When I wanted to contribute to our family income but needed flexibility, I found the perfect setup: Crafted Threads for design bundles, Amazon for a Cricut printer, and Etsy to sell my creations. I started by printing fun t-shirts during quiet moments at home, and now I also sell them at local craft fairs. It’s incredibly rewarding to see this side hustle making a real difference in our budget!
Thanks for being transparent about the Print On Demand companies. This is useful for a beginner like me who wants to be an Indie Author in the near future.
You're so organized and methodical! Thanks for taking on this analysis. It's such a complex area, it's cool how you can sail past little non-comparable comparisons and still give a good overview. Helpful.
Also, I have friends who own bookstores, and Ingram takes 15% of the wholesale discount. So if you set it to the max 55% discount, the bookstore only gets 40%
What. The. Heck. That’s absolutely WILD!!!! I’m so glad you told me, that makes me even more irritated with them now! I wish I’d known that to put it in this video!
2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2
@@BethanyAtazadeh yeah, I was absolutely irate when I found that out. They’re not transparent about it at all.
Hi Bethany, I've been a quiet viewer, but I just wanted to say that your youtube videos have been so AMAZING, and I so appreciate all of the knowledge you provide for people on Kickstarters and publishing. It's made the process of organizing my first Kickstarter so less intimidating!
Wow--This was such perfect timing! I am coming close to publishing another book, and this information, especially concerning KDP vs IngramSpark was SO helpful. I am kinda ticked about IngramSpark's pricing...but I also really want to dust jacket soooo.... anyways thank you for such an informative video! It is SO helpful, maybe more than you realize!
Yay I’m so happy it was helpful! And right?? I have the same issue, I really want those extra features-I’m planning to try some other companies that have dust jackets like maybe LuLu- but so far the only one I could recommend instead would be Barnes & Noble.
Hello! I really wanted a dust jacket with my hardcover as well, however, my experience with Ingram, wasn’t the greatest. They wouldn’t accept my hardcover cover, and the whole issue went on for months, until eventually I just decided to go with KDP for my hardcover and paperback, and then Lulu for my Collector’s Edition (hardcover with dust jacket). I sell the Collector’s Edition through my website, and I have them send me the books first (because of the added stuff I put into the Collector’s Edition), but eventually I will try the Lulu direct feature, where people can buy the CE through my website and the order gets sent directly to Lulu. There’s so many options, but always question what you want, and don’t settle!
Teachers LOVE a good t-shirt, and I realized I could turn that into a side gig. I used Crafted Threads for hilarious teacher-themed designs, grabbed a Cricut printer off Amazon, and started selling them to colleagues. It began as a joke, but now I’m selling to teachers across the district and even funding classroom supplies with the profits. If you're in education, this is a fantastic side hustle!
Thank you for making this Bethany! I did write my life story recently and was really lost on how to go about publishing the book. I realize now I could do this myself too but I used a company called Writers Of the West from Houston, Texas. they didn't cost me too much so I don't really mind lol but thanks for making this!
I ordered 30 author copies from KDP (in the UK) and they came in a quite flimsy cardboard box with no protection at all inside. The box had had a small knock on one corner. It wasn't much, but the total lack of protection was that quite a few books were damaged - the ones at the corner significantly, getting better away from the corner. But if I were buying a book in a bookshop it would be enough for me to not buy that copy. I did a test print (a single book) from Bookvault, again in the UK (another comment notes that their US printing isn't so good). The overall quality was better than KDP and (I've been led to believe) they protect the books better. The single book was fine. Also, the cover did not curl in the way KDP paperbacks tend to. They were more expensive than KDP, BUT I'd rather pay a bit more for better protection and non-curling covers. Also you can get books sent from them directly to buyers. That's a big hassle and cost saver over having to order and then distribute yourself, even though the headline price is higher.
Thank You! Out of all these self-publishing platforms, I'd like to know if any pay immediately. Like, we get paid as soon as the reader purchases and not quarterly or monthly. That'd be a game changer.
