Small Print and Self-Publishing
This site is geared towards publishers who want to publish small print runs of books. I'm talking about 50 to 500 copies. The processes shown are somewhat time consuming (some more than others), and cheap in small quantities. To get 50 to 500 paperback books printed traditionally is extremely expensive, $6 to $7 a book each, at least. Often you can't get less than 500 printed anyway. So the methods shown are for those books who fall between the cracks because they can't afford to print small quantities or don't require large print runs. Typically these methods cost around $2 to $3 a book, which is quite a bit cheaper. But the downfall of these processes, as compared to the traditional ones, is that it doesn't get cheaper the more books you print. To get 1000 books printed at a print shop it might cost $1.50 a book, whereas with the DIY methods, it will still cost $2, whether you're making 1 book or a 1000, plus you're stuck doing all the work. But, the good thing with the DIY method is the low start up costs. To get 1000 books printed at a print shop might cost $1500, and doing it yourself $2000, but at a print shop you have to pay $1500 up front and you get 1000 books sitting in your living room. DIY methods, you can print and bind one at a time if you want. At $2 a shot sure, but you don't have to invest large amounts of money right off the bat. Of course if you still like having a bunch around, you could always print up 50 or 100 copies. If your book becomes a best seller, you could always go to a print shop and get 5000 printed. If no one buys it, well, at least you didn't go $1500 in debt.
Now, I'd just like to talk a little about the state of indie publishing, because honestly, I'd like to see it change. One of the stupidest things I noticed while running my own small press is that on a daily basis I get more manuscripts for submissions than I do orders. I'm not sure if it's because of anything I do, but I certainly wouldn't be surprised if most small publishers are in the same situation. People want to be published but they don't want to support the community they are trying to get support from themselves. Honestly ask yourself, when was the last time you bought a small press book? Why should anyone support you and buy your book when you yourself don't support any others in the community? Do you honestly think a musician who puts out albums on K Records or Matador, or any other indie music label, owns more major label music than independent? Why is that the case for some indie writers? Really, if everyone who submitted a manuscript to a small publisher had ordered a book from them, the number of new titles they published each year would double because of the sales!
Besides, if you don't read, then why the heck do you write?