Honorée Corder
Following this month’s theme on formats, I thought I’d share the change of heart—and mind—I had about the formats in which I opt to publish my books.
When I first started publishing, e-books were the hot new thing. It was an option Amazon offered—“Would you like us to publish the e-book to accompany your print book?”—as I was listing my first book for sale.
Imagine my delight a few years later when I realized my e-book income was quite substantial. I thought, “Oh, I’ll just publish e-books.” I’d heard print was dead, loved the idea of not having to publish a print version, and I was mostly reading on my new Kindle.
Only to come to a hard realization sometime later that I wasn’t supposed to publish in the format that worked best for me; I was supposed to publish in the format that works best for my reader.
Oops.
Turns out there was a solid business argument for publishing in every format possible: e-book, print, and audio. Having your books in all formats provides multiple streams of income from one book. One book published in different formats provides three or even four streams of income—and if you publish them “wide,” or on multiple retail sites, you can double, triple, or even quadruple those streams.
In addition, it turns out there’s a solid reader argument for publishing in every format possible.
Some readers prefer to have all of their books with them, so they can read whatever strikes their fancy, wherever they are. This is me.
Some readers prefer the look, feel, and read of a physical book because the story takes them away; they like the feel of an actual book; or they want to underline, highlight, and make notes as they read. This is also me.
Some readers like to listen to their books while they are working out, driving, or doing myriad other tasks. This is also me.
The format I prefer when I read depends on whether the book is fiction or nonfiction. It also depends on who the author is. Do we have a relationship? Will I want to post a photo to help with their marketing? I even consider whether the book will be one I want to read and re-read. (I’m looking at you, Law of Success.)
Some books I love so much, I buy them in every format.
Of course, on the author’s side, we have to consider the cost of production in providing different formats to our readers. It can be an investment to produce a quality print book, and each version requires a certain type of file, and audiobooks must meet the standards of online platforms—another investment. I’ve written many articles about embracing a prosperity consciousness. Let me mention again how important it is to invest in your author business with the expectation you’ll receive a many-multiple return on that investment. Consider adding different formats as you realize a return on the others.
Make sure your readers have every channel available to them to discover and read your book, which will be a force multiplier for your author business. You’ll be so glad you did!
Honorée Corder