You can find Jody at: www.jodyreinbooks.com

And the Webinar at: How to Secure a Literary Agent for Your Self-Published Book

Sue: Ok, the big elephant in the room first. Why would a happy self-publisher want an agent?

Jody: Well, you know that there are hundreds of thousands of self-publishers out there, and each one has a different story. In brief, a literary agent is a good choice for a self-publisher who hopes to publish some or all of his or her books through a traditional house, or who needs help and access to sell subsidiary rights (such as film or foreign) to his or her self-published work, or, possibly for a self-publisher who seeks career management.  The services I just listed are all in flux as I type—the whole publishing world is in the midst of a massive identity shift.

I’ve been thinking lately that what we’ll see, at least in the near future, are increasing numbers of people who jump in and out of self and traditional publishing over the course of their careers, and who end up with some books self-published and some books traditionally published. If this is in fact the way this world evolves, the role of agents could be quite important in helping authors make these decisions.

Sue: Don’t most agents look down on self-publishers?

Jody: I think the answer is deeper than a “yes” or a “no.” The first self-published book I represented as an agent was in 1994; You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Crazy or Stupid by Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo—it’s still in print and earning royalties with Scribner. Even before that as an editor I made my name in the biz partly by seeking out self-published and small press books to re-publish. It is now as it was then: books that were well-written with proven and growing markets were terrifically appealing to any publishing pro with open eyes and an understanding of the bottom line—particularly in nonfiction. Self-publishers still are at the forefront of trends and pockets of interests. Those books that break through and establish a market are as exciting as ever to agents and publishers.

The biggest difference I see now is that self-published genre fiction and to some degree even literary fiction aren’t dismissed out of hand because they have initially been self-published. But remember, agents historically weren’t looking down on self-published fiction from some unfounded position of bias— agents’ attitudes have changed because the product has changed. Cost barriers have dropped away at the same time traditional publishing barriers have grown enormously. This has encouraged serious novelists to pursue self-publishing in many cases, and will continue.

Sue: I have to ask—are you looking for self-published authors to represent?

Jody: Not right now; I stopped taking on new clients a few years ago to develop software for writers and focus on my existing clients, who were keeping me pretty busy. I just decided last week to open the door to doing some project by project consulting since this software is taking FOREVER to launch.

Sue: So nothing to brag about?

Jody: I didn’t say that! Watch for the Fox movie The Big Year starring Owen Wilson, Jack Black and Steve Martin coming out this fall! It’s based on my client Mark Obmascik’s terrific book (buy it, buy it—through an independent bookstore if you can!). And three clients have exciting proposals in the hopper–I’ll keep you posted.

 Of course there’s my Writer’s Digest webinar this Thursday, June 30th: How to Secure a Literary Agent for Your Self-Published Book

And, I promised my intern Kelsey: I’ll update my website & start blogging soon. I’ve got a lot to say about all this stuff…so we added a contact form yesterday for people who would like to know when I go all 21^st century. (Funny how you can be cutting edge one minute and old school the next…)

I am really surprised at the backlash out there about this deal—particularly from her fellow indies. The blogosphere is buzzing with posts and comments about how she is basically a moron for selling out like this. Traditional publishing is evil…blah blah blah. In my book, The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, 5^th Edition, we devote an entire chapter to “bagging the big game” and selling your self-published book to a “Goliath.” It has been and probably always will be the goal of some authors. Self-publishing is not necessarily for everyone. Nothing wrong with that.

Indie author Zoe Winters wrote about the controversy in her blog. (Btw, I am now going to incorporate the phrase “frilly fuck” into my conversations as much as possible, lol!) She wrote:

“NO ONE ‘feels sorry’ for Amanda Hocking. She has a 7 figure deal, tons of exposure, I think some movie options in the works. She’s also not saying she’s never indie publishing anything again. She’s got her feet in both worlds. The indie authors who “feel sorry” for Amanda Hocking, reading between the lines it seems they are rubbing their hands together just WAITING for her to fail to validate their viewpoint that NY publishing is all evil and shit and to prop up their own publishing choices.”

As usual, Zoe doesn’t mince words. And I completely agree with her. I’d say there is also quite a bit of jealousy involved.

