Print, Digital, or Both: Where Should You Focus Your Publishing Efforts?

Business leaders have to overcome a lot of challenges on their journeys to becoming authorpreneurs. After they’ve written their business book, they face a dilemma: should they publish a printed book, a digital book, or both?

It’s not an easy question to answer, and the right choice is different for each author. Read on to learn how to weigh the options and make the best decision for your industry-changing business book.

Benefits of printing your business book

Even in the age of digital publishing, the word book conjures up an image of a hardcover or paperback for most people. Although it’s certainly not the only publishing option available to you, publishing your book in print offers several advantages for business authors who want to stand out as thought leaders. Here are a few benefits of print versus digital publishing:

• You can hand out copies at events. When you speak at a conference or an industry event, hold a book launch party, or visit clients, your business book is a great tangible giveaway that you can provide or sell to members of your target audience.
• People value personally signed books. Connecting with your audience throughout your book marketing campaign is crucial, and writing a personalized note in a physical copy of your book is a great way to build reader loyalty.
• Printed copies are ideal for interactive books. If you’ve written a business book that includes fillable worksheets or step-by-step guides, a printed copy your readers can scribble notes in might be more impactful and engaging than a digital copy.

If you’re not sure how many copies you’ll need or are concerned about an upfront investment, publishing a printed book also allows you the flexibility to print on demand. You’ll be able to order copies when you need or want them without making a large purchase at one time.

Before you decide if a print copy of your business book is the best approach for you, it’s important to also consider the advantages of releasing a digital version of your book.

Advantages of digital publishing

Many authorpreneurs opt for digital publishing instead of printing copies of their books because of these unique benefits:

• Eco-friendliness: Digital books come with less waste and a lower carbon footprint than hard copies, so digital printing appeals to business authors who take green initiatives in their companies and pride themselves on environmentally friendly efforts.
• Lower cost per copy: Your cost per book will vary depending on your online retailer, but usually ordering digital copies of your business book will cost less than printed versions.
• Wider visibility: Because you can send a digital copy of your book instantly to any location across the world—and because your digital book will be available for anyone to download at any time—digital publishing may enhance your reach.

Here’s one more benefit of digital publishing: It gives you the flexibility to publish an e-book, an audiobook, or both. However, to cater to a variety of reader demands and possibilities for a book release, many business authors choose to publish both print and digital versions of their titles.

When should you offer both print and digital publishing?

Is print or digital publishing right for you—or should you cast a wider net and consider pursuing both methods? Offering different versions of a book opens more doors for authors, so many business leaders choose to publish both print and digital versions of their titles. To help you determine if publishing in a variety of formats is right for you, just answer the following questions.

Are you concerned that choosing one format over another might limit your reach?

For business authors who want to broaden their visibility and strengthen their personal brand as thought leaders, publishing both print and digital copies of their books expands their market and audience. Readers also appreciate variety, especially when it makes life—and reading—more convenient for them. By offering a hard copy, an e-book, or an audiobook, you’re making your title that much more accessible to a larger group of people.

Can you leverage the work you’ve already done on multiple platforms?

You have an outstanding business book that’s gone through editing and is accompanied by a beautiful cover design. This means that most of the hard work is already done, so you might as well publish your new title on as many platforms as possible! This might involve professional assistance with formatting your book for various publishing mediums, but it’s a small investment compared to the ROI you’ll earn when you decide to publish both printed and digital copies of your book.

Elite Authors are the experts in print and digital publishing—and we can make your business book shine no matter the format!

The print versus digital debate will likely persist for years to come. The next step in your journey toward authorpreneurship is to determine what’s best for your unique business book. We’ll look at your manuscript through your audience’s lens to help you make the right decision and create a custom road map for success on your publishing and book marketing journey.

Ready to make publishing simple and lucrative? We’ll send you the next steps and a timeline to get your book out into the world and into readers hands.