Easing Into a Book Production Mindset

selfpub[1]Every indie author knows that there are essentially three major components in a writers’ life. Writing, producing, and marketing a book. My last Casey Holland mystery, Knock Knock, was released in November 2017.

I’m coming close to the final edit of the sixth installment, The Blade Man. An email to my editor last week marked the beginning of the production process, but truthfully, I’m in no hurry to publish yet. There’s a lot to think about regarding a book launch and other marketing plans.

Those who’ve published books, know all too well that there are a number of steps in the production process…hiring a jacket designer, acquiring ISBN numbers for electronic and print versions. Preparing the front and back matter, and of course, writing the all-important back cover blurb. As an increasing number of book reviewers require a synopsis, I’ll also spend a fair bit of time polishing a one-page version as well. There’s also the budget to work out.

It’s not all daunting, though. I use Draft2Digital and KDP to convert my documents into epub, Mobi versions, and so forth. The conversion is quick and simple for both, however, proofreading is still required as glitches occur. I haven’t quite decided what to do about preparing the print version, given that CreateSpace is no longer around. I could go the KDP route, but I want to do a little more research about the ups and downs to this approach.

If any Canadian colleagues out there, have production pros and cons regarding KDP, please let me know. Things change so rapidly in this business that I often feel that I’m starting out fresh with every published book. Sometimes the work ahead is overwhelming, but other times it’s exciting. Most of the time it’s both. Either way, I’m easing into production mode and looking forward to the future.

Author: debrapurdykong

I'm a British Columbia author who's been writing for over 30 years. My volunteer experiences, criminology diploma, and various jobs, inspired me to write mysteries set in BC’s Lower Mainland. Employment as a campus security patrol and communications officer provide the background for my my Casey Holland transit security novels. I'm also a part-time facilitator in Creative Writing Workshops through Port Moody's Recreation program. Feel free to contact me at dpurdykong@gmail.com

11 thoughts on “Easing Into a Book Production Mindset”

  1. I’ve been using Ingram-Spark for print. They do an excellent job and you can have them shipped here fairly quickly for a competitive rate. There is an uploading fee, but they offer free uploads frequently during ALLi events. Maybe check them out.

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  2. Good luck with your next book. I applaud you for self-publishing. I let my publisher do the production work. We are just doing the final edit for Amanda in Holland which is scheduled to be released September 1.

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  3. Sometimes I comfort myself for being so slow to bring a short story anthology of my own to fruition with the delusion that by the time I am ready, the production dust will have settled…. I guess ignorance really IS bliss!

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  4. It always takes me longer than I think, and then I feel rushed. It’s wise of you to take your time, slow it down and do it right. I use Ingram Spark as well as KDP. Each have different cover requirements so if you use both, your cover designer will need to produce two pdf images. Also, unless you have a coupon or are a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors (Alli) Ingram Spark charges $50 to list with them ($25 cover + $25 interior) and $25 to change either file. Personally, I think Ingram Spark’s quality is the better of the two. Because of the low Canadian dollar, border clearance costs and delivery delays, I no longer order my author copies from either of them. I now get my print copies from Island Blue Printers in Victoria. They have a set-up fee, but offer discounts for multi-book orders. The cost is comparable.

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    1. Thanks, JP, this is really helpful. I used Island Blue for Fatal Encryption and was very pleased with the results. I despite paying more to the US market because of our lower dollar, but I guess it’s the cost of doing business. IS and KDP will be better in getting the book listed in a variety of places. I depend heavily on print copies, as I do a fair bit of selling at craft fairs, etc. One question. Do you prepare a print copy for KDP? I heard from Cdn. authors a few months ago that KDP print wasn’t available on amazon.ca, but this might no longer be true?

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      1. With the demise of Create Space, I’ve had to switch over to KDP for my Amazon POD supplier. I ordered a proof copy to check quality. I could have ordered author copies. It was no different than ordering from Create Space. Same dollar exchange hit and same border hit.

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  5. I used KDP for the print version of my latest novel. The process was no different from CreateSpace. I’ve also migrated all my other books from CreateSpace to KDP. The good thing about that is I get reports on print sales in the same place as for ebook sales. But Amazon still has the rule (for Canadian authors only, it seems) that you need to make $100 worth of print sales before you get paid.

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