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Successful Indie Author #5
Pricing Strategies: Maximize your bottom line for long-term financial health
Proper pricing prevents poor paydays. Pricing Strategies is about making the most from your work by understanding what your genre will support. It’s not hard, but you have to have a plan.
Over the course of a year, you might change your book’s price five or ten times. That’s perfectly fine, when done for the right reasons as part of an overall marketing strategy. What is one reader worth to you as an entry point into your author world? What is that reader worth if they stay on board?
Pricing Strategies explains why and how you would vary price points, whether you are exclusive to Amazon or distribute on multiple platforms. Book pricing is about getting the most money from your book or box set, not just one time but for the long term.
It is how you can be a successful indie author. Without buyers for your books, self-publishing is just a hobby. Look at your words as your profession and earn your just desserts by pricing your books appropriately and intentionally to improve your bottom line.
That’s what Pricing Strategies is all about. Understand the why and let the money flow.
Pricing Strategies. The book you need.
Over the course of a year, you might change your book’s price five or ten times. That’s perfectly fine, when done for the right reasons as part of an overall marketing strategy. What is one reader worth to you as an entry point into your author world? What is that reader worth if they stay on board?
Pricing Strategies explains why and how you would vary price points, whether you are exclusive to Amazon or distribute on multiple platforms. Book pricing is about getting the most money from your book or box set, not just one time but for the long term.
It is how you can be a successful indie author. Without buyers for your books, self-publishing is just a hobby. Look at your words as your profession and earn your just desserts by pricing your books appropriately and intentionally to improve your bottom line.
That’s what Pricing Strategies is all about. Understand the why and let the money flow.
Pricing Strategies. The book you need.
140 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2019
94 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Craig Martelle
329 books7,887 followersVisit Craig's web page, craigmartelle.com for the latest posts and updates or find him on Facebook, Author Craig Martelle. Send an email to craig@craigmartelle.com to join his mailing list for the latest on new releases, information on old releases, and anything related to his books.
I see my other lives, a career in the Marines, those damn hand-written tests in law school, a business consultant, as if they're stories from a book. I see my books as if I lived there, as if I were friends with the characters. All things we remember are behind us, only those we imagine lie before.
I'm not sure which place I prefer, but I don't have to choose. They live together in my mind. My books have some award nominations, they have bestseller tags across multiple countries. I write about justice, honor, and loyalty because that's what I care about. My stories are mostly set within worlds that haven't been, but could be. We have to be ready for when those times come.
No matter where I went, I always had a book with me. Thanks to 21st Century technology, I now have hundreds of books loaded on my phone and always with me. This breakthrough allows me to binge read my favorites. How many books would I have read on deployments had I not had to have a physical book with me? I paced myself so I wouldn't finish too quickly.
We aren't encumbered like that now. I love the works of Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, JRR Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and so many more. I have been compared to Andre Norton and that is humbling - she was an incredible author with a huge list of novels to her credit. With every new book, I aspire to live up to those that you, the readers, have compared me to.
Through a bizarre series of events, I ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska. I never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year. But that's the way it is. It is off the beaten path. My wife and I get to watch the northern lights from our driveway. Our dog has lots of room to run. And temperatures reach fifty below zero. We have from three and a half hours of daylight in the winter to twenty-four hours in the summer.
It's all part of the give and take of life. If we didn't have those extremes, then everyone would live in the sub-arctic.
I see my other lives, a career in the Marines, those damn hand-written tests in law school, a business consultant, as if they're stories from a book. I see my books as if I lived there, as if I were friends with the characters. All things we remember are behind us, only those we imagine lie before.
I'm not sure which place I prefer, but I don't have to choose. They live together in my mind. My books have some award nominations, they have bestseller tags across multiple countries. I write about justice, honor, and loyalty because that's what I care about. My stories are mostly set within worlds that haven't been, but could be. We have to be ready for when those times come.
No matter where I went, I always had a book with me. Thanks to 21st Century technology, I now have hundreds of books loaded on my phone and always with me. This breakthrough allows me to binge read my favorites. How many books would I have read on deployments had I not had to have a physical book with me? I paced myself so I wouldn't finish too quickly.
