The price of an ebook and me as an author

Just an fyi: I've gotten a few people who mention price is too high or just right on my books as part of their review or even email me or my publisher, and I hear this same complaint across the board on big name authors as well.

Price is out of my hands. Seriously.

When a publisher is involved I have no control over the price. And seriously there are a lot of people the cover price has to pay salaries for. I get a percent but they still have to pay the distributor, the cover artist, the editors (usually about three), the publisher, and any number of other people from the person who answers the phones at the office to a receptionist.

Smaller publishers  or Indie Publishers tend to have smaller staff and therefore lower prices than most of NY. Indie Authors are the ones who are giving away most their work for free, or for 99 cents.

I have felt for a long time this is lowering the value of books, and the authors hard work to be done too often. This isn't to say that I don't do it myself. I try to give a free read once or twice a year as a thank you to my readers but I don't usually do it to spice up my own sales because I think it's ineffective for me.

I am very thankful for the people that do support me and buy my books, and those people help put food on my table. I can't continue to work in this business if I don't get readers who buy my books, however I really don't have control over the pricepoint. Actually there is a lot I don't have control over, the cover art, the blurb, all of it is something the publisher has it's hands on. I'd like to say I control the story, but even that is subject to my editor's beliefs and the publisher's publication guidelines.

I am happier working for a publisher than not. I don't want to be creating my cover work, hiring editors and am not so controlling that I have to or want to micro-manage every mind numbing detail of the writing process. Things aren't going to change in that regard. I can't have all my writing time taken up by these kind of details which I have never enjoyed.

So, please try to be understanding that the complaints about pricing aren't landing on deaf ears but I have no control over that. I really don't.

And as much as I'd like to say it doesn't affect me, it does. I try not to put myself in my books but every book I create has a little bit of me in it. Whether it took a year or a month to write. I'm still not as fast a writer as a lot of my peers and I don't expect to ever get there, but saying the book is not worth what you might spend on a cup of coffee or a hamburger at McDonald's is rather insulting when I spend three months to a year on a novel length book that will only sell for around five dollars. Which is still way less than the big League books are selling for. Every 50 Shades book is $9.99 just for the kindle copy and I paid it to be able able to read the book. As the author, I get pennies of my book sales which are not even close to the same league as those guys.


So, I'm sorry I can't fix it but please don't ask me to take a paycut either. So go ahead and slam me for bringing it up, but this kind of thing is not always spoken about and I love my readers, I really do, but this is like complaining the sky is blue, because it is.

November 23: Free Book of the Day

With the holidays inching closer, we spend a lot of money and time on everyone but ourselves. Here's where I am going to try to help you help yourself. I am compiling a list of my top 10 free romance ebooks to download for your personal enjoyment and reading pleasure.

Before downloading the books, please ensure they are still in fact free by verifying the price is $0. You can click on any of the names to get to the book.

1. Halloween Hunk by Mercedes Black 
2. A Lancaster County Christmas by Suzanne Woods Fisher
3. Of Noble Birth by Brenda Novak
4. Long Time Coming by Edie Claire
5. The Best Man by Tessa Dane
6. Bundle of Joy by Barbara Bretton
7. California Caress by Rebecca Sinclair
8. When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke
9. Game of Hearts by Kate Donovan
10. Love will find a way by Barbara Freethy 

If you read and enjoy the books please consider giving the author a review, likes, or helping to tag it. This is a work the author has produced and is giving away for free and this is the best way we can thank them and encourage them to continue to share their work to us for free. 

If you are an author and you have a free romance ebook during the month of November please leave the link in the comment section. Please be aware if the book contains any questionable material the link will be deleted without warning. This includes the classic no's of traditional publishers such as necrophilia etc.. 

Oct 25: Free Books of the Day

Who doesn't need a deal now and then? I hope you enjoy my list of 10 books you can get for free on Amazon or other places. You should double check these titles are $0 to purchase before downloading because prices are subject to change and the promotional price may be for a limited period of time.

If you read the books and enjoy them, please consider supporting the author and encouraging them to do this again by tagging, liking, or leaving a review for their book.

Today's theme is the Holidays because Christmas can't come soon enough at my house. lol

1. Home for the Holidays by Alice Buchanan
2. The Mobile Mistletoe series (Books 1-4) by Jennifer Conner
3. A Second Chance with Emily by Alyssa Lyndsey
4. A Holiday Explained by J. Steven York
5. The Cabbage Patch Doll Fight: A Christmas Shopping Tale by CD Reimer
6. Benny: A Tale of a Christmas Toy by KC Scott
7. White Collar Christmas by Misty Evans
8. Lesson of the Poinsettia by Mildred Colvin
9. Time's Holiday by Jennette Marie Powell
10. Psychic Santa by Cia Leah

If you are an author and you would like to share a free short or free book please comment and leave a link to it and more information about the book. 

If it contains anything borderline illegal or illegal, or any of the publishing no-no's (most of you know the list) the comment will not be published. Please also let the readers know for how long the book will be available for free. 

Please no bashing other authors or books on the list. 

Thank you and enjoy! 

October 24: Free Book of the Day

It seems like something everyone is doing, but I thought it may be fun to do this once in a while as well. I am sharing ten romance ebooks that can be downloaded for free today. These may be temporary price cuts and prices are subject to change, so please verify the price is $0 before downloading.

These are all paranormal romances today, because that is the kind of mood I am in. Halloween is right around the corner after all...

1. Marked by Elisabeth Naughton
2. Darkness Awakened by Stephanie Rowe
3. Darkness Falls by Jessica Sorenson
4. The Witching Pen by Dianna Hardy
5. Inhale by Kendall Grey
6. Promise by Kristie Cook 
7. Descended by Debra Miller
8. Enigma by Aimee Ash
9. Bound to Remember, A Paranormal Romance by Lola James
10. Fire, Burn, and Cauldron Bubble by HP Mallory

If you are an author and wish to share your free romance book of the day, please feel free to add it and the link in the comments below. Please also let the readers know if it is free for a limited time only. Thank you.