However much it pains me to ask this question, the reality is, print prices have gotten beyond ridiculous.
$33 for a chonky mass market is insanity. You know that, I know that. Currently, I’m doing it because a: libraries b: accessibility (mostly via libraries.) I will continue to do mass markets, but the reality is… I can’t charge less than what I am and earning a respectable amount per book.
(I deserve to be paid for my work, as does everyone else in the book printing chain.)
Amazon, currently, is the only affordable route for books (Trade sized) available to me. I’ve put most of my collection up at Amazon in trade paperback, and the prices range from $15-25 per book. (Which is much better than the $33 from the better printer.)
Unfortunately, Amazon’s print quality is… not great. You’re getting what you pay for.
This is a huge part of why I’ve been so damned slow with the kickstarter stuff.
The print headache is significant. And when I can produce a nice hardback with a laminated cover and a dust jacket… for only $5-10 more than a mass market paperback… Nothing makes sense anymore.
I will be trying to do better about getting the Amazon version of the paperback up faster, but the reality is?
There’s a reason I charge $6.99 for most of my books and not $33…
So, however much I HATE saying this, please look at Amazon for your print editions unless you absolutely NEED mass market.
The print costs have essentially doubled, and if I do’t do the 55% (versus 40%, I don’t get sold at all… which defeats the entire purpose of investing in the print spreads anyway.)
In good news… Dead Weight has a print edition available over at Amazon now. There will still be a fancy hardback edition done through Ingram. It’s pricy, though. (Same with Life-Debt’s special hardback edition.)
Color me sad, and no… I can’t do a print run. I live in a small apartment, and I’m not spending a huge amount a month storing books few want. Sorry. (Print is NOT a large part of my business in the slightest.)
I love print books but I understand. My husband asked me to start buying ebooks because our home was becoming a physical library. It is/was insane. Currently I have over 2000 books on my eReader and most are series so the number climbs each month. Insane….I know. Now I only but the print editions to series that I absolutely love and adore, yours are among them. This keeps my library under control and costs down, which my husband appreciates. But I do truly understand that you can’t do print editions as the priority, the cost alot for me to buy and I’ve stopped buying too many. It sucks but that’s the way of it. I’d rather buy good copy hardbacks for a fraction more to purchase than cheap paperbacks. They last better.
There is something special about a book with paper pages, I love a good real book. Alas your books are not available in paper form in New Zealand, so my only option is ebooks on Kindle. The expense of buying a book from amazon and having it shipped is astromical, if the price on amazon is $20.00 I pay $60.00 or more with shipping. Thats if it can be shipped to New Zealand, many books can’t be for some odd reason
Yes, the NZ situation is really sad. Your ecosystem is truly fragile, and books can bring in a severe number of pests, so they have to essentially be fumigated to be brought in. (Or put through the gamma machine.) There’s nothing odd about it… books are just a carrier for pests that would absolutely destroy your ecosystem.
Trade paperback is my preferred physical media, but I’m in a smaller house now with only one bookshelf. I’ll continue buying your ebooks because they won’t bury me (even if I imagine making them into book castles).
I am one of those that buy your books both in print and digital. Yes, I double up, NO I don’t care. They are my fun and I want it both ways. That said, I realize, I can only get print when you have enough people who want it. I pay more, yes…but like the commercial say, : You’re worth it!”
Don’t know that it helps, but these days, I purchase almost nothing but ebooks for reading enjoyment – any paperbacks purchased are used (the rare happenstance thrift store find). The rare hardcovers I’ve bought in the past decade have been artist collections.
Yep, this has been why I haven’t sweated the print editions all that much. I do them for libraries above all. And I like having my books in print. But the price? Prohibitive! (And sadly so.)
My collection has become very much ebooks, with only PRETTY books as print copies or reference materials I want in paper. (Because ebook for reference material doesn’t work well for me.)
don’t worry-i get all your paperbacks from amazon already
I love your books, and i usually buy a print copy as an extra for when i just wanna have it in my hands
Do what’s best for you, you write amazing stories
I truly appreciate your commitment to offering a print option. Before I retired I purchased your work for my library in both print and digital formats, and also for myself because reading onscreen leads to migraines. I reread often, and I’ll continue to purchase both as long as you are willing to provide, although I’m sorry it causes you so much extra work for so little return. And now I’m going to order my print copy of Dead Weight, thanks for the heads-up ❣
Ordered! And as a bonus, Doggone Mess was available so I ordered that too. Thank you so much!!!
I’m an eReader mostly and only read an actual book when someone gets it for me as a gift. So I’m not a help for the paperback camp of voters!
I used to read so much that when I moved in the military, most of my eight that wasn’t furniture was my books. Since then I’ve downsized my library and, bless my husband, he’s thankful I buy digital now. Thankfully my local library carries physical hard copy for my daughter who hates to e-read and electronic for my mom who is always traveling to see every gran kid across the states. So I’m ok with just digital but I understand the pains of others because it was tear jerking to downsize initially. As my daughter would say”
“You do you, boo.” Hugs and do what works best for you because I’ll still buy your digital.
