Uncategorized – Page 206 – Self Publishing Advisor

How to Price Your Self-Published Book

One of the many benefits of self-publishing is the ability to determine your own retail price. When considering how to price your book, consider your distribution needs and income goals. Here is what you need to know when determining your book price.

Retail Margin
The retail margin is the difference between your book’s selling price at a retail store and the price that store paid to acquire the book (either from you, the publisher, or the wholesaler). For example, a book with a selling price of $10 that the store purchased from Ingram for $6, has a retail margin of 40%, which is the most common industry standard.

Trade Discount

The trade discount is the percentage off the retail price that a wholesaler or distributor pays for your book.Since the retail margin is a portion of the trade discount, the trade discount always exceeds the retail margin. Because distributors typically take 10%-25%, they typically expect between 50% – 70% in order to provide an acceptable margin to the retailer.

Retail Price

Retail price is often the same as cover price or selling price, but it doesn’t have to be. Most publishers do not allow you to set your pricing, but some do, like Outskirts Press. If you or the publisher set a price, you are setting the suggested retail price. The retailer can take it as a suggestion. They may, however, sell your book for whatever price they want, which is the list price, or selling price. If the list price is lower than the suggested retail price, the retailer is usually absorbing the difference in their portion of the margin.

Physical offline retailers typically expect a margin of at least 40%. This gives them the flexibility of offering the book for sale (selling it below the suggested retail price) and still making money on the book. A retailer’s margin is determined by the price they sell the book compared with the price they paid for the book (usually by buying it from a wholesaler like Ingram).

Distribution

It should come as no surprise that the amount of distribution your book enjoys rests largely upon its trade discount. Generally, the higher the discount, the greater the distribution.

The proper trade discount depends upon each author’s intentions, and can vary from author to author just as readily as from book to book. Usuaully, the higher the retail margin, the higher the cover price, so authors interested in maintaining the lowest cover price possible will often opt for a lower retail margin. For some authors, mainly those planning on selling online, this is often an acceptable plan. For other authors, mainly those planning on selling offline, lowering their trade discount may end up crippling the book’s chances for success.

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.

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 6/13/14

WALK THIS WAY

Are you ready to PUBLISH? Maybe close to being ready? Knees knocking at the thought of sending out query letters to publishers or trying to find the right literary agent? As ancient outrigger pirates and outerspace starship captains are known to shout, “Belay THAT!”

Don’t you just love the word belay? It is one of those transitive/intransitive verbs that allow writers some creative latitude without totally making up our own definitions. SO, using the intransitive imperative form, I say, BELAY (stop/quit) focusing on your publishing fears! And, using the transitive form, I will add, BELAY! MAKE FAST (secure) your authorship plans with the goal of self-publishing!

At this very moment I have three clients—yes THREE—who are approaching the moment of being a published author through the avenue of self-publishing. One client (and I) have just completed her manuscript and submitted it to her TEAM of professionals for the finishing stages of this marvelous process. It is quite comforting to know that you (the author) have your own crew of talented and creative assistants who will help you navigate this brief voyage and make sure you and your book reach the shore with ease.

Over the last ten years or so I have queried, spoken with and worked with several self-publishing representatives in this growing industry which most folks are now calling the Print-on-Demand Publishing industry. They all have a vision toward the future that utilizes current printing technology at its peak performance while incorporating the professional skills and abilities of real people. I cannot explain how the technology works so I’ll let you research that for yourself. Wikipedia is always a good place to start. However, I can offer my opinion on why this industry is thriving.

First: As our world population grows—so grows the number of creatively inspired writers in all genres. This self-publishing industry is FILLING A NEED—offering the opportunity of publication to everyone.

Second: In the past, authors were forced to march-to-the-drum of the big publishing houses—and their editors. If a creatively addressed topic was sent to such a publisher and they actually considered printing it, their editorial process could (and often did) strip the heart right out of the original manuscript. However, the author had signed the editing agreement and learned to promote the book “as published.” Of course, other exciting manuscripts were “rejected” and never saw the light of day.

Third: Today, what was once called (disparagingly) “vanity press publishing,” is now Print-on-Demand Self-Publishing and a highly recognized and established business. The entrepreneurs of a generation ago picked up their dreams and developed what many are calling “a truly legitimate power to be reckoned with;” “an explosive and exciting arm of publishing” that will impact the publishing industry in positive ways for generations to come.

3 Ways to Give Your Dad the Gift of Self-Publishing

Father’s Day is June 15th, and perhaps you are still looking for the perfect gift to give your dad. Well, if your dad has always wanted to publish a book, self-publishing may just be the perfect present. Here are three ways you can give your dad the gift of self-publishing this Father’s Day.

