tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66407545648173106012024-03-13T12:57:03.656-07:00I wanna publishRants and ramblings about book publishing, self publishing, and just getting published.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-42679844537463547182010-03-31T19:15:00.000-07:002010-03-31T19:19:56.984-07:00Eclipse Follow Up from Stephanie Meyer - The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR89C6xMEJD8omIG9rbrA4QlV6Hs1f4MhL8VHfOvxJWvzJvMVElPYTQIqGch_O7bnmKNUHrgDFV3ARhI0Ab66YlAstX0bOznkIqlmG9LzB9oMfJ1fR-H9bgSSSZl6RsLlqKJ7wkzXcxuk/s1600/book.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR89C6xMEJD8omIG9rbrA4QlV6Hs1f4MhL8VHfOvxJWvzJvMVElPYTQIqGch_O7bnmKNUHrgDFV3ARhI0Ab66YlAstX0bOznkIqlmG9LzB9oMfJ1fR-H9bgSSSZl6RsLlqKJ7wkzXcxuk/s400/book.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454987148189221970" /></a><br /><br />Coming this June 5, 2010 is Stephanie Meyer's newest book called The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. If you loved the Twilight series, then there's no reason not to get into this one.<br /><br />I read on Stephanie Meyer's website that she came up with this while writing Eclipse to figure out what it was like being a new vampire. This section was supposed to go into the Vampire Guide she was going to release but ended up too long. The material here was also used in the movie as the director/ producer and actors wanted to be able to understand how they should portray the rising team of young vampires<br /><br />After type-setting, this part of the book got too long to be inserted in the Vampire Guide and so here it is, it's very own "novella" as they call it. 200 pages of Bree Tanner's short second life for everybody to enjoyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-77624513220894673792010-03-06T15:58:00.000-08:002010-03-06T16:03:31.337-08:00Will Kindle And Other eBook Readers Lose Out To iPad?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVV9QH_DJixGg4cOnB7KG8zvTR10pxnD0EcqFNjrZpLrnBEwut1UU_wU5khb9MxDfzerr4c90oqpizG_2AELTHevzI6giFpheJKPpReGNLHX2izpc66eJ7Iu3c0T32mi1DX80Vm28OSpw/s1600-h/jobsvsbezos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVV9QH_DJixGg4cOnB7KG8zvTR10pxnD0EcqFNjrZpLrnBEwut1UU_wU5khb9MxDfzerr4c90oqpizG_2AELTHevzI6giFpheJKPpReGNLHX2izpc66eJ7Iu3c0T32mi1DX80Vm28OSpw/s400/jobsvsbezos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445675807009180898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p>A <a href="http://taintedgreen.com/green-gadgets/survey-says-apple-s-ipad-may-rule-the-e-reader-world/000568">recent survey </a>by ChangeWave Research took a look at over three thousand consumers shortly after the iPad was revealed to the world. They gave special attention to the device’s function as an e-reader or its ability to snatch the sales crown from the Kindle.<br /></p> <p>A whopping 40% of those looking to bring an e-reader home in the next ninety days chose the iPad. The Kindle comes in second with 28%, Barnes & Noble’s Nook with 6%, and Sony with a miniscule 1%.</p><p>I've heard the criticisms and I love both Jeffrey Bezos and Steve Jobs - as to which product will sell better. We shall see when iPad launches next month<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-52703847710908667152010-03-06T15:44:00.000-08:002010-03-06T15:55:14.579-08:00The Self Publishing Boom And How It Gave Birth To Unsuspecting Authors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBn_FuzZSLPsgwGQ5XoqC1vp3gv_5EIU9Bb6LTDmZsaR8XIQpkbEI6zqzERb6nO101wSEGBirnZWrWaNEb0BnqqhaEF1rhfwKhxJHtS839okJTEO1nd_v7qWcmuxoam93Lpe60ZDYI0oc/s1600-h/bp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 326px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBn_FuzZSLPsgwGQ5XoqC1vp3gv_5EIU9Bb6LTDmZsaR8XIQpkbEI6zqzERb6nO101wSEGBirnZWrWaNEb0BnqqhaEF1rhfwKhxJHtS839okJTEO1nd_v7qWcmuxoam93Lpe60ZDYI0oc/s400/bp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445673432322416322" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We have to admit that self publishing is now a very acceptable means of putting your work out there.