In my last blog post, we looked at some of the advantages of having a paperback version of your self-published book. In this blog post, we will be looking at another option for your print book – having a hardback edition. There are advantages and disadvantages of both formats, so you will need to weigh these up to decide what is best for you and your book.
Of course, you could publish your book in both formats, but bear in mind that this will be expensive and require a lot more effort on your part. You will also lose out on any discount you might get with the printer for having a certain number of copies, as they will need different files and a different set-up to print hardback and paperback books.
Advantages of Hardback Books
More Professional
One advantage of hardback books is that they can look more professional, especially if you are aiming to appeal to an audience that is likely to appreciate this sort of thing. If you know that most books in your genre come with a particular look and style, it is best to stick to this as much as possible. This means that your readers can quickly identify your book on shelves and know what to expect.
In addition, reviewers may be more inclined to pick out a hardback book to cover. This is partly due to it looking more professional, as it makes it clear that you have invested both time and money into your book, as well as thought about how it will look on the shelf. This can help you appear more serious about self-publishing. Also, hardcover makes it obvious that your book is new, again making a review more likely.
More Options
Having a hardback book also gives you more options when it comes to printing. There may be a few different ways to have your book bound, such as between hard covers or cloth (or more likely a cloth effect cover). You can also choose whether to have a dust jacket or not, as this can add an extra look of professionalism to your book.
If you do decide to have a dust jacket, this gives you even more options. You can have one design on the dust jacket, with another underneath on the actual covers. It is common for there to be traditional artwork on the dust jacket, but plain cloth binding underneath, with just the title and your name on it. Of course, this will be significantly more expensive, but if your budget will stretch to this it can be a great way to add value to your book.
You could possibly have a very small print run of these more expensive hardbacks and then treat them as a luxury item. For example, you can sell them as a collector’s edition if you have a sufficient fanbase, with the increase in price you would expect for this. Alternatively, you could keep them as special editions to be used in giveaways or as prizes for any competitions you run and make this the only way for readers to get one.
More Choice
Another advantage of hardbacks is that you can offer more choice to booksellers, both online and offline. Booksellers like to be able to give their buyers a choice of format, so it helps if your book is available in both and makes them more likely to list or sell your book.
This is particularly true with physical bookshops – if you can make it easier for them to stock your book, they will be more likely to order it, increasing both your book’s sales and visibility. They may also be more likely to stock a hardback book as it looks better in their window displays.
In addition to there being more choice for sellers, there are also more options for your readers. Some people prefer to read their books in hardback or, at least, prefer the way that they look on a shelf. For example, collectors will usually choose a hardback edition. If your book is only available in paperback, you will be missing out on this audience. Ideally, you would have your book printed as both so that you will reach as many readers as possible; however, this may be outside your budget.
Higher Profit Margin
While hardback books do undeniably cost you more to publish, there is the potential for much higher profits. Readers are usually prepared to pay more for a hardback book, so you can increase the cover price accordingly. If you decide that you can raise this enough, you can have a higher profit margin than you would on a paperback, which means that you wouldn’t need to sell as many copies to make the same amount of money.
Wrapping Up
I hope that this helps you decide how to print your self-published book. In my next blog post, we will be considering how to review the first draft of your novel, so come back in two weeks for that!
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