Big thanks to Peter Blum, Founder of the forthcoming Woodstock Festival of Storytelling, for the heads up.

Idea Champions

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)

Ever since my new book came out 10 days ago, a bunch of aspiring authors have been asking me about the pros and cons of print-on-demand self-publishing.

If that describes YOUR interest, feel free to leave your name in the comments box below and I will forward you my soon-to-be-written story about that particular phenomenon. Many pros. Few cons.

In the meantime, just this morning, I experienced one very practical PRO in regard to self-publishing. Here it is: Since I always have a bunch of books in my house, it's quite common for friends and neighbors to buy them right off of my dining room table. Being my own retailer, you might say, has given me extra insight into the "worth" of my book.

Here's the math: The book sells for $18. The cost of printing a book is $4.00 (as long as I order more than 100). That means I earn a $14 profit for every book I sell myself. OK. Interesting. But not all THAT interesting -- that is, until I get to see how my $14 profit translates in the world.

Last night, for example, my good friend, Peter Blum, bought two books. That's a $36 expense for him and a $28 profit for me -- the cashola going straight into my wallet.

This morning, in a particularly "home improvement" mode, I went to my local hardware store and bought two roles of "weatherstrip and caulking caulk". That cost me $10.51. Then I went to Bread Alone, my local cafe, and had a soy latte, pumpkin muffin, and Daily News. Let's call that $7.25. Freshly caffeinated, I made the short trek over to my local pet store to buy Chili, my wonder dog, a few cans of healthy dog food. So there goes another $10.25.

So there you have it -- two books sold in exchange for keeping the Northeast winter chill out of my house, treating myself to some yummies, and feeding my dog for a day and a half.

This is just ONE reason why I enjoy the print-on-demand self-publishing route. It makes the life of a writer even more down to earth -- less like an "auteur" and more like a welder.

So...if you want to contribute to my ongoing experiment of earning my living via writing, all you need to do is click this Amazon link and decide whether or not you want the old-fashioned PAPERBACK version of my book or the download-to-the-device-of-your-choice KINDLE version.

One book purchased by you equals any of the following for me: a large chunk of parmesan cheese, six gallons of gas, seven days of internet service, 70% of my last parking ticket, a delicious lunch (with cervesa) in San Miguel de Allende, 9 seconds of my kids college tuition, and 14 one-dollar donations to various panhandlers on the street.

Excerpts from the book (scroll)
Storytelling at Work Facebook page
Storytelling at Work podcast (interview)
Idea Champions

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Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:51 PM | Comments (0)