Publishing Poynters
Book and Information-Marketing News and Ideas from Dan PoynterApril 1, 2001. Copyright Para Publishing. ISSN: 1530-5694
DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com; http://ParaPub.com; 1-800-ParaPub
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. ParaNews=============================================
2. ParaTips
3. ParaResources
4. ParaThoughts
5. ParaFreebies
6. ParaCalendar
7. ParaHumor
A. VISA calls for increased protection of credit card data. Visa set a May 1 deadline for compliance with its Cardholder Information Security Program. Most small publishers will not have difficulty measuring up as long as they shred or incinerate records of credit card numbers after processing. Of course, credit card information should never be kept on a computer. See http://www.visabrc.com/cisp.
B. Planned Television Arts can get authors on the Authors Channel for $2,500: http://www.sbtv.com. If you have a book on entrepreneurism or small business, contact David Hahn at HahnD@RuderFinn.com. See the web site and check out the interviews.
C. Marty and Diane Gilliland have moved from Southern California to Portland, Oregon. Marty represents Central Plains Book Manufacturing of Arkansas City, Kansas. He can be reached at 888-411-3292, mgilliland@centralplainsbook.com
D. The Maui Writers Conference. August 31-September 3. While Book Expo America is all about selling books, the Maui Writers Conference is all about creating books and getting published. It is the most stimulating, dynamic, upbeat gathering of writers anywhere. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, this event is for you. See http://www.MauiWriters.com. The "newsletter" is actually the complete conference program. Print it out.
E. Over 1,300 energized publishers have graduated from our weekend workshops here in Santa Barbara since 1984. Four times a year, 18 people pay $695 to learn more about book marketing, promoting and distributing. The January-April-July- October events are held at Dan Poynter's home offices, high on a hill overlooking the Pacific. See the ParaCalendar below and Document 167 on our web site: /accessreport.cfm?report=167&refpage=edutrain.html
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F. Bookzone and Overdrive join to provide LIT files from BZ site. BookZone will incorporate OverDrive's MIDAS Technology® into BookZone's proprietary ePublishing system, the BookZone EDGE™ ("Electronic Document Generation and Encryption"). LIT files are read on Pocket PCs with Microsoft Reader. MS-Reader is the main competitor to Adobe's Acrobat- PDF files. For details on how you can convert your books to both LIT and PDF and sell the downloads, contact Mary Westheimer at Mary@Bookzone.com
G. Dreamcatcher, the new Stephen King novel is available in hardcover, large print, softcover, audio (tape, CD and download) and several editions of eBook downloads including PDF and LIT. Compare at the B&N and Amazon online bookstores.
H. Facts & Figures 2000: The Bestsellers. The March 19 edition of Publishers Weekly is packed with great articles on the industry. This is definitely a "keeper" issue.
I. Focus on You: Building your empire through writing & Speaking
will be presented by Dottie Walters and Dan Poynter on April 4th.
Book Publicists of Southern California (Irwin Zucker's group). Sportsman's
Lodge, Studio City. Cocktails 5:30, dinner at 7, program 8:30-10. Dinner
is $22.50. For reservations, call Irwin at 323-461-3921.
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A. Label layout. To create your own shipping labels from Avery
blank stock in MS-Word, click on "Tools", then "Envelopes and Labels".
Click the "Options" button. In the "Label Products" field, find and select
Avery. In the "Product Number" field, click on your exact label. Click
OK. Then click on "New Document". If you don't see any guidelines on the
page, click on "Table" and then "Show Gridlines." From there you can fill
in the labels with whatever you like...text, pictures, etc. just as you
would with any other document. Then print out a sheet of labels on Avery
stock.
Thanks for this tips from Julie Murkette.
B. When shipping Postal M-Bags to other countries, stick the little green PS Form 2976 on the carton for the foreign Customs people. But, detach the white part and paperclip it to the PS Tag 158 for your Post Office. Otherwise, the postal employees have to open the sack to get the tag. And remember, the postage is totaled on the weight of the carton only not on the bag.
