Category: Self-Publishing

Book Design, Self-Publishing, Wendy Speaks

Color Printing vs. Black and White Printing… What is the Difference?

When you choose to self-publish a book, you must decide you want the interior of your book printed in color or black and white. This decision impacts the look of your book as well as the price. When considering your options, it is important to understand the process as well as the benefits of each choice.

Colored Printing

Colored printing is typically used for smaller manuscripts averaging 30 to 50 pages. These are usually books geared towards children. Because illustrations tell half of the story in a picture book, color is extremely important in children’s books. It captures the imagination and brings the story to life.

Black and White Printing

Black and white printing is typically used for longer manuscripts. This not mean that you will have a black and white cover. It simply means that the interior pages of your book will be printed in black and white. This option is more cost-effective for longer manuscripts because of production cost and market price.

How is this different from traditional publishing?

In traditional publishing, the black and white pages of a manuscript are printed on one press while the colored pages are printed on another. After all of the pages are printed, the manuscript is assembled. Print on demand (POD) publishing works a bit differently. Each page is printed individually on the same press. This means that just some spot of color will require your manuscript to be printed on the colored press. This immediately increases the cost of your book because the colored press is more expensive to maintain and operate. It requires a more skilled operator and heavier, more expensive paper.

What options do authors of long manuscripts have?

As an author of a long manuscript, you need to not only consider the production cost of your book but also the market price. Long manuscripts that are published in color have a higher market price because of the production cost. This in turn typically results in poor sales because readers are unwilling to buy a book that is overpriced compared to other books of similar lengths.

This does not mean that you have to publish a dull book. If you want to include images in your longer length manuscript, you can use a grayscale. Your manuscript will still be printed on the black and white printer, but your colored images will be converted to black and white. This is an option that is frequently and successfully used by POD authors.

If you are passionate about your book being published in color, it is an option. Just be prepared for higher costs, and plan for a higher market price. One of the perks of self-publishing is that you are in control of your book. You decide how it will look, so make the choice that is best for you and your readers.

ABOUT WENDY STETINA:
Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and 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, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path.
Self-Publishing, Wendy Speaks

Am I Self-Publishing If I Use a Self-Publishing Company?

When you decide to publish your book, there are essentially two well-traveled paths you can take – seek out an agent/publisher or self publish. Of course, there are a few other options in between but most authors fit into one of either of those buckets. Traditionally published books are those that the author doesn’t have to pay to publish. Normally the author secures representation by an agent, is sometimes provided an advance, and allows the publisher to do all the “work”. Of course, these authors still have to market their books, but all of the production costs are absorbed by the publisher. When you self-publish, you pay all of your own costs and are in complete control of your book.

Some that are from the school of thought that if you use a self-publishing company to publish your book, you aren’t really “self-publishing”. That couldn’t be further from the truth. You are as much of a self-published author as any other author.

Let’s take it one step further. Dictionary.com defines the adjective “self-published” as “having published one’s own work independently: a self-published author”. The site also defines the adjective “independent” as “not subject to another’s authority or jurisdiction”. Most self-publishing companies, including Outskirts Press, allow authors to have complete control over their book. So, by definition, authors that are able to exercise full creative freedom over their own work are self-published authors.

Using a self-publishing company is much like hiring a freelancer to work on your book. Why pay someone else to publish your book? The answer is simple – because you are a professional in your field, but not necessarily as well-versed in the world of publishing. Do you plumb your own toilet? Repair your own car? Wire your own electricity? Probably not. Can you? Sure – but you would lose more money in the time it takes you to learn how to do those things than it would cost to hire a professional. The same is true for publishing a book. In the end, will your “savings” really be worth it?

Have you ever published a book on your own? Would you do it again?

ABOUT WENDY STETINA:
Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and 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, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path.
Self-Publishing, Uncategorized, Wendy Speaks

How Much Will it Cost to Self-Publish My Book?

Today’s post is by publishing industry expert, Wendy Stetina.

How much will it cost to self-publish my book? That’s a loaded question.

There are many factors that go into how much it will cost to self-publish. Your cost will be dependent on the route you choose — whether you opt to do all of the work yourself, outsource some of the work, or hire a full-service self-publisher.

If you do all of the work yourself, the costs will be minimal and dependent on your skills and knowledge. Some of the top things you will be responsible for are (in no particular order):

Of course, this only scratches the surface as there is quite a bit involved with turning a manuscript into a published book.

