Self-Publishing21st Century

Options

Andy BarnettAssistant Director

McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids

Guidelines

Let me know if you are lost Ask questions If you meet Buddha….

Self-Publishing

Not the best of all possible worlds More work – setup, printing, selling Unlikely to lead to regular

publication Unlikely to see thousands of copies Unlikely to be reviewed Upfront costs to be recovered

later?

20th Century Options

Vanity press Printing service with range of

options Local National

Eventually – born digital Copy ready (including images) Ebook ready

21st Century Options

All books are born digital Printing service with even more

options and more control Remote printing service -

outsourcing POD – print on demand

Cost per book sold

Manufacturing cost (obvious) Returns/unsold Spoilage Carrying costs Only matters if money matters.

Print on Demand ≠ Self-Publishing

POD = Method of production, but self-publishing needs to include more.

Publishing involves Vetting / self-editing Marketing Distribution channels – brick and

clicks

Print on Demand (pro)

Public, internal or personal use Low initial cash investment,

<$10/copy No inventory, shipping or billing Retain rights and control Epublishing / Search Inside options AV on Demand too Never go OP or OSI

Print on Demand (con)

Learning curve on layout, captions, graphics, covers, rights, permissions

Marketing and visibility Copyright is your problem Sturgeon’s Law (90% of

everything…)

Range of Options

Free (on your own) CreateSpace & Lulu

Semi-Free (POD+) Local printing services Fee (hold your hand)

Author Services Print vs. Ebook vs. both

POD Option – Lulu.com

Range of fee-based pre-pub and marketing services

Wide range of product Real ISBN Will get an Amazon listing but… Create ebook at same time, but…

POD Option – CreateSpace

CreateSpace – Amazon Semireal-ISBN Will get an Amazon / Target listing Other channels fee based Cheaper

Grit, Grief and Gold176 p., B&W images

Createspace Sell for $25 Amazon royalty

$12.04 Other channel

royalty $7.04 Author copies

$2.96+shipping

Lulu List $25, sale

$17.50 Ebook $7.50 /

Nook $9.99 Royalty

$6.00/$4.00 Author copies

$9.90+shipping

Other Options

Lightning Source (Ingram) Author Services Blurb

Ebook Only On-line, web based setup Easy to update Lower prices but high royalty rate No inventory, shipping or billing Special challenges

Getting formats right Images and rights thereto Distribution

Direct to Ebook

Example: Emily Updates Very inexpensive to produce Genres popular

Ebook Options

Kindle Direct Publishing – Amazon only

PubIt (B&N) – B&N only Smashwords – B&N and Apple Vook – distributes to Amazon, B&N

and Apple for $99 Apple aggregators Royalties vary

Contact Andy Barnett

McMillan Memorial Library 490 E. Grand Ave. Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494

(715) 422-5144 abarnett@scls.lib.wi.us http://www.slideshare.net/mcmillanlibrary