C. PQN is not POD. POD is (expensive) one-at-a-time printing. It is good for a book that has run its course but is still selling—slowly.
PQN is digital printing that allows you to print 500-1,000 books at
a reasonable price. Remember, you will need several hundred copies to
send out for review.
Here is an example relayed by Fire "Captain Bob". "You could be missing
the market if you aren't considering the new Print Quantity Needed (PQN)
digital book model that Dan Poynter eatures in his 12th edition of "The
Self Publishing Manual. "Once I gave approval for my new book "Eat Stress
For Breakfast" to DeHarts Printing in Santa Clara (Phone 408-982-9118,
mail to: ed@deharts.com) I had books
in two days. What's great was DeHart's bid was about the same as traditional
printers with only having to order half the quantity of books to get the
price break. You're not investing in unneeded inventory. Since they were
printed in my area, I picked them up in my van. "I asked Ed Santana at
Deharts if I could get some advanced copies to take to the NSA Western
Workshop. He printed the copies, boxed them and dropped them by house
on his way home. When the box was opened, the books were still warm like
loaves of bread. Talk about hot off the press! "Since the book was printed
from a digital book file, I also have an e-book to place on my web site
and Internet book stores." http://www.eatstress.com
D. Outsmarting Amazon's Inventory. Is your book listed as "On Order"--with 1 - 2 weeks shipping-when you know they have book in their warehouse? Try selling through the "I have one to sell" button on your book's page. You can list your book as a "Collectible" (such as autographed) or "Used". Collectibles have to be listed at a price greater than Amazon's selling price. Used books have to be listed at 20% less than retail. This way, your book is available "immediately" if not from Amazon. Thanks for this tip from Cathy Stucker, http://www.IdeaLady.com.
E. Display your book at the Florida Library Association Show, April
10-13. Mention Publishing Poynters and your cost is just $45/title. Contact
Betsy Lampe, Tel: 863-647-5951, FPAbooks@aol.com.
See http://www.flbookpub.org/news.html
A. Convert any numbers.
See http://www.megaconverter.com/mega2/
Bookmark this site.
B. Cartoonists. Here's a wonderful site that connects you to a huge list of great cartoonists and their work. http://epore.mit.edu/~tgowrish/tgowrish/humor/cartoon_comic.html
C. Plastic book stands. We find our sales increase significantly if we give a Plexiglas counter stand to a store when we first sell them books. Most of them use the stands to display the books right at the checkout counter. This works particularly well with non-bookstores such as bike shops, gas stations, coffee shops, gift shops, etc. View and order stands at http://www.footprintpress.com/stand.htm. Sue Freeman.
F. Books on Book Publishing
1. 1001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kre-mer is simply a most creative, in-forma-tional and useful manual on book marketing. Kremer writes from de-tailed re-search and hard-earned experience. He cov-ers advertis-ing, pro-motion, distribu-tors, bookstores, book de-sign, li-braries, spin-offs, and much more. In fact, there is little he does not cover and cover well. ISBN 0-912411-48-1 Softcover, 6 x 9, 600+ pages $27.95. To order, call Para Publishing at 800-PARAPUB.
2. How to Get Happily Published by Judith Appel-baum. How to write, find a publisher, locate an agent or publish your-self by an author with years of varied experi-ence in New York publishing. Learn how the book pub-lishing industry works. This is a gold mine of publishing information with a lengthy resource section. This is the book you need if you want to find the right pub-lisher for your book. ISBN 0-06-273133-5 Softcover, 5.25 x 8.25, 317 pages $12.95. To order, call Para Publishing at 800-PARAPUB.
3. The Complete Guide to Successful Publishing is all about setting up and running your book publishing company. A very successful publisher himself, Cardoza shares what he has learned about how to find manuscripts and evaluate them, deciding to publish and selecting a price, registering the book and getting the ISBN and other numbers, designing the book--both text and cover, printing, distribution, marketing and sales. Some of the most valuable chapters are on running the business and making money. Highly recommended. 432 pages, 6 x 9, softcover. To order, call Para Publishing at 800-PARAPUB.
