Welcome To Innovo's Learning Center
Step 2: Preparing to be Self Published
We're delighted you dropped by Innovo's learning center for authors of Christian & wholesome books, eBooks and audio books.
This section is designed to provide information and tips for those who are seeking to self publish hardback or paperback books, children's or color books, eBooks and audio books. This is the second step in our Learning Center journey toward self publishing. In this section, we provide insights and tools to help prospective self publishers understand the industry, and to be informed enough to make educated choices in selecting a self publishing company that's right for you.
Take a look around and enjoy the information--and when you are ready, move on to the next step in the self publishing journey by looking at activities, timetables and key milestones for actually publishing your book, ebook or audio book.
The Christian book publishing industry is in constant change--and Christian self publishers and Christian book marketers have to stay connected and up to date. So check back often as we are constantly adding new material and information.
(e.g., learn about the types of publishing available and what's best for you...)
Information & Tips Christian Self Publishers Need to Know to Prepare For Publishing a Hardback / Paperback Book, eBook or Audio Book
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Click an Icon or Use the Quick Links Below to Learn & Explore... learn how to self publish Hardback & Paperback Books, eBooks & Audio Books!
The Big 5 Mix--You Really Need To Know:
The Big 5 mix: to select the right Christian book publishing company and to estimate the potential profit from your book, you really need to understand 5 key drivers and how they interact: the upfront costs, the retail price, the wholesale price, manufacturing & printing costs and your royalty percentage.
How Long Does It Take To Publish My Book? With Innovo's Self Publishing Programs, your book will be ready for approval within 85 days or less. Or with our lightning fast RUSH Service you can be ready to self publish in as little as 45 days (guaranteed or your money back)!
1. Ask for the total up-front cost required to get your book to market: Does the Christian book publisher clearly state the TOTAL costs to get your specific book completed and distributed to the markets you want? If not, be cautious. Is there anything else...(read more here)
The Innovo Difference: We clearly state your total up-front cost for every purchase. And our turn-key packages... (read more here).
2. Ask how the Retail Price is set: Does the Christian book publisher require a calculated retail price or can you set whatever retail price you want? Be cautious if you are required to set a retail price based on the company's formula. Would your book be competitive at that price? Ask why they do not let you set your own retail price.
The Innovo Difference: You set the retail price for your book. It's your book and... (read more here.)
3. Ask how the wholesale price is set: Does the Christian book publishing company require a calculated wholesale price or can you set whatever wholesale price you want? If you have to offer a 55% discount off the retail price for wholesalers-can you make a profit?
The Innovo Difference: You set your wholesale discount between 25% and 55%. It's your choice-and unlike some...(read more here).
4. Ask how the printing, handling & shipping costs are set: Does the Christian book publishing company tell you the printing, handling and shipping costs they charge you per book printed for Author orders? Once you know the specific trim size and page count, every company should be able to tell you the per book printing and handling costs... (read more).
The Innovo Difference: You don't have to buy a single copy of your book from Innovo. Not even one. But we are $5 to 6 dollars less expensive PER BOOK than our chief competitor. That means...(read more).
5. Ask what percentage your royalties will be and how they are calculated: First of all, question why the Christian book publisher is not providing 100% royalties, given that the author is paying to have the book developed. Royalties are almost always paid on the wholesale price, minus the printing, shipping, handling and other overhead costs. Royalties are... (read more here)
The Innovo Difference: You receive 100% royalties on net receipts for every book we sell... (read more here)
A Final Note on the Big 5: For-profit companies are in business to make money… and that's expected, reasonable and fine. At the same time, savvy authors should understand the Big 5 mix so that they can make informed business decisions.
Our advice at Innovo: If you cannot make heads or tails about the Big 5 after spending a reasonable amount of time with a potential Christian book publishing or Christian self publishing company, politely move on. There may be a reason why the publisher is making this area complicated or hard to understand.
Read The Entire Self Publishing Big 5 Article Here...
Remember to always think about the Big 5 together-it is the combination of upfront costs, retail & wholesale pricing, manufacturing/printing costs and royalties that tell the story. As you prepare to publish your Christian book, you should know your options and how each Christian publishing company you are considering handles these. Understanding this upfront can save you a lot of headaches later. So with any potential Christian book publisher, you should ask at least 5 tough questions:
What Exactly are eBooks & Why Should I Care?
because thousands of eBooks are sold on Amazon, iTunes, and many other retail sites. Of course, Innovo offers complete eBook development and global distribution packages. eBooks are cool and useful for on-the-go types because they can be downloaded immediately from the web and read on personal computers and mobile devices like phones and special eBook readers like Amazon's Kindle Reader or Apple's iPhone or iPad devices. The Kindle, iPhone and iPad are especially good at displaying eBooks and thousands of people use them every day to read eBooks and to listen to audio books.
Just like physical books, eBooks have two main parts: covers and content. But unlike physical books, eBooks also contain hyperlinks that allow the user to quickly move to chapters, bookmarks and other internal or external links included in the eBook. Learn more about Innovo's eBook pricing.
Audio Books are one of the fastest growing offerings in the publishing business--and thousands of audio books are sold in book stores and on-line with major companies like Amazon, iTunes, Audible, eMusic, SpokenNetwork and many other retail sites. Audio books are now recorded in digital formats (tapes or other analogue formats are generally not used).
Audio Books can be packaged and sold as physical CDs or purchased and downloaded immediately as digital files (most often as MP3 digital files).
