One of the challenging things about this business of independent publishing is figuring out what the market will bare. I’m still learning that, and it doesn’t help that there’s not a lot of data I can rely on for the kinds of stories I put out. I don’t write a lot of novels (that’s changing). There aren’t a lot of novellas/novelettes out there (this is also changing). So I rely on advice from friends and the occasional questionnaire.
As a result of the latter, I’ve decided to tweak the price on my latest book. Most responses indicated that pricing was an issue. If not a barrier, then at least a consideration. One person also let me know that the cover was also an issue for them. I stand by the work that my artist did. I think it communicates a lot about the story. Hopefully, that person (and others) who were hesitating due to the price will decide to bite on it for a full dollar less. One unfortunate thing about the Amazon infrastructure (if that’s the right word) is that means I’ll see a smaller slice of the pie. I’ve also changed the price at Smashwords, which still gives me a more reasonable cut of their pie. Finally, over at Payhip, the price remains the same, but if you click on the “Share and get 30% off” button it will give you a discount that puts the price at a hair less than $2.49. Plus it helps me by spreading the word.
If you get it, no matter where you get it from, a review on Amazon is like a bar of fried gold. If you’re a blogger/reviewer with an audience who love Steampunk or similar stories, touch base with me and I can send you a review copy. Enjoy!