4. The Joy of Publishing by Nat Bodian. This is the most interesting, fascinating and fun book about books and publishing. Bodian provides anecdotes, curiosities, fascinating facts, and historic origins about books, authors, editors, publishers, bookmaking and bookselling. This book is not just good reading, it is a valuable industry reference. ISBN 0-912411-47-3 Hardcover, 240 pages, $29.95. To order, call Para Publishing at 800-PARAPUB.
G. Misery loves company. Website dedicated solely to the subject of literary rejections. http://www.RejectionCollection.com
H. Book publicists and copywriters. A list from Paul Krupin, author of Trash Proof News Releases. http://www.trashproofnewsreleases.com
Joe Vitale, Mr. Fire, Houston, Texas 281-999-1110, http://www.mrfire.com/
Joanne McCall, McCall PR, Portland, Oregon, 503-245-3107
Laura Clark and Katherine Kellmeyer, The Ford Group, San Diego, California, 619-454-3314
Shel Horowitz, Northampton, Massachusetts, 1-800-633-WORD, http://www.frugalfun.com
Sharon Castlen, Integrated Book Marketing, New York, 800-949-4416
Laura Cruger Fox, Creative Spirits, Houston, Texas, 804-355-7567 =
Valerie Knaupp, Portland, Oregon, 800-950-5952
Pam Johnson, 818-846-5318
Bradley James, Marketability, Denver, Colorado, 303-279-4349. http://www.marketability.com
Rod Mitchell, Los Angeles, California, 714-961-4261
Cate M. Cummings, Kansas City, Missouri, 816-767-0396. http://www.bookpublicity.com
Kate Bandos, Ada, Michigan, 616-676-0758
Sharon Goldinger and Mary Ellen Gross, 858-456-0707
Glenn Schwartz and Eva Sadoff, Los Angeles, California, 818-224-2990
Debbie Black, Toronto, Ontario, 403-251-4569
Karen Ammond, KBC Media Relations, La Jolla, California, 856-428-2211
Andrew Naugher, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 918-249-9521
Polly Henderson, New Orleans, Louisiana, 504-927-6066
Kate Kitchen, Kate Kitchen PR, 949-481-0747
Kathleen Burke, Burke Communications, 949-770-3001
I. Need help with marketing & promotion? Here are some people who can help you.
Cypress House, Cynthia Frank, 155 Cypress Street, Suite 123, Fort Bragg, CA, 95437-5401. Tel: (707) 964-9520; Fax: (707) 964-7531; e-mail: qedpress@mcn.org. Editing, production and promotion services for new publishers. Personalized and reasonable.
One-On-One Book Production & Marketing, Carolyn Porter & Alan Gadney, 7944 Capistrano Avenue, Suite 32, West Hills, CA 91304. Tel: (818) 340-6620. cp1on1@aol.com. Book and cover design, production, editing, marketing, promotion, brochures.
Publishing Directions, LLC. Brian Jud, 615 Queen Street, Southington, CT 06489. Tel: 800-562-4357. Fax: 860-276-2452. imarketbooks@aol.com. http://www.StrongBooks.com. Marketing planning, special sales based on a percentage of sales.
Booknote, LLC, Lisa Guida, PO Box 2142, Branford, CT 06405. Tel: 203-483-7035; Fax: 203-488-6149; Lisa@booknote.com; http://www.booknote.com. Internet niche book marketing, promotion, web site design, eBook promotion.
Sherri Rosen Publicity, 80 South Main Street, #2A, Milltown, NJ 08850. Tel: 732-448-9441; Sherri@SherriRosen.com; http://www.SherriRosen.com. My first self-published client was on the NYTimes Bestseller List for 63 weeks.
For more suppliers to the publishing industry, see /supplier.cfm?
J. Shipping Resources
Here are a few shipping links publishers have found useful:
Domentic USPS: http://postcalc.usps.gov/
Books, CDs, cassettes, DVDs and videos should all be marked "Media Mail"
to secure the proper USPS rate. UPS: http://www.ups.com/using/services/rave/rate.html
International USPS: http://ircalc.usps.gov/
UPS: http://ups.com/using/services/rave/rate.html
FedEx: http://www.fedex.com/us/international/
Drop-off Locations: Find out where to ship-or arrange pickup.
