A bottle of Coke versus The Messenger - decisions decisions.

Again today I have been researching the prices of books on Kindle to gauge the price I should set for The Messenger.


Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Kindle price £2.74

James Patterson's Worst Case - Kindle price £2.75

Lee Child's 61 Hours - Kindle price £3.59

Sean Black's Lock Down - Kindle Price £4.18


Now, as a 'new thriller writer' I am conscious that, unlike Stieg, James, Lee and Sean, both me and my work will not be well known - so I can't overcook the price. However, my prospective readers will be getting a 150,000 word, page-turner of a thriller. But as I'm told so often it isn't size that matters - it's quality. And who am I to suggest the quality of my own work? That will be down to the readers /reviewers. They will tell me if it's good value for money. However, when I consider that a bottle of coke (other fizzy drinks available) at most motorway services will cost the best part of £1.50, do I use that as a marketing tool? "Buy a Kindle thriller for (less than?) the price of a bottle of coke at the Services!"


I began writing The Messenger in 2006 - and it has been a labour of love ever since. edits -alterations - research - deleted story lines - meetings - critiques - more editing - Agents - Publishers - suggestions - rejections - more writing - and so it went on. What I am trying to say is it's been a long time coming and now it's here I don't want to spoil the ship for a half-pennyworth of tar.