Your Book in Paperback: Is It Worth It?
My first book I self-published sold like hotcakes. This was before the eBook was popular -- so I really had no other choice than to get my book printed. I printed 7500 copies my first round, and they sold out within a year. Based on that success, I did a second printing of 7500. But, unfortunately for me, Barnes and Noble removed my book as a standard stock item from their stores. I was left with 5000 books selling just a few a month. A loss of about $20,000 in books, plus a storage bill of about $300/mo by my book distributor. Boy, am I glad times have changed!
Today, self-published authors no longer have to face that nightmare. With eBooks, there is no huge investment in inventory, nor any monthly storage fees. Nor are there with modern print-on-demand services.
The idea of print-on-demand put me off at first. I though of a book that looks like it came from a Xerox machine, stapled together, ink smudges, in other words, a book that looked like crap. Maybe 10 years ago this was the case, but not anymore. Today's print-on-demand books are indistinguishable from the mass-printed books found on the best-seller lists. In fact, many of the books you see at your favorite bookstore today could be print-on-demand.
So back to the question. Is it worth making your book available in paperback? It depends.
it does cost money to have your book made into a printed book -- there is setup work that is required to make your book look good. Through eBookIt.com, this can cost up to around $600, depending on the services you need, so there is an investment to consider, even though you do not need to print a large quantity to start.
The number of eBooks purchased compared to paper books is now greater (http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2011-01-05-1Aebooksales05_ST_N.htm). However, there are, and will always be, people who prefer the physical book. The overall book market is still dominated by the physical book. So if you want to make your book available to the widest market possible, you will want a printed version.
There is something about holding a copy of your own book in your hand. It is an emotional feeling that every author desires. But this should be a business decision, not an emotional one. You are investing hard-earned money, you should be confident you will get it back.
For those whom a $600 investment is a big deal, I suggest wait. Wait for your ebook to get some traction and make some sales. Then, when you feel comfortable, move forward with the printing. If a $600 investment is no big deal to you, then go for it. The smell and feel of your own book is worth it! :)
For details on our print on demand service, see http://www.ebookit.com/services/ebookit-com-print-on-demand-services .