Self-Publishing II
Why I Chose This Option
Like so many others, I tried going the traditional route, but it just didn’t seem to be in the cards for me. I realized that self-publishing was my only option. Here’s what I learned along the way.
Creative Control
There’s no question. I have total control: the writing, marketing, pricing, cover design, editing, and page formatting is all under my control. I can farm out as much or as little as I want.
Publishing Options
Again, I have all the control. From deciding whether to publish ebook, paperback, or hardcover, the choice is mine. Do I publish wide, publish from my web store, or go with the default five: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Rakuten Kobo, and Google Play? The choice is mine. Currently, I deploy a mix of selling from my web store, publishing to the big five platforms, and occasionally, take advantage of Amazon’s exclusive KDP Select Plan (more on this option below.)
Higher Royalties
There’s no question that sales from my web store return maximum profit. But printing and shipping costs eat most of the royalties from Amazon print sales. For instance, on a sale of a paperback priced at $12.99, I get a whopping $0.39. Granted, the book in question is 400 pages, but the minute I increase the price, sales drop. I see increased revenue when enrolled in Amazon’s KDP Select Plan, but I feel like I’m alienating potential sales from folks who simply won’t buy from Amazon.
Note: Amazon’s KDP Select Plan locks you into a 90-Day auto-renewing commitment where you can’t sell anywhere else, including your own web store. I typically stay in the plan until sales drop off and then reactivate the other platforms.
Self-Publishers Beware
There are scams out there. My word, there are so many scams. You’ll find that with self-publishing, you’ll have “friends” coming out of the woodwork. And for a “modest fee,” they will make you an overnight sensation. They’ll make you believe they’re traditional publishers and the list of too-good-to-be-true offers is endless. It can be overwhelming. When a company comes along offering to help, it’s easy to believe their pitch. But beware, there are more scams out there than you can shake a stick at. Most of the time, a Google search will generate enough flags to make you at least question legitimacy. Let me save you some time, though - if they are advertising, or approaching you directly with publishing packages, they are not traditional publishers. Google is your friend. Vet everything.
Some of the popular scams are:
Vanity Publishing
Offering publishing services for a fee. They do nothing you can’t do yourself. Seriously. And no matter how hard they try to convince you otherwise, they cannot guarantee you a book deal from a traditional publisher.
Bait and Switch Editing
Someone offering editorial services at unbelievably low prices to hook you. Once they have you signed up, they deploy high-pressure sales tactics to get you to purchase the so-called upgraded editorial options. They can be very persuasive and costs add up quickly.
Fake Literary Agents
The real ones rarely contact authors they don’t already represent. Treat any unsolicited contact from someone claiming to be a literary agent as suspicious.
Charging a Fee to Get ISBN Numbers
Obtaining an ISBN is not a complicated process. You won’t need to pay anyone a fee to get an ISBN. Simply go to the Bowker website, fill out a simple form, and purchase the quantity you need. Note that it’s cheaper to buy in bulk. If you think you’ll be writing more books, keep that in mind.
Note: if you pay someone to get your ISBN, chances are, they will issue yours from a pool they’ve previously purchased under their name and will become the publisher of record for your book. Once the book is published you cannot change the ISBN.
Amazon’s ASIN
If someone offers to charge a fee for getting an ASIN it is a scam. This is the Amazon’s Standard Identification Number and Amazon automatically assigns one to all their products, including books. It costs nothing to get one, nor do you need to apply for one.
Note: if you are publishing a print book and want a shot at getting it into bookstores, consider bypassing the ASIN during the Amazon publishing process and use your ISBN instead. In short, the ASIN is an Amazon identifier, making them the publisher. Book stores view Amazon as a major competitor and are unlikely to stock their books.
There are many more examples of publishing scams out there. Spend some time on google or youtube and you’ll be fine.
Marketing
As a self-published author, unless you’re fortunate enough to have loyal fans already, you’ll want to establish a marketing plan. I use Amazon Product Ads, which I’ll admit come with a bit of a learning curve. But while learning, I set them up with default settings and tweak them as I learn more or see little to no interaction. I also run Facebook Ads, which always produce results.
There are many forms of marketing. For instance, social media marketing, search engine marketing, influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, to name a few. I use social media only for advertising. The thought of actually engaging people directly, though, gives me the heebie jeebies. I’m not a TikToker or a YouTuber either, so those avenues are out for me. Maybe one day I can afford to hire someone to do the whole social media thing for me.
