iUniverse
AuthorHouse Self Publishing Boook Company

Thursday, December 27, 2007

iUniverse Publishing Promotion: 50 Free Books For $300


Here's one of the coolest offer I've come across so far from iUniverse. You can get 50 free books for $300 - BUT you have to purchase one of their publishing packages. The offer isn't bad if you don't mind getting stuck with 50 books at the start of 2008 (if you plan to give them away next year or sell them yourself though then you'll be all set).

Promotion Description: Receive 50 EXTRA paperbacks for $300 with every Premier Pro, Premier, Select and Poetry Publishing Package purchase.

Code: EXTRABOOKS
The discounts offered by iUniverse have been extended too (like everyone else) so looks like we have more time to think about where we really want to get published.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Authorhouse's Six Steps to Publish Your Book in 2008


Here are 6 steps to publish your book from Authorhouse

With Christmas just a few days away, the New Year’s Resolution season is in full effect. Last year, we highlighted the top ten resolutions for writers. Those tips can help you start writing and keep at it, but several AuthorHouse authors have asked about specific goals to publish a book. If you’re ready to make 2008 the year you publish, consider these crucial steps.

  • Pick a target date for holding the first copy of your book in your hands
    Staying focused on a specific date will help you remain productive. Set a date that you’ll have to work to achieve, but don’t make it unrealistic or unattainable. Many first-time authors pick dates with special significance, such as a birthday, professional meeting or speaking engagement.
  • Set a schedule to meet your goal
    Once you pick your publication date, work backwards, putting dates on a calendar of when you need your manuscript completed and submitted. Also, build in time for illustrations or editing, if needed. Experienced self-publishing companies such as AuthorHouse can help determine a schedule that works best for your needs.

  • Pay attention to the best time and place for you to write productively
    Most experienced writers say they’ve learned there are better times and settings for them to write. Just like athletes, certain conditions can put a writer in the “zone” where words flow freely. Once you’ve figured out where and when you do your best writing, commit to writing regularly in those conditions.

  • Make yourself accountable to someone for finishing your book
    Choose someone who will help make sure you’re staying focused. It can be a friend, family member or someone familiar with book publishing. AuthorHouse representatives have served in this role for thousands of authors. You may also be able to find another writer who also wants to complete their manuscript in 2008, and you can keep each other moving forward throughout the year.

  • Create a marketing plan for your finished book
    The success of a book is often directly tied to successful planning. To maximize your sales potential, a successful marketing plan must be in place before your book launch. Develop a plan for how you’ll get the word out about your new book. Your own Web site, press releases, book signings and speaking engagements should all be considered.

  • Plan an event to celebrate your book’s publication
    Writing a book can be one of the most enjoyable accomplishments of your life. Celebrate by throwing a launch party or scheduling a book signing at a local bookstore. This is more than a book—it’s part of your legacy. Take a few moments to celebrate your achievement and capitalize on the buzz you’ve created for your new book.

  • Tuesday, December 18, 2007




    I just found the Online book publishing review for 2008. A little early you think? I'm beginning to doubt the credibility of this book publishing top ten review site. Why you ask? There are some glaring facts here that just cannot be overlooked.

    • First of all, iUniverse and Authorhouse are both up at the top of this list. Although I do understand that iUniverse was number one last year, so that must probably be "home court" advantage? But it is such a coincidence that since they have both joined forces they are now side by side in a review as well? Hmmm....

    • Second of all if I considered pricing as one of the major factors in book publishing, which I do by the way, Fultus appears to be the most affordable choice of the group followed by Xlibris and then Virtual Bookworm Publishing. Next in this list would be iUniverse and Infinity Publishing

    • Third is that when I checked which of the publishing companies offer the most services inside their publishing packages, Llumina Press offers the most services in their packages as well as bookselling reach, followed by Virtual Bookworm Publishing, while Authorhouse has the most additional paid services.


    So what in the publishing world is the criteria for judging here? There is absolutely no congruence as to their summary report versus individual reviews that always referred to their number one choice (which now appears dubious to me)

    "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" By JK Rowling Sold For £1.95 million

    Taking a break from looking around for self publishing opportunities, history was just made when handwritten and illustrated by J.K. Rowling sold for £1.95 million at auction on Thursday. According to The Wall Street Journal, the buyer, London art agent Hazlitt, Gooden and Fox, now has one of only seven copies of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," which is leather bound with silver mounts. The book (which previously featured as a fictional plot device in the last of Ms. Rowling's Harry Potter novels) had originally been expected to sell for about £50,000.


