Why You Should be Selling Books Directly to Your Readers with Dave Sheets

If I'm Being Honest: Straight Talk About Book Publishing & Promotion · Apr 10, 2026 · 37m · transcript

Print-on-demand made self-publishing feel instant, but “instant” is not the same as “best.” We sit down with Dave Sheets, a 30-year book industry pro and the founder of Indie Author Book Services, to get honest about what actually changes when an author moves from print on demand to short-run or offset printing. We dig into the real-world differences that matter: unit cost, profit margin, and the kind of print quality problems that can quietly wreck a reader’s trust.

Then we zoom out to the bigger play: distribution and ownership. If every sale runs through Amazon, you may gain reach, but you…