Basic Needs: A desktop publishing program (e.g. Ventura Publisher or Pagemaker), a laserjet printer, and good quality paper (e.g. Hammermill Laser Print)
Size: A 6" x 9" book (with the text layout 4.5" x 7", not counting the header) will have fewer pages and hence lower photocopy costs than a 5.5" x 8.5" book (with the text layout 4" x 6.75").
Number of Copies: Increasing the number of copies greatly lowers the printing costs, since the printer's basic camera copy costs are the same whether the run is 1 copy or 10,000 copies. For example, in 1992, for a 376 page paperback book, I received a quote of $2,305 for 200 copies and $2,691 for 400 copies. If you are publishing this book for your classes and want to figure out how long it will take you to recover your initial investment, do not assume that all students will want to keep your book rather than sell it back to the bookstore.
My Rules of Thumb for Pricing: Not wanting to make money off students required to buy my books for their classes, I take no royalties and I do not add anything to the price of the book for my time and effort put into producing it. About 20% of their cost however does go toward paying some (a small part really) of the costs of my computer hardware and software. 20% of their cost also goes to the bookstore. The price students pay turns out to be about two-thirds the price listed in Books In Print. If anyone suggests that I may be making a lot of money out of my self-publishing, I have two standard responses: (1) "If you think I'm making a lot of money here, try telling that to my wife"; and (2) "If you're willing to keep my pricing structure, I would be happy to let you underwrite the costs of the books for students and to let you keep the proceeds for yourself."
Added Costs: If your book includes pictures or if you want a three-color cover, the cost increases. Having at least a three-color cover, I think, is standard for the publishing industry--although I always have a two-color cover.
You need to register as a publisher so that you can be assigned ISBN numbers for your books. R. R. Bowker ("The Information Reference Company") does this for the publishing industry free-of-charge. It is best to handle this by phone: (908)665-6770. Be prepared to list yourself as the president of your company. To make sure that you have a unique name for your company and to get some idea of what information they may want, you can check the Publishers' List in Books in Print.
It takes 3-4 weeks to get an assigned number after you send in the application form. So you want to do this soon enough to be able to have the number before you are submitting your book copy to the printer. Write to: Library of Congress, Cataloging in Publication Division, Washington, DC 20540. Request the Form: Request for Pre-Assignment of Library of Congress Catalog Card Number.
I didn't find the internet site very helpful for this publishing information. But you may fare better than I did: Library of Congress.
For prose works, you need Form TX. It is best to request the form through the Copyright Office's automated phone procedure: (202)707-9100.
For lots of good information, check the U.S. Copyright Office Home Page.
You want a good quality book that will hold up with use; and many local printers lack the necessary experience. My recommendation:
BookMasters, Inc.
638 Jefferson St.
P. O. Box 159
Ashland, Ohio 44805
(800)537-6727
Contact: Sherry Ringler
You can explain your needs and ask for a quote. Plan on allowing 3-8 weeks for the time when the printer first receives your camera-ready copy until you receive the finished product. You also need to notify the printer a few months before you plan to send in the camera-ready copy so that your job is scheduled in.
If you are your own writer, editor, layout designer, proofreader, and marketing person, you take on a daunting task. It will be difficult to produce a perfect book. After seven tries, I have yet to produce a book wholly free of typographical errors. In one case, I had a few minor, but still embarrassing, slipups in the text material.
On the other hand, some people may find self-publishing a thoroughly enjoyable activity. I do (even if my affectionate nickname for the publishing company is "Deadend Books").
Last updated 11/7/95