PRINT COST AND PRICE CHECKS
Gathering up production costs* for the English language edition of ‘Games With Me‘. I can’t use SIPS because they don’t do print-on-purchase, and I’m not looking to keep a stock of books in my house [100 at a time is plenty--their minimum is 500]; and KA-Blam is a no go, they will not print sexual intercourse of any kind…even if it’s non-explicit [especially if it's GAY!].
UPDATE: I am aware that createspace has a 100MG cap limit on its .pdf file sizes. You can illustrate and tone your manga pages at 300 dpi or lower [eek] in order to make that cap [like I said, your quality will be on par with T-Pop and Viz mainstream releases].
As always, primary sales are through Amazon.com and some other minor online outlets, because that’s where the majority of gay ero comics fans buy their comics.
GAMES WITH ME: $12.99 [retail price]
6×9, 142 BW pages, color cover.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
COMIXPRESS: $5.67 per book.
-no color insert, 55% Amazon take [$7.14 of $12.99], 60% Diamond/Haven take [$7.80 of $12.99]
+good production values
As you can see, if I use Comixpress, their per book charge + Amazon’s take totals $12.81. That means we would earn .18 cents per book sold. >.> I wont even discuss the distributors take. =_=;
LULU: $4.63 per book.
-no color insert, 55% Amazon take [$7.14 of $12.99] 60% Diamond/Haven take [$7.80 of $12.99]
+semi-good production values, Digiket capable?
Using LuLu has only 1 advantage–I can make a digiket copy [eBook version of the manga] at an affordable price. However, I don’t think I like this because there’s no legit java-powered viewer with which to protect my files from file-sharers. I don’t want a digital version that’s a PDF download. Also, we earn only $1.22 per book sold through Amazon. >.>
CREATESPACE: $2.55
-no color insert, T-Pop print quality, 60% Diamond/Haven take [$7.80 of $12.99]
+40% Amazon take [$5.20 of $12.99]
This seems to be my best option. I’m all ready enrolled in their Pro Plan [have been since before they started it] and so the production costs are cheap–but the print quality is on par with your average Viz or T-Pop mainstream title. BL fans tend to want more quality; though thinner paper and semi-good printing haven’t hurt Kitty Media’s releases. Also, we’d make about $5.24 per book sold. ^_^
If I decide to sell to other distributors, they take 60% per book sold [Diamond, Haven, all of them!] so that $2.55 per book cost is still nice…dealing with a 60% distributor would still net us $2.64 per book sold. I wouldn’t be able to deal with outside distributors at all using ComixPress or LuLu– I’d lose money. 
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*for those writers who dare to ask, “why don’t you just submit it and get it published…” Be Quiet. You obviously have no idea what I’ve been through with niche publishers in the last 2 years; or you don’t understand the nature of the book itself and why no mainstream publisher will touch it. Or worse…you think that mainstream book publishers are actually interested in ORIGINAL graphic novel content–the truth is, they’re not. They want graphic novelists to adapt shit they allready own; they’re not interested in investing in your original ideas. Of course, it could also be down to you having no idea what gay erotic comics is all about and why the submissions market is non-existant for creators unwilling to sell their copyright. 
This book is pro-pubbed in Germany, my advance from that sale covers the English production [promotion, marketing, etc] so please…save your condescending blog suggestions about how POD is evil yada yada yada, just because I want to cut out the annoying middle-man. Thanks.
