Jayme Soulati holds her new book prior to presenting at New South Digital Marketing Conference
My second book, Message Mapping: How to Sizzle External Communications with a #RockHot Tool for Leaders, just went into design at midnight, maybe it was already Monday morning. I can’t be sure. I’ll do pre-sales this week, once I develop the digital marketing aspect of this offering.
Publishing a book, whether a touch and feel book with actual paper pages, an electronic version for Kindle and other readers, or an E-book that resides on a website somewhere (not Amazon), takes time, commitment, patience, and perseverance.
What’s Your Goal When Writing a Book?
You have to ask yourself about your goals when writing a book. My first book was to earn the experience, walk the talk, learn the ropes, and also establish myself as a published author. It worked! I accomplished these goals; yet, the marketing of this book has fallen by the wayside.
The most taxing aspect of book publishing, however, is pricing.
Factors to consider when Pricing A Book
- Is your book specialized and are there few of these written?
- Is the topic something people need and want for their business?
- Is it different than what’s being sold on Amazon right now?
- Who is the author? Someone with professional experience?
- Will it really teach something you don’t already know?
Help Price My EBook, Please!
When you use a hybrid publisher, as I did for my first book, Writing with Verve on the Blogging Journey, available on Amazon in Kindle or softcover, the publisher gets a cut and so does Amazon. At the end of the day, when people purchase the book for $12.95, I may receive $4 from that total.
This second book is strictly a business book. At last count, it’s 80 pages and growing. It provides detail about how to message map, why message mapping is important, who can benefit, and so much more.
There is a message map I build step by step for a fictitious company, too.
I also provide an actual message mapping template as well as tools in the book I recommend considering.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Section I: About Messaging & Message Maps
Who Needs a Message Map?
Who Uses a Message Map?
Defining a Message Map
Purpose of Message Maps
Benefits of Message Mapping
PR Messaging vs. Marketing Messaging
Messaging Maps Are Not Mind Maps
PR Messaging vs. Storytelling
Tool Alert! Clipsi
Crisis Communications & Messaging
Section II: Hands On with Message Maps
Steps in the Message Mapping Process
Company Goal Setting
Set Internal Point Person
Consider a Facilitator
Vet Facilitator’s Credentials
Sign Non-Disclosure Agreement
Advance Preparation
Set Expectations
Draft Questions for Point Person
Invite Leadership
The Session
Messaging Draft 1: Organizing the Messages
Messaging Draft 2: The Master Draft
Messaging Draft 3: The Last Edit
Finalizing the Map
Section III: How to Message Map
The Message Map for Company X
Training Users with Message Maps
Timeline for Message Maps
Template for a Message Map
Section IV: Blurbs & Contact
Leading Up to This Book
About Jayme Soulati
How much should I charge?
- Would you pay $22?
- Would you pay $18?
- Would you pay $16?
- Or, what would be an appropriate price for this E-book based on your reaction?
When you look around at prices for other books, the prices hover in this range. When someone considers an eBook for purchase; however, then the price seems to differ.
I think I need some more information. Why isn’t the book going to be available on Amazon for Kindle?
The pricing initially should be the baseline you will always go back to after promotions. I tend to think in terms of Kindle sales, because those sales help one get ranked on lists, and thus, find readers outside of one’s current sphere of influence.
So, for instance, I would price the Kindle version at $4.99, at the current page count of 80. Then, I’d focus on getting 10 reviews so that you’re able to run sales at 99 cents through the major ebook advertising sites
On a typical day I’ll sell between 1 – 5 copies of my books at regular price. During a 99 cent sale, I’ve had 68, 148, 155, 212 sales in a 24-hour period.
When the book becomes a NY Times Bestseller, then I’d raise the price to $9.99.
Again, I don’t worry about print sales, though I do have some. In my planning a print sale doesn’t count. The whole point of marketing (until one has a readership of 1000 dedicated readers who will buy everything one writes) is to get ranked well so that people who search those rankings lists daily can find the book. Our sphere of influence is limited, but showing up on those lists expands the potential readers many times over.
We should talk on the phone.
