Options for Self - Publishing
Ok. Admittedly I was pretty brain drained this weekend. (so much so that I am writing this on a Monday!)
So this is a continuation of the discussion on self-publishing instead of something new and cool. However, if you found the previous entries helpful, then this might be even more so. Plus, I still like to offer advice on the topic, because I’ve spent a long time learning about it, and even in my short career as an ‘author’ things have changed. For the better!
So, here’s just a bit more about Self-Publishing, answering one of most common questions about Self Publishing:
Where do I self-publish my book?
Well. Here is an answer I posted on a reddit forum that I am proud enough (and lazy enough to) Publish as a blog entry here.
First, a few disclaimers. This information is current as of the time of this publication. However it is also U.S. - Centric. I will talk about one of the best innovations in self-publishing of 2024. However, it is only available in the U.S. as of writing. Hopefully it will be available worldwide in the future.. Also. I’m heavily focused on publication of physical books. There are more and more varied ways to release eBooks.
Now, with that out of the way, let’s talk about the best platforms/methods for self-publishing: Amazon, Barnes and Noble Press, IngramSpark, and Offset Printing. In that order, if not that order of preference.
Let's discuss:
Reusing image assets. Saves time!
#1 The Rainforest full of trees:
I too do find Amazon on my list of Top 500 companies for likability or worker satisfaction. However, it has the cheapest cost for author's copies, It's free to use* and despite (attempting to) send everyone to this website to buy my book, you'd be surprised how many default to Amazon anyway.
*(Free to use once you have final versions of your files to upload, in addition to good cover design and an impeccable manuscript I heavily reccomend getting your own ISBN for your physical books at least. You will have to buy it from Bowker but this is how you can sell authors copies to bookstores)
There are tutorials aplenty for how to set up, use and best practices for an KDP authors account, (find it through your own amazon account directly linked on Amazon's page, lots of scammers like to name themselves something similar - like Kindle Publications or Amazonian Print- and con you out of money.)
2. IngramSpark.
Now, you may be wondering why I skipped Barnes and Noble Press. Well, that's because Both B&N and IngramSpark use Lightning Source to print and distribute their books. The print cost for Author’s copies is basically the same, and now that IngramSpark allows free uploads* there's not really a lot of reasons to limit yourself to Barnes and Noble Press unless you really only plan to distribute to a small number of people.
*(free uploads only the first time. If you have to fix anything after you push: Publish, that’s $50 per new file change [free on Amazon])
What is IngramSpark? The other half of the monopoly on Print on Demand in the US. It will, if you let it (and don’t put your book on Amazon yourself) Put your book on every available online platform: That means BarnesandNoble.com, Thriftbooks.com, Target.com, Amazon.com. If your book is run through IngramSpark, then it will appear in most book online stores. Also, your local bookstore can list it as well!!! Libraries will see it amongst the 10,000s of other titles, book stores will see it, and more! (Getting it onto physical shelves is another story.)
The best thing IngramSpark did in 2024 is add links which allow authors to direct people directly to their bookstore and buy copies of the book. * more on why later. (also, only in the U.S.A)
(Ok. It’s almost Valentines season, and I just wanted to use this in another graphic before I roll the website over. 2024 was when IngramSpark had their great idea.)
How can IngramSpark do this? They print your book and sell it wholesale to any retailer that wants it. (The same discount you will give to any bookstore to get them to buy your book and put it on their shelves. It's usually 40% off SRP. That means that if you put a $10 price tag on your book then bookstores expect to buy it for $6, that way they (the bookstore) can make $4 in profit.) This is exactly the deal you should expect if you sell to a bookstore yourself. (some authors negotiate.)
Awesome, Right?!
Wait?! How does Ingramspark make money (or Barnes and Noble as payment plan is similar)
Well.... you are not making $6 dollars off a $10 book anywhere. You had to pay to print that book. Both IngramSpark and Amazon charge you to print the book. (Also shipping if you buy the author’s copies, but we'll skip that because if other people order the book that burden isn’t on you)
IngramSpark charges more to print your book than Amazon. Amazon might charge $3.50 to print that book where IngramSpark charges $4.00.
And wherease Amazon Does not act like a retailer in this way. (It does not take a full 40% off the top of every sale.) they pay a royalty system which workes out better *(though not the best)
Also, IngramSpark wants you to dicount your book by 55%. Why? Because they will charge the retailer a set rate (maybe 40% maybe some inside deal) and keep the rest.
That means, in essence, someone buys your book for $10 on Target, You make $4.50 off the sale but then Ingram also charges you for printing. So you are left with $0.50 for every book sold.
Bottom line even simpler, without too many details:
A $10 book sold from your Amazon account might make you $2 per book while the exact same book at the exact same SRP will only make $0.50 on IngramSpark.* *(if sold Wholesale.)
