It is a reasonable question to ask, particularly if a book has had reasonable visibility — views, clicks, some traffic — but few sales. Price is one of several plausible explanations, and it is worth checking properly rather than assuming it and changing it on instinct.
This guide sets out how to check whether a price is genuinely out of line with comparable books, what "too high" can and cannot tell you, and what to look at before touching the price at all. It is a companion to [is my book not selling because of the price?](/resources/book-sales-growth/is-my-book-not-selling-because-of-the-price), which covers price as one of several possible causes; this guide focuses specifically on the "too high" diagnosis.
What "too high" actually means
There is no universal ceiling above which a book price becomes objectively too high. What matters is the price relative to comparable books in the same category, and relative to what the book’s cover, description and sample pages promise the reader. A well-produced, professionally edited novel priced in line with similar titles in its genre is not "too high" simply because sales are slow.
A price can, however, be genuinely out of step: an unknown debut author charging noticeably more than established names in the same category, or a short work priced as though it were a much longer one, are both worth a second look.
What price can and cannot tell you from sales alone
| Observation | What it can suggest | What it cannot prove |
|---|---|---|
| Sales are low, price is above category average | Worth comparing against similar books | That price alone is the cause |
| Sales are low, price is in line with the category | Price is less likely to be the main issue | That price plays no role at all |
| A reader comment mentions price | One data point worth noting | That most readers feel the same way |
| Sales dropped after a price rise | Worth investigating as a possible link | Causation without checking other changes at the same time |
Check comparable books first
- 1
List five to eight genuinely similar books
Same genre, similar length, similar production quality, published within the last few years — not the bestselling outliers of the category.
- 2
Record their current retail prices, by format
Ebook and paperback prices vary independently; compare like with like.
- 3
Note where your book sits in that range
At the top, in the middle, or below — this is more informative than the number in isolation.
- 4
Consider length and production quality honestly
A noticeably shorter or less polished book priced at the top of the range is a more plausible "too high" case than one that matches its peers.
Presentation has to match the price being asked
A reader deciding whether a price feels fair is responding to the whole listing, not the number alone: cover, description, sample pages, and reviews all signal quality before a purchase is made. A price that looks reasonable next to comparable books can still feel high if the cover looks amateur or the description is vague, because the presentation has not earned the reader’s confidence.
Example
Imagine a self-published business book priced at the same level as books from established authors with strong industry reputations. If its cover, description and sample pages are equally polished, the price is unlikely to be the barrier. If the cover looks like a template and the description is thin, the same price may feel like a mismatch, even though the number itself is unremarkable.
Rule out other causes first
Because visibility problems and price problems can produce the same symptom — few sales — it is worth checking whether the book is being seen by enough of the right readers before assuming price is the barrier. A book with very few views is unlikely to have a pricing problem; there is not enough traffic yet for price to be the deciding factor for many people.
Before concluding price is the issue
- The book is appearing in relevant category and keyword searches, at least sometimes
- The cover and title clearly signal genre at thumbnail size
- The description reads clearly and matches what the book delivers
- There are at least a small number of honest reviews
- Sales have been tracked over more than a few days, not a single quiet week
Retail price is not the same as your earnings
Retail price is what a reader pays. Author earnings per sale are what remains after retailer share and, for print, manufacturing cost, and the two can move in different directions depending on format and platform terms at the time of writing. A price that looks "too high" to a reader is a separate question from whether it is delivering a reasonable return to the author; both are worth knowing, but they are not interchangeable figures.
What not to assume
- That any book above 99p or £2.99 is automatically "too high" — there is no such threshold.
- That a single comment about price from one reader reflects most readers’ view.
- That lowering price will fix a discoverability problem it did not cause.
- That matching the very cheapest book in the category is the safe option; it can also undersell a book’s actual production quality.
Practical actions
Do
- Compare against genuinely similar books, not the category’s bestsellers.
- Check visibility and presentation before changing price.
- Change price as one variable, and give it time to show a pattern before judging it.
- Keep a simple record of price, date changed, and sales before and after.
Avoid
- Change price and redesign the cover in the same week and expect to know which one worked.
- Assume price is the cause because it is the easiest thing to change.
- Drop price repeatedly without a clear reason each time.
Common mistakes
- Comparing against outlier bestsellers. The one runaway success in a category is not a representative price benchmark; a broader, honest comparison set is more useful.
- Assuming presentation is fine because the author is happy with it. A cover or description that reads well to the author does not always signal quality to a stranger scrolling quickly.
- Changing price without a record. Without noting the date and the sales pattern before and after, it becomes impossible to tell whether a change did anything.
- Treating retail price and earnings as the same thing. A price change can affect a reader’s decision and the author’s earnings in different, sometimes opposite, ways.
- Skipping the visibility check. A book with very little traffic is unlikely to have a meaningful pricing problem yet; there are not enough views for price to be deciding much.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a price above which a book is automatically too expensive?
No. There is no universal figure; it depends on genre, length, format and what comparable books charge.
How many comparable books should I check?
Five to eight genuinely similar titles, matched on genre, length and production quality, gives a reasonable picture without over-analysing.
Could my price be fine and something else be the problem?
Yes — this is common. Visibility, cover, description and reviews all affect sales and can look identical to a pricing problem from the outside.
Should I lower price straight away if I think it is too high?
It is worth checking comparables and presentation first, and changing one variable at a time so you can see what, if anything, changes.
Do ebook and paperback need the same price logic?
No — they are different products with different production costs and reader expectations, and are usually priced independently.