The reaction has been so strong (and negative), that Hocking herself felt compelled to address it in her blog:

Here are the two considerations I made in my decision: what’s best for my career, and what’s best for my reader. (Notice I didn’t say what was best for my wallet).

It boils down to these points:

1. Readers inability to find my books when they want them. I am getting an increasing number of emails from people who go into bookstores to buy my books for themselves or friends or family members, and not only does Barnes & Noble not carry my book, they can’t even order it for them. People are requesting my books, and they can’t get them.

2. Readers complaints about the editing of my books. I have hired editors. Many, many editors. And I know that I can outsource editing, but I’m clearly doing a really shitty job of picking editors. EDIT: The people hired as editors are great people who worked very hard. Which is the most frustrating thing about the continued complaints of errors in my books. I know that my books are better because of the people I hired. And I don’t understand how there can still be errors. So my remark at “shitty” is over my frustration at the situation. Not the actual editors or the work they did.

3. The amount of books I’ve written and the rate of speed that I write books. If it took me five years to write a book, and I only had one book written, I’d be thinking long and hard about this deal. But right now, I have 19 books currently written. By the time the Watersong series goes to print, I’ll still have 19-24 titles at least that I can self-publish.

I don’t believe there needs to be an “us” (indie) against “them” (trads) mentality. The trads are certainly struggling right now because there has been so much change in the publishing world in the past few years—and I feel certain that those publishers who don’t adapt to new publishing models will probably not be around much longer—but I don’t see them ever being nonexistent. Self-publishing is a great option for getting your work out there. Period. The Internet has leveled the playing field now in that the indie author has the opportunity to reach a lot of people. But not every writer wants to be a publisher, nor should they have to be—especially if they can get a sweet deal like Hocking.

To start, we have “ indie book publishing leader Author Solutions.” Say what? Authors Solutions is NOT — I repeat, NOT — an indie book publishing anything, let alone “leader.” Authors Solutions is a vanity press (aka subsidy press). It is a pay-to-publish service wherein authors pay to publish their book under the Author Solutions name, then must purchase their books back from the publisher. Yes, the publisher, which is Author Solutions. There is nothing “self” about this type of publishing. It’s not self-publishing. I assume the generous use of the term “indie publishing” is a thinly veiled attempt to get around this little fact. In most people’s minds, indie publishing equals self-publishing, so it seems they are being deliberately misleading.

I have spoken to many dissastisfied authors who were misled into publishing via Author Solutions as well as others. With the Author Solutions — and other companies like them — imprint on their books, they soon learned that many doors were closed to them in terms of traditional book marketing and promotion options. They also quickly realized their books were poorly edited and poorly designed, further stacking the deck against them actually selling any of their books.

The article goes on to say “while the Holy Grail remains a contract with one of the big six publishers in New York….” This is another untruth. These days, many independent thinkers are becoming independent publishers by choice. Although the traditional publishers believe they are the “holy grail,” savvy self-publishers realize they can maintain control over their project and retain all of the profits by publishing their own books. Even Seth Godin has decided to break ties with the trads.

Companies like Author Solutions certainly have their place on the publishing scene — for those who want their book in print but don’t care about making a profit and for those who go into this arrangement with their eyes open and their expectations realistic. But touting themselves as “indie” is just confusing on an already muddied playing field. I want authors to know that self-publishing (aka indie publishing) means obtaining your own ISBN, starting your own imprint, and publishing your own book — independent of a publisher for hire.

Still confused about vanity versus independent publishing? Read more here.

The answer to the first questions is “yes”! Authors of fiction can certainly benefit their platforms by incorporating speaking into their repertoire. So this brings us to the next question: What should fiction writers talk about?

Well, how about…writing? Talk about writing your first novel. Talk about researching effectively. Talk about establishing your book’s theme. Talk about using fact versus fiction in your work. Talk about creating conflict. Talk about bringing fictional characters to life. Talk about where you draw your inspiration from.

Another topic you can cover is your genre. Are you a writer of paranormal fiction? Or maybe you pen thrillers? Or literary fiction? Talk about particulars or trends specific to your genre.

