Color vs. B&W Paperback Version

[TromboneAl]

I'm almost done preparing the paperback version of my book, Drive, Ride, Repeat.

If I do it in color, each book will cost me about $11, if in black and white, about $3. I would charge about $2 above the cost.

Advantages of color:

1. It would be more fun, look better.
2. Not many people are going to buy the paperback version anyway (I've only sold two of my first book in paperback in three months).
3. Customers would see the Kindle version as more of a bargain

Advantages of B&W:

1. I would sell more
2. The readers can always see the color pictures on the blog
3. It will cost me more to give away books, or have them as prizes

I think I'll go with color.

Any thoughts?

 

[Walt34]

Casting aside any economic considerations....

I'd go with color, just because I'm 64 and B&W seems so 1950's to me. People see the world in color.

That said, I had no idea the cost of color was still that high.

 

[Ready]

Does anyone buy paper books any more? I thought the world was moving to Kindles and tablets for book reading.

 

[ERD50]

I'm assuming these are 'print on demand'? Why not offer both?

-ERD50

 

[TromboneAl]

Yes, Print on Demand,and it works smoothly. No upfront costs at all. createspace.com

 

[kcowan]

I would think you would make more money by offering only the BW version. Not a big deal but why not take the money? Like you say, there is always the blog for people wanting to enjoy the picture in color. And there are many more pictures there anyway.

 

[ERD50]

Casting aside any economic considerations....

I'd go with color, just because I'm 64 and B&W seems so 1950's to me. People see the world in color.

That said, I had no idea the cost of color was still that high.

Reminds me of those old books that only had pictures and charts and drawings in the center of the book ("Plate 1", etc). I guess they didn't have the technology to intersperse them among the text, or it cost more to do so.

-ERD50

 

[TromboneAl]

Reminds me of those old books that only had pictures and charts and drawings in the center of the book ("Plate 1", etc). I guess they didn't have the technology to intersperse them among the text, or it cost more to do so.

-ERD50

Yes, and I've seen some people still do it that way.

----------------

I would think you would make more money by offering only the BW version. Not a big deal but why not take the money? Like you say, there is always the blog for people wanting to enjoy the picture in color. And there are many more pictures there anyway.

Yeah, that makes sense. Now I'm on the fence again.

I wonder if it would make sense to do both a color and B&W version.

 

[Chuckanut]

There are lots of reasons to get a printed copy of a book. For starters they work even if dropped on concrete from 10 feet! Flipping through a guide or reference book is a favorite past time of mine.

 

[donheff]

I'm waiting for your first thriller Al. You can make that black and white.

 

[TromboneAl]

I went with B&W.

I've started my scifi thriller, but then I had a great idea for a book that I can write in a few weeks or less, so the thriller is on hold.

 

[braumeister]

I want the pop-up book version that uses holograms.