<br /><br />To quote <a href="http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2010/03/self-publishing-author-services-open-floodgates-for-writers060.html">Mediashift</a>, "Mid-level authors already know that the era of large advances, generous royalties, book tours and media spots are over. They have to spend their own time and money to create a website and publicize their books. Publishers just don't have the resources to offer them full support. Why? The Internet, online bookstores, e-books, and an economy in decline are cited as some root causes of the steady slump in the traditional publishing industry. In 2005 sales were down by 9 percent (and have continued to fall). Yet in 2006 print-on-demand exploded."<br /><br />Sure the big names like Random House might still make a difference in terms of publisher credibility but the power of the big publishing houses are no longer as prominent as they'd like it to be. Self publishing has blurred the definitions and means of "HOW" to get published as long as well they see the light at the end of the tunnel and eventually just get their book to the marketplace.<br /><br />Today's definition of self-publishing includes subsidy and vanity presses, print-on-demand companies, and book packagers, which many would like to clarify as being publishing or author services companies.<br /><br />"Author Solutions' brands -- AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford, Wordclay, and Xlibris -- have published more than 120,000 books by 85,000 authors," Publishers Weekly's Lynn Andriani reported her <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/talkback/440921-Change_Maker_Kevin_Weiss.php">article</a>.<br /><br />In the end I think it's going to lean a lot on the author's preference, ambition and capacity to pay.<br /><br /><br />Read the full article, <a href="http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2010/03/self-publishing-author-services-open-floodgates-for-writers060.html">Self-Publishing, Author Services Open Floodgates for Writers</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-52032922593976050602009-07-31T09:07:00.000-07:002009-07-31T09:16:24.657-07:00Random House Acquires Rights to Michael Jackson's Autobiography<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgQuB3cSkI7c_9VH5HhCIUJU3PA4UrT-_rTkW0VqRakFIREAOAWKixw1cZa_OiTVjF-HoVaJRa1BcIveIlofbpxPjq3dXsB0VglBc8V3A9pFlPM-OLCXjxjI4_I54jPg6Z5Nn__cZYZo/s1600-h/michael_jackson_lace_front_wig.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgQuB3cSkI7c_9VH5HhCIUJU3PA4UrT-_rTkW0VqRakFIREAOAWKixw1cZa_OiTVjF-HoVaJRa1BcIveIlofbpxPjq3dXsB0VglBc8V3A9pFlPM-OLCXjxjI4_I54jPg6Z5Nn__cZYZo/s400/michael_jackson_lace_front_wig.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364658550553298338" /></a><br /><br />Big money is on the way for Random House after buying the rights to Michael Jackson's best-selling 1988 autobiography, “Moonwalk,” U.S. and Canadian rights were bought by Harmony Books, an imprint of Random House, which is owned by Europe’s largest media group Bertelsmann. Harmony will print an initial run of 100,000 copies.Harmony Books spokesman Campbell Wharton declined to comment on the terms of the deal made with Jackson’s estate.<br /><br />Good for them! With the varying stories coming out these days about Michael Jackson as well as his life & death. That'll be of greater value now that he's gone that's for sure. More than in life, he's making money for people even in deathUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-26907625287961230162009-06-13T17:54:00.000-07:002009-06-13T17:56:05.318-07:00The Real Book or The Kindle Book?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijol4YhoJSxWMJEBXp7nS-qQKEzixyIxtU9RYFvIudCTliYc5dDlN0L9odtAnTHYklMYgL8NbIUa5Yf_UC9WrclE1QyK9lq-3TUjOA3uxjxY6v7uR6Wgw6mODg_jlsX9SIRNxDKYPSebw/s1600-h/ki.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijol4YhoJSxWMJEBXp7nS-qQKEzixyIxtU9RYFvIudCTliYc5dDlN0L9odtAnTHYklMYgL8NbIUa5Yf_UC9WrclE1QyK9lq-3TUjOA3uxjxY6v7uR6Wgw6mODg_jlsX9SIRNxDKYPSebw/s400/ki.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346980683759162898" /></a><br /><br /><br />Here's a nice entry by Scott Stein I found on <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10263982-1.html">CNET</a>. It's about how Kindle ebooks are replacing the physical books - hard bound or soft-cover doesn't really matter. He poses some pretty good arguments on how ebooks are cheaper with the convenience of pocket-size access.