--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "jim_flanegin" <jflanegi@> > wrote: <snip> > > I just saw a segment on TV about how popular bands are now doing > all > > of their marketing, publishing and distribution by themselves > > because of the obvious economic benefit. The show featured a band, > > Wilco, who said that instead of a record company contract that > would > > pay them $1 per CD, by outsourcing these functions and managing > them > > themselves, they were now realizing $6 per CD. That's a big > > difference. :-) > > > > ...and I don't understand why book authors aren't doing the same > things as bands and self-publishing. > > A typical book at Barnes and Noble -- or online for that matter -- > runs $19.95. Like the per CD residual paid to musicians as shown > above, authors get about $1.00 per book sold. > > But if authors self-publish, they can do it EVEN IN SMALL > QUANTITIES for about $1.25 per book (soft cover, of course). > Sure, they'd have to market it themselves but they'd be getting > about 15-20 times more profit per book than if they did it > through a publishing house. > > Why aren't more doing it?
Marketing and distribution are both very difficult for self-published books. Many of the publications that still do book reviews won't consider self- published books (the "vanity press" stigma is still a factor). Plus which, it's a *huge* job to self- publish a book and do it right (as opposed to trusting a company like iUniverse), as well as a very substantial financial investment. And doing the marketing yourself is just about a full-time job. Despite the obstacles, however, self-publishing is very much on the rise. If you can make it work, the rewards are great.
