There’s no question that creating a print book without an ebook to accompany it is cutting yourself out of a huge slice of the market. And there are those who contend that print isn’t worth the time — that it’s better to focus solely on ebooks and forget about the tangible glory of flipping through real pages and signing in ink. Here are a few reasons to reconsider the value of print books.
1. You can’t do an author signing with ebooks
You can’t sign people’s Kindles. It’s very difficult — in fact, it’s probably almost impossible — to sell books at an event like a Fan Con or a book fair if you don’t actually have print copies of your books. And perhaps you’re fine with that. But if you wanted to add live author appearances and in-person signings to your marketing plan, you have to have the books to put on the table. In fact, there are some book fairs that require you to have your books available in print in order to be an exhibitor. I suspect that as the face of publishing continues to go digital, this may not always be the case, but for now, print is still robust enough for fair and conference organizers to want to see the goods on the table.
Are you going to make a fortune on print books if you’re an indie author? Probably not. But you are going to give yourself the opportunity to engage face-to-face with your readers, and that can be a priceless experience.
And whether we want to admit it or not, there’s just something completely cool about doing an author signing. Seeing the smile on someone’s face as you inscribe a book to them and sign it, placing the book in their hands — there’s no feeling like it! Not everyone has this on their must-achieve author checklist, but it was certainly on mine.
2. Some readers prefer physical books
There are still those readers out there who really prefer the feel of a book in their hands. By not offering your book in print, you’re taking yourself out of the marketplace for those readers. As is the case for considering a Kindle-only strategy, do you want to limit your access to readers by not offering your book for sale in all formats?
As a side note, when we were at ComicCon last month, we had several people ask us if our books were available in hardcover. If people prefer print books, they often like them to be durable, and hardcover has a definite edge over paperback in this regard. As an indie author, the cost for hardcover print-on-demand is quite high, but depending on your target audience and your subject matter, it may well be worth considering.
3. Formatting for print doesn’t have to be difficult
If you’ve been put off by the thought of needing to do yet another formatting session for your book, it doesn’t have to be an ordeal. Once you have your formatting for ebooks done, getting your book set up for a print version isn’t too difficult. CreateSpace offers helpful interior templates that ensure that you get your margins correct for your trim size and helps you with layout. If the thought of fussing with page numbering and headers and footers and gutter margins and the rest of it is completely unappealing to you, but you want your readers to have access to a print version of your book, you can consider hiring someone to format it for you (we offer this service at SisterMuses, for instance).
4. You don’t have to keep an inventory
The beauty of today’s print-on-demand services is that authors no longer have to purchase an enormous initial run of books from a printer, which can then sit in boxes for months (or years) in your living room or garage waiting for you to figure out how to get rid of them and recoup the money you spent. With no up-front investment save what you might pay a formatter and your cover designer, making your book available in print is now as risk-free as offering ebooks. And that again brings me back to the question: what do you have to lose?
5. A print book makes a great gift
One of my best marketing strategies for my own books has been the holiday season. I offer special pricing and signed copies, and I always sell quite a number every year. You can’t wrap up an ebook and put it under the Christmas tree, but you can put a bow on a print book…and especially if you write YA, children’s books, or books for the young-at-heart, this season alone can make it worth your while to make your books available in print.
Ultimately, the decision on which platforms to pursue for your books is unique to you and to the project itself. Some books lend themselves to being Kindle-only exclusives. Others lend themselves to a wider cast of the net. As you consider your publishing strategy and your goals and strengths as an author, recognize that print doesn’t have to be off the table — and that there can be very good marketing reasons to include this version in your plan.
And sometimes, just the pure satisfaction of holding your own book in your hands can be reason enough to make your book available in print!
Happy writing!
S.K.
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