Published on May 4, 2011
Angela,
Even at a $30 dollar book price for Xlibris, I never got more than $3 a book. Since it cost $1200 CAD (Canadian dollar was very low when I went into Xlibris and within a week I lost $200 when the Canadian dollar jumped to the U.S. dollar), it is more likely 600 books (required to break even, not just 394 as quoted in the article).
George
PUBLISHER’S RESPONSE:
Using today’s currency conversion, the CAD equivalent of Xlibris’ U.S. setup fees ($1972) would be $1879 CAD. Assuming $3 royalties (10%, which is woefully low but perhaps the author above was permitted to choose his own royalty) on a $30 list price, an author would have to sell around 626 copies to break even. The number quoted in the article was 394.
Because of the convoluted information given on some POD publishers’ websites, I gave each publisher the benefit of the doubt and the best possible scenario. BookLocker.com still came out on top.
PUBLISHER – # of copies needed to sell to break even on setup fees
Booklocker – 93
CreateSpace – 178
iUniverse – 223-278
AuthorHouse – 323
Trafford – 339
Xlibris – 394
Lulu – 574
Published on May 4, 2011
With all of the new publishing formats available, what’s the rule with ISBNs and ebooks, apps, audio guides, etc. Do you need a new ISBN for each format? For instance, if I have a print version of my book available on Amazon, do I need to buy a new ISBN for an ebook that I might create to sell through Amazon, too?
Published on May 4, 2011
Born in 1947, I grew up in apartheid South Africa. At the age of five, my parents divorced and a writer was born. Skin color – even a fair complexion in a Muslim family – separated people in those days. My brother and sister bonded and I was left out. I was a loner and found solace in reading books and scribbling things down in a diary. The diary was comforting. It was a place to retreat when no one listened…
Published on April 27, 2011
M’s surgery was last Wednesday. He is recovering comfortably at our home. The first thing the surgeon (M’s new orthopedist) said after the surgery was, “I sure wish I’d seen him two months ago. I could have done more for him.”
Published on April 27, 2011
Letters will return next week.
Published on April 27, 2011
An editor or client will likely ask for your fee someday. It’s a heady moment, but keep your wits about you. You don’t want to mess this up, especially if the project will take awhile, or represents a stepping stone to more work.
Published on April 27, 2011
Dear Angela,
I was a past participant in one of the 24 hour contests and I have a question regarding that.
I used the exact prompt for the story as written by WritersWeekly.
Now, I want to include that story in a book I plan to publish. My question is, can I use that story as written, or would I need to strike the beginning and change it?*
Thanks,
Mike
Published on April 27, 2011
It was music to my ears to finally receive an email from an editor of a big educational publishing house who wrote, “I would love to work with Dorit and her manuscript, Greater Collaboration for K-5 English Language Learners.”
Initially, I thought this contract had everything to do with the fact that I found the only K-12 agent listing for educational publishing in the United States but I realized it had everything to do with a marketable manuscript. Breaking into educational publishing for this newbie writer was one of the hardest lessons to learn but here’s what I did to increase my chances of acceptance after 100 drafts (and counting!).
Published on April 20, 2011
I’m writing this on Tuesday afternoon. M’s surgery is tomorrow. If all goes well, he should be released sometime later that afternoon. We’re going to head back to Bangor immediately while he’s still a bit woozy from the anesthesia. You see, at this time of year in Maine, the results of the frost heave are quite evident. There are huge cracks and potholes everywhere, making for a very bumpy ride.
When we lived in Texas, we didn’t have frost heave and I thought the term referred to men up north who drank too much on cold nights.
Anyway, if we get a hotel room after the surgery, not only would M have to navigate his walker on sidewalks and in the hotel lobby and hallways, but he would also feel the bumps in the road far more the following day. Ali is driving in tonight from Bangor after she finishes her last class. Richard will stay in the hotel room tomorrow with Max and Mason while Ali and I sit nervously in the surgical waiting room at the hospital. M is, understandably, very nervous. He’s never had surgery before. I told him it’ll be a breeze. The doctors and nurses have to do all the work, the family has to wait and worry for hours, and he just gets to sleep. 😉
This Week’s Masonism:
“Mom, I’m almost five. I need a job.”
Hugs to all
Angela
Published on April 20, 2011
Hi Angela,
I FINALLY had the chance to read your most recent issue of WritersWeekly. I appreciated the article on “free” author copies of books. But do I have a doozie for you. I recently checked out a certain publisher, and found out AFTER I contacted them that they are POD. Not only this, but their contract states that they REQUIRE authors to buy copies of their books upon publication. Not just 1 or 2 copies, but 25 copies!! They add that cost to the set-up fee.
Pretty unbelievable, huh? The whole thing sounds unethical to me.
Keep up the good work!
Hugs,
Dawn Colclasure
—
Author of the following books: November’s Child, Take My Hand, 365 TIPS FOR WRITERS: Inspiration, Writing Prompts and Beat the Block – Tips to Turbo Charge Your Creativity, BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents, Love is Like a Rainbow: Poems of Love and Devotion, Songs of the Dead, co-author of TOTALLY SCARED: The Complete Book on Haunted Houses, The Yellow Rose. Website: https://dmcwriter.tripod.com/
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