At Innovo, we create professional, unabridged audio books, audio chapters, and audio excerpts from your Christian or wholesome book. We offer audio books, chapters and excerpts in both digital and CD formats and provide access to a world-wide distribution network that includes all the majors including Amazon, Audible, Spoken Netowrk and iTunes. If we create your audio book, customers can download them immediately and play them on their iPhones, MP3 players, PCs or other compatible devices.
Very few self-publishing companies have the capability to produce, package and globally distribute professional audio books for their authors--fortunately Innovo has developed the capability and provides audio books for a price that is a superior value (and allows self publishers to compete with the majors).
Take a look at Innovo's audio book packages here--and Innovo's audio book pricing here. At Innovo, we use professional voice talent (people who make their living doing voice work)--and we have 14 of the best in the business. All Innovo audio books are recorded in high fidelity, stereo formats and are professionally mixed and edited. You can listen to Innovo's audio book samples by clicking this link.
What Costs Should I Pay Attention To? With Christian & wholesome self publishing, there are really two major costs you should research:
- The upfront costs to create the book, eBook or Audio Books, and
- The manufacturing or printing costs for ordering the books after they are created.
It is extremely important to look at your costs over the life of your book... not just the cost of getting the book created. Some companies offer low cost options to create your book--and then after you sign on, they charge hefty fees for you (and your customers) to order and print copies of your book.
Innovo offers exceptional value with both the upfront book creation programs & packages and with manufacturing/printing costs for books, ebooks and audio books. Often our pricing can save authors hundreds of dollars on the front end package and thousands of dollars on the manufacturing and printing costs over the life of a book.
Feedback Please: We'd enjoy your feedback on this site, including suggestions for making this area more useful for all self publishing authors. Want to contribute a guest article or information? Please send your comments and suggestions to info@innovopublishing.com
Meet Innovo's Founder
I know first hand how difficult it can be to find the right path on the journey toward Christian book publishing, Christian self publishing, and Christian book marketing--in fact, that's one of the main reasons I started Innovo. Christian authors often have a higher purpose than simply publishing a book. We are trying to get the Word out for Christ. If you would like to learn more about Innovo and our founding principles, take a look at our statement of faith and a few words on how we got started.
Welcome.
I'm glad you've joined us at Innovo's learning center.
Okay--eBooks are electronic books.
You should care
What Should I Know About Audio Books?
Read the Publishing Contract: Every self publishing company you consider should have an Author Agreement (i.e., a contract). The agreement is a safeguard for you and the publisher. It spells out specifically how the author and publisher will work together and what each party is responsible for. These agreements are essential--and the content in them can make your journey toward self-publishing a pleasant one or a difficult one.
Remember that these contracts are important for defining the working relationship while you are publishing your book--and after you've published your book. For example, let's say you want to publish a second edition of your book with another publisher--does the contract allow this? Who owns the rights to the book or even that fantastic book cover? If you go to another publisher do you have to start over? With this in mind, here are a few key considerations each self publisher should consider:
Read The Contract: It should go without saying, but read the contract. Web sites can change. Verbal conversations can be difficult to remember. What's in the contract usually governs. Ask to see the actual contract when you are researching a company--not just a partial sample. Study how they handle the Big 5 (see article on Big 5 Mix above). At Innovo, we post our author agreement on-line. It's author friendly--author's retain all rights.
Book Rights: Who will own the rights to your book after it is published? Domestic? International? Movie? Translations? At Innovo--you retain 100% of your rights. Period. If you write that best seller--you reap the profits.
Covers & Interior Layout: Who will own the book covers, interior layout/design, and any other materials used to create the book? At Innovo, authors retain ownership of all materials they supply. And we grant Innovo authors the right to use materials we create for them any way they choose (even with a competitor).
Royalties: What royalties will you receive? How will they be calculated? How often will they be paid. At Innovo we pay 100% royalties. Since you are paying to have the book created, shouldn't you get all the profits? We think so, but many publishing companies don't. Read the contract not just the web site.
Contract Termination: Okay--everything started out great, but along the way... now what happens? Are you locked in? Do you have to pay a termination fee? Are refunds an option? At Innovo we offer authors non-exclusive publishing agreements--meaning you can publish your work with anyone else you choose at any time. Just send us a note to let us know. No penalties, no termination fees--and we offer refunds which are spelled out in black & white in the contract.
Journey With Innovo Through The World Of Christian Book Publishing, Christian Self Publishing & Christian Book Marketing!
Innovo Publishing, LLC is a Christian-based, full-service Christian book publishing company, serving the Christian & wholesome markets. Innovo creates, distributes & markets hardback & paperback books, eBooks (Kindle and Adobe), MP3 & CD audiobooks (audio books) and iPhone & iPad iBooks for Christian self publishers and provides automated order fulfillment through a network of about 30,000 wholesalers and retailers. All Innovo books are professionally edited with custom-designed covers and interiors. Innovo can publish a Christian book in as little as 45 days, and accepts fiction & non-fiction books, business books, & wholesome books for all publishing genres. Among Christian book publishers, Innovo provides unique benefits, including 100% royalties to our authors, who retain all rights to their work.
Innovo Publishing provides a variety of Christian book marketing options for authors including 30-45 second video Previews, 1-1.5 min. video Features, and 2-3 min. video Premieres with distribution to multiple social media and video viewing sites.
Welcome to Innovo's Christian Book Publishing Learning Center