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JD WRITES
Hi everyone!
The first thing I wanted to mention this week is
that the 21st Century Publishing Update has MOVED from www.jdwrite.com
to it's own home at www.julieduffy.com.
While all the old articles will still be available at jdwrite.com,
please bookmark the new site for updates and new files.
You can still email me at jd@jdwrite.com.
Last week I had the chance to be guest 'chatter'
at the Fear of Writing
chat. It was a lot of fun. Everyone had a lot of questions about
publishing and print on-demand. You can receive a transcript of the
chat by emailing chatroom@fearofwriting.com
with the date of the chat (Feb 13, 2002)
Keep writing,
Julie
NEW THIS WEEK
ARTICLE
10 DO'S AND DON'TS FOR
SELF-PUBLISHERS
Part III
There
is so much to think about when self-publishing a book. The 21st
Century Publishing Update brings you a 10-point checklist of
what to do and what not to do when publishing and promoting your own
book. Based on conversations with self- publishing authors and
marketing experts, this is not an exhaustive list of everything you
should be thinking about, but it is a list of some of the most
important.
5.
DO: Always carry business cards or
postcards...
...that contain book and
ordering info.
Hand these out to anyone and
everyone you meet---especially if you tell them you are a writer and
they express any interest whatsoever.
Ideally, you should print the
cover design of your book (in color) on one side and the title,
author, and ordering information on the other side. You can use the
post-cards for direct mailing or to advertise signings and
appearances. You can put them in stacks at the local dry-cleaner's,
in your barber's shop, at the local supermarket's notice board...
These pieces are eye-catching
and useful for many different events and promotional efforts.
DON'T: Pay for advertising...
...until you have
exhausted every possible opportunity for free publicity.
Paid advertising
carries much less weight than editorial coverage. Try to obtain
editorial coverage in newspapers and magazines by sending not just
an announcement about your book, but a story idea the reporter can
use. If you need ideas for this, subscribe to the Publicity
Hound newsletter and the Marketing
Minute.
But there are
many more sources for free publicity than print publications. Ask
local businesses or clients if you can include your information in
their direct mailing. Offer a free copy as a contest prize to an
organization whose members might be interested in your book. Give
online chats about your book, publishing, your area of expertise,
anything - just make sure 'author of...' appears in the promo
materials.
Paying for
advertising should be your last resort. To be effective marketing
has to put your product's name in front of the customer between 3
and 18 times before they will buy it. Can you afford to rely of paid
advertising for all that exposure?
6.
DO: Ask people to send reviews and
feedback
...that you can use in your
publicity materials.
Save every piece of email or mail
you receive that says anything remotely flattering about your book.
Ask the sender if it would be OK to quote them in publicity
materials. If they give permission, save that communication too. Not
only does this give you protection against accusations of using
someone's words without permission, chances are they will add some
other glowing comment in the reply!
If
you meet someone who has read your book don't just ask 'what did you
think?'. That question is too broad. Ask which character they liked
best, what in particular they liked and disliked about the book, who
they think would enjoy it. As long as they don't recoil in horror,
ask if you can follow up with a note or email asking for a written
quote (don't put them on the spot for a quote right there and then).
It
is hard to ask for compliments, but if you are willing to accept
honest feedback, it can be very useful.
DON'T:
Harangue people...
...
if they haven’t yet read or ordered your book.
I
know they said they were going to, but asking 'have you read it
yet?' every time you meet them, is only going to make them less and
less likely to read the book. Instead, they will probably start
avoiding you.
If
people have read it, great!
If
they have not read the book, politely leave it alone. Change the
subject, ask them how the family is, or how their business is going.
The more people like you, the more likely they are to want to read
your book!
Part
I
Part
II
***
AUTHOR'S Q & A
This
week Lorelea writes:
Hello,
I am a retired first grade teacher and
have just written a book for parents about teaching their child to
read.
Questions:
1. Do I have to have a publisher to put
it on Amazon.com?
2. What is the process of putting the
book on Amazon.com?
Hi Lorelea,
Thanks for writing.
1.
You do not have to have a publisher to put
the book on Amazon, but you will have to take care of some of the
administrative details a publisher would normally handle.
The minimum requirements for listing your
book on Amazon (assuming it is a physical, printed book) are for it
to have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN), and for that
ISBN to be printed (or stickered) on the back cover of the book
along with a barcode that includes the ISBN.
