How to Price Your Print Book
Here, we share tips for choosing your book's list price and our latest interview with Simplify + Share.
How to Price Your Print Book
One of the most common questions we're asked by authors is what they should charge for their print books.
On the surface, this may seem like a simple question with a simple answer, but as with other decisions indie authors face, that isn't the case. After all, not everyone has the same idea on what print books are worth or whether print books are even still in the running.
Many factors should be considered when determining the price of your book. We'll go over the most common factors below.
Preparation and Production Costs
If you’re self-publishing, you’ll need to consider all the costs related to preparing and producing your book. Recommended services include editing, cover design, interior design, and proofreading, to name a few. Do your research to ensure you choose only the best service(s) for your book.
Many authors attempt to price their books in a way that will help them recover pre-publication costs. The problem is there’s no way to be sure how many copies you’ll actually sell. More on this below.
A Note on Other Formats
Different costs are associated with eBooks and audiobooks. We discuss the pros and cons of each format here, but know that if you decide to also offer an eBook and audiobook, extra services will be required to create and polish those versions (eBook formatting, audiobook production, etc.). You'll also need to decide how to distribute them.
We usually recommend authors price their eBooks at around half the cost of their softcover books. However, if you plan to distribute via KDP, you'll find they have certain pricing requirements and royalty options that may encourage you to raise or lower your eBook price.
As for audiobooks, pricing is usually based on length. Each retailer will determine the price of your audiobook at their sole discretion. Read the terms of any platform so you understand their rules, fees, and payment structure.
Printing Cost
This section encompasses the main factors that impact how much it will cost to print each book. On top of these considerations, inflation and supply chain issues can drive up the cost of book printing.
We’re going to focus more on the costs associated with print-on-demand (POD) via KDP and IngramSpark rather than offset printing.
After reading this section, you can test out various price points using IngramSpark’s Publisher Compensation Calculator and KDP’s Royalty Calculator to see which works best for you.
Binding and Trim Size
Do you want a softcover or a hardcover? If hardcover, will your book include a dust jacket? Will your book be a larger or a smaller trim size?
These posts discuss various book binding options and trim sizes and how to make a choice that’s right for you. The bottom line, however, is that various bindings and trim sizes have different costs per unit, which can drive up or down your overall print cost.
Page Count
The higher the page count, the higher your print cost per unit will be. When your book is being designed, you can explore ways to cut down the page count, but be wary of negatively impacting the reading experience. Too-tight lines and small text can create eyestrain.
Ink and Paper Selection
You should decide at the start whether your book will be black and white or color. Color printing vastly increases the cost to print a book. At the same time, color books can be more visually appealing to buyers.
The weight of the paper also factors into the quality of your finished product and the cost to print it. Thicker, higher quality paper like 70-lb paper will, of course, cost more than, say, 50-lb paper.
What paper you need depends on your budget, genre, audience, goals, preferences, and content. Click here to learn more about paper options and how to choose.
Wholesale Discount
In the publishing world, a wholesale discount is a reduced pricing arrangement between a publisher (if you’re self-publishing, you are the publisher) and a wholesaler, retailer, or library.
Bookstores generally require at least a 55% wholesale discount. There are some exceptions, but most bookstores won't order books that offer a wholesale discount under 55%. The 55% discount requires you to set a higher retail price, but it also enables you to distribute wider, potentially leading to a higher number of sales.
You’ll need to decide if the benefits of wider distribution outweigh the cons. Visit our previous article for a more in-depth look at wholesale discounts.
Conclusion
Some authors choose to offset various fees by raising their list price. Again, note that your book isn’t guaranteed to sell. The market is fickle. Don’t take on more than you can chew solely because you expect your book to be a bestseller.
Whether you price your book low to encourage more sales or price it high to make the maximum profit from each sale, there’s no hard and fast way to ensure you’ll reach your specific sales goals.
When choosing a list price, you can’t rely solely on your expectations of what the demand will be for your book. Be realistic, and at the same time, try not to price yourself out of the market. Research other books in your genre to see what’s expected (keeping in mind that not all authors have the same overhead or goals).
Ultimately, your print book list price is up to you. Retailers have the right to set the retail price higher or lower than your suggested list price, but even so, you’ll receive your chosen list price minus any discounts, printing costs, etc. (depending on the distribution method you choose).
Whatever the case, make sure your book is worth the suggested list price. Buyers don't take kindly to paying for low-quality products, and they recognize when a book has been professionally produced. Contact us today to learn how we can help make your book the best it can be.
In case you missed it…
What Are Wholesale Discounts and Why Should Authors Care?
Wholesale discounts are a murky subject in the self-publishing community. Click here to learn what wholesale discounts are and how to choose yours.
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Nicole Neer: Simplify + Scale
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