POD is a cost-effective route to market for independent authors. The book cover and blurb can be put together for a minimal cost and the author then sets things up with one of the numerous POD outfits.
So far I have two thrillers out as indie ebooks and I managed to shift 17,000 copies in 2011 (many of which were free) but I've been stumbling over the POD approach. Points that go through my mind are as follows:
- will an agent / publisher still talk to an author about a book that is out as indie POD? There's evidence that they do talk to and take on authors that have titles out as indie ebooks, but POD? Do I want to talk to a mainstream publisher anyway? (See The Breakthrough on multi-story.co.uk !)
- the POD / vanity argument. I don't feel the perceived stigma attached to indie ebooks is the same as self-published print. Is POD not vanity because there aren't three thousand printed copies in boxes in a garage? Surely POD can be vanity. I figure indie ebooks and POD can be vanity if the product isn't up to a publishable standard, but who's going to be the judge of that? Readers, I guess.
- I do get some readers asking me for print versions of my books but I'm not interested in physically going around marketing a print version. Our Kilkenny writers' group did that with an anthology and it was hard work with numerous readings and visits to bookshops throughout the South East of Ireland by the team of twenty-two authors. All the books were sold but profit was small. I have a social networking platform so I would use that for the job if I went POD.
So, thanks for listening. POD here we come. Or not. What do you think?
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I say to POD! It's basically the same thing as self-publishing. People get confused, thinking self-publishing means paying to have books printed, which you then store in your basement hoping to sale. Not so. I'm self-published (mostly) and my books are POD through Createspace. I do keep a small stock on hand that I sell through my website.
ReplyDeleteAlso, most publishers that will look at a previously published book are either small, indie-type publishers, or big publishers who have seen your sales go through the roof and want a piece of the pie. I don't think it makes one spot of difference whether you have it only as an ebook, or as a print book as well.
The profit on print books is small, as you've seen. I do it simply for those who prefer to have a paper copy. It doesn't cost me a dime to have it available as such an option. And you make a larger profit on an ebook priced at $3.99 than a paper book priced at $13.99. But you're also going to sale 9 or 10 (or 20) ebooks for every one paper book. For your 17,000 ebooks you sold, you might sale 200 or 300 paper books. So it's all relative.
Self-pub vs. having a publisher is also something I have an idea about, since I've done both. You make FAR more on self-pubbed titles. The only thing a publisher does for you is get you on certain bookstore shelves (B&N, Costco, etc.). You can generally get yourself on shelves at an indie book store if one is in your area on consignment - if you have paper copies to put there. There is a huge misconception that if you're picked up by a publisher they are going to throw all this marketing money your way, and suddenly you're going to be on the Times Bestseller list. Not going to happen, especially for an unknown, new writer. There isn't anything really they do for you that you can't do for yourself, and you get a much smaller piece of the pie. My cut with the publisher? 15% for full retail sales, trickling down to 6% depending on the amount of discount the book is sold at. My cut on self pubbed? 70% most ebooks, 35% some ebooks (no less) and approx 20-25% on paperback sales. Simple math to see which is the better deal.
My opinion in short? Have it available in both formats, it's going to help sales a SMALL bit, and isn't going to hurt your chance of having a publisher pich you up if that's your dream.
Hey, Cindy! Thanks for that great info. I think we're standing and singing in the same choir ;-]
ReplyDeleteI would also add that the quality of Print on Demand/Digital Printing is now the equal of trade paper. So if paperbacks are the direction for a writer's work, POD is a really viable avenue to getting their words to the market in print. Outfits like Amazon's CreateSpace can get the job done and give a book traditional distribution channels for little more than US$40 out of pocket. Plus, think of the trees you're saving!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Richard. I have all my Marble City Publishing titles available through CreateSpace POD. This month it's generating more income than the ebooks!
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