If you’re an indie, talk about your experience with independent publishing. What made you decide to go that route? Did you make any mistakes? What did you learn from the process? What are the pros and cons to publishing independently?

If you’ve published traditionally, talk about your experience with that. Did you have an agent? How did you find one? How long did the process take? What have you learned?

Every author has to market his or her book to some extent, and there is an endless supply of topics to speak about in that regard. Talk about building your platform. (Explain what a “platform” is!) There are dozens of topics alone related to social media, including blogging, tweeting, friending, and the like. What works for you and what doesn’t?

For those of you who do speak, I’ll offer much of the same advice I gave to nonfiction writers: Don’t forget to bring sales materials to your events—bookmarks or business cards with your book cover on it (as well as ordering information, of course). (Or books themselves to sell right on the spot, if that is practical.) Readers of fiction tend to want to buy books written by authors they like, and they will likely want to buy your book after hearing you speak. Some authors give a small discount—perhaps 10 percent—to induce immediate sales. In any event, be sure to weave into your presentation that personally autographed books will be available afterward.

So even if you don’t have a book that outlines your expertise, the mere fact that you’ve written a book makes you an expert the on the process itself. There’s plenty to talk about!

I’ve got a new post for today, and it’s from a guest. Another project I’ve been working on recently is getting an internship program started. I was lucky enough to get a great response from an ad I posted with the Denver Publishing Institute, and I’ve got a couple of young people (I know, that makes me sound really old — but hey, I am!) starting with us. I had them do an initial “assignment” of writing a blog post for me; I was curious what they’d come up with. So here’s the first; I hope you enjoy these fresh new voices!

Guest blogger: Chad Hamilton

It has finally happened. I have been birthed into the world of publishing—and what a wide, blurry world it is.

Nearly two weeks ago I graduated from the Publishing Institute at the University of Denver. It was an intensive, four week course designed to give recent college graduates a crash-course in all things publishing. The once-a-year program primarily churns out future editors for large publishers, and so the curriculum is heavily weighted toward that goal. Yet for those of us who did not swoon at the romantic notion of reading manuscripts well into the night, every night, there were a plethora of other topics covered. From the role of the editor to the subsidiary rights department, we were exposed to nearly every step in the publication process of large and independent publishers of all types of books.

Yet, despite all of the recent growth and future growth potential—self-publishing was not covered. So how have I ended up writing this guest blog for Self-Publishing Resources?

I am a baby in the publishing industry. Though I have been given a head start with experience working for a print production facility, and having attended the Publishing Institute, I have years of proving myself to do. Frankly, I am scared to choose a particular area on which to focus: be it public relations, marketing, editing, or anything else in publishing.

With the industry in flux, the last thing I want to do is specialize in an area that may soon become obsolete. There will always be editors, marketing departments, and PR people to help get the book out, but the traditional ways of doing those things are changing. I am afraid that I will spend my “proving” years learning the wrong processes and that at some point in my career I will have to start over, or worse yet, become obsolete myself.

Self-publishing seems like the perfect opportunity to learn various processes, to remain flexible and open to new emerging opportunities, and ultimately to remain valuable to the publishing industry.

I believe these are some of the same reasons why authors are choosing to self-publish. After all, where to publish is a critical career decision for a writer as well.

Note: Chad Hamilton is a recent graduate of the prestigious Denver Publishing Institute. He also has a bachelor of arts degree in English and creative writing from Colorado State University. His present position as leadership development associate for a publicly traded printing company gives Chad an excellent overview of the production end of publishing. As a new intern for Self-Publishing Resources, he has much to offer. Hopefully, I can teach him a thing or two as well. — Sue

I’ll start by saying that I am not the average person who has no idea what lurks in slush. I spent many years in the trade, going through those very awful slush piles that blogger writes about. And it’s true; there is some real crap out there. And everyone does not have a book in them.

That said, this does not mean that every acquisitions editor working for a major publishing house would know slush if it came in a cup. There is plenty of junk out there that is sitting on the bookstore shelves right this second. Some of it is written by bestselling authors or celebrities, ie, the publishing companies know it will sell. To imply there is some rigorous high standard that always goes along with book publishing is untrue. It’s about money, pure and simple. For most houses, there is no loftier goal than publishing what will make money—regardless of whether it is crap or not.

