When Is It Time to Raise a Book's Price?

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”
— Warren Buffett

Illustration of a hand peeling back a blurred price sticker on the cover of a purple hardcover book, revealing another blurred price beneath. Above the book, the title reads, "Why Do Book Prices Change?" The image introduces a behind-the-scenes article about how independent publishers adjust book prices over time.


Why Are Some Little Goodbyes Press Book Prices Changing?

If you've been browsing the Little Goodbyes Press catalogue recently, you may notice that the prices of some books are changing. Changing the cost of our books is never a decision I make lightly. In fact, after IngramSpark sent their we are changing the costs of printing books (increased its printing costs earlier this year), I deliberately waited several months before making any changes as I wanted to see how those increased costs affected royalties across our different books and formats over time.

For us, publishing isn't just about writing stories. It's also about making sure those stories remain sustainable to produce for years to come and that means pricing needed to be adjusted from time to time.

Printing Costs Don't Stay the Same

Like many businesses, print-on-demand publishers occasionally face increases in production costs.

When the cost of printing rises, independent publishers have a choice. We can absorb those costs ourselves, or we can adjust retail prices to help keep publishing new books possible. When I first reviewed those costs, I chose to wait before making any decisions. However, after reviewing several months of sales, printing costs, and royalties, it became clear that a few titles needed to be updated.

If you're curious about another part of the publishing process, I've also written about how print-on-demand was our decision and how book returns work through IngramSpark and why they can affect independent publishers.

What is Print-on-Demand (Any Why We Use It)

IngramSpark Book Returns: Why They Show Up Late and Cost So Much.

Every Format Has a Different Purpose

One thing people don't always realize is that the same book often exists in several different editions and that each one of these versions is designed to serve a different audience.

Hardcover Editions

Our hardcovers are designed to last through years of reading. They're ideal for libraries, classrooms, gift giving, and families who want a durable keepsake. They are also, by far, the most expensive books to make due to their special binding.

IngramSpark Paperbacks

These editions make our books available through bookstores, libraries, and retailers around the world. They give readers more ways to find our books beyond Amazon which is important as Amazon isn't available everywhere.

Amazon (KDP) Paperbacks

We also create separate paperback editions for Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing.

In practical terms, that means formatting each book twice, since Amazon and IngramSpark use different print specifications including colour profiles. Thankfully, using Scribus this is much easier to do now that we have templates for each of the different book sizes 32 and 48 pages.

While a lot of people don't wan to support Amazon, their lower printing costs often allow us to offer a lower retail price for readers purchasing there. Plus, as we've talked about, Amazon has printing facilities in Canada so that is supporting the people who where there as well. For us, the extra work is worth it if it gives families another affordable option.

Working with Scribus: A Free InDesign Alternative for Book Layouts

eBooks

Many of our books are also becoming available as eBooks, providing our lowest-priced edition for readers who prefer digital formats. Amazon and Draft2Digital both have their own eBook formats that they will accept and while, again making two separate files, that's worth it to ensure that our books are as accessible as possible not just for purchase by through library lending programs as well.

I've written before about creating ebook editions and why we decided to expand into digital publishing.

Working on Ebooks This Week and What Draft2Digital's New Fees Mean for Me.

Offering Choices

One goal at Little Goodbyes Press is to make our books available in different formats whenever possible. Some readers prefer a hardcover they'll treasure for years. Others want the most affordable paperback. Libraries often order differently than individual families, and eBook readers have their own preferences. Rather than offering just one edition, I try to make sure there's a choice whenever possible. 

Looking Ahead

Publishing is always changing. Printing costs, distribution, and technology continue to evolve, and sometimes book prices need to change along with them. My goal remains the same as it was when Little Goodbyes Press began: to create thoughtful books for readers, libraries, and classrooms while keeping them as accessible as possible.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Little Goodbyes Press along the way. Every book purchased or requested through your library helps make the next one possible.


You can explore all of our current titles on our Books Page.

If you'd like to help share our works, visit our Libraries Page for circulation details and ISBNs.

Our books are available through major retailers including Chapters, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, and Waterstones.

Location: Canada

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