How To Publish A Hardback Book

By Author: Terry Sanders
Total Articles: 37
Comment this article

Written a book or your memoirs and would like to get it published?
Would you like to have a hardback copy for your shelf, and friends, but don't want to spend a lot for it, here's how.
If you have a book with only black and white pictures, then Lulu Enterprises, Inc. may be the least expensive way to go. They will provide you with the ISBN number and provide you with templates to help lay out the cover and PDF files. Companies like this make their money from printing, and also take a part of the royalty. Lulu will take 20% and give you 80%.
They also charge $75 when you go with their global reach distribution plans, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and the Ingram network. Extended reach plan is free and will be sent to Amazon.com. Lulu will allow you to split the royalty with more than one person, and they will also take care of the paperwork, which is nice. The finished books will be more expensive than what is normal in the book stores.
If you have color pictures, and want the book to be in color, the cost will be much higher. For example a U. S. Trade (6" x 9"), Hardcover with Casewrap binding, as they ...
... refer to a hardback, of 280 pages in black and white will retail for about $39.20 to allow for discounts to resellers, your revenue would be only $4.00. If you ordered your own book, the printing cost would be $18.90. The same book printed in color would have to go for about $80.00 and your cost would be about $72.80. If you only want a few books and do not expect to sell any through Amazon or the online book stores, due to the high cost, then this may be the way to go.
Because there are no setup fees and no extra charges for revisions, I like to use Lulu or CreateSpace to work out the problems with a new book. CreateSpace is the easiest to use and offers more free online help. However they do not offer hardback printing.
If you have a lot of friends that you want to share your book with you may want to check out a company like Lightning Source Inc., they will print the above book in color with a Case Laminate cover, (same as Casewrap), for about $13.00 in quantities of one or more. But here is the catch, you have to provide the ISBN number, they cost $250.00 for ten numbers purchased from Bowker Inc. Lightning Source also has a setup up fee of $75.00 per book. And for color they require you to buy a Proof Copy at a cost of $27.00. Oh, one more thing, they will charge your $12.00 per year, starting the first year and thereafter on the publication date. There is also a charge of $40.00 if you send a revision, plus another $27.00 for another proof copy.
So after spending about four to five hundred dollars, you will be able to order your book for about $13.00 per copy. For distribution sales you will need to allow for a 55% discount. In order to make anything at all on book sales you would have to price the above book at about $40.00 Retail. This will give you a royalty of $5.00. Did I mention that they will have you sign a contract and complete tax forms? The color printing is good, although it is not four-color press printing, it is ink jet printing. I have to lighten all my images about 20% as they will print darker than Lulu or CreateSpace.
Lightning Source will provide the book information to Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and the Ingram network. They will sell the book at a discount. You can refer your friends to the web sites so they can order your book at the best price.
You will be given a sales person to talk to at Lightning Source, and they are easy to work with.

essay f.a.q.