Oddbean new post about login | logout @7b682b86 @ce78dee8 I share excerpts in these writing tags for that purpose--so potential readers will get an idea of my style and decide if it suits them. One of the questions recently got me thinking about providing a free short story from my website at some point, but that will probably be down the line. I am highly resistant to offering my full-length books for free, after all the money & hard work that went into them I'll already never recoup, but short stories might work.
@a3976b27 @ce78dee8 I won't do free, but I will heavily discount the first book in the series, then slightly discount the second, and so on. None will be high priced. I want to make it easy for people to sample my work. I have a short story and a flash fiction on my site and plan to add another short story soon (linked to Book 1). As I approach a year-out from publication, I'm stepping up my efforts. I'll then publish on a regular, and relatively quick, schedule.
@7b682b86 @a3976b27 I'd do the same if I wrote series, but with trilogies I'm inclined to not discount book 1, or not much, and just put it on sale now and then –especially when I'm counting down to launch the next book.
@7b682b86 @ce78dee8 You sound much more organized than I was before I published. 😀 None of my ebooks are higher than $4.99 which seems standard for my genre. A couple are $3.99 & more will go down as I publish 2024's crop. I don't expect to earn back what I put in, nor get rich. Just hoping to find readers who enjoy my work. There's conflicting advice as to whether freebies/dirt cheap hurts or hinders. It might be genre dependent as so many things.
@a3976b27 @ce78dee8 There's so much conflicting advice that, in the end, the best approach is the one you're most comfortable with. You'll be more inclined to follow through in your efforts. Your prices seem reasonable. I've heard from a lot of professional sources that, for self-publishers, it takes, on average, about five books before they start to gain traction (assuming the books are worth buying...that's another story).
@7b682b86 @ce78dee8 I've read that too, & I just published number 6. 😱 But the one thing I am confident about is my writing skill & I've had lovely feedback. I do have a weird series--one trilogy that forms the core & then standalone sequels & prequels. I have a little tree graphic that shows where they fit & even include which book(s) they spoil in their descriptions, but each serves as a world intro for those who aren't so bothered about spoilers (readers like myself.)