A pricing scheme

[benlehman]

Nathan proposed this to me as a pricing scheme for Drifter's Escape. Sadly, I've already done a lot of selling of the books at the present price point, but it's worthwhile to think about for future endeavors.

The pricing scheme is as such:
Two paypal buttons. One $10 + SH, one $20 + SH. The $10 button is labeled "reduced rate for poor people." The $20 button is labeled "standard rate for middle class and wealthy people."

So, I'll ask you: What are your thoughts on this? Why? Would this excite you or turn you off? Which button would you pick and why?

Comments

[chgriffen.livejournal.com]

I'm all for it. And I'd click the $20 one since I'm solidly middle class these days.

[yeloson.livejournal.com]

I think that's pretty awesome. Last year, at many points, I would have picked the poor people option (as, when you scrape for groceries, I figure you're poor). So far this year, I would pick middle class. Hopefully I can keep rolling with that.

[noradannan.livejournal.com]

It is a turn off for me, and I'm not sure why. I'm all for having multiple pricing options, but I find the labels you site as kinda rude and quite offputting. Not sure why. That said, I'd pay $20 these days, but if it was labeled like that I'd feel pissy about it.

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good idea to me.

[russiandude.livejournal.com]

I would prefer to think of it as a "reduced rate" and a "bonus rate", where the bonus rate came with, a wallpaper, or something. The extra trinket does not at all have to be worth $10 more. In fact, it should not. It's kind of like a pat on the head.

Just because I am middle class or whatnot, does not mean I like wasting money, or just paying more for stuff. Otherwise, what's the point of having more money, if the cost of everything scales up? The implication here is offputting.

[amnesiack.livejournal.com]

I know a bunch of small punk record labels that sell their stuff on a sliding scale. Like someone else mentioned, I'm not sure I'd like the specific labels, but if you stated the book's minimum and maximum price and explained your reasons for charging sliding scale (as most of them do), I would be pretty keen on it, and I would pay full price.

[marcus-sez-vote.livejournal.com]

I agree on the labeling sounding "off" to me. I could see one as being the "standard rate" (10 dollars), while the other one allows me to pay extra for...something. Am I supporting the author? The artists for any drawings/pictures in the text? A charity connected to this transaction that is getting a percentage of the proceeds? I would personally want at least something of an explanation rather than, "Pay this because you can afford it." I want to know why, even if the answer is, "Because you will help me create more things as an artist."

Be well.

[xorphus.livejournal.com]

Small Beer Press (specifically Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet) does a goofier version (http://smallbeerpress.com/shopping/subscriptions/) of this. Co-opting some of those labels might help with the offputtingness people have mentioned above.

[metalfatigue]

When I started going to ACUS, they had three ticket prices: standard, reduced rate for hardship cases, and increased rate for people to subsidize the hardship cases. I always paid the highest I could afford—usually the increased rate.

[alexpshenichkin.livejournal.com]

So, compared to just a page that says "Click here to buy this for $20"...

With the categories proposed in the original post, I'd still pay the full $20 but feel less inclined to buy the game. That's because of a subtext I read into the category names: "You should feel guilty for being non-poor" -- sometimes a constructive sentiment, I figure, but not so much when I am just buying a game from you over the Internet. (Oddly, the "poor" button also gives me a negative vibe, like it's saying "You should feel guilty for being poor" to anyone who clicks on it.)

With the alternative "standard"/"hardship" categories proposed in the comments, I'd pay the full $20 and feel more inclined to buy the game. Because I don't read any negative subtext into it, my reaction is more like, "Oh, hey, that Ben is a swell guy! I should encourage him with my money!"

-- Alex

[redcrosse.livejournal.com]

I think it's worth it even if it is offputting to some people (which it will be.) The fact that people feel guilty about how much money they have whenever it's mentioned, and feel as though it shouldn't be phrased in terms of justice, speaks to the degree of injustice we're willing to ignore. I think the idea is fundamentally sound, and the price points appropriate. I would, however, advise against labelling the middle-class rate as "standard," and would suggest a word other than "poor." (See Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five rant about "America hates its poor": it's all true.) Otherwise, get up in Mammon's grill, Ben.

[summercomfort]

I have no problem with "poor people" vs "middle class and wealthy people", but apparently some people do. I do like the idea of a hardship discount, though. It's like a teacher's discount, which I take advantage of quite often.

[kiddens.livejournal.com]

I like it.

Since some people think the wording needs work, try to find a way to accommodate that. You don't want to piss off customers. However, I like the intent and I think any wording changes need to preserve the intent.

One (probably bad, but neutral) way to phrase it (at least for Americans) would be:

Customers with 2009 AGI (line 4 Form 1040EZ, line 21 Form 1040A, line 37 Form 1040) > $35,000: $20
Customers with 2009 AGI (line 4 Form 1040EZ, line 21 Form 1040A, line 37 Form 1040) <= $35,000: $10

The story of price

[amberley.livejournal.com]

Or label them as $10 for People Beholden to the Devil, and $20 for People Beholden to The Man.

The way you've phrased it is very offputting to me but I might buy a copy just because of that.

Books are good at offering different value propositions, from mass market paperbacks all the way up to lettered limited editions, and part of their sales story is how well they integrate into the stories people tell themselves about the kind of person they are, but I should be headed to Gamestorm instead of expanding on that idea in livejournal.

The higher price point would be more palatable if it either included an extra (signed, numbered, or some kind of extra, whatever), or was explicitly a "Pay double and I'll give one away free to someone who'll enjoy it."

Cory Doctorow posts all his books free on the Internet, but he also has a page set up where people can donate copies of Little Brother to schools and libraries by way of thanks.

"I like your work so much I want to share it with others" has a much higher appeal (to me, anyway) than "I feel guilty about doing well so I'm willing to pay extra for nothing." Others' milage may vary.

Also, you shouldn't feel that just because you've been selling them for $15 they're stuck at that price point forever. People who bought them for that (including me) must have felt it was worth it, so if you charge less or more in the future, that has no effect on their sunk costs.

[(Anonymous)]

You could have a web quiz to determine price point with oblique questions and an obscure computaions. You could take it again and again till you get a cheap price if you want.