When I first self-published a couple of years ago, it really never occurred to me to put out print copies of the books. I felt print was on its way out, and that it might be expensive to publish a printed copy. Plus, I wasn’t sure exactly how to go into print.
But soon after e-publishing the first of my books, I started receiving emails from readers asking about getting the Myrtle books in print. Some of the readers sounded rather put-out with me. “I know digital is The Thing right now,” said one, “but I will never buy an e-reader. Never. Even though I would like to read your books.” That’s when I decided to reassess my decision.
Benefits to print:
Some readers mentioned preferring print to digital when gift-giving. They like having something to wrap and present to their friend.
Popular reader site Goodreads only allows printed books to be part of their giveaways. And giveaways frequently mean reviews.
Another benefit is that the ebook price for your book looks like a real deal when the print price is a good seven or more dollars higher.
And, as mentioned earlier, some readers don’t want to read ebooks.
After doing a little research, I discovered that it was actually free to upload to CreateSpace and publish to Amazon, aside from formatting and cover design, of course (and some of you might be adept enough to tackle those things yourself). Uploading the files was an extremely simple process. Most writers choose to go through Lightning Source or CreateSpace. Jen Talty with Cool Gus wrote a nice post last year about their decision to choose CreateSpace.
I didn’t have much time, so I paid folks to help me with the formatting to print and paid someone to create a full cover with spine and back, based on my ebook cover. After the print copies released, I’d recouped that money within two months. This, obviously, will vary. Are your ebook sales strong? Have you gotten any requests from readers for your book to be in print? Those points can indicate if it’s worthwhile to invest money in pursuing print.
Author copies of my books (which retail to readers on Amazon for $10.99) are only $3.41 apiece (my books are fairly short), plus the price of shipping. Not a bad price for promo copies. The nice thing is that we can pay for and print books as we need them—we don’t have to store a couple of hundred copies, that may never sell, in our closet.
The one-time investment in formatting and cover design has paid off. Now I feel as if I’m connecting to readers who wouldn’t otherwise be reading my books. The CreateSpace sales have provided steady income since early summer.
If you’re self-published, are your books available in print? Did you format the text and cover yourself, or hire someone? Has the investment in time and money paid off?
Elizabeth – Thanks as ever for sharing your experiences with self-publishing a paper book. I think there really are people who want to read paper books and not e-books. Not to mention there’s something about giving someone a paper book as a gift, so writers who use something like CreateSpace can tap that market too. It sounds as though it’s a straightforward process and I’m glad to hear that.
Great post Elizabeth! I would add explicitly that having your books available in print still contributes a certain professionalism to your portfolio and to your presence at signings, panels etc.
Oh, I definitely agree about print books. Some folks do not and will not have an e-reader.
Not self published, but I’m glad my books are in both print and eBook format. Granted the eBooks far outsell the print version, but I know a lot of my print books wind up in libraries, which is cool.
The timing of this post is amusing because I only decided to upload my reference eBook to Createspace this week. I was surprised how easy it is, and not nearly as expensive as I’d expected.
Now you’ve given me many more reasons why I made the right decision to do it. :-)
Alex–I do like the library aspect, for sure. And yes–my print sales are currently about 10% of my digital.
Margot–It’s nice to be able to hand someone a wrapped gift instead of a paper gift certificate…definitely. I think a lot of readers feel that way.
Michael–You’re so right. At this point, self-pubbed writers who have both ebooks and print stand out a bit–many don’t.
Karen–And they’ve let me know that in no uncertain terms…ha!
Probably 95% of my book sales are digital, but if the book was an original title and others of the series were in print via the publisher, I decided to use Create Space so readers could find them in print. I’ve done most of the formatting, etc., myself, but there are a few things I didn’t bother with in my first books, such as justifying margins and having no headers or page numbers on the first page of chapters. Given how few I sold, I don’t think anyone noticed or cared–but my next one, I had some help to take care of those chapter first page ‘conventions.’ I don’t expect a lot of income from print, but I know my mom likes to get them. And, as you said, there’s very little money invested up front. I try to price them so they’re more competitive with mass market paperbacks, which are my main ‘competition’, so I don’t make a lot of money per book. But then, traditional print royalties aren’t much per book, either.
