New Richard Herley novel

Richard Herley · 09-29-2008, 05:05 AM

My latest book, Refuge, is available for download at my site under the usual terms — pay a shareware fee if you enjoy it.

I have simplified the fee-structure. Instead of different prices for the various titles, and offering a reduction for bundles, I now request a fee for each novel of £1.00 (about $1.80), which works out about the same.

Thanks again to everyone at MobileRead for their help and moral support. All feedback is very welcome!

pilotbob · 09-29-2008, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Herley

I have simplified the fee-structure. Instead of different prices for the various titles, and offering a reduction for bundles, I now request a fee for each novel of £1.00 (about $1.80), which works out about the same.

Nice. However, I for one think that's too cheap. You should ask at least $3 a book!

Are the prices hard coded? For example, does your commerce site allow for a price change... so a person can pay more or less for a book. Maybe they liked but didn't love it and want to pay less. Or, maybe they thought it was the best book they ever read and want to pay more.

BOb

Richard Herley · 09-29-2008, 12:08 PM

BOb, you can set whatever price you like. More would be nice, but my "policy" is only to ask for a single royalty, which is part of what the reader would pay anyway.

Besides the author's royalty on a regular ebook, the reader has to pay the publisher's share, plus whatever costs may be involved in distribution, plus whatever extra the publisher and distributor think the market will bear. With shareware, the reader gets to save most of the price. It's a no-brainer for readers, but they have to support the model or it won't take off. My early returns were disappointing, and continue to be so, but this venture needs lots of time and patience.

The book is now available from Feedbooks and manybooks.net: my thanks to Hadrien Gardeur at FB and Matt McClintock at manybooks.

Hadrien found a problem with the MS-Word file: I had forgotten to do some formatting, so if anyone reading this downloaded the Word version before about 13.00 GMT could they please download the file again. Sorry about this. It's all a bit of a nightmare getting everything right.

pilotbob · 09-29-2008, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Herley

Besides the author's royalty on a regular ebook, the reader has to pay the publisher's share, plus whatever costs may be involved in distribution, plus whatever extra the publisher and distributor think the market will bear. With shareware, the reader gets to save most of the price. It's a no-brainer for readers, but they have to support the model or it won't take off.

I certainly understand what you are saying. However, when certain people shop... (my mom and grandma included) if the price is lower that most of the other similar items they assume it is because it is cheap or no good. The whole "you get what you payfor mentality".

Although your "you pay for what you get" reverses this on its head. But, I wonder if even though people are not paying upfront they see the prices and wonder "how good could it be"?

Then again, I see most people here thing ebooks should be less expensive even when sold by the publisher... so perhaps I am all wet.

So, ask $3 then send the extra $1.50 to Darfur or something.

BOb

koland · 09-29-2008, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Herley

My latest book, Refuge, is available for download at my site under the usual terms — pay a shareware fee if you enjoy it.!

Just to let you know, my mom bought them all (she was afraid she'd forget where to pay or to pay at all if she waited until she read them).

Do you have REFUGE in mobi format yet (didn't see it at feedbooks)?

Thanks,
Karen

Hadrien · 09-29-2008, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koland

Just to let you know, my mom bought them all (she was afraid she'd forget where to pay or to pay at all if she waited until she read them).

Do you have REFUGE in mobi format yet (didn't see it at feedbooks)?

Thanks,
Karen

All of the content on Feedbooks is available in mobi: http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3025.mobi

Richard Herley · 09-29-2008, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koland

Just to let you know, my mom bought them all (she was afraid she'd forget where to pay or to pay at all if she waited until she read them).

Do you have REFUGE in mobi format yet (didn't see it at feedbooks)?

Thanks,
Karen

Thanks, Karen's mom! I hope you enjoy them. But there's no need to pay unless you do -- if you don't, let me know fairly soon (before PayPal's statute of limitations runs out) and I'll refund your $$. I only want satisfied readers; I'd like to build up a readership based on mutual trust.

In response to a suggestion from a contributor to my blog, I've put a message at the end of each ebook, reminding readers of the deal and pointing them at my site. The URL also appears in the prelims, or just Google "Richard Herley" if you can't remember where to go.

koland · 09-30-2008, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Herley

Thanks, Karen's mom! I hope you enjoy them. But there's no need to pay unless you do -- if you don't, let me know fairly soon (before PayPal's statute of limitations runs out) and I'll refund your $$.

She won't want a refund. She read your web site and decided she'd rather give you the money for all the books up front than buy just one at the store to try it out.

And I found the mobi version - it just wasn't up yet the first time I looked there.

Thanks again for the experiment (and all the versions - it's worth the 1.80 just to skip the work of reformatting it).