<br /><br />Nevertheless the feel of a book & its pages in your hands, still has the feel of permanence & sentimentality I guess would be a corny description. I still prefer books though but who knows I don't have a Kindle. Maybe if I get one I can actually compare.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-10179978202260546222009-06-13T17:49:00.000-07:002009-06-13T17:54:01.431-07:00Why does Scribd work as an online selling tool for books?Scribd is deemed the newest challenger to Amazon. However this was pretty much discovered accidentally by publishers. One author - Bob Seidensticker, complained just a year ago that his book was being made available on Scribd.com (this is short-hand for scribbled by the way).<br /><br />Scribd quickly took it down after the complaint was posted by publisher, Berrett-Koehler.<br /><br />However one thing led to another & Scribd was later on discovered to be a very viable marketing venue for books.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4tEhrVRvRKXERkKMf6St427H_Dd_sqiduDIC7oS8E3rhCEMtFyVLSXB65NWNLHHrsciOozBmc36iX9kQaABYse4Ge4tDJZw094Vm5CHajqVUzhEhIFxxjUyj5HIDc7CbbM_0C3FsnWQ/s1600-h/sc2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4tEhrVRvRKXERkKMf6St427H_Dd_sqiduDIC7oS8E3rhCEMtFyVLSXB65NWNLHHrsciOozBmc36iX9kQaABYse4Ge4tDJZw094Vm5CHajqVUzhEhIFxxjUyj5HIDc7CbbM_0C3FsnWQ/s400/sc2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346979989205955218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here's some background: Simply put, Scribd is like the Youtube for printed material. It's simple enough to understand - people get to upload material on to Scribd like presentations, files & yes... books too.<br /><br /><br /><br />So how do we make money off this? Scribd is now uploading excerpt for books on to its site. It's quite similar to Amazon's "Search Inside" feature so it isn't that big a deal really. However publishers seem to be attracted to the idea of having a thousand more views than normal.<br /><br />The combined material makes Scribd a proverbial library of excerpts for book lovers to enjoy. The lay-out is also pretty simple (in fact it's a knock off of Youtube so it's not that hard to figure out)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9g79FQhM1rOV7iJDjGHmcVa_GushUnTF1iq3SMIKy6VYlQ7eppcBYb9Mxn6FKetJb2cPf_vAM-ml5SyFCdIFFBgkS22IN0AIdXkslp_O2vtc_Ld3C2VodPcIfl1nsEd-GUGRyv2a6L10/s1600-h/sc.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 348px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9g79FQhM1rOV7iJDjGHmcVa_GushUnTF1iq3SMIKy6VYlQ7eppcBYb9Mxn6FKetJb2cPf_vAM-ml5SyFCdIFFBgkS22IN0AIdXkslp_O2vtc_Ld3C2VodPcIfl1nsEd-GUGRyv2a6L10/s400/sc.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346979668005816290" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So there you go. A new marketing venue for your book. Scribd is FREE by the way so there's no cash out to join. They get a cut from books that are sold through their store though, but I bet you it's not as high as Amazon.<br /><br />I've been to the site a lot of times because search engines usually lead me there when I'm looking for some items on literature, research material & most of the time non-fictional work. The pages are saved as text so imagine the depth of the content for your book as well as the categorization.<br />I don't think Scribd will beat Amazon, but I do think it's a worthwhile option to consider.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-8260518805438885752009-03-05T03:44:00.000-08:002009-03-05T03:46:52.144-08:00Another Side of Miley cyrus - A 16-year-old writes her autobiorgraphy<div>Miley Cyrus has had a movie, a tv series, concerts and practically every kind of children's paraphernalia to support the campaign and here she is again with a book... a BOOK of all thing. Talk about brain-washing the kids.<br /><br />Well I guess if you're famous you have an excuse to write your autobiography even if you're just sixteen years old<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpnojNVlKH-Hy32B6lEO9HoipegXxp1HDGVFYs-s5MwBTV3jdi5LMTdGZmZ4c3kfEpKyuMx8n5iphci9vED6PyNEeBKd-HRreZ6_pgcr8LPqi4BOkcUZp2aURoJxKmMZkgkPlKdXW0cM/s1600-h/mil.