Selling directly
I just realized--because I am stupid--that one of the reasons I'm not selling any Scryer's Gulch chapbooks is because CreateSpace shipping is more than the cost of the book. I mean, a RIDICULOUS amount. I think it's to encourage the following:
I just took a leap of faith and ordered 20 copies to sell directly, for the same shipping cost as buying one. I'll ship for $2.95 on a $4.95 book, as opposed to CreateSpace's $6.95. (WTF, $6.95?!)
I've already done it, so I'm out $50 if they don't sell, but I figure they'll make good wedding and bar mitzvah presents if nothing else, or I could insulate a small shed. What I'd like to know, though, is how many of you have done this--how many of you sell directly? Why or why not? This is the last thing I wanted to do; I went POD to avoid exactly this, but oh well...
Actually the profit margin on the book itself is pretty good; it's the shipping. It's so high, it kills the sale. I sure wouldn't want to buy a $4.95 book and pay $6.95 in shipping--I'd just dump the shopping cart.
How is the new shipping arrangement working out for you?
At work we do POD and have to do exactly this. The profit margin for POD is just so low. I just finished working on a little paperback (nonfiction) book that we've printed traditionally, but we're doing a hardcover edition POD and we'll be ordering two or three boxes of them to save on shipping.
-Wyste
www.wysteriaclimbing.com/tapestry