Category: Self-Publishing

Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing

5 Reasons to Self-Publish in December

With so much going on in December, you may be wondering if now is the right time to self-publish your book. Here are five reasons why December is a great month to start the self-publishing process.

Savings

Many self-publishing companies are getting in the holiday spirit by offering great deals on publishing packages and marketing options. This can save you money and provide you with services that will enhance the success of your book.

A Gift to Yourself

Publishing a book is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. The sense of accomplishment and pride is better than any box of chocolates or new sweater. Celebrate the holiday season by giving yourself the memorable gift of self-publishing.

Plenty of Time to Market

By starting the self-publishing process in December, you will have your printed book early in 2014. This gives you the rest of the year to market your book and plenty of time to accomplish your yearly marketing and sales goals.

A Jump Start on Your To-Do List

If you are reading this, “publishing a book” is probably on your 2014 to-do list. Start the year off right by checking it off the list before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.

Be a Part of a Great Trend

According to Bowker, the self-publishing market is up 59% compared to last year.You can be a part of that amazing statistic and be a part of the changing publishing industry.

Happy Holidays!

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Choosing a Publisher, Jodee Speaks, Self-Publishing

Comparison: Outskirts Press Diamond Publishing Package vs Createspace Standard Publishing Package

A follower asked if I would compare the Diamond publishing package offered by Outskirts Press with Createspace’s option. He didn’t specify which package he was interested in at Createspace, so I decided to compare the package with a similar price point — the Standard.

I do not envy the author shopping the self-publishing market as it is impossible to do apples-to-apples comparisons since no two packages are going to offer exactly the same features and services. As a professional in the industry, it’s easier for me to cut through the fluff, charts and graphs and distill it down for an author. That’s just what I’ve done here, but remember, offerings change sometimes, so this comparison is current as of the date I did my researcher (November 20th, 2013), and it is limited to information I could obtain on the website of the two companies.

Outskirts Press Diamond Publishing Package
$999		 CreateSpace Standard Publishing Package
$948
P
R
O
D
U
C
T
I
O
N		 Paperback Format ✓ ✓
Customizable Cover (1 stock image) ✓ ✓
Professional Interior Formatting ✓ ✓
Interior images 10 for $49 10 Free
Interior Charts, Tables, Graphs 10 for $49 $25 each
Author Copies (Paperback) 10 Copies 0? Not listed on package page
Free Standard eBook Format ✓
M
A
R
K
E
T
I
N
G		 Standard Press Release ✓ No mention of these items on the Standard package page or comparison chart
Author Webpage ✓
Streaming Audio ✓
Marketing COACH Emails (2 years) ✓

In the above comparison of just the package basics, there are many similarities and really only two differences that stand out:

  1. The Diamond package includes a few marketing options and nothing similar is shown to come with the Standard package.
  2. The Standard package includes the insertion of 10 interior images, while this service costs extra with the Diamond package. If you don’t have any interior images, this won’t matter to you. But, if you have interior elements that are charts, graphs or tables, these are included in the “10 for $49” fee with the Diamond while you may pay $25 for each chart/graph/table with the Standard.

In addition to looking at the upfront cost and package inclusions, it’s important to look at royalties. It’s also imperative that you use the same parameters in determining this pricing information. For my research, I used a 6″ x 9″ paperback, black and white interior with 100 pages and a retail price of $9.95. Here are the results:

The CreateSpace site indicates they will deduct a sales channel %, a fixed charge and a per page charge. The result is the author’s royalty.

  • If you want Amazon only distribution, then the sales channel % is 40 ($3.98).
  • If you want expanded distribution, then the sales channel % is 60 ($5.97).
  • For our parameters, the fixed charge is $2.15 per book.
  • The per page charge for less than 108 pages is $0.
  • Therefore, $9.95 retail less $3.98 sales channel, less $2.15 fixed charge nets a royalty of $3.82 if you want Amazon only distribution.
  • Or, $9.95 retail less $5.97 sales channel, less $2.15 fixed charge nets a royalty of $1.83 if you want distribution beyond Amazon.

Outskirts Press has an easy to use and easy to find pricing calculator on their website. They will deduct the trade discount and a base price. The result is the author’s royalty.

  • The trade discount is 25% ($2.49) for online distribution (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million and more).
  • For our parameters, the base price is $4.52.
  • Therefore, $9.95 retail less $2.49 trade discount, less $4.52 base price nets a royalty of $2.94 – regardless of where the book is sold online.

After comparing the two self-publishing services side-by-side, the winner looks to be Outskirts Press. You’ll pay $51 more upfront, but if you want distribution beyond just Amazon, you’ll reap the long-term benefits with the higher royalties from Outskirts Press.

See all the benefits and features of the Diamond publishing package here.

ABOUT JODEE THAYER: With over 20 years of experience in sales and management, Jodee Thayer works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Jodee Thayer can put you on the right path.
Choosing a Publisher, Publishing Trends, Self-Publishing

Comparison of Outskirts Press and Trafford’s Self-publishing Packages

Deciding which self-publishing company to go with can be a real challenge. To assist you with this process, I’m writing a series of posts where I do the leg work for you! I’ll prepare a side-by-side comparison of two similar publishing packages from two self-publishing companies. I’ll strive to keep it as simple as possible to help cut through the vast amount of information out there by giving you an easy to read chart and a brief summary of my impressions on the comparison.

This installment of the series is a comparison of two of the most robust self-publishing packages available: The “One Click for Coaches & Speakers” from Outskirts Press (which you can enjoy even if you’re NOT a coach or speaker, by the way) and the “Scroll,” from Trafford. The information shared here is current as of the date I completed the comparison (19 December 2012) and is dependent on what I could located on the websites without contacting representatives.