Terry
Terry’s Place
Yes, I found CreateSpace very easy to use. I also find it amazing that it is cheaper to run off a proof copy from CS than it is to print off a draft from my computer or at the copy store!
I’m one of those who simply prefers printed books. I have an e-reader but rarely use it. If a book’s not available in print, I’ll probably skip it.
Deb–Very easy. They really worked hard on that interface, I guess. Hope print works out well for you!
Stephen–Isn’t that amazing? Yes, a *lot* less expensive to get a book from CreateSpace (full color cover, no less!) than it is for the printer ink and paper to print a copy ourselves!
LD–I think you probably have plenty of company out there!
Being a crusty old curmudgeon, I went print only for years before I offered digital versions (your story in reverse.)
Once your book is ready for digital, it’s a small thing to get it formatted for print at CreateSpace. As you point out, that part is free.
Avoiding print will cost authors sales. (And I’m delighted to share my experience and knowledge with anyone who wants to make the leap and get into print. 10 of my own books and many for clients. Just ask. I’ll share.)
Terry–There are some folks, as you mentioned, that are just going to always want print. I’ve got older members of my family who feel the same way.
I’ve gone with trade paperback size for my self-pubbed…and honestly, I’m not really sure why I went that route. I guess because the first book in that series (which was trad-published) was trade. Mass market would be cheaper though. Hmm.
Joel–That’s funny that you went in that direction with it. :) I’m glad you went to ebook because that’s how I read most of my books now and I enjoyed reading yours that way. It’s nice that my book can sync to my phone so that I can read when waiting for my kids to come out from activities, etc.
I think I was just paying so much attention to the digital success stories that print became eclipsed. I’m glad the reader reminded me that there are plenty of folks who like reading print.
Avoiding sales is no way to run a business, for sure. Thanks for offering to provide services to writers, Joel!
I think there will always be a place for print. Holding the book is part of the experience, and good point on giving it as a gift–you’re right, it’s something tangible.
I am very glad we went with a print book, because it seems that most writers like their resource books in print. We sell about half and half, which I know is not the norm, but is clearly a reason for us to continue both options.
I’ve never believed that print books had had their day. I read a ton of e-books, but give me a print in hand any day. I think Digital-first is a good idea, but neglect the millions who want to read the traditional way to our peril.
I’m definitely going to put out my book in print. Until recently, I was a paper only person, so I can relate to your readers!
I’m going to check out that post about CreateSpace vs. the other guy. Thanks!
Just wanted to clarify: the offer above was for all the free advice anyone needs. I already make enough to pay my bills, so if I can answer questions and help authors get their book into print, I’m delighted to do so without money being involved.
I want print also just so I can hold my own book in my hands. :) Well, that and have them for promotions and because it’s the only way my family would read a book, lol. Thank you so much for the information!
Thanks for an insightful post. It confirms what I’ve been hearing for some time. I am published (with a publisher) but only in eBooks. Yet I hear from readers all the time they would like to buy my books in print. It’s my goal to get there with my next one.
This is a really helpful and interesting post, Elizabeth! Thanks!
I paid my cover designer to do the full print. But the formatting is what held me off. I studied different print books to see what I liked. But it was finding India Drummond’s 30 minute youtube video on how to format for print with a word doc that inspired me. She lays everything out and I realized I could do this. :)
Hi Elizabeth
Thanks for the post.
I fully intend to get my books into print, and have paid the cover designer for a package that includes it, which is handy.
We still aren’t sure if the cover is quite right, which is why we’re holding off on getting print one sorted.
Aside from the excellent reasons you gave, i also have that desire to see something I’ve written in print, just like all the books I’ve read since a child. I’m not sure if it’s an ego thing, but the idea of it is really exciting!
Another advantage is that I often find books by inspecting the book shelves of my friends when I visit. Once they’ve got past the fact that I’m ignoring them to peruse their books :), they will enthusiastically recommend stuff. Having a print copy of your book there puts you in the frame, in the way an ebook never will.
cheers
Mike
Denise–As I discovered…ha! Yes, some readers will get a bit miffed if they think you’re trying to pressure them into ebook reading.
