15 Ways Smaller Publishers Can Save Time & Money

Leverage your resources & protect your energies

It’s a confusing time to be in independent publishing for many reasons. For smaller publishers—the ones trying to build something from their homes or otherwise on their own with limited resources—the landscape can be complicated in particular ways. In many cases, markets often tend to be geared toward either bigger, more established presses with traditional distribution (often for good reasons) or self-published/hybrid outfits (often for bad reasons). Without the stronger reputation or professional sheen that comes with the former, we can sometimes even be confused for the latter. To make matters more complicated, some of the more author-centered platforms market themselves to be the same as traditional publishers; I won’t get into this argument here, but it is a problem. Because of this increasingly overcrowded level of the publishing ecosystem, smaller traditional presses have to work extra hard in some respects to carve out a space in the industry or to be taken seriously.

Having now finished our first twenty titles + almost twenty installments of our Prose Series microchaps, as we wrap up our second year of navigating this business I am thinking a lot about what I’ve learned, what has worked, and what can help keep making Belle Point more sustainable in the long run. As we continue to streamline our systems and refine our business strategies, I thought it might be helpful to share some things—practical and philosophical—that have been important in navigating this process. Whether helping save already-limited resources or giving your press the next level of professionalism, I hope these ideas are useful.

1. Get a label printer: It’s truly the best expense I’ve made so far. I spent our first month or two hand-writing addresses and stamping our return address on all our shipments—then shortly after committing to the printer, we had our first 500+ sales book. It still took days to pack the orders, but watching that little Rollo print out all the addresses and tracking info right from our website was a lifesaver.

2. Choose an e-commerce platform that makes the fulfillment process seamless and efficient: This decision can save a great deal of brainpower and energy. Having already tried two different platforms (and being forced to pull an all-nighter to build the second website when the first kept creating order errors), choosing a website that streamlines the whole process—from tracking sales to building your catalog and shipping ARCs/review copies—takes a good deal of the mental load off your already-overloaded headspace. Having an organized system also helps you treat your customers more professionally and gives them one less reason to decide not to buy your books or to go elsewhere for a sale that gives you worse margins. *Also, develop a workflow that helps you remember to keep your website updated! Change those pre-order listings to regular sales after launch; try to keep up with links to any publicity your books get—something I’m trying to get better at myself*

3. Buy ISBNs from Bowker: This especially is one area where it’s critical to distinguish your traditional press from the other options out there. Many third-party ISBN platforms are geared toward self-publishers and either exploit people for $ or at least add an unnecessary middleman. Going through Bowker guarantees the ISBNs will be listed under your publishing company (without some weird custom charge like you may find elsewhere) and keeps them permanently in your own account, ready to use whenever you need them. It also makes buying in larger quantities more convenient.

   1. Quantities: One strange thing about Bowker is that they list their 10-ISBN package as the “best value,” which again seems mainly marketed to ambitious self-publishers. When at all possible, if you have any sense of a long-term plan for your catalog, smaller traditional publishers should buy in larger quantities. Not only is buying them one at a time a waste of money ($125), but even the 10-ISBN option still doesn’t give you a great cost ratio per book. For example, 10 ISBNs at $295 = $29.50/ISBN, whereas for less than 2x the $, you can get 10x the ISBNs with Bowker’s 100 package ($575 = $5.75/ISBN). If you publish titles in multiple formats that need separate ISBNS, you’ll use them faster than you may think. If cashflow tends to be tight, plan ahead to set aside enough money to make these larger purchases and better leverage your resources. In many areas of publishing (or any business), finding ways to cut cost margins is critical to maintaining control of your operations and budget needs.

4. Don’t pay anyone for barcodes: I used to think this was common knowledge until it came up in a publishing listserv. There are free options available for this—don’t let Bowker (or any other ISBN/barcode service) convince you that you have to pay for one. Our friends at Asterism Books make a barcode generator freely available on their website, for example; IngramSpark will generate one for you when you upload the book into their system.

5. Compare printer costs for each book and think long-term about print runs: There seems to be an assumption among many smaller, household publishers that IngramSpark is the default not only for wider distribution to other platforms (which is useful at this level) but also for larger POD print runs (even if “larger” on our scale is 1000 or less). It doesn’t have to be this way; there are other options! Especially if you tend to publish longer prose books, reducing your cost margins is vital to your long-term sustainability and actually generating revenue from your labor. When you have a sense of specs for your next book, take the time to get quotes from multiple printers at different print-run ranges to work out the best unit + shipping costs for each project. Bookmobile is a popular choice among smaller publishers that we also use, but KC Book Manufacturing in Kansas City may be another good option for your needs. Mixam makes lovely chapbooks.

6. Save packing materials from book shipments + compare costs for shipping materials that will protect your books: While you’re finding ways to save costs on print runs, don’t rely on another platform to ship out your books, especially if you do a lot of POD. Aside from all the ethical problems with Amazon and Ingram, have you SEEN how they pack books? Your customers (and your books!) deserve better, friends. You can find ways to cut costs elsewhere, but take special care in how you mail your books. Give readers more reason to go through you instead of those other channels.

7. Think long-term about everything: This can help you be realistic about your limitations and better prioritize which projects may be better suited for a different season or when you hopefully reach a larger capacity. Try to remember as much as you can that publishing is a long game; it takes time to build that reputation and grow a following around your books. Before you sign on a book or open up a reading period, think about your timelines for publication and what gaps you’re looking to fill in your catalog; before you take on an expense that seems necessary at first, think through the long-term implications or usefulness of that cost to decide if it’s actually worth it or if you could develop better processes on your own to address that problem. My brain explodes with ideas for new projects on a regular basis, which is why mapping out more long-term plans has been really helpful in keeping those ideas from running me too far off-course from our first goal: making books and helping readers find them.

