Seems like that’s what adulthood (ick) is all about, right? Questions that you don’t really have an answer for. At least, that’s what a blog is for, anyway. So my current conundrum is book copies. I have 25 copies left of the original print run of Returning the Favor, which I’m pretty happy about. I’ve given a bunch away as Christmas gifts, given a few away in trade at book shows, and sold enough to recoup about 75% of the total printing and ISBN registration costs. I have one reading scheduled for April, and not a lot else in the way of readings coming up. Since I don’t sell more than five or so copies of the book per reading, I think I’m good for a while, but I don’t know how many copies I should keep on hand. What do you guys think? Does anybody out there have any idea how many copies of a book I should keep around? Lulu does a pretty good job of filling orders quickly, so it’s not like I can’t go out and get more with two weeks’ notice.
And while you’re giving me the benefit of your countless wisdom, my poem Deployed has been published over at Camroc Press Review. Check it out. The whole publishing thing is kinda funny. When I first started this escapade, I vaguely dreamed that if I could write one poem per week and maybe in my wildest dreams get one published each month, then I’d have 52 poems and 12 publications under my belt at the end of a year. So far this year I’ve had four poems accepted in the first five weeks of the year, and I’ve churned out way more than one poem per week. So I’m really happy with how that’s going, now I need to see where, if anywhere, it takes me.
It’s a nice problem to have. Gee-when you become the next Pat Conroy I might even claim you as my brother-in-law-just kiddin-since you’re a younger version of my husband and best friend, it’s sorta hard to disown you. I don’t know anything about publishing-how expensive is it to have more publish at a time? I’m assuming you won’t have the isbn cost, or maybe the initial publishing cost, so how many more do you need to sell to get at a break even and become for profit? Also, did you get the e-mail at for Books On Main that I sent you? They do about 4 or 5 book readings/signings a year.
Make sure there is a signed copy for me at Mastodon.
-DrC
With my first chapbook, for the slight discount, i have ordered 20 copies at a time but i don’t order more until i’m down to about 10. especially after the first year that the book has been out. i’d say once you get down to 10 order a few more 🙂
congrats on the subs and acceptances! and the new writing. sounds like you have a good handle on where to send your work. i still try a lot of top tier journals i get a LOT of rejection..