Why publishers should convert all their print-ready books to eBooksNo Commentscomments

Publishers are sitting on valuable content. Assuming publishers have cleared distribution rights for the titles they own, we do not see any reason why publishers would not want to convert their assets to eBooks.

The logic behind our point-of-view is as follows. Let’s say converting an eBook costs $1,000 USD. Let’s say that a particular eBook title can be sold for $1.99 on the iBookstore. Since Apple collects 30% of each eBooks sale, publishers stand

to make $1.39 per book. With royalties between 8-15%, which is around $0.20 per book, publishers would still make at least $1.00 per book.

Based on the estimated revenue per book as stated above, the publisher needs to sell approximately 1,000 eBooks to cover the conversion cost of $1,000.

As of September 2011, Apple reported that 30 million iPads were sold worldwide.

The number of potential customers will only grow over time. Having an eBook for sale in a digital marketplace isn’t the same as selling a book in a traditional, physical marketplace. EBooks do not have a shelf-life, nor do they require reprints. Once it is available for sale, there are no additional costs to the publisher. Publishers should treat eBook conversion as their digital printer and without the risk of over estimating the number of prints, physical inventory and distribution costs and handling returns for credit.

Invogen understands the content and publishing value chain, and has been working with publishers since 2008 to develop digital strategies and provide cost-efficient solutions. We have developed a streamlined and cost-effective approach to converting print-ready books to eBooks for less than $1,000. Invogen has also been at the forefront of eBook conversion, and understands the intricacies of the task. We can turn around an eBook in less than two days to meet market expectations. Contact us if you have any questions about our Digital Publishing service offering.