    The standing-room-only crowd at Sotheby's auction house applauded as bidding topped the £1 million mark. The money will benefit The Children's Voice, a charity co-founded in 2005 by Ms. Rowling and Baroness Nicholson, a member of Britain's House of Lords.

    For pictures and more detail on the purchase, here's link to a blog entry that describes it in full detail Tales of Beedle the Bard By JK Rowling Purchased by Amazon At $4M

    Sunday, December 16, 2007

    Xlibris Continues 50% Sale



    Despite one of my previous posts that had Xlibris running a 7-day Christmas sale at 50% off their regular price, they seemed to have extended indefinitely (?). Who knows really? Their site no longer mentions anything about deadlines so boohoo to everybody who fell for the 7-day thing they had going.

    Anyway their offer still sounds better by far than the others I've seen in terms of cash out for publishing your book.

    iUniverse 12 Days Of Christmas Sale


    iUniverse ends 2007 with a dollar discount offer from $50- $150 off their publishing packages. This offer ends on December 26.

    Promotion Description: Code:
    Save $150 off the regular price of a Premier Pro Publishing Package and get 15 extra FREE paperback books.
    (Reg. $1,299) Now only $1,149!
    DECPRO150
    Save $100 off the regular price of a Premier Publishing Package and get 10 extra FREE paperback books.
    (Reg. $899) Now only $799!
    DECPRE100
    Save $50 off the regular price of a Select Publishing Package and get 5 extra FREE paperback books.
    (Reg. $599) Now only $549!
    DECSEL50

    Tuesday, December 11, 2007

    iUniverse Does A Lulu With Wordclay

    iUniverse is pushing a DIY self publishing tool called Wordclay. It looks very similar to Lulu. It is online intensive. You do everything on their site. Very similar to Lulu in process. The colors look a bit off though so they don't really look like the same company but don't be fooled!

    They're trying to promote a do-it-yourself process

    DIY Self-Publishing Process

    Step 1: Tell us about your book and select the book's size.

    Step 2: Prepare and upload your manuscript.

    Step 3: Design the cover for your book.

    Step 4: Calculate the selling price for your new book.

    Step 5: Compose book marketing information.

    Step 6: Approve and publish your book.


    If you want to learn more, visit them yourself at www.Wordclay.com. I have yet to take the time to do a thorough comparison between them but from a quick scan, I'd have to say that Blurb and Lulu have found worthy competition with this Authorhouse/ iUniverse combination.

    Trafford Publishing Special Gifts For December



    Trafford publishing is giving away special gifts apparently this is only for Writer's Digest subscribers so listen up:

    Special Gift 1 - Save on Trafford's traditional publishing packages

    Publish your book at last year’s prices, and save up to $500. Plus, if you sign up before December 20th we’ll give you 10 EXTRA FREE COPIES of your book and a 10% discount off your first order (no quantity maximum or minimum). A special gift from us to you.

    Special Gift 2 - Exclusive introductory offer new artisan color package

    Purchase Trafford’s revolutionary new Artisan Color Package at the special introductory price of $1997 — a savings of $500. Ideal for travel guides, cookbooks, illustrated story books, photo books, and much more. Sign up before Dec 20th and you will receive 10 ADDITIONAL FREE COPIES of your book.

    Remember to use the following:
    • Promo Code for Special Gift One: 10114
    • Promo Code for Special Gift Two: 10115

    Here's a link to the offer if you're interested

    Wednesday, December 5, 2007

    Booksurge Gives Away 50 FREE paperbacks

    Here's an excerpt from an email my friend received from Booksurge. They're a self publishing company owned by Amazon.com, and they have their own holiday promotion going too.

    BookSurge has a special offer that will jumpstart your work and gives you opportunities for publicity from the beginning. For the month of December, when you sign up to publish your book with BookSurge and purchase Press Release Creation and Distribution Services and a Publicity Pack, you'll receive 50 complimentary trade paperback copies of your book. With Press Release Creation and Distribution services, a professional public relations writer will craft and distribute a press release announcing the publication of your book. The press release is designed to garner media attention, while our Publicity Kit includes 500 each of postcards, business cards, and bookmarks that are ready to hand out at your first book signing.

