Six Reasons Why You Should Produce a Paperback Copy of Your Book

A lot of newbie self-publishing authors and some of the old ones, feel that just because we can now publish in digital format that the paperback copy is no longer relevant for them to publish. This is a rather naive perspective. Although e-books are taking larger and larger slices of the market, paperbacks are still here and are selling well. I went to a car boot sale the other day for instance and saw a woman buy twenty books from just one person; poor husband who had to carry them all home.

I know some people won’t be persuaded without a reason, so here are six reasons why you should produce a paperback copy of your book.

1.       Some readers see paperbacks as more professional

This is one that strikes me as odd, but some readers feel that if you haven’t produced a paperback copy then you aren’t a professional writer. To me this is wrong. You wouldn’t question Coke’s professionalism if they suddenly stopped doing fizzy orange or MacDonald’s if they stopped doing Chicken Burgers. It doesn’t make sense. But me saying it doesn’t matter. It is what some readers are saying. It can cost you very little to produce a POD book for Amazon and other retailers, so if it gets you a little more creditability with readers, why not?

2.       The market isn’t just E-books

Yep it is true, some of the market still like to buy paperbacks. Why? There are hundreds of reasons. But here is the fact, Amazon say they are selling 140 e-books for every 100 paperbacks. That still means that 42% of the market prefers paperbacks. In the UK the e-book market is still only 15-20%. If you don’t produce a paperback you are missing out on 42% and up to 85% of the US and UK markets respectively.

3.       It is cheap to produce a paperback

With the rise of self publishing has come the fall of costs in print publishing. By using POD suppliers you can create and sell your book for nothing at all (although some costs I would highly recommend for producing the best book possible)

4.       It is easier to show off

Let’s be honest if you showed off your book on your e-reader you might get an – “oh” or “that’s good”. But if someone wanted to see your book, they might get more interested in a paperback issue.  People still are driven by the sense of touch, given them that unique feeling and get them to touch your book.

5.       It creates off-line marketing opportunities

It is so easy to hide in the world of the internet, but if you do that then you are limiting your marketing potential. Having a paperback copy of your book allows you to create more offline opportunities such as book signings.

6.       It can be inspirational

This isn’t such a marketing issue, but it is one of productivity. Something that is stored on the computer isn’t going to remind you of what you have achieved. It is hiding, to be seen when you seek it out. My book sits proudly on the shelf its cover facing outwards so I see it all the time. Why? It inspires me to continue and that inspiration is always there, not when just when I look for it. And that makes me work harder for the next book.

I hope you have enjoyed this. Please feel free to comment on any of these reasons or tell me and others of other reasons you see fit in the comments below.

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