“I’m told I should engage in social media more. Beyond marketing with Facebook, I’m just not a social media guy, and outside the Facebook marketing portal, the platform just seems like a mangled heap of mind-numbing chaos.”
Some authors dig in and do the research and handle their marketing needs directly. I’m, unfortunately, in that camp. Others choose to concentrate on writing books and hire marketing firms to handle that aspect. If you have the budget for that, it makes sense. This is where the saying “you have to spend money to make money” comes into play. The trick is figuring out how much to spend to market effectively as opposed to just blindly spending on options that will not lead to a return on your investment.
Traditional Publishing
Sometimes, it’s simply not an option for unknown authors. Sure, every once in a while someone will put something out that takes off or catches the eye of an agent, a celebrity, or another established author, and kudos to them for their good fortune. But from what I’ve experienced, it is not the norm.
What is the norm are vanity presses flooding the market masquerading as real publishing houses. The old rule of thumb applies. If they charge a fee for publishing your work, they are not traditional publishers. Period. Now that’s not to say there’s never a reason to go with a vanity press, but know that if you’re seeking the prestige and backing of a traditional publisher, then you’ll need to find a traditional publisher. And note that once you’ve published with a vanity press, securing a deal later with a traditional publisher for that book is likely off the table.
Costs to Self-Publish
Costs to self-publish vary considering how much control you over the process. Consider these potential costs:
Computer
Writing software
Editing services
Graphic design services
Page formatting services or related software
Printing costs
ISBN purchases
Marketing
Shipping costs
A website for newsletters, blogs, and sales
The costs associated with the above could be substantial. And this is not an all-inclusive list. You can reduce some costs, however, depending on your skill level. For instance, if you have experience in graphic design, you can certainly design your own book covers. If you’re comfortable writing in Google docs or Word, you won’t need to purchase specialty software developed for writers, though you might still consider it. And if you’re only releasing ebooks, you won’t need to purchase ISBNs or be concerned with shipping costs.
External Services
As you get settled into your writing career, you’ll quickly notice that there is a plethora subscription services available to make your writing life easier.
Need to get ARC/Beta readers? There are services to help you find and track them.
Want to engage in newsletter swaps or group promotions? There are services for that too.
Two services that stand out are: BookFunnel and StoryOrigin
Need reviews pre/post launch? Yep! There are services for that as well.
Note: Be careful with this one if you publish with the big five platforms. They have strict review guidelines.
Publishing Platforms
The big five are Amazon, Apple Books, Rakuten Kobo, Google Play, and Barnes & Noble. Amazon and Barnes & Noble distribute print books. The others do not. If you intend to distribute wide (get your books into libraries or physical stores) you’ll want to consider IngramSpark, as that is were stores and libraries primarily get their inventory.
A Word About Distributing Through IngramSpark
When booksellers or libraries need to make shelf space, they will return underperforming books purchased from IngramSpark. Make sure you understand the RETURN OPTIONS. There are three choices.
From the IngramSpark website…
No or Non-Returnable
This option is available in all markets. Select this designation if you do not want to allow your titles to be sold on a returnable basis. IngramSpark will not accept returns from booksellers for any title so designated. Returns can be very costly, and if you are not financially prepared for returns, this may be your best option.
Yes–Deliver
Choosing this option means you would like to receive the physical copy of the returned book. In addition to the wholesale cost of the book discussed above, the below shipping and handling fees will apply.
Returns to US addresses - $3.00 per book shipping and handling charge
Returns to non-US/international addresses- $20.00 per book shipping and handling charge
Yes–Destroy
If you chose this option, your returned units will be shipped back to Ingram and destroyed. You will be charged the current wholesale cost of each book returned, but no shipping and handling fees will apply. This is a more cost-effective option than “Yes–Deliver.”
If returns received in a given month exceed sales by an amount that causes your balance to become negative, IngramSpark reserves the right to send you an invoice for the balance due.
The Bottom Line
There are few things that make you feel a sense of accomplishment as seeing your words in print. The thought of someone purchasing and reading your work pushes you to be better. If a good review follows, it makes it even more satisfying. If a critical review follows, then hopefully the reviewer left a comment you can use to make adjustments. Sometimes they don’t. One of the last books I published on Amazon got the dreaded 1-star-no-comment review in less than an hour after it went live. That sort of thing helps absolutely no one.
I’m still a wee bit off from making my first million, but I’m actively working towards the day I can handoff some of the non-writing stuff and get back to doing what started it all, which is writing and publishing additional works.
As always, I hope this article has been helpful. Use the contact form to shoot me a line if you’d like to discuss further.
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