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpnojNVlKH-Hy32B6lEO9HoipegXxp1HDGVFYs-s5MwBTV3jdi5LMTdGZmZ4c3kfEpKyuMx8n5iphci9vED6PyNEeBKd-HRreZ6_pgcr8LPqi4BOkcUZp2aURoJxKmMZkgkPlKdXW0cM/s400/mil.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309668723029311426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div> <div>In the pages of her first book, "<span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1236251828_19">Miles to Go</span>," Cyrus tells PEOPLE she hopes that her fans will see "that I'm a real person just like them." "Most of the time you see me smiling — I mean that's how I got my name! — but that's not what it's all about. Everyone goes through hardships and heartbreaks," she says.<br /><br /></div> <div>In her book she also talks about the time before she became Hannah Montana, Cyrus writes, she had to endure daily hazing from bullies in sixth grade, who did everything from stealing her books to locking her in the school bathroom. Looking back, "sometimes I wish I could get an apology (from the mean girls), but to be honest I don't need one," she says. "I moved on and I believe they moved on as well. It helped make me the person I am today."<br /><br /></div> <div>Well I do hope they stick to the facts and not end up with fiction</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-41772759862783498942009-02-27T02:56:00.000-08:002009-02-27T03:10:54.087-08:00eBook Readers are Upgrading Faster than I can say Kindle!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC74If6BR4IaR1NVydiAdrScMDj_IOfAVMj06wWJ4Hwm8Cgj_UAxI8h16nvTGP1nZXPzesFVvqN5Hz4pSlXUGz1DjOZLkh4LdQ4bSYsbtt9_E_0W54yt_hkkNSBW1rpC5qM_2NriNcqas/s1600-h/kin2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 390px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC74If6BR4IaR1NVydiAdrScMDj_IOfAVMj06wWJ4Hwm8Cgj_UAxI8h16nvTGP1nZXPzesFVvqN5Hz4pSlXUGz1DjOZLkh4LdQ4bSYsbtt9_E_0W54yt_hkkNSBW1rpC5qM_2NriNcqas/s400/kin2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307432122006254274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And I thought Amazon wasn't even able to keep up with Kindle demand...<br /><br />Have you seen the new Kindle 2? I've been behind in the book publishing industry a bit given I've been otherwise indisposed with my new job.<br /><br />I'm very impressed with how thin it is. Other than that I think it's just upgraded everything - longer battery life, expanded national coverage, more books available, improved ergonomics<br /><br />My question here though, is when will the next one come out? By the time I can afford this one, it might already be outdated<br /><br />Here are the new Kindle specs<br /><br />Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines<br />Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNeuhWptfM3OknTc3CbczcHXvFuzwMXDRm4NBaU94b-9vSyh0oeUXCU9nRovcCL8IZfCyp7DFKpnmQlmho4g6AZnrW5v2_BvsADTQH7kfqrXyopav6eXcskWPTcGSpyz8MHv3hOPV5bs/s1600-h/kin3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNeuhWptfM3OknTc3CbczcHXvFuzwMXDRm4NBaU94b-9vSyh0oeUXCU9nRovcCL8IZfCyp7DFKpnmQlmho4g6AZnrW5v2_BvsADTQH7kfqrXyopav6eXcskWPTcGSpyz8MHv3hOPV5bs/s400/kin3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307431760754444690" border="0" /></a><br />Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots<br />Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required<br />Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images<br />Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging<br />More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books<br />Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns<br />Read-to-Me: With the new Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud to you<br /><br />Large Selection: Over 240,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs available<br />Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwiseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-9028994299541064352009-02-06T06:59:00.000-08:002009-02-06T07:06:05.767-08:00Tips On How To STart Writing And Keep On Writing By Beth HarpazOne of the hardest thing for a writer is to get started on the book and then just keeping that momentum. Here's a good article I got from MSNBC on tips on getting started and just seeing the project through. May it be a family history, collection of poems or recipes, perhaps you'd like to write a manual or a how-to book for your clients. And while some folks dream of commercial success, others just want to express themselves.