Print-On-Demand Erotica

[BobbyBrandt]

I was reading a press release today from Draft2Digital about their new Print-on-Demand service and it made me curious about how many authors of erotic material attempt to self-publish printed versions of their work.

I remember reading a few years back how the advent of eBooks was such a boon for erotic publishing since it allowed people to read it with greater privacy, without a provocative book cover or other indications that might embarrass the reader.

Does anyone offer hard copies of their erotica on Amazon or other retail outlets or do you stick only with digital versions?

 

[PastMaster]

I was reading a press release today from Draft2Digital about their new Print-on-Demand service and it made me curious about how many authors of erotic material attempt to self-publish printed versions of their work.

I remember reading a few years back how the advent of eBooks was such a boon for erotic publishing since it allowed people to read it with greater privacy, without a provocative book cover or other indications that might embarrass the reader.

Does anyone offer hard copies of their erotica on Amazon or other retail outlets or do you stick only with digital versions?

Hard copy is up there. Not sold any though

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Hard copy is up there. Not sold any though

I'll have to check it out. Which story title?

 

[KeithD]

Print-on-Demand and self-publishing aren't the same thing. Print-on-Demand is a technology nearly all publishers and distributors use now for print copies. Just about any print book you order from Amazon is going to be created from a print-on-demand machine. Pretty much the same thing from any publisher producing back-order or small-run printings.

Hard copy and hard back aren't the same thing either.

(And, yes, nearly all of my works at Amazon that are over 24,000 words are available in paperback as well as e-book--and paperbacks are produced by print-on-demand.)

 

[ElectricBlue]

I was reading a press release today from Draft2Digital about their new Print-on-Demand service and it made me curious about how many authors of erotic material attempt to self-publish printed versions of their work.

I remember reading a few years back how the advent of eBooks was such a boon for erotic publishing since it allowed people to read it with greater privacy, without a provocative book cover or other indications that might embarrass the reader.

Does anyone offer hard copies of their erotica on Amazon or other retail outlets or do you stick only with digital versions?

I did several print on demand titles a few years back, some the same content with different covers. I sold a few copies, other than the proof copies on my bookshelf. It was an experiment, a self-indulgence, but not worth the time and effort - Amazon got more out of it, dollars wise, than I did.

I went with Lulu as the pod broker, who seemed to be the best at the time, but a year or two later they fucked up a major upgrade and it all went pear shaped and backwards. The titles can still be ordered, but I didn't do any marketing and I don't have the content churn to generate sales. They're all e-books too.

It was fun working up the covers, but bloody tedious getting the formatting and page margins sorted out. I might do it again one day with art content, but wouldn't bother with another written book title. Too much effort for no return.

It's amusing to see my titles in so many different country online "bookshops" with allegedly multiple second hand copies for sale, with all sorts of prices, also the short previews ripped and "for sale". It's all bullshit.

 

[KeithD]

??? Print covers can be the same as the e-book covers. I can't see much reason to have different ones.

 

[PastMaster]

I'll have to check it out. Which story title?

Lol dare I?

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Lol dare I?

LOL. No ulterior motive. We've moved past that.

What better way to "bury the hatchet" than to have one of your books on my shelf?

 

[PastMaster]

but its $150 + for a decent length book same for cover design and the 'bleed' based on page count.

Much cheaper these days - cover design for my book cost me $40 on Fiverr- the guy that did it did a good job - and he's done another one for me for about $45

 

[KeithD]

Or you might do what I do,, which is go with a publisher that covers all editorial, setup, production, and distribution costs. You don't get much profit in return, but it's all profit and you didn't have to do all the production work on it (which is money in terms of hours it takes of your time The production time you avoid spending can go to writing the next income producer).

 

[ElectricBlue]

Much cheaper these days - cover design for my book cost me $40 on Fiverr- the guy that did it did a good job - and he's done another one for me for about $45

I think LC was talking about the whole book formatting, not just the cover.

And with covers, you definitely get what you pay for (or writers have questionable aesthetic taste ).

