The pitfalls of Print On Demand are simply motivation for the author to help publishing's evolution in the information age. Oh, really???

Creational Pre-ejaculation: The Quest for Mainstream P.O.D.’s
By James J. Marry, Author of “Shut Up”- published by iUniverse, winner 2001 FNAA award and the PUFF 2001 Seedling Award.


Recently, I was asked by another author- “What kind of cave are you in exactly?” This question came in response to some advice that I offered for a another fellow author to completely avoid the “Print On Demand” experience. My advice was given on the basis of my own experience with a novel I wrote called “Shut Up”.
The recipient of the noted information I gave was a children and humor author with a publishing agreement remotely connected to one of the “Big Six” as listed in this year’s “Writer’s Yearbook” provided by “Writer’s Digest.” Comparatively, “Shut Up” is provided to the public in the pure Print On Demand format with the nation’s leader in the field- iUniverse. I would like to elaborate on the Print On Demand experience as I’ve been privileged to see it- so far.
Under normal agreements with a publisher, the author may receive an advance on sales, showing the amount of interest that a publisher has in selling that novel. This may very well be based on the initial printing of the novel that the publisher has every initial intent of selling every copy printed. In other words, with a printing of 10,000 copies, Publishing International expects to receive (at $10 per copy wholesale) payment of $100,000. Their agreement is to pay (for example only) 30% of gross receipts to the author, so they expect that they will one day pay him or her a minimum (based on the first printing) of $30,000. Publishing International agrees to pay in advance of that expectation, $15,000 to the author for the rights to publish and sell this book for a period of three years.
Publishing the 10,000 copies, we will assume for the example’s sake, will cost Publishing International $30,000. So the lion’s cost for producing this novel will cost them $45,000 to have a product to sell. This is a basic equation, so lets just keep it simple. Publishing International must sell 4500 copies to break even and in their first printing can earn $40,000 if they sell out and don’t spend another dime (except the other half of the author’s commission.
This sounds like really good business, when you have all of the places to sell a book that we as authors see every day. This makes one very clear assumption though, and a gamble hand in hand. Publishing International EXPECTS to sell some books.
Now, with the other equation we have Print On Demand. I have to say that the jury is still very much “out” on this topic, so I will only give you my end of this experience so far.
“Shut Up” is not a children’s book, poetry, how-to, or religion. These genres have been known to do well and pay for their way. I’ve heard this, anyway. “Shut Up” is a gritty thriller with multiple reader-oriented mysteries based in a science fiction setting. Yikes. Who buys this stuff? Well, hopefully the public does, when they get to see it. This is the type of book that you might see in a grocery or convenience store rack for $7.95 a copy. If it can get there- it is very MAINSTREAM oriented with television or movies as a possibility. A slim one, I admit, but a possibility none the less.
When I wrote the book, I was taken away by the story and the nooks and crannies of flavor, character and evolution that the story created. It was different and it rocked. I was thrilled with the first seven REJECTIONS that I got from agencies. I expected them because I had stepped outside of the lines and I knew that I had earned exactly what I was told. Great story. Wonderful characters. Wow ending. Can’t represent at this time. When the count reached fifteen, I was beginning to despair deeply. These were agents, and fellow writers and agents I had met recommended five of them to me. My heart was beginning to sink.
Then I was contacted by three different publishing operations. Two of them were clearly vanity operations and I would have spent in excess of a minimum of $3000 to see my name in print. One of these organizations did promise marketing, but I thought that I had better go another route.
The third company, iUniverse, seemed like a richer opportunity with less risk to me. Essentially, for $298 they would edit and produce my book in paperback and retain all rights for three years. My basic understanding was that through a major distributor (Ingram) “Shut Up” would see the light of day and the world could rejoice- if the book met their standards. In other words, they would proof the novel and review the work before deciding it would get printed.
Now, this sounded very reasonable to me. This would allow me to stop selling my work, and start continuing my work. I don’t blame the publisher for the reality nearly as much as I blame my own “rose colored glasses.” The company was essentially infiltrated by the sellers after my agreement when Barnes and Nobles purchased 49% of the company stock. They have also “given” me all of the rights back except for publishing and subsidiary rights in the United States for the three tears. I’ve got thirty-one more months to experience this level of Print On Demand.
