There have been many successful authors who have used Amazon’s huge internet presence to make a nice profit selling their books. But for every success story, there are many, many stories of dashed hopes and lost profits. Amazon can be a great benefit to you as an author, but you need to do your homework before jumping in with both feet. Know your costs, track your sales, and keep on top of all the numbers, and you can make Amazon a useful partner.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website.
It’s also important to explore all of your options and figure out what suits your needs as an author. Maybe Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is the right publisher for your goals, but maybe it isn’t. We’ll be discussing the pros and cons of using Amazon to print and publish your book.
Pros:
Distribution: When you choose to self-publish with KDP, they will print your book and distribute it through their eCommerce platform. Many authors choose to go this route because of the convenience. That’s why many of us use Amazon, right?
Embedded audience & marketplace: As previously mentioned, Amazon is utilized globally, so there’s already an existing marketplace ready to discover your book.
Can be cost-effective: KDP has competitive per book pricing, so you can keep printing costs down and make your retail price affordable for potential readers. However, since Amazon would be listed as your publisher, they also collect royalties on your book – meaning, a percentage of each book sale will go to KDP, which brings us to….
Cons:
Royalties: Since Amazon collects a percentage of every book sale, make sure you do your research and price your book accordingly. Suppose your book has a list price of $30. Amazon Advantage charges a $29.95 annual fee (which seems very reasonable), plus 60% of the list price (which means you’re helping Amazon make a lot of money, but you may not be making any for yourself). You would need to consider all of your costs (printing, shipping, etc.) using any service, so just make sure you do the math to make sure you will turn a good profit.
Lack of control over price points: Did you know that Amazon can change your pricing without notice? This is one complaint we’ve heard from self-publishing authors who have used KDP. Depending on how your book is performing, they can alter the retail price. Sometimes this is a good sign and means your book may be doing well but can still feel like you’re being a little blindsided, affecting your take-home sale value. Make sure you keep an eye on your KDP account because it may change without warning.
Paid-only reviews: When you’re just starting out as a self-published author, it’s important to encourage readers to leave a review of your book. More reviews mean more visibility – especially on Amazon. However, a lot of first-time authors gather reviews from friends and family to help generate some buzz. This is a great idea, and yet, can end up working against you if you plan to use KDP. Amazon monitors reviews very closely – close enough to tell if you personally know the people leaving the reviews. Amazon will deny reviews if they know they are coming from people you know. The best way to avoid this is to reach out to any embedded audience you may have, with the exception of close friends and family, and encourage them to purchase your book and leave a “verified” Amazon review. Otherwise, your reviews might get taken down, burying your book in popular book searches.
Exclusivity clauses: When you print and publish with KDP, Amazon is listed as your publisher, meaning you can only sell digitally on their platform and nowhere else. This can be limiting, especially if you are approached with opportunities. Keep this in mind when you are thinking about your self-publishing plan.
Amazon owns your ISBN: If you ever choose to sell your book through a different platform or decide to sell them on your own at events, on your website, etc., you will need to buy a different ISBN. When you print with 48 Hour Books, you own your ISBN and can sell your book however, wherever you please.
Lack of customer support: Another common complaint we hear from customers who’ve worked with KDP is the lack of customer support. Printing and self-publishing a book can be a bit overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time navigating everything. Receiving a message that your files have problems, but you don’t know how to fix them, you would obviously want to be able to email or call someone directly to get the issues sorted out. Amazon is a large company and may not get back to you right away, which can be stressful and frustrating.
At 48 Hour Books, we answer our emails and calls immediately. Customer support is very important to us because we know that this process can be hard to navigate. This is just one of the advantages you receive by printing with a small business – extra care and attention.
Less options for special binding and cover treatments: In recent years, KDP has been adding a little bit more printing options, including hardcover printing. But in general, there is a lack of options for special editions, cover treatments, and binding options. This is mainly due to the overwhelming number of people printing with them. Also, because of this high volume, printing errors often occur. We’ve had many customers who come to us after other companies have failed to help them fix printing errors or offer guidance on how to tweak their files to ensure the final product will print to their liking. At 48 Hour Books, you’re in direct contact with the people handling your order and working on your files.