Outskirts Press One-Click Publishing For Coaches & Speakers
$4,497		 Trafford Publishing Scroll Publishing Package
$5,749
Production Options Paperback Format ✓ ✓
Custom Cover ✓ ✓
Professional Interior Formatting ✓ ✓
Copyright registration ✓ ✓
Library of Congress Control Number ✓ ✓
Interior Elements Up to 20 images Up to 60 images
Copyediting Up to 75,000 Words Up to 250,000 Words
Author Copies (Paperback) 10 Copies 40 Copies
Expedited Service ✓
Cover Scribing ✓
Your ISBN/ Imprint or ours ✓
Hardback Format ✓
Author Copies (Hardback) ✓
Indexing Up to 500 entries
Additional Formats Secure EBook Edition ✓ ✓
Amazon Kindle Edition ✓
Espresso Book Machine Edition ✓
Marketing Services Book Video Trailer & Distribution ✓ ✓
Custom Press Release ✓ ✓
Author Webpage ✓ ✓
Barnes & Noble See Inside ✓ ✓
60 Second Book Video Trailer ✓ 1 of 3 choices
Social Media Marketing Setup PMA ✓
Post-Publication Marketing Assistance Marketing COACH (2 years) Learning Center (1 year)
PR Publicist Campaign ✓
Personal Marketing Assistant (PMA) ✓
Submission to 10 Reviewers ✓
Electronic Clipping Service ✓
Publication Press Release ✓
Streaming Audio ✓
Amazon Cover Enhancement ✓
Amazon See Inside the Book ✓
Bookseller’s Return Program ✓
Marketing Promotional Materials 100 pieces

With Outskirts Press, for $1,252 less you receive expedited service, a private label (optional), the Amazon Kindle edition of your book, the Espresso Book Machine edition, a PR campaign, 10 Book Reviews, a clipping service and 5 hours of personal marketing assistance with a professional book marketing expert, among other benefits.

There are a few options that come with Trafford’s Scroll package that are not included with the Outskirts Press package such as a hardback format and more author copies.  Although, you could order most if not all of those services a la carte with Outskirts Press and likely still come in at an overall lower cost.

My vote? Outskirts Press! See all the benefits and features of the One-Click Package for Speakers & Coaches by clicking here.

I’d love to know, which option would you choose and why?

Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing

How to Write and Publish a Children’s Book

Books for children and young adults are among the hottest selling titles right now, and there are a variety of reasons people want to write books for children. Some writers have a particular lesson or story they want to share with kids. Others simply love children and want to write for them. And then there are those writers who are just children at heart and connect best with a younger audience. Whatever your reasons for wanting to write for children, you can write and publish a children’s book. Here’s how:

1. Learn about the market and your audience.

Writing for children is not the same as writing for adults, and there are different types of children’s books: picture books, easy readers, middle grade novels and young adult novels. Each of these different audiences expect different things from a book. To help you better understand the craft of writing for children, take a class or pick up a few books on the topic. It is also helpful to study your audience. Watch the shows they are interested in. Listen to the music that is popular. Go to a public place and observe how they interact with people. If you want to create believable characters, you need to understand your audience.

2. Figure out your goals.

Once you have a good understanding of the market and your audience, decide what you want to write. What is your mission as a children’s author? What do you want to tell your audience? This is the time to start generating story ideas and creating characters. You can use your own childhood, current events and your imagination to inspire your writing.

3. Write and Rewrite.

Once you know what you want to write, you have to actually put the words on paper. This is often the most difficult part for many writers, but don’t get discouraged. Simply make an effort to consistently work on your story, and remember that a first draft is not a finished product; it doesn’t need to be perfect. Don’t be afraid to rewrite your story several times. Writing for children is not easy, and it can take several attempts to find just the right words.

4. Start the publishing process.

Self publishing is a great option for children’s book authors because it provides complete control over the project. For instance, authors who publish with traditional publishing firms typically have no say in the illustrations that accompany their story. Since the pictures can make or break a children’s book, it is important that the author’s vision is considered during this process. Many self publishing companies offer a variety of illustration services and various publishing packages to accommodate your needs.

I’d love to know, why do you want to write for children?

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing

Top 5 Questions New Authors Ask About Self-Publishing

Whether you are a regular visitor of this blog or this is your first time here, something led you to us.  Maybe you are interested in self-publishing or some of the specific topics discussed on this blog (like book reviews or book marketing).

In many cases, our readers come to us because they searched a particular term on Google or another search engine and that led them to one of our helpful posts.  Below are the top 5 questions readers ask that bring them to our blog.  Perhaps you will find answers to some of the questions you have about self-publishing (each question is conveniently linked to a post that discusses the individual topic in more detail):

  1. How much do authors make? – This post discusses what self-publishing authors can expect to earn in royalties and some of the considerations when it comes to successful book sales.
  2. How much does it cost to publish a book? – Read this post from Wendy Stetina as she advises on what self-publishing authors can expect to invest in the publication of their book, including professional cover design, copyediting, production and marketing.
  3. How do you market a Kindle ebook format? – This guest post from Dana Lynn Smith has been a top post for months.  As the publishing industry shifts from hardcopy to ebook formats, authors want to know how to increase their ebook sales.  Dana tells us just how to do that.
  4. How can you use tags to promote your book on Amazon? – A post by…yours truly about how to use Tags to help customers find your book on Amazon.
  5. Where can I find self-publishing advice? – This one doesn’t have a link because you’re already here! If you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the Self Publishing Advisor blog (top right corner of the page) and you will receive our posts directly in your email inbox.  We’re glad you’re here and hope you’ll come back for more.

I would love to know, what other questions do you have about self-publishing?

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.