I have finally chosen a price for the book. Kindle and iBook will be $9.99, while the 6×9 trade paperback version will be $17.99. The print version is a very respectible 328 pages, so you get some “thud factor” out of those dead trees, plus Kat chose some really nice fonts and was created a very comfortable, sophisticated, uncomplicated design. It’s a real book!
I don’t expect many people to opt for the print edition, though. I see the digital version as the “main” edition. At $10, the Kindle and iBook versions are less than an XBLA or PSN downloadable game, less than a “Greatest Hits” reissue of a hit game, and of course, less than a Call of Duty map pack. Print has has totally different profit margins; even at $17.99, I’m not making as much per book as I do on the digital versions. That one kind of blew my mind: I make more on the version that costs the customer less. Welcome to the future of publishing.
I was very concerned about asking too much (who does he think he is?) or too little (no perceived value) but I think these prices are justifiable. My book is non-fiction, I’m not a first-time author, and I’m offering highly specialized knowledge inside. Money is not the reason I wrote this book, but now that it’s written, I am increasingly aware of its potential value.
I’m flying blind, really. I think it’s a good book but I’m biased; I think people will want to pay for it, but I am trying not to dream too big. I could not find any other books like it on the market, but I did zero market research. I have no real idea if it will sell, or how well.