Blurb nice product but very author unfriendly

The prices that they charge are so high, it is almost impossible to make any decent profit off your own book while they clean up on your sales. It’s hard to mark up your book to make a profit when they are already charging you very high prices. I like their product, I think they make a nice book but very author unfriendly for a business that relies on authors self publishing their works on blurb.com. They should offer real discounts to the authors of the books. 10% at 10 books is not close to other self publishing sites that offer 35% to 40%+ for author purchases.

My books are going to be given away on a national radio broadcast program that serves over 120 cities, I asked for some promo copies from them as they gain much more than I do from the advertising and push this station is giving me. But they refused to send any!! How much greed is enough?

Posted by
maccawings

May 16, 2011 9:20pm PDT

Permalink

If I read your profile right you have been with Blurb since 09. My guess is you have evaluated other POD sites and found the same thing that I have. Blurb is the best priced, highest quality POD program there is. If others could do it less expensively and maintain the quality … they would and we would all move to the new site. I have published here and I also have books that have been published thru traditional publishers where the first run is a few thousand books and they are printed in China at a cost of around $7.00 each (a $21,000 investment by the putlisher) and retail for $24.95 (Amazon for $20). The situation between traditional and POD is very different. You seem to want the benefits of traditional publishing but you don’t want to pay for them.

"How much Greed …?" is offensive to me … Why the bloody hell are you still here if this is such an unfair situation?

Posted by
Grubb

May 20, 2011 4:04pm PDT

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Don’t really care what you find offensive. I have my opinion as well, and that’s my honest opinion. It is a quality product but way over priced and when an author is making your company over $95 per book, a few promo copies to give away for advertising that you’re not paying for is not alot to ask. And many other POD do give author discounts and also sell them on amazon and other sites. Although I can’t speak of the quality of their product. I will be trying a different one the next one around. And yes, my true opinion is that if the company is making $95+ dollars a book that it surely costs much less for them to make the book. The book even before the author’s profit is way over priced!! Plain and Simple!

Posted by
maccawings

Jun 2, 2011 6:13pm PDT

Permalink

Didn’t mean to upset the applecart here and should have been less harsh, but I still disagree. My guess is that most of the books published here sell a few copies to friends and family but not much beyond that. Giving away a few copies of each book for promo purposes could and would be extensively abused. Maybe they should have a program where if a book sells a specific number of copies, promo books could be purchased by the author at a reduced rate.

I absolutley believe that supply and demand rules the universe. There is demand for POD programs like Blurb and supply and demand will determine the price of the product. I have compared the price of Blurb books to other PODs and find it very competitive with other companies and the highest quality for the price. I respect your opinion but also respectfully disagree (this time and should have in the last comment) I knew, and assume you did as well, what the terms were before I began making my books. I didn’t have to like them but I did make a choice to make my books here.

I apologize for the harshness of my previous comments but until someone can produce a similar quality product with a competitive price (not necessarily the price I think it should be) I will be here with Blurb.

Posted by
Grubb

Jun 3, 2011 9:26am PDT

Permalink

I think one cannot compare POD with other printing or bookmaking productions. In POD the single book always will be more expensive than a copy of a 2000 edition in offset.

As far as I know Blurb is offering bulk rates if the author is buying a certain number of books. They are also prepared to do special rates for certain editons as far as I know.

To consider Blurb as author unfriendly in general is not justified at all. Quite opposite. All I know is that POD companies like Blurb are an option for authors to do their own thing with the lowest possible entry costs into the bookmarket.

The only way to cut your costs per copy is to go for an edition with an offset printer, but then you have the full financial risk if your book does not sell or sell very slow.

Posted by
editionh

Jun 10, 2011 2:17am PDT

Permalink

My only complaint with Blurb is the high retail price. I understand the mechanics of POD but still…who can/will pay over $55.00 for a book nowadays when eBooks and print books on Amazon are so much cheaper. It makes the author look greedy. I think a price reduction would benefit Blurb with more orders as well as the author. I think Blurb makes excellent books but the high price is making me look elsewhere for a publisher.

