Self Publishing - What I have learnt so far.

Graphic by Tau Graham

It is a nightmare, the most stressful and costly thing I have ever done and I even did most of it myself. I am a Graphic Designer so could do the layout and cover myself.

However, nothing prepared me for how much the big corporations rip off Authors.

My book isn't even released to the general public yet, but without even contacting me to agree a price various sites decided to list my book for a discounted price.. Yep that is right, before it is even released.

I have contacted them about it, but they have failed to help me or do anything about it.

I started to look into what happens when you sell on Amazon, set up an account and everything. It turns out Amazon pay the same postage costs to the Author, no matter what size your book is!

This is all Amazon give to you to cover postage of a book, no matter what size it is UK £2.80, EU £4.02, Zone 1 £6.94, Zone 2 £7.

The actual cost for me to post my book is UK £6.60, EU £10.30, Zone 1 £16.30 , Zone 2 £17.10.

Amount I would have to find myself for each is therefore:

UK £3.80
EU £6.28
Zone 1 £9.36
Zone 2 £10.10

Plus the amount I am paying to get each one printed. Then Amazon's cut = I am giving my books away for nothing.

I had no idea that creating a big book would be any more problematic than a small one.... How naive am I?

So I have had to raise the price of the RRP. I have no choice.

If Amazon and other sites refuse to up the price to the new one, I am not sure how they intend to get copies of the book, because I can not give them away. If they contact me - The Distributor, they will get told they have to pay for postage themselves. I can not pay for it. I have already paid for the printing, the ISBN, the packaging and all the other upfront costs. I refuse to give it away for nothing. I have spent years on this book, working tirelessly for nothing, thinking that maybe I would at least get the money back I have had to pay out. Seems that was a big mistake.

Big corporations mean Authors have no way of making a living, unless they make fiction and manage to get a film deal.

So, if you are currently slaving away writing a book, putting everything into it. Be warned, check and double check all the costs involved before setting the price, which the ISBN place rush you into doing, because it is very hard to amend later, especially once Amazon has decided to think that means you are willing to give them your book for free.

If you want a copy of my book, please order it from my web site direct, cut out the big corporations.

http://serpentbloodline.info/