Ooooh that’s such a good question, I didn’t even think to include that! Nope none of them are immediate (except I guess 48 hour books could be if you sell direct on your website, that’s the only immediate pay I’ve ever gotten for books). Otherwise KDP is two months (I think?) and I believe Ingramspark is 90 days? B&N is either 60 or 90 also, I can’t remember, but they all take a couple months to pay authors.
I have published my two books on kdp and Draft2 Digital. print I particularly like the features of D2D like the print surround for the back covers. I have tried Ingram Spark and got to the very last stage but It wouldn't accept my colourful covers and because I write Middle Grade, the colours are important. I would like to get past this barrier but don't know how. I have a hardback and it looks terrific but I have never yet sold one. I don't know if the cost puts the buyers off. Because of the young audience, I don't want dust jackets. They would not last long. I like the author copies that I have been sent so far. I am trying Publishdrive next. It's an experiment at present to see what benefits they might have, Mostly, it's about distribution.
Interesting! I’ve heard D2D print has potential, that’s good to know! As far as ingrams color, did you try switching it to CMYK? They don’t do RGB, it’s something a cover designer could help you with and wouldn’t noticeably change your colors, just makes them work with their printers. Hope that helps, and hope publishdrive goes well too!
I used kdp for my children's book, and, while the print time is so quick to people who buy my book from Amazon (usually just a few days) the time it takes me to get author copies is MUCH longer often 10 days to over two weeks. Have you ever noticed this? It's kind of frustrating because if I want to get stock for local shops it takes me so long to get their orders in.
Oh yeah I def think it takes longer for authors than for readers, you’re right! That’s because prime applies to regular purchases but not author copies I think… But they’re still twice as fast as other companies honestly, the only company that’s ever been faster for me was 48 hour books!
I'll definitely keep an eye for more of these kinds of video. Being in the Philippines, I really need affordable - not cheaper because apparently, it's hard to find that here 🤣 - options 🌻
Im writing a series for homeschoolers, and want to go the print-only route because I think children need "real paper" to read ... Do you have any specialized advice for the academic textbook world? My book will be a fun-activity learning type book, not a full blown textbook... anyway Im a beginner and your videos are opening my eyes to all the steps, thanks!!!🎉❤
That’s awesome! As a former homeschooler, I think that sounds great, but I have zero expertise in academic type stuff. If it were me, I’d go searching for a TH-cam video or blog about that specifically for more info from someone who focuses on that. :)
Could you do a full tutorial on Ingram Spark's updated publishing? I'm very interested in learning that as I'm also an author and want to try to publish through there.
I would except I don’t have any books to publish through them for at least a year, sorry! If you don’t want to wait that long, I’d recommend poking around or using my older tutorial which should give you the same understanding of it! :)
What do you think about Publish Drive? I want to publish a hard or soft-cover book, not an ebook. Can you do Amazon KDP for Amazon and the rest through an aggregator? I appreciate your advice in advance!
I have used lulu for individual books. I will say they are more expensive and slow though not as slow as my experience with B&N press. I had no idea that they will ship books to kickstarter stuff because that would have been so much better than how I did it through B&N press so I'll be looking into it. Thanks for breaking these down. I wanna do special edition hardbacks for my next kickstarters with foiling and sprayed edges but not sure whether to do 48 hour books or not. It seems so expensive even for minium of 10!
That’s so good to know! I haven’t tried it, so I can only say the kickstarter thing was something I read in another authors newsletter but if it works well that’d be super helpful! And special editions are super fun, but yeah it was crazy expensive!
Barnes & Noble somehow bound my manuscript and another customer's into the same book! I got my book and there were 2 stuffed inside. When I went to address this it took months to get another copy. It was super disappointing.
Wait whaaaaat?! That’s absolutely wild!! I’m so sorry you had to deal with that, that’s not only a horrible experience but the customer service clearly handled it badly too :(
@@BethanyAtazadeh It was a Christmas gift, too! I went with them because you could print a personal book. When it happened, I got someone else's VOWS! We still have the book, and the reprint, and laugh about it to this day. But it took a while to get them to realize it wasn't my manuscript in that book.
