Self-Publishing: Vervante vs CreateSpace
As a followup to my podcast episode on how to publish spiral bound workbooks, Vervante has offered to share some insight in this guest post on the royalties you can make when publishing paperback bound books through Vervante vs Createspace.
Customization
Vervante:
- Sample kits: If you’re undecided on the exact specifications for your book, you can order from a variety of sample kits that will provide tangible products to guide your imagination.
- Full service, all-inclusive graphic design and formatting: Customized to fit your needs with a direct quote provided that fits your exact project
- Wide range of productsthat go great with your book: CDs, DVDs, bookmarks, posters, card decks, postcards, info products, newsletters, and more – and can all be used for marketing, promotion, or to add value to your book.
- Hard Cover AND Paperback options
- Custom sizes: You are not limited in the dimensions of your book – Vervante can create a custom-size book for you, any size from 8.5×11 or smaller.
CreateSpace:
- No publishing sample kits
- Graphic design and formatting services need to be pieced together a la carte from a complicated menu, paid for each service separately, in a mounting bill.
- Paperback printing only
- Limited marketing materials
- Limited flexibility on book sizes. If printing anything other than what is considered industry standard (6 x 9), product pricing increases.
Profitability
Vervante:
- We can list your book or eBook online via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Baker and Taylor, Kindle, Nook, and the Vervante Bookstore.
- Nothing hidden: Comprehensive online access to reports, orders, tracking & more
- Printing costs based on product specs (NOT on retail price) and include production, packaging and fulfillment. We don’t add handling fees or markup postage.
- 200+: Number of countries and territories we can ship to around the world
- ISBN: For one low price, $35, you can have your own ISBN.
- Copyright and LCCN done-for-you service.
- No need to order large amounts of books printed and sent to you. Our print-on-demand services mean you only order what you want, when you want it, and we’ll send it directly to you or your customer for the same price.
- More money returns to you. Check out the chart below to see how royalties include lower print costs, lower fees, and result in bigger returns to the author.
CreateSpace:
- Standard sales package offers ONLY Amazon.com, Amazon Europe and CreateSpace eStore sales channel.
- Must pay more AND meet certain eligibility requirements to sell through other retail outlets.
- May be printed by third party manufacturers that don’t guarantee continuity in paper thickness, quality, color, etc.
- Distribution: Custom sizes don’t fall under the ‘industry standard’ category and therefore are limited where distribution is concerned.
- CreateSpace offers discounted printing cost-per-book prices when you place orders for your own title to be shipped directly to you. While this may be an initial cost saving, you are then responsible for storing, sales, processing, packaging and shipping of your book to customers.
- Less money returns to you. Check out the chart on the next page to see how royalties include higher print costs, higher fees, and result in less returns to the author. Sales outside of Amazon incur even higher sales channel deductions, lowering royalties even further.
Example book
200 pages printed black & white, 6×9 – no bleed
Perfect-bound with a full color printed cover
Author determined list price of $14.95
| Total Vervante Cost Per Book | $ 5.93 |
| CreateSpace Cost Per Book[1] | |||
| Fixed Cost Per Page | $ 0.01 | 200 pages | $ 2.40 |
| Fixed Cost Per Book | $ 0.85 | $ 0.85 | |
| 40% Amazon Commission Per Book | 40% | $14.95 | $ 5.98 |
| Total CreateSpace Cost Per Book | $ 9.23 |
Additional profit per book with Vervante $3.30
About Vervante
Vervante offers on-demand publishing and distribution for Books, CDs, DVDs, information products, cards, calendars and more using state of the art technology, custom graphic design services, and project support every step of the way. To request a quote for publishing your book or any of our products, please email customerservice@vervante.com. You can also download a free copy of the expert guide “The Top 3 Products You Can Create That Will Attract Clients, Increase Income, and Help Your Business Achieve Next-Level Success” on their website at www.vervante.com.
[1]** All information about CreateSpace book publishing services researched and quoted from www.createspace.com and current as of Feb 1, 2016. Cost per book rates determined using CreateSpace royalty calculator.
As an author who has also used Vervante for printing my books, I can attest that Shelley is right – Vervante is the real deal. I love working with them – so professional, entrepreneurial and the owner of the company, Cindy Tyler is a gem!
Publishing a book is actually a very good idea as you have mentioned in this article. There are many advantages of self-publishing a book. I will definitely keep all the points that you have shared in this article in mind while publishing my own book.
I’m glad you found it helpful!