PA says higher prices lead to increased sales

Subject: PA says higher prices lead to increased sales Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:20 am

"We predict higher sales volumes, and higher royalty pay-outs to our authors."

Just before locking the thread questioning the raising of prices on its books, PA's Info Center posted the above quote along with a lot of other stuff. They failed to explain why higher prices would result in increased sales so I'm wondering how many people believe the statement is true.
affraid

Admin Number of posts : 12662 Registration date : 2008-01-11 Location : UK

They forgot to add higher number of authors ... more books ... more small royaties to more authors.

I don't see how higher prices could sell more books. As it is, most people (at least in the United States) would rather watch TV or see a movie than read a book. A lot of people would rather stare at a screen on some electronic gadget than pick up a paper book and read it. Higher prices will only serve to drive more people away from books.

Shelagh wrote:: They forgot to add higher number of authors ... more books ... more small royaties to more authors.

But how many authors will be seeking other avenues? Many, I would wager. In fact, past authors will probably not go through them next time.

Dick,
perhaps they're using some new math.

Admin Number of posts : 12662 Registration date : 2008-01-11 Location : UK

zadaconnaway wrote:

Shelagh wrote:: They forgot to add higher number of authors ... more books ... more small royaties to more authors.

But how many authors will be seeking other avenues? Many, I would wager. In fact, past authors will probably not go through them next time.

I've never had a problem with PA and the book they produced was better than anything I could have produced at the time. Without PA, there would be no network, no forum and no anthology. I for one owe PA a great deal.

I agree with you , Shelagh, but I have to wonder what they are smoking out there that makes them think higher prices will bring increased sales.

There are times when raising prices can sell more. The economics term for this is "inferior goods", the classic is Aspirin which seems worthless at a fair price, but like serious medicine at an inflated price. It's what boutiques live on.

However, I doubt it applies in this case. What generally seems to apply to this outfit is the phrase "shameless liars"

Another example was the Auburn automobile. The company made some great cars and sold them at a reasonable price, far below Cadillac, Lincoln, Marmon, Stutz, etc. Because the price was lower, people with money wouldn't buy them, thinking they must be inferior and those who drove Fords and Chevys couldn't afford anything more expensive.

Like Lin, I don't think that applies to PA books, or any other books.

I agree. It simply doesn't compute when you can get a hard cover by a big name author for less than a soft cover from an unknown author.

Four Star Member Number of posts : 241 Registration date : 2008-01-11

I would guess that this is because of Amazon's mandatory take on all PA books. The price point for most paperbacks is still 14.95-16.95 depending on page count.

Number of posts : 14 Registration date : 2008-05-04 Location : North Carolina

I'm very grateful to PA and have sold many of both my books, which probably wouldn't have been published if not for them, but I am quite disappointed about the higher price. They are not selling as well online anymore, and I've started selling more myself at a lower price.

I've checked and don't believe a single book of mine was purchased via the I-Net (Barnes&Noble or Amazon) since PA raised the price. It was previously listed at $21.95 but with discounts it was $17.95 or $18.95. Now it lists for $27.95 and for members (Barnes & Noble) it is $25.95.
If the price increase was to increase sales, I'm wondering what they're selling.
If they're referring to books, was the price increase intended to increase sales to the authors?

Someday they may realize that a smaller percentage of something is better than a 100% of nothing.

Their true method of operation, I think, is to sell books to the people who wrote them. Increasing the prices proves they aren't too interested in selling to the general public.

I called PA today to see just how much it would cost me to get my book that originally sold for $24.95 at the deal they were offering at 40% off and then doubling the amount of books ordered. It should've come to around $7.50 a book plus shipping. Good deal, I thought.

No. They discount off the new raised price of $29.95 and charge $3 shipping for the first book and $2 for each book after that. That brought the price per book over $11.

Maybe it was still a deal, but not as good as I wanted it to be, and I passed on it.

Doesn't seem like much of a deal for the author, does it? I am glad you called to get the real scoop on that. Does that mean that you get two books for 40% off the retail price of one, and than pay $5.00 to have the two shipped? Sounds like a racket to me.

» Academic books lead the way in digital book sales
» Book Sales In Europe Higher
» Why PA raised prices
» Ebook sales predicted to overtake print sales by 2017
» Poem: Higher Ground