I’m an author, and I’m a featured guest at an upcoming convention at the end of September. I’m timing the release of the 7th book in a series to coincide with the con, and I’d like to make the special offer such that those who are interested have books 1-6 by the time the end of September rolls around.
Accordingly, here’s my plan:
May: $3+ tier patrons get the first two ebooks in the series.
June: $3+ tier patrons get ebooks 3 and 4.
July: $3+ tier patrons get ebooks 5 and 6.
August: $10+ tier patrons get ebooks 1-6.
So this offers a bit of FoMo - each pair of books is only available for a month - and a way to make that up, by getting all 6 books in August. At the same time, patrons will have the first 6 books in the series, and can theoretically be caught up for the launch of book 7.
(My tiers usually give away ebook copies of completed books at the $3 level, paperbacks at $10, and hardcovers at $25.)
Hi Michael! I think this sounds like a really exciting plan for rolling out copies of your ebooks using Special Offers in order to gear up for the launch of your 7th book. Fomo is a very powerful tool : ) However, to make sure that each special offer still feels like a limited time opportunity and retains it’s effectiveness, I’d consider only offering each for a 1-2 week maximum run. That way each month there is a break in your special offers marketings, and it keeps it fresh, exciting, and makes it really feel like a limited time offer.
I would also think about something extra special that you could offer around the 7th book–like including the names of all of your Patrons in a ‘special thanks’ section of the ebook or the hard copy. For something like this where they are recognized in the book, I’d recommend setting this at an even higher tier like $25.
Other than that, just make sure you announce your special offer ahead of time and don’t forget to regularly promote and countdown each offer!!!
I think an acknowledgement in the book is the most basic reward. I’m an author too and I offer this to all of my patrons. Podcasters and Youtubers usually add shout outs for every patron too. So I disagree with holding that back for the higher tiers.
But I do think something extra for the new book launch is a good idea. I’m just not sure what to suggest.
This sounds great, Michael! In fact I might become a patron because I love the idea of two ebooks a month for $3.
As a reader of series’ I think you should make it clear what will happen in September when book 7 is available. Is there something special waiting for those who stuck with you through the summer? Of course, they’ll WANT book 7, so what will be their options?
Otherwise you might get all those patrons only for a few months.
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like you are undervaluing your work. If you are giving away hard copies, how much do you have left after the cost of the books and shipping?