    This deal requires more purchasing though. My estimate is you'll have to spend no less then a thousand dollars to actually get the free books. The iUniverse and Xlibris deals sound a lot better.

    Monday, December 3, 2007

    iUniverse Gives Away FREE Books For Christmas




    iUniverse gives away as many as 60 free books this Christmas with their most expensive package.

    Promotion Description: Code:
    Receive 60 FREE paperbacks with every Premier Pro Publishing Package purchase.
    40 bonus copies plus 20 included with the package
    PRODEC40
    Receive 40 FREE paperbacks with every Premier Publishing Package purchase.
    30 bonus copies plus 10 included with the package
    PREDEC30
    Receive 25 FREE paperbacks with every Select Publishing Package purchase.
    20 bonus copies plus 5 included with the package
    SELDEC20
    I still think Xlibris' 50% offer is a much better deal for the season though. I mean what will I do with so many books?

    Friday, November 30, 2007

    Xlibris Early Christmas Present: 50% Off All Book Publishing Services



    Xlibris Early Christmas Present: 50% Off All Book Publishing Services. Do you believe that? There has to be some kind of catch to an offer that big. Book publishing at half their regular price, that means just about $200 or so. Should ask if service will be the same or if that will be cut in half too.

    It only lasts for 7 days though so maybe they're hoping people will just call interested in the offer but be too late to actually claim it? Plus they're supposedly giving free books? Aw come on where's the fine print?

    Thursday, November 29, 2007

    New York Times' 10 Best Books Of 2007

    New York Times' 10 Best Books Of 2007. Here's NYT's selection of best books for 2007 in Fiction and Non fiction. Click on the book's title and get taken to NYT's review of that book.


    Fiction

    MAN GONE DOWN
    By Michael Thomas. Black Cat/Grove/Atlantic, paper, $14.

    OUT STEALING HORSES
    By Per Petterson. Translated by Anne Born. Graywolf Press, $22.

    THE SAVAGE DETECTIVES
    By Roberto BolaƱo. Translated by Natasha Wimmer. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.

    THEN WE CAME TO THE END
    By Joshua Ferris. Little, Brown & Company, $23.99.

    TREE OF SMOKE
    By Denis Johnson. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.


    Nonfiction

    IMPERIAL LIFE IN THE EMERALD CITY: Inside Iraq's Green Zone.
    By Rajiv Chandrasekaran. Alfred A. Knopf, $25.95; Vintage, paper, $14.95.

    LITTLE HEATHENS: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression.
    By Mildred Armstrong Kalish. Bantam Books, $22.

    THE NINE: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court.
    By Jeffrey Toobin. Doubleday, $27.95.

    THE ORDEAL OF ELIZABETH MARSH: A Woman in World History.
    By Linda Colley. Pantheon Books, $27.50.

    THE REST IS NOISE: Listening to the Twentieth Century.
    By Alex Ross. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $30.


    According to the article, this list will run in the Dec. 9 print edition of the Book Review.

    Sunday, November 25, 2007

    Authorhouse Publishing Guide in HTML

    I requested a publishing guide from Authorhouse. Expecting to get a large PDF file like I usually get from other self publishing companies, it was a welcome surprise that I got theirs in HTML. It's like a separate part of their website. And believe me the Authorhouse website annoys me to no end as it is - no prices and other important details.

    But here's the HTML publishing guide from Authorhouse I'm talking about. Appreciate for yourself.

    ALL THE SUPPORT YOU WANT

    With AuthorHouse, you’re in control of the publishing process, plus you have on-going, personal support when you need it. Through our AuthorCentric publishing process, you:

    • Drive the design and layout of the book
    • Choose the promotional services that best fit your plans
    • Set the sale price and royalty amount for your book
    • Retain the rights to your work, so you profit from selling foreign or movie rights

    We simply provide the services, advice and expertise you need to reach your goals. That means, with AuthorHouse, you get the book you want to market much faster and have the potential to earn a greater amount on each book sold.

    Thursday, November 22, 2007

    Xulon Press Will Increase Prices On Dec. 1


    I received an email today from Xulon Press announcing that they're increasing their prices on Dec. 1, also encouraging me to publish my book now before their prices go up.

