I’ve got a lot going on this week, so I’m glad to welcome a couple of guest posters. Today, Daniel Brent Ruyter is going to chat about e-publishing versus the traditional model. If you get a chance, check out his sites or leave a comment below. Thanks!
Daniel Ruyter is single dad, author, blogger, cupcake addict and pseudo techno nerd. He writes for Memoirs of a Single Dad and Man Made Reviews about dating, parenting, technology and reviews — all from a guy’s perspective.
To ePublish or not to ePublish – eBooks vs Traditional Print
Authors and aspiring authors are experiencing a bit of a renaissance of sorts. There aren’t necessarily more of them around – I’m not sure a count would even be possible. There are more opportunities for authors and potential authors, though, at least in part because of the explosion of eBooks and electronic publishing. But there are a number of factors that are involved in determining which publishing method is right for each author.
First and Foremost – Consider the Cost
There are costs associated to both publishing methods and with each, you can publish on a budget or you can just about throw as much money as you’d like to into the publication. Electronic publishing tends to be less expensive than traditional publishing because there isn’t as much overhead cost involved as there is in traditional publishing. At a very high level, the costs associated to ePublishing are limited to book layout, book cover and marketing. A savvy computer user may be able to design the layout of the book with a little assistance from a few online resources. Book cover designs can be done for a few dollars up to a few thousand – again, depending on the desired budget. Marketing and promotion is in the same boat. You can self-promote and spend primarily your time or you can hire outside help in the form of a publicist or PR firm to assist.
Traditional publishing has ‘sunken’ costs involved that just aren’t present in electronic publishing. Books actually need to be made, therefore physical materials and printing costs must be included no matter if one copy or a million copies are sold. Depending on the publisher, costs can be shared or deferred in lieu of sales, but this is rare in most cases. Base costs in publishing a physical book can easily start in the thousands with the sky being the limit to design, cover and marketing costs.
Consider the Audience
Old school – a word that means different things to different people. For some, it can bring back thoughts of nostalgia and days gone by. For others, old school means antiquated and outdated. Traditional publishing has gone the way of the old-school moniker, but that doesn’t mean that old can’t be ‘in’. The proliferation of eBooks isn’t necessarily entirely positive. There’s a certain level of prestige to having a book in actual print and not just available for download. Some people would be more inclined to purchase an eBook while others will always prefer to hold the printed book in their hands. Your audience should definitely be a consideration before you choose your publishing method.
Consider the Topic’s Shelf Life
The subject of the book should be another primary consideration when choosing a publication method for your book. What is the shelf life of your subject matter? For example, fictional works often have a longer shelf life than non-fiction works like technology publications and trendy topics that are hot in the moment but may lose popularity over time.
What are your experiences in publishing a book? Have you published or are you an aspiring author? What advice do you have for budding writers as they venture down the unknown road of publication?
What I wonder is, is eBook publishing sexy yet? Is it cool, or do most of the general public consider it something anyone can do?
You can spend months, even years on your book and after all of the time spent putting into a polished eBook, you’re looking at an even longer investment. Then finally you get it up and wham, what happens? If you’re established, great, people may have the choice of traditional vs. eBook, if not… I wonder how many people shrug off a new release instead of giving it a chance?
You may pick up a print book by someone you don’t know, flick through it, give it a feel and like everything from the blurb to the texture of the pages. But an eBook? Is it as enticing – does that ‘look inside’ on Amazon really get you into the feel of the purchase?
I really have no idea, hence the wondering and not the answering. But it begs the question, are eBooks (and their authors) ignored most of the time because it seems a little simpler to e-pub than get into print?
I just published my first book myself. At first I was going to get an agent and go that way, but as things changed, indie publishing started to look more appealing. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think traditional publishing old news. I think it means there are more options, more ways to get the story to the reader. Right now, all I have is ebooks for sale, but once I get my cover issues solved w/ Createspace, I plan on offering a paperback version (also because I want a copy on my bookshelf next to my favorite books.)
My only advice to others would be to research both and choose the option that feels right, that you believe will get your story out there.
And Ryan, I think ebook publishing is getting there. Not quite as ‘sexy’ as traditional, but it’s making ground.
I changed my mind about self-publishing, too.
For one, it’s a great way to introduce yourself to readers. For two, epublishing is more in the Indie’s favor as we can charge lower prices. Three, someone is more likely to try out a new other at $3 or less than $15 or more. Four, publishers put out crap books, too. Five, it’s a great choice for genre fiction with smaller audiences. Six, sci-fi heads will have ereaders – even my parents love their kindles & they’re in their 70’s. Seven, ebooks will soon be outselling the other kinds of books. Eight, we can’t let other people snobbery hold us back.
I agree with that. My dad is an avid reader and has a huge collection of SF and Louis L’Amour books. He has a Nook and wants to get everything on it. He complains there’s not enough ebooks for him to get!
I agree with Mary and Jon. The audience for ebooks is only growing, and being able to set lower prices is an advantage not to be underestimated. I’ve always taken a while to buy new books from trad publishers because I balk at anything priced over $10 for an ebook. And it is surprising how many not-out-of-copyright but classic SF works are still not available as ebooks. People are snapping up gadgets, and they want to read books on them.
Are we allowed to request topics from the Great Lindsay? She was the one who turned me on to Kindle Nation about a year ago. Got some great advertising out of them. Unfortunately, they’re so popular, sponsorships are backed up into next July. With that in mind, there have got to be other opportunities for that kind of sponsorship. I wonder if Lindsay has heard of any and if she’ll pass them along.
Hi Mark,
Simon Royle just sent me an email about a list he’s putting together a list of ebook sites with advertising options, so I’ll try to remember to mention it when he gets it online.
Honestly, I’ve never had much luck with advertising, though, so I’ve stopped experimenting with it myself. I do still have my Goodreads campaign going though, heh. And I may try something with Facebook eventually. You can get really specific with your targeting there, so that’s appealing.
I ran banner ads on the Nookboards for a couple of months. It probably sold a few books, but, as with most advertising, didn’t come close to paying for itself.
Hm, I was going to suggest you might try Pixel of Ink, but it looks like they’re backlogged and not taking more sponsors for the moment. Maybe one to bookmark anyway. Good luck!
Awesome. Just wanted to know I’m not missing some secret, advertising goldmine. Look forward to Mr. Royle’s list.
I use Goodreads ads, too. I like it because you can go as heavy or as light as you want. Constantly tweaking the ads, though. Can never get them juuuust right.
Thanks, Lindsay. Always good stuff in here.
Good article and comments. I would add that technology is rapidly lowering the cost — while raising the quality — of electronic and print publishing, and therefore lowering the barriers of entry to professional publishing. Look out for new channels such as Dymocks’ D Publishing Network (see http://bit.ly/rv2eej)
Cheers, John