BitBoR: Reformatting Complete / Lower Paperback Price

We recently started Audiobook recording preparations and noticed that some of the content in the book didn’t quite roll off the tongue the way we like when read aloud. So, I took a two week break from everything else and focused on reading the book out loud to myself and polishing the content so that it read smoother.

I finished that process late last night and then immediately formatted the new copy for e-book through Draft2Digital and uploaded then uploaded the new version to Smashwords, Amazon KDP, and Google Play.

Once that was complete, I set about formatting the paperback copy in Adobe InDesign. My goal wasn’t just to get the updated content in place, but to reduce the overall printing cost of the book and make it more affordable for my readers… IE: for you.

In short, I succeeded. Here’s a longer breakdown of the before & after details:

Old Version :: 5x7 Paperback
  • Pages - 786
  • Font Size - 9.5pt
  • Projected Profit - $2.53
  • Price - $32.99
  • Print & Distribution channel fees - $30.46
New Version :: 5.25x8 Paperback
  • Pages - 546
  • Font Size - 9pt
  • Projected Profit - $2.13
  • Price - $22.99
  • Print & Distribution channel fees - $20.86
As you can see above, my efforts have reduced the price of the book by a whopping $10 per copy. I couldn’t be happier with this. None of my pricing has been, or will ever be, about making big bucks. My goal is to get books into the hands of as many readers as I can.

This is why I’m being transparent about my costs. So many people I’ve encountered on social media seem to think that any book priced greater than $7.99 is some kind of cash grab by the author. Well, I’m here to tell you that isn’t the case. If I could reduce my price to $7.99, I would without hesitation.

If you want a cheaper physical copy of Bathed in the Blood of Ravens, you’ll have to watch my events page and find me in person. I plan to order stock and carry it to signing events all summer & fall. I will almost certainly be able to afford a discount on those copies. What that discount will be, I’m not quite sure. I can’t actually afford to order a pile of books right now so I’ve no idea what it’s going to cost me yet. And then there will be fees to attend shows, taxes, yada yada yada. You get the drill. Rest assured, when I know you’ll know.

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