    The email itself was nicely worded, explaining that they had to increase prices after 7 years now. There is also the deal of being able to take $650 OFF the price of their "Best-seller Program."

    Wednesday, November 21, 2007

    Amazon Launches Paperback Of The Future?




    Jeffrey Bezos has been know to be the visionary who set up the multi-billion dollar retailer Amazon.com - he does it yet again with Kindle in the hopes the ebook reader will do for books what the iPod did for music.

    In this review by The Guardian's Danny Bradbury, he quoted Jeff Bezos, "we knew we would never out-book the book," he explained. "We would have to take the technology and do things the book could never do."

    Kindle has 30 hours of battery life, 2-hour recharge time, it lets users instantly receive newspapers and magazines subscribed to via Amazon. Making more than 90,000 books, blogs, magazines and newspapers available to any reader anywhere in the world - at a fee of course. But will this ebook reader device make it to mass markets? His article mentions many possible flaws to the device.

    Other publishers worry that the whole ebook concept is flawed. Like many, HarperCollins is currently in the throes of digitising its content. "We're partly digitising because we are saying that we're not as interested in the book as a content delivery mechanism," says group digital publisher Clive Malcher. "We want to start with the content and deliver it in the most appropriate medium."

    In a letter from Jeff Bezos posted on the homepage of Amazon.com, it took them more than 3 years to develop it. Kindle is wireless, patterned after the cell phone technology without the bills, the software and contracts. The screen is nothing like a computer, it's said to be on electronic paper and weighs only 10.3 ounces (less than a paperback), with the content of 200 books.

    Will their analogy to music really work? I'm not sure. I still want to hold a book when I read and flip pages, and even smell the paper. It might be worth considering though now that everyone's going green - environmentalists will love this product.

    I'm not sure ebooks will fly as well. They have been around for awhile but they haven't really stood out as a replacement for the real tangible book. And I doubt they ever will. For some reason, being published in print is just not the same with being published online

    Tuesday, November 20, 2007

    AuthorHouse Launches 2 New Services For Self Published Authors



    Just when I thought Xlibris had the upper hand with all their promotions going on, not to be outdone is Authorhouse who just purchased iUniverse I heard recently launched two new marketing services products for their self published authors.

    Book Buyer’s Preview that allows book buyers, librarians and researchers across the globe to read a selection from the first chapter of your book. When book buyers access their ordering database, the preview will appear with your book’s ordering information to aid buyers in making a purchasing decision. This will be made available to trade databases including in Ingram Book Group and Baker & Taylor, the two largest book distributors in the world as well as post a preview of your book on the Barnes & Noble site BN.com as well as Buy.com

    Media Interview Connection that puts you, your book and your credentials in front of 75,000 journalists across the country. This sounds pretty much like a press release I think, only that they arrive in the form of alerts.

    These all sound really nice. But I wonder how I go about getting them. I was on their site all day today trying to figure it out. What I understand is I have to pay for them, but I can't see anywhere how much they cost. They have got to make their website a lot friendlier. I'm wondering are these part of their publishing package now? Or are they add-ons? My goodness if they don't state the price though, makes me think they might be pretty darn expensive.

    Saturday, November 17, 2007

    Xlibris Publishing Feature: Take A Look Inside Their Books



    Xlibris just launched a new feature. I didn't notice it at first because it's at the bottom of their home page. But it's pretty cool. What it shows is the inside of some of their books.

    If you can't find the link, try clicking here. This is a link to one of their samples - A Star For Santa. What's cool about it is that you actually see the pages flip. You see how the book is laid out, the interior book design and not just the cover (which we see everywhere anyway).

    Xlibris is a self publishing company so I'd have to pay for their services, it's not a bad idea that they show me what the product would probably look like. Wonder if they can add this feature to their bookstore. That would be just cool if book shoppers could get a glimpse of what's inside the book, like a teaser.

