So you want to get a book published and add "author" to your resume. A decade ago, there weren't too many options for professionals and consultants to get into print. If a traditional publisher wasn't interested in your tome, your only other option was to spend tens of thousands of dollars with a subsidy press or custom printer. And then, without ready distribution, good luck trying to sell the books.
But all that has changed. Thanks to new technologies, today it is not only possible to produce a professional-looking copy of your book for under $1,000, you can also market the book through reputable sales channels.
Alternative publishers are able to print both paperback and hardcover books as they're needed due to the bold new digital publishing technology known as "print-on-demand." Simply put, print-on-demand turns the traditional economics of the $27.5 billion publishing industry upside down. Going digital allows books to be produced in small quantities -- even one at a time -- almost instantaneously. No longer does publishing require behemoth offset presses, hangar-size warehouses and fleets of trucks.
There are challenges, of course. Because print-on-demand books are not typically stocked on bookstore shelves, authors need to do a good job of marketing through publicity, direct mail and the Internet. But if you are a nonfiction author willing to be a self-promoter and whose book targets an identifiable market, then alternative publishing may be right for you. With print-on-demand, your book is stored digitally until a customer orders it. At that point, a printing and binding machine creates a slick, high-quality paperback or hardcover book, all ready for shipping.
Print-on-demand has enormous implications for writers, readers, publishers and retailers. Because titles are produced "on demand," there are never wasted copies ("remaindered" as they used to be dubbed in the old days). Paperbacks and hardcover books are priced competitively, with authors receiving royalties of 30 percent or more. Compare those with traditional publishing industry standards of 5 percent to 15 percent, and the appeal becomes a bit clearer still.
One of the leading publishers of print-on-demand books for professionals and consultants is 1stBooks. Established in 1997, 1stBooks is the world's leading provider of publishing and marketing services for authors of all genres, with over 18,000 titles in its catalog, and over 500-plus new books added each month. All of its authors are considered self-published and retain all rights to their books.
"Alternative publishing levels the playing field and democratizes the publishing process," said Robert McCormack, president of 1stBooks, in a recent interview with Writer's Digest. "Authors who might have not fit or did not want to use the traditional publishing model can see their works in print."
Print-on-demand is not, however, for every would-be author, says McCormack. There is no economy of scale, and the unit cost of printing one copy is exactly the same as printing 10,000. So, if there is a guaranteed market for at least 500 to 1,000 of your books, the economics of a traditional print run from a custom printer are better than print-on-demand in many cases.
As a result of the depth and breadth of the 1stBooks growing catalog, the company made an arrangement with the Ingram Book Group to distribute paperback and hardcover editions of its titles at thousands of bookstores worldwide. The deal uses the latest Print-on-Demand technology offered by Ingram's subsidiary, Lightning Source. Because these books are generated one at a time, they neatly sidestep the high costs traditionally associated with bringing new books to the marketplace.
Self-publishing doesn't mean you're going it alone, either. 1stBooks authors have access to a comprehensive range of publishing and promotional services, including a full-time promotions staff, personal project coordinators and nationwide distribution through over 25,000 bookstores and book retailers, via the Internet at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Borders.com and the 1stBooks Web site.
The current 1stBooks basic publishing package entails a $399 fee to create an e-book from scratch. Of that total, $300 is a deposit and is subsequently refunded through 100 percent commission on the author's first sales until the amount is completely paid. An extra $199 is required for paperback publication, with royalty rates paid at the author's choice of 50 percent, 30 percent, 20 percent or 10 percent.
Similar packages are available through other alternative publishers like iUniverse, xLibris and Infintiy Publishing.
Alternative publishers have made a conscious decision to offer their services to everyone, rather than give control to an elite clique of editors and agents, as is often true in traditional publishing. While incoming manuscripts are checked for formatting before a new title goes online, alternative publishers do not edit for style and content. These companies do not make value judgments about the literary merit of books. The author decides what the public reads, and the public decides if it makes good reading or not. It is a purely market-driven approach, and allows almost anyone to make a new book available to millions of readers, at a small fraction of the cost of traditional publishing methods.
Henry DeVries is a marketing coach and writer specializing in lead generation for professional service firms. An adjunct marketing professor at UCSD since 1984, he is the author of "Self Marketing Secrets" and the recently published "Client Seduction." Visit http://www.newclientmarketing.com or e-mail questions to henry@newclientmarketing.com.
