Book Printing Money Saving Tips

When it comes to book printing we all would like to get the project done right the first time. We also would like to keep our cost down in order to maximize our profits. Printing your first book does not have to break you but there are some basic things to consider. First, make sure you have a good relationship with your publishing company regarding your project. This will save you time and money when it comes to your first book publishing project. A great way to know if you have chosen a good publishing house is by their ability to disclose your printing options to you. Here are some of those options:

Money Saving Tip #1:

Stock selection can make a difference in costs. A great way to cut back on costs is by the type of stock you choose for your book.

Money Saving Tip #2:

Choosing to make your book a soft cover verses a hard cover can bring your costs down.

Money Saving Tip #3:

Opting for black and white verses color is a major way of slashing your book printing costs.

Money Saving Tip #4:

When it comes to book printing the savings in printing is based on how many books you print. The more you print the more you will save per book on printing cost.

Money Saving Tip #5

It takes money to make money so with being said, don’t skimp on you books image or style. Sometimes you have to spend a little on printing extras like: adding ribbon bookmarks, foil stamping, a leather cover, custom name stamping, fold outs and so on. If it will help with your books image or theme then feel free to enhance. The investment can be fruitful.

A Few Useful Self-Publishing Tips

1. Research & Educate Yourself
When self-publishing your book it is best to learn all there is to know before making that commitment and step towards book publishing. Read books, participate in book writing and self publishing seminars. Get to know others who have already done what you’re trying to do. Take a look at existing published books and study the inside and covers of the books that appeals to the masses. Think of alluring titles for you book. Choosing the right title can be one of the most needed elements to engage potential readers. Create a book that has an appealing, brief, clever and concise title with an eye catching cover. Remember your book cover and title is the first impression you get to make to the consumer.

2. Understanding the Competition
In doing your research, be sure that your book is not written on a subject that has been over done. There are guides that you can use as reference to see what’s been done. You can also study the delivery style for inspiration on how you can improve your presentation. Are the currently published books on your subject matter too lengthy or too short? Do they lack luster? Think of how you can provide never before done, rich and captivating content in your new book.

3. Seek the Professionals
Have a professional edit/proofread your book. A second pair of eyes always seems to catch what you didn't. Make sure your book has an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) which is a number that uniquely identifies your books and book-like products published internationally. To obtain one go to ISBN Application Process. Once you own your ISBN this makes you an official self publisher. You will need a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) which is an identification number that the Library of Congress assigns to titles most likely to be acquired by the Library of Congress. There is no charge to obtain a LCCN just simply go to LCCN Application Process to complete application and receive an account number and password. This process generally takes two weeks. You also need to look in to obtaining a European Article Number (EAN) Bookland Scanning Symbol. Click here for a list EAN Bookland Barcode Suppliers.

4. Promoting Your Book
Have your marketing and promotions strategy together prior to publishing and printing your book. Know your target market. Understand what relevant magazines, newsletters and associations might benefit your book promotions. Utilize every form of media, press releases, local and literary media. Everyone you meet could be a potential customer, directly or indirectly. For true success your book has to literally be all you do, think or speak. Promote, market and publicize at any given opportunity.

Establishing a Retail Price

First, you must try setting your own retail price for your book. Avoid the publisher that tries to force you into extremely lofty retail prices. In order to sell your book in a retail environment, you must be sure to have your book priced at 2 ½ times your cost.

Large book selling chains expect to make a minimum of 50%. You must also take into account any possible freight fees. So basically if it cost approximately $5 per book to print then you will need to price it at least as $10.95. This will allow you to break even at least. If your book costs more to print, you must raise your retail price in order to break even.

Check to see if your publisher offers something called offset printing also known as traditional printing. Traditional printing is actually the best way to get the best price on a huge volume of books at one given time. Although it is the best way to go it is not offered by most of the large self-publishing companies today.

A Few Self Publishing Recommendations

So you have written your first book and you now want to select a publishing house to call your home. The perfect publishing house to bring your first book to life for the whole world to see. There are a few things to consider before you choose a company to publish your book.

Establishing a Contract: Be certain you will get to keep the rights to your book. Be sure to know whether or not you have the flexibility to opt out of your contract at any given time without suffering any penalties. When signing an Author contract be sure to sign a contract that is brief and written in plain and easy to understand terms. Avoid any Author contract that locks you into the publishing house having the right to retain your book once it’s published. There should be freedom to leave the publishing house at anytime.

You should be able to leave without penalty at any time. Be wary of publishing houses that offer you practically nothing in order to have the rights to your book for several years. Be sure to have full ownership, access and rights of your book at any given time. Have rights to all aspects of your book from copy-editing to the final files used to print your book

Next post: I will discuss Retail Pricing when it comes to self publishing....see you soon!