Tom's Book Publishing Blog

Still in doubt about producing an ebook?

2010-07-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

If you still have doubts about whether you should produce an ebook, make a note that ebook sales at amazon.com exceed print books. Read all about it here.

Help for the Self Published Book Seller

2010-06-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

I am back! My work on a State of Oregon grant is almost complete.

In case you had not heard, the state awarded a grant to the Business Development Center at COCC to stimulate economic activity in Central Oregon by increasing e-commerce. I was chosen to be the web site advisor on the project. It was a great opportunity to review and recommend changes to many sites operated by local small businesses.

One aspect that I wanted to pass on was that the Business Development Center at COCC is an incredible resource for the small business, to include book sellers. The free service includes advising on financial matters such as loan sources, grants, venture capital, etc., business plan development, legal structure for a business, etc.

Give the center a try if you are in Crook, Deschutes, or Jefferson County: 541-383-7290

Ebooks and EPUB

2010-03-05T08:33:00.000-08:00

"To ebook or not" continues to plague many self publishers. Most everyone agrees that ebooks are having a great impact on the book publishing industry. Aptara, an industry-oriented research company, conducted an extensive survey related to ebooks and book publishers in general. The following points, drawn from the survey, are of interest to the self publisher.

Most ebooks are distributed through the book owner's website.
Using an owner site results in the publisher missing major ebook distribution channels such as Amazon, Apple iTunes, etc.
Ebook reader-compatibility is the biggest challenge.

Related to the challenge is an industry-wide move toward using an ebook format known as EPUB. Placing one's ebook in that format means the book can be read by all/most ebook readers currently on the market.

If you are grappling with the issue of format for your ebook, check out EPUB. A free Microsoft Word-to-EPUB converter can be found here.

Ebook Sales and Reader Survey

2010-01-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

The following discussion from today's Publishers Lunch sheds more light on the whole "Should I have an ebook or not" question.

"The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) has released headline results from their first survey of Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading, conducted among approximately 550 people from Bowker's PubTrack Consumer panel who said they had purchased an ebook within the past year.

Computers were still the top e-reading "devices," cited by 47 percent of respondents, followed by the Kindle at 32 percent and other e-readers at 10 percent. "Roughly one-fifth of survey respondents said they've stopped purchasing print books within the past 12 months in favor of acquiring the e-book editions."

One question asked how, for a favorite author, consumers would behave if the ebook was not available when the hardcover is released. The responses seem to underscore general consumer confusion in this area (and the replies are guesses....) Thirty percent think they would wait for three months to buy the ebook; 24 percent would go ahead and buy the hardcover instead. Six percent expect they would buy both versions, and over a third weren't sure what they would do.

Not unsurprisingly, the top characteristic driving ebook purchases is "affordability," followed by "easy to download," "readability," "instant access to books," and "portability."

The survey will be repeated two more times this year, at three month intervals, to track changes in consumer attitudes, Angela Bole from the BISG and Kelly Gallagher from Bowker will present and discuss the findings at the Digital Book World conference later this month, and then again at TOC in February.

View the full media release: Release."

Good Deal on Manuscript Editing Software

2009-12-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

Last month's post dealt with manuscript editing and software programs, one of which was from WhiteSmoke.com. Well, I just received the following email from them. Sounds like a good deal and applies only to the first 2000 customers. If you miss the offer, try using the Live Chat function on their website to get a price less than the usual list price.

Dear WhiteSmoke member,Christmas is just around the corner...ARE YOU READY?Check what we've got for you today:EVERYTHNIG AT $25!!!WhiteSmoke is having its biggest sale ever - At such a ridiculous price, no one will be left deprived this year...See what you can get for only $25:* WhiteSmoke 2010 General Version* WhiteSmoke 2010 Business Version* WhiteSmoke 2010 Creative Version* WhiteSmoke 2010 Bio-Tech Version* WhiteSmoke 2010 Multi-lingual Dictionary* WhiteSmoke 2010 English Video Tutorials.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------What are you waiting for? Get yourself a copy, order one for your wife, let your kids try the Video Tutorials -Our new WhiteSmoke 2010 English writing software will make sure your writing is perfect, every time you write, anywhere you write it...Start 2010 with the perfect gift for yourself or loved ones - and make sure you get it at the LOWEST PRICE EVER!!!

Manuscript Editing

2009-11-24T08:14:00.000-08:00

A recurring question in class revolves around the desire to have some editing help with the manuscript. Although a bit beyond what is discussed in our Self Publishing and Sell Your Book course, I set about looking at the question. Here is what I would suggest.

1. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of the grammar checker in your word processing program. Daniel Kies provides a comparison of the programs in his article, Evaluating Grammar Checkers.

2. Join a writers group such as the Central Oregon Writers Guild. They can offer suggestions on small portions of a manuscript and there will be a professional editor who you may hire.

3. There are a number of online editing products for checking the manuscript. A popular one is EssayRater. There is a free rater that will look at citations, contextual spelling, grammar, punctuation, style, and word choice. One will need to upgrade to a fee-based review to discover how to fix the problems. Its size limit is 20 pages.

4. A software program that resides on your computer is offered by WhiteSmoke. One can choose between different writing styles: general, business, creative, medical, and executive. It sells for $89.95 and can process one chapter at a time. It received endorsements for Yahoo, NBC, and CNN Business 2.0.

