For books selected by Palm Publishers following review, Palm Publishers offers first quality paperback printing at the following rates:
Initial Print Run:100 Copies: $5.90/copy = $590.00
Length: 160-250 pages; ~0.0236/page 250+
250 Copies: $4.90/copy = $1225.00
Length: 160-250 pages; ~0.0196/page 250+
500 Copies: $3.90/copy = $1950.00
Length: 160-250 pages; ~0.0156/page 250+
These numbers are quoted for a paperback book of 160-250 pages in length, with no special printing problems. The charges may be higher depending on the length of the book and/or any special printing requirements.
PRINTING ONLY:
The prices listed above are for printing only. Paperback printing is only available if the Prep Work has first been completed; i.e. if: (1) the book has first been formatted [See Formatting; Print-set-Up]; (2) the cover design template has been completed [See Cover]; (3) the book has been copyrighted [See Copyright]; (4) the book has been ISBN-registered [See ISBN]; and, (5) the book has a UPC barcode [See UPC].
ALLOCATION OF COPIES:
If the author wants printing only, Palm Publishers keeps 2 copies, and the remaining copies from the Initial Print Run (i.e., 98, 248, or 498) go to the author. No marketing/selling services are performed.
If the author decides not only to print with Palm Publishers but also to market, then:
If the Initial Print Run is 100, Palm Publishers asks for 2 copies for marketing/promotion and a minimum of 70 copies for initial store inventory for the PalmStore, Amazon.com, and the Palm eBay store. The author will receive the remaining copies, unless designated (all/part) as additional sales inventory by the author.
If the Initial Print Run is 250, Palm Publishers asks for 4 copies for marketing/promotion and a minimum of 180 copies for initial store inventory. The author will receive the remaining copies, unless designated (all/part) as additional sales inventory by the author.
If the Initial Print Run is 500, Palm Publishers asks for 6 copies for marketing/promotion and a minimum of 360 copies for initial store inventory. The author will receive the remaining copies, unless designated (all/part) as additional sales inventory by the author.
CHOOSING THE INITIAL PRINT RUN: 100, 250, OR 500
The author's decision as to the size of the Initial Print Run depends on a number of factors, but most notably: budget, pricing, inventory, and promotion.
BUDGET: Palm Publishers recommends an Initial Print Run of 100 if budget is a primary consideration. An Initial Print Run of 100 makes sense if the author wants the opportunity to market the book, but places less importance on its commercial success.
PRICING: The author might want to consider retail pricing in choosing the size of the Initial Print Run. The larger the print run, the lower the retail price can be set. If the retail price is lower, it generally improves the chances to successfully market and sell the book. The pricing structure is set by Palm Publishers (based on the Initial Print Run) for Amazon.com, the PalmStore, and Palm's eBay Store - these online stores are where the Initial Print Run is sold to the public.
The Initial Print Run is not marketed through traditional retailers (i.e. bookstores and other traditional retailers) - it is not cost-effective to sell through them in such small quantities.
No matter how it is calculated, the author should not expect to make money on the Initial Print Run--and that should not be the author's goal. In fact, the author will lose money--even if the book sells out. While this may seem discouraging, it must be remembered that almost all of the start-up costs (i.e. formatting, copyright, ISBN, UPC, domain registrations, cover, website, web hosting, etc.) are being absorbed in the Initial Print Run. Add to this the cost of printing the Initial Print Run, and the per book cost from the Initial Print Run will exceed the book's retail price.
Palm Publishers wants to be honest with its authors---do not expect to make money on the Initial Print Run. The author's objectives for the Initial Print Run should be realistic: (1)to get published; (2) to gain entrance to the commercial market; (3) to get the book in front of the reading public; (4) to stimulate sales and interest in the book; and, [5] to see if sales from the Initial Print Run justify the commitment to additional Print Runs.
If the Initial Print Run sells well, then looking ahead to the potential for even more sales (from additional Print Runs) can hopefully offer the opportunity to turn short-term "loss" numbers into long-term "profit" numbers.
With Palm Publishers, the author's share of proceeds from book sales, as a percentage, can be considerable. Palm Publishers urges authors to give this great weight in their decision-making: the formula for the author's potential future profits is there if sales are strong. Palm Publishers uses examples in the FAQs to show that the author's share of proceeds on a $10.00 paperback retail sale is approximately 49% in the PalmStore, 51% in Palm's eBay Store, and 37% on Amazon.com. So, while the Initial Print Run will not produce profits, future Print Runs might prove very different.
[SEE: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Initial Print Run, Comparing potential returns on sales from the Initial Print Run vs. additional Print Runs.
INVENTORY: For so long as Palm Publishers keeps inventory available for marketing/retail sales, Palm Publisher's minimum inventory on hand must not drop below 20 copies. Once Palm Publisher's inventory on hand drops below 20 copies, then a new print run must be ordered and paid for.
Having inventory permits greater distribution, more stock on hand, and more opportunity for on-time sales/order-fulfillment. However, if the book is not selling, having inventory just means lots of copies collecting dust. The author "may" have as his/her objectives to be both a literary and commercial success, but the author "must" have a balanced and well-reasoned approach to accomplishing each objective. Do not order more books to be printed than you think can be sold!
If the book is successful and is selling quickly and in large numbers, then Palm Publishers can print future runs in larger quantities (1000, 2,500, 5000, 10,000, 25,000, etc.) at lower costs per print run. The size of subsequent print runs will depend on book sales from the Initial Print Run.
On the other hand, if the book is not commercially successful, then any remaining inventory on hand after 6 months will be returned to the author.
PROMOTION: A larger Initial Print Run creates a slight advantage in promoting book sales, since there are more promotional copies, lower pricing, and more on-hand stock to on-time fill orders from.
Palm Publishers prints paperback copies through its printing contractor, DeHart's Printing Services Corporation.
The address for DeHart's Printing Services Corporation is:
