BookBaby Review Read This First (+ Promo Codes!)

BookBaby Review Read This First (+ Promo Codes!) BookBaby Review: Read This First (Plus Promo Codes!) If you’re planning to self-publish a book, you probably already know all the biggest names in the game: KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu, and of course, BookBaby. You can read about the pros and cons of each of these companies in the posts linked above, but this review will focus exclusively on the latter. We’ll first cover what BookBaby is and how to use it, then lead into the relative merits - and potential stumbling blocks - of using it to self-publish your book. BookBaby review: what you need to know in 2019 What is BookBaby?BookBaby is a platform for self-publishing authors that includes editing, design, and marketing services, as well as distribution packages for both ebooks and print books. Over the past couple years, it’s become one of the most high-profile print-on-demand (POD) companies for authors, and continues to be a popular choice in 2019.Five fast facts about BookBaby:Founded in 2011 in Portland, Oregon ☔President and CEO is Steven Spatz, who’s written two books on publishing ðŸ“â€"Approximately 8,000 users in 2018 (though not all have published a book) 👠ªDistributes through Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes Noble, and other major retailers in over 170 countries ðŸÅ'ŽHosts an annual Independent Authors Conference in Philadelphia, with workshops and panels from industry experts âÅ" Packages and servicesBookBaby offers a number of packages and individual services for self-publishing authors. We’ll break down the main ones for you here , but you can check out the full list on their website.â€Å"The Complete Self-Publishing Package† - $1,699BookBaby’s most popular package, according to the site. The Complete Self-Publishing Package includes cover design and formatting, ebook conversion, 25 print books, an ISBN number, worldwide distribution, a professional Facebook ad campaign, and a listing in the BookBaby online store (which allows you to sell directly to readers). Note that editing services are not included, however - nor any kind of discount if you wish to print more than 25 books, which is a serious drawback for authors printing in bulk.Printed Book Distribution - $299 + cost of bulk printing orderAlready have your manuscript and cover prepared? Then you’ll want to go with the printed book distribution package, which uses BookBaby’s POD service. This allows you to choose from various aesthetic options, order high-quality print copies, and sell your book all over the world.But ke ep in mind that the $299 charge is on top of your actual print order. For reference, 100 copies of a 300-page book will set you back $861 (and that’s without shipping!). Add the POD fee and your total comes to $1,160 for this particular package.So what does that $299 fetch you? The answer is distribution: again, BookBaby has an extensive distribution network, which includes every major retailer in the world. That said, you can get more bang for your buck from other POD services - like IngramSpark, which cuts out the distribution â€Å"middleman† that makes other platforms' fee so high. Basically, if you want to sell a large quantity of books, make sure you know your options.Ebook Conversion and Distribution - $249Alternatively, if you don’t want to print any books, you can opt for the ebook conversion and distribution package instead. Though BookBaby plays up its file conversion service and quality checks by â€Å"content conversion specialists,† youâ⠂¬â„¢re mainly paying for the distribution once again: as with the print package, your ebook will be sold in 60+ stores in over 170 countries.Copy and Line Editing - $7-10 per pageNow let’s talk individual services. For copy editing, BookBaby charges $7/page, while line editing is $10/page. Putting that in perspective, a copy edit for a 300-page book would be $2,100, and a line edit would be $3,000 - slightly higher than the average Reedsy estimates. Their site does promise rapid turnaround times at these prices: 8-10 business days for a full line edit, and just 6-8 days for a line edit. However, keep in mind that speed doesn’t necessarily beget quality, especially when it comes to editing.Book Cover Design - $399-549BookBaby also touts its cover design services, which come in two modes: â€Å"Basic† and â€Å"Deluxe.† The Basic design package costs $399 and includes, well, a basic cover design - a single, central image with fairly standard text. The Deluxe package, on the other hand, involves more sophisticated imagery and text for the higher price of $549. You can see the difference between the Basic and Deluxe options in the images below. So what’s the bottom line?BookBaby is a good option for authors who:  Want an easy-to-use interface and a bit of hand-holding through the process;Don’t mind paying a high price for bulk orders + distribution; and/orOnly want to print a small quantity of books.BookBaby is not a good option for authors who:Plan to print and distribute more than 25 books;Want to self-publish and distribute an ebook; and/orRequire additional services such as editing, typesetting, marketing, etc. - you can find a better deal elsewhere.BookBaby promo codesBookBaby might be tough on your wallet, but if you’re sold on their POD service, then you’re in luck! Here are two promo codes you can use to save on bulk orders, PLUS a coupon for free shipping. However you choose to publish, we hope the final product looks fantastic. 💠¯Enter the code SAVE100 at checkout to save $100 on 100 books or more.Enter the code PUBLISH100 at checkout to save $500 on 500 books or more.Finally, enter the code FREESHIPBB for free shipping on 25 books or more.Got any more questions about BookBaby? Feel free to leave them in the comments!