To Whom This Concerns:
You need to stop doing ebooks wrong. You're charging full physical price for ebooks. I've been looking, and the fact is, that most of you are following the footsteps of Traditional Publishing in fiction. Thankfully, the content issue is not present; you are gatekeepers, but you're trying to present truth while you make money. But most of you are still charging $5-6 on the very low end, with most of your books going for $9 and up.
Please, take a look at the Amazon kindle bestsellers. most of these are going for $3-5 and in nonfiction, some books get up to about $9, which, honestly, is about the most I'd ever pay for a non-physical book, and it better be blasted good, as well as non-fiction, which sells less. Quintus Curtius' recent translation of Cicero's On Duties is an excellent example here. I was acquainted slightly with both the translator's thoughts, and Cicero, and this was an excellent translation and layout. That is the top quality and content you should be putting at the level of $9.99, and really, you're going to have to have a huge book to justify more.
As to your fiction, let's ignore the issues you have with writing quality. Your fiction needs to be dropped in price for ebooks. Relax, you'll move far more copies, and your cost doesn't go up with sales like with print. Don't believe me? Please, contact Baen books and Castalia House for some numbers regarding ebooks. They should be happy to help, as you aren't direct competition. Read some of Mad Genius Club, where most of the authors self publish at least some of their work, and find that indie and self publishing sales are going up, and tradpub sales down, as a percentage of money, not just copies.
I'm well aware you have staff to support, but treating ebooks as second class is actually hurting your sales. Most of the time these days, I only get my Christian books used, from my local library's friendshop. Yes, I'm finding excellent used books for $1-2 that are excellent, published by Ignatius, TAN, and others. You need to realize that used books are your direct competition, and by putting your ebooks at the price you have, you lose money. Please, get the prices down to $3-6. You'll find a lot of sales you didn't have before.
Respectfully,
Alfred Genesson
The Injsutice Gamer
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Agree! I also wonder why puritanical characters are key. Jesus drank wine with sinners. He made the best wine from water at a wedding. Paul told Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach (remember butterflies? Nervousness? He had been intimidated). So while I believe everything else needs to be carefully edited out, Christians fall into horrible habits, yet when do we in writing actually talk about it? OH yes, before being saved. If the Bible was sent to an agent or PH, it would be turned down for seduction, rape, debauchery, murder, graphic violence, falling away time and again from the Word of God both OT and NT. I see the PH as hypocrites (Pharisees). Backsliding, in Christian novels, poor judgment is just...not...allowed. Who can relate to that??
ReplyDelete