's a part self publishing.
ReplyDeleteAfter working in retail for eight years, I have to say that I'm never frustrated by books going on sale, even if I just paid full price for them. It's the way the system works, whether you're self-published or not! I get no more frustrated over buying a book and then having it go on sale than I do over paying full price for a pair of pants I love only to have them go on sale the next week. Maybe a moment or two of "argh! Universe! Why are you working against me?" but no frustration at the author OR seller. It's just part of the nature of things.
ReplyDeleteI usually have this feeling around music, with me reluctant to buy singles and for me to want to wait for when the album comes out a few months later.
ReplyDeleteFor example, I brought the song "Turn Me On" by David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj (don't judge) from his album. However, I found out briefly after that that same song was intended to be put on the deluxe edition of her upcoming album.
Yeah, there's the whole money deal. But unlike books, most people who buy music buy the singles anyways. There's the whole money obligation that keeps everyone from just ripping tracks off YouTube anyways.
What Louise said!
ReplyDeleteA couple of dollars more doesn't bother me. But if I paid 14.99 and then it went on sale that hurts a wee bit more!
ReplyDeleteEverything goes on sale! It happens. I'm so glad you tweeted about yours. It's been on my TBR list, and when I saw the drop in price, I jumped on it. I appreciate it as a reader and a consumer.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you posted about this issue, Elle.
ReplyDeleteIf I really like a book, I don't care if someone else gets it free or at a reduced price later. That happens all the time for a lot of things we purchase.
The free sample download and cover sells it for me. If I like the first two or three chapters, I don't really care if the book is .99,$2.99, or $16.99. I will buy it to find out what happens to the main character introduced in chapter one. That is the way I have always made my purchasing decision for books and it works for me.