Karen

Richard Herley · 10-02-2008, 05:52 AM

A heads-up for anyone who has downloaded this title from Feedbooks: there was an error in the early editions. Part Two, Chapter 2 had been duplicated and Chapter 3 left out. Hadrien Gardeur's email, telling me he had fixed the problem, was timed at 20.37 GMT on 1 October.

Mitchll · 10-02-2008, 09:56 AM

When I download the sony file at feedbooks it gives me a pdf instead

Hadrien · 10-02-2008, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mitchll

When I download the sony file at feedbooks it gives me a pdf instead

Formatted for the Sony PRS-500/505. Or if you're using a 505 you can also use the ePub version.

HappyMartin · 10-03-2008, 03:24 AM

Thank you. I have downloaded it and look forward to giving it a try. Looks interesting.

Richard Herley · 08-03-2011, 01:24 PM

During August, Refuge is free from Smashwords. It's selling pretty well, but I would like to bring this and the rest of my work to an even wider audience.

Refuge was a choice at the MR Book Club, so you can see what other forum members made of it.

Book description

Like The Penal Colony, this is a thriller set in the near future.

It is twelve years on from a global plague. John Suter believes himself the sole survivor. He has gradually come to terms with his fate and has settled into a steady and self-reliant daily routine.

One morning he finds a mutilated body in the river near his house. In his terror, Suter knows he has no choice but to investigate.

What he discovers upstream stretches his endurance to its limits and forces him to reassess not only his own humanity, but also his place within the human family he had once believed extinct.

WARNING: This book is not suitable for minors. It contains descriptions of violence, sexual activity and satanic worship which some readers may find disturbing.

09-29-2008, 05:05 AM	#1
Richard Herley Author Posts: 203 Karma: 1164907 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	New Richard Herley novel My latest book, Refuge, is available for download at my site under the usual terms — pay a shareware fee if you enjoy it. I have simplified the fee-structure. Instead of different prices for the various titles, and offering a reduction for bundles, I now request a fee for each novel of £1.00 (about $1.80), which works out about the same. Thanks again to everyone at MobileRead for their help and moral support. All feedback is very welcome!

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09-29-2008, 12:08 PM	#3
Richard Herley Author Posts: 203 Karma: 1164907 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	BOb, you can set whatever price you like. More would be nice, but my "policy" is only to ask for a single royalty, which is part of what the reader would pay anyway. Besides the author's royalty on a regular ebook, the reader has to pay the publisher's share, plus whatever costs may be involved in distribution, plus whatever extra the publisher and distributor think the market will bear. With shareware, the reader gets to save most of the price. It's a no-brainer for readers, but they have to support the model or it won't take off. My early returns were disappointing, and continue to be so, but this venture needs lots of time and patience. The book is now available from Feedbooks and manybooks.net: my thanks to Hadrien Gardeur at FB and Matt McClintock at manybooks. Hadrien found a problem with the MS-Word file: I had forgotten to do some formatting, so if anyone reading this downloaded the Word version before about 13.00 GMT could they please download the file again. Sorry about this. It's all a bit of a nightmare getting everything right.

10-02-2008, 05:52 AM	#9
Richard Herley Author Posts: 203 Karma: 1164907 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	A heads-up for anyone who has downloaded this title from Feedbooks: there was an error in the early editions. Part Two, Chapter 2 had been duplicated and Chapter 3 left out. Hadrien Gardeur's email, telling me he had fixed the problem, was timed at 20.37 GMT on 1 October.

10-02-2008, 09:56 AM	#10
Mitchll Cave Dweller Posts: 220 Karma: 1986 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Ipad Sony reader prs-505 prs-900	When I download the sony file at feedbooks it gives me a pdf instead

10-03-2008, 03:24 AM	#12
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	Thank you. I have downloaded it and look forward to giving it a try. Looks interesting.

08-03-2011, 01:24 PM	#13
Richard Herley Author Posts: 203 Karma: 1164907 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	During August, Refuge is free from Smashwords. It's selling pretty well, but I would like to bring this and the rest of my work to an even wider audience. Refuge was a choice at the MR Book Club, so you can see what other forum members made of it. Book description Like The Penal Colony, this is a thriller set in the near future. It is twelve years on from a global plague. John Suter believes himself the sole survivor. He has gradually come to terms with his fate and has settled into a steady and self-reliant daily routine. One morning he finds a mutilated body in the river near his house. In his terror, Suter knows he has no choice but to investigate. What he discovers upstream stretches his endurance to its limits and forces him to reassess not only his own humanity, but also his place within the human family he had once believed extinct. WARNING: This book is not suitable for minors. It contains descriptions of violence, sexual activity and satanic worship which some readers may find disturbing.