Should You Do a Print Version of Your Ebook?

The Espresso Book Machine

By Jordan McCollum, @JordanMcCollum

Part of the Indie Authors Series

Most of the time as indie authors, we think about and focus on ebooks exclusively. However, that might be underserving a significant market: readers who prefer print books. You might be leaving money on the table if you haven't at least tried a print-on-demand or possibly even short print run.

Advantages of Print

If you have an ebook, you already have the novel and the cover, so the hard stuff is done. You can experiment with formatting your own interior and converting your cover to PDF as well. My revenue per sale is so much higher with print that it's usually worth it to make the conversion. Plus, many print-on-demand providers, such as CreateSpace, have low or no setup fees.

The Value of Indie Print: Necessity, Choices and Costs

By Dario Ciriello

Part of the Indie Authors Series

As I’ve said in prior articles, I believe it’s important for a self or indie publisher to have their titles available in print as well as digital editions. There are several reason for this.

• Some people—and a number of reviewers—still prefer print to digital.
• Anyone can publish digitally, but print adds a credibility factor to your enterprise.
• Author-signed copies add substantial perceived value to a print book, making them far more attractive for giveaways, contests, and similar promotions.
• The growth of ebooks has slowed substantially and there is evidence that print book sales are increasing again as the industry shifts from offset and toner to inkjet technologies.
• eBook readers are commonplace only in the US and Great Britain. The rest of the world is still firmly locked into print.

Are Print Books Necessary in the Digital Age?

By Julie Musil, @juliemusil

Part of the Indie Author Series

When I decided to indie publish The Boy Who Loved Fire, I knew I’d create a print version. I adore print books, and many people I know still don’t own e-readers. Heck, I just got my own Kindle last year.

As more writers venture into the indie jungle, many may wonder Are print books necessary in the digital age?

Necessary? No. Worth it? Absolutely.

Here are several reasons why it’s worth your time and effort to create a print book: