eBook pricing

I've recently (and belatedly) started using my Twitter account to interact with other writers and publishing industry types, and in the course of these interactions, I've seen that the majority of ebooks at Amazon.com (where my ebooks live) are priced at $2.99.  Many, as indicated in this piece in the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/20/ebooks-cheap-price_n_1160383.html?ref=books), are being offered for only $0.99 as an attempt to inspire more sales through impulse buying.  I've had my ebooks set at a selling price of $10.00 since they first came out.  There have been some sales, but I can't help but wonder if maybe I'm pricing myself out of  business.

It's so difficult to try to operate as an independent author, especially when you're self-publishing.  It's more commonplace these days, so the earlier stigma attached to self publishing is waning (excuse me while I offer a moment of thanks to all good deities).  It's also devilishly hard to drum up any sort of buzz when there is absolutely zero marketing machinery supporting the work.

I'm doing a lot of reading and a lot of research that, quite honestly, I should have done long before now.  At least I'm looking, though, so tardy or not, maybe I can still get points for the effort.  I don't have any answers, and I'm just as lost as I was when I took my first step in this direction.

I will never get rich as an author.  I'm fine with that.  I just would really like to have someone read my words.  As I say in my intro message on my website, a writer is no good without readers.  I'm happy that some people have chosen to take a chance on my books, and I only hope that they've found that the product was worth the investment.

I'm learning.  I'm writing.  I'm still breathing, which means that there's still hope for positive changes and growth.  I'm hoping that as 2012 goes on, I'll gain a little wisdom along the way.

I guess I'm just ruminating.  I really should get to work on that 300-word pitch I need to finish.  (God, but I hate writing pitches.  Anybody out there want to pitch LEW for me?  I'll pay in cookies.)

I was listening to NPR on the way to work this morning, as I do every morning. Today they had a story about the difficulties publishers are facing with marketing their books, and they shared some techniques for getting "buzz" started. Naturally, the two things these tips revolved around are the two things I just don't have and cannot generate: word of mouth and a print run with galleys to be shipped to book sellers, reviewers, and book clubs.

I was feeling pretty copacetic about the whole Irish Horse fiasco, even with the sorry state of the bank account, but now? Now I'm feeling like this has all been a huge waste of time and energy.

Every time I speak to someone who might be interested in reading the book, they're all enthusiastic about it until I mention that it's only in electronic form. I could probably sell some copies if I had them in actual physical print. The drawback? Money. This is me, without the thousands it would take to fund a print run. Furthermore, this is me, without the potential to obtain the thousands of dollars it would take - my day job doesn't pay that well (especially while I'm paying off two surgeries and a week in ICU), and the thought of obtaining a loan in this economy is ludicrous.

I'm feeling pretty discourged this morning.

Long time no see

Hi! I'm still alive, and neither space aliens nor men in white coats have collected me. I've been having more fun than the human heart can withstand lately, and it's been keeping me incommunicado. Mea culpa.

I've almost finished reworking Nightchild for the revised e-book edition, and that's good, because I'm getting really tired of the damned thing. It'll be a race to see what comes first: the completion of the typing or the match light set to the manuscript. I'm going to bet on the typing, because I have people who will slap me for playing with matches.

Once Nightchild is safely behind me once again, I can get back to Catherine's Wheel and see if I can rescue that from the shadows. I might even write something in a completely different universe, though, because right now I'm tired of Tobyn and company. Familiarity breeds contempt with imaginary people, too.

Irish Horse Productions needs a new bank account, since the old one was closed once the maintenance fees outstripped the balance. Writing is such a lucrative career. I'll be doing that while I'm on my lunch break from my day job today.

The first book, in its original bound version with the original cover art, will be available for sale at the Origins convention in Columbus, Ohio later this month. My good friends at Thenodrin Presents, who publish role-playing games and are fine people in general, will be handling the schlep-and-retail while I recover from last week's surgery. (Like I said, I've been having too much fun.)

Well, that's all the news that's unfit to print, gentle readers, and I'll be back with more once I've gotten past this little revising hurdle...