    Friday, November 16, 2007

    November Publishing Promotion: iUniverse's biggest discount for 2007



    While Xlibris is taking on the holiday Christmas theme, iUniverse on the other hand, has a Thanksgiving motif going on

    Promotion Description: Code:
    Save $200 off the regular price of a Premier Pro Publishing Package.
    (Reg. $1,299) Now only $1,099!
    NOV200
    Save $150 off the regular price of a Premier Publishing Package.
    (Reg. $899) Now only $749!
    NOV150
    Save $100 off the regular price of a Select Publishing Package.
    (Reg. $599) Now only $499!
    NOV100
    Save $50 off the regular price of a Poetry Publishing Package.
    (Reg. $799) Now only $749!
    NOV50

    iUniverse website says savings with all the trimmings by entering the corresponding promotional code when you purchase your Premier Pro, Premier, Select or Poetry Publishing Package (see codes above).


    The point is I guess for you to purchase your publishing package before Dec. 1, and save as much as $200—apparently this is the biggest package discount iUniverse has offered in 2007. If your book is not quite ready to publish, then you don't have to miss out on the savings. You can still purchase your package today and submit your manuscript later according to them. Sounds like give me your money now, your manuscript can wait.

    November Publishing Promotion: Xlibris has 3 of them!



    Xlibris self publishing company just uploaded a new offer on their website which says that they're making sure your Christmas wish list comes true this November. Choose from three great deals and make all your yuletide dreams come true.



    Give the perfect Christmas gift to that special someone this year.
    Complete with a FREE Holiday Gift Certificate with 50 free holiday cards to whomever you choose.

    That's quite a lot of offers don't you think?
    • So you can either publish 2 books for the price of 1 - which is cool if you've got 2 book but not necessarily useful if you've only got 1
    • You can get dollar discounts, which I guess would be what they would offer people with just 1 book
    • Upgrade? What is that? So you get 1 package with super-sized french fries? Maybe better services from that particular publishing package perhaps?
    Guess I'll just have to call to find out. Getting confused

    Tuesday, November 13, 2007

    8th Harry Potter Book - Coming Soon?

    Harry Potter enthusiasts, children and adults alike are being intrigued by a new website acting like a teaser for something in relation to the Harry Potter series, with his dad - Jame Potter seeming to take the lead role this time. The title says James Potter and The Hall of Elders' Crossing. Sounds very Harry Potterish to me.



    A spokesman for Warner Bros, the company that brought Harry Potter to the big screen and was believed to be behind the website, did not confirm or deny its involvement in the “secret test marketing” when contacted by NEWS.com.au.

    You'll need passwords to read snippets of an online book that doesn't really reveal anything about the website or what it is trying to promote. Mostly magic stuff similar to what Harry Potter used to learn in Hogwarts as well as concepts in the world of wizards. There is certainly some connection as copyright information is stated on the website. Many have commented that it could just be a hoax. But if you're interested anyway...

    First password: Genisolaris
    Second password: Corsica

    I guess this is the common denominator between readers and writers - good books. In this case a very crafty marketing ploy at the very least. The website isn't amazingly impressive, but it does showcase some professional features. It makes me think of how I would like to market my book when I get it published. This should revolutionize book marketing.

    Wednesday, November 7, 2007

    Near-Time Develops Book Building Website

    Wiley Technology Publishing and Wrox Press partners with developer Near-Time to generate a wiki-based software that allows books to be viewed in an online publishing platform, reports Publisher's Weekly.

    Wiki-based software allows publishers to post interconnected content permitting users multiple levels of access to the text itself, along with other digital functionality.

    “Publishers want to extend the e-book format,” Near-Time’s Joel Bush said. “Our technology offers publishers the ability to get consumer feedback, add rich media, create an online community or even make a book available online while it is still being edited.” Bush noted that the software lets publishers revive interest in backlist titles and easily promote new titles. Near-Time’s software also allows publishers to offer content free or through subscription access or to support the text with advertising.

    I think it's kind of like Google Book Search only that it publishes books while they are still in the process of being completed. Somebody's still writing the book and it's already available online, kind of like a soap opera on television where you can await the next chapter. In itself, this concept I think holds a lot of promise and peril for authors. This will help authors be motivated if they know someone is already interested in their work. But it can also be a haven for plagiarism and content piracy issues.

    "Our Name In History" Your Ancestry Self Published By Booksurge



    The self publishing and print-on-demand company Booksurge reported that it is collaborating with Ancestry.com - a genealogy website to publish a series of family history books. To be titled "Our Name In History" these series of books will have over 250,000 volumes and will be sold on Amazon.This makes sense as Booksurge is part of the Amazon group of companies.

