Anyone who says "thinking outside the box" is the only good way to think is misinformed. The best times to be had can be found inside of a box--just ask a kid or a cat. And if you're an author with a story to tell, or a reader with a hankerin' for more of what you like, the Box is where it's at.
Of course it's a spaceship, doesn't the crayon on the word "spaceship" show up on the cardboard?
I'm speaking, of course, of the Box Set. Sometimes called a collection, a bundle, or an anthology, a box set is exactly what it says on the tin. If you're dealing in print books, box sets can be expensive to produce--printing books with a custom-designed cardboard housing isn't for the faint of wallet or the weak of bookshelf. Plus, you are limited by what can and cannot be reasonably contained within a thin cardboard sleeve. Virtual box sets of ebooks, however, can be as long as you want them to be, and contain as many discrete titles as you wish.
Everybody likes extra value for their money. Box sets are a great way to provide that value. Ebook readers are, by and large, a budget-conscious lot, and if you're writing fiction, box sets can help you scale that all-important mountain of discoverability.
If you are a reader, there are an equal number of reasons to check out box sets for your next reading material.
Who's In The Box?
Box sets are organized in two main ways--single-author anthologies of collected or related works (like mine), and multi-author sets of related works identified by genre, sub-genre, or even a specific theme.
Single-author box sets and collections are as simple as publishing a single story or novel. It's no secret that writing series is one of the strongest ways to get and keep hold of a readership, but even series have a hard time becoming visible. Box sets allow an author to have another way to make it more convenient for the reader to find--and get hooked on--the story or the world.
Why Put Yourself In A Box?
Remember when you jumped in that big Whirlpool box as a kid, and suddenly it became something great? Four cardboard walls opened up to an immense universe of potential that went on and on for hours, days, or even weeks (until somebody spilled something, or you left it outside in the rain). Box sets have similar potential.
What's a box-set good for?
For Readability. Box sets are a great way to "share" fans among different authors who have genre ties. Readers like them because they can find stories with elements they enjoy, as interpreted by varying authors.
For Value. Box Sets are most often discounted very deeply for the number of titles and amount of reading you get, so the budget-conscious reader who may not be able to access ebooks from their library system can discover new authors and stories. without breaking the bank.
For Adventure. Box Sets are also virtually risk-free ways to "audition" new or new-to-you authors through free or low-cost samples of complete works, rather than sample chapters.
For Discoverability. Box sets are rarely huge money-makers. The logistics of managing many authors in terms of payouts are sometimes too daunting for a group of authors managing their own careers and production schedules, so there are many box sets that are permanently free. Authors choose titles as "loss leaders" with the goal in mind of attracting readers to other paid works, or to raise general awareness of the author's brand.
For A Good Cause. More than a few box sets are themed in support of a charitable cause, where all proceeds go to a specific charity (thus saving some headache on the payment distribution front). Authors get to support favorite charities and attract readers at the same time.
For Visibility. All authors participating in a box set receive some cross-pollination from fans of each author and the specific genre or theme. If a well-known author participates, the visibility ratchets up a notch. If you write commercial or genre fiction, box sets are definitely friends of the genre. People like finding stories they want to read, and genre box sets allow them to do that in bulk, so to speak.
For Notoriety. In terms of pure numbers, 12 or more books for 99 cents is a steal for almost any reader, and most readers can't resist a bargain like that. High sales velocity (with or without the accompanying profits) can lead to the box set landing on a bestseller list, and for many authors, this is something of a Holy Grail. Box sets can help a new author or a strong-but-not-quite-strong-enough mid-lister make a list, and therefore make it to the next level in their career and visibility.
For The Holidays. Readers get in the mood for that Christmas spirit, or a Valentine's Day binge, or even just get sick of winter and need a short escape to the beach in December (or July, if you're Down Under). A big part of being an author with a successful career is giving readers what they want, and helping them find you with a holiday-themed box set can be a great way to keep a time-dependent story alive and kicking.
For a Limited Time. Box sets aren't around forever. Some are, of course, and act as loss leaders, value purchases, or visibility boosters, but for authors who have long-term goals in mind, a perpetual box set may not be the best decision for you in spite of the short-term benefits. Choosing a time limit on a box set helps to keep participants focused, advertising under control, and builds urgency in readers, while allowing the participants a finite time period in which to devote their attention to the bundle (which makes it easier to judge whether or not it was a success).
Box Logistics
If you enter a box set situation with other authors and you choose to sell the box set, rather than giving it away for a free promotion, someone will have to act as project manager. Although some distribution channels are beginning to allow different payees for box set royalties, not all of them are there yet.
You need someone to act as publisher for money-collecting and distribution, and tax reasons, as well. The most successful box set promotions have had a competent and trustworthy person acting as publisher and project manager, and have used written contracts to establish the exact rights held by the box set, term limits on those rights, and timetables for payouts.
David Gaughran has an excellent interview with Phoenix Sullivan of Steel Magnolia Press about the box set. Keep in mind, though, that the article is from 2014, and self-publishing changes so drastically from year to year (and Amazon algorithm change to algorithm change) that some info may be outdated. But the tips she gives are full of solid information in terms of Good Business Sense.
Get In The Box
How does an author get into a box set? In fiction, box sets are usually organized through websites, email lists, or groups of otherwise-connected authors. But if you're not the social butterfly, have no fear. Sometimes "otherwise connected" means that you drop an email to an author participating in or organizing a box set and see if there's room for you. Multi-Author Box sets, like anthologies, are usually driven by one or two people who act as project managers and organizers. Many indie-published box sets are organized by invitation or by general call, usually on a writer's board. To find a box set organizing, haunt your writers' hangouts and lists (where you can find a wealth of shared information anyway).
How does a reader find a box set? It's as easy as throwing a pixelated brick. Amazon keywords of "box set" or "bundle" usually turn up about 15,000 results on the first page. :) Kobo, B&N, Smashwords, Apple, and the other ebook retailers work the same way.
You can also find box sets and bundles on places like StoryBundle. StoryBundle puts together curated bundles of books according to theme. Authors are included by invitation of StoryBundle or by the editor of the box set. StoryBundle is a "pay what you can" model--each bundle includes a basic set of books for a consumer-set price. If you pay over a certain amount ($12 or $15 usually), you get the "Bonus" additional books in the set. Best of all, the consumer can set a portion of their payment for the bundle to a charity chosen by the bundle's participants. Right now, there's a sweet Comic-Con Omnibus deal going on whose chosen charities are Girls Write Now and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. StoryBundles are only on sale for limited times.
Video game enthusiasts have long been familiar with the Humble Bundle--bundles of classic video game titles mixed in with up-and-coming new or independent games for one low price which mostly goes to charity. Humble Bundle also does books now and operates in a similar vein to Story Bundle with charities and sliding pay scales
Another great place to get bundles (and other free-ish reading and listening material) is NoiseTrade. Noisetrade.com offers free books and music with the option to "tip" the creator (or not), in exchange for your email address. It's an up-front exchange of data for content (and the data is just your email address and maybe a location) for free content.
Just like that old imagination box of yore, a box set of reading material can open up huge possibilities! I've included a few starters of my own, but if you are part of, or have found enjoyment from, a box set, please share it in the comments! Thanks for reading with me. If you'd like to check out my box sets of a sci-fi romance series (action! adventure! spaceships! aliens!), you can find the series episodes and bundles here.