Some of you (OK, a lot of you) have been waiting for print versions of all my titles to become available again.
Well, the wait is over because print versions of the entire Monster House catalog are now live as of today, October 4, 2016! BOOM!
In case you’re wondering, the wait happened because I changed over to new partners for both print production and distribution: the amazing team of IPG and INscribe Digital who have since joined forces to form a single company. Go them!
For those of you who are interested in the publishing-slash-business side of my life, here’s why I did this:
Reason One. IPG and INscribe have actual sales people.
But wait, you may be asking. Isn’t the whole point of being independent to AVOID sales people?
The answer is, IMHO, “sometimes.”
In my day job, I’ve managed partner programs for companies like Microsoft, Cisco, and a ton of start-ups. Partners cost you margin (aka you pay them a % of total sales for them to sell for you.) However, partnerships are worth that margin if you can put the time and attention in to make the programs work. That means training, activation, nurturing, tracking, and a whole bunch of other stuff I can’t remember right now because it’s been a long day.
It’s early with IPG and INscribe, but I’m a firm believer that they can deliver benefit to my company.
Reason Two. Leaving money on the virtual table.
Monster House Books is an e-first company, which means our primary sales motion is ebooks. That said, a certain percentage of the traffic we drive (around 10%) come to the page wanting print books and audio books. Although we’re an e-first publisher, I don’t want to miss out on the readers (and revenue) from other channels.
But wait, you may ask again, can’t you grab that print revenue with an automated Print On Demand (POD) solution like Create Space?
Great question, oh mystery troll inside my head. Which brings me to…
Reason Three. Plan for Success
Suppose I have an e-title that’s doing really well with print. If I’m on an automated system, then I can tell no one about that success and wait a million years to expand my reach.
Only trouble is, you have about 12 seconds to capitalize on momentum for print before it’s gone. No, I am not kidding. By the time you find a production house and publisher, everyone’s moved on from your book in a big way.
So, for the same margin, I have room to grow. IPG has the capability to produce mass quantities of a title and push it into bookstores relatively quickly. It’s a matter of a few emails and phone calls to see if the particular opportunity is a fit for both companies.
Hey, didn’t you say something about audio books?
Why, yes. I did. I am building a master plan there as well. Details will follow within the next month or so.
And on a final note…
Reason Four. I like pretty things.
The books from IPG really look nice. I mean, like super professional interiors with little icons and everything. Check them out on Amazon and B&N!