I was also wondering do these self publishing companies let you go by a Pen name? And I would like to do illustrated novels, do they allow for that? Im guessing the cost would go up significantly!?
Of course. And I’m sure they do, I just wouldn’t be able to give advice because I don’t know anything about that. I do know color costs more than black and white though-google the print company print costs for more info on that.
I am not sure if you have done a video on this already but could you go over ordering proof copies and then author copies for book signings and events with costs? If you have made a video on this, can you send me there. :) THANK YOU. I am getting nervous, I am about 6 months out from publishing my debut.
This is a great question! I keep meaning to go find the video links but haven’t had time to get to my computer-but if you search my name + “proof copy” the video will pop up! And same for searching my name + “book signing”, I’ve got multiple videos on that. You’ve got this!
This might sound like a crazy comment, I'm not sure... but is it possible to print books at like a local print shop and just sell and ship them yourself? Maybe you'd still be able to sell them on amazon? But take on more of the work to get more of the return?
Not at all, that’s a good question. I do believe it’s possible! I just don’t know anything about publishing that way, but I bet you could find videos/blogs/resources on that! :)
Good video. I'm kind of lost on selling through my website. I need to browse your videos and see if there is one about selling through the website. I love your videos. You always have so much information. I noticed that there isn't a thumbs up to like this video, only the thumbs down button.
Thanks for fabulous information. BUT I am now deeply discouraged. I'm retired. Life is hard on my modest pension and social security. How the HELL am I supposed to self - publish when I don't sell any books? How do you make it from a 100% completely humiliating and very expensive debut novel to novel 20 with NO money, NO positive feedback (except for book awards - which aren't nearly as much help as you would think they would be) and NO sales? This is a very very expensive hobby! I need income, not an expensive hobby. Even with inexpensive cover design, proofreading, editing, help with beta reads (I can NEVER find anybody that's free - the author exchange groups limit you to one chapter per month, a painfully slow process), ISBN, etc., it's several thousand dollars BEFORE spending a dime on promotion or advertising. I don't have $10K to $20K to squander on my dreams without making any returns. How do you go from dead broke (and in debt) to book #8 or so, when I have some hope of earning the cost of the book back? I'll be dead (I'm in my 70s) long before I start making even modest side-hustle income.
I understand where you're coming from in terms of money to invest. That's been a challenge for me to work out before publication. I think the point that you made was that it's an expensive "hobby". This doesn't work for a hobby unless you have a lot of money to burn. I don't have a lot of expendable cash, so I'm working really hard on building momentum and excitement online before the publish date and viewing this as a business. I'd say the first book is the investment book (ISBN being the most obvious out-of-pocket expense), but even with that one, my goal is to sell a lot of copies so I can then reinvest that money into the next book and the next. You shouldn't get to book 8 with no sales. That's just throwing money down the toilet. You mentioned getting ARC or beta readers...I get them through social media and through my small (about 200 people) email list (I collect them through my website). Even though I don't have a huge email list, it still works because I only need about 8 beta readers (who've been incredibly helpful with feedback) and 20 or so ARC readers (with the understanding that they won't all review, but it's a start). I've got a solid marketing plan that includes getting on podcasts and writing articles for magazines and partnering with influencers. That said, my books are non-fiction. I imagine it's harder to get on podcasts and such with novels because you're not offering advice through your books that you can create talks around. I wish you the best with it.
@@todrapayne Thank you. I am considering signing up with Elite Online Publishing, a full-service marketing agency for self-published authors. Maybe that will help🤷♀
I love case laminates and don't really understand the hype about "needing" a dust jacket. They just get in the way when you're trying to read it and don't actually protect the book from dust??
Why did you turn off the comments on your "Words to Delete" video? I enjoyed it and felt a bit lost that I couldn't comment. Is this a pattern on many of your videos? How many videos have comments turned off and why do this?