The Buzz: Create It With Social Media

2009-10-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

Today's topic is about creating a buzz. You may recall from class that we talked about creating word-of-mouth attention to your book by having people talk about any or all the following elements your book may contain:

Taboo subjects

Unusual aspects

Outrageous happenings

Hilarious moments

Remarkable feats

Secrets, kept and divulged

An additional means of creating a buzz is to use social networking sites such as FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.

Explore the possibilities in a free ebook written by John Jantsch. Titled Let's Talk: Social Media for Small Business. It is full of ideas and how-to information for the self publisher. Click here to download it.

By the way, I apologize for the long absence. I was caught up in moving--with all that entails.

Target and Book Sales

2009-07-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

A recent issue of the New York Times contained an article about the retail giant, Target and the large number of books the chain sells. Extracts from the article are offered here in a manner similar to the discussion about Costco book sales in the post of November 13, 2008.

Target apparently only purchases books from a large publishing houses; thus, self publishers need not apply. However, their experience offers insight into the books they select, their book reader's demographics, elements of the publishing process, and the genre of books that have proven to be good sellers.

In terms of book selection, the titles are usually written by women. The demographics of the book purchasers indicate that:

Most are women.
They have a median income of $60,000.
About one half have a college degree.
Some have children at home.

In terms of publishing, the books are:

Usually in the 6x9 format.
Paperback.
A special edition just for Target.
The author includes a letter addressed to the Target buyer.

Genre of the books tends to be limited to:

Diet books.
Children's picture books.
Young-adult novels.
Romance.

Read the entire article here.

In My Day

2009-06-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Members of the Self Publish and Sell Your Book class have produced another truly wonderful book!

Titled In My Day, it is authored by June Atsuko Martel along with husband Joe Martel and daughter, Sandy Beelmann. June accomplished the marvelous art work. Although designed as a children's book, it goes far beyond the usual story for young people.

The book is actually a cross-cultural comparison and chronicle of the parallel journey taken by June growing up in Japan and Joe, who came of age in the United States. The vivid recounting of their experiences offers the reader incredible insights into a youthful view of the early 1900s in Japan and rural America.

Autographed copies can be obtained from Sandy at (541) 604-0138 or sbeelmann@hotmail.com. Unsigned copies are available through Amazon.com or CreateSpace.com.

The Straight Poop on Pregnancy

2009-04-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that there were really funny aspects to pregnancy? Well, Natalie Kimmel not only has lived through them, she shares them with us in her new book, The Straight Poop on Pregnancy. Designed to be a memento of the condition, the self published book contains witty dialog and humorous color illustrations.

Natalie accomplished all the narrative and art work herself. An interesting twist was to offer a gift pack version of the book that consist of a onesie (a cute, environmentally-safe garment for the baby), the book itself, and comes gift wrapped. The saddle stitched volume retails for $12.95 and the gift pack for $24.95.

Natalie is eager to share her self publishing experiences with us. She can be reached through her blog.

The Central Oregon Writers Guild

2009-03-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

If you would like to participate in a writers group, need help with writing, or are generally interested in networking with other local authors, then the Central Oregon Writers Guild is for you!

The group, formerly the Redmond Writers, offers programs featuring topics related to self publishing, writing contests, conferences, etc. Attendance at their meetings is open to the public and free.

More information? Visit the Central Oregon Writers Guild website.

Saving Money While Printing Draft Copies

2009-02-22T09:06:00.000-08:00

Printing drafts of the manuscript requires a lot of ink and resources. If interested in saving as much as 20% of your ink and becoming more Green, continue reading.

The February, 2009, issue of the Sunriver Scene contained an article titled “Less is More When it Comes to Fonts.” It focused on a relatively new font developed by Spranq Web Design called Ecofont. Although there have been several fonts that claim to save ink, Ecofont really does and it is also readable.

Ecofont is san serif, True Type, Open source, and free. For those who do not know much about fonts, focus on the word free. It works best with MS Office 2007, Open Office, and Apple Works. The savings is derived from the individual letters having holes in them. The holes represent the ink savings.

I have been using a font size of 14 to 10 pts and it is quite readable, even with my inexpensive printer set on draft copy. The image below shows the font at various sizes. Downloading the font is easy, particularly if you follow the directions. LOL.

Click here to download.

Instructions for installing the font can be found by clicking here.

Ebooks and Children

2009-01-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

Another article on ebooks appeared during the holidays. It was written by Alana Semuels for The Bulletin , appearing on 12/26/08. Titled, "In Digital Era, Kids Books are Jumping off the Page," it addressed ebooks for children.

The author points out that some of the advantages of a children's ebook are:
1. Low cost.
2. Youngsters have a familiarity with digital technology.
3. Ebooks provide greater interactivity.
4. Many digital devices can "read" the book out loud to the child.

Interestingly, the article cited research suggesting that children learn less when parents (emphasis added) read the ebook to them. I wonder if the same applies to the computer reading the book to them?

The article also provides two (of the many) publishers that offer children's ebooks. Check them out and see what the buzz is all about:

Harpercollins Children's Books
Speakaboos

Ebooks on the Up-swing

2008-12-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

An article in the New York Times on December 24, 2008 by Brad Stone and Motoko Rich has a number of interesting points that the self publisher needs to consider. Titled "Ebooks Start to Take Hold," the authors state:

Ebooks are gaining in popularity due to Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader. This prompts people to feel that the ebook has moved beyond the electronic gadget phase.
Increased number of sales outlets and promotion of the devices, to include the endorsement of Oprah Winfrey among others, accounts for wider acceptance. Hence, greater sales of ebooks themselves.
As many women as men are purchasing the device and ebooks.
Ebooks appeal to those who are heavy readers. This may be the result of an ebook's low price as compared to a print book.
Ebooks are already available for the iPhone and will soon be on the BlackBerry. (Clint Brauer, General Manger for CyberRead.com, points out in his comment below that his company carries over 65,000 titles in the Mobipocket format that will work on the Blackberry. He further indicates that none of the titles will play on the BlackBerry Storm. I wonder if the New York Times article simply omitted the "Storm" portion of the statement).

