How Not To Publish Print On Demand By Bob McClain

Today, I excited to introduce you to Bob McClure, author, book marketer and creator of Word Smith Bob blog. Today, he's going to give his take on Print on Demand publishing (POD) and give his advice on what to do and what not to do if you choose this publishing path as an author.

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Now, on to Bob's post...


How Not To Publish Print On Demand
By Bob McClain


Several years ago, I wrote a memoir of my first year in college called, Troutman Penthouse. Call it a cross between Animal House and Biloxi Blues. However, I had no illusions about the odds of getting my book published by one of the big publishing firms. They don't publish memoirs by nobodies.

I also understood that regardless of whether my book was published by a publishing house or self-published, as a first time author in a genre with limited marketing appeal, the book would receive no marketing dollars or help whatsoever.

So I did some research into self-publishing and learned the difference between a vanity publisher and a "print-on-demand" or POD publisher. Vanity publishers use traditional offset printing methods and generally create quality books including hardcover. They simply print a quantity of the books for you at a set price and then ship them to you. From that point, they're your problem.

POD publishers use a cheaper printing method that allows them to economically print soft-cover books one at a time or "on demand." Depending on the publisher, they may list your books in one of the "book catalogs' that book stores and book store chains order books from.

However, traditional publishers have always allowed bookstores to "rip the covers off" of books that don't sell and send them back to the publisher for a refund. The POD publishers don't allow this. So book stores will rarely buy POD books.

After doing some "due diligence" (there are plenty of sites on the Internet that do comparisons or critiques of POD publishers), I chose one.

They were actually a pretty helpful and ethical bunch. However, I definitely learned what no to do the hard way. Here are the lessons I learned using a POD publisher.

1. Get your own ISBN number. Your ISBN number is a unique 10 or 13 digit cataloging number required for every book sold. Until recently, Bowker, the official issuer of ISBN numbers in the US, would not sell less than 10 because the system was set up when only publishers could print books. Recently, Bowker finally relented to all the self publishers out there and changed it so you can buy just one.
   
   Here's why owning your ISBN is so important. The holder or owner of the ISBN number will forever be listed as the publisher of that book. ISBN numbers cannot be reassigned. That means that if for any reason, you wish to take over control of the book, your only options are to either rewrite the book significantly or re-title it so you can buy a new ISBN number. The original ISBN for your book is owned by the publisher and cannot be changed.
   
   
2. Hire someone to design your cover. Not knowing anything about designing a book cover, I let the publisher set me up with their "house" designer. Unfortunately, you don't get much for the $200 they charged. Their designer was a freelancer and frankly, not very talented. They used her because she had templates for book covers so she could "slap" on the bar code in the right place. She was fast and cheap.
   
   Spend the money and get your own cover designer who will give you exactly what you want. Just make sure they know the standards required for a book cover.
   
   
3. Lastly, create a marketing plan and have it ready to go before the book goes to the POD printer. Understand that you are alone in marketing your book. Also understand that no one will be able to go to the bookstore and buy your book off of the shelf. They can order it from the bookstore but few people are willing to go to that much hassle for a book and author they never heard of.
   
   Also understand that very few bookstores allow readings by authors unless they have your book for sale on their shelves. That means that chain bookstores will not listen to you at all. The managers don't do anything without approval from headquarters and the corporate office is too busy to bother with one self-publishing POD author.
   
   While I did find one independent book store willing to carry my book on their shelf and let me do a reading, they weren't willing to do any marketing of the book or the reading beyond a flyer in their window.
   

You've chosen a very tough road as a self publishing author. Very few are successful at it. However, that doesn't mean you should give up. It just means that you have to be as careful and considered about publishing and selling your book as you were about writing it.

You're an author. You know how to research. Find everything you can on how to write a marketing plan for a book. Learn what works for your genre. There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to marketing a book. You have to design your marketing plan according to the genre of your book and the audience you are trying to reach. Good luck!

Bob McClain or WordsmithBob is an Online Marketing specialist utilizing Organic Search Engine Optimization, SEO Copywriting, Strategic Link Building, Pay Per Click Advertising and Social Media Marketing to help anyone dominate their niche in the online market. However, a great place for authors to get some free marketing information is at his small business marketing blog.