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Two Key Publishing Decisions: Price and Print Run
Your discussions with the printer will involve answering two questions which go to the heart of publishing, and which even the most experienced publishers often find it most difficult to deal with.
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1. How Many Books Should I Print?
The technical term for the quantity to be printed is the print run. You will soon discover that most printers will not accept orders for fewer than 500 copies of a normal book. A further complication is that the price for 1,000 copies will be less than twice that for 500, because there are initial setting up costs which are only incurred once. Because of the lower unit cost it is tempting to go for 1,000, but remember that you can always ask the printer to run off (reprint) more copies in the (probably unlikely) event that you sell out. Also, remember that experienced professional publishers can come badly unstuck in their decisions on the number of copies to be printed. Some printers will not produce less than 1,000 copies.
Here are some tips to help you decide how many to print:
Unless you have a large number of definite advance orders, you will be publishing quite speculatively. What reason have you to think that 10,000, or 1,000, 100 or even 50 people will be prepared to purchase a copy of the book?
The commonest mistake made by beginners to publishing is to print too many copies, often far too many. Remember, you can always reprint. Keep your initial order to the minimum. Don't pluck figures out of the air. Far better to sell out (problem of success) than to have half a ton of unsold copies in your garage (problem of failure).
Rather than having a large print run, how about having a higher retail price, but fewer copies to sell? Price will only be one of several factors in people's minds when deciding whether or not to purchase.
The people who stand to gain most from large print runs are printers, remainder merchants and paper-pulpers.
2. How do I Decide the Price?
You will have to decide the price at an early stage because it should really appear on the cover. Some books on do-it-yourself publishing contain detailed formulae for working out prices. We do not think that this is useful. Commercial publishers often speak of a 'mark up' of say six to seven times the unit production cost. One publisher says his policy is to think of the very highest price he could charge, take a deep breath, then double it.
When it comes to pricing, a book is a product like any other. The crucial question is, how much will the market bear?
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In our experience, it is more helpful to work out a minimum price based on total costs divided by the number of copies to be printed. This will give you a rough idea of the cost to you per book. Total costs will include:
production costs including printer's, typesetter's and designer's bills
administration costs including stationery, postage and time
marketing costs including postage, travel and time.
The next step is to decide what the market will bear. You should look carefully at similar books displayed in bookshops to get a rough idea of what other publishers are charging. If you are confident of selling, say 200 copies, then a difference of £1 or £2 per copy will probably not make much difference. An obviously overpriced book will not sell well but an underpriced book will lose you money. Remember amateur publishers have an advantage over professionals in that their overheads are much lower. If they chose to, professional publishers could tell hair-raising stories about underpriced and overpriced books and excessive print runs leading to pulping or remaindering (selling off very cheaply for sale through discount outlets, or overseas). See the start of Chapter 1 for a cautionary tale.
Finding Out More about Book Production
The British Printing Industries Federation organises workshops on book production and has published an Introduction to Printing Technology. This book gives detailed information on every aspect of the printing process, from initial typesetting to binding, finishing and distribution. Not many small publishers however will want to pay its price of £50.
Some Questions and Answers
Should I use local suppliers?
Your book production could well be organised by local suppliers and this could be an advantage, if only because printers' jargon can be very confusing. A local designer can be a big help and you can hold meetings and discussions to iron out any difficulties that may arise. However, if you hire a local printer to do your work make sure that he is used to book printing and binding (eg not just leaflets and business stationery) and that his quality is good.
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ESTIMATE OF PRODUCTION COSTS
Specification
Title of book
Price
Number of copies to be printed/bound
Number of pages
Page size
Type of binding
Type of paper
Illustrations
Type of cover
Other
Required
Supplier
Estimated cost
Cover design & artwork
__________
£
Page design
__________
£
Typesetting costs
__________
£
Typesetting corrections
__________
£
Cost of original illustrations
__________
£
Cost of proof reader
__________
£
Barcode
__________
£
Printing
__________
£
Paper
__________
£
Binding
__________
£
Delivery
__________
£
Other
__________
£
Total costs
£___________
£___________
____________
Free copies to be allowed for: 50
Unit cost of copies to be sold:
£
Add unit cost of royalty:
£ ___________
Total unit cost of book:
£ ___________
Fig. 23.
There are many ways of preparing production estimates.
This is one example of how to go about it.
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How many pages will need to be printed?
Some printers have representatives who will call and see you and will explain about costs, quality and any other information that you need.