2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1
I strongly don’t encourage BookVault’s US printing anyway. Their UK printer is fine, but the US one is abhorrent.
@@BethanyAtazadeh They just haven’t fleshed out the issues with production & their QA process since it’s a newer facility. Like, their customer service will even admit that the UK printer puts out a better product.
When I wanted to contribute to our family income but needed flexibility, I found the perfect setup: Crafted Threads for design bundles, Amazon for a Cricut printer, and Etsy to sell my creations. I started by printing fun t-shirts during quiet moments at home, and now I also sell them at local craft fairs. It’s incredibly rewarding to see this side hustle making a real difference in our budget!
Thanks for being transparent about the Print On Demand companies. This is useful for a beginner like me who wants to be an Indie Author in the near future.
Yay so glad it was helpful!
You're so organized and methodical! Thanks for taking on this analysis. It's such a complex area, it's cool how you can sail past little non-comparable comparisons and still give a good overview. Helpful.
Thanks! So glad it was helpful!
Also, I have friends who own bookstores, and Ingram takes 15% of the wholesale discount. So if you set it to the max 55% discount, the bookstore only gets 40%
What. The. Heck. That’s absolutely WILD!!!! I’m so glad you told me, that makes me even more irritated with them now! I wish I’d known that to put it in this video!
@@BethanyAtazadeh yeah, I was absolutely irate when I found that out. They’re not transparent about it at all.
Hi Bethany, I've been a quiet viewer, but I just wanted to say that your youtube videos have been so AMAZING, and I so appreciate all of the knowledge you provide for people on Kickstarters and publishing. It's made the process of organizing my first Kickstarter so less intimidating!
Thank you so much! That means a lot to hear!
Such a great deep dive. Never heard of 48 Hour Books. They did such a great job with your Kickstarter for Queen’s Rise. Such a stunning book.
Thanks Tammie, I really appreciate that! And I agree, their printing is gorgeous!
Such a helpful video. I appreciate that at the end you put all the scores together for a comparison.
Glad it was helpful!
Wow--This was such perfect timing! I am coming close to publishing another book, and this information, especially concerning KDP vs IngramSpark was SO helpful. I am kinda ticked about IngramSpark's pricing...but I also really want to dust jacket soooo.... anyways thank you for such an informative video! It is SO helpful, maybe more than you realize!
Yay I’m so happy it was helpful! And right?? I have the same issue, I really want those extra features-I’m planning to try some other companies that have dust jackets like maybe LuLu- but so far the only one I could recommend instead would be Barnes & Noble.
Hello! I really wanted a dust jacket with my hardcover as well, however, my experience with Ingram, wasn’t the greatest. They wouldn’t accept my hardcover cover, and the whole issue went on for months, until eventually I just decided to go with KDP for my hardcover and paperback, and then Lulu for my Collector’s Edition (hardcover with dust jacket). I sell the Collector’s Edition through my website, and I have them send me the books first (because of the added stuff I put into the Collector’s Edition), but eventually I will try the Lulu direct feature, where people can buy the CE through my website and the order gets sent directly to Lulu. There’s so many options, but always question what you want, and don’t settle!
Really appreciate you putting it out there! Fantastic video.
Absolutely spot on! Can’t wait to test it out.
Appreciate all the details you’ve shared!
Excellent broadcast! Thanks for sharing this wealth of useful information.
I'm so glad you found it helpful!
Teachers LOVE a good t-shirt, and I realized I could turn that into a side gig. I used Crafted Threads for hilarious teacher-themed designs, grabbed a Cricut printer off Amazon, and started selling them to colleagues. It began as a joke, but now I’m selling to teachers across the district and even funding classroom supplies with the profits. If you're in education, this is a fantastic side hustle!
This was so helpful! Thank you!
Great content! I learned something new today!
This is really informative for a newbie!! Thanks a lot for making this video!! ❤
Yay! So glad it was helpful, thank you!
@@BethanyAtazadeh It is!! Keep it up 💯
This was incredibly useful, thanks a lot!