I fully agree with this, from the article: “I do have to say one thing in defense of self-publishing: it is a very useful tool for people who have a niche audience or their own book sales channels. Ideally, both. Most traditional publishers may not do ‘niche’ projects (not a large enough target market to justify general trade publication).” But may I also add that traditional publishers today are also looking for authors who have a built-in platform—before they sign the contract. Because the reality is that most trads do little to promote their mid-list authors. It is primarily up to the authors themselves.

I also don’t believe that every self-published author believes The Man (as Kidlit refers to the trads) is holding them back so they must “settle” for self-publishing. There are plenty of savvy authors out there—check out indie author and publisher Zoe Winters, for instance—who realize the odds are not in their favor. It isn’t because their work isn’t “ready”; it’s simply because there are a finite number of books being published by traditional publishers. As publishing houses have gobbled one another up in recent years, there are even few opportunities to be published. It isn’t about feeding the ego by getting a “stamp of approval” from The Man for these authors; it is about sharing their message. And if you truly have something to say, wouldn’t you rather have a few people hear it rather than none?

I think it’s misleading to tell writers that when your manuscript is just as perfect as perfect can be, you have a very good chance of being picked up by a traditional publisher. I think that’s overly optimistic. My husband’s heavy metal band is very good—all members of the group are accomplished musicians—but the reality is that they have virtually no chance of being picked up by a major record label. They know that. But it doesn’t stop them from wanting to be heard anyway.

“I’m only interested in people who grow, learn, polish, adapt, and set their sights on the difficult goal of traditional publication. It’s hard for a reason. Not everybody gets to do it.” What about the indie music scene? Should my husband’s band not put out their own CDs because they are pining for some major label to sign them? What about indie movies? Are they any less of an achievement because they are not produced by some major film company?

“But most people who self-publish don’t have a niche book or a good marketing strategy: they want to target the mass market. They have a project that would appeal, in their opinion, to everyone and anyone. And self-publishing a book intended for a trade audience is where these would-be authors get in trouble. Because reaching a mass audience — casual readers — with a self-published fiction project is nearly impossible.” I say there are plenty of self-published authors who go into it with their eyes wide open and their expectations realistic.

It’s unfortunate that with the advent of the so-called “self-publishing companies,” such as Author Solutions and Lulu, way too many people dive right into “self-publishing.” (Incidentally, this is usually “vanity” or “subsidy” publishing, which has somehow become lumped in with true self-publishing wherein authors set up their own imprint and have their own ISBN under which to publish books.) I have a real issue with these cookie-cutter, assembly-line service providers who enable authors to publish their slush on the cheap. Would I consider publishing these books an “achievement”? Not usually. Do I consider truly self-published authors who work hard writing a good, salable manuscript; have it critiqued and edited by professionals; and have the book well-designed as having achieved something? Absolutely.

Yes, there are those who “who don’t believe what editors and agents keep telling them: their work isn’t ready”—or that their work is just bad. I say, let those people go publish with Lulu. Their book will be available on Lulu.com, where approximately zero people actually go to buy books. What I’d like to see is the true self-published authors not denigrated for what they’ve done—because it is a real accomplishment.

Traditional publishing is not exactly known for embracing change (anyone want to talk about the fact that returns are still allowed?!), but I think maybe The Man is going to have to adjust his way of thinking whether he wants to or not.

But the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got. His condescending and disparaging view of “self-publishers” started to tick me off. First and foremost, the “self-publishers” to which he is referring are really authors who are going the vanity press route. And those pay-to-publish authors have been mostly scorned from the very beginning. Clearly, Keillor does not understand the traditional self-publishing model, wherein authors start up their own imprint and spend quite a bit of time and money to make sure the book they produce is top notch. These authors often hire companies that provide author services (note that this is quite different from pay-to-publish) to ensure their manuscripts are well edited and their books well designed. (Shameless plug opp: Yes, services such as Self-Publishing Resources.)

