Self-publishing/POD success
writersblock said:
Has anyone out there self-published successfully? I don't mean with questionable companies like PA, or vanity publishers, but with reputable ones? I'd love to hear some positive stories about self-published novels doing well. If so, what's the seceret of success?
I have both self-published and POD published. I've made money both ways. Self-publishing is fine if you can be sure of selling at least a thousand copies, if you have a local readership, and if you have outlets that will sell your books. Fortunately, my novel (set in the region) won a local contest and the sponsoring organization funded about 35% of my first press run. My book was selected by several regional bookclubs and I did several speaking engagements set up by the sponsoring organization. After I sold the first thousand, I'd made enough for a really nice computer, deposit a couple thousaand into my bank account, and do another press run. That second thousand is much cheaper than the first!
Because I write for local publications, and because my book had won an award, people were willing to buy my novel. Having some local references/local history woven into it was a big help in selling it. If I hadn't had some financial backing, I doubt I would have gone the self-pubbing route. I'm now midway through my second thousand. Sales now vary between 10 and 25 per month, but a lot of local shops and a couple of independent bookstores carry my book. When the rest of this run is gone, I doubt that I'll do another press run.
I've gotten my money back on my POD humor book, which is a collection of my first two years' columns for a local publication. I was paid (and am still paid) each time my column runs; I also turned a profit on this book when it sold 150 copies. It's now sold over 350. Not great, but OK. And I don't have to stockpile copies under the bed! Everytime I need some for readings and stand-up comedy (I often appear as my character), I order 20 copies. The POD company pays shipping, gives me the standard bookstore discount, and pays royalties on what I buy myself. Several local shops that carry it order directly from the company, which has a toll-free number. I get a statement every month telling me how many have sold; when I accrue $20 in royalties, the company sends me a check. I get a three or four checks per year.
I had a collection of short stories that had won various contests, so they'd made me money before I decided to POD them. Actually, I'd also sold the first rights for about half of them, so they'd made additional money when they were published in magazines. Anyhow, I had all my rights back. Trying to sell a collection of short stories to a commercial publisher is an excercise in futility. Consequently, I POD'd them (same company as the other POD book) and have sold slightly over 330. I made my investment back, turned a modest profit, am getting a couple royalty checks a year. Again, these stories are set in my immediate region. They sell in the surrounding counties, but I doubt they'd do well on a national level. Several gift shops (we have a lot of gift shops in the area that carry books) and the two local bookstores carry them.(One is a college bookstore; the other an independent that is only open a few hours a week.)
The POD I've used has a set-up fee that's lower than many others, doesn't charge shipping on orders over 20, has a toll-free number manned by a live person, gets books to me within 6 days of order, pays a royalty on what I buy, and charges a lower price per book than the other PODs. One book retails for $10.95; the other for $11.95. And I can take back my rights on very, very short notice.
They're head-quartered in Pennsylvania and have their own in-house digital printing machine. This company had my latest book at the 2005 Virginia Festival of the Book and bought lunch for their authors that attended.
So, yeah—I've been modestly successful. Self-publishing and POD both worked for me. Won't work for everybody, but worked for me.