Have you ever attended a music concert and seen T-shirts on sale for over $25 – and people lined up to buy them? How can musicians get away with charging such ridiculously inflated prices? The answer is that they capitalize on the principle that emotion has the power to trump logic. In other words, the emotional experience of a great performance makes people feel less concerned about price. When a fan really enjoys a concert, they’ll gladly pay an inflated charge to take home a souvenir to remember their good feelings. The greater the emotion, the less price becomes an issue.
As an author, you can use this same dynamic to your advantage. When readers hear you speak in public or meet you at a booksigning, they’re able to feel an emotional connection to you as the author. And, if they’re fans of your material, that connection can run incredibly deep. For instance, look at the intense followings of bestsellers, such as J.K. Rowling, Malcolm Gladwell, or Stephenie Meyer.
When you sell books in public, remember that emotion can work in your favor. When fans buy a signed copy of your book, it can feel like a personal treasure to them. Therefore, price isn’t top priority when most people visit your book table. So, take these steps:
1. Charge the full retail amount for individual copies of your book or other products, especially if you sign them in-person.
2. Offer a premium package where people can buy one of everything you sell, such as your entire book library or all of your book, video, and audio products combined. Not many people will purchase, but no one will purchase if you don’t make the option available.
Let positive emotions from your audience help you create positive cash flow for your book sales.
Space is Almost Full:
Only a few seats remain…I’ve been invited to conduct an exclusive Book Marketing Boot Camp at the Write-to-Publish Conference in Chicago, IL on June 5 – 8, 2013. For only $149, you’ll get 8 hours of intensive instruction with me and a small group of fellow authors. I’ll teach in the morning, and conduct exercises in the afternoon. By the time you leave, you’ll already have finished important steps towards increasing your book sales. At $149, this is the lowest price I’ve ever provided for such an advanced level of teaching.
