Quote:
Originally Posted by scrapking
While I haven't personally used either service (yet), Bookbaby.com is another one to consider. Smashwords takes a percentage for its troubles (in perpetuity?), whereas Bookbaby takes an up-front $99 fee for theirs. So if you end up with the next breakout indie hit, Bookbaby may be better. If you end up toiling away in obscurity, Smashwords may be better.
It's worth noting that Bookbaby indicates that they offer layout advice for your e-book's cover in that $99. They don't *do* the cover, just offer advice. However, they do offer cover creation as an add-on service for $150+.
For someone who might, in years gone by, paid to have 100 copies of their self-written book created (so-called "vanity" publishing) at a much higher cost, $250+ for a professionally made cover and distribution to a pile of e-book stores isn't so bad. The stores in question that Bookbaby supports are:
- iBooks
- Kindle
- Nook
- Sony Reader store
- Kobo Marketplace
- Copia
- Gardners
- Baker & Taylor
- eBookPie
Like I say, not an endorsement, just something I saw online, and throwing it out there for those who think success is on the horizon and would rather give up a fixed amount than a percentage.
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Sure reads like and advert and endorsement, even going as far as trashing Smashwords for people who want to work in obscurity... Nice and classy that
So, I'm going to give the counter speech, and while all my books are on Smashwords that is the end of my affiliation with them. The choice is Bookbaby who have zero confidence in being able to sell your book as a self-publisher so they gouge you $99 or $150 to get your work into the marketplace. Good news is they don't take anything else because you've taken the risk and they have your money.
You have Smashwords that takes % of your 70% sale you get from each distribution stream nominally works out to be $0.08 per transaction. In return, and for no money upfront they give you a FREE ISBN, FREE book formatting advice, FREE distribution into premium catalog once they check the file is correct. They do this all for FREE without a promise of a sale of your book, putting faith in you that you can sell your work. Getting you into the marketplace with no money out of your pocket is a huge advantage and worth losing up to 15% of proceeds to do. Most of the time I've noted they've only taken 10%
In the end it comes down to business, if someone can do something for you for pennies that would normally cost you dollars you go with the penny option. I don't begrudge such a small backend transaction for all value added services Smashwords gives me and provide for my books.
But I'm cheapskate indie laboring away in obscurity so what would I know?
Edit - Did some match based on the amount of stories I sell a quarter through Smashwords I think I make them about $2.40 every three months.