I hope that the one thing that I have proven with these examples is that Print On Demand agreements means one thing for certain. They mean that your publisher doesn’t have to do a thing to sell your book once you have entered an agreement to see your work sell. In rough terms, I have spent a thousand dollars on my agreement to receive fifty copies that are seen semi-poorly on the large market scale. The New York Times will not read Print On Demand titles, and even Barnes and Nobles will not so much as shelve five copies in my hometown store. Bookshelf space is “just too valuable.” Where do you think my other sales have all come from? Where else? My own efforts alone sell all of my books, and the readers have to wait three weeks to receive them. I wait two months to get my twenty- percent.
Cost to the publisher? Nothing. Virtual zero.
My suggestions are these (rather than just whining throughout my piece). First, I think that it would be a wonderful boost for me to have an agent come on board. I think that the agent would be taking more risk though than he normally does with a new author. The “Big Six” are not more responsive to works taken on by Print On Demand publishing concerns. In fact, industry standards as exemplified by the “Big Six” are that P.O.D. authors are to be treated as firmly as “vanity authors” are. They make for a really hard sell for an agent and guess what? Agents are not paid for selling. They are paid for sales made.
I would like to give an agent my commissions for the P.O.D. agreement with his standard contract for my next book. All I have to do is find and agent who will do this deed with the expectation of selling book two and the thirty months of patience waiting for book one to be freed for a real publishing agreement. This sounds like a good deal for everyone to me, but first I have to break through the stigma that the industry has attached to my work all ready.
The other answer that I have considered is to attack the problem from a more “federalist” type of view. You’ve got it. Throw money at the beast.
I have experience with sales, publishing and advertising on a professional level. I worked in direct mail for five years and know the strength of lists regarding the cost of production. Magazines get read when they are sent to people who would WANT to read them. If I received a copy of a magazine called New American Fiction Authors; I would read the damned thing- especially if the 54-page magazine were sent to me for free. Wouldn’t you?
Producing and distributing a magazine like that takes some cash, but have you tried any advertising for your own book? Wow. Now there is an eye opener. If not- check what it costs to list your web site with AuthorsDen and remember, their price is exceptionally reasonable. The expense is negligible compared to the work. The last magazine I worked for had a circulation of less than 80,000 readers, and required personnel on the form of a typesetter/paste-up/proofer, editor-writer, and always the catch all performer in every office- a secretary. Operating costs of $100,000 per year with production cost of $60, 000 per year, with 80,000 readership means $2.00 per copy but only if you are foolish enough to try and sell such a magazine. I think you miss the boat by selling the damned thing. Give it away.
Thirty percent of the fifty-four pages should be profit motivated or advertising devoted. Let’s call that eighteen full pages. Stick with the mathematics. Operating and production costs are $160,000 but you have to shoot above the hoop to put the ball in, so… target $190,000 gross income per year.
You have twelve issues a year, with (let’s say) fifteen pages for advertising alone. This means you have eight inches by twelve inches multiplied by twelve issues by fifteen pages for product.
Example: 8 X 12 X 12 X 15= 17280 inches of product per year
Divide the target gross income per year ($190,000) by the inches of sellable product (17280 inches) and you know the costs you need to meet to stay profitable at 100%. Basically, you need to sell your inches for no less than $11.00 each. A full page ad for one issue must get $1056, so don’t get too excited, but a quarter page for three months would cost the advertiser near $875 and would reach readers that were interested in their product more specifically. The 80,ooo readers would be authors, publishers, and agents primarily so the dollars would pay off better with a return mail card attached.
That’s my take on the Print On Demand adventure at this point, and I hope this information gives you some mobility with your own authorship projects. My own lesson with a mainstream novel is that next time I will wait.
***An addition note for anyone reading this is that Shut Up is currently being explored by agency level movie production companies working with SKG and Miramax for film developement and apparently the concept is pretty hot. The only reason that the concept is moving at all is because the book is IN PRINT and POD made that light year jump a SOONER possibility. So... maybe it can work some ways that I didn't think of?

James J. Marry can be easiest reached through AuthorsDen.com at the site for his novel “Shut Up” or his personal site.