So, why do people still use IngramSpark?
Because (although Amazon offers to set your book up on the same distribution channels) No one who sells books likes Amazon. Bookstores will happily offer your title online if it's good quality, and if it is in IngramSpark's catalogue. I’m not positive Barnes and Noble will even sell anything distributed through Amazon's wholesale.
Also, IngramSpark’s catalogue is wide reaching, libraries, bookstores and giftshops all use it. (again in-bookstore sells are another conversation) So that one book you sold for $0.50 might represent 10 books sold across the country *(Marketing mileage may vary) Also, I’ve approached bookstores and giftshops that don’t want to buy author copies from me, and only want to buy through IngramSpark.
Counterpoint: Getting your physical copies to be sold or bought by Libraries or bookstores is heavily reliant upon Marketing and Luck. Your physical books will be available online through Walmart, Target, Barnes and Noble etc... but NONE of these online platforms compete with Amazon. (even combined.)
This was supposed to be part of the gif above. Somehow I missed it.
BEST NEW FEATURE OF 2024
Now, with all of that said. In 2024 Ingram Spark began to allow Authors to link to a special sales site where people can buy the book directly from them* (Through Ingram Spark.) Here are the two examples from my titles Treasure off the Coast, and Specters of Mammoth Cave. Using the link provided by IngramSpark (their best new innovation): If* you come to my website, and If* you buy my books using these links, then IngramSpark counts me as the retailer, and only charge me printing + 15% SRP, (The amount I was expecting to make.) Suddenly, I’m making more on my book than any other method I have of selling it. This is, by far, the absolute best way to support me, (although the best way to support the parks is to buy my books in their park giftshops. I make almost as much, and a portion of the proceeds goes to the park.)
The only way I could make more money is to sell authors copies directly too customers, and I am not set up to collect customer sales tax. (By the way, Ingram Spark and Amazon are also kind of worth is ((as would most online platforms)) because you get tax records from them.)) Even opening a store on my website through a selling platform and then selling and shipping author’s copies would even cost more.
However, did you notice the *'s 2 paragraphs ago? Those are Both big ifs. If you are reading this, you are one of the few. Most people default to Amazon, and never even find this website.
(Even so, The IngramSpark store links were a great innovation)
#3 Offset printing. - this is an option.
Do you have a lot of $$
Do you have a place to store lots books?
Do you expect to sell in the thousands (average self-published book may sell 12)
You do have the option of trying to find a printer which will print your book to your specifications, But they work heavily in favor of bulk printing.
100 copies for $10 a book + shipping
500 copies for $8 a book + shipping
1000 copies for $5 a book! + shipping. (and now you have a thousand copies of your book!!!)
Find some offset printers, play with their calculators. really think about your chance of selling books, think about what you would have to charge to justify using them... it might work in your favor. I wouldn’t reccomend it.
In summary, (there may be other print options out there.) But Amazon and IngramSpark have worked hard for their monopolies, and good luck getting a bunch of self-published authors online organized to break them.
My advice: Do both. You can. There are tutorials about how. Publish your books and eBooks* on Amazon and IngramSpark. Have a problem with Amazon? Heavily, and I mean Heavily market the link IngramSpark gives you for your physical books, (If you are in the U.S.A.) But accept that a lot of people will default to Amazon, and just asking them not to might not drive them to another platform buy your book but instead just away from buying your book at all.
THINGS to AVOID
- there are vanity presses which will offer to do all this for you. They want $ and will put your book wherever you tell them. (Probably laughing when you choose not to put it on Amazon.) Then you have given them your money, they will keep most if not all royalties and and will have to pay them offset printing prices to get copies of your own book.
- this includes anyone you find in a search for offset printers who offers authors a "Variety of packages including printing" These are not offset printers. These are vanity presses mascarading as offset printers. I contacted a few of these early days, and got calls from all of them. The sale person I ended up talking to was always utterly stunned that I didnt want their editing, didnt want their cover design, didnt want their "special authors package" and only wanted to see if they could print my books in bulk for a cheap(ish) price. They, never, could.
-anyone who contacts you on social media when you come out as an author, announce that you’ve finished a manuscript, or ask a very specific question but get a general response or a “dm me, I’ll help you.” Self-Publishing can be awesome, and fulfilling. (if not always lucrative) But there are a lot of people attempting to make it more expensive than it needs to be. (again Publishing on KDP and IngramSpark is basically free (once you have a finished manuscript and cover.)
Self publishing is like working on lots of little piece to end up with one good whole. … (ok. again, too lazy for new graphics.)
Ha! finished an important article with minimal effort. I hope this was helpful.
J.R.I.C. Rocks!
(Bethany made me write it)
((I wanted to write it))