Angela–Oh definitely! Yes, I’m one of those who would rather read reference in print. I can write in the margins, etc. I know I can technically do that with ebooks too, but it’s not as easy.
Julie–It brings up some interesting points. Apparently, Lightning Source was really intended for small or independent publishers. So they will distribute to bookstores, if readers request copies to be delivered to their local shop. But I wasn’t sure how many of my readers needed that–they haven’t *told* me they do, which is what usually guides me and my decisions.
Joel–So nice of you! Thanks so much, Joel.
Jill –Thanks for coming by!
Laura–I saw her post too…she did a fantastic job laying it out. Sadly, even then I knew that I didn’t have the time to do it myself…not without sacrificing something. And I already wasn’t cleaning the house, so… ;) Couldn’t afford to stop doing another necessary function to make time to format.
Robyn–I think every family has at least one person who really doesn’t want to read on an ereader. This makes a perfect solution for them/us!
Regan–If you have the print rights for the ebooks your publisher put out…then you might want to go with it, even for your backlist. But you probably won’t have the rights to the cover artwork (I speak from experience here, unfortunately) so you’d need to get a designer to make you a print cover in the same vein as your ebook’s cover.
I wanted print right from the start on my self pubbed novel. A friend of mine has her own formatting business and generously gifted me with her services as a “congrats on being published” gift. I contracted the utterly gorgeous cover with Hot Damn Designs and can’t recommend them enough. They are SO good! I’ve sold far fewer print than e-copies (I think it’s a price point thing), but those who’ve purchased the print really seem to like it. I’d never go e-version only. I like having all my options available.
Kat–It’s good having content in different formats, for sure. I’m like you…my print sales are about 10% of my digital sales, but that’s money I wouldn’t be making if I weren’t in print.
The name of the design business makes me smile. :) Thanks for sharing–sounds like a great outfit.
Michael–I’m with you on that. I always wanted to have my book in print, since I was a kid. The exciting part about digital is more about the sales and less about the format. Nothing tactile about digital…it’s not quite as much fun. And covers don’t look as lively (my Kindle is a black-and-white kind).
Ah…good point. Printed books are good for advertising! It’s a lot less invasive looking at a friend’s bookshelf than it is to peer at their Kindle somehow. :)
This appears to hold true for technical non-fiction books as well. Getting (p)books up on Amazon seems to have provided a slight boost to ebook sales. Not to mention the (much more than I thought) number of folks who prefer a deadtree book.
I also added a printversion of my books for the same reasons. and the feeling of holding my own paperbook in my hands was just unbelievable! Greetings from Switzerland Virginia Fox
Matt–I can *totally* see that for technical non-fic. Right now I’m struggling to read a WordPress how-to book as an ebook–I swear I’m not absorbing the info as well as I would if it were in print.
Virginia–It does give a bit more of a thrill than an ebook, doesn’t it? And thanks for visiting the blog. :)
I agree, Elizabeth. Since I am now going the self-published route, since my publisher (L&L Dreamspell) closed unexpectedly, I intend to have print copies available as well. Had to have a new cover designed for the e-book (to get the first back on Amazon) but still have print copies of the “first” edition!
And my book on words and writing will definitely need to be in print. Soon.
Great information for someone ready to embark on the self-publishing adventure. As an oldster, I retain an affinity for print works. Besides, a Kindle will never carry the beautiful fragrance of ink and paper. Nevertheless, as I currently make my living in the digital realm, I’ll attach that channel with vigor.
Thanks.
Thanks for this – it was your post that made me realise that CreateSpace really was indeed free … I’d always been very skeptical of it until now.
Needless to say I’ve worked hard to get my two ebooks into a format needed for CreateSpace, designed the covers myself (as I did before for both ebooks), and I am just waiting for the proofs to be delivered before I press the button to ‘go’!
Can you let me know what your experience with delivery from CreateSpace is … good quality, good value, time it takes, etc?
All the best, David
Also, what are you planning on doing with the new Amazon Kindle MatchBook, the service where you can retrospectivley make ebook edition of a paper copy available at a vastly reduced price.
I’m planning on making the kindle edition available for either $0.99 or free when the paper copy is bought (normal Kindle price is $2.99).
??
David