Money & Book Publishing

Today we'll look at the money angle. It's all well and good to say you're "simply investing in yourself" during healthy economic times. But we're far less glib when we're pinching pennies.

Here are some basic figures according to my 2008 experience and book industry estimates:

My newest book, The Many Faces of Journaling: Topics & Techniques for Personal Journal Writing, 2nd edition:

2,000 copies - paperback - 6" x 9" - 192 pages - recycyled paper.
All black & white interior with 4-color glossy laminated cover

• MY PER COPY COST = $1.94.

(That's just for printing and binding at a large book printer, and doesn't include cover art, formatting, typesetting, editing or proofreading, which I contracted for separately.)

It's extremely tricky to estimate your cost per book with a POD (print-on-demand) Online Book Publisher because the services included in their basic book "packages" vary so much. The Packages themselves start around $500 and go up to $1,200 or more. One publisher may include manuscript evaluation or copy editing, another may make it available for an additional fee. But here's a ballpark figure:

For each copy of an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" paperback book - 160 pages.
Black & white interior - 4-color cover

• YOUR PER COPY COST = $5.25 - $6.75.

The 2,000 book print run for my book obviously cost me far less per copy. However, I pay monthly storage and insurance fees on each book until it's shipped to a customer.

Time is another crucial factor in choosing a publishing method. We'll examine tht next.

Happy writing~

Linda

Goals for Your Published Book

In the last post, I mentioned some of the factors you need to take into consideration in deciding on which avenue to book publishing is best for you for this book. The first of which is your goal for it.

Before I get into that, you might want to go back to my May 14thm '07 posting on this blog entitled What is a book? Most authors think first (and only?) of a standard paperback or hardcover book. But other formats and bindings may better suit your book. That post described alternatives.

Now back to Goals. Consider these questions:

1. Will this version of this book be only for distribution to family and friends?
   
2. Is it a church, community or work project for which there will be limited demand?
   
3. Will it be offered only as a back-of-the-room sales item at workshops and seminars?
   
4. Are you testing the market with this one, figuring you might want to go to a larger print run later after you get some reviews and reader feed-back?
   
5. Do you expect to place your book in bookstores alongside the ones from big publishers like Wiley, Writers Digest and Hay House?

Self-Publishing (by the highest professional standards) will accomplish all five. With POD (print on demand) online publishers like iUniverse and AuthorHouse, you can accomplish the first four very nicely. (It's my current belief that POD books aren't quite up to the quality of a print run on an off set press.)

Either high quality self-publishing or a traditional author-publisher contract with a "big house" will satisfy your needs.

If you are at all interested in self-publishing, I encourage you to devour Dan Poynter's fine Self Publishing Manual now in its 16th edition and the Ross's book, Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, 4th edition. Publishing is a business with it's own rules, quirks and terminology, and walking that path requires study.

Next time, I'll talk about the money angle.

Happy writing~

Linda

Publishing Choices

Book coaching clients and writing students often ask me what I think of Print on Demand (POD) printers and online publishers versus opening their own small publishing company (self-publisher) versus sending their manuscripts out to big publishing houses.

There are pros and cons to all of them, depending on (1) your goals for you book, (2) your patience, (3) the money you’re willing to invest, (4) the desired appearance of the finished product, (5)the amount of time and work you want to invest, and last but not least, (6) your experience in the business world.

That’s just a start. Which is my point. There are many aspects to the original decision on publishing. I teach a 3-hour class on self-publishing and am able to only address the primary steps. So …

I invite you to send me your questions about publishing. I'll answer those first, then I’ll fill in the gaps.

You can either send your questions as “comments” at the bottom of this post or you can write me directly at WriterLin@aol.com. No question is too dumb. No one is born knowing this stuff.

Tomorrow, I’ll look at the various goals different authors may have for their books.

Happy writing!





Linda