Read the entire article here.

A special thanks to Ron Goebel, self publisher and author of Mata Ortiz Pottery: Art and Life, for the heads up about the article.

Wholeselling Books to a Large Retailer

2008-11-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

There is an article by Pat Volchok titled "The Big Little Bookstore" in the November, 2008 issue of Costco Connection. It offers rare insights into the people and process involved with purchasing books for the Costco stores which are one of the top five book sellers in the U.S. Following is a brief summary of the points of particular interest to self publishers.

A four person team decide which books will be sold in the stores.
Two hundred titles are selected at a time.
The buyers are interested in creating local and then national interest in a title.
Selection of titles is guided by the demographics of Costco members, i.e. they are considered upscale, informed, and opinion makers.
Books are purchased from independent authors, small publishers, and publishing houses.
Titles carried on the website are more numerous than in the store. The website has its own buyer.
Guidelines for submitting a title for consideration can be obtained at (866) 678-9390 or online at books@costco.com/

Mata Oritz Pottery: Art and Life and I Can't See But I Can Imagine

2008-10-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

There are two new websites located in the Important Links and Local Authors section of the blog. The first is the newly released self published title, Mata Ortiz Pottery: Art and Life, by Ron Goebel. The title is found on his website http://mataortizpottery.com/.

The second is a children's book titled, I Can't See but I Can Imagine, by Patricia Wilson. Her book website is at http://icantseebubticanimagine.com/. While visiting her site, be sure to check out the music that accompanies the book. Pat also has a related blog at http://icantseebuticanimagine.blogspot.com/. The blog offers lots of tips and advice for self publishers.

More on Print on Demand

2008-08-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

The buzz about print on demand (POD) seem to become louder every day. When POD is incorporated into publisher services ( an often-seen occurrence), it can become very confusing. Some clarity can be found at http://www.writersweekly.com, hosted by Angela Hoy .

Angela appears to work very hard to tell it like it is. She is currently involved in a running commentary with Bowkers, the U.S. representative for ISBN, regarding what an ISBN is about. Her previous discussion regarding Amazon and their POD activities gained considerable attention on the net.

Take a look at her site and particularly the comparison of POD/publisher service companies.

Do it Yourself Book Club

2008-07-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

There is a new service that provides the means of creating your own book club. Called Booksprouts, it makes available a free platform were it is possible to set up the club, invite people to join, have them buy the book, read it, and then discuss it.

The interesting element for self publishers is that you can select your own book and form a reading group around it. Imagine the response if you posted the book club info on the wall of all your Facebook friends!

For this to work on Booksprouts, your book needs to be available through the usual Internet outlets (Amazon, Abe Books, etc.). So, you make the usual amount on the sale through the outlet and the Booksprouts people make their money as a reseller (usually an 8% commission paid by the outlet). Pretty neat!

Give them a visit at Booksprouts

Book Club Outlets

2008-06-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

Book clubs are another outlet for your book. They usually pay royalties of 4% of the cover price if sold at $1 a piece. If sold at the regular book club price, the royalty can be 8% of the cover price. There are many national clubs, most of which specialize in a genre. A Google search can help in making a choice on who to approach about your book and here are a few to get you started.

Book of the Month Club
Children's Book of the Month Club
Conservative Book Club
History Book Club
Progressive Book Club

5 Points of Book Promotion

2008-06-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice, concise list of points that the major book publishers use when creating and then working a marketing plan. The points are in their order of importance.

1. Prominent Bookstore Placement. This usually means at/near the front door and/or along the most frequently-traveled isles. Major publishers pay to occupy the spaces.
2. Author Tours. A mainstay of authors everywhere, a tour could include a reading, book signing, short seminar, etc. Contact groups/book stores in a geographic area and schedule the event before hitting the road. Your audience wants to see and hear what you have to say (and the groups/book stores appreciate the attention).
3. Online Marketing. This continues to be a largely unexplored outlet that all publishers are rushing into. Take your book online through your own website or blog. To guarantee more viewers, use an established online retailer such as Amazon.com.
4. Appeals to Book Clubs. Whether a national book club or a local one, be sure to let them know that you and your book are available. Read from an existing book, tell of your plans for the next title, offer to help aspiring writers, etc.
5. Community Reading Organization. Local entities such as a public library system, will often hold programs promoting reading. Contact as many as you can and offer your services and book, maybe even help set up such a program for them.

Marketing Your Book

2008-05-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

Free Book Excerpts is another means of gaining more exposure for your self-published book. An easy-to-use, two step process will get an excerpt from your book before Internet-savy readers. Give them a visit here.

Amazon and Print on Demand

2008-03-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

Looks like the Print on Demand (POD) option for self-publishers has become more complicated. Amazon is telling self-publishers, among others, that if they want Amazon to carry their title, they must use their POD, Book Surge. However, if the self-publisher uses another POD service, they can still sell through Amazon but must use the Advantage program (with all its associated fees and commissions). Check out the discussion at Computerworld and gain more insight at Writers Weekly.