Posted by
IanStIan

Aug 25, 2011 11:26pm PDT

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I don’t have an issue with the price since my book is a novel and the cost to me is $7.95. But what jacks up the price is tax and shipping, which adds almost another $10 to my price (if I buy 1 book)

Posted by
CoburnBooks

Aug 31, 2011 3:36pm PDT

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Blurb nice product but very author unfriendly

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Blurb nice product but very author unfriendly The prices that they charge are so high, it is almost impossible to make any decent profit off your own book while they clean up on your sales. It’s hard to mark up your book to make a profit when they are already charging you very high prices. I like their product, I think they make a nice book but very author unfriendly for a business that relies on authors self publishing their works on blurb.com. They should offer real discounts to the authors of the books. 10% at 10 books is not close to other self publishing sites that offer 35% to 40%+ for author purchases. My books are going to be given away on a national radio broadcast program that serves over 120 cities, I asked for some promo copies from them as they gain much more than I do from the advertising and push this station is giving me. But they refused to send any!! How much greed is enough?	Posted by maccawings May 16, 2011 9:20pm PDT Permalink

If I read your profile right you have been with Blurb since 09. My guess is you have evaluated other POD sites and found the same thing that I have. Blurb is the best priced, highest quality POD program there is. If others could do it less expensively and maintain the quality … they would and we would all move to the new site. I have published here and I also have books that have been published thru traditional publishers where the first run is a few thousand books and they are printed in China at a cost of around $7.00 each (a $21,000 investment by the putlisher) and retail for $24.95 (Amazon for $20). The situation between traditional and POD is very different. You seem to want the benefits of traditional publishing but you don’t want to pay for them. "How much Greed …?" is offensive to me … Why the bloody hell are you still here if this is such an unfair situation?	Posted by Grubb May 20, 2011 4:04pm PDT Permalink

Don’t really care what you find offensive. I have my opinion as well, and that’s my honest opinion. It is a quality product but way over priced and when an author is making your company over $95 per book, a few promo copies to give away for advertising that you’re not paying for is not alot to ask. And many other POD do give author discounts and also sell them on amazon and other sites. Although I can’t speak of the quality of their product. I will be trying a different one the next one around. And yes, my true opinion is that if the company is making $95+ dollars a book that it surely costs much less for them to make the book. The book even before the author’s profit is way over priced!! Plain and Simple!	Posted by maccawings Jun 2, 2011 6:13pm PDT Permalink

Didn’t mean to upset the applecart here and should have been less harsh, but I still disagree. My guess is that most of the books published here sell a few copies to friends and family but not much beyond that. Giving away a few copies of each book for promo purposes could and would be extensively abused. Maybe they should have a program where if a book sells a specific number of copies, promo books could be purchased by the author at a reduced rate. I absolutley believe that supply and demand rules the universe. There is demand for POD programs like Blurb and supply and demand will determine the price of the product. I have compared the price of Blurb books to other PODs and find it very competitive with other companies and the highest quality for the price. I respect your opinion but also respectfully disagree (this time and should have in the last comment) I knew, and assume you did as well, what the terms were before I began making my books. I didn’t have to like them but I did make a choice to make my books here. I apologize for the harshness of my previous comments but until someone can produce a similar quality product with a competitive price (not necessarily the price I think it should be) I will be here with Blurb.	Posted by Grubb Jun 3, 2011 9:26am PDT Permalink

I think one cannot compare POD with other printing or bookmaking productions. In POD the single book always will be more expensive than a copy of a 2000 edition in offset. As far as I know Blurb is offering bulk rates if the author is buying a certain number of books. They are also prepared to do special rates for certain editons as far as I know. To consider Blurb as author unfriendly in general is not justified at all. Quite opposite. All I know is that POD companies like Blurb are an option for authors to do their own thing with the lowest possible entry costs into the bookmarket. The only way to cut your costs per copy is to go for an edition with an offset printer, but then you have the full financial risk if your book does not sell or sell very slow.	Posted by editionh Jun 10, 2011 2:17am PDT Permalink

My only complaint with Blurb is the high retail price. I understand the mechanics of POD but still…who can/will pay over $55.00 for a book nowadays when eBooks and print books on Amazon are so much cheaper. It makes the author look greedy. I think a price reduction would benefit Blurb with more orders as well as the author. I think Blurb makes excellent books but the high price is making me look elsewhere for a publisher.	Posted by IanStIan Aug 25, 2011 11:26pm PDT Permalink

I don’t have an issue with the price since my book is a novel and the cost to me is $7.95. But what jacks up the price is tax and shipping, which adds almost another $10 to my price (if I buy 1 book)	Posted by CoburnBooks Aug 31, 2011 3:36pm PDT Permalink