Second, he is clearly assuming that all self-published authors go that route because they were not “good enough” for the trads. Nope. There are many good reasons to self-publish, including maintaining creative control, making more money (yup, making more money), and producing the book more quickly, to name a few. And heck—you’re going to have to market and promote your own book anyway (the trads won’t do it for you!)…you might as well be in charge of the whole process and pocket all of the profits from your efforts.

Is a manuscript better just because you “mailed it to a New York publisher in a big manila envelope with actual postage stamps on it”? Because you typed it on a typewriter? Because you enjoy an “aura of martyrdom”?  All that sounds kind of romantic, but the past is the past.

I do agree that there is a lot of crap out there right now, but most of it falls within the subsidy press category. Once people begin to understand the difference between vanity publishing and independent publishing, I think (I hope!) that will begin to change and we will see more thoughtfully produced books. As more and more book review sites begin to cater to self-published authors (whether they are pay to publish or truly self-published), even if they are not the New York Times, I believe honest reviews will start to separate the wheat from the chaff. One thing I do know: Self-publishing is not going anywhere. Neither is the Internet. Or the cell phone. Or the microwave.

And does anyone else find it pretty ironic and kind of hilarious that Keillor’s article is surrounded by ads about self-publishing??!!

 Authors: Joe Gregory and Debbie Jenkins

 Publishing Academy, 2009

Back cover synopsis: Renegade publishers, Debbie Jenkins and Joe Gregory, share their hard-won experience to show you exactly how to make a fast and impressive income as a non-fiction author in six easy-to-follow steps. This book obliterates the outdated “truths” of the publishing business and shows you what it really takes to succeed in the new publishing economy. Whether you’re a budding author looking for your first break or a published author wanting to take your sales, profile, and income to the next level, you’ll love what you’re going to learn when you read this book.

Traditionally published and self-published authors alike will benefit from this handy guide. It provides a realistic plan for authors who truly want to sell books and make money. I enjoyed the irreverent tone of this easy-to-read book.

Divided into six practical steps, the first three cover coming up with a winning book idea and then getting it down on paper. Even those with a book already in hand will benefit from the tips on creativity, including the WWWD (What Would Walt Disney Do) approach. Word association and Mind-Mapping are also discussed at length. If you don’t already have a finished manuscript but just an idea, this chapter will help you determine whether or not it has bestseller potential.

Step four thrashes out the options for getting your book published. The authors go over the pros and cons of traditional publishing, self-publishing, and subsidy/vanity publishing. (I think my favorite line in the whole book is “I’d basically said, ‘Vanity presses are a complete waste of space!’”) They weigh-in highly in favor of self-publishing for nonfiction books, and they explain why—basically because authors retain intellectual control and they have the potential to make a lot more money this way. The practicalities of self-publishing are also covered, such as obtaining an ISBN, using Lightning Source as a printer, and getting distribution.

Final chapters get into the specifics of “selling loads of books.” There are a lot of lists (the authors seem to favor these and they are peppered throughout the book), such as “3 Reasons Why Brick and Mortar Stores Aren’t Worth It,” “5 Reasons Why Self-Publishers Should Focus On Selling Through Online Bookstores Instead,” and “44 High Impact Book Marketing Tactics That Work.”

Final sections of the book list useful publishing and promotion links, as well as a bibliography. Although the table of contents is quite extensive, that does not take the place of an index, which the book doesn’t have. I am a strong proponent of all nonfiction books having an index.

This book should be on the shelf of every author who wants to make money instead of mistakes.

So you self-publish your book but then what? Just because you’ve built it, they won’t come. High street bookstores are unlikely to pick it up, and Amazon will take it for a few bucks but won’t highlight it unless it miraculously becomes a best seller. Most good journalists won’t review it (trust me, journalists don’t take self-published books seriously) and unless you’re a marketing or PR guru, it’ll be very difficult to promote it well.

