Behind the scenes

The big reveal

From my newsletter, 30 July 2026

Short on time? The order page is here — this is the story behind it.

So, the big reveal: how are we going to sell a 40,000-word business book for €45?

First - thank you for the replies to my €45 question. I got eight properly detailed ones, and they’ve shaped everything below. If you already know you’re in, the order page is here. If you want the story first, read on.

Learning #1: When you think you’ve over-communicated? Communicate some more.

The €45 was never meant to be “the” price of the book. The Amazon paperback will be €16. I’d already posted this on LinkedIn, so in my mind everyone knew. In the social media world, I could not have been more wrong.

And a confession: I keep worrying people will find me annoying - “oh no, Claire’s talking about her book again.” I need to get over that. Because the lesson applies well beyond book marketing: when you’re selling an idea, giving a speech, or even pitching, repeat the important thing at least three times.

Why? Because the first time, your audience might be scrolling. The second time, they’re probably planning what to have for dinner. Don’t fear over-communicating.

Learning #2: People buy business books for content and practicality - and they’ll pay more for a textbook than a beautiful object.

I loved reading the replies, and thought I’d share a couple of them here:

“High quality printing is better suited for coffee table books that are primarily decorative, but not very content-rich… My cynical side would ask, why is this book so pretty?”

“The book must be easy to read in a train - softcover, no thick paper, simple one-coloured cover with only few words on it. Max price 20€.”

I don’t fully agree that pretty means content-poor. But the conclusion is clear: above the €20 mark, I’m no longer selling a book. If you just want the book, go to Amazon - €16, printed on paper you can bend, scribble on, and not mourn too much if it gets nicked on the train.

So if I want you to spend €45, I need to sell you something more.

Here’s what I’m actually selling

Two packages, both €45. One has two copies, the other has one. Both include:

→ The book on premium paper and binding. I’ve already spent 1,200 words on the paper alone - you can read that one here.

→ A numbered copy - only 250 exist, and Nos. 1–20 are already spoken for by my FRC group, the early readers who backed this book before it existed.

→ Signed, with a personalised message from me.

→ And most importantly: the results of this pricing experiment. Commit to this, and you’ll receive two emails no one else gets - the summer sales numbers on 1 September, and my closing memo on 1 October with the full picture: volume sold, costs incurred, margin realised. What I tweaked, what I got wrong, and what I feel proud or embarrassed of.

I think €45 is rather cheap for a beautiful book plus a live pricing experiment with real numbers. But your orders will keep me honest here - and if you buy, you’ll get to watch me find out.

And yes, that’s a decoy

You might be thinking, “Ah, Claire’s running a decoy on me.” Correct - and since this is a pricing experiment, I’ll tell you exactly why.

At the same price, the two-copy bundle is the obvious choice: I want you to take it. Not because I want to get rid of stock, but because my KPI for this book is 10,000 readers in two years. I’d figure it’s much better to spend my marketing budget on you instead of on LinkedIn ads. Take the bundle. Be my advocate.

This is one of the behind-the-scenes letters from the making of The Price of Influence. More of these will live here after launch.