The pricing model for my book

I have encountered mixed opinion about whether I should continue to offer my book for free, along with curiosity as to whether I am earning any money by doing so. In this post I share some information about purchases of my book, rationale for my current pricing model, and my argument for why you should invest in a copy.

What do people pay?

At the time of writing this blog, my book has 1,719 readers.

On average, 1 in 5 people have chosen to pay for my book. Of those who pay, 53% pay the recommended price, 10% pay more, and 37% pay less.

Based on a rough estimate of the number of hours that I spent writing and revising the book, I calculate that my current revenue gives an income of $8 an hour.

I incurred minimal cost in the writing process: the LeanPub subscription, gifts for my reviewers and graphic designer, and a celebratory dinner after I published. If I subtract these expenses, my income drops to $5 an hour.

The minimum wage in New Zealand is $15.75 per hour. This means that based on current sales, I would have been better paid by working in a fast food outlet than in writing my book. I don't think that's a particularly surprising outcome for a creative pursuit.

Why offer it for free?

I wrote the book to collate ideas and experiences about testing in DevOps into a single place. I wanted to encourage people to develop their understanding of an emerging area of our industry. My primary motivation was to share information and to do that I think it needs to be accessible.

I have been told that offering something for free creates a perception that it is not valuable. That people are likely to download the book, but not to read it, as they haven't invested in the purchase. That people won't trust the quality of a book that a writer is willing to offer for nothing.

I weigh these arguments against someone being unable to access the information because they cannot afford it, or someone who is unwilling to enter their payment details online, or someone using cost as an excuse to avoid learning. These reasons make me continue to offer free download as an option.

I recognise that being able to set a minimum price of zero is a privilege. If I was writing for a living, then this would not be an option available to me. I do worry that my actions impact those writers who would be unable to do the same.

Why pay?

If my book is available for free, then why should you pay for a copy?

I believe that I have written a useful resource, but every writer is likely to feel that way about their book! Rather than just taking my word for it, I have collected reader testimonials from around the world including the USA, Netherlands, UK, India, Pakistan, Ecuador, and New Zealand.

The testimonials endorse the practical content, industry examples, and the breadth of my research in my book. They compliment my writing style as being clear and easy-to-read. They state that there is a wide audience for the book - anyone who holds a role in a software development team.

Alongside their opinions, you can preview a sample chapter and the table of contents prior to purchase. I hope that all of this information creates a persuasive case for the value contained within the book itself.

If you believe that the book will be useful to you, then I believe that the recommended price is fair.

A Practical Guide to Testing in DevOps is now available on LeanPub.