How Many Can You Sell?

First Things First: Usually, the first thing would-be self-publishers want to know is how much it will cost to produce their book. This is not a bad question to ask; you'll have to figure this out sooner or later. Before you get to that question, though, you should answer a more important question; namely, how many books can you sell (or otherwise distribute)? The answer to this question, however tentative, will determine how many books you should print and, therefore, help you determine what your project will cost. The good news for self-publishers is that you do not need to sell a thousands of books to make your project work. In our average well planned project, authors can "break-even" (recoup their out-of-pocket investment) when they sell around 200 books. And they are doing so. If you need to break even or make a profit and you can't imagine yourself selling at least 200 books, you might want to rethink your project. The Publishing Pro, LLC

Too Big for Your Britches

Too Many Pages: We like would-be self-publishers to touch base with us before they get too far into creating their books. If they don't, they are likely to make some costly mistakes. One of the most common is creating a book that is too big to be financially viable. Some projects can be large. We worked with a business consultant who wrote a manual for his client base that evolved into a 600-page hardcover book in a large format. The cost was daunting, but the project worked because the consultant wanted to and was able to sell his book for $175.00 each. On the other hand, you'll have a tough time making a project work, at least financially, if your manuscript is several hundred pages long and you can't see yourself selling the evntual book for more than $20.00. Talk to us first. The Publishing Pro, LLC