In a joint effort to learn more about how readers purchase eBooks, CZP has agreed to a suggested experiment by Douglas Smith, author of Chimerascope, to lower the price of the Kindle versions of his short story collection from $5.99 to $2.99.

Though this drop in price is significant, it is meant first and foremost to benefit the readers. “The price of eBooks, unless you’re a Stephen King or Stephanie Myer, is pretty elastic,” says Smith. “The sweet spot for book-length eBooks seems to be around $2.99. So I’m hoping that with a lower price, I’ll gain more readers. The worst that can happen is I don’t make as much in royalties, but even in that case, I’ll still get my stories in front of more readers, which is always the ultimate goal.”

Co-publisher Brett Alexander Savory has pledged CZP’s full support. “EBooks are new, but we strongly believe they will become a major market. Writers and publishers are trying to find a model that works — print plus eBooks simultaneously, eBook only, print books first then eBooks months later. We think we’ve figured that out, but are still thinking about price. With this move, we’re looking to see how the Kindle editions from Amazon perform against other eBook formats available from other e-tailers. Both Doug and we want a price that’s fair to readers and encourages them to take a chance on an author they might not know, but still generate enough revenue for the author and publisher to make it sustainable.”

Chimerascope is available in trade paperback and DRM-free eBook in Kindle, ePub, and PDF formats. All formats can be ordered from CZP’s site at ChiZine Publications

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