Generally books are printed in multiples ('signatures') of 16 or 32 pages. When calculating the total number of pages which will affect the cost of printing (the 'extent') do not forget to include the 'prelims' (preliminary pages). There may be some or all of the following, in the correct order:
Half title
The title of the book by itself on the first (right hand) page.
Advertisement
Frontispiece
An illustration on a left hand page facing the title page.
Title page
A right hand page showing the title of the book, author and name of the publisher.
Copyright page
Name of the copyright owner (normally the author), details of the printer, and name and address of the publisher.
Dedication
Foreword
Eg by a well known person, commending the book.
Preface
Brief introductory note by the author, often including personal thanks/acknowledgements.
Contents
List of illustrations
Introduction
How should I pay the printer?
Don't be like those large organisations in this country, both public and private, which delay payment to their suppliers for months with the result that many small firms are driven
into bankruptcy. Be businesslike and pay your bills promptly.
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By offering to pay half the printer's bill before work starts and the balance on satisfactory completion of the order you may get a reduction in the original quoted price. Offering to pay by cash can sometimes also have a beneficial effect.
Should I check the printer's handiwork?
When the book is completed it will need checking for quality and accuracy. The designer will have a critical eye and will be most useful at this time.
Even if the books are delivered boxed or shrink-wrapped, each copy should be examined to ensure that it complies with your requirements. If the colour is wrong or the books are at all damaged, return them immediately. The printer has broken the contract and if you keep them you may lose your legal rights.
These are some things to look out for:
1. Is the quantity correct?
2. Are the paper and binding materials as agreed?
3. Is the text well printed (not smudged, or very pale in places)?
4. Are all the pages there, in the right order, and the right way up?
5. Colours as agreed?
6. Illustrations as agreed?
7. No greasy marks on binding or pages?
It is not uncommon to find individual faulty copies (eg a complete signature of 32 pages missing, or printed upside down, or appearing twice in the same copy). The printer should credit you for such individual faulty copies, and 25% of the retail price is a normal amount.
Why do I need a good index?
Any non-fiction book needs an alphabetical index. The aim of this is to enable readers to find their way around the text quickly and efficiently. Some authors attempt their own indexes and come unstuck because of technical problems. If the index is to be anything other than short and simple, say 100 entries or so, it may pay you to contact the Society of Indexers (see Useful Addresses). They can advise you on a suitable professional indexer who can quote a price for a job. Alternatively, if you have computer skills and hardware, indexing programmes are available.
Note: It is important to remember that if you engage the services of a professional indexer who is a member of the Society of Indexers, the Society will have applied an accreditation process. If your indexer is not
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a Society member, there is no guarantee whatever of her or his ability. Ask them why they are not members of the Society.
Checklist
1. Has a proper contract been drawn up?
2. Have you found a good designer?
3. Can you cope with computers?
4. Has a proof reader been contacted?
5. Is typesetting under control?
6. Does your printer understand your requirements?
7. How many copies are you going to print?
8. Have you worked out your costs?
9. Do you know a good indexer?
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5
Promoting Your Book
There is a host of things you will be able to do to promote interest in the new book, and attract customers for it. In this chapter we will discuss the following:
using the basic principles of marketing
planning publicity
devising and distributing circulars
contacting potential individual buyers
contacting organisations and associations
contacting local libraries
getting in touch with radio stations
writing to the newspapers
contacting television producers
seeking the help of celebrities
using trade reference books
entering for awards and prizes
using paid advertising
distributing leaflets
other sales operations
holding a press launch.
Effective Marketing
There is nothing magic about marketing, that is taking your product to its potential market. You should apply the principles of controlled aggression and positive thinking. You can market your book by the systematic and careful application of proven techniques. In general, these boil down to good management. Effective marketing involves:
The basic concept having a soundly based product in the first place. Who is the book intended for? Does it meet a specific need? How does it compare with any competition?
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Fig. 24.
An outline marketing plan.
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Planning. Your sales campaign should be planned in meticulous detail, otherwise precious time and resources will be wasted. Get your plan down in writing, with details of action, estimated costs and dates.
Creativeness. Your advertising material should be lively, appealing, hardhitting, informative, and effective (see below, using the AIDA principle).
Good timing. Make sure the book will be available several weeks before any obvious deadlines, eg a Christmas book by September or October.
Thoroughness. Spend time compiling lists of possible outlets and customers, and keep the information in a systematic form.
Making good use of all personal contacts.
The Value of Personal Contacts
If anything could be sold effectively through mailshots and telephone calls and other general advertising, then large companies would not employ representatives. The reason why so much marketing is done by personal contact is that it has been conclusively proved that the most effective way of communicating is face-to-face. If you want to sell your book, you must get out and talk to people.