There has been an explosion in self-publishing over the last decade, aided and abetted by new formats such as eBooks and internet distribution channels such as Wattpad. This has spawned a whole new industry comprised of those who profess to hold the secret to marketing and financial success in these new book distribution marketplaces. I do not profess to possess any such magic elixir but offer below a case study of how I wrote and then privately distributed a book with the intent that all proceeds go to not for profit organizations. I call it “an experiment in philanthropic book self-publishing”.
During 2014 and 2015 I had the great pleasure of researching a wide variety of topics about the Burnt Store Road area in Florida where I spend the winter. As is my habit, I documented the findings of my research, and in several cases, was fortunate to find community newsletters and magazines with an interest in publishing them (in abridged form). As these topics began to accumulate, significant original research and valuable findings found themselves subject to the editors’ delete keys. An idea began to percolate that there might be a book lurking among this research which would be a way to share the findings in a more fulsome way. The twenty chapters assembled touched on subjects such as the early history of the area, environmental challenges, development approaches, commercial activities and several deeply rooted myths which needed debunking. My goal was not to profit from this book but rather to use it as a vehicle to raise money for several charitable organizations which I support, while at the same time restoring to my neighbors some of their lost community memory. The book was named, perhaps a little boldly, “Where Do We Live? Research by a Seasonal Resident of Burnt Store Road, Florida”.
I had never published or written a book before, though I had written extensively for technical journals and contributed material for business books. In addition, most of my business experience was in Canada, not the USA. The findings of my research would be most relevant to readers in Florida, and in reality, probably only within 25 miles of where I spend the winter. I’m also quite independent and of Scottish heritage, so decided that I would try to have the book published and promoted without spending any money on the project. For the eBook version, I can safely say that I was almost entirely successful. For the print edition, printing costs could of course not be avoided.
I had estimated an eBook potential readership of 250 to 500, dependent very much on price point. For the print version, my estimates were 100 to 250, again dependent upon pricing. Developing production, distribution and marketing strategies which would generate maximum revenue for the charities, given the constraints of these minimal readership estimates, became my goal.
The eBook – Strategy #1:
Having made the decision to not expend funds on professionals in the book production process, and stay within my technical comfort zone, I wrote the book using MS Word which I am quite familiar with. I also have a good support network for this word processing software. I generated a PDF eBook from within that software which was readable on all commercial eReaders. I have since learned of word processing software such as Atlantis which might have made the generation of MOBI or ePUB versions relatively easy, but that came too late, and would have involved a steeper learning curve.
I built a free WordPress website to promote the eBook and surprisingly, was able to acquire the book name web address I desired (www.wheredowelive.com). A free WordPress app called Easy Digital Downloads was installed to manage the download process. It was at this point that I had to confront the eBook pricing decision. Having studied Economics fifty years ago, and with a vague recollection of the principles of the Demand Curve, I felt ready for this challenge. I also needed to factor in the “friction” costs which apply to a micro payment such as a book download. There is also Florida sales tax to be considered as, unlike many large eCommerce sites which I could name, I felt a social and legal responsibility to collect and remit sales tax. The payment gateways all have pricing strategies which conspire against micro-payments. PayPal requires $0.30 per transaction plus, for charities, a discounted 2.2% of the sale price. This amounts to about 5% on a $10.00 download and 8% on a $5.00 download. If I were to get the book posted on an eCommerce site the commission costs would balloon much higher.
I consulted my Ouija Board and figured that at $10.00 I might get 150 downloads generating net revenue of just over $1,300. At $5.00 I might sell 300 for net revenue of, coincidentally, about $1,300. In the end I decided to avoid all of the hassles of managing micro-payments and remitting sales tax. I decided upon a free download and inserted a Donation Form on the website and at the end of the eBook which solicited donations for the local charities.
A series of presentations, based upon the research in the book, were arranged with local history societies, home owners associations, the local university continuous learning program and various other groups. Local journalists wrote positive reviews in community newsletters and newspapers. A small fee of $5.00 was charged for several of the book launch events, with proceeds to the sponsoring organizations.
After one year of availability, 750 downloads have been initiated and donations, quite coincidentally, of about $1,300 were received from approximately 30 of those readers. I must confess to being a little disappointed that less than 5% of readers donated. More on this later!
For this initial free eBook I applied for and received a no cost Canadian ISBN based on my summer permanent address and published the book personally.
Print Copy – Strategy #2:
Given that many of the potential readers of the book are older retirees and not necessarily comfortable with eBook technology, demand for a print version emerged as the buzz about the book grew in the community. The book is filled with graphics, images and maps so an early decision was made that a paperback book would have to be digitally printed in high resolution color, which triples the cost compared to a similar format black and white print edition.
As with the eBook, the Demand Curve was consulted to assess possible pricing options and print run considerations. Six quotes were solicited and a printer selected. At a 250 copy print run, the best price, including shipping, which we could find was $18.00. Doubling the print run reduced the unit cost by about $2.00 per copy. Local book sellers suggested a $25.00 maximum cover price which, after sales commission, would result in no margin left for the charity. As this was not a vanity book project, but a fund raising effort, a decision was made to go with a price of $35.00 and develop a robust direct distribution approach to supplement the local book stores channel.
