Choosing how much to charge for your new book, especially a self-published book, involves understanding a combination of practical, legal, and retailer-specified rules every author should be familiar with, not to mention costs, sales psychology, and knowing one’s goals for their book. Perhaps most importantly, it requires some research.In Part 1 of this series on self-publishing business fundamentals, we studied costs and royalties. Here are the topics covered in this Part 2:Three … [Read more...]
IngramSpark Print-on-Demand – A 2020 Update; Now Offering a Free ISBN
Authors who are self-publishing print books have essentially two options for affordable print-on-demand (POD) and distribution to Amazon and other online retailers:Amazon KDP PrintIngramSparkFor years, first with CreateSpace and now with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Amazon has enjoyed a competitive advantage because it provides a free ISBN—the mandatory unique book identification number—for selling books in print through book retailers. It is an important reason why Amazon’s market … [Read more...]
Should You Use Amazon KDP Select or Distribute Your Book Wide?
What is KDP Select?KDP Select is a free and optional program available to authors and publishers using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) to publish their Kindle eBook. It is available on a book-by-book basis and it does not apply to print books. Kindle eBooks enrolled in KDP Select for the mandatory 90-day term must be exclusive to the Amazon Kindle store and cannot be sold in any other store, nor can they be sold on an author’s website, or given away free by the author.Is KDP Select worth … [Read more...]
The 2020 Guide to Amazon Fees and Royalties for Kindle eBooks and KDP Print
Setting a selling price for self-published Kindle eBooks or KDP Print books (formerly CreateSpace) sold on Amazon begins with understanding your costs. There are two components to book and eBook costs when selling on Amazon using KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing):The cost of sale: what Amazon charges the self-publisher for each unit sold.The Amazon sales commission for selling your book.This article looks in detail at the formats sold and supported using KDP: Kindle eBooks and … [Read more...]
Bowker Self-Publishing Report Analysis-5 Surprising Findings for 2019
The latest print and eBook ISBN report from Bowker, Self-Publishing in the United States, 2013-2018, is out and it offers updated ISBN assignment numbers from such companies as Amazon (CreateSpace and KDP Print), Author Solutions (15 vanity press imprints), Lulu, Blurb and 44 other entities.As in past years, headlines such as “Number of Self-Published Titles Jumped 40% in 2018” and the insistence of using eBook ISBN data to infer anything except individual company performance doesn’t … [Read more...]
Create a Self-Publishing Imprint Logo Design-Resources and 18 Examples
What is a publishing imprint?A publishing imprint is the name of your publishing company. This name is:Displayed to the public wherever you sell your book.Recorded in book industry databases used by retailers, book wholesalers, and book distributors.Listed on your book’s copyright page, and often included in your book’s sales and promotional materials.The name assigned to your ISBN(s).It can be an invented name or the name of one’s existing business, or some variation. New publishers … [Read more...]
Rights Reversion and What to Do After Reversion
Today's guest post is by Elizabeth S. Craig, author of the forthcoming Edit to Death (A Myrtle Clover Cozy Mystery Book 14).It’s easy to put off obtaining a rights reversion from your publisher. Perhaps you’re not sure who to contact at the publisher because your former editor is no longer working there. Maybe you’re not sure exactly what to ask for or what to do with your rights once they’re reverted to you.Asking for your rights and starting down the road of self-publishing a … [Read more...]
Hybrid Publishing or Traditional Self-Publishing, Which is Right for You?
Topics covered in this article: 6 criteria that define hybrid publishers | 3 ways to evaluate a hybrid publisher | 5 reasons why hybrid publishing may not be the best self-publishing routeSelf-publishing has been around since the dawn of the printing press. But it took the Internet—and Amazon—to create the range of publishing opportunities that gave birth to so many ways to publish.This article talks about one of the more innovative, yet misunderstood, methods of publishing to arise in … [Read more...]
How much does it cost to create a self-publishing imprint?
The short answer: $85. You can buy a single ISBN from IngramSpark and use it to print your book with any printer, and distribute your book to any country in the world. You own it, you control it; you never have to worry about your publisher going out of business.We recently completed a publishing project for Somerspoint Press, the self-publishing imprint name chosen by clients Jacki and Jan for their book about "a Medically Challenged Horse Who Found Fun, Friends and Fame."Actually, it … [Read more...]
KDP Print ISBN Options: How to Choose and Converting from CreateSpace-2018
TL;DR: KDP Print ISBN options are the same as they were with CreateSpace. If you choose the free ISBN option, be aware of its limitations. As always with ISBNs, the devil is in the details and usage depends on your goals. Details below. KDP Print ISBN options are the same as CreateSpace CreateSpace has offered 3 ISBN options since 2016 and those are:A free ISBN. The name of your publishing imprint is CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Purchase 1 ISBN for $99 in the name of … [Read more...]