USPS: http://www.usps.com/ncsc/locators/find-po.html
UPS: http://www.ups.com/using/services/locate/locate.html
K. To check on hoaxes and urban legends, see
http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/
http://www.urbanlegends.com/
http://www.trusecure.com/
Avoid Competition: Competitors will spar on price.
Make sure you have control over the product you wish to sell. Do not invest time and money producing and promoting a product that interested buyers can buy from someone else (often for less).
Joe Cossman was the originator and promoter of the Ant Farm, Spud Gun, Shrunken Head, Fly Cake and numerous other products. He would find local or imported products, nail down the source with a contract exclusive, have the products manufactured and then promote them. Joe has said for years that if you are going to promote a product, you must be the sole source. http://www.cossman.com
If you control the product, you control the price. If you are not the sole (original) source, others will compete with you on the basis of price and the prices will decrease. It has been reported that 26% of book customers shop on the basis of price.
A manuscript can be copyrighted for only $30 giving you a legal monopoly to publish and sell it in any form you wish: Hardcover book, audiotape, foreign language, video, film, etc. Books are a safe product; your copyright makes you the sole source.
"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." -George Orwell (1903-1950), English author of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.
(Excerpted from Successful Nonfiction by Dan Poynter. For 108 more inspirational
tips, See /getpage.cfm?file=resource/writing.html#successful_nonfiction)
A. The Small Business Resource Guide, Publication 3207, is free from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. It is a CD-ROM with business tax forms, publications; information on business plans, record keeping, financing and retirement plans; and tutorials, updates and resource lists. You can get one free copy by calling 1-800-829-3676.
B. Free Book writing, producing and promoting information kits. Chock full of valuable tips and priceless resources. See /getpage.cfm?file=/infokit.html
C. Think we're in a recession? Then get Joe Vitale's free 7-day e-mail course, "Recession-Proof Marketing." It'll teach you about publicity, copywriting, web tricks, and more---for free. Send blank email to: class@aweber.com
A. Dan Poynter is criss-crossing North America to spread the word on eBooks, pBooks and The New Book Publishing Model.
Authors and publishers are discovering an innovative way to write, produce and promote their books and the new way is faster, easier and cheaper. New software accelerates typesetting, new machines automate printing and the Internet streamlines promotion. These technological improvements have spawned a fresh way to look at book publishing. The New Book Model covers all the bases and is a refreshingly innovative route for anyone with a manuscript.
Today, books are written in page-layout format instead of double-spaced courier typeface. Then the pages are converted into Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format for printing and conversion.
Just 500 books are printed using computer-driven high-speed laser printers. The softcover and hardcover books are indistinguishable from traditional ink-printed books. Prices are just slightly higher, per unit, but the quantity (and invoice) is much lower.
PDF and LIT files are generated for reading on eBook readers such as the Pocket PC.
Then finished books are sent to two or three selected agents, a few more are sent to publishers with a track records for that type of book, 3-400 are sent for review to genre-specific magazines, four or five are sent to specialized book clubs, about ten are sent to foreign publishers suggesting translation and a handful are sent to opinion molders in the author's field.
If an agent or publisher comes in with a good offer, the author sells out. If not, all the bases are covered: the book is out for review and the orders are starting to come in.
Most of the book promotion is done via email; the author's web site replaces brochures. The media kit is replaced by a Press Room on the web site. For an example, see /getpage.cfm?file=pressroom/pressroom.html. Avoiding printing and postage reduces promotion costs tremendously.
So, the New Book Model is a way to conserve time, inventory space and money while testing the market. More books are not printed until after they are sold. It is no longer necessary to tie up a lot of money and inventory in printed books.
More specifically:
1. The New Book Model: Writing. How to set up and build your book rather than just write it. Discover how to qualify the project, research on the Net, organize the project, draft the content and convert it into a PDF file for printing.