8. Refine your editorial vision to make it clear and cohesive: What does this have to do with the topic of saving resources? Developing your brand as a press helps readers and potential buyers understand how you fit in the industry and how your books may relate to them, which can help do some of that “selling” work for you (plus keep you more focused on your goals). There are too many literary publications/publishers out there that use vague language and buzzwords to describe themselves while also centering themselves as “original” or “disruptive” to the industry. Think deeply about what makes you different from other presses as well as how you can join the community that’s already doing the work; it’s a delicate balance. This doesn’t mean your books should be “like nothing else out there,” but it does mean that starting a press just because you like books is not a good-enough reason. What gaps in content or access do you see in the industry? How can you (you specifically) address those gaps in meaningful ways? What ties your books together that speaks to that?

9. Utilize discounts and other services through membership in trade organizations/associations: Some people might not see the expenses of these memberships as paying off, but you need to do the math to figure out how much their benefits may save you over the course of the membership or during a particular year. Depending on the services or providers you may be interested in using, these savings can make a significant difference. CLMP also provides great free services like their book roundups from member presses, social media posts, and other monthly resources for publishers. Another plus is added visibility and credibility as you demonstrate your respect for the wider literary ecosystem and want to contribute to what’s already there.

10. Be selective about which expenses you take on: software, distribution, paying freelancers: We all know Submittable has been a large player in rising trends of submission fees. As a smaller publisher without the large reader teams or hard-to-shift institutional culture, you have an advantage here: just don’t use it. Find other ways to help potential authors discover you as you build your audience. Similarly, do your homework before you jump to wider trade distribution: with more access comes greater expenses and deeper commitments than you may yet have the bandwidth to maintain. There are good reasons that distributors expect a press to have reached a certain level of professionalism before they take it on. As you make decisions about which “professional” services to outsource (or adding on volunteer/unpaid “staff” members), think seriously about what you can manage or learn on your own. One nice thing about there being so many books out there: endless numbers of case studies to learn things like book design, front/back matter formatting, marketing, etc.

11. Research and follow industry standards: From wholesale discounts and royalty structures to book design and marketing best practices, following the models of other publishers you admire can serve you well and teach you a lot of practical wisdom. I know that a lot of numbers get thrown around when royalty discussions come up, but the simple reality is that industry standards in this area exist for a reason: those margins are very slim, friends, especially if you hold any dreams of finding your books in stores. Maybe you have different goals for your press, but a major one should always be building financial sustainability, and this is a key factor in that process. Similarly, learning as much as you can about the perspectives of various players in the industry—writers, booksellers, critics, publicists—can help you build stronger relationships with these folks and improve your approaches to them about your books.

12. Calculate costs and budget closely for each book: MATH again. Do as much as you can to widen those margins when possible. Get a solid sense of the cost to develop and print each individual book since that will help guide other choices—how to price each book, promotions or sales, advertising, shipping ARCs, submissions to post-pub awards. Knowing also how many sales it takes to recoup the full expenses for each book will help keep you aware of which books may potentially be losing money and which books have started turning a profit. If your costs per book are half (or more) of the book’s price, you have a problem. As you start to grow, think more strategically as well about how these sales can absorb your other supply costs and ongoing operating expenses. Always be thinking of where the money goes and how you can build a self-sustaining business.

13. Think hard about events and protect your attention/energies. Writers often get frustrated about “exposure” as a justification for free/underpaid labor. Think about this for yourself as a publisher as well. Budget down to the dollar what it would cost you to attend an event and then calculate how many books you’d need to sell to cover that; if it doesn’t seem to match up well, reconsider or think about other creative ways to meet readers. If you decide it’s still worth it for other opportunities, adjust those expectations and focus on those priorities for that particular experience. Find people to help out when you can. Consider how much time travel or general energy drain may subtract from time you’d otherwise spend making books or doing other parts of the business.

14. Pay attention to the publishers that seem well aligned with your own vision and values, and seek out relationships with them. It will help alleviate some of the temptation to compare your press to others or to give in to imposter syndrome; it will also give you vital sounding boards for questions or complaints that don’t need a public forum. We can learn more together, online and off.

15. Lead from a place of confidence: This is one of many concepts I’ve absorbed from Joe Biel and his People’s Guide to Publishing (have you read it yet?), although I might actually have heard it on the Microcosm podcast (do you listen to it?). To the best of your ability, try to make the work of the press seem positive and intentional: plan strategic sales/promotions that don’t seem desperate; in general, avoid complaining about things in public (that’s what your writer/publisher friends are for, remember?); inspire people to want to be part of the good work you’re doing. Think always of your audience and how they may receive things; make the press less about you the person and your own needs, and more about the community you’re trying to cultivate. Readers will be drawn to that energy, even if it seems to happen slowly, in small increments.

Small press work is many things: exhausting, demoralizing, inspiring, exhilarating. It’s hard. It’s easy to want to give up. But the flexibility that comes with doing this work on your own dime/“free” time/inner resources can sometimes be an advantage that can help your press claim a space in an increasingly over-crowded industry. We need more publishers who are more willing to consider/respond to what isn’t working in the current landscape, but in some ways that makes the stakes even higher for us: we have to prove that we’re the right ones for the job.

Thanks for reading, friends. A better world in publishing is possible.