Workshops

Self-Publishing: Design, Marketing, Selling and Distribution of Books

By John Seidenberg, WIW Member

Self-publishing is a route some authors pursue out of necessity and preference. There are different options to consider depending on a book's price, the nature and size of a project, and how writers want to market their work. A panel of speakers involved in different aspects of self-publishing discussed the subject during a Washington Independent Writers (WIW) workshop Oct. 28 at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in Arlington.

Self-published authors usually find the big publishing houses won't talk to them, said Andrea Sharkey, an author who published a novel, Legends of Power, and continues to look for an agent. Her book (which can be found on the Books-a-Million Web site at www.booksamillion.com) sat at Random House for two years until the company ultimately decided not to publish it.

With self-publishing, the author pays for the paper and ink, she said. "Self publishing gives you more control because it's your book and you don't have to answer to anybody except yourself or whoever helps you pay for the book," Sharkey added. Self-published authors can have a printer do 20, 50 or 100 books initially that can be sent out for reviews. Based on that, if you think you can sell more, invest money in additional books, she said.

Authors, including Sharkey, have gone to McClain Printing Company, a West Virginia-based specialty and full-service printer and private book publisher. The company charges a fee for its publishing services. However, it does not receive any portion of the money authors earn when they sell their books, as does a vanity publisher, Michelle Mullenex-McKinnie, editor, proofreader and marketer for the book publishing division of McClain, told the workshop.

McClain (www.mcclainprinting.com) sets a price for publishing and printing a book. If the author agrees, the company writes up a contract and the author deposits one-third of the total bill. At the point, McClain begins production. Halfway through the printing process, the author makes the second payment. The final payment is required when the book is delivered. Authors can pay extra to have their books stored. There is no additional charge for the marketing.

At McClain, an author pays a price for a certain number of copies to be published, and then has exclusive ownership of the books. Although McClain rarely purchases the copyrights for the books from the authors, it has made purchases in the past. In that case, the authors usually receive a residual from the wholesale price.

McClain distributes to Barnes and Noble and Walden Books. The individual stores determine if they will carry the books. McClain works with Amazon.com and Books-a-Million through Baker and Taylor, a national distributor.

In an effort to get wider distribution in chains that only work with particular vendors, McClain will buy back books from authors at 50 percent of the retail price. For example, if an author chooses to sell a book for $20, McClain would usually buy five to 10 copies to start with at $10 a book. When the company sells those books, it may order more from the author and it pays the shipping costs.

The best investment would be for an author to purchase 500 or 1,000 books, Mullenex-McKinnie said. "The more you buy, the less it is per book. I always tell people to consider how much you have in each book to decide how much you're going to charge." She suggests that authors multiply by three whatever they've invested in each copy. Since bookstores will discount by 40 or 55 percent, the author is not losing money.

Even if the author decides not to sell any books to McClain, the publisher lists the book on its Web site and in its catalogue along with the author's contact information. "That way at least you might get some orders that you wouldn't necessarily have gotten anyway," Mullenex-McKinnie

For authors who know there is a market for their product, they can get it printed for less money per unit, said Blaine Honea of Landover, Md.-based Corporate Press, a full-service printer with digital presses able to do on-demand printing and small orders. The company offers design services and does mailing and fulfillment (including shipping and storage). The core of its business is nonprofits and associations.

Corporate Press (www.corppress.com) can do repeat publications. Honea recommends that a job be $5,000 to $10,000 to be worthwhile. Those in the book business would need a few hundred copies as a prototype, he said. The company consults for free on the size of a book, how to produce it, and the way to send files. In addition, it can help develop prospect lists for mailings, receive orders and place a shopping cart on other Web sites for purchases.

Most publishers today require an edited work and it's therefore necessary to hire someone to edit a book, Sharkey said. As to size, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 is a traditional and cost-efficient size for books. An extra half-inch each way makes a considerable difference in the cost as a standard piece of paper is 8 ½ by 11.

While working on her book, Sharkey went to a Web site on book publishing, www.authorhouse.com, and provided them with the cover artwork. The site made her book available to anyone interested in buying it and produced a press release on the book.

If an author can't get an agent to take a book to a publisher or doesn't want to deal with that aspect of the business, private book publishing or print-on-demand outlets can be an alternative, Sharkey said. An author can try to go out and market a book as well. Sharkey has sold a few hundred books so far. They are available for purchase on www.amazon.com.

To promote their books, authors can arrange book signings at bookstores or at book fairs, she said. The stores where she did this promoted the signings with posters and flyers. At one signing she even persuaded Washington's News Channel 8 to do a story on her. "One of the hardest things for writers is to really be aggressive in marketing yourself," Sharkey said. In case she meets prospective customers, she carries books around in her car for further selling opportunities.

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