We aren't encumbered like that now. I love the works of Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, JRR Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and so many more. I have been compared to Andre Norton and that is humbling - she was an incredible author with a huge list of novels to her credit. With every new book, I aspire to live up to those that you, the readers, have compared me to.
Through a bizarre series of events, I ended up in Fairbanks, Alaska. I never expected to retire to a place where golf courses are only open for four months out of the year. But that's the way it is. It is off the beaten path. My wife and I get to watch the northern lights from our driveway. Our dog has lots of room to run. And temperatures reach fifty below zero. We have from three and a half hours of daylight in the winter to twenty-four hours in the summer.
It's all part of the give and take of life. If we didn't have those extremes, then everyone would live in the sub-arctic.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 30, 2019
I strongly disagreed with his take on free series starters --- my math is very different. I also felt like the book was padded (particularly if you've read other books in the series, which have whole sections in common with this book). Still, probably useful for a beginner if taken with a grain of salt.
April 21, 2021
Pricing Strategies 2020 by Craig Martelle is a non-fiction title from the Successful Indie Author series that provides authors with strategies on how to price their books.
The Cover: This title’s cover makes it obvious that the book is non-fiction. It is branded to align with the rest of the series in the usual high visibility colours. The images for this series always have a business feel to me, which I suppose is the underlying topic behind being an author, but if not for the series tag, I’d have no idea it was to do with writing. I’ve thought about this a little and I think it would be hard to come up with a cover that represents pricing strategies for book sales. I’m a little disappointed in the cover, but it does fit with the content from the business side of things. The title combined with the series name identifies the content for this one, and the image ties it to the business side of being an author. Overall it fits and is good for purpose.
The Good Stuff: This book covers a great deal, in fact I was surprised at just how much there is to talk about on the topic. I found it a very interesting read that opened my eyes and cemented the importance of writing more books and building a back list. It is written in the same direct, matter of fact, manner as the rest of the series that makes it clear and to the point. There’s no fancy words or bullshit in this series. Craig tells things straight in layman terms and that’s what I love about this author and this series of books.
The Bad Stuff: The worst I have to say about this book is the back matter is the same as the other books. Much the same as any author plugging their website/other titles and thanking those who helped. The fact that I read the back matter again just goes to show this book is worth reading. I can’t really fault this one.
Overall, I found this title to be very informative. I like the authors voice/style, his attitude, and his principles that all come through in this non-fiction series. This one earns itself a dollar making 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.
The Cover: This title’s cover makes it obvious that the book is non-fiction. It is branded to align with the rest of the series in the usual high visibility colours. The images for this series always have a business feel to me, which I suppose is the underlying topic behind being an author, but if not for the series tag, I’d have no idea it was to do with writing. I’ve thought about this a little and I think it would be hard to come up with a cover that represents pricing strategies for book sales. I’m a little disappointed in the cover, but it does fit with the content from the business side of things. The title combined with the series name identifies the content for this one, and the image ties it to the business side of being an author. Overall it fits and is good for purpose.
The Good Stuff: This book covers a great deal, in fact I was surprised at just how much there is to talk about on the topic. I found it a very interesting read that opened my eyes and cemented the importance of writing more books and building a back list. It is written in the same direct, matter of fact, manner as the rest of the series that makes it clear and to the point. There’s no fancy words or bullshit in this series. Craig tells things straight in layman terms and that’s what I love about this author and this series of books.
The Bad Stuff: The worst I have to say about this book is the back matter is the same as the other books. Much the same as any author plugging their website/other titles and thanking those who helped. The fact that I read the back matter again just goes to show this book is worth reading. I can’t really fault this one.
Overall, I found this title to be very informative. I like the authors voice/style, his attitude, and his principles that all come through in this non-fiction series. This one earns itself a dollar making 5 out of 5 golden bookmarks from me.
February 7, 2021
Great book for an author and a MUST READ.
There is a significant repetition. Maybe too many definitions. A lot of discussion of series with 3 books or more. Still-it is great.
There is a very little useful discussion about pricing your books. Craig does a great job of giving an author some very useful information.
The discussion can be confusing in places, but the more you deal with marketing and pricing your books the more it will less confusing,
There are no easy answers, but he gives you a great place to start.
There is a significant repetition. Maybe too many definitions. A lot of discussion of series with 3 books or more. Still-it is great.
