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Talia Hibbert

Talia Hibbert

Sexy, Diverse Romance

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Harnessing The Power of Paperbacks

March 13, 2020 by Talia 1 Comment

Paperbacks: Do they matter? Should indie authors bother? Are they worth it? And Talia, why are you typing out questions to yourself and posting them on the internet?

Read closely, my majestic moppet, and all shall become clear. (Or more complicated, depending on how well you parse my particular brand of self-reflective rambling. Oh, whatever. Just grab a cuppa and hold on tight.)

When I started my career in 2017, I was a harried 21-year-old finishing her degree and dealing with her great-grandmother’s death. I had to write (to make myself happy) and I had to publish (to make money, y’know, for food). But anything beyond those needs was left by the wayside.

Back then, 100% of my energy went towards honing my craft and trying not to fail my coursework, so it’s no surprise that my first few releases were ebook-only. Paperbacks seemed so intimidating and time-consuming. Of course, as time went by, I gained confidence, finished my pesky education, and started to get the hang of this whole self-publishing thing. A good chunk of my books – The Princess Trap, the Ravenswood series – popped up in paperback and even audio.

Of course, that still left several of my self-published books in digital-only limbo. But I told myself it didn’t really matter: the books were doing just fine, my paperbacks weren’t super popular, and taking the time to set everything up probably wasn’t worth it.

a collection of Talia's paperbacks, including the Ravenswood series and the Dirty British romance duet
They sure are pretty, though…

Then my September 2019 release, Work for It, burst on to the scene, and I noticed something. It wasn’t a huge, overwhelming something; it was a small, quiet something. Every so often, a reader would email, or tweet, or comment on an Instagram post, asking…

“Talia – when does the paperback come out?!”

Suddenly, there was reason (a tiny reason, but still) to question my established thoughts on paperbacks.

So I started challenging my old assumptions. I’m a big reader myself, so instead of thinking negatively, I paid attention to my own behaviour as a consumer. Did I prefer ebooks? Sure. Mostly because I have physical limitations, and ebooks are easier for me to deal with than bigger, heavier paperbacks.

So what about those whose needs and limitations took them in the opposite direction?

Did I have more ebooks than physical books? Of course I did! Space was limited. But when I thought deeper, I realised that every paperback on my shelf was there for a reason. Specifically: I’d read the ebook first, and loved it so much that I needed a solid copy to worship – I mean, collect.

So what about those readers who felt a similar, gotta-have-it love for my books?

Suddenly, my decision to put paperbacks in the backseat felt less like good sense and more like neglecting my most faithful readers. I’d been thinking like, well, me – the women who wrote these books, and whose imposter syndrome continues to (falsely, but convincingly) suggest no-one can possibly like them that much – as opposed to my readers. You know, those people who repeatedly choose to read my books on purpose because it makes them happy.

With that error corrected, it became clear that paperbacks are worth it as an indie author. Not only are they another avenue to supplement your income (and who among us would not be grateful for any little boost?), they enhance the experience for readers. Plus, they give you a bone-deep sense of satisfaction. You get to hold physical copies of something you wrote in your hands!

Me holding my book Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Not self-published, but the excitement remains!

Of course, as an author, I have to make sure I’m not spending an unreasonable amount of time on any activity that isn’t my main function: writing books. So, once I decided to publish paperbacks, I had to find shortcuts – way to make the process as quick and easy as possible. My current system was created via some trial and error, and it’s basically a breeze:

  1. Don’t panic about making your ebook release and paperback release totally simultaneous. You are not a machine and you don’t have a team of 5,000 behind you. Readers aren’t going to bite your head off and spit-roast your corpse if they can’t order the book immediately. So let that stress go, sugar.
  2. Set yourself a goal or timeline. When will you upload the paperback? One week post-ebook release? Two? A month? Work towards that date, and let your readers know so they can mark their calendars.
  3. Purchase ISBN numbers. These are pricey, but the more you buy, the better. I initially purchased ten, but I recently bought a block of 100. If you can afford to buy in bulk, do so. (Unless you belong to one of those sensible countries who offer ISBN numbers for free.)
  4. Make the most of Vellum. It’s an incredible, must-have tool for me, so if you’ve been on the fence, know this: it is absolutely worth the money. I’ve always used Vellum to format my ebooks in a matter of clicks. Now I also use it to format paperbacks within the same file. You can make certain pages in your book (such as the digital contents page) ‘ebook only’, and other pages (such as the paperback copyright page complete with ISBN) ‘paperback only’. Just enable paperback publishing via the ‘Generate’ button, then right-click the sections in question.
  5. Decide on a uniform print size. All of my print books are either 5.5. x 8.5in (around trade size) or 5.25 x 8in (paperback size). Decide which size you prefer, then save the information. Your cover designer, plus the distribution platforms you choose, will need to know.
  6. How many pages? The page count of your paperback affects the cover size you’ll need, so finalise the book’s content as soon as you can. If you have Vellum, it’ll calculate the pages for you. Just go to ‘Generate’ > ‘Print Settings’.
  7. Tell your cover designer. Let them know from the start that your book will be available in paperback. Your designer needs the print size, the page number, and the back cover copy. Let them know when you’ll have this information ready, and see if that fits their schedule.
  8. Distribute it! I upload my paperbacks to two different channels: KDP, which is Amazon’s print-on-demand service, and IngramSpark, a print-on-demand service that distributes to other sellers like Waterstones and The Ripped Bodice. If you want to do the same, make sure you do not choose ‘expanded distribution’ from KDP. Oh – and be aware that IngramSpark charges for book set-up. If you’re just starting out, or you’re in KU, or you’re not here for the complications, publishing solely via Amazon is absolutely fine.
  9. Make connections. I’m not talking about people, here – which is lucky, because I’m terrible at those sort of connections. No, I’m talking about making sure that Amazon has linked your ebook and paperback versions together. This makes it easier for readers to find (and get ahold of!) both. If it hasn’t happened within 72 hours, email KDP and ask politely.
  10. Blow your own trumpet. You have successfully Done a Thing, so make sure you let people know. Add paperback links to your website. Take pictures of your shiny new products and post on social media. Send out an excited newsletter! The people need to know. The people want to know. You may not feel like it, but trust me, they do.