    What's amazing here is that historical records from the 1600s will be dug about in relation to hundreds of thousands of common names in the United States. This study originates from five billion names of US Census data and other historical records.

    Monday, November 5, 2007

    Conventional Publishing Challenged - The Tucker Max Dare


    I found an article on Comment Is free entitled "Publisher Brought to Book: Unadventurous publishers and booksellers are facing a challenge from new writers who find an audience on the internet." This article basically outlines how Tucker Max, a writer originally rejected by many publishing houses he tried to contact because his book was not saleable. He went online to self-publish 2 books through online publishing houses - Lulu.com & iUniverse.com.

    He authored a new type of book that has begun to challenge the publishers and bookstores that leave small independent authors without a voice.

    Tucker Max was a "belligerent and debauched" ex-law student who started by establishing a following on the internet and eventually joined the New York Times bestseller list with his book, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.

    According to sources, the publishers' real problem was they had no idea how to market the book.
    This, Max realised, is where conventional marketing techniques have failed to capitalise - not only on his own work but on internet literature in general. What the publishing houses had not fully realised was that Max's site had a monthly hit-rate of more than two million unique visits, and a fan base that was actively teeming with support on the website's message board. After months of constant rejections, the book was finally picked up by Kensington Books, the last independent publishing house in the US. His idiosyncratic self-belief eventually paid off in 2006. The UK edition has since been picked up by Penguin, and he has reportedly been offered a $300,000 advance on his next book.

    Because of the subject matter, the book's scope for literary acclaim is limited, but the wonder is that it has seen the shelves at all, and it is the power of the internet that has given Max and authors like him a voice.

    Max's success did not go unnoticed in the publishing industry, and a number of other writers have since landed book deals on the strength of their online following. Their subjects are various, but New York Times bestseller successes have been enjoyed by books spun off from websites such as Thebestpageintheuniverse.net, a long-running catalogue of satire, criticism and vitriol that has become one of the most popular non-commercial sites on the web. The subversive cartoon site ColoringBookLand.com and satirical news site Thephatphree.com are other such examples. In the UK, the most recognised of these is probably the anyonymous blogger Belle De Jour, who is also a best-selling author and subject of ITV2's new flagship drama The Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

    The sites and their cross-over books have attracted reverence and revilement in equal degree, and because of their content, they are always likely to be sniffed at by literary critics. Regardless of merit, though, their niche appeal poses a unique challenge to the publishing and bookselling industry.

    With the conventional bounds imposed by marketing strategies removed, authors can write about what interests them, no matter how niche it seems. Publishers have the choice to publish, regardless of whether it seems saleable (because an unvisited site is much less of a financial headache than a warehouse full of unsold books). Ultimately, readers have the choice of what to read, far more so than they do in conventional bookshops, where deals have been struck to ensure that big books make big profits, while the weak - meaning the original, the untested - fall by the wayside.

    This is by no means the end of the predictable McNovels that dominate our bookstores, but with online publishing opportunities increasing, and online booksellers like Amazon, (whose stock is dictated by demand,) becoming ever more dominant, bookstores might finally have cause to rethink the way they fill their shelves.

    Friday, November 2, 2007

    November Publishing Promotion: Xulon Press

    Here's a special publishing services offer I found on Xulon Press. Their services start at $999 so it's a little expensive I think but the offer looks okay to me. They are a self publishing company.

    Xulon Press Special Publishing Offer: During November get our Best-Seller package for $1,849 and save $650. Offer expires November 30th, 2007 (3:00 P.M. EST).

    The 8th Harry Potter Book - NOT Published?

    For all book-lovers out there, J.K. Rowling added one more book to her Harry Potter series.
    According to Publsher's Weekly, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the real-life incarnation of a collection of wizarding fairytales mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as a gift left to Hermione by Professor Dumbledore."

    Apparently the book is handwritten and contains illustrations by Rowling. This has to be one of the most personal books ever written as according to J.K. Rowling - writing the book “has been the most wonderful way to say goodbye to a world I have loved and lived in for 17 years,” she told the AP.