Book Stores and Book Sales

2008-03-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

There has been a great deal of conflicting information in the news lately about book stores and book sales. It appears that a number of long-time book stores are closing--particularly in the East. Meanwhile here in Central Oregon, a couple of new independent book stores have opened. Hurray for them!

Similarly, the news about book sales has been mixed. Some retail chains and publishers are reporting huge losses, often associated with write-downs, while others report a greater-than-expected sales volume and overall profit.

One thing is apparent: many (most) of the big publishing houses are copying the sales strategies used by the self publisher. Good for us!!!

Marketing Your Book

2008-02-27T09:23:00.000-08:00

The Indie Book Awards are back! If you have a title with a copyright date of 2007 or 2008, enter it in the contest. There will be cash prizes and lots of exposure; hence, the idea of marketing your book. Find all the details here.

Sell Your Book by the Chapter

2008-02-12T15:38:00.000-08:00

Sell you book by the chapter? Might be a good idea--particularly if you have an ebook or book website.

Random House Publishing just announced that they will give it a try. The cost of a chapter will be $2.99. The price seems a bit high but it is a place to start. Let me know your experiences with it.

A Good Experience with Lulu

2008-01-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

R.L. Coffield, a former member of the Self Publish and Sell Your Book class, is in the process of publishing another book. This one deals with cooking recipes that can be accomplished in the galley of a small sail boat. There has been lots of favorable comments about the soon-to-be-released title.

R.L. has used various elements of several different self publishing services for her titles and reports that Lulu.com is by far the best. She found them to be extraordinarily helpful, produces a quality product, and is reasonably priced--both for single and multiple copies. When you are ready to talk to a publishing service, visit them first at Lulu.com.

Powell's Books and selling your book

2007-12-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

Scott Timberg of the Los Angeles Times writes today about Powell's Books in Portland and the issues it faces as Michael Powell retires. An interesting piece, it has at least two elements of note for the self publishing author who sells their own books. The first is the overwhelming presence of Amazon and warehouse clubs in terms of book sales. The second is the continuing potential of downloadable books.

It seems to me that the self publisher needs to: 1) plan on selling through Amazon and 2) plan on having a downloadable version of the book. Both have importance when determining the retail price of the book. Read it all here.

Amazon Book Sales

2007-10-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

Amazon just released their book sales figures, truly amazing. They were up 41% and the dollar amount was in the billions.

Also given were the sales figures for the latest Harry Potter--reported as 2.5 million copies.

In addition, there was an announcement about Amazon's blog.

Read all about it here.

Publisher Service News

2007-09-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

From today's Publishers Lunch:

POD Publishers MergeThe parent company of self-publisher Author House announced the acquisition of iUniverse yesterday, on undisclosed terms, with the two units maintaining their separate identities under a broader banner of Author Solutions. Author House ceo Bryan Smith tells the WSJ, "This is about creating better options for our customers by combining a wide sweep of services. Cost-cutting isn't the driver, although there will be savings because of economies of scale. The driver here is the opportunity for growth."

In the press release, iUniverse ceo Susan Driscoll says, "We have always been focused on providing authors with the publishing expertise required for professional results. Now, through Author Solutions, we have a terrific opportunity to provide all authors--both self-published and traditionally published--with the broadest range of services to help them achieve their individual goals for success."Author Solutions comprises the two pod self-publishers, plus the "more traditional entity" called Rooftop Publishing and a soon-to-be-announced Lulu.com competitor called Wordclay, providing what Driscoll calls a "family of brands that service a wide range of different authors with different goals."iUniverse intends to stay on its established track of trying to offer "a self-publishing experience that rivals what [authors] would get from a traditional publisher...with advice and expertise to guide them to make the right decisions."

The company had leveraged its minority ownership by Barnes & Noble, and Driscoll indicates that "we're continuing with the relationship." She adds, "We'll certainly have meetings after the deal closes with the BN team to figure out how everybody can benefit from this."

Promoting Your Book

2007-08-09T16:01:00.000-07:00

Promote you late 2006-2007 book by submitting its title to USA Book News. Not only will it will gain some publicity, it will be in the running for an award. The entry deadline is August 31, 2007!
Complete details can be found at http://www.usabooknews.com/bestbooksawards2007.html%20

More Harry Potter

2007-07-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I could not resist one more post about the Harry Potter book as found on Publishers Lunch:

"Big Surprise: Record HP Pre-Orders at AmazonAmazon announced sales so far of over 1 million copies in the US, and over 1.6 million copies worldwide, ahead of the "record" 1.5 million pre-orders for the sixth Harry Potter.Adding to their promotional losses, Amazon is now giving "a $5 Amazon.com promotional certificate to use on a future purchase in the month of August" to anyone in the US who pre-orders. They say they have "saved customers more than $23 million on purchases of the book."

Welcome Business Bloggers

2007-05-21T06:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to those who enrolled in the Business Blogging class. It promises to be an interesting journey through the business blogosphere.

The first session will cover business blogs: what they are and their advantages, different types blogs, and how to help people read them. Then, you will construct a blog of your own and place it on the Internet!

The second session will explore customizing, optimizing, and promoting your blog as well as how to generate an additional revenue stream with it.

I look forward to our first session:

May 24, 2007

Thursday

6:00 p.m.

