Why also publish in print

Many self-publishers only publish e-books and don't consider or want to publish a print edition. Many feel that e-books will soon surpass paper books and believe it too bothersome to format their book to be printed. Many believe it would not sell because readers won't buy a self-published print book.

Can I say they are wrong? No. Can is say they are right. No again.

I don't know if e-books will ever surpass paper books, they might, probably maybe, but it is not sure. What is sure right now is that paper books still dominate the marketplace and e-books are catching up.

Paper book is more difficult to format for some, but to others it's much the same difficulty as formatting an e-book. Like e-book formatting, print book formatting requires an initial investment of time to figure out how to do it. It's a skill that once figured out is easier the next time you do it.

Do people buy books from self publishers? I know is that the books I published on Createspace sell less than those I published on KDP, however they do sell. If I can sell a print book without much promotion, so can any other writer.

Still, being able to publish a print book and sell a few copies is not the only reason why I do it. I love the idea that someone has a physical book I wrote in their hands and reading it, it makes me smile every time I think about it. (Am smiling while writing this.) Another reason is that I want to tap both markets. The print market share is just too large to just ignore. I want to cater to all readers. And by doing so I increase my chances for one of my books to get off and be discovered by the masses. Not publishing in print you'll miss out on all those readers who don't want to read from a screen. Another thing why I do it, is that a print book, in the hands of a reader, promotes itself to those around the reader. Unlike an e-book, when a reader reads a print book in a public space, people will see the book-cover, and hopefully also the title, and might get intrigued which might spur them to buy a copy of their own.

So yeah, I would recommend getting a print version, even if it just for your own ego to fill your bookcase with your own books.

Another cover update

Reading Dean Wesley Smith's last post about print publishing short stories got me thinking and excited to do the same. I did already want to publish in print but only short story collections and novels, which I actually planned to do this November or early December, but now I think I'll do it sooner and for a single short story.

I'll be working this month in getting a print version out for 'F.C.F. That Within' it's my highest reviewed story and one that sold best out of the bunch I published second only to 'Gone World' that ironicly is one of my worst reviewed stories. :D.

It will be a learning curve to get it all formatted and to create the jacket for the book. So far I only finished the front cover. It took me hours to create and almost burned down my computer, it's the first time I worked in gimp with a file almost 300 MB in size. It was crazy, my old PC was complaining and stuttering like the old thing it actually was, but I succeeded, or it did succeed because I just clicked some buttons while the machine really did all the heavy lifting.

I might still change a few thing, but for now my machine needs its rest.

*(I might have it copy edited once more before sending it to the printer)

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