Posts Tagged Box Set

Creating an EBook and Paperback Box Set – Part 2

In my previous blog post I talked about why indie authors should consider creating a box set of their works. In this post I’m going to look at the points to think about when obtaining a cover for a box set. My next post will look at creating the paperback using the new KDP paperback facility.

The EBook Box Set Cover

There are two types of box set cover – a 3D or a 2D design.

The 2D design is the same as a ‘normal’ flat, e-book cover. It might feature images of the original covers of the books within the set or a design indicating the overall concept or theme of the collection.

The 3D version shows the spines of all the books included in the set and emphasises the number of books and therefore the great value for money it offers.

However, the 3D image does not always reproduce well as a thumb nail image on e-book retailers’ websites. A recent Kobo promotion of box sets advised authors that books with a 2D cover would have a greater chance of inclusion within the promotion than those with a 3D cover.
In addition, 3D images do not convert easily to paperback covers. If there is to be a paperback version of the box set, stick with a 2D image.

There is a very good article on the Kobo Writing Life blog about box set cover design. Read it before ordering a cover.

I used cover designer, Debby Dale, on Fiverr for both the e-book and paperback covers of A Coffee Break Story Collection. I sent her the covers from the original three books and specifically asked they be used for a 2D design that could also be used on a paperback cover. She also supplied two 3D images (with and without reflection) in case I wanted to use them for publicity. All three covers are shown below so that you can see the difference and also how the design might impact the thumbnail image.

A Coffee Break Story collection box set

3D Image Without Reflection

3D Image With Reflection

2D Image

A Coffee Break Story Collection contains a bumper 36 stories and is available for Kindle and in paperback via Amazon and also on Kobo.

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Creating an EBook and Paperback Box Set – Part 1

One of the joys of self-publishing is the freedom to re-use published works to create a brand new product and attract a new readership.
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been re-using my three short story collections to produce a ‘box set’ containing a total of 36 short stories. Most people are familiar with DVD box sets. A book box set is similar – it is two or more books, previously sold separately, combined together and sold as a bumper, single ebook and/or paperback. This single volume generally offers the reader great value for money when compared to the individual selling prices of each standalone book.

In this blog post I’m going to talk about why creating a box set is a good idea. In my next post I’ll talk about procuring a box set book cover and in the third post in this series I’ll talk about using the new KDP paperback facility to create a print copy.

Why Create a Box Set?

  • To maximise revenue from individual books by repackaging them as a new product.
  • Binge consumption has become the norm with viewers lapping up complete series of TV shows in one sitting on Netflix and similar providers. Book consumption is heading the same way and therefore it makes sense to offer readers what they want.
  • Box sets offer good value to the customer (the box set price offers a good discount on the individual book prices) and may therefore sell in higher numbers.
  • Maximise revenue per customer. The sale of a box set brings in money ‘up front’ without relying on a customer returning to buy each individual book.
  • If the individual books in the set are relatively slim, as with many short story collections, bringing several together in a box set makes the production of a paperback version worthwhile. I’d had several requests for paperback versions of my short stories but felt I needed more content in order to make a paperback value for money for the reader.
  • On a more personal note, I’m trying to get away from an over-dependence on Amazon and had read that box sets sell well on the Kobo ereader.

The super-successful indie publisher Joanna Penn offers more detail on why box sets are a good idea on her blog, The Creative Penn.

A Coffee Break Story Collection is available on Amazon and Kobo and is half the price of buying the three individual story collections.

 

 

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