Molly: Do you think the rise of the 99 cent bestseller has changed the romance reading audience/average romance reader? And have publishing houses kept up with that change?
Shauna: This is hard to know. I think there are certain types of readers who are perfect for the 99 cent bestseller—they’re prolific and voracious readers who are always happy to give something new a try, especially for the right price. And I think there is a certain amount of lower expectations for some readers when they’ve paid only 99 cents—like, “well, it wasn’t great, but good enough for that price.” Will they buy the author’s next book, even if it has a higher price? That’s the big question. I think some readers look for a curator, whether that’s reader reviews (which I think are HUGELY important these days) or blog posts or cover blurbs or recommendations from friends or librarians or booksellers. Perhaps those are also the readers that might be wary of something that is 99 cents, with the thinking being, “if it’s so great, why is it priced so low?”
via dearauthor.com
True. If you get a book for free, or pay just 99 cents, your expectations are low.
This makes it delicious when you find a wonderful writer. I'm thrilled when this happens. I can't ever have too many books to read. If I love an author, I'll by his/ her entire backlist without a quibble, and his/ her next book as well.