A good alternative for those who have a bit of book industry savvy is to outsource small jobs that are a part of the book creation process. Of course, your costs for these jobs will be dependent on the quote you receive from the professional you intend to hire.

Lastly, if you have limited knowledge or would rather leave book creation completely to the industry experts, you can choose to go with a full-service self-publisher, like Outskirts Press.

A good rule of thumb would be for an author to invest an equal amount in production and marketing. Serious non-fiction authors, for example, should plan on investing around $5000.00 – $7000.00.  This would break down into approximately $2500.00 – $3500.00 for the creation of the book (designing interior, editing manuscript, cover design, etc.),  and $2500 – $3500.00 to launch the book (book launch parties, marketing efforts, book orders, etc.). Post launch there needs to be an ongoing marketing effort.

DISCUSSION: How much did you spend to create and distribute your book?

 

ABOUT WENDY STETINA:
Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and 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, Wendy Stentina can put you on the right path.
Self-Publishing, Uncategorized, Wendy Speaks

HUGE MISTAKE: Using “Traditional” Business Cards as a Coach/Speaker

Today’s post is by publishing industry expert, Wendy Stetina.

You’re an AMAZING speaker. You know how to work the room when you’re in front of an audience. Once your  presentation is over, though, you make a HUGE mistake. This one is really big, but no one told you what you were doing wrong: you hand out a business card. That sounds harmless enough, right? Not if you’re a coach or speaker.

A business card can’t portray the true value of a speaker’s knowledge in their field. Last week, I presented at Kathleen Gage’s New Horizon’s Telesummit on the topic “Your Book – Your Business Card“. If you haven’t published a book, you are doing your business (yourself) a great disservice. Think about how easy it will be to attract/retain clients and book speaking gigs if you had a published book —

  • Your audience can get to know more about you and your business
  • You can share your expertise with your target customer and others in your field
  • Coaching is intangible. A book allows the client to touch the coach via the book.
  • A well written content rich book will validate the author as an expert. Experts get to charge more.

Okay, I’m sold. I know I need to publish a book to build my business. How can I get started? If you decide to self-publish, it’s not as difficult as you think. There are some companies that offer self-publishing packages for coaches and speakers, including Outskirts Press. Packages like these are designed for busy professionals that are always on the go. If you think self-publishing is right for you be sure to choose a self-publisher that can accommodate your marketing and distribution goals. Truthfully, creating the actual book is the easiest part. Make sure that you are maintaining the rights to your material and that you have control over your retail piece and your trade discount.

Some authors don’t want to pay to publish their books. In cases like these, you may consider going the “traditional” publishing route. Remember that you will be selling your rights to the book, but you will still be responsible for promoting your book after the process is complete. Also, publishing your book this way could take months or even years (if it’s accepted).

It is important that you weigh the pros and cons of each option and decide which one works for you.

ABOUT WENDY STETINA:
Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and 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, Wendy Stentina can put you on the right path.

 

DISCUSSION:As a coach or speaker, how have you used your book to build your business?

Self-Publishing, Uncategorized

Your Book – Your Business Card: Upcoming New Horizons Telesummit Session with Self-Publishing Expert Wendy Stetina

You’ve finally freed yourself from cubicle land and become a consultant. The problem is, you’re having a hard time finding clients because you haven’t proven yourself. What if you could do have a business card that would tell potential clients all about your business? What if you had written a book about the very service you are providing to clients? Wouldn’t that make you the best resource? What if you could use your book as your business card?

As an author, you can enjoy the ultimate reach. Potential clients have  the opportunity to get an excellent snapshot of your expertise and familiarize themselves with your skills without you saying a word.

You can join Wendy Stetina (publishing industry expert and Outskirts Press Director of Author Services) on Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 1:30 PM Pacific Time. She will be discussing the following:

  • How to determine if self-publishing is right for you
  • How self publishing differs from traditional publishing.
  • What is “print-on-demand” and why is it advantageous.
  • How much should you plan to invest?
  • How pricing and distribution works in the publishing world and how it will affect the retail price (and royalties) of your book
  • The self-publishing process and typical timeline.

The best part is – listening to Wendy and other experts at this telesummit is 100% Free! You can register HERE.

If you can’t attend, don’t worry, I’ll be there to take notes for you to use for future reference. I will post them to the blog very shortly thereafter.

DISCUSSION: How have you used your book to catapult your business?