Writing a Pilates Book

Issue #433

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Part 2 by Eme Cole

Hello again! I am happy to return this week with the completion of my previous article about writing a Pilates book. If you haven’t yet, please read part 1 first so that you have a sequential understanding of my suggestions. Now that we have covered the process of composing a book, it is time to discuss how to publish and market it.

My research has found there to be two great options for online independent publishing. I use Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) by Amazon. It has a very user-friendly platform for uploading your book. It gives you options for paperback books, hardcover books, Kindle digital books, and audiobooks. Once you publish, you can view sales reports, the royalties are distributed directly to your bank account, and end-of-the-year tax information is calculated. It is also simple to edit and update your book, even after it is published. Regarding pricing and income, Amazon will list, print, and ship your books. Profit margin depends on book format, color versus black and white, and page length. For example, my most successful book: ‘Pilates Expanded Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair & Barrels Photo Encyclopedia’ is an 8.5×11” paperback book, has 362 color pages, and retails for $78. The print cost is $30 and my royalty income is $17. Amazon keeps the remainder. I can order as many author copies as I’d like to be delivered to me, to a bookstore, or to anyone else, at the $30 print cost. As another example, my newest book (debut fictional novel about a Pilates instructor who overcomes a mountain lion attack): ‘The Roaring’ is a 5×8” paperback book, has 208 black and white pages, and retails for $12. The print cost is $3.50 and my royalty income is $3.70. Hardcover books offer a smaller royalty as the print cost is higher. Kindle books offer a higher royalty as there is no print cost. Audiobooks offer a higher royalty, but you often have to split that royalty 50/50 with the actor whose vocals are used.

If you publish through Amazon KDP, that only qualifies you to sell through Amazon platforms. For me, I am very comfortable with my experience using Amazon over the past 19 years and choose to stay the course. However, there is another independent publishing platform that offers more versatility in distribution. IngramSpark has a comparable uploading process to KDP, but additionally allows you to distribute to Amazon, to bookstores like Barnes and Noble as well as Indie bookstores, plus to libraries. However, they have fewer formatting options (ie. book size) and they take a greater profit margin. I want to clarify the most important difference between KDP and IngramSpark: bookstores will want you to sell through IngramSpark because there they can order copies at a discounted rate. For example, I have my novel for sale at local bookstores where I live and if they want more copies of my book, they have to contact me to order copies from Amazon at my author rate. If I had an account with IngramSpark, bookstores could order directly from them at a discounted rate, allowing them a greater profit margin. Here’s the bottom line: if your book is primarily for Pilates professionals (like mine), it is probably too niche for brick-and-mortar bookstores. In this case, Amazon is a great choice and will render you the most favorable profit margin. If your book is more generally marketed to Pilates and fitness enthusiasts, go with IngramSpark because greater distribution channels will probably outweigh the lower profit margin.

Finally, there’s marketing. This is where your agent and publishing house would really earn their 95% cut. The book industry is so oversaturated that if you want anyone outside of your friend circle to purchase your book, you will have to make marketing your part-time job. My best-selling ‘Pilates Expanded’ book (mentioned above) has a ranking of #1,175,659 in all Amazon books and #428 in Pilates books. If I don’t find channels to market it, it will never show up in the search engine. However, if I post eye-catching photos and videos on social media, and a few people purchase it, and then a couple of them post an Amazon review, the algorithms start working in my favor and my book rises up in the search engine. However, you can’t just have one huge day of sales, and then a month of no sales, or your ranking will plummet again. You have to plan regular marketing campaigns so that the sales stay consistent. Of course, you can pay a professional to tend to your search engine optimization, and you can do paid advertising (pay-per-click) on social media, but that can cost upwards of $1,000 per month. For that much money, you better be anticipating a bestseller! I think your best bet is to start by asking everyone in your personal network to purchase your book and leave an honest review. Then I would move on to twice weekly social media posts (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube– wherever you have the most followers). Don’t forget about Pilates forums on Facebook, where there are a lot of great networking opportunities. If that doesn’t result in sales, next I would consider a controlled round of pay-per-click advertising on Amazon or Instagram. It simply depends on your ultimate goal for this endeavor.

The entire process took me one year for my Pilates manuals and two years for my novel. Fortunately, I thoroughly enjoy the endeavor of writing and publishing. Plus, I still prefer to hold (and make notes in) a physical book. I’ll keep doing this for those who feel the same. However, I understand that the process of writing and publishing a book can be overwhelming. For that, I am here to help. I offer virtual business consulting, during which I can walk you through the whole process. Please visit www.PilatesExpanded.com for more information.

Eme Cole earned a BS in Kinesiology, an MS in Exercise Physiology, and received her comprehensive Pilates certification from The PhysicalMind Institute in 2002. She owned a Pilates studio in Chicago for 12 years, during which she self-published 7 ‘Pilates Expanded’ manuals on Amazon. After selling her studio she moved to Colorado, became a certified Emergency Medical Technician, and invented/patented the ‘Pilates Unfold,’ which is a reformer and tower unit that folds up to the wall like a Murphy Bed. Eme recently opened a Pilates studio in Snowmass Colorado, serves on the Aspen Writers Network steering committee, and just published her first novel: ‘The Roaring.’ She can be contacted at www.PilatesExpanded.com.