Why Publishing Costs So Much–Part III
By Yvonne DiVita - Mar 13 , 2008
[Again, with thanks to David R. Young, a free-lance writer and editor based in Rochester, New York]
Variable Costs…
Book manufacturing has its costs, too. Book printing is generally done on large printing presses, some sheet fed, others fed by rolls of paper (web presses). They’re large, costly to buy, and must be operated by skilled craftsmen. The press occupies space that must be rented, heated, and otherwise maintained even if the press is not operating. Consequently, owners of these large presses try to keep them busy 24 hours a day by selling their services to several customers, just as a restaurant tries to keep its tables filled with paying customers.
A publisher must get in line to use a press. Then, if something delays the early stages of publishing, such as an author refusing to make requested changes, everything downstream of that event is affected. If the publisher cannot get the work to the printer on schedule, the press may sit idle at the publisher’s expense. Then the publisher’s book is moved to the end of the line, disrupting promotion and delivery schedules. Delays cost money.
In addition to assuming the risks of scheduling, the publisher must pay for several printing costs. Plates must be made. Press time must be paid for. Paper must be ordered in time for it to be manufactured and stored prior to printing. All of the elements used in publishing a book must be kept track of so that if a second press run is required (don’t you wish!) these items can be found quickly and reused. All that costs money.
Printed paper is not much good until it is bound into books. The bindery folds the press sheets into signatures, typically 16 pages of text each. The signatures must be trimmed, then gathered in sequence and sewn (or glued) to the book’s spine. (The process is only slightly different for perfect binding used when making paperbacks.) Covers, wrapped around cover boards, are printed separately, assembled, possibly embossed, and then wrapped around the signatures.
Large publishers do the book printing and manufacturing in-house. Smaller publishers act as contractors, managing the entire process and farming tasks such as printing and binding to specialty companies in the same way that building contractors hire carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and masons. Like a good juggler, they must have several balls in the air at one time if they’re to make a living.
But, we’re not done. The finished books must be packed in cartons ($5.00 to $10.00 each), and those books don’t just jump into the boxes. Somebody’s got to put them in there, seal the boxes, then move them into storage, perhaps in another town, until the books are shipped to the stores, creating more labor and storage fees.
Meanwhile, with the other hand, the publisher is advertising the book to book dealers and taking orders. Advertising in catalogs, which must be printed and distributed, and advertising in space ads, which are printed and distributed by others, all cost up-front money.
Copies of the book are sent to reviewers, who may or may not review it. Still, the publisher must write, edit, and print cover letters to include with the individually packaged and mailed reviewer copies. That mailing must be attractive, and the packaging must be unique to the book.
Orders must be solicited from major dealers. That usually means more printing, mailing, and possibly even paid sales staff to call on the dealers.
Major distributors, who fulfill orders to libraries (a large market), must be catered to as well. They will require sample copies for their own review before placing orders. And they take a hefty share of the profits for the privilege of distributing each title. Sometimes up to 60%.
Distribution (fulfillment) will require paperwork to assure sending the right quantities to fill orders. And then there are packing slips and invoicing. Dealer support services may include designing, printing, and distributing sales aids, like signs and flyers.
Returns must be planned for. Bookstores accept copies on the condition that after a certain number of weeks they may return the remaindered copies for refund or have them drastically marked down. That’s more handling, bookkeeping, and warehousing.
At this point, the publisher must find ways to unload the returns and unordered copies of the book. Storing them for a rainy day is out of the question; storage isn’t free. They may be sold at a price below the cost of manufacture just to free up the warehouse space, which has ongoing costs.
Traditional publishers know the ropes, yet they often fail to earn enough from a book’s sales to cover the up-front costs. It’s a gamble. But professionals win a few more than they lose so, in the long run, they remain profitable.
What are your options?
Approach one of the big five? This option has much merit. Traditionally published books still receive more respect and attention than self-published books. And big publishers have bigger budgets to help market their authors, though most of them don’t. The downside is that it takes a lot of time. More books get rejected than accepted. Many good books get rejected, over and over. Marilyn Ross says the big five “won’t take on a title unless it will sell at least 50,000 copies.”
Sometimes, in rare cases, a book gets accepted, only to be cut short in the process because the publisher changed his mind (yes, I know writers who have had this happen to them, and the worst part is, they signed a contract that gave the publisher most, if not all, rights—meaning they could not take the book on themselves;they had to let it go, along with all the work they put into it).
Do it all yourself? Many people who have a computer and publishing software think they can do it all by themselves. If you bought an artist’s studio, easel, paints, brushes, and blank canvases, would you be a successful painter? No, you’d be an amateur painter with a lot of nice tools.
So you could publish your book yourself, but you would be an amateur with a lot of nice tools trying to do a professional’s job. You’ll have to write the book, edit it, design it, and get it printed. That takes time and money and skills you don’t yet have. And, since there’s no guarantee that you’ll sell copies, there’s significant risk.
Wouldn’t it be wiser to direct your energy into becoming a skilled writer, and then get some expert help for the publishing and distribution?
Book publishing is often compared to delivering a baby. It’s a joyful event if it is successful. You could do it yourself, but wouldn’t you like a little professional help with the birthing?
Vanity publishing? You could hire a printer who will take your manuscript and print it (verbatim) in a professional format. You’ll have to pay for cover design, formatting, and actual printing costs, plus you’ll have to pay to have the books shipped to your warehouse (garage?) for storage. Then you will have to do your own marketing and sales fulfillment. Printing a thousand books will likely cost you several thousand dollars. Advertising and distribution will add to the costs. Can you afford to gamble that much time and money, or would your time be better spent writing the next book?
Printing on Demand? Today’s print-on-demand publishers reduce up-front costs in several ways, primarily by producing, packaging and shipping only the books that are ordered, after they are ordered. This avoids the tremendous investment in printing and warehousing books that may not sell, or that may be sold and returned. Some POD publishers provide professional help with editing, design, and sales. Printing on demand does not eliminate the fixed costs listed above, but it sure takes a bite out of the printing and warehousing costs. There will still be up-front costs. All those who work on a book—editors, designers, printers, etc.—are skilled workers who must be fairly paid.
The bottom line is this: Whoever publishes the book must learn the publishing trade, manage the many tasks involved, take the financial risks, and pay the up-front costs before any money from sales is realized. Are you up to the challenge? Or, would you like to have help?
Understand that this is as complete an overview as I could fit into this space. There are numerous books on the subjects of self-publishing, writing, printing, cover design, and page layout. Avail yourself of the advice out there and make an educated choice.
It’s your baby, after all.
