Self-Publishing: A Global Overview

2. Self-Publishing
A Global Overview
Robert Fletcher, Chairman
Publish On Demand Global
Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Agency
Author Marketing Ideas

3. Goal of Presentation
* Explain how self-publishing fits into a
digital publishing strategy.
* Explain the basics and mechanics of the
self-publishing work flow.

4. Robert Fletcher….
• Chemical Engineer – Entrepreneur since 1984
• Not from book industry – spot new trends and new ways of
business.
• “Born Digital” everything we do is digital, POD, etc.
• 5000 self-published authors now and adding approx. 20 titles
per week, with about 50 full time people (100 part time).
• Digital aggregator – Building IPN-POD “Independent
Publishing Network for POD”. Asia focus.
• Consultant

5. Self-Publishing Facts
• Currently the Western self-publishing industry is
producing about 400,000 titles annually.
• Average number of sales per author is 300 books.
• According to Ingram/LSI - Average print run is less
than 5 books (1.6 books per title to be exact).
• Are you ready for true POD?

6. “C-Level”:
Buy, Build, Partner?
• For the owners and managers:
– If you choose to get into the self-publishing
business, will you build the company, buy a
company, or partner with a company?
– Do I feel you can amortize/pay off POD printing
equipment? Yes, especially in Asia. You have at
least 10 years growth.
• You have distinct labor advantages. This is a
global business.

7. Self-Publishing Asia
It’s here now:
The largest self-publishing company: Penguin buys Author
Solutions and opens in India and Singapore.
About Author Solutions, LLC:
Author Solutions, LLC, is a Penguin Random House company …
and helped nearly 180,000 authors self-publish, promote and
bring to market more than 225,000 new titles.
Author Solutions’ global reach includes imprints developed
specifically for authors in Australia, New Zealand, the United
Kingdom, Singapore and India.

8. Self-Publishing in Asia
China
- Slow for Selfpub
- POD coming
online
India
- Big opportunity
- Penguin
Philippines
- Starting
Indonesia
- Large Population
Malaysia
- Growing
Japan
- DNP is testing
Taiwan
- POD is there
- Self-pub on the
way
Korea
- POD is there
- Self-pub on the
way.
Singapore & NZ
- Penguin

9. Opportunities: In-Country
Printing
• Penguin / Author Solutions – are you
calling on them for In-country printing?
• Are you calling on me and others like me?
– We all have problems with shipping costs.
– We all have authors in your country
• Are you calling on your bookstores for
English language POD for them?

10. How To Start a
Self-Publishing Company:
• Main elements:
– Marketing
– Sales
– Operations
– Administration
– Profit

11. How To Start a
Self-Publishing Company:
• Here are the
main elements:
– Marketing
– Sales
– Operations
– Administration
– Profit
Marketing = Get the word out:
- Existing clients
- Publishers
- Consumers
- New clients – You know what works
- PR
- Ads
- Word of mouth
- My company
- Old way Google Pay Per Click
(PPC) Too competitive now.
- New way is organic and social
media, and existing clients.
- Still get global leads

12. How To Start a
Self-Publishing Company:
• Here are the
main elements:
– Marketing
– Sales
– Operations
– Administration
– Profit
Sales = Get the Money
- Different than marketing. Sales means
closing money.
- Different mindset than marketing
- Plan on long term, 1 year plus, closing
cycles.
- Offer payment plans, authors are
notoriously cheap.
- My company
- 1 person handles my leads.

13. How To Start a
Self-Publishing Company:
• Here are the
main elements:
– Marketing
– Sales
– Operations (1)
– Administration
– Profit
Operations = Control
- You will need CRM/Database
system(s) for this relatively complex
business.
- My company
- We use ACT for production and
Infusionsoft now for sales.
- We use SQL for Royalty Mgt
- We use SQL for eventual digital
transfer of metadata.

14. How To Start a
Self-Publishing Company:
• Here are the
main elements:
– Marketing
– Sales
– Operations (2)
– Administration
– Profit
Operations = Functions
- Text Block: Clean up the text, make the
book.
- Cover design:
- Editing (great profit center)
- Book Text, Back Cover
- Press Releases
- Ongoing Customer Service
- Ongoing Royalty Management
- Ongoing Book Order Management
- My company
- Each of the divisions above has a
manager.

15. How To Start a
Self-Publishing Company:
• Here are the
main elements:
– Marketing
– Sales
– Operations
– Administration
– Profit
Administration -
Organization
- Text Block: Clean up the text, make the
book.
- Cover design:
- Editing (great profit center)
- Book Text, Back Cover
- Press Releases
- Ongoing Customer Service
- Ongoing Royalty Management
- Ongoing Book Order Management
- My company
- Each of the divisions above has a
manager.

16. How To Start a
Self-Publishing Company:
• Here are the
main elements:
– Marketing
– Sales
– Operations
– Administration
– Profit
Profit -
- Our labor costs are about $800 USD at
about $15-$20/hr.
- We recently RAISED prices from $1000
to $1795 and did not affect sales.
- Lifetime value of a client, with all
services is about $2500 USD.
- Editing, changes, artwork
placement, marketing services,
etc.

17. Global Vision
Independent POD Printing
Network
You send me your authors, I send you mine.

18. Questions - Comments?
Robert@PublishOnDemandGlobal.com