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Is 99 Cents the New Free?

7/11/2018

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I hope we’ll find out.
The Call House by CP Stiles is on sale for 99 cents now through July 26th.

Why 99 Cents?
​

I’ve written before about why I believe offering eBooks for free for a short period can be a good way to attract new readers to unknown authors.

And then I’ve written about my increasing ambivalence when we ended up giving away as many as 35,000 books during one promotion. Yes, there were follow-on sales after the promotion ended. And yes, reader reviews jumped from less than 10 to more than 100. But 35,000 free books seemed like too much.

Others must have had the same reservations – these days most discounted books are priced from $0.99 to $2.99.

And while as a writer and a publisher, I hate to see a good book selling at a steep discount. As a reader, I confess, I’m more likely to buy a book when it’s offered at a lower price.

Yes. There are times when I want a book right away and I’m willing to spend $8.99 or more. But it never feels quite right to pay that much.

Crazy, right?

It’s the same content, cover and design that went into the hardcover and paperback - only the production and distribution are less expensive. And yet, when the first three books in Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone series were offered at $2.99, I bought all three. But. As much as I wanted to work my way through the alphabet, I balked at paying $8.99 or $9.99 for the next 23 books. I even skipped to the letter T when that book went on sale.

Discounting a book is never an easy decision. Shouldn’t a great book be worth more than a Mocha Latte or an order of Avocado Toast? Shouldn’t a book read on a tablet cost at least as much as a movie or a video game?

Yes, of course. But here’s the thing – The Call House is a great read. If putting it on sale means attracting more readers, I’m willing to give it a try.

Hope you will too. 
The Call House on sale for $0.99 July 11 - 26th. 

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