© 2005 Henry DeVries, All rights reserved. You are free to use this material in whole or in part in pint, on a web site or in an email newsletter, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear.
The attribution should read:
"By Henry DeVries of the New Client Marketing Institute. Please visit Henry's web site at http://www.newclientmarketing.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses."
You Have Won! Hold an ongoing prize drawing... Read More
Marketing is a broad business subject that encompasses a range... Read More
The DOI Foundation has unveiled the DOI-EB (EB stands for... Read More
Writing a newsletter or article can be very time consuming.First,... Read More
I have to admit to being readily impressed by company... Read More
So you want to get a book published and add... Read More
What is an ezine? An ezine is an abbreviation for... Read More
When subscribers' email readers (programs) receive your text newsletter, they... Read More
If you want to have a successful newsletter, you need... Read More
1. Time saver. To get going make a quick visit... Read More
Print on demand (POD), a cross between self-publishing and digital... Read More
In my opinion, Electronic Magazine (Ezine) advertising is the greatest,... Read More
Web and email addresses pose a special challenge for writers... Read More
It's not enough to prepare and distribute a monthly newsletter,... Read More
1. Fear Of Having Nothing To SayAs a small business... Read More
There are thousands of email newsletters or "ezines" produced every... Read More
One of the fastest ways to gain "Guru" Status online... Read More
I can remember my first reaction to word "ezine". What... Read More
The deadline approaches and your ad STILL has not sold.... Read More
You can make a decent income selling products and services... Read More
OverDrive - an e-commerce, software conversion and e-publishing applications leader... Read More
When you want to choose a name for your newsletter,... Read More
If you publish an e-mail newsletter, or "e-zine," you'll need... Read More
The main task of a newsletter publisher is to select... Read More
There are literally thousands of ezines being published online these... Read More
This article is particularly for those people who want to... Read More
One of the biggest obstacles to building a good sized... Read More
You can use Word newsletter templates for both Word and... Read More
Who doesn't want to make money online? Internet is here... Read More
I know you've worked hard on your website. I know... Read More
It is true that sometimes in life there is a... Read More
An email newsletter is probably the most effective way to... Read More
1. Many Ezine Publishers use too many styles of separatorin... Read More
Writing a newsletter or article can be very time consuming.First,... Read More
There's no doubt, publishing information products to sell online is... Read More
Since you're going to write your newsletter on a regular... Read More
Many times I receive a Welcome Message from someone after... Read More
Seeing is believing. Unless your website visitors can experience your... Read More
"Regular communication with your customers is essential to your success."... Read More
When subscribers' email readers (programs) receive your text newsletter, they... Read More
After creating your email newsletter, you face the challenge of... Read More
The first and most important thing you should know when... Read More
Managing Subscriber addresses: At the top of your email message... Read More
The most critical piece of software in my article submission... Read More
Are you doing "the bounce"? No, it's not a new... Read More
When writing an ezine ad, there is a big mistake... Read More
Have you ever wondered what would it take to compete... Read More
One of the biggest obstacles to building a good sized... Read More
As you likely know from personal experience, the value of... Read More
It's all about numbers - or so some ezine publishers... Read More
One-Page Newsletters can do more than help you keep in... Read More
1. Many Ezine Publishers use too many styles of separatorin... Read More
If you run your own business like I do, you... Read More
I have to admit to being readily impressed by company... Read More
The very name CGI used to send chills up my... Read More
I read a lot of newsletters. Some are great and... Read More
If you remember, the majority of people (i.e., 68%) need... Read More
Have you been publishing an e-mail newsletter for at least... Read More
When I teach ezine classes, I ask the students what... Read More
Ok, it's time to bring out my soapbox.Something has been... Read More
The Internet is too rich. Even powerful and sophisticated search... Read More
A debate is raging in e-publishing circles: should content be... Read More
The first thing you should consider in advertising is the... Read More
1. Use autoresponders to publish and promote your ezine.Autoresponders with... Read More
1. Don't ever stop advertising for new subscribers.I know this... Read More
Time, of course, doesn't stand still and never did, and... Read More
Ezine Publishing |