Pioneer Hall 200A

COCC

Harry Potter as of 5/07

2007-05-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, Amazon just indicated that they have received over 1 million Harry Potter pre-orders worldwide to date (accrued in just 95 days), including 620,000 copies in the US and over 250,000 copies the UK. The good news is that Amazon increased its discount on pre-orders to 49 percent off.

Reading Grade Level of Children’s Books, Part II

2007-04-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

Part I of this thread began a discussion of the classification and age range of a children’s book. It suggested that the reading grade level might be of more value, mentioning Microsoft Word’s built-in function for determining a document’s readability.

The function produces something called the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Score. The average length of sentences (number of words in a sentence divided by the number of sentences) and the average number of syllables per word (the number of syllables divided by the number of sentences), determines the score.

The score represents a reading grade level, i.e. a score of 6.0 indicates that a sixth grade student in the U.S. should be able to read the document. This post has a reading grade level score of is 11.6.

Access the function by clicking on Help in your version of Word, typing the word readability in the search field, and following the instructions. Those with Word 2007 need to configure the function and click on the Review tab. Next, click on the Spelling & Grammar icon to see a document’s score.

Part III of this thread looks at determining the reading grade level of a manuscript that is not a Microsoft Word document.

Reading Grade Level of Children’s Books, Part I

2007-03-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

In class, we often discover that participants have written a children’s book and are ready to market it. However, they are unsure of the book’s classification and age range. Following is a frequently used scheme:

Picture book: under 6 years of age
Early reader: 6-7 years of age
Chapter book: 7-8 years of age
Middle grade: 8-11 years of age
Young adult: 12 + years of age

Although a handy guide, it is a bit broad. A more precise identifier focuses on the book’s reading grade level, i.e. the level of complexity and difficulty a student in a particular grade should be able to read comfortably. If your manuscript is a Microsoft Word document, simply pressing a key will give you the manuscript’s reading grade level.

Part II of this thread is a discussion of the function and its use.

Multnomah Publishers

2007-03-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

According to today's Publishers Lunch, Random House had a total sales increase in 2006 of 6.5%. The company attributes some of the increase to their acquisition of Multnomah Publishers, located in Sisters.

Way to go, Sisters!!!

More Harry Potter and the End of the Cash Cow

2007-03-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

The publisher of the latest Harry Potter book just said that the first printing will be 12 million copies. The announcement suggests two things: the pre-publication sale was successful and the 12 million copies establishes a new world record for first printing. All of that should help keep the buzz going.

Curiously, Barnes and Noble indicated last week that they would probably not make much/any money on the book because of their deep discounting of its price(presumably all editions are being discounted).

So, the question is: who is making money on this deal?

The New Look

2007-03-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

One of the interesting things about providing a blog is the need to not only offer interesting content but also to keep the blog "fresh." Keeping it fresh often involves changing the color scheme, new photos and links, etc.

This blog has used the same colors and layout for over a year and I thought it was time for a bit of "freshing," to include the addition of labels. Let me know what you think about the changes.

Blog and Podcasting Class

2007-02-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

Well, the Blog and Podcasting class got off to a good start last night. The participants were from the business community and we were able to explore a number of business-related blogging applications.

Next Thursday promises to be as interesting. At that meeting, we will look at podcasting: what it is, business applications, and how to do it.

Vista & Office 2007 FREE FREE!

2007-02-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

Well, at least the presentation at the college is free. What will happen is a PowerPoint show and demo of Microsoft's Vista and Office 2007. It will hosted by Paul Stennett and myself.

The topics and handouts cover:
1. What is Vista
2. How does it compare to XP
3. What does Vista include and how is it organized
4. The search functions
5. What's new in Office 2007
6. Some things to consider before you buy

Join us Wednesday , 7 p.m., February 21, 2007, Boyle Education Center, Room 155, COCC.

Seating is limited, so be there early.

Remember--it is FREE!

Harry Potter and The End of the Cash Cow

2007-02-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

You may recall that we spend some time in class talking about the advantages of a pre-publication sale of your book. Not only does it give you some money to help pay for printing costs, it also gets the buzz started.

Well, the latest Harry Potter book is being pre-sold (like it needs help creating a buzz). The book is due out this summer. If you place an order now, the retail price is discounted 46%. So, I asked about the retail price and discovered it is $64.79! That means the pre-publication price is $34.99. Wow!!!

Hope all the kids who enjoy the Harry Potter books have a second job.

I suppose the author, who is listed as a billionaire, wants to get the maximum revenue from the book--particularly since she swears that this is the last in the series. Maybe it is the publisher who wants to make one more killing before the whole thing goes away while not putting out any money for printing. Whatever the case, the consumer is really paying the price.

And the publishing houses wonder why sales have been flat.

Your Self Published Book

2007-01-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

The following is from an e-newsletter to which I subscribe, appearing in my email inbox today. A fascinating read--be sure to visit the website.

In this first issue of seventh year of Independent Publisher Online, we offer Nina L. Diamond's take on the publishing "caste system," breaking authors at a publishing house into three groups: Moneymakers, Up-and-Comers, and Untouchables. "If you’re an Untouchable author, you and your agent are gonna have to fight just to get your book properly distributed, re-printed when and if the first printing sells out, and shipped when orders come in from retail outlets," writes Diamond. "As for reviews, press attention, book signings, and other promotional efforts, you’re on your own."
As the Book Awards season heats up, we reprint an article featuring tips from both award winners and judges. From the Trunk of the Car to the Big Screen is my rant about what it takes to succeed in self-publishing and includes an Eragon update. This month's Crazy Book Marketing Idea of the Month features Kip Cosson, who sells books - lots of books - at the street fairs, craft shows, and holiday markets of Manhattan.
Plus, columnist Fern Reiss explains how to get still more media attention for your book; Nina L. Diamond tells about birthing a book project; plus Tip #5 of John Kremer's 24-Point Book Marketing Action List; our ongoing BookExpo America update; our 25 new Highlighted Titles and the latest Industry Update.