<br /><br />Whatever your goals, here's some advice on everything from getting started to self-publishing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCXejgdwPWo9TXi7EV2dNAIrjIl-inAvaTrrDbp5CaBqLTAlKfQf2ydFJcVJhs44xdoeQ8a5oyeiiS-kMCoGiAKk4kuQl1zSW0NGuPPbTFOno3Wi2eFzCbHzHybi44G-uRIEwo62g58k/s1600-h/writ.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCXejgdwPWo9TXi7EV2dNAIrjIl-inAvaTrrDbp5CaBqLTAlKfQf2ydFJcVJhs44xdoeQ8a5oyeiiS-kMCoGiAKk4kuQl1zSW0NGuPPbTFOno3Wi2eFzCbHzHybi44G-uRIEwo62g58k/s400/writ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299700561639202898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">START WRITING</span>: Get into a writing routine. Some people swear by journals; others like to write early in the morning, before dreams are forgotten and the day's distractions begin.<br /><br />One way to do it: "Every morning at 5:30 a.m., get up and meditate, then write," said Jan Sadler, a writing coach and publications specialist in western Massachusetts.<br /><br />Deborah Edler Brown, who runs writing workshops in the Los Angeles area, had a student who worked out daily but couldn't find time to write. Brown said, "What would happen if you took your notebook to the gym, and wrote either before or after? It's a place you already made a habit of going to."<br /><br />Some writers treasure solitude. For others, a class can help.<br /><br />"It's like having a trainer," said Brown. "Anybody can exercise by themselves but not everyone is successful doing that."<br /><br />Sadler recommends writing retreats. "Just leave behind the cell phone or the BlackBerry," she said.<br /><br />Don't worry about making your writing perfect. "You don't know how many times bad writing clears the way for the thing you really want to say," Brown said.<br /><br />Brown uses random words to prompt short in-class assignments: "When you sit with a group of people and write for five minutes after pulling the word 'apple' out of a bowl, you realize how much can be done in a tiny amount of time. You don't need three hours a day."<br /><br />Sadler, who offers writing workshops at the Springfield (Mass.) Museums, recommends visual prompts. "Visit the museum if you want to get away," she said. "Take your notebook some quiet morning. Sit in front of a painting or in a corner. The quiet and the imagery will really speak to you."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">GET ORGANIZED</span>: Create "physical homes" for your project, said Brown. Get a file folder, and "when you see an article that has to do with the story you want to write, or the photo that goes with your memoir, put it in there."<br /><br />Create a folder in your inbox, too, and save copies of all relevant e-mails.<br /><br />Sadler said nonfiction writers should also make a "map or plan of where you're going. It's another word for an outline with subject headings, and once that's done, everything just flows in."<br /><br />Sadler added that nonfiction writers must "define the boundaries of their material" and be able to explain their projects in a sentence or two.<br /><br />Once you start writing, find ways to keep going. "Life interrupts you and three weeks later, you're trying to pick up the thread and you've lost the spark. That's heartbreaking," said Sadler. "If you have to leave a piece, jot down a few notes as a memory jogger. Do Post-It notes."<br /><br />Try leaving the last sentence unfinished, so that you have something easy to start with when you resume.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">LIFE STORIES</span>: Would you like to write up your childhood memories, or help a loved one tell the family story?<br /><br />GreatLifeStories.com can help. This Web site is free, easy to use and fun, with tips for interviewing and an outline for capturing a life story in 12 chapters. Themes range from childhood and school years to jobs, romance, favorite pets and vacations.<br /><br />Uploading stories and photos is free. GreatLifeStories also turns stories into books for as little as $20 a copy — perfect for the next family reunion.