Then I saw that there's no book book with the $30 option and it was just the final nail in the coffin. I think if that was the only option, or it was listed first, I would buy it. Especially if there was no patronizing "one month of something" and copy that tells me I am a bad person for not wanting the bells and whistles.
But here's the thing, my feedback reads: "As your target market[1], I don't like what you're selling me".
[1] assuming the target market are people in the process of writing and publishing a self-published (e)book
No. The target market is "people in the process of writing and publishing a self-published (e)book - who are willing to buy a ebook at price point $X".
The market of folk who would buy the book at $10 is probably larger - but I guarantee it's not 10 x larger.
And if you're not going to get at least $30 value from the book - it doesn't sound like you're the market.
(Also - as an aside - I get the impression that you think that paper is the largest cost of a paper book. That for $30 price point paper would be expected... The thing is that the paper bit is the cheapest part of a book. On a normal bookshop book it's about 10% of the money you pay.)
After I read his Influence book I couldn't have a normal interaction with sales people for a long time, since every time I'd recognise the techniques I would feel manipulated and angry.
It wasn't until a few years later that I actually could be impressed with the finesse of their execution while evaluating the morals of their actions separately.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upselling