It is common advice, repeated widely and often uncritically, that pricing a book very low is the safest way to get sales moving. Sometimes a low price is a sensible choice; sometimes it quietly costs an author both earnings and the sense that the book is worth taking seriously. This guide is about checking which applies, rather than assuming either.
This sits alongside [is my book priced too high?](/resources/book-sales-growth/is-my-book-priced-too-high) and [what price should I charge for my self-published book?](/resources/book-sales-growth/what-price-should-i-charge-for-my-self-published-book), which cover the fuller pricing picture; this guide looks specifically at whether a low price is working against the book.
Two different ways a price can be "too low"
| Problem | What it looks like | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Earnings problem | Retail price is so low that, after retailer share or print costs, little or nothing is earned per sale | Actual net earnings per sale, by format and marketplace |
| Perception problem | Price sits far below comparable, similarly produced books, and may read as a quality signal | Where your price sits against genuinely comparable titles |
A book can have one of these problems, both, or neither. They call for different responses, so it is worth being clear which, if either, applies before changing anything.
Check the earnings, not just the retail price
Retail price and what an author actually earns per sale are different figures, and the gap between them depends on format, marketplace and, at the time of writing, the royalty terms in force on the platform used. Ebook royalty structures at very low price points can mean a considerably smaller share is retained than at a slightly higher price band; print formats additionally deduct a manufacturing cost before any earnings remain.
It is worth calculating the actual amount kept per sale, in pounds, for the current price, rather than working from a general impression of "cheap is better for sales". Our earnings guide covers the wider variables involved in author income if a fuller calculation is useful; this article focuses on price’s specific role.
Check whether the price signals quality, fairly or not
Readers often use price, alongside cover and reviews, as a quick signal of quality when they have no other information about an unfamiliar author. A well-edited, professionally produced book priced noticeably below comparable titles in its category can occasionally be read as a lower-quality book, even when that is not true, simply because the price does not match the reader’s expectations for that kind of book.
Example
Imagine two similarly produced historical fiction novels of comparable length, one priced in line with the category and one priced at a fraction of that. A reader browsing quickly may reasonably wonder what is different about the cheaper one, even if the honest answer is nothing meaningful — the author simply chose a lower price.
Free and deep discount pricing is a separate decision
Pricing a book free, or heavily discounting it for a limited period, changes the economics entirely: there is no per-sale earning at all, or a much reduced one, and the purpose is usually visibility, list-building or supporting a series rather than direct income from that title. This is a deliberate, time-limited strategy rather than an everyday pricing decision, and it works differently depending on the platform’s current promotional tools; check KDP Select terms if relevant, since availability and rules can change.
What price alone cannot fix
A very low price does not compensate for weak metadata, an unclear description or a cover that does not signal genre, because those issues affect whether a reader considers the book at all, before price becomes relevant. Lowering price when the real issue is visibility tends to reduce earnings without addressing the cause.
Before concluding low price is the fix needed
- The book’s categories and keywords are accurate and specific
- The cover and title clearly signal genre at thumbnail size
- The description is clear and matches the book
- There are at least a small number of honest reviews
- The sales pattern has been observed over more than a few days
What not to assume
- That the lowest price in a category is automatically the safest choice.
- That a low price will fix a problem caused by weak metadata or presentation.
- That any single price is "correct" for every book in a genre.
- That readers never notice or reason about price at all.
Practical actions
Do
- Calculate actual net earnings per sale for the current price and format.
- Compare your price against genuinely similar, comparably produced books.
- Treat free or deep-discount pricing as a distinct, time-limited decision, not a default setting.
- Change price as one variable and observe the pattern before drawing conclusions.
Avoid
- Assume the cheapest price wins by default.
- Lower price to compensate for a metadata or presentation problem.
- Run a promotional discount without a clear objective for what it is meant to achieve.
Common mistakes
- Pricing low without checking actual earnings. Retail price and net earnings per sale are different figures; a very low price can leave little or nothing once retailer share or print costs are deducted.
- Assuming low price always signals value. For unfamiliar authors, an unusually low price relative to comparable books can read as a quality signal readers weigh against the purchase.
- Using a discount to fix a discoverability problem. If readers are not finding the book at all, a lower price does not address why, and mainly reduces earnings on the sales that were happening anyway.
- Treating free promotions as a permanent price. Free and deep-discount pricing usually serves a specific, time-limited purpose rather than being a sustainable everyday price.
- Not tracking what changed and when. Without a simple record of price changes and dates, it is difficult to judge afterwards what, if anything, moved sales.
Frequently asked questions
Is 99p or £0.99 always a bad price?
Not always, but it is worth checking actual net earnings at that price and format, and whether it fits how comparable books in the category are priced.
Does a low price ever hurt sales rather than help them?
It can, particularly if it makes a well-produced book look lower quality than it is by comparison with similar titles in the category.
Should I make my book free to get more readers?
Free pricing is a specific, usually time-limited strategy with its own trade-offs; it is worth having a clear objective before using it, rather than treating it as a general fix.
How do I know my actual earnings at a given price?
Check the current royalty terms and, for print, manufacturing costs on the platform used; these vary by format and marketplace and change over time.
Is there a "correct" low price for my genre?
No single figure applies universally; comparing against genuinely similar, comparably produced titles gives a more useful picture than a fixed number.