I’m a digital fan these days. I love print books, but I’ve moved 3 times in the last 3 years, and my book collection has been downsized by about 80%. (Tears were shed).
That said, I re-read, and I still get copies of my favourites. So I guess I’ll pick up the trade paperbacks from Amazon as long as you keep producing them, but do what makes sense for you!
Do what is best for you and your die hard fans, like me, will follow. I’ll continue to follow you, digital and hard copy. I won’t give up a good author who writes stories I read over and over again. Best of luck. Sheila
I’m basically reading ebooks these days – I have a huge number of paper books in my home, but it’s so much easier to find and carry ebooks they just don’t get read. The price would be prohibitive, but I don’t really consider it anyway – I have everything you’ve put out (I think) in ebook and that’s what I read and reread.
I have to be honest. I haven’t purchased a physical book in years. I’ve run out of room. I use my kindle fire/kindle app or audible.
As a library employee and reader, I can attest to how much costs have risen. My library recently discontinued its very popular uncataloged paperback program because it was costing us too much money and most last only 6 months or so. But the cost had become prohibitive. Luckily we have a robust digital collection. While digital licensing for libraries are crazy expensive (2-3x the cost for a hardback) at least they don’t wear out or get stolen.
I charge libraries the same rate as I do for retail (digital) copies of my books. But it’s VERY hard for indies to get into libraries.
So…. I love physical books, but I have changed to only buying e-books. The reasons are probably the same as most others; too expensive for my budget, no storage space, and physically I can’t hold books for longer than 15 minutes without hand cramps.
I look at the special hard covers on Kickstart and sigh sadly, but that is life.
Heather
I have all of your books on my ereader. I am a book hoarder who hasn’t been able to fondle my real books due to moving and storage (while waiting to building a house). I own some paperbooks from charity auction & Kickstarter. I would buy hardbound over paperback for my hoard.
I stopped buying paperbacks some time ago, for which my husband thanks me, as I no longer stuff the closets with paperbacks on book shelves. I only purchase ebooks, (epub) especially from Barnes and Noble. I have never purchased hardbacks, they were a pain in school, so I avoided them as an adult.
For those of us not in the print industry, where is a good source to learn about trade edition vs mass market?
Second, if the print quality from Amazon is subpar, report it! The more feedback you give, the more likely the internal product owner will do something about it. If you want more options, specify that too,
lololol authors have been complaining about subpar printing quality for years.
This is not new, and yes, authors HAVE been complaining. (Early and often.)
The only difference between trade and mass market is this: trim (physical) size. Trade is in the 6×9 ballpark. Mass market is in the 4.25×7 ballpark. That’s the only difference. I use Ingram for the mass markets because Amazon does not allow us to do multiple trim sizes. Ingram also does not allow us to do multiple trim sizes in the same type. (I can do one paperback and one hardback version at both Amazon AND Ingram.)
I love print books but only end up getting them by chance… Although I’m going to have to eventually get a reader better for my eyes I end up using my iPad mini. Mostly my fault, I don’t want to wait for the book… It’s that instant gratification thing😺. Also it’s easier to just grab my iPad mini or phone to read when I have spare time…
I got away from Print books of any kind a while back and prefer Kindle. The only time I might go to print is if I need to read the book when it hits the public library which is not often and I tend to hate it.
Fully computerized and happy.
I usually buy the Kindle ebooks though I’m not a huge fan of Amazon. I also like the works GraphicAudio has been producing on some other authors. I can only imagine the results of say, the librarian series should it make it to such a medium. Yeah I’d pay big bucks for that! I should know the answer to this, but I’m way too lazy to google it… so here goes; have you ever worked with the arcane Society or novel grounds to put out a particularly fancy set of hardbacks? I know I would be deeply interested in such an item and I am sure a whole bunch of your fans would too
Graphic Audio is way too expensive, and I would never earn back on the production costs. I have enough trouble earning back on standard audiobook editions. Graphic Audio is never happening for me. And no, the librarians series would not do magically well in Graphic Audio. It doesn’t do magically well in REGULAR audio. (And if you can’t sell the regular… you’re definitely not selling the Graphic Audio version in significant quantity.)
And no, I’m not going to be doing particularly fancy sets of hardbacks. I do not have enough print readers to justify the investment. I will have some hardbacks of books I particularly enjoy, but they are few and far between and based on whether *I* like them more than anything else.
My print sales are insufficient to justify something like Arcane Society or NovelGrounds.
Thank you for your reply. I’m surprised, but interested to be schooled on the facts. I will make certain to do my part to always promote your books because people that haven’t read your words need to know what they are missing! I read a lot of different series last year from many different authors and the name RJ Blain always sticks like an octopus to the face as an author to remember. Cheers!
I’m always happy to take the time to explain to people why certain things just aren’t happening. <3 Essentially... I could do 10 audiobooks or 1 GraphicAudio. (Possibly up to 15 regular audiobooks dependent on their length.)
I know some people love them, but I really do wish people would stop asking indies to invest tens upon tens of thousands of dollars into things like Graphic Audio. It just isn't fiscally viable for us.