Benevolence Archives, Vol. 1 is about 140 pages in print and costs me about $2.35 to print if I order copies for myself. It’s $7.99 at Amazon because I want to make a little profit on it and both ‘zon and Createspace take a chunk of their own.
If I was to do a “Prostetnic Publications Sampler”, something simple– white cover, the logo and some lettering, with, like, 20 pages from each of my books, at minimal print cost, say trying to hold it to $1 a book and really only make it exist to have it at cons, do you think something like that would sell or do me any good? I’d do a sample chapter or two from each book and maybe a couple of blog posts to promo the website, maybe a short story as a bonus, and call it a day. For, again, minimal cost to me to print and no more than $2 to buy.
My wife thinks this is a terrible idea and I see her point, but I want to get a couple more opinions. This will obviously never sell at Amazon, but I might be able to get somewhere with it at cons. Or maybe my wife is right (she often is) and I should drop the entire idea.
What say you, Internet?
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So basically you’re selling a teaser. Maybe if you started out with several short stories that are complete in themselves and finished up with teasers/first chapters of the books, that might work. Hmmm.
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I have always thought that it’s a good idea to get your name into people’s hands and heads. I think it would be a good idea. You should try it at least once. Potential readers ands followers. I would keep considering it, don’t close the door on that idea just yet.
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Not sure I would ever be tempted, but then I’m not your target audience, who might like to taste before they buy.
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I think a teaser is a good idea to post on your blog or to release as a free kindle short story to promote your book ‘before’ it comes out. It’s how I decided I wanted to buy another book, but I personally wouldn’t buy a book of teasers, I’d rather buy the book.
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This is only a good idea if you’re planning on giving it away. Its a great idea if you’re giving it away, but I wouldn’t pay money for a sample.
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How about this: pay minimal cost for it (no more than $2) but if you bring it back and buy something else it acts as a coupon for whatever you paid for it. Is that any better?
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If you’re willing to go out of pocket $2, you might as well offer the first book of a series for free at the con and sell the rest of the series to interested parties.
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