ExtremelyAvg Thanks so much for your insight. I’ve watched you bang it up with your book; you’re relentless.
This is strictly a business book and a how-to guide teaching something valuable for any size of business. I know there’s a need as analytics tells me so.
I’m thinking the price for a consumer book and a business book is quite different; the audience is specialized for sure. But, I don’t exactly know. And, I also know I sucked at marketing my first book (that’s why there are 2 boxes of books in my garage), so why would I be better marketing this one?
Super difficult ! I would say, having read it, that you should definitely not underprice it because this is incredibly valuable info. It’s not like a fiction book: it’s a book that will help companies’ bottom line.
But also see that it could be a spring broad to you actually helping someone with this service. So don’t make too much of a barrier to purchase.
jonbuscall Hi, Jon. So great you came over. I was going to Skype you this question, and I have to agree with you…this is not a fiction piece and I have had companies the likes of Microsoft coming over to download my Message Mapping checklist.
I’m testing making this strictly available here until it can be formatted for online books. Thanks for validating my thought process. And, if the price is a bit higher, it means someone has stronger interest, perhaps; as per what you suggested.
Soulati | Hybrid PR ExtremelyAvg You make an excellent point about there being a difference. It is entirely possible the best price point would be $49.95 or higher. I’m not being silly.
Eli Goldratt did a test with a program of his which he offered for $500 (not a book) and he got very few takers. When he raised the price to $10,000, he sold out all of his available time and had to raise the price again. (Note: I’m not sure of the exact numbers, but I think these are pretty close)
Still, I’d think about pricing in stages. Initially, you’ll still want to get it into people’s hands to get some reviews up.
A price point is not a static thing. As you collect data, you’ll be able to adjust and maximize your throughput. After all, the point is to make the most money possible. It is hard to say whether that will come at 2.99 or 29.99…or $499.95.
Congrats on crossing that bridge and getting the book to the design stage! Do you know if there are similar books and their price? I’m sure you’ve thought to check the market but with companies and educational institutions being budget-friendly, that may be the difference between buying your book and someone else’s. I do love ExtremelyAvg example, though!
I say, price it such that you won’t cry when your pay check turns up! Okay, that is a little silly 🙂
I would say at over 80 pages and clear examples you need to be in the upper range. You might start by calculating your time in the project like you would with a client. What would you have been paid for that time? That should give you an idea of what you want to make from your sales.
Another thought, It might be more important to figure out what your absolute minimum is and then scale up.
I am voting for $22, I know you rock it
ExtremelyAvg Soulati | Hybrid PR That’s fascinating info. Thanks so much…I do need to research this a bit, and I know for sure it has to be more than $20.
Cision NA ExtremelyAvg My book is pretty much going to be the only one of its kind out there. We’ve been researching a bunch and looking at how people are pricing their marketing books, too. That higher price seems like too much, though! I think testing it is probably what’s going to happen; get a boundary I won’t go below or something. Thanks you guys!
susansilver Hi, Susan! So great to see you here! How’s things! Do you play D&D?! Wow, that’s impressive. I like your logic, too. I think there should be a minimum threshold, and I play around with that.
Soulati | Hybrid PR susansilver Not only do I play D&D, I run the community for a magazine whose content is about Tabletop RPGs. That is where I have disappeared too.
I have just been on hiatus as I figure out how to handle my daily duties and keep up the creative mojo.
susansilver Soulati | Hybrid PR Ah-hah! That’s where you went!! Wow. Impressive!
$34. I kinda like the sound of $34.
depends what you want to achieve with the book I think – there is a big difference between getting lots of people to buy the book – if that’s your goal price it around the $2.99 mark.
but if you would rather less people buy it but those that do actually read it then look more to pricing it at $22 or more.
sounds like valuable information – and price is a big indicator of how much potential readers should value your book, don’t be shy. price it’s worth
Elle_Roberts_ Hi, Elle! Thanks for the help and it’s so great seeing you here. I like what you’re saying; higher price tag means fewer purchases but heavier-weight leads — theoretically!
All of the comments on this have helped tremendously and with the behind-the-scenes help with links to others’ content on this topic. The good news is, nothing is set in stone. The price can flex.