1. Buy him a publishing package.

Self-publishing companies offer a variety of publishing packages to meet a range of needs. Purchase a publishing package with your dad’s favorite publishing company. Some companies, such as Outskirts Press, actually offer instant gift cards you can order online.

2. Hire a ghostwriter for him.

If your dad has always wanted to publish a book but struggles to write it, consider hiring him a ghostwriter. Whether he simply needs help finishing up a manuscript or needs help from start to finish, a professional ghostwriter can help him write the book of his dreams.

3. Self-publish in his honor.

If you’ve written a book in honor of your dad, now is the perfect time to publish it. He will be deeply touched by the special gift and cherish it forever.

I’d love to know, what are you giving your dad this Father’s Day?

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.

Jodee Speaks, Uncategorized

Self-Publish in Honor of Father’s Day

Whether you are a father or the child of a wonderful father, now is the great time to honor yourself or the man (or men) who’ve made a lasting impression on your life. Here are five tips to help you self-publish in honor of Father’s Day.

1. Tell your story.

If you are a father, consider writing a memoir about your parenthood journey. Every parent has a story to tell. Share what your children have taught you, or write about the obstacles you’ve overcome as a parent. Perhaps you are a special needs father who can enlighten the world on what it really means to parent a unique child. Whatever your story, other people, especially other parents, will love to read it.

2. Share someone else’s story.

Does your father have a remarkable life story? Perhaps your grandfather has an interesting story, or maybe the man who lives next door inspires you? Tell the world how great the important man in your life is by writing a book about him or in his honor.

3. Don’t forget children’s books.

Stories about dads are ideal for young audiences. To get ideas, visit your local bookstore or library and look at all the books about moms and dads. Brainstorm a list of unique ideas. Feel free to use your own young children as inspiration.

4. Share your knowledge.

Parents-to-be love books that give them a glimpse at what their new life as parents will be like and that share practical advice on how to survive and enjoy the wonderful, but often crazy, journey of parenthood. Whether your tone is funny or informative, consider writing a book for fathers-to-be.

5. Plan your marketing.

There are several times throughout the year that are excellent for marketing a book about fatherhood. Obviously, Father’s Day is a prime time for books geared towards dads. Christmas is another peak season. Consider your audience and marketing strategy when estimating when you’d like to complete your project.

I’d love to know, how are you honoring your dad this year?

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 6/06/14

TRIGGER WORDS-3

HOPE

This little mini-series about trigger words will pause with this third word: hope. On the surface, many writers might overlook this four letter word, considering the concept it embodies to be passive—an ingredient that leaves little (or no) flavor in an excellent piece of writing. However, I ask you to take another look at the word; open your writer’s imagination and consider the following points.

For the writer who wants to dig deep into their characters and the situations they are being placed into, the depth of definition behind this word, HOPE, can take you millions of miles. As found in our dictionaries, this noun can also be used as a verb. I’m not suggesting that the word (hope) itself be overused; however, its multi-level meanings have the potential to build deeply impactful characters, scenes and scenarios.

Hope embodies all of the emotional spectrums; it can become the antonym to any negative emotion.

When something your character has dreamed about for their entire lives seems totally out of the realm of possibility—the feeling of hope can reside within allowing the author to dig a very deep hole of despair until just the right moment. Then—success!

If a character is ill, or physically challenged, there resides within the human spirit a hope DNA (if you can imagine that), that many in the medical profession today have come to accept and actually rely on as part of treatment plans. Raising expectations increases physical ability—as witnessed during extreme conditions when one character is trapped under a huge boulder and “the hero” is able to move it. Knowing this is actually possible “in real life” gives authors lots of examples to draw from.

Are you developing one of your characters with a total lack of trust—in anything? Again, that hope DNA can be a big factor is creating a surprise ending that will not only shock the reader, but that will also be very satisfying.

You’ve heard the idiom: We’re hoping-against-hope for a change in this situation. THAT is where your readers live. If you’ve done your job well, and created real people, then your readers will love and hate them—and “hope-against-hope” for the best outcome by the time they reach the last page of your book.

And—just in case you think I’m speaking only to fiction authors—I am not. Non-fiction writers who tell the true stories of life must consider these aspects of hope so that the real people they’re writing about can touch the lives of every reader. HOPE allows us all to look forward—with reasonable expectations and confidence—to a good (even better) outcome than what we’ve faced within any particular circumstance.

In my ghostwriting and editing efforts I can emphatically state that EVERY project I’ve helped develop carries a strong thread of hope. My work with the self-publishing industry also demonstrates that hope is the backbone of the majority of books being published today. From my perspective hope is the connecting rope that ties writer and reader together. So it is that I hope more writers will look forward—move forward—and get their works published TODAY!

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