Authors who choose to self-publish face a wide array of options. Here is a look at some of the better-known print on demand companies.
Writers choose the self-publishing route for a variety of reasons. Novelists may self-publish as a way to get their book out after receiving a pile of form rejection letters. Poets may see it as their best way to bring out a collection in a market that doesn’t value poetry as it should. And some may be writing a book geared to a small audience, perhaps even family, and find self-publishing to be the only way to publish a small number of such books.
Whatever the reason, technology has made self-publishing both simple and affordable through the use of print on demand (POD) services. With POD, a book is only printed once it’s ordered, so large and costly print runs are not necessary, and inventory is not a problem. There is now a plethora of such publisher/printers out there; some are very reputable and some are worse than the old vanity presses ever dreamed of being. Here is a comparison of the major POD options.
Lulu. Of all of the print on demand providers, Lulu is by far the most economical. They can charge less than other companies because the author must do all of the editing, formatting and uploading themselves. The process is not difficult, it just takes some time to learn, and for most is worth the cost savings. For $99.95 you can purchase a distribution package that will get your book an ISBN, distribution through Ingram Book Distributors, and listing on Amazon and other online retailers.
Outskirts Press. Outskirts offers different packages at different prices, as well as some services not offered by Lulu, but the cost for these additional services ranges from $399 to $999. The least expensive package is $199, but this does not include an ISBN or distribution service.
BookSurge. A division of Amazon.com, BookSurge offers the greatest number of packages for varying needs (such as Fiction Writer for novelists, Kid’s Choice for children’s books, etc). They also have the marketing options that come with being part of Amazon. However, the costs are on the high end, even taking into account the fact that they offer editorial and copy editing services. The least expensive option is $699, and the Fiction Writer package, for example, costs $5,700.
Xlibris. Xlibris is a partner with Random House Ventures, but not a part of the Random House group. Their Basic Package costs $499 for essentially the same services Lulu offers for $99.95 (they do throw in 5 free copies of your book, which lowers the cost somewhat).
iUniverse. IUniverse has a strategic relationship with Barnes and Noble. Their Select Package runs $599 for the same basic services that the others listed here offer. They are unique in that they offer a poetry-specific package for $799 that includes 50 free trade paperback copies. They also offer multiple levels of editing at a reasonable additional price.
Each of these publishers has advantages and disadvantages, ranging from initial cost to the structure of the royalties. The one thing to bear in mind when self-publishing is that the average self-published novel sells only around 100 copies. So if your royalties per book were 20% of retail (and this is a fairly high number), on a $15 book 100 copies would net you $300.
Given this reality, spending $599 or more is a gamble that may never pay off, and spending $5700 for the BookSurge Fiction Writer package makes no sense at all. Go with one of the less expensive packages and put more money into marketing to drive your sales past that 100-copy level.
