So, I’ve been talking with folks I know about trying Kickstarter again. My first effort was painfully unsuccessful. I actually did serious damage to my sales-persona, because I became so depressed and embarrassed about trying to get pledges that the thought of calling on people put me in a cold sweat.
That leads me to ask, if I launch a Kickstarter to offset the cost of audiobook production, and I offered all 9 audiobooks, would you pledge for that package at $10, $20, $40, or $80? Somewhere in between?
Because here’s the deal. The cost of digital goods only matters in as much as the cost of hosting that product somewhere and the cost of production. To produce all 9 books in the Luke In Time Mysteries will cost me between $40,000 and $60,000—it’s $500 per finished hour (industry jargon), and since I don’t have a final word count on the series, I had to plan for a top-end range. 9Lives is coming in at $4,400.
That may seem like a large cost, but I’d only need around 7,000 customers at a $10 price to break even—and 7,000 customers is a fathomable goal, especially when you think about having time between books to presell.
But now imagine if $40 was a fair price for 9 audiobooks read to you by Xe Sands, Audie winning performer, and the same reader who brought you many of Chuck Wendig’s most popular books. Then I need just 1,800 customers and the cost of the entire series is funded, and the world is a better place for it.
Oh, and by the way, if you subscribe to Audible, and get 2 credits a month, you pay $9 per credit, which means buying The Luke In Time Mysteries at $40 saves you more than 50% over Audible, and you can still listen in your Audible app.
So, I’m just curious, if you’re reading this, and you think my goal is reasonable, and you want to support, pledge, and connect me with people who can point me toward readers/listeners who would love this deal, can you reply to me and set up a talk?
I’m in need of help!
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