How a published author expanded sales through print-on-demand publishing

by Fred Edwards
(South Pasadena, Florida)

Genre: Humorous Fiction

Before I wrote "The Buffie Brigade," I had sold four books to commercial publishers so I was quite cocky that I could write and sell this small manuscript. After all, wouldn't the big publishing houses jump at the chance to buy a humorous tale taken from a true story of Marines who brought a herd of ceramic elephants (buffies) out of Vietnam before the end of the Vietnam war? (More on buffies shortly.)

How wrong I was. Here are the kind of responses I received from my queries -- if I received anything other than a form rejection:

* From the main stream publishers -- too small to invest the cost of printing and marketing (the completed 6" x 9" book would run only 101 pages).

* From the military houses -- it made us laugh, but it doesn't fit our niche of serious military non-fiction.

Nevertheless, since I'm a retired Marine, I knew the book would sell if I could just get it in print. For one thing, every Marine or former Marine and family always will read anything about the Marine Corps. For another, folks connected with the other services would enjoy a chuckle at the Marines' expense. In addition, any other reader interested in the Vietnam War would be a prospective buyer. I would get "The Buffie Brigade" printed if I had to do it myself!

I didn't take the traditional self-publishing route and have thousands of books printed for two reasons. First, I didn't have a spare garage to store them in; and, second, I simply didn't want to dole out the money it would take.

This brought me to print-on-demand (POD) publishing. I collected so many brochures and sample books from POD publishers that I was beginning to think I would need a spare garage after all, just to store them in.

I prepared a spreadsheet of the companies, breaking out the services they offered that were important to me and comparing the costs.

Because I had published four books, I understood enough of what an editor and a copy editor does that I decided to take on that chore myself. Although this can save a lot of money, I would advise a newcomer to think carefully before embarking on such a torturous journey.

I also decided not to pay a lot extra for a sizeable marketing package that included items such as news releases, business cards, and book covers. Why? The fine print in the brochures told me that the authors still had to set up their own book signings and mail news releases. Again, a newcomer might need this extra help, but I benefited from considerable experience as a marketing specialist. So I decided to do my own marketing.

Thus I was able to contract for a basic package from Infinity Publishing. The company's promotional material, along with that from the other POD firms, helped me select font types and sizes and work out a suitable interior design. If you get a copy of "The Buffie Brigade," you'll find a silhouette of a ceramic elephant between scenes within the chapters. I created this by taking a digital photograph of one of my buffies, recoloring it black, and reducing it to the right size.

Some POD firms offer templates for the cover design, but Infinity was more flexible. For the front cover, I sent a color photo of one of the buffies I had brought back from Vietnam (and which was described within the text). I asked the designer to tie it in with the Marines.

For the result, click on the link to Amazon.com or go to my Web site, "Crosshairs -- Military Matters in Review," at www.milmat.net, and look at the book cover. You'll note that the long-haired individual in uniform is not a true Marine, but I was told that a commercial enterprise must be careful not to clearly identify a member of the armed services in a promotional product.

Although some POD publishers offer a Web site (at a cost), I elected to bite the bullet and create my own. Although the learning curve was excruciatingly difficult, I later capitalized on it by using the site as a template to create another site when I published a book of a different genre through Infinity (see "Genealogy Makes History" at www.frededwards.net for a description of "Amy Utter's Journeys -- TB and Other Tragedies in Rural America's Heartland"). (Visit also the page on this site where Fred talks about that experience.)

Here is important advice for anybody who uses POD publishing (including me). Think carefully about your title and pass it by a lot of people for their reaction. Although I had published four earlier books, I simply forgot a basic marketing tool when I titled my book, "The Buffie Brigade." Always, always, always include a subtitle to show the prospective reader what the book is about. If I republish the book, in the subtitle I'll explain that a buffie is a term for a ceramic elephant -- a Big, Ugly, Fragile Elephant (sometimes another word is used for the "F"). This will not only help all readers, it will eliminate the confusion among some Air Force folks who e-mailed me that they thought buffies were B-52s!

Visit Crosshairs - Military Matters in Review.