Should authors pay for publishers for their services?

 

In a separate article I explained that some authors may decide to publish their books with a publishing company instead of using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. If you are an author, consider finding a small publisher to help you through the process.

Keeping in mind that when I say publisher, I’m not talking about submitting a proposal letter to a major traditional publishing house. I’m talking about through a company that specializes in self-publishing business models. While you may not want to worry about the business of publishing with KDP, they may be well versed in using it to your benefit.

When looking for such a publisher, I recommend keeping a few things in mind.

1. Find a publisher who matches your niche. That way, you can take advantage of the marketing efforts they are already doing to further your book’s success. For example, my company, Red Bike Publishing does very well at publishing content for security professionals. All of my efforts are marketing to the industry. If a new author were to write a book about security and publishes with me, they will benefit from the heavy security marketing that I’m already doing. So, if you are writing a book on fitness, do some research and find a publisher who does well in the fitness space.
2. Be ready to spend money to invest in your dream. While you may be tempted to ask for a “favor” to get your book published for free, it may not be fair to your publisher. While traditional publishers do assist authors without charging, it doesn’t apply to non traditional publishers. You might argue that your book is print ready, but that may not be entirely true. Self-publishers may need to charge from a few thousand to over 10 thousand dollars depending on services. Here’s why:

• A self publisher with spend time and resources to format both the book and design a cover. Even if the book is “print ready”, it usually never is. It’s not unusual for an author to request additional editing after they see their book in final print. This requires even more time from the publisher.
• A self publisher is probably a very small company with limited resources. They invest in computers and publishing and design software to make your books the best they can be. By the time your book is published, they could have 30 to 40 hours invested. A fair salary for those 30 to 40 hours should cover expenses, time worked and self-employment taxes. Additionally, if the publisher uses services like Lightning Source, they can expect to be charged almost $200 in fees to publish a title. Each change or content upload is an additional $35. So, $140 per hour for labor and necessary expenses could cost the publisher anywhere from $2500 to $4000 before the book is even published.
• Your books may not sell enough to cover publisher labor and materials. While your book might list $15 per copy, the print charge of four dollars and the normal 40% charged by Amazon leaves just enough enough for the author and publisher to share the remaining four dollars. The book would need to sell 1000 copies to compensate the publisher’s time. Self-published authors rarely sell over 100 copies
• Cash isn’t the only payment option. I’ve traded services with authors and publishers alike. I’ve published books for authors who provided marketing, editorial, and graphic design services. Maybe you have a skill to offer a potential publisher.

1. Be ready to assist with marketing. You are the expert in what you are writing about, and therefor would have the best platform for reaching your audience. Do everything you can to capture your audience and reach them with the good news about your book. Consider buying copies of your book and selling them a speaking engagements or handing them out as business cards or gifts.

If you or someone you know needs assistance with publishing, we would be glad to help. 

If you need assistance with book ideas or business ideas, check out book based business incubator or our book Get Rich in a Niche.

 

Jeffrey W. Bennett, ISP is the owner of Red Bike Publishing. Jeff is an accomplished writer of non-fiction books, novels and periodicals. He also owns Red bike Publishing. Published books include: "Get Rich in a Niche-Insider's Guide to Self Publishing in a Specialized Industry" and "Commitment-A Novel". Jeff is an expert in security and has written many security books including: "Insider's Guide to Security Clearances" and "DoD Security Clearances and Contracts Guidebook".