 

[PastMaster]

Or you might do what I do,, which is go with a publisher that covers all editorial, setup, production, and distribution costs. You don't get much profit in return, but it's all profit and you didn't have to do all the production work on it (which is money in terms of hours it takes of your time The production time you avoid spending can go to writing the next income producer).

If you have a publisher then all power to you.
Not everyone has that luxury.

 

[PastMaster]

(or writers have questionable aesthetic taste ).

You're probably closer to the mark with that - But I liked it

 

[KeithD]

If you have a publisher then all power to you.
Not everyone has that luxury.

True. It remains that that is one of the options out there. (There are those who hold that maintaining the total control of self-publishing is the luxury choice.)

 

[PastMaster]

True. It remains that that is one of the options out there. (There are those who hold that maintaining the total control of self-publishing is the luxury choice.)

I wish I could find one.
Self publishing is a necessity rather than a luxury for me.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I wish I could find one.
Self publishing is a necessity rather than a luxury for me.

Many publishers are so genre-specific that an author who writes in more than one category might find themself on the outside looking in with some of their works. Such is the case with me.

I have a publisher for some of my novels, but have chosen to self-publish others, and none of them in either instance include erotica. That is what fueled my curiosity about what authors of predominantly erotic material think about POD.

 

[KeithD]

Again, self-publishing and print-on-demand are two different things. All publishers now use print-on-demand for certain print needs. This isn't self-publishing, and self-publishing is by no means only happening with print. In fact, most self-publishing is e-books only. POD isn't e-publishing.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Again, self-publishing and print-on-demand are two different things. All publishers now use print-on-demand for certain print needs. This isn't self-publishing, and self-publishing is by no means only happening with print. In fact, most self-publishing is e-books only. POD isn't e-publishing.

True, so I should clarify that my reference to POD in this thread relates only to self-publishing authors who produce printed versions of their works in addition to digital versions.

 

[PastMaster]

True, so I should clarify that my reference to POD in this thread relates only to self-publishing authors who produce printed versions of their works in addition to digital versions.

It's not much more work to produce a print copy as it is to produce an ebook so I figured why not.
Edit, although you get so much less per book than for the ebook and they cost a ridiculous amount. The only real reason I did it was vanity I guess. The same reason Agnes nutter published her prophecy book. For the author copy

 

[BobbyBrandt]

It's not much more work to produce a print copy as it is to produce an ebook so I figured why not.
Edit, although you get so much less per book than for the ebook and they cost a ridiculous amount. The only real reason I did it was vanity I guess. The same reason Agnes nutter published her prophecy book. For the author copy

Writing and publishing predominantly novels, I have had better sales (published and self-published) with printed versions over eBooks.

As Lovecraft alluded to, readers of my printed books don't have to worry about hiding the covers or content from others. Is this still the major reason why POD remains less popular with erotica?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Writing and publishing predominantly novels, I have had better sales (published and self-published) with printed versions over eBooks.

As Lovecraft alluded to, readers of my printed books don't have to worry about hiding the covers or content from others. Is this still the major reason why POD remains less popular with erotica?

I'd say price is the major factor. With so much low cost no cost erotica around, why would you pay bigger bucks for something you probably won't read again (hindsight being an exact science)?

 

[BobbyBrandt]

I'd say price is the major factor. With so much low cost no cost erotica around, why would you pay bigger bucks for something you probably won't read again (hindsight being an exact science)?

I can understand cost factor.

I don't know if I would get as much enjoyment from creating my stories if I suspected that they would be "one-and-done" with the people who read them. Even with my non-published stories on Literotica, I love the feedback from readers claiming that this is their X# time reading the story.

 

[KeithD]

The erotica genre was brought to life by the e revolution, I think, precisely on the basis of "I want to read it, but I don't want anyone to see it on my shelf" reality. I like having mine in print, but they only are because it costs me nothing to have them available that way (when they go over 24,000 words. Shorter ones are really just to short to be cost effectively--for anyone--put in print).