Loyal Book Readers: Need Imput
SO.
Both Exiles and Starbleached are kind of going into the end run of their respective story arcs. This arc of Exiles is going to wrap up in May, and Starbleached will have its "season finale" so to speak, in June.
I have decided that I will be releasing a thoroughly edited omnibus at the same time, and that the omnibus (AKA a real, normal, 350 page book) will be available in print.
The big question is...what are you guys willing to pay for this?
I have three good options: Lulu, Createspace and Lightning Source.
The specs are as follows: Perfect bound, 6by9 paperback, 350 pages (
This is the estimated cost of a POD print book with those specs:
Lulu--19.50--I get one dollar. I am not a fan of Lulu
Createspace--14.99--I get $3, $6 or less than a dollar, depending on where the book sells from.
Lightning Source--14.99--no retail discount I get 9 bucks. Industry standard discount, however, is 55%. I would get 1.30
I have not done enough research on the subject to say, for example, that 15 bucks is the hard price or that Lightning Source is the best choice (I am pretty sure there are a couple buried land mines that I need to dig up) But I DO want to know what the most you book-buying people would be willing to put up with would be.
So: Imput, folks. If I go through the hoops it'll take to get a book in print, would you be willing to pay fifteen to twenty bucks for it? Would you even be interested in a print book?
NOTE: I know several of you are reading my book-publishing blogs with an eye towards educating yourself. I have ranted LOUDLY about not signing with publishers that charge you money, and if you look closely at Lightning Source's website you will notice that they charge you twelve dollars per book per year to have your book listed in their service.
The difference between Lightening Source and, say, Author Solutions or one of their many fronts, is Lightning Source is not a publisher. Lightning Source is a printer, and it is a distributor (...kind of. It's complicated.) Publishers list their book with Lightning Source. CREATESPACE lists its books with Lightning Source. If I understand their process right, in fact, when they do "extended distribution" they do it through Lightning Source. It does not provide a cover, artists, editors, book packagers or swag. All they will do is print the book and ship it to bookstores and individuals that order it. They are not dealing with authors. They are dealing with publishers, which is the role the author assumes when they begin self-publishing their own book.
I'm going to do as much research as I can to do it right, and we probably wouldn't see an actual print book for several months after the current story arcs wrap up. Right now I am gathering preliminary 'fo so I know what decisions I have to make when the time comes.
Both Exiles and Starbleached are kind of going into the end run of their respective story arcs. This arc of Exiles is going to wrap up in May, and Starbleached will have its "season finale" so to speak, in June.
I have decided that I will be releasing a thoroughly edited omnibus at the same time, and that the omnibus (AKA a real, normal, 350 page book) will be available in print.
The big question is...what are you guys willing to pay for this?
I have three good options: Lulu, Createspace and Lightning Source.
The specs are as follows: Perfect bound, 6by9 paperback, 350 pages (
This is the estimated cost of a POD print book with those specs:
Lulu--19.50--I get one dollar. I am not a fan of Lulu
Createspace--14.99--I get $3, $6 or less than a dollar, depending on where the book sells from.
Lightning Source--14.99--no retail discount I get 9 bucks. Industry standard discount, however, is 55%. I would get 1.30
I have not done enough research on the subject to say, for example, that 15 bucks is the hard price or that Lightning Source is the best choice (I am pretty sure there are a couple buried land mines that I need to dig up) But I DO want to know what the most you book-buying people would be willing to put up with would be.
So: Imput, folks. If I go through the hoops it'll take to get a book in print, would you be willing to pay fifteen to twenty bucks for it? Would you even be interested in a print book?
NOTE: I know several of you are reading my book-publishing blogs with an eye towards educating yourself. I have ranted LOUDLY about not signing with publishers that charge you money, and if you look closely at Lightning Source's website you will notice that they charge you twelve dollars per book per year to have your book listed in their service.
The difference between Lightening Source and, say, Author Solutions or one of their many fronts, is Lightning Source is not a publisher. Lightning Source is a printer, and it is a distributor (...kind of. It's complicated.) Publishers list their book with Lightning Source. CREATESPACE lists its books with Lightning Source. If I understand their process right, in fact, when they do "extended distribution" they do it through Lightning Source. It does not provide a cover, artists, editors, book packagers or swag. All they will do is print the book and ship it to bookstores and individuals that order it. They are not dealing with authors. They are dealing with publishers, which is the role the author assumes when they begin self-publishing their own book.
I'm going to do as much research as I can to do it right, and we probably wouldn't see an actual print book for several months after the current story arcs wrap up. Right now I am gathering preliminary 'fo so I know what decisions I have to make when the time comes.
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