So, that’s my method! Altogether, paperback production and distribution takes me no more than an hour per book. Unfortunately, I have quite a few books, so I’m working my way through the list relatively slowly. But every little helps!

I recently published my first-ever series, the Just for Him books, in paperback. It wasn’t particularly fun, but it was worth it – especially when I saw long-time readers happily posting their copies.

the spines of the just for him series
This isn’t a reader, it’s me, but you see what I’m saying. LOL

So, hop to it. Harness the power of paperbacks to put a smile on readers’ faces – and your own.

Love and biscuits,

Talia

Filed Under: Thoughts and Feels, Updates and Information Tagged With: author advice, just for him, paperbacks, self-publishing

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katie Kennedy says

    June 7, 2021 at 12:12 pm

    Thanks so much for writing a post about the ins and outs of self publishing!

    Love and biscuits,

    Katie

    Reply

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Mar 19

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📣SALE ALERT📣 

How exciting, #GetALifeChloeBrown is a Kindle Goldbox selection and for today only the ebook is on sale for $1.99 🎉🙏🏾 

The link is in my bio, tell your friends if they haven’t read it yet to go go go 😂💖

What’s your favourite quote for the book?

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The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is out today and it is a serious banger. This book shot directly into my KJ Charles Top 3 (alongside Any Old Diamonds and An Unsuitable Heir, obviously). It has: 

- secret identities!

- hot Kentish smugglers!!

- so much delicious “he’s powerful and dangerous and on my side” energy!

- also “I’m just a daft sad boi with abandonment issues rambling around the countryside” energy!

- super saucy witness intimidation!!!

And more! 

KJ is one of my absolute favourite romance authors and this book encapsulates all the reasons why. Enjoy 😘

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Feb 28

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If you’re wondering what I put in my newsletters, the short answer is: chaos. The long answer: what I’ve written, what I’m reading (Casey McQuiston, amongst other things) and little anecdotes like this: 

My fiancé and I moved house this summer, and our new bedroom overlooks the garden. This was lovely when 'garden' meant 'nice rectangle full of flowers', but as winter descended and the flowers met a frosty end, I enjoyed it less.

Since I try to monitor my mental health, I made note of how this transformation changed my mood. Clearly, I realised, flowers cause Good Chemicals in my brain. Maybe I should put some flowers in my bedroom while there were none outside?

Um, no, Talia. That would be silly and extravagant and wasteful. There's no space in your small bedroom for that, and anyway, cut flowers don’t last, so there's no reason to have them in the first place.

Then I reminded myself that everything ends, and the 'experience' part that comes before is sort of... the whole point? 

So I tried something. 

I found a tiny vase, one that would take up no more space on my bedside table than a large mug. Next, I went to the local florist and asked for a single stem of little pink roses, and a single stem of baby's breath.

I cut them up and popped them in the vase. I was instantly delighted. This delight lasted about a week before they shrivelled, at which point I felt quite sad. Then I experienced the singular pleasure of fixing my own sadness on purpose by going out and buying tiny flowers again.

I've been doing this for over two months and it's still working! Sometimes I change up the flowers. My favourite combo right now is two big round-type blooms plus baby's breath. 

But my favourite combo isn't the point. The point is this: it's so easy to feel like small, frivolous pleasures aren't worth pursuing. But what is living for, if not enjoyment? Why do you exist, if not to strive for happiness?

Do the thing. Be nice to yourself on purpose. If your feelings didn't matter, you wouldn't have them.

If you’re already a VIP, drop me a 🫖 emoji. If you aren’t on the list, drop me a 💐… and check my site to join us 💘

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Feb 27

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There’s at least 73 things to love about this pic by the lovely @amandasnoseinabook 💘 what’s your fave?

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Feb 17

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SURPRISE! 💘 an extra special edition of #HSaUC is coming. This hardback has the most adorable stencilled edges, a variant cover (hot pink with pale text!!!) and FOIL on the hard cover beneath! ✨ 🌟💖🌟✨it also comes with my digital signature and a special letter about the power of pink. Because of course it does. 

You can grab this from @afterlightbooks and general sale starts 3pm GMT on the 2nd of March. But if you are a subscriber or you purchased the special edition Brown Sisters set, they’re holding a presale - details will be emailed out on the 22nd of February! Either way, make sure you get your copy 😘

If you heart those stencilled hearts, drop me a 👽!

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Feb 15

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Happy Love Day, gang! I’m still in my “new year new me” era so I voluntarily left the house this month and it went quite well. I even found a few delights to show you: Dani & Zaf at my favourite library, a table of Brad & Celine at my local Waterstones, and some truly fantastic changing room graffiti. As you can probably tell, all this pleases me greatly.

Another thing that pleases me is how well #HSaUC fits the V Day aesthetic. Perfect. Chef’s kiss. What’s making you feel pink and sparkly lately? Let me know 💖

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