More Self-Publishing Advice

As I’ve just finished another book (KlawBerry), I’ve been asked to share my indie-publishing experience. It’s probably something worth re-visiting every year, as I learn more and more about the process.

Remember, that Your Milage May Vary. I don’t believe that there’s only one way to do anything… what I’ve done may not be right for you, or even for me.

This might get epic…

1. Finish Projects.

Getting something done, even if it isn’t perfect, is better than getting nothing finished. Having a book in print has been a really great experience for me, and I even have a few fans now because of it. I’ve been a practicing artist for 15 years before that, and got zero traction. Now that I’m getting books done, things are beginning to move. So, do it.

2. Lulu.

Lulu is a cool way to get a book published, but it’s really expensive if you want to sell them yourself. (Like at comic conventions, like I do.) I’ll probably do a Lulu book in the future, but it will be for an “extra” idea for years when I can’t afford to publish two books.

Many stores and distributors expect you to discount your book by 60% for their wholesale price. So, if your book retails for $10, they wanna buy it for $4. Those can be slim margins, and *really* tough for Lulu books.

Another think to consider about Lulu is that as of this article, you’ll have little control of the printing details. When you work with a printer, you can customize everything from paper stock, ink colors, cover finish, and book size and on. At Lulu, they’ll offer a few choices, but nothing like the full range of features that a good printer can give you.

However, if you’re no where near paying for your own book to be printed, do Lulu. It’s far better than not doing a book at all.

3. Making Money.

I attempt to balance Art with Business. I can’t afford to do this if I can’t make money doing it. I’m not going to do myself any good if I’m not totally interested in the subject matter. So, yes, I make money at it. I price for that, rather than just pricing for what other people are doing.

Fact is, I’m printing less than 2000 books. How can I compete on price, when everyone else (big publishers) are printing 20k books in china? I can’t, so I don’t.

I compete on quality and niche subject matter.

You must understand that I look at this as a long-term investment. You’re probably not going to make all of your money back in one year, unless you’ve got some secret that I don’t know about. (And you might… let me know!)

4. Distribution.

I’ve not figured this one out yet. Most distributors don’t want to carry your book unless you’re producing at least 10 different titles per year. (That’s an insane amount for somebody like me.) Basically, it’s not worth their time and effort and paperwork. Some will carry you, but you’ll have to pay them a fee to do so.

Also, distributors might only carry you if you’re also willing to buy back unsold copies. Let’s say you find a distributor with a deal like that, and Barnes and Noble orders 25,000 copies. Hurrah! You print an extra 18,000 copies for this order alone!

But then, 9 months later, they insist that you buy back the 12,000 copies that were unsold. This could bankrupt you.

I don’t like this model, so I don’t participate. (At least so far.)

So, I’m attempting to distribute myself via my own online store. www.magicskull.com. Every book that I sell direct is like selling 4 wholesale. So, I’m not that excited about wholesale right now. I’ll sell my books slower, and ensure that I’m making money along the way. I’m also starting to carry other people’s books, too, since I’ve got the infrastructure.

5. Printing.

I’d suggest finding a small press book that you like the quality of, and contacting the publisher. That’s what I did, and I didn’t have to pay a print broker to find one for me. Many books are printed outside of the US… Canada and China do a lot of printing for the US market.

I got a quote for my book locally, and it turned out to be about $2 per book cheaper to print in Canada. That’s a huge amount.

You also may be willing to pay more, for a company that you know isn’t going to screw you. Cheapest is not always the best. My books are not the cheapest, I’m sure, but I know that the books are going to come when they say, the quality is going to be perfect, and the quantity is going to be accurate. This is worth .50 per book to me.

Don’t be afraid to get more than one quote. It’s a good idea to do so.

6. Marketing.

While getting a book written, illustrated, edited, layed out, proofed is tough, the true challenge for me is marketing. Getting the book in hand is the easy part.

Marketing is very, very hard unless you’ve got lots of money to throw at it. Me, I don’t, so I have to be creative and ask people for help.

- I take my books to 5-6 Comic Conventions per year, and get most of my sales there. I also have signups for my newsletter, where I harvest potential future customers.
- I hand out thousands of postcards at conventions/bookstores/cafes that link to my site.
- I partner with other artists and try to exchange links.
- I hope that bloggers might write a post about my latest book.
- I hope to pitch a book to a major Publisher, solely to get my name out there for my other books.
- I send out a quality monthly newsletter.(Please sign up at steamcrow.com on the left side.)

These guys are cheap, reliable, and professional:

Closing

I have found that indie publishing is really rewarding, and that most small press publishers are willing to help you out along the way. I’ve given some advice as I’ve gone along, and I continue to try to get advice from the guys that have been doing this for for longer than the short time that I have.

I hope that this helps you make some progress with your projects.

- Daniel
www.steamcrow.com