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Ever Felt Like You Aren't Getting Enough for the Ebooks/WSO's You Sell?

by Joseph Robinson Banned
11 replies
If so, take a look at this breakdown that Michael J Sullivan posted on Reddit not that long ago. For ebooks on Amazon in particular, an author can expect something like $2.00-$3.00, and that's on a best seller.

Here's the Reddit post.

Nothing much else to say, or any argument to make here. Just makes you think about griping when you charge only $7/$17 for your IM books .
#ebooks or wso #felt #sell
  • Profile picture of the author marketinguk
    Wow that really sucks I have to say. Yeah I've been complaining about the WSO marketplace pushing down the price of my product when I launched but this has really put it all into perspective.

    What an eye opener, I never realised the publisher does so well out of the deal. The poor old author comes last behind Amazon in second place. Well actually maybe the author's not so poor LOL.

    Joel
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  • Profile picture of the author Matt Morgan
    Originally Posted by Joseph Robinson View Post

    If so, take a look at this breakdown that Michael J Sullivan posted on Reddit not that long ago. For ebooks on Amazon in particular, an author can expect something like $2.00-$3.00, and that's on a best seller.

    Here's the Reddit post.

    Nothing much else to say, or any argument to make here. Just makes you think about griping when you charge only $7/$17 for your IM books .
    The money is made on the backend.

    Sell your customers $3-$17 ebooks (even $upto $47) then sell these buyers backend products, which will be at a higher priced margin.

    A list of buyers is valuable, as they can be your long term customers, and you can make higher profits by selling them your higher priced backend products.

    Backend products can be at a $97 - $497, or even upto the $5000 range, aslong as your strategy is right and you provide value in your products.
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    • Profile picture of the author marketinguk
      Originally Posted by Matt Morgan View Post

      The money is made on the backend.

      Sell your customers $3-$17 ebooks (even $47) then sell these buyers backend products, which will be at a higher priced margin.

      A list of buyers is valuable, as they can be your long term customers.
      I don't think Joe or I doubt that for a second Matt, I think Joe's just making a point, actually more a joke that even some of the biggest authors only get a few $ net from the sale of their product by the time they've finished. Thus, any sellers here that feel they're devaluing their product by offering it for a pittance front end shouldn't feel too bad.

      Obviously the sale of a $7-17 kind of price range WSO is best approached by offering an OTO or more if the vendor wishes to do so and providing it compliments the main offer effectively, but I didn't think that was the point of the OP.

      Joel
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  • Profile picture of the author jbsmith
    Matt is right - ebooks should only be part of your overall strategy to meet demand in a given market. We back-end our ebooks with paid membership sites, group coaching programs, webinars, bundled digital and physical courses as well as personal coaching. When you convert 25% or more of your low-end, first-time customers into higher-end products and services suddenly the numbers look MUCH more appealing.

    Jeff
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  • Profile picture of the author danr62
    For fantasy authors like Michael J. Sullivan the money isn't generally made on the backend, it's on volume, international rights being sold, and movie deals if you can manage to get one.

    Anyway, I'm a fan of his, off to troll around in reddit for a bit.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
      Banned
      Originally Posted by danr62 View Post

      For fantasy authors like Michael J. Sullivan the money isn't generally made on the backend, it's on volume, international rights being sold, and movie deals if you can manage to get one.

      Anyway, I'm a fan of his, off to troll around in reddit for a bit.
      This is pretty much the point I was making Matt and Jeff. Michael is more of a "classic" author (no sales funnel or anything like that. Write a book and publish). Just poking fun at the fact that famous author's can pull in that little on a sale, and people will from time to time lament about the prices they get for their books.

      As stated in the OP, no real "point" or "statement" being made. I jsut came across it and thought Warriors would like to read it .
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    • Profile picture of the author Lance K
      Originally Posted by danr62 View Post

      For fantasy authors like Michael J. Sullivan the money isn't generally made on the backend, it's on volume, international rights being sold, and movie deals if you can manage to get one.

      Anyway, I'm a fan of his, off to troll around in reddit for a bit.
      I get what you're saying.

      Yet, I'd consider any type of licensing beyond the initial release to be back end money. Also, his sales of future releases will benefit from the reputation built up from previous releases.

      The true measure of success for a customer acquisition offer depends on more than the amount of direct profit. Even for those in mass appeal, volume based markets.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    I earn good money from my ebooks. Had no idea Kindle authors don't make a huge profit with their books.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
      Banned
      Originally Posted by Randall Magwood View Post

      I earn good money from my ebooks. Had no idea Kindle authors don't make a huge profit with their books.
      I doubt profit is too much of a problem. As the Reddit post points out, the Kindle launch (where the seemingly low returns come from) is in conjunction with a hardcover launch, where the profit is considerably higher. The author still makes pretty good money if it's a good book. I just felt it was funny how little each particular unit could bring in.
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    • Profile picture of the author StevenWatanabe
      Originally Posted by Randall Magwood View Post

      I earn good money from my ebooks. Had no idea Kindle authors don't make a huge profit with their books.
      I totally get where this guy is coming from. I have a few kindle books and always think about that bit amazon is taking. Then again, the sales keep on rolling in without any work on my part so I guess it is okay
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      • Profile picture of the author Joseph Robinson
        Banned
        Originally Posted by SteveTanabe View Post

        I totally get where this guy is coming from. I have a few kindle books and always think about that bit amazon is taking. Then again, the sales keep on rolling in without any work on my part so I guess it is okay
        Keep in mind that you aren't paying a publisher (in most cases at least), so it's not as much cost as you'd think. If you had to have a publisher just to find distributors things could be even worse!
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