This
is the fifth question of seven that Bill Petrocelli of Book Passage in Corte
Madera, California asked at a writers publishing workshop last month. During
the last few weeks I've expanded on Bill's lecture. Here are the past four
weeks:
Let's assume for this question
that you decide to set off into the wilderness on your own, no agent, no
traditional publisher, no distributor. Like intrepid explorers before you, here
are a few things you are going to pay for yourself:
1. Story Editor – see question #1
2. Copy Editor - see question #1
3. Line Editor - see question #1
4. Book Designer - see question #2
5. Cover Artist - see question #2
6. Printer – Hardcover and
softcover
7. Ebook Designer
8. Shipping – from printer to you
to distributor, etc.
9. Distribution – Foreign and
domestic
10. Promotion, Promotion, and
Promotion
11. Marketing, Marketing, and
Marketing
(And a bunch of others that I'm
sure will hit your pocket when you least expect it)
I good guess would be somewhere
between $2,500 to $10,000 to publish a book. The spread is a reflection of
whether you even decide to go paper or stay with just an ebook. This can
substantially reduce the costs in items 4, 6, 8, 9.
Don’t scrimp on editing. This is
by far the most critical stage of the book's production. Reread question one
and think about your team and how to create the best manuscript possible. At
every stage there are ranges of costs, sometimes you get what you pay for,
check credentials, and experience. Most writers protect their editors but
realize they too have to eat, so they recommend them prudently. Saving here can
range from a few hundred dollars to thousands.
The same for printing and shipping
savings. There are now a number of print-on-demand (POD) houses, many locally,
again get recommendations or call them and ask for samples. Never prepay a
printer – never. And stay away from publishing packages, they will steal your
money and do almost nothing for it. But I will tell you they have some of the
best copywriters and dream weavers in the business – be extremely careful. And
this is not a place to save money anyway. And a local POD means you can to your
own pickup.
In addition there is CreateSpace,
Ingram-Spark, and others that can help you produce a finished paperbook.
Co-Publishing – an old idea
brought new
Some agents, writers, and even
non-traditional publishers have formed what might loosely be called a publishing
collective or association. Each talent brings to the table part of the many
steps above. The author pays for the editing and promotion while the publisher
pays for the cover, design, and publication. The agent may help with distribution
and promotion giving direction and advice. The permutations are as varied as
the talent of the individuals, some authors can do cover design (with guidance)
and even ebook production. The arrangements are all laid out in their
respective contracts and agreements. And it is critical to have a mutually
agreed to contract before beginning. Just think what would happen if you pulled
it off and the book made the bestseller list, huge sums of money pouring in –
how do you split it equitably with each person having taken some risk (BTW –
get a good lawyer as well, this is one of those unanticipated costs that
pop-up).
Do not be discouraged. The
opportunities are significant and well worth the effort. The days of just
handing in a messy manuscript to an agent with a book popping out the other end
are over. Self-publishing, co-publishing, associations, and even traditional
publishing all go through the same steps, it is you the author and writer who now
holds control.
More Later . . . . . . . . . .
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