Conclusion
Now all this does not mean that Amazon is a bad option for selling your book. You just need to be very careful. Set up the Amazon account yourself, keep careful track of what your ACTUAL costs will be for each book. Consider ordering in larger quantities to get a better price per book. We at 48 Hour Books can ship directly to Amazon, so you’re not paying twice for shipping. Determine what profit you want to be able to keep from each copy sold and work the math backwards to arrive at a list price. This way, when you do get a sale through Amazon, you’ll know that you’re making a profit.
Book industry market trends show that many authors are making more of an effort toward working with smaller, “indie” distribution companies and printers in an effort to support small businesses and independent bookstores, instead of a corporation. These avenues are more accessible than you think and often work with authors closely.
How 48 Hour Books Can Help
At 48 Hour Books, we offer an extensive list of print options, special cover treatments, ISBNs and more. We pay careful attention to every order – helping you every step of the way if that’s what you need. With our high-quality digital printing, you can feel confident that your book is bookstore ready. We print paperback books in just 2 business days, so if you’re in a rush, we’re here to help. To view our print quality up close and learn more about us, order our free Ultimate Guide sample book. It contains all of our paper and cover options, along with information on how you can successfully print with 48 Hour Books and self-publish.
Ready to get started? Get instant pricing today!
This post may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you purchase through links I provide. Read the full disclosure.
Self-publishing is an intimidating experience if you are a first-time author. There are many things to consider like:
Heao Printing supply professional and honest service.
BookBaby makes the self-publishing process easy for you. Its experts help authors get to the marketplace by taking care of all phases of self-publishing. This support really makes the difference if you don’t know where to start. Many writers are skilled at expressing emotions and ideas in their writing but don’t necessarily have the promoting, editing, or design skills needed to create a final product that sells. That’s where BookBaby comes in!
This company will help you in every step from proofreading your work to paying out your royalties. Read on for a complete BookBaby publishing review. We’ll look at the available services, what they can do for you, the pros and cons, and how the company stacks up against other self-publishing platforms.
BookBaby launched in 2011 and its success is based on a print-on-demand business model. The company has helped thousands of writers publish their books. BookBaby has experts in each area of the publishing process including cover designing, formatting, editing, printing, global distribution, marketing, multi-store publishing, and obtaining ISBN (International Standard Book Number).
BookBaby promotes book genres such as:
In addition, BookBaby offers services in English and Spanish and commits to publishing your book or eBook in well-known stores like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Apple Books, Powell’s Books, Walmart, and many more. This way, you’ll receive higher profits from your book’s royalties.
BookBaby offers complete self-publishing packages depending on your needs. To take advantage of services such as design, editing, formatting, printing, and marketing, just send the files to the BookBaby platform and its team will do the rest. They will help create an eye-catching cover design and interior layout, as well as proofread and edit your entire book.
If you have a print-ready file in MS Word, Adobe InDesign, or PDF, you can go directly to distribution (in the US or worldwide). To help you get print-ready, BookBaby will advise you along the way, from making sure you have high-resolution images, the right margin size, a file free of sticky notes or comments, and error-free writing.
BookBaby’s print-on-demand business model is a convenient solution for self-published authors. It allows writers to distribute their books directly to retailers and readers, without having to buy and store thousands of books. With print-on-demand services, you make sure that:
BookBaby print-on-demand packages start at $149 for BooksShop (BookBaby’s own store) and $399 for global distribution. The company can print books from 24 to 840 pages, and all printing is done in the United States.
One of the biggest perks is that BookBaby does offer extensive book editing services. This is great because even the best author needs a pro editor! The team will evaluate the structure of your ideas and writing style, and review elements such as grammar issues, misspellings, and capitalization.
Here’s a brief breakdown of BookBaby’s editing prices:
Before your book is released, you need to decide where you want to publish it. Do you want to promote it in the US? Would you like to use international platforms to have a global reach? You also need to decide if you want only an eBook, a printed version, or both. BookBaby will take care of formatting your book to EPUB files or Mobi files, and for printed books, you can choose from predetermined sizes in hardcover or paperback.
