The publish date of Mimic was a little over 4 months ago, and it’s been quite the ride! The book is selling well compared to my expectations, as I had hoped to sell 40 books across all platforms within the first year. The current count appears to be around 27 (I’m counting the 5 author copies I bought that were gifts), with the bulk of sales coming from Amazon. Time for some pretty pictures from each of my sources (Amazon on top, Ingram on the bottom):
This is a tragedy since Amazon is not really the best corporate/social steward, but a self-published author simply cannot survive without the Evil Empire that is Amazon. I mean, I get it. Why do you get it, Scott?
I’m glad you asked, other Scott.
First, and most primarily, people love them some easy shopping. Most people have an Amazon account already, and a single click and deliver a printed-on-demand book to their door in 3 – 5 days. You really can’t beat that from the logistical process that is reading. It would only be faster if it were in bookstores, and that is likely the Phase 2 of approaching Mimic.
Secondly, Ingram is primarily setup as a print house. It’s who all the bigger book companies use as the middleman, so the direct-to-consumer isn’t as lucrative or prioritized. Still, they support bookshop.org, which is a wonderful site that supports local bookstores with your purchases. If you want to buy a book, use bookshop.
Finally, Amazon offers higher commissions, plain and simple. The average profits I see from each print book from IngramSpark is around $1.75 per book on a $16.99 sales price. That isn’t hyperbole – that’s the ACTUAL reimbursement. Conversely, Amazon provides about $5.40 per printed book at the same price. So me telling you to shop at Bookshop is not in my best interests. It doesn’t make me the money that Amazon does. Social responsibility needs to come with a sacrifice, though, and buying from Bookstore essentially provides the delta (3 – 4 bucks PER BOOK) to local bookshops that are struggling in the wake of a dumbed down society.
Is there a way to increase my take-home? Yes, 100%. That’s by buying directly from Ingram (Buy Mimic). This puts the most money into my pocket and still has a 4 – 6 day turn to put something at your doorstep. However, you don’t get:
- Single click to buy from Amazon.
- The ability to financially support small bookshops.
- Free shipping.
But that’s the nuts and bolts of the economies of self-publishing, as I see so far. I don’t write to support myself or my family. Therefore, I want to be the source of social good that I can, 3 – 4 bucks at a time.
Otherwise? It’s about that marketing and about that grind. Books are a numbers game and you are required to launch a rocket to get anything going. You either need a lot of fuel (more books) or a lot of power behind the fuel you have (more marketing).
With a full-time job and a full-time family, I cannot do either at the moment. I’m 5,000 words into my next project, though! Once I’m happy with Part 1, I’ll post a sneak here. For all self-published authors, keep up that grind. It’s worth it, especially when people you love talk to you about how much they enjoyed your book. That’s why I do it. To share the chaos in my brain with other people so they can understand that I have a story to tell.
Stay safe, all.
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