There is a very little useful discussion about pricing your books. Craig does a great job of giving an author some very useful information.
The discussion can be confusing in places, but the more you deal with marketing and pricing your books the more it will less confusing,
There are no easy answers, but he gives you a great place to start.
November 4, 2019
Love Craig's indie author series and everything he does with 20Books. This was a useful book and helpful especially to those of us writing in series. It'll be helpful to others as well, but a lot of the information is from Craig's experience writing as a scifi author.
There's no right or wrong way to price, but getting insight from someone with his level of success helps a lot.
There's no right or wrong way to price, but getting insight from someone with his level of success helps a lot.
January 4, 2020
A great book to strategize your indie business. Highly recommend.
January 5, 2020
Plenty of strategies in this focused offering. Craig hits you with the strategic level (why) and provides plenty of the tactical level (how). An excellent addition to the library of any Indie.
April 20, 2020
Certainly helpful but not all that graceful
Good information from someone who obviously knows what he is talking about. But after reading similar books from some other authors... just not as smooth a read as some. It seemed kind of stream of consciousness to me and sometimes hard to follow. Halfway through I started just skimming for better ease of use.
Good information from someone who obviously knows what he is talking about. But after reading similar books from some other authors... just not as smooth a read as some. It seemed kind of stream of consciousness to me and sometimes hard to follow. Halfway through I started just skimming for better ease of use.
February 1, 2020
Learned a lot, quickly!
Great review of pricing strategies and options. Picked up some very useful ideas and strategies. Main thing of course is to keep writing!
Great review of pricing strategies and options. Picked up some very useful ideas and strategies. Main thing of course is to keep writing!
May 11, 2020
How much is your time worth?
This book is a collection of facts and advice about pricing your indie book.
The majority of information one can find after hours of browsing through the internet. This book can save you time.
If you have spent those hours searching for pricing strategies (I know I did) you will get less out of this book (still, I found something I did not know)
The writing style was not my cup of tea, it is part anecdotal, part factual. Craig Martele has an interesting writing style, lots of personality, so the parts that seem more anecdotal and self-reflecting are interesting.
And, at least, he is transparent enough to tell you what he does not know.
I got the book for $0.99 and it was a steal. Is your time saved from endless web searches worth the cover price?
This book is a collection of facts and advice about pricing your indie book.
The majority of information one can find after hours of browsing through the internet. This book can save you time.
If you have spent those hours searching for pricing strategies (I know I did) you will get less out of this book (still, I found something I did not know)
The writing style was not my cup of tea, it is part anecdotal, part factual. Craig Martele has an interesting writing style, lots of personality, so the parts that seem more anecdotal and self-reflecting are interesting.
And, at least, he is transparent enough to tell you what he does not know.
I got the book for $0.99 and it was a steal. Is your time saved from endless web searches worth the cover price?
December 10, 2019
The best, no correction, the only book you need
This book covers pricing strategies. Why its important and what you can do about it.
I found this book easy to follow, nothing complicated, just easy to understand when it comes to pricing.
This should be in every indie author's library to help guide you, ensuring that your pricing strategy is well thought out and part of your overall marketing plan.
This book covers pricing strategies. Why its important and what you can do about it.
I found this book easy to follow, nothing complicated, just easy to understand when it comes to pricing.
This should be in every indie author's library to help guide you, ensuring that your pricing strategy is well thought out and part of your overall marketing plan.
April 27, 2020
Another excellent book from Craig Martelle. If you are an Indie writer and would like to make money at your craft, this is the book to read. If you want to bust your ass and your budget and throw stuff on Amazon and whine because you're not making money...then don't read this book.
Craig comes at this book with detail and insight. He's been there in the trenches, making no money until he developed his strategies.
Craig comes at this book with detail and insight. He's been there in the trenches, making no money until he developed his strategies.
February 16, 2021
Important reading for authors
So many authors enter the game without any idea what they're getting into. And parsing together insights from FB groups and message boards is only so useful. This is the first book I've read that goes deep into pricing and promos, but both are integral to publishing success!
So many authors enter the game without any idea what they're getting into. And parsing together insights from FB groups and message boards is only so useful. This is the first book I've read that goes deep into pricing and promos, but both are integral to publishing success!
