Poll Results!
I did promise these and now I have two polls to summarize!
The One and Buying Habits
The results of the most recent poll (The One Publisher) show that a lot of authors (but not all) chose their main publisher as the one they’d like to shop from – hey that shows some author confidence in their publishers! While readers tended to be concentrated more on Dreamspinner and Loose Id. I find this pretty funny since they were two of the most expensive in my pricing analysis, which goes to show that readers will pay just about any price for the books they want.
Along with this is the breakdown for the poll about shopping choices. I had 24 people participating, which is pretty good for an obscure blog that about 4 people read regularly. Yes I still blackmail 3 of them. But within those participating there was a pretty good mix of readers and authors. Authors are still readers though!
What I found was that most pay attention to the publishers of the books they but that the publisher may/may not play a role in the purchase. Authors tend to be pickier and avoid certain publishers while other readers may not actively avoid a publisher.
Author recommendations never hurts but the cover art, blurb and excerpt may make or break a book purchase. Most want an interesting blurb with no typos(!) and a surprising number want an excerpt.
The most interesting portion – for me – is about price. Obsessed, me? But most claim that they want a good deal however $5.99 for a novel is a good deal for them. What I found most interesting is that more answered $5.99 for a novel OVER $1.99 for a novel. If it’s the same novel just $4 cheaper, wouldn’t you want the cheaper one?
This ties into a blog I read by an author who laid out all his sales and information. Instead of being secretive he showed that he actually made MORE money by offering his books for $1.99 than for $5.99. Thousands of readers bought the novel for $1.99, whereas only a few hundred bought the initial run of the SAME NOVEL for $5.99. He ended up making significantly more money off the book when it was priced at $1.99 so he then similarly priced other novels.
I mean wouldn’t everyone, authors, readers, and the blue people want to buy a novel for $4 cheaper? Or do people automatically assume something is wrong with the product?
Now what I also found is that for established authors, readers will buy anything but like novels. However for a new (to them) author, most prefer a short story. So it helps readers to have a wide range to choose from including a few discounts to entice.
I was pleased that online presence doesn’t seem to sway many readers, mostly in the negative if someone is an ass.
Not too surprising and thanks for participating!
Japanese censorship hehe…
three am 
Fascinating. *staring at pr0n*
Oh, and the poll results were too. 😉
The issue of the pricing of the novel is an interesting one. I can’t actually remember how I voted now, but I can see that readers would be suspicious of the quality of a novel at that price. Perhaps if they knew the publisher and the author they would be more willing to make the purchase??
I think I was one of the readers who said they also used the excerpt to help determine their purchases. More and more, I’m finding that it is only by reading the excerpt that I actually get a sense of whether I’m likely to enjoy the book or not. This is especially the case with some epubs who I might have previously trusted putting out such shit product.
BTW, I better not be the one person who doesn’t get a bribe. Just sayin’.
No no Kris. I have you firmly on the bribe list. Your porn is on it’s way.
When most chose the $5.99 option I was surprised but then I realized that it’s a perception issues rather than anything else. Perhaps readers feel it’s the $1.99 special at a store – which you KNOW is returned merch – and so stay away. I think an author may have to justify their price?
I tend to avoid excerpts but then again sometimes I dont even read blurbs. I tend to see a pretty cover, pet it and want it. But also lately I try to stick to authors I know, regardless of pub, due to the high shit factor.
Thanks for commenting!!
I agree with Kris. I think.
IF it’s the same exact book for either $5.99 or $1.99, then yes, I’d definitely buy at the lower price. In general, though…
Maybe it’s just me, but I do usually assume that between one novel that’s $6 and a different novel that’s $2, the more expensive one is likely to be better.
I’m not saying that this is true, of course. It’s simply a perception which I know isn’t always factual.
~T
If you were shopping at say…. ARe or FW and you saw that, would you still feel the same?
Mostly when I shop at retailers I don’t really notice the price – I do in a vague sense – but I’m more concerned about the books and so on. If I happened to pick up a cheaper book I think I’d just have a cheaper book. But clearly ppl at kindle shop the inexpensive aisle first!
See, I do actually look at price. In fact, I have a whole embarrassing process that goes something like…
See interesting cover or title.
Click cover to read blurb. If blurb sounds good…
Read excerpt (if available).
If excerpt doesn’t make me want the 30 seconds of my life back…
Check price.
Check length.
If it’s shorter than I’m willing to pay $X.XX for, find a different book.
Part of my thing, I think, is that I’ve gotten so used to walking away from books that cost more than I’m willing to pay (based on length), when I see something like a novel for $1.99, it sounds too good to be true. There HAS to be something wrong with it.
This is a really bad comparison, I know, but for me (with my limited budget for books-for-fun) it’s sort of like… I don’t buy hair conditioner at the dollar store because I’m afraid it won’t work right. From experience, I know that it MIGHT be really good, or it might leave my hair a tangled, greasy mess.
I’m not saying I’d NEVER buy a $2 novel, but in the back of my head, price and quality are linked. No matter where I’m shopping. *shrugs*
To add to the weirdness that is me, I’d probably spend more time doing research on a $2 novel than I ever would on a $6 one because I’d want to find out what was “wrong” with the $2 book before I bought it.
~T