Differences

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--- pricing_crowdfunding [2026/09/07 10:14] – mwlucas
+++ pricing_crowdfunding [2026/09/07 10:44] (current) – mwlucas
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-Writing the book is art and craft. Selling the book is pure business. The goal is to make money and pay your bills. Every book must make money in every format, no matter how many backers each format has. This document uses Kickstarter language, but the same calculations apply to other crowdfunding platforms. My private book sponsorships use similar calculations.
+Writing the book is art and craft. Selling the book is pure business. The goal is to make money and pay your bills. Every book must make money in every format, no matter how many backers each format has. This is how I calculate reward prices for crowdfunding campaigns. My private book sponsorships use similar calculations.
-Never argue with Kickstarter's web interface while simultaneously deciding on rewards prices. That way lies despair and failure. Collect all your costs and set your prices before touching any crowdfunding system.
+Never argue with Kickstarter's (or any platform's) web interface while simultaneously deciding on reward prices. That way lies despair and failure. Collect all your costs and set your prices before touching any crowdfunding site.
-Round all prices up to the nearest dollar. (Okay, if it's ten cents over you might decide to drop it, but be real sure you want to eat many dimes. The goal is to pay your rent. Backers want to help you pay the rent. Take the dollar.)
+Round all prices up to the nearest dollar. (Okay, if it's ten cents over you might decide to drop it, but be real sure you want to eat many dimes. The goal is to pay your rent. Backers want to help you pay the rent. When someone puts a dollar in your hand, take it.)
 The words "cost" and "price" are terms of art. "Cost" is how much I pay. "Price" is how much supporters pay. A book that costs $10 might have a price of $30.
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 I'm shipping from the US, using US postal infrastructure. Folks in other countries must investigate their options.
-Do a US-only campaign before you go global.
+Do a single book campaign before offering multiple print books as a reward. Do a US-only campaign before you go global.
 ===Stuff You Need Before Beginning===
   * a completed book in every format you intend to offer
+For signed print bundles of multiple books
   * any other books you intend to offer in this campaign, in the format(s) you're offering
-  * a set of USPS Flat Rate boxes, available for free from the USPS web site or just walk to the post office and grab sensibly sized boxes.
+  * a set of USPS Flat Rate boxes, available for free from the USPS web site, or just walk to the post office and grab sensibly sized boxes to hold your bundles.
 International campaigns need all of the above plus:
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 Go to IngramSpark. Get the printing cost for paperback and hardcover of your new book. Round up to the nearest dollar. Record those prices in the spreadsheet.
-At this time, printing price is pretty consistent across regions.
+At this time printing price is pretty consistent across regions. Verify your printing cost at each printing location.
 ===Signed Bundle Printing Cost and Shipping Box Check===
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 ===Shipping and Handling Costs: Single Book Drop Shipment===
-As of now, IngramSpark can mail a single book from the US to anywhere in the world for $12. Check the cost to ship to test addresses in Japan, Norway, New Zealand, South Africa, and Uruguay.
+As of now, IngramSpark can mail a single book from the US to anywhere in the world for $12. Check the cost to ship to test addresses in Japan, Norway, New Zealand, South Africa, and Uruguay. The cheapest shipping might not be from the obvious printer--for example, IngramSpark shipping to New Zealand from the US is less expensive than IS shipping from Australia. Weird but true.
-The cheapest shipping might not be from the obvious printer--for example, IngramSpark shipping to New Zealand from the US is less expensive than IS shipping from Australia. Weird but true.
 ===Shipping and Handling Costs: Signed Books to the US===
-For backers in the US, ship new books with Priority Mail Flat Rate envelopes. [[https://www.usps.com/business/prices.htm|Look up the cost to ship a Flat Rate envelope to Honolulu.]] Charge that for shipping and handling. You're having to touch the books, adding a couple bucks for handling is sensible.
+Once someone orders books, you **must** deliver them. Period. Your career requires a reputation for reliability.
+USPS offers two shipping methods suitable for book rewards: Media Mail and Priority Mail. Yes, options like First Class and USPS Ground Advantage are available, but they don't offer much difference. Media Mail is cheap, uninsured, and slow. Priority Mail costs a couple bucks more, is insured, and is faster. You could choose to use Media Mail and cover any losses out of your own pocket. Adding insurance to Media Mail raises the price near to that of Priority Mail.
+Cost-conscious backers will choose dropshipped books. I recommend Priority Mail.
+For backers in the US, ship new books with Priority Mail Flat Rate cardboard envelopes. They are free from the Post Office. [[https://www.usps.com/business/prices.htm|Look up the cost to ship a Flat Rate envelope to Honolulu.]] Charge that for shipping and handling. Not all packages will be that expensive, but as you're having to touch the books, adding a couple bucks for handling is sensible.
 Put that in the spreadsheet for shipping cost of signed paperbacks and hardcovers.
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 ===Shipping and Handling Costs: Signed Books to the World===
-For backers outside the US, ship signed books in 6x9 bubble mailers. Get the weight and dimensions of each, plus the bubble mailer. A few ounces make a big difference, so get actual weights!
+For backers outside the US, ship signed books in 6x9 bubble mailers. Get the weight and dimensions of each, plus the bubble mailer. A few ounces might make a big difference, so use actual weights!
 Log in to your shipping retailer. Save your test addresses. Save your hardcover as a package. Save your paperback as a package. (You might not need both, but a moment of preparation will save you annoyance.)
-See how much it costs to ship that book to that country for both First Class and Priority Mail.
+See how much it costs to ship each book to each country for both First Class and Priority Mail.
-Right about now, I realize that USPS also provides identically-sized flat rate boxes for overseas shipments and check the prices. Now that I'm reminded that shipping "The Full Michael" to Australia would exceed $300, I once again decide to not offer that as a reward.
+Right about now is when I realize that USPS also provides identically-sized flat rate boxes for overseas shipments and check the prices. Now that I'm reminded that shipping "The Full Michael" to Australia would exceed $300, I once again decide to not offer that as a reward.
-Setting fine-grained shipping prices is a pain. Instead, look at the prices. Figure out a decent high average for a region. Here's some sample prices for a particular book to Europe at this moment.
+Setting fine-grained shipping prices is a pain. Instead, look at the prices. Figure out a decent high average for a region. Here's some sample prices for my book //Apocalypse Moi// to Europe at this moment.
   * UK $38.35
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 You can break this up country-by-country, or you can say "European shipping and handling is $42." I'd lose a couple bucks on shipments to Norway, but make them up shipping to Germany. How much time do you want to spend in the crowdfunding interface?
-I breaking shipping into regions: US, Canada, UK, Europe, Rest of World using such averages.
+Using averages I break shipping into regions: US, Canada, UK, Europe, Rest of World.
 Enter your chosen shipping prices in the spreadsheet.