When you’re comparing your options for self-publishing, we get it - it can be difficult to look past the convenience of Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Working with Amazon does have its advantages for ease and distribution, but there are also reasons to work with real people, like the team at 48 Hour Books.
If you are someone who appreciates personal service, customization options, and quick turnarounds, Amazon might not be the right fit. In this post, we’ll walk through some key factors to keep in mind when considering Amazon Publishing vs. 48 Hour Books to help decide which option is right for you.
When you partner with 48 Hour Books for self-publishing and book printing, you’ll always work with a real person. If you reach out with questions or concerns, our team will get back to you right away and find personalized solutions for your needs. We can’t say the same for Amazon’s KDP process.
While Amazon has expanded its offerings in recent years, its customization options simply don’t compare to the cover, binding, size, and printing options we provide at 48 Hour Books. For example, have you seen our Diamond 3D covers? You can make a big impression and stand out on the shelf with elevated cover designs from 48 Hour Books. Please note, some upgrades such as ISBNs, file work, printed proofs, Diamond 3D covers, foil stamping, special coil, tabs, perforated pages, individual shrink wrapping, freight shipping, or other special requests, may increase production time.
This one is a tight race, but 48 Hour Books can turn around print-ready files in – you guessed it – 48 hours for paperback books. Amazon is quick too, estimating 72 hours for turnaround times. You should also consider the level of service you get in the shorter timeframe with 48 Hour Books. We pack a lot in a short window for an exceptional self-publishing experience.
When reading reviews and feedback from authors that have worked with 48 Hour Books and KDP, there’s an overwhelming sentiment of an upgrade in quality compared to Amazon. Authors like the additional options we offer, like Diamond 3D Printing, and consistently comment that our books are simply packaged better, limiting potential damage in transit. Others have compared the vividness of the color quality on covers, saying that 48 Hour Books delivered a better color match to their files.
Authors that print with Amazon sometimes encounter negative reviews based on the quality of their books. Readers may receive a book with poor binding and write a negative review. While the review has nothing to do with the book or content, printing errors could end up hurting sales and rankings on Amazon.
For these reasons, many authors have come to 48 Hour Books to print special edition copies of their books, trusting that the quality will be worthy of their loyal readers. You can read more testimonials and reviews to see for yourself!
At 48 Hour Books, we do not sell or distribute your books. We print your books and ship them to you so you can sell them through other retailers or on your personal website. If you’re looking for a self-publishing option that will list your books on an online marketplace and handle sales and fulfillment, Amazon may be the better choice.
Both Amazon and 48 Hour Books provide the publishing resources you need to print with ease, including formatting and design tools. The advantage comes in the depth of our resource library and the fact that we provide customer service specialists to support you along the way.
When you publish with Amazon, it is considered your exclusive publisher, and it owns your ISBN. That means if you want to sell on your own site or at signing events, you will have to purchase a different ISBN. It can start to feel like your book is not your own. With 48 Hour Books, you retain ownership of your ISBN.
Both Amazon and 48 Hour Books provide competitive pricing, but with Amazon, there are a few “hidden” costs to consider. Amazon charges royalties, so you need to factor in its fees when setting your book’s list price. Plus, Amazon can change your pricing without notice, depending on the performance of your listing. With 48 Hour Books, you control your price and keep the profits from your sales.
If you want to publish with 48 Hour Books, you can get instant pricing and place an order online. We require print-ready PDF files of your inside pages and cover, but we have design and formatting resources to help you prepare your files for printing.
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