January 12, 2020
Thorough and Informative
This book does not scalp out on information - I have pages and pages of notes, and I don’t think there was a single page that I didn’t learn something from. Definitely recommended!
This book does not scalp out on information - I have pages and pages of notes, and I don’t think there was a single page that I didn’t learn something from. Definitely recommended!
June 14, 2020
A good book for ebook & paperback pricing strategies
Enjoyed reading this book. The author, Craig impressed me with his insights and knowledge on its subject. I’ll be reading the other books in his series as well.
Enjoyed reading this book. The author, Craig impressed me with his insights and knowledge on its subject. I’ll be reading the other books in his series as well.
October 30, 2020
Great information
A book full of information and insight on pricing strategies and tips on other areas.
I know I will be checking back in with this book on a regular basis to prepare for launching new books.
A book full of information and insight on pricing strategies and tips on other areas.
I know I will be checking back in with this book on a regular basis to prepare for launching new books.
February 3, 2022
I was hoping by the title and blurb for something a little more concrete with regard to strategy.
A few good tips, and an attempt to balance KU vs wide sales, but certainly a lean more towards page reads and Kindle Countdown Sales.
A few good tips, and an attempt to balance KU vs wide sales, but certainly a lean more towards page reads and Kindle Countdown Sales.
December 11, 2019
Craig Martelle continues to deliver great value for indie authors.
This is, the only book I found good information on how to go about pricing my books.
This is, the only book I found good information on how to go about pricing my books.
January 14, 2020
I loved this book by Craig Martello. He gets to the point and shares everything he knows about pricing strategies when it comes to indie publishing! Such a good book. Took a ton of notes!
March 29, 2020
Another must read title
I love Craig’s non fiction books and this one was no exception. There’s a real skill to turning these kinds of books into page turners. and Craig has got it down pat.
I love Craig’s non fiction books and this one was no exception. There’s a real skill to turning these kinds of books into page turners. and Craig has got it down pat.
April 13, 2020
Great info
There was a large amount of good information in this book, and I'm sure I will be coming back to revisit it as I make my way forward in my author career.
There was a large amount of good information in this book, and I'm sure I will be coming back to revisit it as I make my way forward in my author career.
May 29, 2020
Great information that is well laid out and easy to understand
July 13, 2020
Quick read
Succinct review of what worked for him with plenty of examples. Worth the read. I read this on kindle unlimited.
Succinct review of what worked for him with plenty of examples. Worth the read. I read this on kindle unlimited.
October 5, 2020
This is the type of book that I will keep coming back to as I go along in my author career. As usual, great advice from Craig Martell.
September 26, 2021
Pricing to the rescue
This book is packed with great advice. I’ll have to reread as there’s a ton of information to digest, but the author spells it out nicely.
This book is packed with great advice. I’ll have to reread as there’s a ton of information to digest, but the author spells it out nicely.
Read
November 4, 2021Different strategies for different outcomes. Maximize income, maximize sales, etc.
February 20, 2022
Despite the "2020" in the title, the advice is solid even in early 2022 because he talks more about principles of pricing than actual price points.
February 23, 2023
All you need to know about pricing your indie published novels.
October 20, 2022
As with the other titles in this series, this one is particularly focused on books in a series, rapid release of those books, and Kindle Unlimited readers. Those conditions don't apply to every author out there, so some may find it more useful than others. I don't limit myself to Kindle only publishing, so parts of the book were less relevant. And there isn't really a cohesive "strategy" to the advice here. Still, it's not useless, and there are some good ideas that can be useful to authors who are struggling with trying to figure out how to best work the whole spectrum of pricing for their books: initial price, sales, first-in-series discounting, free or not. All of that can be confusing if you are just starting out. Martelle has the experience to cut through some of the confusion surrounding pricing, discounting, and when and why to do any of it, and that can save time for someone without those years of experience. Even for authors who, like me, prefer to publish widely and not limit to Kindle, some of the ideas here can help you make better choices when it comes to pricing and running sales. I know I ended up taking a good, close look at the prices on my books, and I changed some things because of the advice in this book.
It may not be for everyone, and not every author will want to implement every step outlined in this book, but it still can be a good resource, especially for new authors.
It may not be for everyone, and not every author will want to implement every step outlined in this book, but it still can be a good resource, especially for new authors.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews