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Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 06 5:28 pm Post subject: Self-publishing
Does anyone have any experience of self publishing small books? I have been consulted on an 85-page illustrated guide on called 'British Sheep', and wondered if anyone had any experience they could offer as to how best it might be published/marketed?

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 06 5:38 pm Post subject:
You would need to look at something like https://www.Lulu.com

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 06 5:38 pm Post subject:
Most of my books were self published, you can go any route from photocopied and stapled (not recommended with a book that large) to right up to barcoded and listed in the big online shops. Any idea where within that spectrum you might be aiming for?

LynneA

Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Posts: 4893
Location: London N21

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 06 5:39 pm Post subject:
Have you contacted the Smallholder Bookshop or Farming Press? (I think that's what they're called - I've put the brochures in Howard's work bag, open on specific pages)

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 06 5:44 pm Post subject:

I think he's tried a few publishers who weren't really interested. One suggested breaking it down into 16-page regional books, but I think it looks good as a 'british' book. He was thinking of a

Quote:

outer covers be 250g laminated gloss card with 130g gloss pages, and be �perfect bound�

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 06 5:46 pm Post subject:
Lulu might well be worth a look then, saves him having to have boxfulls sitting around whilst he sees what sells so takes a lot of teh risk out of it. I hear good things about them, havent used them myself yet though

ksia

Joined: 17 May 2006
Posts: 2320
Location: Mayenne, France

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 06 5:49 pm Post subject:

Rob,

My partner recently self-published a book via www.lulu.com
It was very easy and the books are professional looking.

Basically you get a template off them and put your work onto to it save it, send it to them. You get to choose binding, colours, pictures, layout etc. You can order as many as you like. We ordered 1 copy to check it's look and it arrived quickly and as I say did look good. We then placed a larger order which admittedly took a lot longer (4 weeks) so just plan that in.

It's also a shop window for you and people can order a book or download it from the site. See my partner's below for an example.

https://www.lulu.com/content/450018

(if the link doesn't work go to lulu and put 450018 in the search engine)

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 06 5:51 pm Post subject:
Thanks for all the answers... What's the difference cost for one book v 1000?

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 06 1:18 am Post subject:

Is 130gsm a bit heavy for text paper ? You could save a bit by going for 110gsm. Also, do you really want gloss for the text pages ? The pictures will still come out well if you go for matt coated (which is more substantial). What size is the book ? A5 ?

One way to find out what the difference in price is between 1 copy and 1000 copies is to ask for a price for '1000 and 500 run-on' (or '500 and 500 run-on') : and divide the difference in cost by 500.

Publishing : have you tried some of the smaller agricultural publishers like Old Pond ?
If self-publishing, who are you aiming the book at ?
Try selling through breed associations ? At agri shows ? Stock sales ? Smallholders associations ?

Or is it a glossy coffee table book about sheep ?

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 06 2:07 pm Post subject:
I don't know, it's not mine, just a project I provided a photograph for (the same one that was published in that Welsh Borders magazine last year) & received a draft copy of yesterday. There are breed photographs on one side & text on the facing page, so every other page is a photo.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 06 2:27 pm Post subject:

You can often bring the price down with a bit of cunning layout planning, when a book is printed commercially often its done as a big sheet folded up, sewn then cut (repeat to make book of whatever size), so, if the colour goes on only the one side of the big sheet, its cheaper, You have to fiddle with bits of paper folded up to really see how this works, but we had it with my big shiny book, some pictures had to be black and white rather than colour to get the layout to work, but once we knew which pages had to be plain text, which could have pictures and which ones colour we just rearranged things to suit.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 06 2:41 pm Post subject:
So like instead of having text, photo, text; you could have; text, photo, photo, text?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 06 2:48 pm Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

So like instead of having text, photo, text; you could have; text, photo, photo, text?

Yup, in which case he should be able to get way with something like 90-100 gsm for the text pages

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 06 2:53 pm Post subject:
Isn't DS just fantastic? Thanks

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 06 2:57 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Rob R wrote:

So like instead of having text, photo, text; you could have; text, photo, photo, text?

Yup, in which case he should be able to get way with something like 90-100 gsm for the text pages

You'd have to check with whichever printer you chose to find out how it will actually work, but its fairly simple to work out when you know how they will assemble the book. Might be worth him asking a local printer for quotes just to get familiar with the options.

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