For a Caribbean author, getting a book published is only half the journey. The bigger question is: how will readers find it?
A Jamaican author might have readers in Kingston, London and Toronto. A Trinidadian poet could have an audience across the region and in the diaspora. A children’s author in Barbados may want their books in local schools while also reaching Caribbean families overseas.
So when it comes to choosing between print and eBooks, the decision is about more than format. It is about reach, cost, accessibility and where your readers are.
The Power of Print
There is still something so special about the experience of reading a physical book.
Think about a signed poetry collection at a Port of Spain book launch, a novel displayed at Calabash Literary Festival in Jamaica, or a children’s book picked up by a parent in a local bookstore in Dominica. Print gives books a physical presence and creates opportunities for readers to connect with the author and their work.
For certain genres, that physical experience can be especially important. Art books, cookbooks, children’s books, poetry collections and books celebrating Caribbean heritage can all benefit from being seen, touched and shared.
But printing your publication comes with several logistics.
Printing requires an upfront investment, and then there is storage, distribution and shipping to all be considered. For a Caribbean author, getting books from Kingston to Montego Bay is one thing. Getting them from Trinidad to Jamaica to Guyana or the United Kingdom is another thing.
Printing too many copies can leave an emerging author with boxes of unsold books. Printing too few can mean missing opportunities when demand suddenly picks up.
The Reach of eBooks
This is where digital publishing has a clear advantage: geography becomes less of a barrier.
An eBook can be distributed regionally and internationally almost instantly. There are no boxes to ship, no inventory to store and no need for a reader overseas to wait for their copy to arrive.
For an emerging Caribbean author, that reach can be significant. Your potential audiences are not limited to the island where you live. Caribbean communities across the diaspora and beyond are also potential readers.
An eBook can therefore provide a relatively accessible way to test international interest without immediately investing in a large print run.
But digital publishing is not a shortcut.
A book still needs professional editing, an appealing cover, good formatting and, most importantly, marketing. Being available online does not automatically mean readers will discover it.
So, Which One Works Best?
Maybe the point is, you don’t have to choose.
For many Caribbean authors, a hybrid approach could offer the best of both worlds.
An author could release an eBook to reach readers across the region and diaspora while producing a smaller print run for bookstores, schools, literary festivals and book launches.
You could even start digitally, see where your readership develops, and use that information to guide your investment in print.
The best format isn’t necessarily one or the other.
It is the format- or combination of formats- that makes it easiest for your readers to find your story.
Caribbean stories have never stayed in one place. They travel across islands, oceans and generations. Our books should be able to travel just as far.
Books by Latoyaa Roberts 