Smashwords new cover requirements, little conspiracy?

[lovecraft68]

For those of you publishing on smashwords, starting next week there is a new size requirement for your our covers.

Previously the size was the e-standard 600X900. Starting soon the new requirement is 1414x2000+ I forget the exact numbers.

Let me tell you why I find this funny(not ha-ha). I get my photots from dreamstime. They have a size that is 5x8+ that you can buy and size to 6x9 with little resolution loss and is a couple of bucks cheaper-usually 4 credits or so.

Then the new size they now want goes up to around $7. You would not be able to blow the small size up that big and keep it looking good(well maybe some can with software)

First I figure it has no bearing on me. I always by the bigger size and size down. they are usually 4-7 credits.

Well guess what? a few days ago I went photot shopping for my latest amazon piece and low and behold, many of dreamstime's 1400+ photos are now averaging 12-14 credits.

They have virtually doubled in price. Now a cover is $12-14 because unless you buy a very expensive package credits are a buck a piece.

So now for the hell of it I go back to where I had photos bookmarked that I've used previously. Sure enough one I bought four months ago for $5 is now $12

I know there are a bunch of other sites, 123rf shutterstock etc....I haven't looked at them yet, so wondering if anyone can report on the prices.

I just find this amusing. after all this time why SW would change their standard(I believe they are blaming their affiliates) and of course how nice it was for dreamstime to cash in immediately.

I just love to point these things out.

 

[sr71plt]

I think 123rf has always been more expensive than Dreamstime, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's priced up to. This is the American way. As a product catches on reprice it upward. In this case, it will also force some of the "not all that serious" self-published books out (which, for quality probably isn't a bad idea). My publishers will certainly be saying "ouch," but luckily we've bought ahead on covers going into 2013.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think 123rf has always been more expensive than Dreamstime, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's priced up to. This is the American way. As a product catches on reprice it upward. In this case, it will also force some of the "not all that serious" self-published books out (which, for quality probably isn't a bad idea). My publishers will certainly be saying "ouch," but luckily we've bought ahead on covers going into 2013.

Well not sure on quality, they'll be buying the same pics that would have, just paying a bit more for them.

I'm sure publishers buy the huge credit packages where they can be paying as low as .50 a cover. They'll just be burning the credits up quicker.

I usually by the 52 credit package for $50 which used to give me around 7/8 covers now it will be more like 3/4 guess I'll have to look into buying the higher tier, which I'm sure is what they would be hoping for.

 

[topace]

i don't do fancy covers, so it's not a problem for me.

 

[sr71plt]

Well not sure on quality, they'll be buying the same pics that would have, just paying a bit more for them.

Those wanting to put the minimum effort into publishing what they gave the minimum effort (and ability) to write progressively get priced out of the market when the costs of production go up. It's just sort of an axiom. The publishing industry has always regulated the submissions inflow to some extent by how hard and expensive it makes submissions to be.

 

[lovecraft68]

Those wanting to put the minimum effort into publishing what they gave the minimum effort (and ability) to write progressively get priced out of the market when the costs of production go up. It's just sort of an axiom. The publishing industry has always regulated the submissions inflow to some extent by how hard and expensive it makes submissions to be.

Ah, publishing attrition. Got it.

Good thing I've never been cheap and honestly a $12 dollar investment on a book I can make a couple of hundred bucks on is a no brainer to me.

 

[sr71plt]

Ah, publishing attrition. Got it.

Good thing I've never been cheap and honestly a $12 dollar investment on a book I can make a couple of hundred bucks on is a no brainer to me.

I agree. E-booking is really, really cheap for a self-publisher compared to the POD era, where your little "I'll just be happy to see it in print" cost you upwards of $1,600.

 

[lovecraft68]

I agree. E-booking is really, really cheap for a self-publisher compared to the POD era, where your little "I'll just be happy to see it in print" cost you upwards of $1,600.

Too true. My investment is a cover and my time. So now $12 instead of $7 still more than worth it and who knows? maybe I get lucky and one of the suckers really takes off.

My wife just got royally screwed by Balboa. I won;t get into the details, but for the $1250 she laid out she is getting barely $1 on any copy sold on amazon and maybe $2.50 if it sells on their site.

The big lie, was they set her price.

I've been dealing with createspace who is telling me that they tell me what their cost per copy is, what the royalty is and then I name my own price.

For me I am only spending $349 which is their minimum and I am mostly paying for formatting. It is just beyond me to do that myself to that large a work.

I tried to tell her how to take some short cuts, but this became a case of college education vs. street savvy and now she is making jack shit and my e-books are doing fairly well. I'll also have my pod for a thrid of the price and be making $4 per copy.