The Class Had It Right

2007-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Some of our readers may remember a conversation in class about the book industry's plan to swamp the market during the holiday season with big name authors, hot-topic books, and promotion. As I remember the discussion, we decided it would not work. Well, we were right!!! Check out the following, courtesy of Publishers Lunch:

More Bad Holiday News
Two of the three big chains reported bad sales for the nine-week stretch through December 30: Barnes & Noble termed it "somewhat disappointing sales for the season in a highly promotional and competitive environment," with comparable store sales slipping 0.1 percent at the superstores at $1.1 billion overall (putting them down 0.3 percent on a comp basis for the 48-week period, at $4.1 billion). BN.com sales rose 2.7 percent to $108.5 million for the holidays, but are still down 2.4 percent from a year ago for 48 weeks, at $376 million. B. Dalton, an increasingly small part of the company overall, did just $28.4 million in sales during the holidays, and $94 million for the nearly completed year. Same-store sales suffered more at Books-a-Million, down 2.1 percent, at $124.5 million for the holidays. BAM's comp-store decline for the 48 weeks of the fiscal year is similar to BN's, at 0.4 percent. CEO Sandra Cochran says in the release, "Sales for the holiday season were below expectations as we confronted a quiet media environment and strong comparable sales in the prior year. The absence of a major movie tie-in affected both traffic and sales. A strong lineup in fiction performed well but could not offset the performance of the media-related titles in fiscal 2006."

More Book Institute

2007-01-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

The Community Learning Department's Book Institute is back for the winter session!

There are two new classes that might strike your fancy: Business & Marketing Writing and Mystery Writing. Both are online classes, so you don't even need to come to campus to take them. More info at http://www.ed2go.com/cocc.

On Campus, there will be Self-Publish & Sell Your Book for those who want to do it themselves, The Key to Finding a Publisher for those who would rather have an agent or publisher do the work, Think Like a Writer for those who may wish a bit of a mental tune up and Write Your Life Story Workshop, a great way to get it all on paper. More info at http://cocc.edu

Do the E-book!

2006-12-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

You may recall that I carry on a bit about the need to have an e-book version of your book-- reaching a different market segment, greater exposure of your title, another revenue stream, etc.

If you need yet another reason, consider that Simon & Schuster has reported that their e-book sales tripled in 2006.

Sales have been so good, they are planning to add 12,000 more titles in 2007.

POD-dy Mouth

2006-11-26T09:34:00.000-08:00

Becky Coffield forwarded a blog titled POD-dy Mouth to me. The author looks at the book industry with a breezy and humorous style while providing a lot of valuable info.

If your book is POD, be sure to send a review copy to POD-dy Mouth.

Free Book Listing with an Internet Giant

2006-11-18T09:37:00.000-08:00

Get your titles in front of millions of Windows Live users FREE with Windows Live Book Search. Windows Live Book Search is Microsoft's forthcoming online search service for book content.

To submit your titles simply upload them in digital format or send printed books, and control the amount of content displayed. Link your commerce-enabled Web site to publisher.live.com so that users can easily purchase your titles.

It's easy and it's FREE!

http://publisher.live.com/

Interesting News About Book Jackets

2006-11-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

This season, HaperCollins retailers want book jackets that are margarita and sangria in color. I am not sure whether a cover should have one or both, but the input from retailers gives me some new ideas for cover color/design.

In the meantime, Time Warner Book Group state that retailers often ask them to change the color or design of a book jacket so that it will better color-coordinate with their merchandise.

Here is a thought: if you have specific retail outlet(s) in mind for your book, ask what they would like to see before doing the final color/design layout.

The Book Institute

2006-09-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for this? There is now a program at COCC that will fulfill just about all your needs when it comes to getting the book written and published. It is called the Book Institute and offers a complete array of classes.

Think Like a Writer is offered on Monday evenings, October 9-November 13 from 6:30-8:30 pm on the COCC Bend Campus. You be led by an experienced writer and published author, Michael Lankford. Michael has moved to Bend recently and brings a wealth of writing and writing education experience. Think Like a Writer is designed to re-fuel your creative writing tank by looking at sources of inspiration, exercising new ways of developing scenes, settings and themes and by experimenting with storytelling styles. Register online or by telephone: (541) 383-7270.

Write Your Life Story is offered Tuesday mornings, October 3-November 21 from 9:30-11:30 am at the Bend Senior Center, and is taught by Jane Thielsen. Jane has facilitated life story writing groups for many years through the Oregon Coast Community College in Newport. She will conduct a series of exercises and experiences to help you capture your life story not only for yourself, but for future generations. You will learn how to choose a genre, organize and edit material and share your observations with others. Register online or by telephone: (541) 383-7270.

If you have your manuscript ready to go or after you conclude one or both classes listed above, the next step is the publishing process:

Self Publish & Sell Your Book offered Wednesday evenings, October 11-25 from 6:00-9:00 pm on the COCC Bend Campus. Your congenial host (and blogger) will be me, Tom McDannold. I will walk you through the steps of self-publishing, marketing and selling via retail outlets and the Internet. We will also cover book formats, e-books, copyright, ISBN, bar codes, pricing and promotion. Also, I will be happy to review your manuscript. Register online or by telephone: (541) 383-7270.

