1. SapereAude

    SapereAude Contributor Contributor

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    What goes in a 2-volume set?

    Discussion in 'Self-Publishing' started by SapereAude, Jul 10, 2022.

    I am revising a large-ish non-fiction book to add some newly-developed material. In the original edition, in order to stay within the maximum page count allowed by Amazon KDP (print-on-demand), I had to omit appendices from several documents that were reproduced in full. The new documents run to about 250 pages and there's nothing I can omit to remain under the page count limit, so I'm now looking at a 2-volume set.

    The good part is that this will allow me to restore to appendices that were cut from the first edition, so "'tis an ill wind that blows no one any good."

    The original edition had a foreword, a preface, and an introduction. The new edition will add a preface to the second edition.

    Question: Other than a table of contents specific to the second volume, should any parts of the front matter be included in Volume 2 in addition to being in Volume 1?

    Qualifier: Although ideally I would sell both volumes as a set, neither Amazon KDP nor Barnes & Noble Press make that possible. That means I have to sell each volume as a free-standing book, and just rely on verbiage in the description to try to get people to buy both volumes.
     
  2. Rad Scribbler

    Rad Scribbler Faber est suae quisque fortunae Contributor

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    In the first volume you could make reference to what is covered in the second volume thereby kindling the interest of the reader.
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2022
  3. SapereAude

    SapereAude Contributor Contributor

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    That would seem to be more appropriate to a series, in which each book could stand on its own. This isn't a series -- it's a single work that's too big to be printed in one volume. It's a set, not a series.
     
  4. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    Sure, but you want to sell the other one too, right?
     
  5. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    As far as amazon are concerned its a series... you can't describe it as a two volume set unless its two volumes in a set as a single item - which you can't do as print on demand.

    I still say your best bet would be to pay an editor to reduce your word count to single volume maximum... but as you don't want to go that route, your best bet would be to rewrite it into an actual series part 1, part 2 etc
     
  6. SapereAude

    SapereAude Contributor Contributor

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    The books are a compendium of historic documents, each with a brief introduction by your humble servant. If I were to remove my contributions entirely, I would still be left with well over 1,000 pages.
     
  7. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    so either abridge the historic documents, or quote parts of them... and provide links where the reader can read the whole thing if they really must... the chances of many readers wanting to read every document in their entirety are slim. Or include fewer documents in the book This is what i mean about using a good editor

    that aside if you really must have every document in its entirety for whatever reason, this is a clear case for a series... divide your historic documents up by topic or by age and embrace their being a series (again with the services of a decent editor to help with the structure)

    sales will do a lot better with a series written to be a series than with a series thats really one book cut into two volumes
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2022

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