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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a short print run? A: A print-run of 50 to 700 copies.
Q: What is a very short print run?
Q: What is print-on-demand? A: A print-run of one copy of a book printed to fulfil an order from a book shop.
Q: Is it a realistic proposition to produce just a few copies of my own book? A: Yes.
Q: How can I do this as cheaply as possible? A: To incur the lowest possible costs, you must hold a) the rights to the content, and b) the content in electronic format. Text only (without pictures, maps etc) is cheapest.
Q: I have got a printed copy. What permissions do I need to re-print it? A: 1. You must have the author's rights to content. 2. You also need permission from the publisher to use the text as it is set out in your copy of the book. 3. You need permission to use the pictures. 4. You need permission to re-use the cover design (but remember, you might not want the same cover).
Q: I have got all the permissions set out above. Now I would like to start selling the book myself. What route can I take? A: Back-in-Print Books will gladly produce a small number of copies for you. You will need your own ISBN and will have to supply the five legal deposit libraries. Then you can start selling!
Q: I do hold all the necessary rights and permissions. I know from my publisher or distributor that there is a small on-going demand for at least 50 to 100 copies per year. He says this number is too small for him to bother to re-print. Can I myself get my book into bookshops again? A: Yes, Back-in-Print Books will take on an out-of-print title, put it on print-on-demand, supply it to the book trade and will pay royalties on sales. In this case you will not pay for the production; and the rights agreement will be time-limited, usually to three years. Duration depends on factors such as whether the title is supplied in electronic or printed format, on book size, how much pent-up demand can be shown etc.
Q: What will the cover price of the re-produced book be? A: If you sell the book direct, it is your decision. If we sell it, we set the price to the wholesaler only. With the ending of the net book agreement, a bookshop can now decide its own cover price. As a rule, you can assume a price about £2.50 to £3.50 above the price of a similar book if it were conventionally printed.
Q: Can I get the rights back again if a large publisher decides to take my title on again and print in large quantities? A: Yes, provided we are allowed to sell the remaining stock within the contract time initially agreed and we have been able to cover our initial costs.
Q: My book contains pages with colour. Can this be re-produced at a sensible cost? A: Currently, in our opinion, it cannot be done economically for short print-runs. Technically it is possible, but costs per page are about 60 times those of a black-and-white page. | |
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