How do I price an Ebook?

Two years ago, I wrote an eBook for Indie Children’s Authors. Since that time I received many questions pertaining to eBooks from authors. The number one question that I get asked by authors has to do with pricing eBooks. I have asked authors to do their research. However, they always follow up with horrific and confusing stories about eBook pricing. My response to the authors is the same. A decade ago, we didn’t have eBooks. People would purchase books at $5.99-$24.99 for the paperback and hardback books. The books were priced according to what people would pay for the printing cost, editing/proofreading cost, cover design/illustration, marketing expenses, publisher/distribution commission, and finally the author royalties. All of this was considered into the costs for each book whether an author decided to go Indie or not. All of these costs are still a consideration for authors except for printing costs. Therefore, authors should price their work at 50%-60% off the cover price of their books. It is not wise to price all eBooks at .99 cents. Additionally, it is not good business sense to price box sets for books beginning at $2.99. Even if you sell four hundred copies of that book as an author you will only make $418 after the outlets get their cut of the book. This will not even pay for the editing costs, cover design, and marketing costs for the book that was produced. It is also the equivalent of giving your work away for free. Readers then get the wrong impression from authors thinking the profession is one in which people work for free. There are labor laws that protect the average worker. However, none exist for authors. Therefore, authors must protect themselves from poor business practices. If authors take the previously mentioned discount off books, readers will still be able to purchase three to four eBooks for the cost of one print book.   

Pricing for Young Adult/Tween EBooks

.99 Short Stories

1.99 Novellas under 50 pages

2.99 Novellas under 100 pages

3.99 Novels over 150 pages

4.99 Novels over 200 pages

5.99 Novels over 300 pages

6.99-8.99 novel over 400 pages

9.99-14.99 book box sets

 

Pricing for Children’s EBooks

.99 Tales, Poems, and books with one illustration

1.99 Short Stories with one illustration

2.99 Children’s Book Readers

3.99 Series books

4.99 Series books with illustrations

5.99 Children’s books with full illustrations

6.99 Full novels for children

 

Pricing for Nonfiction EBooks

.99-2.99 Short how to Guides

3.99 Nonfiction works over 100 pages

4.99 Nonfiction works over 150-200 pages

5.99 Nonfiction works over 200-300 pages

6.99 Nonfiction works over 350 pages

Underpricing eBooks by making them free or well below what they should cost will be the death of the publishing industry and the beginning of authors being asked to work for free. Please feel free to comment on this blog as an author or reader and consider whether authors will be able to consistently produce high quality work for readers in the future when books are priced either free or .99 cents.

 

Tiffany A. Flowers is a native of Chicago, Illinois. Tiffany is a blogger, author, and philanthropist. She is the author of various picture books, series book, and young adult books to date. She has been featured on radio shows such as the Reading Circle, The Living Hope, and The Funky Writers Show. In 2010, Poetic Monthly Magazine listed her second book release, For those who stare at the moon as one of the best reads of 2010. Currently, Tiffany is working on penning the installments in her books series for teens and children in the intermediate grades. You can find out more about her tour dates, book trailers, and book releases by logging on to www.goldenbutterflypublishing.com or by accessing her blog at http://authortiffanyaflowers.wordpress.com/.