    Only seven copies of the title were printed, with a brown leather binding and elaborate silver and gemstone decorative accents. Reuters reported that in a dedication to the book, Rowling states, “Six of these books have been given to those most closely connected to the Harry Potter books during the last 17 years. This seventh copy will be auctioned; the proceeds to help institutionalized children who are in desperate need of a voice. So to whoever owns this book, thank you—and fair fortune be yours.”

    Sotheby’s will auction the book December 13 with an opening price of $62,000. The winning bid will be donated to Rowling’s charity The Children’s Voice.

    I hope whoever gets the last of the 7 copies, will post the book online for the rest of us humble-folk who will probably never lay a hand on it.

    I'm willing to bet though that time will come, this book will be published - especially with the growing demand and hype. Maybe that's the point of all this - to make some noise and establish the relative demand of the book - and then they can publish it full tilt, because right now I still see some copies of the Deathly Hallows already at something like 10% off in some bookstores. Guess that's how traditional publishing works.

    Thursday, November 1, 2007

    November Book Publishing Promotion: Xlibris

    I've heard about Xlibris being a print on demand services provider, but associates itself to Random House Ventures. Basically standing out as a self publishing company.

    Xlibris Publishing Promotion for November includes a free publishing package - like a buy one take one deal applicable to black and white as well as their full color publishing packages.

    If you don't like to take this though, they have an alternative - a dollar discount of about 20% off. This makes sense I guess. I don't even have my first book ready yet, but might be a good deal for writers who are thinking about publishing sequels to their book.

    Xlibris sounds much more affordable now but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that some kind-hearted agent will pick up my book. But I guess the option to self publish is always there (when I get the money).

    November Book Publishing Promotion: iUniverse

    iUniverse I read is a self publishing company that has partnered with Barnes and Noble. And recently they were bought by Authorhouse I believe. Not sure what that means but they must be much bigger then. Anyway I was reading through their site and found their November special which lasts about 15 days.

    The iUniverse Publishing Promotion this November comes with a discount that's about 11% of the original price but includes free books, I guess this is on top of the books they already have in their publishing package.

    Promotion Description:

    Save $150 off the regular price of a Premier Pro Publishing Package and get 15 extra FREE paperback books. (Reg. $1,299) Now only $1,149!
    Code: NOVPRO150

    Save $100 off the regular price of a Premier Publishing Package and get 10 extra FREE paperback books. (Reg. $899) Now only $799!
    Code: NOVPRE100

    Save $50 off the regular price of a Select Publishing Package and get 5 extra FREE paperback books. (Reg. $599) Now only $549!
    Code: NOVSEL50

    Still a little steep for me though but just thought I'd share. Here's hoping I won't have to pay when I get ready to publish my book.

    Tuesday, October 30, 2007

    Book Publishing Statistics

    I just finished reading Susan Driscoll's book, Get Published. And here are some insights I got from that book about how traditional publishing works. But first to start with some statistics


    • As of 2005, the book publishing industry in the US was worth $5.2 billion. And there was already a 10% decrease of titles published this year compared to 2004

    • Five publishing conglomerates control 80% of books sales and together they have published 23 thousand titles. That's less than 5% of all books published

    • 87% of retail bookstore sales in 2004 came from only 7% of the books published that year. Translated to units, that's less than 1,200 new titles selling 50,000 copies or more

    • The rest of the books, the other 93% - sold less than 1,000 copies each

    Based on that, if you manage to sell more than 10,000 copies of your book, you will be considered a success in the book publishing arena. Then you'll be a best-seller! At least you'll be in the 90% percentile and better than 22 thousand other titles.

    No wonder traditional book publishers are very picky about who they want to publish and how careful they are about accepting manuscripts. Major book publishers must lose a lot of money on a majority of the books they publish.

    If you take it from this perspective, it will be easier to understand that they must acquire and promote titles that have high probability of selling. In any case, book publishing is still a business regardless of how passionate writers are about their manuscripts. Publishing companies need to make the money.

    Monday, October 29, 2007

    Random House Markets Coupland's Latest Novel In YouTube

    Douglas Coupland's new novel "The Gum Thief" published by Random House will be marketed with a series of videos which were posted on Youtube recently.

    The videos follow the book's theme in the form of narratives from the protagonist perspective as well as that of other characters from the book.

    This is a new way of marketing for the book and is projected to interest younger markets into reading contemporary fiction.

