A recent publishing trend is to release a boxed set some time after completing a series. Once buzz for the final volume seems to settle, a boxed set provides an opportunity to revitalize interest in your series. It will also get your series back into the new release categories one last time.
Each volume can only be on sale periodically. If priced at a good value, even when the boxed set is at its regular list price, it still has the allure of being on sale—because readers save money compared to each volume individually. Another thing the boxed set can do is entice readers to buy the entire series up front, rather than one volume at a time (thereby avoiding some of the readers who might not reach the end).
(It doesn’t necessarily have to be a series, although a boxed set is most common for series; it could be a set of very similar books.)
The boxed set helps to establish the perception of great value.
You could add bonus material, but you may want to consider this carefully. Is the bonus material available separately? Your loyal fans who have purchased each volume separately might not appreciate having to also buy the boxed set just to get the bonus material. If you can solve this problem, then it can add further value to your boxed set without upsetting your fans.
Cover Reveal
I don’t have any boxed sets yet, but as you can see with my cover reveal, I have one in the works. Please share your feedback on the cover design (while keeping in mind that I don’t intend to redo the original covers of Volumes 1 and 2, and therefore intend to preserve this aspect of the boxed set design).
Question
Here’s my question: What would you call a nonfiction boxed set?
Of course, it could just be called a boxed set. The term omnibus is used frequently for boxed sets. Would you use omnibus for nonfiction, or you do think it should be used for fiction only? Can you suggest an alternative? I appreciate any suggestions. Thank you in advance.
Publishing Resources
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I am confused. Are the word scrambles and astronomy book part of the boxed set or is it just vol. 1 and 2 of the Self Publishing Guide? Or are they part of your original covers? I like the look of the two books together.
That’s my nutty header. 🙂
Never mind. I see them on the original covers now. I think the Boxed set looks good. I would call it a boxed set whether or not it is fiction or non-fiction because that’s what people commonly know it as.
In paperback, I have the choice of actually putting two separate books in a boxed set, or combining two volumes into a single book (simpler). With paperbacks, I usually think of a boxed set as physically coming in a box and consisting of separate books. Maybe with that, it would be better to say 2-in-1, or two-volume set…
I think the two volumes are best. I recall some of my nursing reference books being so big that I rarely used them. I would buy them, and then purchase smaller books with the same info condensed.
Thank you for sharing that. It’s always invaluable to hear about reading experiences like this. 🙂
Great idea – I had not thought of the boxed set. But as I am writing a series then it is definitely something to keep in mind. Good luck with yours Chris.
If you have a long series, you can also make multiple boxes (e.g. volumes 1-3 could be one set, volumes 4-6 another set, etc.). I know there is a special term for this when it’s not a complete fiction series (Charles mentioned this term a month ago, and already I forgot…).
To me, omnibus, suggests several shorter stories and I do attribute that to fiction. That is just me though. I am drawing a blank on any alternatives at the moment for boxed set.
Thank you. I see omnibus more often with fiction, so it probably carries that connotation.