Freelance Writing & Business Communication

Print on Demand and traditional publishing converging, but…

Print on Demand and traditional publishing are converging, but serious POD authors feel they don’t get the respect they deserve. I find it ironic because I know a number of authors who have been published by traditional publishers, and they feel the same way.

Let’s face it, we all want to be best sellers. Until we achieve that status, we’ll think we could be and should be doing better – whether we are POD authors or published through indie publishers or through traditional publishers. In addition, if you are a serious POD author, the fact is you are going to be lumped in with all the POD authors out there by some – no matter what.

There are a whole lot of typo-filled, error-filled, mistake-filled, poorly written POD books out there. And there are published books like that too! There are a lot of POD books that are little more than polemic, ideological, illogical rants. And there are published books like that too. But still, the POD authors tend to get less respect.

While there may be a bias in the media about reviewing POD books – books that have not been blessed by a publisher – my gut says readers will buy POD if POD authors reach the right people with the right message, and if the books are accessible – in terms of availability and price.

I sell a book or two per day, which causes many POD authors to salivate. However, I have 8 books out there so it’s not like they are all selling like hot cakes. Most sales are through Lulu.com; some sales are direct orders through my website. Some sales take place at writing workshops or are part of my e-courses on business and freelance writing.

The direct sales are to people who don’t want to pay online by credit card or don’t trust Lulu. (”What’s a ‘Lulu’?). Almost all Lulu and direct sales start at my website; my website sells me as a writer and it sells my books (mostly about business and promotional writing and the business of freelance writing).

Why were my books not in Amazon or Chapters? I didn’t think having a book in Amazon or Chapters would boost sales. After all, who would go look for a book by “Paul Lima”? As far as I was concerned, my website was key. Then I found a publisher for my latest book, How to Write a Non-Fiction Book in 60 Days and the book was distributed through major online retailers. I am now selling several books a day of 60 Days alone; it is outselling all my other books combined.

I confess I was skeptical about making 60 Days available through Chapters and Amazon. As I said, Who would go there looking for my book? But now I am pleased with (happily shocked by) my sales results.

I am sure my website still drives some sales – along with my blog, and some decent online reviews. However, as I see how the online retailers market books – not just through searches, but also by association (people who bought this book on x, also bought the following books…), I am beginning to see why books – including POD books – should be in online bookstores.

Having said that, 60 Days is non-fiction and is targeted at a niche market. It is tough to sell POD fiction and nearly impossible to sell poetry (POD or otherwise). Does that mean you can’t sell such books? Not at all. However, let’s say the overall how to write non-fiction books writing pie is 100 feet in diameter (“100 feet” representing sales volume) and the pie for the kind of fiction you write is 2 feet in diameter. If I manage to capture 1% of my pie and you capture 1% of your pie, I am going to outsell you 50 to 1. It’s basic math.

For the record, I am not saying writers should write books based on potential sales. Writers should write what they love to write. Or not! In short, they should write what they want for whatever reason motivates them. I am, however, saying that if one writes a book of avant-garde poetry and self-publishes it (or finds a traditional publisher for it), one has to be realistic in terms of sales expectations. That doesn’t mean the avant-garde poet can’t catch a wave and exceed market expectations; it means the chances of that happen are slim.

Having said all of that, there is still a POD stigma out there – for a lot of right reasons – for many books. At the same time, when one goes to Chapters.ca and reads about books like The Mysterious Minute-Men: Ready For The Future or From Mountains of Ice, online book store visitors have no idea they are looking at self-published books. If the visitor likes the genre and has heard/read good things about the books (marketing, marketing, marketing), then he or she will buy.

The question is: How much time and money do you have to spend on marketing? Many POD authors have full-time or freelance jobs; we don’t have much time to spend marketing. And as for budget – we don’t set one. Is it any wonder many POD books don’t sell well? However, even most traditional publishers do a piss-poor job of marketing. For instance, Standing Naked in the Wings: Anecdotes from Canadian Actors – published by prestigious Oxford University Press – did well, initially. Media release issued, launch party held, ad in the Globe and Mail, decent reviews. Then sales plummeted. Why? Oxford did not spend a cent after the initial wave of marketing to keep the buzz going.

Buzz does not guarantee sales, but this much I can guarantee you: No buzz, no sales.

If you are a POD author, what are you doing to make sure your book is not typo-filled, error-filled, mistake-filled and/or poorly written? What are you doing to ensure it is more than a polemic, ideological, illogical rant that has no appeal? What are you doing to market your books and create buzz?

If your book is not selling, you can take a “don’t get no respect” Rodney Dangerfield approach. Or you can take charge and market your book. I am not saying it is easy; I am saying that’s what you need to do – if you want it to sell. Almost any writer, even those who land traditional publishers, will tell you that’s what he or she had to do after the book was published – get out there and market. You might never become J.K. Rowling. But there is no need to be Rodney Dangerfield either.

Want to know more about print on demand? Read the Print on demand: Self-publishing getting started primer here – http://paullima.com/blog/?cat=19.