Explorations

Print on Demand:
Not for the Faint of Heart

When it was still in manuscript form, my agent circulated a one-legged cricket through many of the New York publishing houses. The book was consistently returned with comments like, "loved it, not sure about putting this in the adult market..." and, "I laughed, I cried, I loved the Ulysses character, but I'm not sure who the audience is. . . ." My agent finally threw her hands up in the air and said: "People love this book but they are afraid of the marketing challenge. You're just going to have to do it yourself." I was fearful of the self-published stigma. I craved that New York credibility. So, I stuffed the manuscript in a drawer and all but forgot about it for three years.

Fortunately, my friend Nancy Crowell, a sister Seattle Writergrrl, talented writer, and editor of a one-legged cricket, urged me to open my mind to the possibilities of digital technology. Publishing my book electronically would give me creative control over my work, and help me circumvent some of the pitfalls of traditional, publishing book advances that can be nearly impossible to repay and print runs that look good and sound good but end up as returns. More importantly, it would give my book longer than three months to make it in the world.

After a series of writing assignments that had me tearing my hair out, a couple of less than ideal encounters with New York publishers, and Nancy's unrelenting and convincing arguments in favor of this new frontier in publishing, I decided to take the leap.

Together Nancy and I researched the available electronic publishers and decided on iUniverse.com. Their marketing material was appealing: 120 days to a perfect bound trade paperback, my own cover design, wide distribution through Ingram and online, a listing in Books in Print, a liberal 20% royalty, great discounts on books, and all rights beyond print reserved for the author. They also had a special imprint, Writer's Showcase, which cost $299.00 rather than their standard $99.00 fee. To publish under the Writer's Showcase imprint the manuscript had to be critically reviewed and accepted. I read the iUniverse "author's toolkit" and said to myself, "I can do this." Excitement began to build, and I envisioned a smooth course ahead. Instead, it's been one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, hurdle events of my career.

Print on Demand (POD) is an emerging technology, still being defined. It took over a year from start to finish to get the book done, three times as long as I anticipated. I signed on with iUniverse when they were in a rapid expansion phase. All of their policies and procedures were in a state of almost constant flux. My manuscript was "lost in the system," more than once, and reviewed and accepted more than once. The staff was not as prepared as it claimed to be to handle a cover design submitted by the author. The actual book designers were located in Shanghai, which meant not only a language barrier, but the challenge of a time difference as well. Problems were never solved immediately. However, the iUniverse staff is a team of professionals committed to making things work. They faced each challenge that came up, and stayed with it until it was resolved. In May 2001, a one-legged cricket was approved and ready to be published as a Writer's Showcase book. Finally, I was about to cross the finish line.

Not quite. When I placed my first order for review copies I discovered that different printers render different quality books. Books can vary in size depending on the printer and the paper used, and they can have variations in color. As disappointed as I was, I soon realized that most readers do not notice a variance of a 16th of an inch on a book, or a subtle color difference. I couldn't let my disappointment over small imperfections ruin the joy I was feeling about finally having the book in my hands.

I also learned that Print on Demand doesn't mean exactly what it implies. Unless the book is selling very well, even online booksellers can't deliver ordered books "on demand." Marketing is the key here. Focusing my energy on getting the book out there has made the difference. It's takes four to six weeks to ship a book at first. Then, as sales build, two to three weeks, five to seven days and, finally, that sought-after "ships immediately." A POD book ordered in a brick and mortar store generally takes two to four weeks to arrive.

When I set out to find brick and mortar stores that would stock my book, I faced booksellers' reluctance to purchase and stock POD books. Why? They're non-returnable. The whole idea of POD is that books are only printed when there is an order for them. Recently I met with the owner of a well-known and very popular independent bookstore in Los Angeles. At first, he was almost adamant that POD books wouldn't work in his store. Once he had a chance to look over the book and the marketing material I'd brought him, and spent some time chatting with me about books and publishing in general, he was open to reading the book. As a POD author I've found that brick and mortar booksellers need to be courted individually. They want to be convinced that the book has merit, will sell, and that the author is going to do everything she can to make that happen.

Many POD publishers offer deep discounts if booksellers are willing to host author events and signings. iUniverse, for example, makes it possible for bookstores to purchase books at a 45% percent discount. My book retails at $9.95. That means booksellers can make nearly $5.00 per book. They love that kind of margin. As a POD author, I am responsible for making them aware of it.

Before my POD book was published, the Internet was nearly as incomprehensible to me as the universe we live in. Creating a Web site forced me to learn as much as I could about it. Now the Internet is one of my greatest allies.

Targeting my audience and reaching them has been more successful through the Internet than any other medium. The hurdle is the time it takes to make contact, invite someone to read the book, send a review copy, and then follow up to see if they will recommend it. The reward has been an exciting and intimate relationship with readers all over the world. I've received dozens of e-mails and letters about the book. I sign every e-mail I send with my URL, which directs people to my site, and introduces them to my book. It's an easy way to market because I don't continually have to reinvent my marketing material.

Even though New York publishers refused to publish a one-legged cricket, I always believed in my heart that readers would enjoy it. My book has been out for five months now and is doing quite well. Yes, marketing it has been a full-time job, but it has been very gratifying. People are reading my book, loving it, and telling others about it. What more could a writer ask for?

POD is a hands-on, grassroots way for writers to get their work out there. It puts authors directly in touch with booksellers and book buyers. If you are a risk taker who deeply believes in your work, or someone who wants to help redefine publishing and renew its diversity, POD is an option you should consider. I'm really glad I did.

C. J. Macgenn is an established writer in the field of women's health and a one-legged cricket is her literary fiction debut. She can be reached through www.oneleggedcricket.com and would welcome questions about POD and electronic publishing.