While subsidy publishing is not something I recommend for anyone who is publishing on a large scale, it is the solution for certain kinds of projects. I believe it is the best option for any book that is a personal project that is not intended for large distribution. It can also be used to test out a book and the market for it.
An example of a personal project would be a family history. You can control the costs by purchasing a one of the plans available. Then you divide that by the number of people who will receive a book to get the amount that each person will pay toward publishing. The book will belong to family members who want a copy and they should be willing to pay a higher price. The unit cost would normally be too high for commercial value, but not for personal value.
Another example would be a personal poetry chapbook. You purchase a package that you know the exact cost of and you would have some chapbooks for friends and family. A chapbook would not be viable as a commercial project at a high unit cost, but again personal value would be placed on it.
Using a subsidy press to test out a book gives you the same control over cost that the personal project does. It gives you an opportunity to find out if there is a market for your book. If so, you can then have your book printed yourself. If you intend to do that you will need to send out Request For Quotation (RFQ) forms to at least 3 book printers. Ensure you ask for exactly the same information so you can make an accurate comparison. All you need to do is send the PDF file of your book to the printer you choose and in a timely fashion you will have boxes and boxes of books to sell. You can learn more about printing by downloading the Free Report at http://www.selfpublishing.ca/ or from purchasing Self Publishing in Canada:A complete guide to designing, printing and selling your book. Both publications include a sample of an RFQ form.
No comments:
Post a Comment