Grateful for you and all your efforts.
Love your videos!
Thank you, Bethany. You answered and confirmed a lot for me. I think my debut is going out on KDP.
Those many administrative details, covered so well, always matter if it's under your ownership. Well done - many thanks.
Thank you for this awesome video.
Thank you for making this Bethany! I did write my life story recently and was really lost on how to go about publishing the book. I realize now I could do this myself too but I used a company called Writers Of the West from Houston, Texas. they didn't cost me too much so I don't really mind lol but thanks for making this!
Awesome video! ☺️
Seriously thank you for breaking all of this down in such a detailed way. This information is ✨gold✨ for new indie authors.
Thanks Jen!! So happy you like it! 🥰
This is a fantastic video! Thank you!
Yay thank you, so glad you liked it!
I ordered 30 author copies from KDP (in the UK) and they came in a quite flimsy cardboard box with no protection at all inside. The box had had a small knock on one corner. It wasn't much, but the total lack of protection was that quite a few books were damaged - the ones at the corner significantly, getting better away from the corner. But if I were buying a book in a bookshop it would be enough for me to not buy that copy.
I did a test print (a single book) from Bookvault, again in the UK (another comment notes that their US printing isn't so good). The overall quality was better than KDP and (I've been led to believe) they protect the books better. The single book was fine. Also, the cover did not curl in the way KDP paperbacks tend to.
They were more expensive than KDP, BUT I'd rather pay a bit more for better protection and non-curling covers. Also you can get books sent from them directly to buyers. That's a big hassle and cost saver over having to order and then distribute yourself, even though the headline price is higher.
OMG you are ADORABLE!!! Thank you for the information!
This is really informative! I would love to use 48 Hour Books one day to do special editions.
I'm so glad! And it was really fun, I had a great experience with those special editions!
Thank you for this!! I finished my first draft of my first book and this information is gold!! 🎉🎉
Yay so glad it’s helpful!
Yay so glad it’s helpful!
Thank You!
Out of all these self-publishing platforms, I'd like to know if any pay immediately. Like, we get paid as soon as the reader purchases and not quarterly or monthly. That'd be a game changer.
Ooooh that’s such a good question, I didn’t even think to include that! Nope none of them are immediate (except I guess 48 hour books could be if you sell direct on your website, that’s the only immediate pay I’ve ever gotten for books). Otherwise KDP is two months (I think?) and I believe Ingramspark is 90 days? B&N is either 60 or 90 also, I can’t remember, but they all take a couple months to pay authors.
I really appreciate your insights, now I know who not to think of working with which is gold.
Yay absolutely, so glad it was helpful!
I have published my two books on kdp and Draft2 Digital. print I particularly like the features of D2D like the print surround for the back covers. I have tried Ingram Spark and got to the very last stage but It wouldn't accept my colourful covers and because I write Middle Grade, the colours are important. I would like to get past this barrier but don't know how. I have a hardback and it looks terrific but I have never yet sold one. I don't know if the cost puts the buyers off. Because of the young audience, I don't want dust jackets. They would not last long. I like the author copies that I have been sent so far. I am trying Publishdrive next. It's an experiment at present to see what benefits they might have, Mostly, it's about distribution.
Interesting! I’ve heard D2D print has potential, that’s good to know! As far as ingrams color, did you try switching it to CMYK? They don’t do RGB, it’s something a cover designer could help you with and wouldn’t noticeably change your colors, just makes them work with their printers. Hope that helps, and hope publishdrive goes well too!
@@BethanyAtazadeh I will ask my cover designer. She is working on my third book cover as I speak.
I used kdp for my children's book, and, while the print time is so quick to people who buy my book from Amazon (usually just a few days) the time it takes me to get author copies is MUCH longer often 10 days to over two weeks. Have you ever noticed this? It's kind of frustrating because if I want to get stock for local shops it takes me so long to get their orders in.
