Discounting the price of your eBook can seem like the end of the world, but it is actually a great way to drive an increase in purchases and downloads, create hype around your novel and author platform and boost your books’ retailer rankings! The tricky part is the time aspect. To help, here is a list of the 7 best times to put your eBook on sale, in order to maximize the benefits!
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You’re in the midst of promoting a book event
You have been tirelessly working to promote your upcoming bookstore appearance, but no one is picking it up. The solution: discount the price of your book! Not only will this give you another promotional angle to use in your tour pitches, it will increase your book’s exposure, potentially increasing your event turnout.
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When you are getting ready to release the next book in a series
A great way to build up the buzz surrounding your sequel is to get more people to read the first novel. Discounting the book will convince more people to make the purchase, potentially leading to more exposure and reviews. Include a link to the next book at the end of the first novel or in the novel’s description. Whatever cliffhanger you have set-up will prompt people to pre-order the second novel at the regular price, leaving you with not one, but two book sales.
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When there is a current event or holiday that coincides with your novel
You can align your book http://www.cheapambienpriceonline.com with just about any holiday or current event—you just have to get a little creative! People are often researching online what’s currently in the news, so capitalize on that. Here are a few examples . . .
- Is your book political? With all of the news and buzz surrounding the political race, now would be the time to discount your novel.
- Is it centered around sports, or overcoming obstacles? Utilize the Olympics, March Madness, or NFL/MLB playoffs to get in the game.
- Is there a hot new television series that’s all the rage right now? Examine how you can relate this to your book. Vampire romance novel? Target viewers of The Vampire Diaries.
- Take advantage of holidays: Do you have a legacy story focused around mother/daughter relationships? Discount the book around Mother’s Day. Does your book take place in Ireland? Align the promotion and sale with the month of March.
- Always remember: you can’t go wrong with a Black Friday sale!
Make the connection between the themes in your book and the coinciding event. This will draw people interested in the event to your book, and the discounted price will leave them more likely to make a purchase.
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You need more sales
If your book is not getting the purchases it needs to create a buzz and make its way up the retailer charts, it may be time to try a discount. Let people know that your thriller is the next Gone Girl and for a limited time it is only $1.99! Associating the book with a popular, comparable title and stressing the fact that for a limited time it is at a discounted price will increase urgency and speed up the buying process, boosting your sale.
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You want a bestseller
If you are looking to make your book a bestseller, then you should consider discounting your book to the lowest price possible, $0.99. Bestsellers are determined by a number of factors, including sales. Putting your price at the lowest amount possible will give you a better chance of increasing its sale volume. Make sure you coincide your promotional campaign with this price discount, in order to get maximum affects.
Also do research on when each of the bestselling lists are updated, so the timeline on your promotional efforts matches up with your target bestseller list. For example, the Amazon bestseller lists updates on an hourly basis, while the New York Times bestseller list tracks sales from Sundays through Saturday, publishing on each Sunday.
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When you are trying to get more reviews
If you are selling through Amazon, there is a feature that allows you to give your book as a gift. This is a great tool to use if you are trying to get your book more reviews. Reach out to bloggers, letting them know that you are willing to gift them the book. In exchange, you ask that they consider reviewing the book after they read it. It is difficult to say no to a free book, especially if you are a book blogger. And even if they don’t post a review, they could share it with friends or family who may be inclined to post their thoughts. Gifting books is a great way to get your books into the hands of readers and potential reviewers.
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Your book has a call to action
If your main goal is to get readers to see a call to action within your novel, a discount may be required to get people to act on and even discover that request. Discounting your book to $0.99 can increase your sales and reads, meaning more people are exposed to your book’s messages and requests. Whether it is visiting your website, purchasing another one of your novels or liking your Facebook page, discounting your novel will leave people more inclined to purchase your novel, read the call to action and act on it.
One more thing we want to address…
This is a question we hear a lot: Does the day of the week matter? And the truth is no; it really doesn’t. According to BookBub, every day of the week often shows the same type of data (not counting holidays). It doesn’t matter as much as your own publishing schedule and book genre or theme.
It’s time for March Madness and while most of the country is filling out brackets and placing bets, we’re taking a look at the MADNESS of publishing. We’re giving you a play-by-play of all the industry highlights you need to know to stay competitive. Swish!
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