Redemption Press Blog

5 Reasons Not to Go E-Book Only

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Are you working on a manuscript and wondering which type of publication process would make the most sense? Maybe you’ve thought to yourself, “I’ll just do an eBook, it’s less expensive and just as effective.” Well, here are some compelling reasons why it actually makes more sense to do a print version as well as an eBook version when you go through the publishing process.

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  1. eBooks represent only 30% of the market.

A recent article in Forbes Magazine1 stated that eBooks now make up about 30% of all book sales. And the majority of these sales come from well-known, established authors. While eBooks are certainly growing in popularity and should not be ignored, don’t underestimate the market for traditional printed books.

Keep in mind, most of the “experts” who recommend eBook-only publishing are not first-time authors!

  1. eBooks have limited distribution.

Most eBook-only solutions involve limited distribution through only one or two major on-line retailers. And eBooks do not allow for book signings and personal direct sales—two methods which can provide first-time authors with significant benefits.

Don’t forget, in order to buy an eBook you need a device that costs $100 or more. Of course, you can read an eBook on your smart phone, but that’s usually a pretty small screen! Printed books are relatively inexpensive and available everywhere!

  1. eBooks are meant to supplement your print offerings.

eBook-only publishing can work for established authors who have access to professional designers, editors, marketing, and already have an interested audience and a well-known name. If this doesn’t describe you, it might be smart to consider a more well-rounded publishing option.

You need to realize, the purpose of cheap and easy eBook “publishing” is to boost the catalogs of on-line retailers—not to help first time authors gain an audience. Thousands of eBooks are “published” every day and, with nothing to set them apart from all the others, most quickly disappear into a database and are never heard from again.

  1. eBooks may not have benefited from quality editing.

Most eBooks “published” directly have received no professional editing, have a poor (or terrible) cover design, and are usually created automatically by computer from a plain Word document uploaded by the author.

If you think about it, in order to offset the cost of quality editing and production for your book, it makes sense to have both print and eBook formats to market and receive remuneration for, and to insure that your content and packaging has been well edited and prepared.

  1. Self-managed eBook publishing can be a lot of work.

Going eBook-only usually means you will have to learn the systems used by the major retailers, keep track of your sales, do your own quality control and revisions, deal with any customer complaints, and handle all the marketing. If you have the time and skills to do all those things, great! If not, you’re going to need some professional help.

Remember, Redemption Press is a top-quality publishing option whose heartbeat is to put the “author in charge,” and allow you the opportunity to actually make money on the content you’ve created! We work with you and provide all the capabilities and expertise of the traditional royalty publishers used by the “big-name,” best-selling authors. You get the best of both worlds!

Talk to a Redemption Press team member today.

TOLL FREE: 844.2REDEEM (844.273.3336)

www.redemption-press.com

1 http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2014/02/10/amazon-vs-book-publishers-by-the-numbers/

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Meet the Publisher

I've been around Christian publishing since 1987 when I helped our ministry self-publish an important resource for Vietnam veterans and their families. That book went on to be picked up by a royalty publisher and has since sold over 250,000 copies with a million in print.

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