The Economics Of Self-Publishing

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"What I do is this: I try the idea out on all my friends. I say to them, 'What do you think about this?' Or I'll say, 'Do you want to read anything about such and such?' Most importantly, of course, I'll ask: 'Would you pay money for something of this nature?' This is really the only way to get a feeling for whether or not your idea is worth pursuing."

All right. So you've put your thoughts down on paper, arranged for illustrations, and decided how the book will look. Now, how much do you charge? What price literary creativity?

Steve Brown: "Printers always say that the retail price of a book should be five times its printing cost I don't agree with this. A better rule is to always make sure your cost is small, and then charge a price that is consistent with the nature of the book. Who is it designed for? Tourists? Students, perhaps? Housewives? To some extent, these things will determine how much you may reasonably charge.

"Something else I've found to be very important is the fact that a 'break' point in pricing my books is reached at around two dollars. There is a psychological barrier at two dollars where I meet sales resistance. For that reason, most of my books are priced at $1.95. If you decide to charge more than two dollars, well, it really doesn't matter whether you ask two-and-a-quarter or three seventy-five. Harpers Ferry, because it appeals to tourists, carries an exceptional (for me) price tag—two dollars and fifty cents—and I get away with it."

While Steve sells many of his guide and cook books right in Harpers Ferry itself, some Little Brown House releases are distributed nationally. This is the case, for instance, with Clara Cassidy's Up In Years, which is handled by nationwide mail-order book supplier Miles Kimball of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Steve also deals with Book People of Berkeley, California, and other regional and national distributors. The names of these organizations can be found in the Yellow Pages of any large city.

"I don't really recommend the use of middlemen to people who are just getting started," Brown advises, "though you may want to look into this aspect of the business eventually. A beginner should try first to maximize direct sales, because that's where the greatest profits are. And the name of this game, don't forget, is to achieve the greatest return on a small initial investment. You don't need consignment sales for that. In fact, you'll be forever waiting to get your money."

Still interested in self-publishing? Says Steve Brown, "I'm more than happy to answer questions or help people with problems regarding printing, typesetting, or any other part of the business." If you do write Mr. Brown (Box 179, Harpers Ferry, W. Va. 25425), however, be sure to enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and a dollar for his time. If the help Steve gave us in the preparation of this article is any indication, you'll get $20.00 worth of information back in return.

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