who publishes your paper versions?

[BeccaPrice]

I'm formatting Dragons and Dreams for a Createspace paper version. I need a publisher name; if I don't enter one, it'll be Createspace, which just screams self-published.

Trouble is, googling on every idea I have, it turns out someone else uses that name for a publisher.

Grumpy Dragon Press - taken
Triangle Communication Group or Publications (my old tech writing company) - taken
Fairy Tale Press - taken
Sunflower Press (the name of one of the stories) - taken
Child of Promise Publications sounds too much like a Christian press.

arugh. Ideas anyone?

[gmw]

I don't think it matters that much. The only reason why my paper edition shows a company name is that I had to use a company (or an entity with an ABN anyway) to deal with Lightning Source (which may no longer be true - I think VydorScope posted about this recently).

I enter my name as the publisher everywhere I get the choice and scream self-published. That is what my book is, self-published, and I'm damned if I'm going to pretend to be ashamed about it. If the publisher doesn't show one of the big names there is a good chance people will assume self or boutique published anyway - those few that bother to look.

[VydorScope]

I think what GMW is saying that I did a test which I ran for months in secret playing with the publisher name and it had not statistically significant impact on anything. My sample size of course was limited to my own books/market/etc.

Use your own name, and forget it.

[gmw]

Actually my reference to your good-self was relating to this thread: Anyone know anything about Ingram Spark? - since that seems to suggest an easier way to use Lightning Source services (the POD arm of Ingram).

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by gmw

Actually my reference to your good-self was relating to this thread: Anyone know anything about Ingram Spark? - since that seems to suggest an easier way to use Lightning Source services (the POD arm of Ingram).

Ah yes, one of my popular threads...

[BeccaPrice]

I have 3 books I'm putting out in e-format shortly: Dragons and Dreams, a collection of 6 stories, Heart of Rock which is 3 very short (1,000 words or so each) interconnected stories, and Bridge of Seven Stones (about 3,000 words). If I can figure out how to do it, I want to make Heart of Rock permanently free in eformat.

I'm thinking of doing a CreateSpace version of Dragons and Dreams, which comes out to 60 pages at 5.25 x 8". I'm thinking about including both the other two stories, as a sort of bonus for people buying the paper collection (plus, it'll add pages, so I can maybe have a wide enough spine for text on it, which the collection alone doesn't have)

I thought I'd advertise the print version as PLUS BONUS STORIES! to justify the print price.

comments on this idea?

[VydorScope]

I think it was pointed out in another thread here to make the ebook and print edition the same, and not put extra materiel only in the print edition.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I thought I'd advertise the print version as PLUS BONUS STORIES! to justify the print price.

comments on this idea?

Don't penalize ebook readers. A recent poll shows that ebook purchasers either don't care about the paper price, or they want the same content in ebook form to cost less.
If you feel the need to pad the content of the paper to validate it, then you should pad the ebook as well.

[BeccaPrice]

you make good points. The biggest issue is that the two single titles don't really fit in the collection, for various reasons.

I guess I'll just keep the print and eformat versions in sync. Thanks.

[Lazer]

I use CreateSpace and am happy. The vast majority of my sales are through Amazon for both ebook and print. B&N, Kobo, and Apple are incidental. Once you've got your book done through CreateSpace it's sold on Amazon. When I get a review of an ebook edition on Amazon it's also is tagged to the print edition.

[Andy Farman]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I'm formatting Dragons and Dreams for a Createspace paper version. I need a publisher name; if I don't enter one, it'll be Createspace, which just screams self-published.

Trouble is, googling on every idea I have, it turns out someone else uses that name for a publisher.

Grumpy Dragon Press - taken
Triangle Communication Group or Publications (my old tech writing company) - taken
Fairy Tale Press - taken
Sunflower Press (the name of one of the stories) - taken
Child of Promise Publications sounds too much like a Christian press.

arugh. Ideas anyone?

I thought 'SlumberingPuff' (Puff the Magic Dragon in case you weren't brought up in the 60's) or go the anagram route using Dragons Dreaming: 'Ignored Grandmas' Press (Which actually sounds better than Indie Heavy Metal sounding 'Groined Grandmas').
I did add the 'and' to the two word mix but that came back with a porn site sounding name aimed at geriatrics

[Andy Farman]

Originally Posted by ApK

Don't penalize ebook readers. A recent poll shows that ebook purchasers either don't care about the paper price, or they want the same content in ebook form to cost less.
If you feel the need to pad the content of the paper to validate it, then you should pad the ebook as well.

Oh that is easily done, cost wise. However my experience of CreateSpace is that their 'Minimum List Price' for paperbacks is comparable to that of a hardback.
So far I find that having the books in print adds credibility and that translates into sales of the ebook edition, but not necessarily the overpriced printed version.

Can I use the term Expert Amateur? No? Okay then I will speak with authority on the subject of being an amateur in his late fifties and my experience of ebook and print edition content.
I have used guides to military terminology and acronyms in my books, uploading them to CreateSpace for print and also ebook editions.
What looks fine in print did not, for me, work in ebook form as the guides became a jumbled nonsense. I had to take the ebook versions down and insert the guides as jpg's with a 400 DPI for clarity.
All part of the learning curve for an ageing head, but I hope I have spared someone the inconvenience of duplicating my error.

[BeccaPrice]

i've actually sold almost as many print books as I have ebooks, so go figure.

[Andy Farman]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

i've actually sold almost as many print books as I have ebooks, so go figure.

I emailed CreateSpace about the costs and the large disparity between their estimated minimum list price of ₤6.10 and the minimum list price at the end of the process, ₤10.
No one has replied.

Splitting the books into a six part series in order to have a more reasonable price would feel like cheating. Does anyone know another, cheaper printer aside from CreateSpace?
Kindle sales almost match my monthly outgoings, so I am happy with that as I write the last book in the trilogy.