Self Publishing Tips
Self Publishing Tips To ConsiderIf you have a completed a manuscript and are trying to publish your book, you might want to consider self publishing. There are many sources available on how to publish a book. "Print on Demand Book Publishing" available from Amazon is one example of these sources. This is probably the lowest cost option for most self publishers. Before you go any further, you should be aware of basic costs and some basic self publishing tips. The average cost of a 5.5 x 8 book averaging @ three hundred pages is $ 5 per 100 copies. The cost decreases to $3 per one thousand and $1 per ten thousand respectively. These are the costs for the average 100,000 word book with a one color laminated cover at the average offset press. In addition printers usually require you to buy overruns which can add to your printing costs. Additionally, if you hope to sell your books at bookstores or online you will need an ISBN from Bower [$225 for ten numbers] .Copyright registration is available at the US government copyright website at a cost of $30. Book format and paper choices will also affect prices. The mass market format [4.25" x 6.75"]is cost effective for over 1000 books ;the small trade paperback [5.5" x 8.5] is the only size available for printings under 1000.Other formats available are [6.0" x9.0" ] and [7.0" x10.0"] trade paperbacks and [8.5" x 11.0"] textbook size. Different formats require different paper and in some cases different printers. Larger paper, such as roll paper, is more economical to use but requires more expensive plate preparation for larger offset presses and web presses. Weight, type and color are important considerations for your book. Heavier paper equals better quality. The term "pulp fiction" refers to the fact that cheap, light, recycled paper is usually used for mass market paperbacks. The type chosen will affect the number of pages per inch ["ppi"]. It will also affect the thickness of the binding and the size of the cover. Standard pricing includes one color [really two including the paper color]. Extra colors for the cover and /or designs will also increase price. Finally, Self Publishing costs are affected by your choice of cover. Standard paperback covers are 1/100 of an inch [ten points].This is a paper cover with a plastic laminate on one side. If you prefer a hard cover, your cost will increase by $5 to$10 per book. Obviously, if you plan to publish a hard cover book, you must also be fairly sure that you will be able to sell that book for good price in order to recoup the cost of publishing. The newest option available for the self published author is the area of ebooks. With an ebook, there is no printing done at all, the reader simply reads the book in some electronic format - a computer, reader, PDA,, even cell phone! |
