Question about CreateSpace, Print or Kindle first?

Well, the big five prefer to release hardback first, before paperback or e-versions of a novel. Reasoning, higher price = higher profit.

But there are a variety of readers and they all like different types of books; hardback, mass market, paperback and e-books or audio books. Some will by the e-books and if they like it and want it for their bookshelf collection, they will also buy the hardback, or other print versions.

I guess I am saying one do you have to issue one version or the other separately. Why not release all versions at once, that way you appeal to a wider audience. Or something like that...

If you're self-publishing, your ebook sales are almost always going to be most of your sales. If you want to put just one out first, choose that. But there's really no reason to wait to put out the paper. Not only will that appeal to those who prefer to buy paper, it will make your ebook price look extra appealing on your book's page.

I did the print version first. In my case, I wanted to do a small print run in advance of the publication date. This way, if you want to do a giveaway on Goodreads, you'll have the paperback and people can add your book to their to-read list before the kindle version is available. Depending on how elaborate your marketing plan is, you can send the paperbooks out to the review sites who only accept physical copies in advance of the publication date. And you may have an easier time finding reviewers with a paperback available.

If you're only planning on sending out e-ARCs, then it doesn't really matter when the paperback is available. But as shellyo mentioned, if you have them both available for purchase at the same time, the e-book will be a lower-priced option compared to the paperback, and the buyer will have a choice.

I used Createspace first. It was then a snap to use KDP. For what it's worth I have sold roughly 70 times as many ebooks as paperbacks. For me Createspace is an afterthought, I only bother because a few readers specifically asked about getting a physical copy.

I did them both at the same time. CreateSpace is free, so I figured why not, it wasn't going to cost me anything, was low risk and I'd nothing to lose.

I also did both in the same time-frame. I think the e-book actually released a few days before print, but close enough.

For me it does not matter much. Both sell. I even had one reader tell me she buys both. (She read the ebook, then wanted a hardback on her shelf for when she re-reads it.)

One reason I do both at the same time is that I add graphics to each book: maps, photos, artwork. I want to be sure both offer essentially the same experience despite the format. Color images, for instance, must be converted to monochrome for some ebooks and for print books. My photo software gives me options that let me easily control that conversion.

Too, I’ve found that copyediting both lets me find some errors I skip when proofing the other format.