Actually, if you publish traditionally, you are still going to be expected to promote your book. And in fact, you will likely not get signed on with a traditional publisher if you don’t already have a strong author platform with lots of potential buyers. When I was managing editor for a trade publisher, almost every single author we signed on was shocked to learn they were expected to promote their books. But the truth is, the bulk of our marketing was to plop the book into a catalog and send out a few news releases in hopes of getting a review or two. Anything beyond that—well, there just wasn’t a budget for it. Granted, that was a smaller press but even if you do manage to snag one of the major players, they are not likely going to spend their marketing bucks on a new author (like advances, marketing budgets continue to shrink). They’ll spend their money promoting whoever their current James Patterson is—and you will likely be lumped in with the rest of the midlist authors who enjoy little or no marketing budget.  

In addition, if you self-publish properly—start up your own imprint, purchase your own block of ISBNs, and have the book well edited and well designed—as opposed to going the subsidy route (often incorrectly called “self-publishing”), reviewers should have no idea you are self-published. Your book is simply a title from a new independent publisher. And there is no stigma there.

The next hurdle is trust. Sadly, self-published books have a bit of a grim rep. Whether it’s because people associate them with their Aunt Bettie’s History of Littlehampton book with its funny photoshopped front cover, or because they’ve read a self-pubbed book chock-a-block full of mistakes (which, sadly, most self-pubbed books have due to the lack of a decent editor and proof-reader), there’s not a great deal of respect for self-published books despite there being some decent ones out there.

See my point above about putting out a top-quality book. It should look just as sharp as any other book put out by one of the big houses. And again, done right—there is no way readers can tell if a book is self-published or not.

This is why self-published books on average sell dozens (if you’re lucky hundreds) whereas traditional publishers tend to sell in the thousands.

This is true of subsidy published books; these are often called self-published but in reality they are pay-to-publish vanity pieces. They sell few copies because they are often poorly done—and they are usually not priced competitively because authors are forced to purchase the books from the subsidy at an inflated price. In order to make any kind of profit, the books are priced too high—and they don’t sell.

Authors who self-publish in the true sense of the meaning are able to price their books competitively, and if they have a solid promotions plan, they tend to sell books in the thousands—sometimes tens of thousands.

Now if you’re one of those writers who doesn’t care about book sales and it’s all about the love of writing, then self-publishing is worth a shot.

To this I say—if book sales and profits don’t mean anything, by all means, go with the subsidy presses such as Outskirts, iUniverse, and Author House. If you want to make money—self-publish the true way.

But consider this: you’ve spent a year or so writing your book, maybe more, maybe less. So why not try to get paid for your hard work, rather then pay, as you would with self-publishing. Just give it a try, you know? For a start, most reputable traditional publishers will pay an advance (usually in the thousands if through a larger publisher). Then you’ll get royalties for every book you sell (once you make back your advance).

It’s pretty common knowledge that advances from traditional publishers have gotten smaller in recent years.  You’ll still fare much better by self-publishing and keeping all of the profits rather than just 10 percent or so since you have to promote the book anyway. Yes, there will be editing and production costs, but with print-on-demand, you won’t have to lay out a bunch of cash for printing. (And remember, you’ll want to hire a professional editor before sending your manuscript to any agent or publisher, even if you are publishing the traditional route—so that expense, along with promoting, is also a given.)

Don’t forget too that once you sign that contract with a traditional publisher, you lose a certain amount of control. They may change the title. They may edit drastically. They may come up with a cover you hate. They may delay your publication date. But you’re probably stuck with their decision.

Even Kevin Weiss, CEO of a huge self-publishing company in the US (Author Solutions), admits 80 per cent of their authors fail to break even whereas traditionally published authors always do as they never had to fork out in the first place.

Author Solutions is a subsidy publisher—you can’t have someone else “self” publish for you—but I agree that those are some pretty grim sales statistics. Sadly, they are all too true.

And then there’s being able to tell people you’re a published author. Most savvy people will not accept you are one if you’ve paid to have your book published because, as I’ve said before, anyone anyone anyone can self-publish.

Yes, anyone can self-publish, but what you are talking about here is subsidy publishing, or vanity publishing. True self-publishing is a complicated process, and if it’s done well, it generally garners nothing but respect for those who have been through it.

As for the idea that your amazingly successful self-pubbed book will garner the attention of traditional publishers, this does happen but not often. Your chances of getting an agent and then publisher are higher.

