Self publishing POD books

**kmtolan** · September 8th, 2012, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by tmso

We all know where this is gonna go, so let me head it off at the pass: You are both right.

Now, let's get back to facts and figures in terms of self-publishing print books.

Thanks!

Yessum...(walks off scraping shoes on pavement)

Kerry

**PeteMC** · September 9th, 2012, 10:32 AM

Fair enough - it certainly wasn't my intention to sneer by the way, and I’m sorry if it read that way, I just thought the statement merited some debate.

**Laer Carroll** · September 9th, 2012, 05:41 PM

Thanks Nila/tmso for doing your moderator duties. But in this case was un-needed. Kerry and I are friends/friendly and I've long appreciated Pete's contributions.

**kmtolan** · September 9th, 2012, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by Laer Carroll

Thanks Nila/tmso for doing your moderator duties. But in this case was un-needed. Kerry and I are friends/friendly and I've long appreciated Pete's contributions.

<salute>

Kerry

**GordyGordy** · September 10th, 2012, 03:34 AM

Has anybody ever tired doing a short run print of like 100 books and then shipping them to Amazon? Is that even possible? Would that be a better cheaper way in the long run?

**Laer Carroll** · September 10th, 2012, 03:57 AM

GordyGordy, Amazon already has its own POD company, its affiliate CreateSpace. They would not accept books through other POD companies. Though a separate company which also services B&N and other companies, CS is fully integrated electronically with Amazon. The CS books are on Amazon's Web pages. You can order my printed books (for instance) through them. Amazon also handles returns (rare with POD but possible) from customers and complaints and such.

On my announcements of new books I always put the CS link before the Amazon link because I get a bigger royalty if customers go directly through CS. But they can also go through Amazon, taking advantage of Amazon Prime and other services Amazon offers which CS does not.

It's good you're thinking outside the box though. Keep it up.

**GordyGordy** · September 10th, 2012, 04:22 AM

What I mean is, instead of POD, use a short run print.

Printing on POD might be $10 each.
However printing 100 on a short run press might be $800 or $8 each.

Then you ship the printed books to amazon for sale.
I'm just wondering if anybody has tried anything like that?

**Noumenon** · September 10th, 2012, 04:36 AM

Originally Posted by GordyGordy

Then you ship the printed books to amazon for sale.
I'm just wondering if anybody has tried anything like that?

Who pays for shipping? You. Who pays for storage? Them. I don't see any advantage to Amazon in this, which will undoubtedly be their primary concern. The only person in this business to help the author is the author. Why would Amazon agree to stack a big pile of books in one of their warehouses (which would necessitate all purchases around the globe being delivered from this one location, another unneccesary cost) when there is no guarantee at all that so much as a single copy is ever sold?

What you're describing is the old vanity publishing tactic of filling your garage with unsold books while you wait for them to sell on eBay, except you want to offload all the inconvenience onto a self-interested commercial enterprise. Never going to happen.

**Laer Carroll** · September 10th, 2012, 04:47 AM

What you're talking about is a small-press publication operation. Locus magazine in their latest year-end review (Feb. 2012 issue) lists 53 publishers who put out SF/F/H. The smallest put out 5, the largest 431.

It's possible for an author to create their own publishing company. I believe Kate Wilhelm has done just that, for her out-of-print books.

The publisher, small or large, goes the same route with Amazon: negotiation followed by a contract. The larger the publisher the more clout they have on securing favorable agreements in their contract, but even they have to play hardball to get them.

Maybe Kat can chime in on this and give us a more authoritative overview of Amazon-publisher relations.

**kmtolan** · September 10th, 2012, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by Laer Carroll

Maybe Kat can chime in on this and give us a more authoritative overview of Amazon-publisher relations.

It can't be that great. My publisher stopped selling print books through Amazon as the cost exceeded what Amazon gave back.

Kerry

**GordyGordy** · September 10th, 2012, 09:55 AM

It sounds like you don't get much change out of Amazon no matter what route you take.

**KatG** · September 10th, 2012, 01:24 PM

I'm not actually an expert on Amazon company policies.

I do know that the small presses have not been happy with Amazon for some time and that Amazon presses for exclusivity with them. Most recently, in February, Amazon decided to de-list the books from many small presses who were distributed by company IPG, the same tactic they used with Macmillan and others, because they were in contract negotiations with IPG. But a lot of small presses also do find Amazon useful and use them for wide distribution. However, the contracts that small presses get are quite a different kettle of fish than what goes on with the self-pub e-books and POD. A small press will have to offer Amazon a returns system on print books (full refunds to Amazon on unsold books,) and the terms on e-books are different.

If you are just selling your own books, though, even if you set it up as a small press with that name as the publisher, you probably could do the e-books and POD as a self-pub.

**Laer Carroll** · September 11th, 2012, 01:34 PM

My experience is only with CS. There are two more important POD publishers, Ingram's Lightning Source and Lulu. All three have their individual advantages and disadvantages.

LS - http://www.ingramcontent.com/pages/print-on-demand.aspx
LL - http://www.lulu.com/publish/books/?cid=nav_bks