Book Publishing Fear

Comment

Comment by Judi Lake on April 3, 2007 at 8:26pm

BTW Andrea, John is correct and actually every author I work with I refer THAT book to or simply buy it for them -- a book with longevity and well done!

Comment by Jim Misko on April 3, 2007 at 5:10pm

Judi and John have done the job. I have published with national publishing houses and I have self published. Once you clear your front end costs in self publishing you really get a gravy train IF you continue your marketing. Marketing is not done until the last book is sold and you have to look at that like a car dealer would. Just keep moving them.

Comment by John Kremer on April 3, 2007 at 3:28pm

I'm not sure where you got the 30 to 50% for distributors, but the typical wholesaler now asks for 55% off retail and the typical distributor (these are two different animals) works on a 25% to 30% of NET (which works out to somewhere between 65% and 70% of retail). These are not bad numbers. If these scare you, then don't sell through bookstores.

Personally, I let my distributor handle selling to wholesalers, Amazon.com, the chains, and independent bookstores and look at that as icing on the cake. Then I do all I can to sell books direct to consumers and in case lots to various services and publishers.

For your book, you want bookstore distribution, so create a marketing plan that publicizes your book and drives sales via bookstores (get a wholesaler at the very minimum). With Lightning Source or Infinity Publishing PODers, you get Ingram distribution, which is all you really need as a small or self-publisher. Ingram currently handles 40 to 50% of all sales via independent bookstores (it might be higher).

Then, with that bookstore presence in place, look for ways to market your books direct to consumers and groups, via the Internet, direct mail, or other means that make sense to you.

You have many options, including book club sales, catalog sales, sales to associations, etc. that could result in sales of thousands of copies of your book -- and launch the word-of-mouth for your book.

Be sure, of course (sales message follows), to include 1001 Ways to Market Your Books in your list of resource books for self-publishers. No other book comes close to providing you with a good description of all your options in marketing a book.

Comment by Judi Lake on April 2, 2007 at 7:09pm

Hi Andrea -- well you certainally sound like an author with a mission and I say bravo to you for thinking about self-publishing -- Actually, once you know the score and surround yourself with a strong team, it really is not as hard as people assume it to be -- I have been on both sides: worked for major publishing houses and working with self-published authors and I choose the latter -- I have seen too much nonsense in the publishing houses to feel good about it -- bottom line you have to do your homework but should you proceed with self-publishing, I would suggest the first thing you and your co-author do is to set up a solid marketing plan with projections (also, bigger book stores want to know what your marketing plan is -- they are NOT interested in book sales one at a time) -- Andrea, this is a business and the downfall of many self-published authors is that they do not treat it as what it is: a business. While I am 'assuming' you have copyrighted your work then create your own publishing company (LLC is fine) complete with logo etc... and, yes, purchasing of your isbns -- I wouldn't buy my barcodes through bowker since you can obtain them much cheaper, or better yet if you have the software, you can create them yourself -- your publishing company is your 'store-front' and should be branded to be an extension of who you are -- There are many pre-press steps as well as pre-pub steps as well as steps for after release date but as far as distribution, you are correct, Andrea, however the sum that Amazon takes is 55% discount -- not 30 - 50% and Barnes and Nobel a bit lower but not much. Through this distribution, the standard treatment for returns is for them to be destroyed -- I would only suggest pod for printing of galleys as they are not meant for large runs and you MUST CHECK THEM because of the process the trim is often off -- the best source for pod that I have found is Lightening Source -- they have great customer service and are great with returning unacceptable prints -- (I highly recommend Natalie -- great girl!) Lightening Source also sets up your distribution for you in the US and UK -- a great savings of time! I highly do not recommend houses such as AuthorHouse, I-Universe and the like --
The in between steps is really a formula but something should be happening all the time on the front and back end -- Andrea, I offer free one hour consultation if you want more direct guidance but I hope this little bit of information helped - I wish you the best!