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| Entertaining the Tourists! |
I’ve done it!
I’ve committed to publishing two more books, neither of which I have finished writing yet!!!
Once again, I researched the costs of publishing and printing, and this time found the most economical option was a two for one offer which, strangely enough, was via my current publisher.
The problem will always be the high price of ‘print on demand’ (the printing of one book at a time when an order is received). It is obviously more expensive than when books are printed in large quantities, but with that option there is the risk that the books won’t sell. Currently, no publisher is willing to take that risk with my works of fiction, and I certainly cannot afford it in addition to the cost of publishing.
Despite the fact that printing prices are increasing:
My first novel is available from my publisher at a cost of £7.90 per copy, and is being sold by Amazon for £12.99;
My next novels will be available from my publisher at a cost of £11.95, and although the Amazon price is not yet known, it will be that much higher;
there is no other option. In fact, my publisher price is cheaper for ‘print on demand’ than other quotes I have received.
Sadly, it means that the answer lies with electronic versions, which provide a book at a cheaper price for the customer and a higher royalty for the author. But this will not help local bookshops survive.
Now, I would like to give you a taster for my next murder mystery entitled “A Ticket to Zululand” by providing an insight into the wording I am proposing for the back cover:
“As innocent tourists wind their way across the South African savannah, through bushveld, plantations of forests and luscious crops, a tale of poaching, murder and political intrigue unwinds. But are they all so innocent? What is the connection between the rising number of deaths of endangered species in safari parks, foreign businessmen and politics?”
I have now decided that my books are in a genre all of their own: they will all be travelogues spiced up by murder, mystery and intrigue.
Hopefully, my South African novel will be available by the end of October 2012.
I will keep you updated.