One great strategy to sell books – especially if you already have a series or a backlist – is a reverse coupon.
In this technique, you set a day when the price your books will increase. You then inform readers that they still can get your books at their current, lower price through the next week or however long until the price goes up.
Such a promotion might sound like: The price on my Ashtar Command novel series will increase on Nov. 22. It is still available at its current price through the next two weeks – a 10% savings!
This strategy is called a reverse coupon because it works just like a coupon – you’re giving the buyer a discount. It’s reverse, however, since instead of giving buyers 10% off once the price is raised, you’re giving it before the price goes up.
Such a promotion creates a sense of urgency in readers by telling them “buy now or be stuck forevermore with the higher price.” It also appeals to their sense of loss aversion; no one wants to pay more for something, so if they act now they won’t miss out.
Follow a couple of rules when creating this promotion:
• Give the percentage readers will save if buying now rather than the actual dollar amount. Telling someone they will save a dollar is less spectacular than telling them they will save 10 percent.
• State how long the buyer has until the price goes up. Usually this is two weeks out, but the more you increase the price, the longer you want to give someone to cash in on the deal. Two months out usually is the maximum, however.
This strategy works best if you have readers who know you, as they’ve likely considered purchasing your books but just haven’t made the leap yet.
Because of this, you’ll get the most response to the promotion when it’s placed in a message sent to those on your email list. If you have a newsletter that goes out to the same group of readers, the promotion placed in it also will churn sales. Social media also works but is less effective, as many who come to you on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or X are unfamiliar with your work or simply aren’t ardent followers.
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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past decade, I’ve helped more than 300 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of the 7 Minutes a Day… writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.
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