Box set

What it means

In ebooks, a box set is usually one file with several books inside, often the first three of a series, priced below the books bought one by one. On retailers it gets its own listing. In print, a box set is a set of books in a slipcase or a box, often a special edition.

A thriller author might release “Books 1 to 3” as a box set once the fourth book is out, to bring new readers into the series. A nonfiction author might put three short guides on running a small business into one omnibus. A children’s author might sell a printed set of picture books as a gift.

People use “box set” and “bundle” for nearly the same thing. A box set is usually a single new product; a bundle is usually existing books sold together.

Why it matters when you sell direct

Box sets are a strong first purchase. A reader who buys three books at once is likely to read on. On your own store, you can keep more of the price and sell the set in every format you have.

Exclusive programs can limit where your box set ebook appears, so check before you sell it direct.

How Lanternbee handles it

You can sell a box set as its own title with its own ebook file, or build a whole-series bundle that follows your reading order. Readers who already own a book from your store pay less for the rest. Printed box sets in a slipcase fit special editions, and special-edition campaigns are coming.