Oh yeah I def think it takes longer for authors than for readers, you’re right! That’s because prime applies to regular purchases but not author copies I think… But they’re still twice as fast as other companies honestly, the only company that’s ever been faster for me was 48 hour books!
Good to know it's not just me! Definitely have had mostly positive experiences across the board with kdp.
I'll definitely keep an eye for more of these kinds of video. Being in the Philippines, I really need affordable - not cheaper because apparently, it's hard to find that here 🤣 - options 🌻
Im writing a series for homeschoolers, and want to go the print-only route because I think children need "real paper" to read ... Do you have any specialized advice for the academic textbook world? My book will be a fun-activity learning type book, not a full blown textbook... anyway Im a beginner and your videos are opening my eyes to all the steps, thanks!!!🎉❤
That’s awesome! As a former homeschooler, I think that sounds great, but I have zero expertise in academic type stuff. If it were me, I’d go searching for a TH-cam video or blog about that specifically for more info from someone who focuses on that. :)
Could you do a full tutorial on Ingram Spark's updated publishing? I'm very interested in learning that as I'm also an author and want to try to publish through there.
I would except I don’t have any books to publish through them for at least a year, sorry! If you don’t want to wait that long, I’d recommend poking around or using my older tutorial which should give you the same understanding of it! :)
@@BethanyAtazadeh OK, thank you so much!
What do you think about Publish Drive? I want to publish a hard or soft-cover book, not an ebook. Can you do Amazon KDP for Amazon and the rest through an aggregator? I appreciate your advice in advance!
I have used lulu for individual books. I will say they are more expensive and slow though not as slow as my experience with B&N press. I had no idea that they will ship books to kickstarter stuff because that would have been so much better than how I did it through B&N press so I'll be looking into it. Thanks for breaking these down. I wanna do special edition hardbacks for my next kickstarters with foiling and sprayed edges but not sure whether to do 48 hour books or not. It seems so expensive even for minium of 10!
That’s so good to know! I haven’t tried it, so I can only say the kickstarter thing was something I read in another authors newsletter but if it works well that’d be super helpful! And special editions are super fun, but yeah it was crazy expensive!
Barnes & Noble somehow bound my manuscript and another customer's into the same book! I got my book and there were 2 stuffed inside. When I went to address this it took months to get another copy. It was super disappointing.
Wait whaaaaat?! That’s absolutely wild!! I’m so sorry you had to deal with that, that’s not only a horrible experience but the customer service clearly handled it badly too :(
@@BethanyAtazadeh It was a Christmas gift, too! I went with them because you could print a personal book. When it happened, I got someone else's VOWS! We still have the book, and the reprint, and laugh about it to this day. But it took a while to get them to realize it wasn't my manuscript in that book.
I was also wondering do these self publishing companies let you go by a Pen name? And I would like to do illustrated novels, do they allow for that? Im guessing the cost would go up significantly!?
Of course. And I’m sure they do, I just wouldn’t be able to give advice because I don’t know anything about that. I do know color costs more than black and white though-google the print company print costs for more info on that.
do your fonts come out static or grey instead of black with kdp? mine always do and support told me that it’s because of their printers.
Actually no, I’ve never had that happen, that’s really weird! I’d prob call KDP help desk again bc that sounds off
@@BethanyAtazadeh yeah, i did multiple times. they just said there was a margin of error and that books aren't going to be perfect.
I am not sure if you have done a video on this already but could you go over ordering proof copies and then author copies for book signings and events with costs? If you have made a video on this, can you send me there. :) THANK YOU. I am getting nervous, I am about 6 months out from publishing my debut.
This is a great question! I keep meaning to go find the video links but haven’t had time to get to my computer-but if you search my name + “proof copy” the video will pop up! And same for searching my name + “book signing”, I’ve got multiple videos on that. You’ve got this!
This might sound like a crazy comment, I'm not sure... but is it possible to print books at like a local print shop and just sell and ship them yourself? Maybe you'd still be able to sell them on amazon? But take on more of the work to get more of the return?