The Key To Publishing A Book offered on Monday evenings, October 30-November 6 from 6:00-9;00 pm on the COCC Bend Campus, is also taught by me. This class focuses on how to obtain an agent or publisher, rather than self publish. I will share information about how to locate the appropriate agent or publisher, writing a query letter, constructing a book proposal, and how to learn from rejection notices. Register online or by telephone: (541) 383-7270.

More about the Book Institute in the next post.

Making Good Use of Your Entry/Award

2006-07-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

The previous post offered suggestions on entering your book in contests. This post builds on that one by looking at a number of ways to take advantage of entering and/or receiving an award.

The first is to clearly discuss the contest/award in your news packet/news release. Be sure to include copies of letters, emails, announcements, etc. about your entry/receipt of an award.

Similarly, post all the information on your website, blog, podcast, etc.

A third strategy is to inform book stores and other retail outlets about the contest/award. They are often impressed with the fact that you submitted the book, regardless of whether you win or not, and will use the information to promote the book.

Another idea is to have stickers that announce the contest/award. Stationary supply businesses usually can print the quantity that you need. Thus, by applying one to the cover of each book, you have let the casual browser know that your book is an outstanding addition to the literature. It seems that nothing succeeds like success.

Lastly, be sure to include the information in your biography. The entry will help build the platform from which you launch the next book!

Getting An Award For Your Book

2006-05-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

An important aspect of promoting and selling your book is to demonstrate that it is a worthwhile publication. Its value can be shown by the recognition and awards it has received. One of the ways to have an award-winning book is to enter it in a contest.

The Do-It-Yourself Book Festival is just such a contest. It is dedicated to recognizing self-published books and small presses. Each title is judged on its general excellence and the author's passion for story telling. The contest also looks closely at unique uses of guerilla marketing tactics. Further, the contest gives out awards for author of the year and best book cover. The deadline for submitting your book is September 25, 2006. Entrance fee is $50. More information: http://www.diyconvention.com/

A second contest is hosted by Independent Publisher and is designed to bring increased recognition to deserving books published by independent authors and publishers. Known as the IPPY Award, the top ten recipients receive a cash award. For a title to be eligible, it must have a 2006 copyright. Submissions will be accepted starting on June 1, 2006. The fee is $70. More information: http://www.independentpublisher.com/

Watch for a blog entry that will offer some ideas on how to use your well-deserved award in a marketing campaign.

Classes About Book Publishing

2006-05-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

As interest continues to build about the entire process of book publishing, I have been working to bring everything to authors that they need to succeed. As a result, there are now five classes addressing different aspects of publishing. They are offered by the Community Learning Department of COCC and will be held during the Fall session.

For those needing to edit graphics for their book, attend:
Photoshop Elements Beginning: September 30 and October 7 and
Photoshop Elements Intermediate: October 28 and November 4.

There will be a class on self-publishing titled Publish and Sell Your Book on:
October 11 and October 25.

Interested in having a publishing company bring your book to Market? Try The Key to Publishing. It is about locating an agent and publishing house as well as query letters and submission packages. It will be held on November 6 and November 13.

If you want to stay current in marketing activities, check out Blogs and Podcasts on November 9 and November 16.

To enroll, contact COCC.

New Self Published Book by R.I. Coffield

2006-04-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

Rebecca (Becky) Coffield, longtime resident of Bend and an alum of the Publish and Sell Your Book class, now has a self published book on the market.

Titled Life Was a Cabaret, it chronicles her 25,000 mile sailing adventure around the Pacific Ocean with her husband aboard their sailboat, Cabaret. One can almost smell the sea air as she describes the fun, fright, and self awareness that she experienced.

The book is perfect bound, has a 6" x 9" format with a professionally designed cover. Of course there is a copyright, ISBN, LCCN, etc. Her experience with a book manufacturer offers insight into the problems and prospects of out-sourcing some of the work on a self published book.

Fortunately, she is more than willing to share what she discovered with you and I. Get all of your questions answered at her book signing at the Book Barn on June 30, 2006. Watch for the announcement in the Bend Bulletin.

Also, be sure to visit her author website (and purchase a book or two) at:
http://www.rlcoffield.com/

Graphic Design & Layout with Photoshop Elements

2006-04-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Photoshop Elements (PE) is a program that is powerful enough to edit photographs for book publications. I began to wonder if it could be used to create graphics from scratch. The thought was prompted by many of my books containing not only photographs but also maps, charts, flow diagrams, etc.

A little bit of experimenting produced the graphic to the right. It is part of a Power Point presentation on how to get your manuscript published by a publishing house (a new course to be offered by COCC). The illustration depicts the process of going from an idea, to having a publishing house accept the manuscript, to the publishing process, with royalties being paid to the author.

The illustration is a series of clip art images that I found in MS Word and MS Power Point programs. I copied them, saving them as JPG files. Next, I opened a document in PE using the New command and sized the new page. Then, I began to place the graphics on the new page, using a new layer for each one.

The arrows are one of the options within PE. I used a new layer for each one. The most difficult part was making sure the arrows were about the same size.

I used the Text function of PE for the dollar signs, placing them on their own layer.

Lastly, I moved the items around until I was satisfied with the overall balance and saved the illustration as a JPG file.

