This seems a bit like asking to "pay what you want for a free sample."
I understand that it's not intentional, but when Radiohead and other world-famous recording artists are offering "pay what you like" for entire albums, and most book stores (online or B&M) will let you read at least a few pages to get you hooked, offering a "pay what you want for one chapter" feels like you're trying too hard to game consumers, and they'll see right through it.
There is no risk in this scheme, you're not tugging on the honor or ethic strings of individuals because you are not leaving yourself exposed. And when the book price is $5, within impulse purchase range for many, you're wasting people's time by asking them to get their wallet out for a sample.
Offer the entire book as "pay what you like" and it becomes interesting, or give away the first chapter, but paying for a teaser isn't going to make waves.
Why pay any more than the minimum 50 cents when the effective price per chapter of the complete book is 49.5 cents? A free first chapter would probably be better at getting people hooked (assuming it's actually a good book)
I understand that it's not intentional, but when Radiohead and other world-famous recording artists are offering "pay what you like" for entire albums, and most book stores (online or B&M) will let you read at least a few pages to get you hooked, offering a "pay what you want for one chapter" feels like you're trying too hard to game consumers, and they'll see right through it.
There is no risk in this scheme, you're not tugging on the honor or ethic strings of individuals because you are not leaving yourself exposed. And when the book price is $5, within impulse purchase range for many, you're wasting people's time by asking them to get their wallet out for a sample.
Offer the entire book as "pay what you like" and it becomes interesting, or give away the first chapter, but paying for a teaser isn't going to make waves.