Category: Self-Publishing
Book pricing is important to consider when exploring self-publishing options. Many authors get pulled in by little or no upfront costs. It’s important to investigate how that publisher benefits from such a model.
The fact is, most publishers charge you the wholesale price (or higher) for your own book unless you buy it in bulk?
The wholesale price! How are you supposed to make any money reselling your book to retailers? The wholesale price is what retailers will expect to pay.
Make sure your publisher offers author copy base prices below wholesale. Through a bit of investigation you’ll likely find that with a strong publisher your base prices are usually dollars below other publishers.
Most publishers attempt to conceal this by offering “bulk discounts” on large book orders of 100, 200, 500, or more.
Do you really want to buy 500 copies all the time, just to get a reasonable “per unit” price? Yes, when your book is first published, this might be okay because you’ll need marketing copies.
But what about 1-3 years down the road, when you just want 10 quick copies? Then what will each book cost you?
Just something to be aware of as you finish up your manuscript.
Have fun and keep writing.
– Karl Schroeder
Regardless of whether you are holding out for an old-fashioned publishing
contract or taking matters into your own hands with custom self-publishing, here are 5 questions you should
know the answers to when you decide to publish:
1 – What is the minimum number of books you have to purchase, and what does
each book cost you? Many require certain quantities to be purchased at highly marked up prices. That is how they ‘get you.’
2 – Who determines your retail price? How much is it? – Here’s another one
to look out for. You should have that control. Publishers that don’t allow that are often in the business to make money on your book. You’ve done the work. You should see the rewards.
3 – Who determines how much money you make from each book? Another good test.
Your publisher should pay 100% of the difference between the wholesale price and the
production price of the book. Most publishers pay anywhere from 5%-50%.
4 – Do you receive marketing support after publication? Free services like the Marketing COACH offered by Outskirts Press is an invaluable collection of proven tactics shared to help improve your book sales.
5 – Do you retain all the rights to your book? You definitely should. Check
the contract of wherever you publish.
Isn’t this fun!
– Karl Schroeder
Q: I started writing books this summer, when family problems started. My books are interesting, or so say my friends, but I feel they lack something, like maybe they are weakly written. I know “big” words make a book seem like the author is intelligent, but it makes it harder for ten- to fifteen-year-olds to understand. So I ask, how do I make my book more interesting without using “big” words?
A: You pose an interesting question; should you write to impress your readers or entertain them? Do you want your readers to think highly of you or of your books? Today’s books entertain, rather than impress. You’re already on the right track to avoid words that others may have to look up in a dictionary.
Big words don’t make a book interesting; conflict and tension do. Fascinating characters do. Realistic dialogue that moves the story forward does. Unique plot turns and unusual situations help, too.
Because you just started writing books this summer, don’t despair. Most writers spend years honing their craft. At least you have begun. Not only do you need good ideas and a strong desire to write, you also have to learn as you go. Besides reading books about how to write a good story, spend time reading or rereading books by authors you admire. Analyze what makes you like that person’s writing and why you enjoyed reading the story. Apply those techniques (but not the story ideas) to your writing.
Also, know the market you want to write for. If you are writing for young adults, read the books young adults are buying and analyze what makes those stories interesting.
Above all, don’t get discouraged. Join writers groups and discuss your issues and learn from others. Do not, however, discuss your story lines. Talking about them not only gives your ideas away but also drains energy from the ideas. Instead, use that energy to write down your ideas and turn them into books.
Bobbie Christmas, book doctor, author of Write In Style and owner of Zebra Communications, will answer your questions, too. Send them to Bobbie@zebraeditor.com.
I read a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle entitled something including the words “Publishers” and “R.I.P.” The article went on to lament the status of book sales and dwindling employment in the traditional book sector. It was the subtitle that caught me, which mentioned the current economic status making it tougher than ever to sell books.
It is true that book sales are down. In the traditional sector. But numbers show that book sales are weathering the economy quite well. Forbes magazine published an article a few months ago noting Amazon’s whopping 38% growth over the past year. It is simply that the economy in this case is shifting. Readers are finding books in new and non-traditional places like Amazon where reader reviews, Kindle editions, and discounted prices help engage readers in a real-time review dialogue along with various options to dig into good material. The cool thing is that self-publishing offers the flexibility, control, and support to meet that changing wave in the market.
Good news for self-publishing authors.
So let’s all keep writing.
– Karl Schroeder
Self Publishing Advisor 