I would have to disagree with this point as well—unless you’ve already got a well established platform and a large following, your chances of getting an agent and then a publisher are very small. Very small. You are much better off self-publishing (doing it well) and establishing a track record of sales with which to approach a traditional publisher. That, of course, is if you want to at that point. You’ll likely make more money if you keep it as a self-published title.

So what I’m saying is, give traditional publishing a chance first. Don’t let people tell you traditional publishing is a pipe dream; that getting an agent is impossible; that self-publishing is the first and best option. It isn’t. The fact is, if you write a damn good book, someone will take notice and maybe you’ll get published and maybe you’ll make money.

I agree with this—only when it comes to fiction. As far as nonfiction titles, however, self-publishing is often the best and fastest route to publication. By the time authors wait around for umpteen rejection letters from traditional publishers, self-publishers could have been reaping the rewards of their published books for months…even years. This doesn’t mean self-publishing is right for everyone; but it is most certainly a viable option for those who want to maintain control and keep all of the profits.

So what is true print-on-demand printing? It means that books are first sold, then, using digital printing, one or more copies are created to fill the order. Although paperbacks are more common, many companies can now do case-bound books with dust jackets as well. Books are shipped direct from a POD vendor to the customer, who receives what looks very similar to a book printed by a traditional book manufacturer. Many books are shipped from POD vendors—Lightning Source or BookSurge (now merged with CreateSpace), for instance—to wholesalers or retailers such as Amazon or Ingram.

There are some drawbacks to this method of getting into print. Many publishers are still discouraged by the print quality and poor vendor customer service, reporting blacks that look gray and whites that are off-white. Illustration and photo reproduction might be uneven and patchy. Margins can vary from copy to copy. Paper and cover stock choices may be limited and of lower quality.

Yet there are several advantages to print-on-demand: You need no warehouse because there is no inventory to store. And there is flexibility: Suppose you decide you hate your title or cover? Change it! One publisher reports that her company prints each new title digitally and prints just one hundred copies. This is enough to work out any kinks as well as to market that particular title. If you’ve got a backlist title that sells slowly but which you’d like to keep in print, you can do so fairly economically, running just a few copies at a time.

There is also an element of speed. If you’re dealing with a timely topic, POD by a book printing company will get you books faster. Some vendors can turn out a book in two or three days; others promise two or three weeks.

If you go through an outfit such as Lightning Source, your book will be picked up automatically by Barnes & Noble, Borders, and so forth. This is a distinct advantage for self-publishers for whom distribution is often an issue. I predict this circumstance will continue to evolve, making POD books more readily available in brick-and-mortar bookstores.

So what will it cost you to ride the crest of this new wave? Prices vary. Lightning Source prices differently even for the same title, depending on whether the book is being sold to wholesalers for distribution or to the author for resale. This can be an issue if the primary source of sales is going to be back-of-the-room sales by the author, for instance.

An advantage to Lightning Source, however, is that they allow the author to set the discount with retailers. Discounts normally run from about 55 to 40 percent, but Lightning Source allows authors to set the discount as low as 25 percent. Although this technically allows publishers to keep a significantly portion of the profits, some retailers will not want to sell books at such a short discount.

CreateSpace sets a mandatory 40 percent discount to its retailer—primarily Amazon—but will require a deeper discount for publishers who sign up for its expanded distribution service to bookstores.

Generally the charges for printing are based on the length of your book (so much per page) plus a cost for the cover. Get quotes so you can compare costs, terms, and turnaround times. And ask where the normal price breaks fall. Here are a few guidelines: For a 250-page paperback book with a four-color cover, one POD printer charges $8.60 each for a quantity of 50, $5.13 each for 100, $4.49 each for 500, and $3.50 per book for 1,000. Hardcovers are considerably more, going for $15.87 apiece for 250, for instance, and $12.47 per book for 500.

I’ve heard of prices as low as $3.49 per book and as high as $20.00 and more. (POD may not be your answer if you’ve written a 600-page romantic saga!) Be sure to determine both the interior price and the cover price. The hard reality is it’s simply more expensive per book to print in these small quantities, but if you are unsure of expected sales, it sure beats having a pallet of books sitting in your garage, unsold. Do your homework and decide whether book digital printing or offset printing makes more sense.