Admittedly, it took awhile to get it right but it sure beat the heck out of buying yet another program.

Blogs and Podcasts

2006-03-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

Good news! I will be giving a class on what blogs and podcasts are all about and how to use them in your personal or business efforts. At the end of the meeting, you will have your very own blog on the Internet and the information and software necessary to create podcasts.

The class will be held on the main campus of COCC, from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday, April 15, 2006.

More information is available from Community Learning in the Continuing Education Department at (541) 383-7270 or on line.

Sending Out Press Releases

2006-03-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

Letting the world know about your new book is always a time-consuming challenge. One rather fast means of spreading the word is to use an Internet press release service.

Each of the sites listed below will announce your press release for a fee. They also have a free announcement. The paid service gives broader coverage and better placement but if your budget is slim, give the free posting a try.

Be sure to check for help in writing the release, tips on making it better, and blunders to avoid. Also, use templates where applicable.

PR Free is a general service that has a book category.

PR Leap tends to focus on the media and particularly journalists. There is a book category.

PR Web is directed toward small businesses and is a great place to announce your blog or podcast.

Selling Books to Libraries

2006-03-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

Thinking of selling your book to libraries? There are many of them, both in number and category: public, school, military, etc. However, there are several considerations that could slow the sales effort.

For example, libraries frequently prefer to order from only one or two companies, such as Baker & Taylor or Quality Books. Thus, their operating costs are reduced because they only need write one or two checks, rather than a multitude as would be the case when purchasing from many companies.

Another aspect of library sales is making sure your book fits within the library's scope. For example, is your book appropriate for a military library? Similarly, your book needs to fit within the school's grade levels and/or a particular curriculum area.

Lastly, libraries are keen on your book having an ISBN. However, they are not as stringent about Cataloging in Publication data or Library of Congress control numbers.

As always with self-publishing, know what you want to do with your book and to whom you want to sell it.

Great Class

2006-02-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

The Winter '06 class had its first meeting! That is where we talk about turning a manuscript into a print book. There was a lot to absorb and the participants not only "got it," they had great questions. Next week should be just as interesting.

The Publish and Sell Your Book Class

2006-02-22T16:52:00.000-08:00

There is starting to be a buzz about the Publish and Sell Your Book class I offer through the Community Learning Program at Central Oregon Community College! I suspect that some of the interest has to do with former students who have taken the class to heart and are in the process of publishing their book. One, written by Becky Coffield and titled, Life was a Cabaret, should be available before the current class ends.

With so much buzz and success, the suggestion has been made that I give prospective students an idea of what transpires in the class. There are three meetings. The first is given over to helping everyone clearly identify what they want to do with their book. The decision really impacts everything else that follows. For example, if you only want to produce a book for family and friends, there is no need for things like an ISBN, Library of Congress Control Number, bar code, etc. However, if you want to sell a million copies, those items need to be included as well as several other things. Those things make up the rest of the class session.

The second meeting starts with turning your manuscript into an e-book. If an e-book is new to you, note that it is simply a book that can be downloaded into your computer. After the e-book discussion, we get really involved with how to sell your book/e-book. Traditional strategies and outlets are discussed but a greater emphasis is placed on the non-traditional. Even if you don't like to "sell" things, I think you will find that selling your book is not that difficult.

The third meeting is when we take an actual book idea and work through the process of publishing and marketing it. During the latter part I will discuss your manuscript with you on a one-to-one basis.

Does the class sound like it is worth the time? You bet!

For more information, see the course description in the Schedule of Classes.

Buying Trends by Book Genre

2006-02-16T12:28:00.000-08:00

More book publishing statistics for 2004-2005 are appearing. The following pertains to fiction sales.

Romance novels lead the way with 39.3% of sales.
Next were mystery books at 29.6%
Followed by general fiction with 12.9% of sales.

When the figures are added, they total 81.80%. Thus, 18.2% of fiction books sales appear to fall outside of the three categories. What must they be?

Whatever they are, romance or mystery genres are the ones to focus upon if book sales are important to you.

Advertising Your Book

2006-02-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

Getting the word out about your book is the first step in increasing sales. Check out the following Internet-based resources.

The first is Radio-TV Interview Report (RTIR) at http://www.rtir.com/ This service is essentially a database of authors who are available for live and telephone interviews. A thrice-monthly magazine that is sent to about 4,000 on-air contacts, it broadens the geographic dimension of your advertising efforts. Fee.

Another similar resource focusing on television is found at http://www.freepublicity.com/getontoptv/?10019/. Free, as the name implies.

Lastly, be sure to check out http://www.prweb.com/ This service will forward your press release to business and corporation communications entities across the nation. Place your release within the appropriate category. Free and fee.

Premier Entry

2006-02-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

This is my first blog in several years and I must say its good to be back in the blogosphere. The inital blog dealt with train watching conditions along the historic Union Pacific rail line through the Tehachapi Pass in California. I discontinued that blog when I decided to move to Oregon.

A Union Pacific frieght train on the Tehachapi Loop. The photo was taken during the first Golden Hour, sunrise to one hour later (second Golden Hour is the hour before sunset).

Once settled in my new home, I started teaching in the Community Learning Program of the Continuing Education Department at Central Oregon Community College. The classes related to book publishing. I wanted to continue sharing publishing-related information, tips, and procedures with former students from the classses; hence, this blog.

In the following weeks, look for thoughts on Internet resources, tricks for editing photos that are to be included in books, intriguing marketing ideas, and more!

Thanks for stopping by.