Questions about publishing prices and stuff

[SpavVy]

I feel incredibly stupid for asking but I need to know, I tried looking this all up but it can get a little confusing after a while and couldn't find the answers I was looking for...I've never really been good at crunching numbers.

So...
How much does it cost to get a series self published that has an English and Portuguese version?

I'm guessing somewhere in the thousands?

[oliviasstephen]

Um, you gotta give some more information. Black/white or full color? Page count? Hardcover or softcover? Number of copies you want printed?

[SpavVy]

@oliviasstephen Mostly black and white with some colored pages, softcover, about 190 pages, for copies I'm not sure how many would be a good amount o.o

[oliviasstephen]

Well it'll cost more to have a few color pages mixed in with black and white. I think you should nail down all of the specifics of your book, including the print count, before trying to calculate the cost. The number of copies you print should result from an realistic look at the size of your audience. And not just how many fans on here or any site you have, think about those who would honestly pay for your work.

[UzukiCheverie]

Another thing to consider is where you're getting it printed. The production company/distributor you choose may vary in price from other places, so be sure to look and compare the different distributors and pick the one that works best for you in terms of quality and price

[SpavVy]

@UzukiCheverie Yeah the thing is I know almost nothing about getting my stuff printed apparently :< it's far into the future since I'm still working on a lot of pages but I'd like to set a goal for it. I'll have to look into some companies. My mom has published some books so maybe she can help shed some light on this.

[AnnaLandin]

It varies depending on content (yours is mostly black and white, 190 pages, colour cover with some colour pages, right?) and the size of the print run, AND what type of printing you choose.

Black and white is cheaper than full colour - but yours will be more expensive per copy as there are colour-pages. Then there's the difference between digital print and off-set printing, and what type of paper you use.

I had a run of 50 copies of a fully black and white comic with colour-covers, about 200 pages long, printed a couple of years back at a local Swedish printer, and it cost me about 5.5$ per book. The price was due to the choice of paper, the colour cover, the length of the book - but mostly my small print-run. Larger print-runs cost less per book - but on the other hand, the total price is higher because you order more books.

The best way to go about it is to contact printers and ask for a quote. Check out Ka-blam, too, especially if you're thinking of doing a small print-run.

[kitsuneonwheelz]

i can get you 1000 color 76page books for about 1500

[UzukiCheverie]

The best way to go about it is to contact printers and ask for a quote. Check out Ka-blam, too, especially if you're thinking of doing a small print-run.

I was waiting to see if anyone else would suggest them ^ ^ I'm getting a test print from them soon for Time Gate and from what I've seen, they seem to be the top choice for starting artists, especially because of their great rates (about $5 per comic if you go the black and white manga route, although it's a bit pricier for full color comics). They're also super easy to communicate with; I find the team pretty nice :3

I JUST discovered them too, so I'm looking forward to trying out their services. Do you have any experience with them in particular that you could share? I'd love to hear the stories some people have to tell about them, see if they're for me.

[PotooGryphon]

I actually prefer Comics Wellspring over Ka-blam. They have better prices than Ka-blam, the page/print quality is better, speedy, and really nice helpful customer service. Try getting a sample print from them too to compare. I used to print through Ka-blam, but I don't like how thin their paper is. I could see the next page through the one I was reading. Also, I've had runs with ink streaks on the cover and pages DX

Self publishing doesn't necessary have to cost thousands of dollars, however, it is some cost upfront with slow return on the investment. To be a self publisher, all you have to do is copyright your work and print it. That's it. Until you become huge, you can pretty much handle distribution out of your house/apartment/garage. And getting your book into stores just take the leg work of visiting those stores and pitching it to them.

[AnnaLandin]

@UzukiCheverie I haven't actually printed with Ka-Blam! I've been part of an anthology that was printed there, but someone else took care of the print-prep, so I wasn't involved. I've mainly printed with local printers, and the one I'm using right now is super-nice and fast and dependable. Awesome people.

I've heard both good and bad things about them, actually - some people have gotten great-looking books and good service, others have gotten sub-standard books, poor service and long delivery-times. One thing to keep in mind when you live outside the US is that there's an extra import tariff-charge on stuff, which can hike up the price a whole lot, depending on how many books you've ordered.

Personally, I tend to do print-runs of between 50 and 100 books/comics, because that's about as much as I'm likely to sell - building an audience takes time, and all that.

[kitsuneonwheelz]

Chinese printing is 40% cheaper, even with shipping and looks great. there are a few good ones.

[UzukiCheverie]

I've heard both good and bad things about them, actually - some people have gotten great-looking books and good service, others have gotten sub-standard books, poor service and long delivery-times. One thing to keep in mind when you live outside the US is that there's an extra import tariff-charge on stuff, which can hike up the price a whole lot, depending on how many books you've ordered.

Well, that's why I'll be getting a test volume done when Vol 1 is done just to have my own copy to go through, see what it looks like before I make any bigger purchases of 50-100 copies. So it's basically a "we'll see what happens" situation. Might get a test print done with Comix Well Spring, which was mentioned above, and compare.

[Spinester]

I've used Createspace and that worked pretty well for a print on demand situation. My books were about 140 pages full color and ended up running about 10 dollars a book for cost and I sold them for 20. You only order the amount you need. The best part is you get to sell on Amazon and the Createspace e-store (for a much smaller profit though and you don't deal with shipping).

[AnnaLandin]

Well, that's why I'll be getting a test volume done when Vol 1 is done just to have my own copy to go through, see what it looks like before I make any bigger purchases of 50-100 copies. So it's basically a "we'll see what happens" situation. Might get a test print done with Comix Well Spring, which was mentioned above, and compare.

Getting a test-print is good practise, no matter what printer you use! I do it even with my current printer, whom I trust to do a good job - it can be difficult to imagine what something will look like in print, so getting a test-print is great. You can do one last double-check to see if anything's been placed too close to the edge and therefore trimmed off, if your bleeds are working, if the text is a readable size and all spelled correctly, etc.