Greetings all,

Many thanks for the various very helpful responses regarding asking for money for products.  Something I've struggled with every time I've put something up on DriveThru but have come to terms with!

I think TomB comes closest to my worry over *this* thing with his mention of a loss leader.

I'd seen it as essentially a bit of advertising for March Harrier Publishing and ensured that a note at the bottom pointed people to my adventures.  In that respect it seemed to me the thing should be valued at 'zero'.  It's definitely in the rather frivolous category even as it attempts to suggest a bit of horror (or at least creepiness).  But as I say, that seems to defeat the point of DriveThru giving it away as a 'trick or treat'.  Hence my particular puzzlement in this case.

Ah well.  I'll leave it till nearer their deadline and make a decision.

tc


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On Mon, 21 Sep 2020 at 04:17, <xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:
I admit to that approach too.

I have paid little or nothing for a product when that was an option, looked at it, found it very well done and paid a few bucks for it. I've also realized that I wouldn't ever use it (not so well done, just not relevant) and so didn't feel compelled.

I have not bought many things that I thought might, but might not, be of use or well done because (unlike 10 years ago), I don't have the cash to throw at every thing that might be interesting or well produced - I want to invest in useful stuff. Now, if I've bought something from a vendor before and liked it, I'm more likely to risk on more of their products.

I find on DTRPG, if there's a good preview, that can sometimes trigger 'yes, I will spend for this' or 'nope, this isn't what I was looking for'. But it means that I get better value for the money. That won't apply for lightweight stuff (a few pages) as much, but definitely for bigger stuff.

So, in a way, like what Ewan said.

I also agree that your pricing is both 'what the market might support' and 'what's your time worth?'. But whenever I look at the idea of publishing something, I recall the highest self-published author (writing some romantic vampire stuff if I recall) had made over $1M. She was a decent writer but she priced her books at $1 which encouraged everyone and their dog to take a risk and enough liked them and social media'd that liking to the world that she just kept knocking them out and making more money.

So to some extent, a price that is a low barrier to entry can have merit.

Then again, if it is something vastly different than what you might otherwise produce, its not much of a good loss leader when people buy another product and go 'WTF is that?' after expecting something similar (or if the cheapie is not something they like then they don't buy things they might like because of their impression of the cheapie).

Not sure if that helps or not.

TomB

On Sun, Sep 20, 2020 at 8:37 PM <xxxxxx@quibell.org.uk> wrote:

Hi Timothy,

 

You could always “Pay what you Want” with a recommended price of say $2.

 

I use PWYW to look at a product for nothing and then if I use it go back and pay some money.

 

Happy to look at it to comment as always.

 

Best regards,

 

Ewan

 

From: xxxxxx@simplelists.com <xxxxxx@simplelists.com>
Sent: 20 September 2020 22:42
To: Tml <xxxxxx@simplelists.com>
Subject: [TML] DriveThru query

 

Hi there

 

Is there anyone that can help with a DriveThru query, please?

 

They want items of a page or two for a Halloween trick or treat that are either a bit of silliness or themed to give away as freebies.

 

Now Halloween isn't really my thing, or at least hasn't been since I lived in the US inn1974 when I was 9!

 

But, nevertheless I had a thought of something I could do and wrote it this morning.

 

I had assumed they wanted something emailed which after the day you could give away or sell as you wished, but it turns out you have to submit an URL of an already published thing.

 

Well, I could do that but I don't really get how you then price the thing?

 

Free - surely there's no point if the idea is to drive browsing traffic on the day by giving away something not normally free.

 

Very cheap (say 99c) - this makes some sense as it's barely worth that but it seems to me that folk might buy it when really, I was happy for it to be free, so I'd feel a bit of a fraud taking any money.

 

Very expensive (say $10) on the logic no one would pay that for one page and then I can give it away free after the event.  But then what if someone did buy it?  I'd feel a lot of a fraud.

 

Ridiculously expensive (say $99) so no one would ever dream of paying for it.  But doesn't this, and the previous one, smack of a lack of professionalism?  (In as much as I aspire to any such thing)

 

Anyone have any experience with this? Or a view from the 'buyer' side?

 

Happy to share the page in return for critical comment with, let's say, the first to ask.  Not that there's much to look at.

 

tc

 

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Timothy Collinson
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