Prices for publishing with BookBaby vary depending on the number of books you need (and additional services). There are three main publishing packages:
BookBaby has high-quality cover design services for printed books and eBooks. Their prices are as follows:
However, if you have your own book cover, upload it to the platform and you can skip this service.
BookBaby helps you analyze your target audience and its preferences. Also, they will ship your book to the delivery addresses you prefer. They also accept split shipping, so you can place orders for two or more locations. For instance, you can send some books to a distributor and to your house or to friends.
As soon as your order has shipped, BookBaby will send you an email with a tracking number. All shipping orders in the US use UPS, and shipping orders outside the US are delivered by DHL. You can place your orders from anywhere as BookBaby’s delivery list includes 170 countries. You only have to pay customs taxes according to your country’s laws.
BookBaby’s marketing and promotion services are tailored to each author and the team will help you create marketing campaigns for your specific genre and audience. Marketing packages come in three plans:
All plans cost $399. The experts at BookBaby will teach you how to optimize your marketing campaign depending on the channel you choose. For instance, if you choose social media book promotion, they will help you understand and design the best social media practices for engaging readers, promote your books through Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, and provide tips for tracking your social media analytics.
BooksBaby gives you the possibility to promote your book through the world’s largest social platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Three of the biggest social media platforms, these are reliable markets for independent authors, and promoting your book on them will increase sales.
In any case, BookBaby’s marketing packages require a minimum campaign budget of $100, and the cost per ad is $199. This service includes ad-related design, strategy, keyword research, and real-time metrics.
BookBaby is a great solution for self-published authors during all publishing phases. Its customer service is one of the best in the industry, and its publishing specialists will guide you step by step. The available packages are easy to understand and have many advantages since the company takes care of the entire publishing process. As a result, BookBaby reviews are amazing, with 4.4 stars on Trustpilot.
But you should consider some of the services may not be the most affordable if you are on a budget. It might make more sense for you to look at freelance platforms, like Fiverr or Upwork, where you can find book covers starting at $15 instead of $299, or you can hire writers and editors to proofread your work.
Before committing to any company, look into the pros and cons of different self-publishing services. Comparing BookBaby with its major competitors may help you decide which company best matches your needs.
BookBaby and Lulu offer similar services but Lulu works with third-party support as it connects with additional services such as Fiverr, ProWritingAid, and 99designs. Lulu’s production quality is optimal too, and it prints and distributes your books to popular stores such as Kobo, Scribd, Google Play, and Amazon.
However, compared to BookBaby, Lulu has mixed reviews. Lulu’s Trustpilot rating is 3.2 stars compared to BookBaby’s 4.4. Reading some of Lulu’s reviews online, it looks like their customer service is lacking, and if you have a complex project, you might not get much guidance.
IngramSpark has lower prices than BookBaby, with eBook packages starting at $25. But you’ll need to have some publishing knowledge and experience to get the most out of the available services. With IngramSpark, you save money, but you won’t have support in every step of publishing your book. BookBaby’s customer service seems to be a better option.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, or KDP, is Amazon’s platform for book publishing. It is the biggest player in the self-publishing industry. It’s a great option, and one many new authors turn to right away, but there is a do-it-yourself element involved.
With Amazon KDP, you won’t have any support beyond Amazon’s indications and requirements. So, if you are new to self-publishing, BookBaby offers more advantages with hands-on support whenever you need it.
BookBaby is built to guide you in your first steps as a self-published writer. You choose when and where to publish and you’ll learn the basic steps to sell your book and earn more royalties.
If you already have experience publishing your own books, you can skip many of BookBaby’s services. But even if you have self-published before, you can still get a lot out of some of BookBaby’s services, especially when it comes to distribution and promotion. It’s a useful and efficient option if you don’t have the time to develop the creative processes of your book and can afford to put a bit more money into getting your book on the shelves.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Children Book Printing Manufacturer. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.