If you do not have an ISBN for your book,
you can get a block of 10 numbers for around $205 from R.
R. Bowker.
Even if you don't need 10, that's the
minimum (you can always use the other numbers for subsequent books,
revised editions, electronic editions etc.)
The barcode must be a BOOKLAND/EAN barcode
that incorporates your ISBN. It does not have to reflect the price,
but many bricks & mortar bookstores prefer if the price is
listed with the barcode. You can find agencies that provide barcode
film (for traditional offset presses) here.
If you are having your book designed on a computer your designer may
have software that can generate a barcode (one well-known package is
called Azalea), saving you time and money.
2.
To register your book with Amazon you must
either:
a. Register it through the Amazon Advantage
Program (more info below), or
b
Wholesalers like Ingram and Baker &
Taylor stock books from many different publishers and supply them to
booksellers. These wholesalers will require that you give them at
least a 55% discount off the cover price. They may pay shipping
costs.
Ingram has recently made it harder for
independent authors to have their books accepted into their
warehouse (they have a finite amount of space and must feel that
there will be a strong demand and a good marketing campaign for your
book before they will stock it). Baker & Taylor may be more
flexible.
Wholesalers usually pay in 90-120 days.
You can contact them for their requirements
at the following addresses:
Baker & Taylor
1200 U.S. Highway 22
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
(908) 218.3863
Ingram
One Ingram Boulevard
La Vergne, TN 37086
(800) 937.0995
AMAZON ADVANTAGE
The Advantage program allows authors and
artists to list their products directly with Amazon - avoiding the
wholesalers' restrictions. Amazon maintains a small inventory of the
title and lists the book as 'available in 24hrs'. If your book
sells, they will probably re-order a couple of copies, to keep their
stock up. (Their initial order, is usually for 2-5 copies).
Amazon expects a 55% discount off the list
price of the book. They also expect you to pay any shipping charges
when sending books to them for their inventory. They will not pay
you until a copy sells (you will be paid the difference between the
list price and the 'wholesale' price, in the calendar month
following the sale. In other words, they will pay you 45%).
If the book stops selling, Amazon may return
their stock to you - at your expense.
To apply to become part of the Amazon
Advantage program, start here:
This page gives you their sales pitch, then
a link to sign up.
After they approve your application, they
will send you an initial order for your book. They expect the order
to be filled quickly so don't apply until you are ready to ship the
book.
It can take some weeks to see your book show
up in Amazon's database. It will probably show up with minimal
information at first, then they will add any summaries, reviews,
cover art or other materials you have supplied. You can supply cover
art or they will scan the cover of the first copies you send.
Your Advantage account is managed online -
they give you a 'homepage' at their site where you can check on the
status of your books, their orders and any payments they owe you or
have paid you.
Hope this helps,
Julie
***
I’d love to
hear your comments on this article: was it helpful? Have a question
about getting started with self-publishing? Is there anything I
missed that you would like to know about? Send your comments to
jd@jdwrite.com.
See previous Author's Q&As
NEWS & UPDATES
http://www.julieduffy.com/writing/updates.htm
B&N's
Publishing Program Expands
21 Feb, 2002
Barnes & Noble exec Alan Kahn
declares that he and Chairman Len Riggio "are convinced that
publishing is the next great frontier" for the company. At a
meeting to discuss the company's performance, Kahn explained that
B&N will continue to publish its reprint and promotional books
and focus increasingly on children's books and general interest
hardbacks and paperbacks.
Kahn was made President of the
newly formed Barnes & Noble Publishing Group earlier this year.
Rumblings have been heard at other
publishing houses about whether or not it is appropriate for a major
bookseller to be publishing books, and whether books from rival
publishers will suffer in the battle for shelf space.
Len Riggio has dismissed these
concerns, saying that first booksellers were often the first
publishers.
And he's right - early
booksellers in 16th Century Venice, hired experts in the new
printing technologies to print books at their expense. Venetian
bookseller and publisher Aldus Manutius is credited with
popularizing (and possibly saving) the Greek classics. These
recently rediscovered works were much admired but few copies were
available until the bookseller undertook a project to publish them
all in small, affordable volumes. [-Ed]
more:
Publishers Weekly article
Barnes & Noble Press Release
information on Aldus Manutius
more on Aldus
1998
Copyright Law Challenged
19 February 2002
The US Supreme Court agreed to hear
a challenge to a 1998 law that extended copyright protection to 70
years after an author's death (previously it had been 50 years).