    Traditional book publishers such as Random House are turning towards more contemporary forms of advertising as well. It is smart to target Youtube as part of their marketing campaign. Wonder if their strategic partner in print on demand would offer that too...

    Set SMART Goals When Writing Your Book

    I have learned that in order to accomplish something (well anything actually), particularly your long awaited manuscript, you should establish goals for yourself. Famous authors (like Dan Brown) I've heard set strict regimen to their writing routine. Nobody became an overnight best-seller. It takes time to write the perfect story or the ideal novel.

    A writing tip would be to make your goals SMART (that's an acronym for)
    • S - Specific. Be specific about what you want to accomplish. Make sure they are operationally defined, meaning they are described in such a way that you know the final output. For example for people who probably have more time in their hands, I will write 2 pages a day or for the busier folks, I will invest 4 hours of my time weekly to writing.
    • M - Manageable. Don't be over enthusiastic about your current project that you decide to allocate your whole day to one particularly activity and neglecting everything else. What will happen is that you will end up with a whole lot of back log the next day, or worse, you'll burn yourself out and not write at all. Manage your writing career as you would all the other important aspects of your life - in moderation and balance.
    • A - Attainable. Set goals that are attainable. If you raise the bar too high, this might just discourage you and you end up not accomplishing anything at all. You don't need to finish writing your book tomorrow (unless you've got an offer lined up and you really need to, but really). This is more often than not, the cause for writer's block. The pressure to c0mplete your book becomes too much to handle and you end up with a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure. Make sure that the goals you set for yourself are within your means to achieve.
    • R - Realistic. Life is full of unexpected surprises. Your sister might get pregnant or your office might want you to go on an overseas conference. Make sure you allow some break time in between your goals, or cut yourself some slack. In a perfect world, there is time for everything. However in the real world, time for one thing will cut into time allocated for other things. So when setting your writing goals take into account a day or two of possible diversions.
    • T - Time. Time is not always on your side, but time is what you make it. Your goals should always be tied to time. You should stick to it. As long as you have set allowances and were realistic about your goals, you should have given yourself enough time to achieve your target for set periods.

    As long as your goals are SMART and you stick to them. Be persistent and surely you will be able to see a finished manuscript within a year or so into writing (depending of course on your goal).

    I want to get published. How do I start?

    Well first of all, if you want to get published you need to have something to publish. Publishers these days, especially the ones whom you have to pay to publish you work i.e. iUniverse, Authorhouse, Xlibris, Booksurge and Trafford. They all tell you that they'll publish whatever you've got - stories, poems, photos, illustrations... what-have-you. But needless to say, all will be for naught if you have nothing to begin with. You'll be throwing money away, spending on a publishing package (if you choose to pay for publishing) or wasting away your dream of becoming a best selling author if you don't start now.

    Communication experts say that an average person speaks enough words to fill 2 pages single spaced everyday. That means people actually talk a lot, and if you put your mind to it, you can probably write a whole lot more. Everybody has a book in them. Everybody has a story to tell. And I quite agree. However everyone also has the tendency to procrastinate and everybody (well almost everybody) also needs a day job (or money anyway) so life's everyday obstacles actually get in the way of fulfilling the dream of becoming a successful author.

    Well first of all, be realistic. Why are you writing? What are your motivations?
    • Is it for money of fame? Do you want to launch your writing career?
    • Is it to capture important life events? Are you writing for family and friends?
    • Is it for professional recognition? Are you an expert at what you do?

    When you know your book's purpose and its audience or potential market, you will be able to decide how much time, money and effort you can allocate to making your book. So that's step number one: identify your book's purpose and your audience.

    Sunday, October 28, 2007

    If a 13-year old can do it, why can't I?

    At 13, he became a published author
    'DRAGON'S TALE': His mom made him an offer: If you finish it, we'll get it in print. Story from Anchorage Daily News by Becky Stoppa



    A 13-year old got published just recently with Xlibris. Not published in the traditional sense where his manuscript is picked up by one of those big shot publishers and then commercialized. Not published in the sense that he gets paid in advance for royalties. It's the opposite kind where he paid his publisher $1200 to get published. I think that's what they call self publishing. It's not so bad I guess considering that he's 13 years old and now has a book to his name - plus a newspaper article too. Not a bad deal I guess