For a number of good reasons, a different publishing strategy had to be devised for the print version. It was important to me that this edition be published by a U.S. resident entity, have a U.S. ISBN, and therefore be eligible to be considered for a Library of Congress number. All of these objectives were achieved by granting the rights to the book to a local community not for profit – the Burnt Store-PPYC Charitable Boating Foundation – whose charter and mission fit well with the book’s themes and content. The charity was a 501(c)(3) public charity and had a Florida Solicitation of Funds registration number (CH45066). A huge advantage of this approach was that I knew all of the directors of the charity well and could easily work with them to ensure that all technical and regulatory requirements were met. I helped them obtain a Florida Resale Certificate for Sales Tax and Lee County Local Business Receipt and handled all book-keeping relating to the book for them. I had seriously considered working with a local history society as publisher, but that would have slowed the production process considerably and required that I cede a certain amount of editorial control. The approach selected worked wonderfully. Only three months were required from the initial acceptance of the proposal by the charity to the delivery of the printed books. The charity also received a Bowker U.S. ISBN (978-0-692-78351-1) and a Library of Congress Control Number (2016915567) for inclusion in the book.
I’m pleased to report that in the first year virtually all of the 250 books printed were sold (roughly 140 direct and 110 through the local book stores) generating an excess of revenue over expense of well over $3,000 for the charity. Decisions about a second print now loomed.
Revised eBook – Strategy #3:
As noted earlier, the free eBook distribution strategy was very successful in encouraging 750 people to download the book in the first year. What is harder to gage is how many “readers” this approach generated. If you are like me, you likely have eReaders and computer hard disks littered with many downloads which you have not yet read, particularly those which were obtained for free. While several of the donations by eBook readers were very generous, I spent a lot of time thinking about the ratio of 30 donations to 750 downloads. Was there a way I could encourage additional charitable giving from this installed base, which had provided their email addresses as part of the download process?
The charity was approached and asked if they would be interested in publishing a revised version of the eBook. This edition would have additional material not available to those who downloaded during the first few months of eBook availability, though it was still essentially the same book. Emails would be sent to the installed base making them aware that a revised version was available for download, and that by doing so, they would be making a contribution to the local not for profit organization. A facility for additional donations would also be included. Again the pricing decision loomed. A download fee of $9.50 was chosen which, after PayPal’s cut and Florida Sales Tax, would produce net proceeds to the charity of $8.42. A decision was made to not pay for a new ISBN as this edition would only be available through the book’s website. Payment processing was outsourced to the PayPal site and distribution of the eBook was delegated to a third party specialist processor. Modest eBook sales are now being fulfilled through the website (www.wheredowelive.com) at minimal cost to the Foundation.
Revised Print Copy – Strategy #4:
Once it became apparent that the initial print run was quickly selling out, a board meeting of the Burnt Store-PPYC Charitable Boating Foundation was convened to discuss, among other matters, the future of the book. Several directors suggested that we consider publishing the Second Edition in black and white to reduce the per unit print cost, thereby allowing for a lower retail price. Print quotes were solicited and a Tampa Bay, Florida printer was selected. Just in time to meet the increase in winter season demand for the book, 220 copies of the Second Edition were delivered in January 2018. The Second Edition had a considerable amount of new and updated material and sells at retail for $25. Contribution margins are at least as strong as they were with the First Edition, thereby producing a regular flow of funds to the Foundation to support its charitable work.
[Update – A Third Edition print run of 200 copies was delivered in January 2023 and as of March 2024 is close to sold out. A significant re-write will be prepared during the summer of 2024 for November publication of the Fourth Edition.]
Summary:
Close to eight years after the initial release of the eBook version of Where Do We Live? I think it is safe to suggest that this “experiment in philanthropic book publishing” has been a success. Well over 1,500 copies of the book are in circulation in eBook and Print editions and well over $10,000 of net proceeds have been raised for the various charities supported. I have learned a fantastic amount about the book production, publishing and distribution industry and have had an opportunity to meet many fascinating people who share my passion and interest for the history and geography of the Burnt Store area. This approach is likely not a template for a significant number of other writers as it did require a tremendous amount of research into the minutiae of the book publishing process, as well as the technical details of copy layout and design. Fortunately, I had the curiosity and time (I am a retiree after all) to see this experiment through to its successful conclusion. The support of the Burnt Store-PPYC Charitable Boating Foundation directors and all of the other volunteer contributors and proof-readers was also both gratifying and essential to this result.
In 2023 I applied similar principles for the publication of a history book about Fonthill, Ontario engaging The Pelham Historical Society as the publisher. That book, The Land at the Crest of the Hill: Clues to Niagara History from Upper Fonthill has sold over 350 copies in its first five months. A Third Edition print run was delivered in March 2024. See press coverage at the following link.
December 27, 2017 (updated January 2022 and March 2024)