The case was brought by Eric Eldred
who publishes on online archive of classical literature. Eldred is
apparently concerned that the law keeps being changed to suit
publishers, hampering public access to copyrighted works. Historians
and biographers also claim that extending copyright hampers their
ability to conduct and publish research.
more:
Chronicle of Higher Education article
Washington Post article
"Opposing Copyright Extension" action group site
Interactive
online novel in print
19 Feb 2002
Daniel Ruskoff's interactive online novel
'Exit Strategy' is to be published in print by Soft Skull, an
independent publisher.
Ruskoff's online novel allowed readers to
make suggestions and 'footnote' the book. The print version will
contain these comments.
more:
Exit Strategy at Yahoo Internet Life
Soft Skull Press
Poetry
in NYT Review
15 Feb 2002
The New York Times Book Review began
publishing poetry by new and established authors in its Feb 17
edition. Book Review Editor Charles McGrath will select the poetry
along with Elizabeth Schmidt, the Book Review's poetry reviewer.
Contact them at The New York Times, 229
W. 43rd St. New York NY 10036.
more:
WriteNews
article
Author
Dis(cus)ses Book Tours
11 Feb 2002
Author Ann Beattie
writes an interesting article on the uselessness of book tours and
author appearances, published in the New York Times. A must-read for
all self-promoting authors.
more:
NYT article
RESOURCES
http://www.julieduffy.com/writing/resources.htm
THE RESOURCE section is growing and now includes...
new!12
Steps to Building Your Advice Empire
Aimed at consultants and how-to
experts, this page gives some very good advice to anyone looking to
promote themselves and their intellectual property.
new!Barcode
US
Another source for barcodes, for
self-publishers
new!Berryville
Graphics and Offset Paperback Manufacturing
Despite the name, this group wants
to offer digital book printing. Doesn't seem interested in
individual authors.
new!BlitzPrint
Strictly a print service. Does deal
directly with authors - but you must be able to provide print-ready
copy, with all the pages in the right order. Good if you are the
hands-on type.
Also features a very useful glossary.
Located in Canada.
new!C&M
Press
Located in Denver, Colorado.
Digital print operation that seems very much aimed at
business-to-business type printing. Minimum print-run 100.
new!DeHarts
Comes highly recommended by a C21st
Update subscriber. Commercial printing service, eager to expand into
book manufacturing. Seems willing to deal with authors. Based in
California.
new!Evanston
A book-packaging firm that will help you design
and package your book for self-publishing.
new!Griffith
Publishing
A book packager and publisher. Also a publishing
consultant. Lots of useful 'how-to' information at this site.
Doesn't seem to offer POD.
new!POD
Your Book
A not-very-impressive POD service
provider. The site is designed with MSFrontPage templates and many
links don't work. And yet they want you to let them design your
book...
new!RPI
Commercial printer offering digital
on-demand printing. They define on-demand as 'same day/next day'.
Immediate, not just on-demand. Site doesn't offer much information
for the casual browser. Call for more info. Good for those on a
tight deadline.
new!Universal
Press
Not to be confused with Universal
Publishers, UP seems to be a jack-of-all-trades printer that offers
book printing and perfect binding.
new!Universal
Publishers (UPublish)
UPublish has been printing theses
and manuals for a long time. Took steps towards becoming a book
publishing services provider but still specializes in academic,
non-fiction, and manual-type materials.
and more...
NEW LAST TIME
10 Do's & Don'ts for
Self-Publishers Pt II
ABOUT JDWRITE
JDWrite is the online home of writer, journalist and former Xlibris Director of Author Services, Julie McCarroll Duffy.
Julie has expert knowledge of the new world of publishing: Print On-Demand, self-publishing, online publishing, eBooks, the
evolving publishing industry and more. Her role at Xlibris was
to work with authors to help them understand these developments, to listen to authors' needs and communicate those to the
company. She has been a speaker at writers' conferences around the US and seeks to continue to educate authors to understand
their ever-increasing opportunities in the publishing world. After following her husband's career from their native Scotland
to the US, Julie is working on a series of e-books about Print On-Demand
Publishing.
All content copyright 2001 Julie Duffy.
For permission to reprint articles, contact the editor at
jd@jdwrite.com.
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