I just found myself in an... Odd conversation for the second time. Well, they're almost identical conversations, which seems unusual when I really don't think the gals involved have ever met. I mean, they live on different islands here in Hawai'i when one isn't off on the mainland. I don't think they go to the same states on the mainland much, either. {look Up}
Anyway, both friends know I bind books. So when I mention doing more with some story I've written, they both suggested that I self-publish by printing and hand-binding books myself.
Ah... ignoring the problems of distribution, I couldn't even recoup the cost of materials without out-charging a Print-On-Demand publisher, because even they work on a larger economy of scale than any hand binder could reasonably hope to. Charging for labor too would just make the price ridiculous. {look Up}
{Chuckle-snort} Oh, I know it sounds neat, but trust me, the economics just do not add up here! {AMUSED GRIN}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
Ei yi yi! From everything I've heard, self-publishing is about as hard as traditional publishing, only in a different way. I can see the romance behind the idea of writing and binding your own books- but it does seem like if you tell people you write, their first response these days is `why don't you self-publish? I've heard it's really easy now!' At which point I, at least, grit my teeth because it's hard for me not to hear `really easy' as `even an idiot like YOU could manage that much.' (Okay, so I need kinder inner voices.) :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they mean to be encouraging, Chicory, but they could pick better words, couldn't they? {Sympathetic Smile}
DeleteYes, exactly. Self-publishing is hard enough thru the channels more or less open these days. Trying to do it completely on your own, including printing and binding as well as writing... that's just making the merely difficult nearly impossible. {Smile, wink}
That said, I'm still planning to bind some books, but not as a publishing venture. Just as a way to get the books I want in the format I want. I recently printed out an e-book because the bound copy I order from Science Fiction Book Club seems to be lost in the mail. I calculated the costs... in the future, I'll just order from someone who uses more reliable shipping if I'm certain I want to read the book in the next six months or so. That would be cheaper and easier. Then I can save the printing and binding for the books that aren't available in the hardcopy format I really want. I'm sure that will keep me busy enough. {SMILE}
Anne Elizabeth Baldwin
When you do publish your debut novel, a hand-bound edition would make a DANDY gift for some lucky fan. Be sure to retain the rights to distribute hand-bound editions during your contract negotiation.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating hobby.
That is an interesting idea, Tia. {Smile}
DeleteSince binding books isn't a crime, but printing could break a contract if it wasn't for myself, I think what I'd need would be text blocks (as book binders call just-the-printed-pages) and/or the right to print out promotional copies. That would be neat. {Smile, wink}
A.E.B.
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