There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to publishing. Each book or series you write has a unique audience with a specific purpose. Because of that, some of your books may sell better under the traditional publishing route, while others will reach more people by self-publishing and marketing to a small, niche audience. If you want to maintain your creative control, intellectual property, and rights to your work while generating extra income with a marketing approach you enjoy, you will want to consider publishing your books under your very own publishing imprint.
What is an imprint?
An imprint is a trade name that identifies a line of books within a publishing company. For example, Golden Books is an imprint within Random House. Spellbound is an imprint. Insert-your-name-here-Press, can be an imprint! Having your own imprint gives you the ability to publish your own books under your own company, retain complete control of your royalties, and enjoy the freedom to do what you love—writing—all with the benefit of an expert publishing team behind you every step of the way.
I have published some of my books traditionally through middle-level publishers and University-level publishers, while I self-publish other books under my imprint (Spellbound Publishers). In addition to publishing some of my own books, I publish other authors under Spellbound as well. A significant benefit of having multiple authors under one imprint is that it helps us market our books together in a portfolio I share with bookstores.
Benefits of having your own imprint:
Keep 100 percent of sales royalties
Receive direct deposits every month with no middle man
Control your own publishing account
Own your copyright
Order books at the wholesale print cost and resell them in any of your locations
Retain creative control and direction of your books and branding
Stand out in the crowded publishing space
Increase your credibility and authority that allow you to create more revenue-generating opportunities
Added Bonus... Invite others to publish under your imprint and everyone wins:
Profit share by doing a royalty-split with each of your authors
Combined marketing exposure creates sales and speaking opportunities
Create a profit margin for yourself in selling publishing packages to authors and use me to do all of your back end production work
I use IngramSpark to create personalized imprints for authors because they are the world’s largest book distributor and they offer print-on-demand services for bookstores with no minimum orders. Their ebook distribution services also connect you to all the top players in the digital formats. Listing your book in an imprint through Ingram gives you access to 7 billion readers across the world. Besides, in order for most bookstores to carry your book, you will need an Ingram account.
Here's how the money works when you have your own imprint:
You receive 100% of your royalties from bookstore sales direct deposited.
You receive 100% of the profits when you print and sell your own book.
You can publish your own books at a lower cost by hiring a publishing professional like me :)
You can charge an imprint handling fee for authors under your imprint.
You can split royalties with authors under your imprint.
Here's how I can help you create books under your own imprint:
Spellbound does all of the back end work, allowing you to do what you do best—write!
With your initial direction, I provide a logo and imprint name for you.
We create a publishing account on your behalf so that all books under your imprint will be available to bookstores, Amazon, Barnes + Noble, and more.
We upload your print-ready files to the publishing account, including cover and interior layout files, book metadata, pricing information, ISBN.
We register member/client title with Bowker, Library of Congress, including the required physical copy to be mailed.
We offer full book production services including ISBN assignment, registration with the Library of Congress, and everything needed to take a book from manuscript to printed product (and ebooks).
We can include writing, editing, and proofreading services for your books.
If you want to invite other authors to publish under your imprint, contact me for more information: Tiffany@SpellboundPublishers.com.
We will add your paperback, hardback, and ebook titles to your account for distribution to online and bookstore sales.
Action You Can Take:
Decide if an imprint is right for you. If so, determine if you would like to handle all aspects of book production on your own. If not, please contact me Tiffany@SpellboundPublishers.com and connect with us on social media through Spellbound Publishers!