“Cecil Graham: What is a cynic?
Lord Darlington: A man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.
Cecil Graham: And a sentimentalist, my dear Darlington, is a man who sees an absurd value in everything and doesn’t know the market price of any single
thing.”
(Oscar Wilde. Lady Windermere’s Fan).
According to the above, I am a sentimentalist for I had no idea what price to attach to my book, “Dalliance; A Collection Of Poetry And Prose”. Indeed I must confess to finding the attaching of monetary value to artistic creations rather distasteful. For me literature and art more generally possesses a value in and of itself which can not be reduced to a matter of pounds, shillings and pence. Food feeds the stomach while art nourishes the soul. While the former is vital to the survival of the species, once food is eaten that is an end of the matter while, with art exposure to it continues to feed the spirit long after the creation in question has vanished from view. Poems I read as a boy continue to resonate with me today while countless meals are long since forgotten. Of course one may remember a dinner for the excellent companionship of friends but only on rare occasions will the food consumed figure in one’s recollections.
Having said all that, I do, of course accept that man does not exist by consuming fresh air alone. Authors must earn (and deserve to earn) a crust. Consequently it is necessary for me and other authors to attach monetary value to our creations. In the case of “Dalliance” I discussed the matter of price with several colleagues and friends who had read the book. None where of much help. One colleague suggested a price range of between £8 to £20. Given that “Dalliance” runs to 68 pages I felt that £20 was much to high. Eventually I consulted the man who owns my local bookshop, Bookseller Crow. He suggested a price of £7.99 which we agreed upon. This will cover the cost of producing “Dalliance” and, I hope allow both myself and the good purveyor of books to earn a crust.
In conclusion, books do possess an inherent value which can not be translated into purely monetary terms. However in the real world it is necessary (as with other artistic creations) to assign a price to them. However, deep in my soul I feel that it is sacreligious to place a financial value on Keats “Ode to A Nightingale” or Arnold’s “Dover Beach”.
K Morris - Poet 
I’m glad you didn’t do what many crazy authors do, offer their work for free. That riles me because authors, excluding a few lucky ones, earn a pittance. Good luck with your sales.
Thank you. I have, in the past offered some of my books free for periods via KDP Select. This resulted in some reviews which, of course helps to bump up the work’s ranking on Amazon so is positive. However I am moving to a position where I only provide free books in return for honest reviews or to close family and friends. I wouldn’t expect my mum to pay for my book! Kevin
Despite their ‘intrinsic’ value many excellent paintings attract very high ‘monetary’ values. Likewise, first editions of valued books attract more than reasonable ‘monetary’ recompenses. So though I fully empathise with your thoughts, and in agreement with Mallee, would say we need to apply a value to our books of whatever length or genre. Of course we need to be realistic and make the price a sensible one. In addition, from what I have read in various places recently, the appeal of ‘free’ books has waned and readers appear to rather value something they pay for, providing the price it not too steep.
I agree with you, authors need to attach a monetary value to their creations. What I object to is the view that art is just a commodity like any other commodity. While, as you rightly point out, first editions and famous paintings attract high prices, one hopes that those who purchase them do so due to a genuine love for the book/painting. However, one suspects that in the real world people will buy art as an investment and/or a status symbol rather than out of any genuine appreciation for it’s intrinsic value.