Williams DocuPrep
Menu

Why Did Amazon Reduce the Price of My Book?

8/12/2021

 
I received an email the other day from a client who said they googled their book and found it on Amazon for less than $5 and wanted to know why. Maybe you have experienced this, and you want to know how it will affect your royalties and what, if anything, you can do about it. So here’s the deal. 
Picture
Occasionally, Amazon discounts some of the print books listed on their site. Amazon doesn't give authors advance notice of the temporary price cuts, so when authors see the price of their book lowered, some think the lower price affects their royalties and/or makes the book look cheap. Neither of these is true. Your royalty is based on the list price you set, not on the price at which Amazon chooses to sell it or the price the customer pays.

Keep in mind that Amazon’s goal is to make money. The more books you sell, the more money Amazon makes. ​​Just as you might choose to offer your book at a lower price, Amazon may do this for you. Some reasons why Amazon might reduce print book prices for a period are:
  • its knowledge base indicates that you will sell more books at that price than the one you chose.​
  • the book is doing well, and it thinks it will sell even better with a discount.
So rather than getting upset, capitalize on Amazon’s print book price cut. Sometimes the discount is so low that the price is less than the cost of author copies. If this is the case, you can buy as many copies as they will allow at the sale price, and your royalty will be the same as if it were a regular price for each book - so Amazon will literally pay you to have copies of your own book!

Another way you can capitalize on Amazon’s price cut is to announce the sale. Think about it. If you were running a sale, you would tell people about it, right? So do the same in this situation. Announce the price cut on your FB Facebook page. Tweet a link to the book's Amazon page and alert your mailing list. Let Amazon’s sale increase your book sales. There’s no way to predict how long such a discount will last, so be sure to say in your post "limited time offer" or "offer ends soon."


    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Amazon Sales
    Ask Angeline
    Assisted Writing
    Author Platform
    Book Covers
    Book Description
    Book Formatting
    Book Genre
    Book Length
    Book Title
    Business Cards
    Calling
    Chapter Length
    Christian Book
    Christian Writers
    IngramSpark
    Interior Book Design
    ISBN
    KDP
    Learning
    Memoir
    Prayer
    Second-edition
    Self Publishing Assistance
    Self-Publishing Assistance
    Social Media
    Traditional Publisher
    True Self-Publishing
    Vanity Publisher
    Write A Book
    Writing
    Writing Community

    RSS Feed

Williams DocuPrep
Hours: Mon - Fri 9 am - 5 pm EST 

(404) 913-2996
Picture
Picture
About Us          Privacy          Policies
  • HOME
    • About WDP >
      • Called to Write?
      • Book genres we accept
      • Types of Publishing
      • POD Printing
      • Self-Publishing FAQs
    • Statement of Faith
  • Payments
    • Website Hosting, Maintenance Only
    • Gift Certificate
  • Benefits of Publishing
  • Consultation
  • Publishing Services
    • Sermon To Book
    • Assisted Book Writing
    • Testimony Book
    • Business Book
    • Book Printing
    • Children's Books
    • Tribute Books
    • Press Kits >
      • Order Press Kits
    • Editing >
      • Order Editing
    • Book Formatting >
      • Order Book Formatting
    • Book Covers >
      • Order Book Cover Design
    • Videos, Trailers
  • Packages
    • Basic/Children's Package >
      • ORDER Basic/Children's PACKAGE
    • Standard Package >
      • ORDER STANDARD PACKAGE
    • Intermediate Package >
      • ORDER INTERMEDIATE PACKAGE
    • Bronze Package >
      • ORDER BRONZE PACKAGE
    • Sermon to Book Package
    • Assisted Book Writing Package >
      • ORDER Assisted Writing/Sermon to Book PACKAGE
    • Publishing Approval
  • Blog
  • Websites
    • Author Websites
    • Order Website
    • Ecommerce Websites >
      • Website Order (eCommerce)
    • CMS Conversion Order
  • Portfolio
    • Testimonials
  • Printing
    • Author Signing Kit
    • Business Cards, Postcards
    • Banner Printing
    • Booklet Printing
  • Contact
    • Tell Me About Your Book
    • Hire WDP as Your VA
    • WDP Work for Hire Agreement
    • Non Disclosure
  • Vacations
    • 3 Days and 2 Nights Getaway
    • 7 Night Resort Getaway
    • 4 Days and 3 Nights Getaway
  • HOME
    • About WDP >
      • Called to Write?
      • Book genres we accept
      • Types of Publishing
      • POD Printing
      • Self-Publishing FAQs
    • Statement of Faith
  • Payments
    • Website Hosting, Maintenance Only
    • Gift Certificate
  • Benefits of Publishing
  • Consultation
  • Publishing Services
    • Sermon To Book
    • Assisted Book Writing
    • Testimony Book
    • Business Book
    • Book Printing
    • Children's Books
    • Tribute Books
    • Press Kits >
      • Order Press Kits
    • Editing >
      • Order Editing
    • Book Formatting >
      • Order Book Formatting
    • Book Covers >
      • Order Book Cover Design
    • Videos, Trailers
  • Packages
    • Basic/Children's Package >
      • ORDER Basic/Children's PACKAGE
    • Standard Package >
      • ORDER STANDARD PACKAGE
    • Intermediate Package >
      • ORDER INTERMEDIATE PACKAGE
    • Bronze Package >
      • ORDER BRONZE PACKAGE
    • Sermon to Book Package
    • Assisted Book Writing Package >
      • ORDER Assisted Writing/Sermon to Book PACKAGE
    • Publishing Approval
  • Blog
  • Websites
    • Author Websites
    • Order Website
    • Ecommerce Websites >
      • Website Order (eCommerce)
    • CMS Conversion Order
  • Portfolio
    • Testimonials
  • Printing
    • Author Signing Kit
    • Business Cards, Postcards
    • Banner Printing
    • Booklet Printing
  • Contact
    • Tell Me About Your Book
    • Hire WDP as Your VA
    • WDP Work for Hire Agreement
    • Non Disclosure
  • Vacations
    • 3 Days and 2 Nights Getaway
    • 7 Night Resort Getaway
    • 4 Days and 3 Nights Getaway