Book Printing on Demand?

[JediNein]

Greetings,
I know there are several authors on this board that have gone through the pain and torture of self-publishing. It's not that I don't like having sold a book, but the time, effort, and money required to package, ship, follow-up, research payments and shippings, plus coming up with the cash outlay for the first printings far exceed the profit from that book.

Cafepress.com just added publishing services to their offerings and so far it looks great. Has anyone had any experience with this company? I just listed a first book on their site and will see how it goes. Link to the trial text.

Has anyone found other methods to deal with printing runs of less than 2000 copies?

Thanks!
Jedi Nein

Cover Art:

 

[jetbluedog]

FROM: http://www.morrispublishing.com/

Self publishing success stories:

John Muir sold more than 1,000,000 copies of How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive.

How to Flatten Your Stomach by Coach Jim Everroad sold over 2,000,000 copies.

Mary Ellen’s Best of Helpful Hints sold 500,000 copies almost overnight. She then published three more "helpful Hints" books which also became best sellers.

"The Lazy Man’s Way to Riches" by Joe Karbo cost 50 cents each. He sold 1,200,000 at $10 each.

"How to Wake Up the Financial Genius Inside You" sold 850,000 copies at $10 each.

"What Color is Your Parachute" sold 4.3 million copies.

"Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill sold 3,000,000 copies.

"Fifty Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth" sold 3.5 million copies.

"The Ultimate Tax Shelter" sold 50,000 at $10 a copy.

"Dollars in Your Mailbox" sold 20,000 at $13 a copy.

"How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years" sold 10,000 at $15.95 each.

"Squawk 7700 - A Pilot's Adventure" cost $1.75 each and sold 6,000 at $16.95 each.

Seven Reasons to Self-Publish:

1. Time
Most traditional publishing houses work on an 18-month production cycle. Once you've submitted your materials to Morris Publishing, book production will take only 30 to 40 working days.

2. Control
A book is a reflection of the author. Self-publishing gives you the final word on the direction of your book. The decisions are exclusively yours and not limited by third parties with intentions and interests different from your own.

3. Profit
Since you, the author, will primarily handle your own promotion, why not self-publish and earn a profit of 40 to 400%? A large publisher finances a project but may only offer a 5 to 15% royalty. If your book becomes a hit, publishers may come calling. Your high profit margin will give you the upper hand in negotiations.

4. Possession
As a self-publisher, you own all rights to your book. If you use a traditional publishing house, they will own all rights. If they lose interest in your book, you will not be able to print additional copies unless you purchase those rights back.

5. Niche
Because your book may fill a niche that has not been met, you can test the market by printing a small quantity of books. Books specifically designed for the needs of a smaller audience may not be found in the mass market because publishers feel the demand is not great enough to warrant a large press run. If you are an expert in a field and understand that market, who better to self-publish and sell than yourself!

6. Locality
Books about local or regional topics, e.g., historical books about certain towns, projects, etc., are generally produced by local authors in short-run quantities. Large publishers will decline publishing these books because of limited sales potential.

7. Legacy
Making money is not the only reason to publish. Sharing what you have learned or leaving a legacy are other admirable motives. A book is an expression of yourself.