Not at all, that’s a good question. I do believe it’s possible! I just don’t know anything about publishing that way, but I bet you could find videos/blogs/resources on that! :)
@@BethanyAtazadeh ok, thanks!!
If you Publish on KDP, can you try to sell your books through small independent bookstores? If they approve?
I don’t see why not! :)
@@BethanyAtazadeh Thank you! Your video was great!!!
Good video. I'm kind of lost on selling through my website. I need to browse your videos and see if there is one about selling through the website. I love your videos. You always have so much information. I noticed that there isn't a thumbs up to like this video, only the thumbs down button.
I have had trouble with some companies being extremely expensive so I am keeping a low budget.
Smart!
I published through kdp. I'm a newbie
That’s awesome! I started there too (and technically also on createspace for a split second before KDP bought that company up haha)
Thanks for fabulous information. BUT I am now deeply discouraged. I'm retired. Life is hard on my modest pension and social security. How the HELL am I supposed to self - publish when I don't sell any books? How do you make it from a 100% completely humiliating and very expensive debut novel to novel 20 with NO money, NO positive feedback (except for book awards - which aren't nearly as much help as you would think they would be) and NO sales? This is a very very expensive hobby! I need income, not an expensive hobby. Even with inexpensive cover design, proofreading, editing, help with beta reads (I can NEVER find anybody that's free - the author exchange groups limit you to one chapter per month, a painfully slow process), ISBN, etc., it's several thousand dollars BEFORE spending a dime on promotion or advertising. I don't have $10K to $20K to squander on my dreams without making any returns. How do you go from dead broke (and in debt) to book #8 or so, when I have some hope of earning the cost of the book back? I'll be dead (I'm in my 70s) long before I start making even modest side-hustle income.
I understand where you're coming from in terms of money to invest. That's been a challenge for me to work out before publication. I think the point that you made was that it's an expensive "hobby". This doesn't work for a hobby unless you have a lot of money to burn. I don't have a lot of expendable cash, so I'm working really hard on building momentum and excitement online before the publish date and viewing this as a business.
I'd say the first book is the investment book (ISBN being the most obvious out-of-pocket expense), but even with that one, my goal is to sell a lot of copies so I can then reinvest that money into the next book and the next. You shouldn't get to book 8 with no sales. That's just throwing money down the toilet.
You mentioned getting ARC or beta readers...I get them through social media and through my small (about 200 people) email list (I collect them through my website). Even though I don't have a huge email list, it still works because I only need about 8 beta readers (who've been incredibly helpful with feedback) and 20 or so ARC readers (with the understanding that they won't all review, but it's a start).
I've got a solid marketing plan that includes getting on podcasts and writing articles for magazines and partnering with influencers. That said, my books are non-fiction. I imagine it's harder to get on podcasts and such with novels because you're not offering advice through your books that you can create talks around. I wish you the best with it.
@@todrapayne Thank you. I am considering signing up with Elite Online Publishing, a full-service marketing agency for self-published authors. Maybe that will help🤷♀
@@lindacgrace2973 I hope it helps with your sales.
I love case laminates and don't really understand the hype about "needing" a dust jacket. They just get in the way when you're trying to read it and don't actually protect the book from dust??
Yeah I don’t totally get them either to be honest… if they’re pretty I keep them on, but sometimes they get in the way while reading
@@BethanyAtazadeh That's what I do too! I almost always take them off for reading, but if they look pretty on the shelf I keep them.
Why did you turn off the comments on your "Words to Delete" video? I enjoyed it and felt a bit lost that I couldn't comment. Is this a pattern on many of your videos? How many videos have comments turned off and why do this?
I strongly don’t encourage BookVault’s US printing anyway. Their UK printer is fine, but the US one is abhorrent.
Oh wow, good to know, what happened??
@@BethanyAtazadeh They just haven’t fleshed out the issues with production & their QA process since it’s a newer facility. Like, their customer service will even admit that the UK printer puts out a better product.
What about bookformattinggurus?
Wow this is sooo helpful. Thanks a million.
So glad it was helpful!