There is an interesting debate going on at michellemacphearson.com, when I say an interesting debate what I really mean is a bunch of winging freeloaders want to acquire the intellectual property of Michelle MacPhearson for the price of a big mac.
Michelle has written an ebook about social media marketing and is about to publish, and has initiated a debate on pricing.
Unless you release a free or low priced ebook as part of a larger marketing strategy then it’s stupid to price low. This is not Harry Potter, it wont sell in the gazillions, probably only a few hundred people will buy. Not because it’s low quality, but because it’s a teeny tiny market in publishing terms.
Teeny tiny markets require huge prices to justify themselves being written. The only thing a low price will bring you is a wider distribution and a bit of publicity. Note, I didn’t say readership. I have stacks of unread, free ebooks on my hard drive. But I have no paid for ebooks that I haven?t read three times.
I have not read Michelle?s’ blog up until now, but I intend to. I see her around a lot on the various social networks. I now intend to read and subscribe her blog.
She even has a mob frothed up on Sppppphhhhhhinnnnnn with Danny Sullivan looking forward to reading it. How many SEO bloggers are thinking, “hmmmmppphh, Danny Sullivan never looked forward to any of my stuff.” Ha! I know I am.
Pricing is a difficult thing, I know I under price for what I can do. But my SEO consultancy and linkbaiting service is a new thing and so my prices reflect that. Before this blog I was riding the Algo roller coaster at the Google funfair, until it finally crashed to the ground. Not that if Google ever owned and ran a roller coaster it would ever do that (my legal department is slapping me with a dead fish) in fact if Google had an Amusement Park I am sure it would be the safest in the World ever.
Anyway, pricing. I also have an ebook which I am writing, The Linkbaiting Playbook or something like that. Basically, everything I have crammed into my noodle about how to write and market linkbait. I would not sell it for less that 40 quid ($80) and I would only sell 500.
Why only 500?
No, it’s not just to create a sense of urgency, although it will do that. It’s because I don’t want the market flooded with my techniques. Yes it may create competitors, but I don’t see that as a bad thing. I think there is enough to go around, but only for the 500. Hey great domain, “the500.com”.
Also, although a lot of this can be taught, there is something that cannot. Also, how many people read ebooks and never implement what is contained within. Yeah, I’m talking about you.
So with my calculations, I think only 5 people will become out and out competitors, and by then I will have probably stopped offering my linkbait services to the public and be concentrating on a few choice clients and my own sites.
Yes I know I should throw up an email capture for people to pre-register interest.
You know, I need to write a post about gonzo blogging. Which is pretty much what I do here.
Did you know that Calcium Oxide is one of the oldest chemical compounds used by mankind?
OK, I have to stop now.