Print and sell your own book?

deb · #1 09/07/10, 10:58 PM

DH finished a book earlier this summer and is working on a second book. We've found a local company that will print them for a reasonable rate and we can actually make money selling.

We haven't gotten ISBN numbers yet, but I am thinking that is the way to go. DH is planning on a series of 10 books and an ISBN would let us sell them to Amazon and stores. Once we have the ISBN we will need to create a barcode with it and either print on the back of the book or or on labels.

Bowker wants $25 to create a barcode and that's just ridiculous. There seems to be other vendors who will create the barcode and print the labels which sounds like the way to go. I am wondering if anyone has experience doing this and can recommend a vendor?

Anything else I should be looking into?

Thanks in advance
Deb
in WI

Caren · #2 09/08/10, 07:52 AM

if you get on face book and go to "just for fun publishing" that is my step mother's books and she might be able to help you.

Robbvious · #3 09/08/10, 09:48 AM

Check out www.lulu.com I've self-published there, good prices.

**clovis** · #4 09/08/10, 12:00 PM

Deb,

I've been in the printing business for 17 years. Even though the local company is giving a "good price", go shop around.

I'd be interested in hearing more about the job, but only because I might be able to save you some $$$...not me printing them, but showing you how to save.

Generally speaking, layout and binding are two areas that you can broker yourself. Have the printers print the book, and take it yourself to the binder.

What kind of binding by the way?

How many pages?

Overall size of the book? Color, or B/W?

What is the print run (quantity)?

FWIW, while I'm not knowledgeable about bar codes, $25 is nothing. I once quoted a job many years ago, and the bar code set up was $750 for a food label product.

**clovis** · #5 09/08/10, 12:05 PM

I just looked up Bowker.

$25 is just the cost of doing business. Just pay it and move on.

I can't believe bar codes have gotten so cheap.

Nevada · #6 09/08/10, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robbvious

Check out www.lulu.com I've self-published there, good prices.

I did self-publishing. I found lulu.com to be pretty pricey. What I did was print my book on standard 8.5x11 copy paper with a laser printer and then bind it with a thermal binder, similar to this one.

I got my binder at eBay for about $20, then I got the correct sized pre-glued covers at eBay for maybe 50 cents each, in quantity. My book required 70 sheets of copy paper. I got pretty good at it, and I could create the books at home as I needed them.

I made books for under $1.50 each, including binder, paper, and toner. Lulu.com might have been somewhat more professional looking, but it would have cost a lot more (I think $6/book and up). I found printing and thermal binding to be entirely satisfactory.

Robbvious · #7 09/08/10, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nevada

I did self-publishing. I found lulu.com to be pretty pricey. What I did was print my book on standard 8.5x11 copy paper with a laser printer and then bind it with a thermal binder, similar to this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvQf0at8i5Y

I got my binder at eBay for about $20, then I got the correct sized pre-glued covers at eBay for maybe 50 cents each, in quantity. My book required 70 sheets of copy paper. I got pretty good at it, and I could create the books at home as I needed them.

I made books for under $1.50 each, including binder, paper, and toner. Lulu.com might have been somewhat more professional looking, but it would have cost a lot more (I think $6/book and up). I found printing and thermal binding to be entirely satisfactory.

Good for you.