2. The New Book Model: Producing print and electronic editions. Typesetting, layout, book design, PDF files and POD/PQN (pBooks) printing. eBooks: Downloads, CDs and handheld readers.
3. The New Book Model: Promoting. Getting your books into bookstores, book clubs and making nontraditional sales (catalogs, premiums, fundraisers, specialty stores). Using broadcast email. Radio/TV interviews, autographings, review copies and other promotion.
See /getpage.cfm?file=newbook.html Come to meet Dan and hear his vital book writing-publishing- promoting message. See the props and get the handout.
2001
April 4: Building Your Writing & Speaking Career. A special presentation with Dottie Walters. Book Publicists of Southern California, Sportsman's Lodge, Studio City. Book Publicists of Southern California. Fmi: Ernie Weckbaugh CasaG@wgn.net
April 10: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
April 21-22: Book marketing/promotion/distribution seminar in Santa Barbara with Dan Poynter. For details, contact Para Publishing, PO Box 8206-896, Santa Barbara, CA 93118-8206. Tel: (805) 968-7277, Fax: (805) 968-1379. Workshop@ParaPublishing.com
April 27: Magnificent Marketing Symposium, Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA. The extraordinary annual Dottie Walters Soirée. Fmi: dan@Walters-Intl.com
May 9: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
May 12: Turning Speeches into Books. Oklahoma Speakers Association. Fmi: John Irvin, 918-583-4308.
May 30-31: Publishing University. Publishers Marketing Association. Chicago. Dan Poynter on Non-Traditional Sales, Catalog Sales, Spin-offs, Selling Directly to your Customer and Building a Web Site that Sells. Fmi: 310-372-2732.
June 12: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
June 28: Santa Barbara Writer's Conference. Fmi: Barnaby Conrad 805-684-2250.
July 11: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
July 21-22: Book marketing/promotion/distribution seminar in Santa Barbara with Dan Poynter. For details, contact Para Publishing, PO Box 8206-896, Santa Barbara, CA 93118-8206. Tel: (805) 968-7277, Fax: (805) 968-1379. Workshop@ParaPublishing.com
August 16: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
August 31-September 3: Maui Writers Conference. Dan Poynter on the New Book Model. Fmi: http://www.MauiWriters.com
September 6: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Toronto. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi 877-277-1240; 416-964-0011. http://www.learningannex.com/default.taf?
September 11: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
September 15-16: Book Publishing Seminar. Philadelphia or Washington DC; site TBA. Fmi: Brian Jud iMarketBooks@aol.com
October 6: Turning Speeches into Books. Minnesota Chapter of the National Speakers Association. Fmi: Dan Janal.
October 10: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
November 10: Turning Speeches into Books. Heart of Texas Chapter of the National Speakers Association. Fmi: Ann Fry: Ann@HumorU.com.
November 14: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
November 17-18: Book Publishing Seminar. San Antonio. Fmi: Brian Jud iMarketBooks@aol.com
Top 10 candidates for future e-books for techie audiences. From Cnet Bulletin.
- A Tale of Two Geocities:
"It was the best of sites, it was the worst of sites."
- E-Claudius: Wretched geek grows up to become king of a
Roman, er, Redmond empire.
- The Bill Joy Luck Club: Former technophiles get together to
wish away nanotechnology.
- The Lord of the Files: Drunk on power, an IS director
descends into barbarism, starts randomly deleting files from
network drives.
- Yes, Icon: Sammy Davis Jr. relates the heartwarming story
of his mastery of AOL.
- Moby Click: Tale of a monomaniacal dot-com CEO chasing
venture capital to the ends of the earth. Ultimately, he straps
himself to his backers and brings them down with the ship.
- The Wizard of OS: Dorothy and friends search the Internet
trying to get back home, or at least back to their home page.
- Lady Chat Room's Lover: Steamy transcripts from
alt.gamekeeper.dhlawrence.
- Their Eyes Were Watching GNU: How the arrival of open
source software developers changed the lives of this small,
migrant African-American town in southern Florida.
- Gone with the Windows: "Frankly, Mac, I don't give a damn!"
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