<br /><br />Reading other stories on the site may inspire you. Or get out a photo album and "begin recollecting stories that the pictures bring forward," said Phil Gibson, a co-founder of the Web site.<br /><br />But don't wait too long to approach family elders. "Capturing a family's life stories only becomes urgent almost when it's too late," said Gibson. "If there's a serious fall or serious illness, it can make you realize that the person who is the keeper of family knowledge can fade away very quickly."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SELF-PUBLISHING</span>: Recent technology has lowered the cost of self-publishing a book, from "thousands of dollars to hundreds of dollars," said Jason R. Rich, author of "Self-Publishing For Dummies" (Wiley, 2006).<br /><br />"You can publish a few copies for yourself, 100 copies for a family reunion, or 1,000 copies to distribute and sell. You can do full-color books that look as good as any book in the bookstore, and you don't need an artistic or publishing background," Rich said.<br /><br />One type of self-publishing, printing on demand, is basically "a glorified Xerox machine that takes a PDF file and creates a bound manuscript with a push of a button," Rich said.<br /><br />Print-on-demand services like Lulu.com sell books through Amazon or other sites. Copies are only printed and shipped when someone orders them. Authors set the price for the book, pay $5 to $10 of the printing cost, and earn 15 to 20 percent of the sale.<br /><br />Alternatively, you could order a set number of copies, pay all costs upfront, and distribute and sell them yourself.<br /><br />But consider hiring a professional editor from a site like Craigslist, eLance.com or guru.com before you publish. "If you're an expert in your field and you publish a book that has typos or other errors, your credibility gets shot," Rich said.<br /><br />Remember that bookstores generally do not carry self-published books. To sell your manuscript to a conventional publisher, you'll probably need an agent. A book like "Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents" (Three Dog Press, 2009) can get you started, but be prepared for a long, frustrating process.<br /><br />That's why Brown encourages her writing students to have fun. "Success in writing is always such a long shot that you have to enjoy the process," said Brown. "If you're not enjoying it, what's the point?"<br /><br />Via <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28996891/">MSNBC</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-88854011889972933572009-02-06T06:56:00.000-08:002009-02-06T06:58:19.970-08:00Patrick Swayze's Memoirs Gets Published<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQZjMRdhU2Rir8RlyWucO8ar9T-ExyAxQiwWmPH5iGjt-Kh3pWYsbyUZQ8kc1A5PoY2EV-rBcGzPsrrFlRkp99-nqlWub-loPxi1eqB-YD_zWie-8NYtEDuoFeId_2sPgC4h2hy3EujU/s1600-h/pat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 316px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQZjMRdhU2Rir8RlyWucO8ar9T-ExyAxQiwWmPH5iGjt-Kh3pWYsbyUZQ8kc1A5PoY2EV-rBcGzPsrrFlRkp99-nqlWub-loPxi1eqB-YD_zWie-8NYtEDuoFeId_2sPgC4h2hy3EujU/s400/pat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299698763957368546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, acquired world rights for Patrick Swayze's memoir which he plans to write with his wife Lisa Neimi<br /><br />The story is basically there because the Dirty Dancing star started to fight pancreatic cancer since the year before. The book is said to come out during the fall<br /><br />Some people don't even have such an excuse to write a memoir - well unless it is to make money. But Patrick Swayze does deserve some creditUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-81660200402564771992009-01-23T19:48:00.000-08:002009-01-23T19:58:07.013-08:00American Idol's Sanjaya - The Author?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmCLGbGTlyfxSedeL91KbudFI8OoyhqBX-6L9to836QTsXpEuhRTRQQ5RRytesXp92XpzCyRWS5BGK1P6zNP2E8o-VoubTrgdZNUbV63oUGdHUaI079syPQxWYIRPIHFFkPQ2N5vOUKw/s1600-h/sa.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 257px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmCLGbGTlyfxSedeL91KbudFI8OoyhqBX-6L9to836QTsXpEuhRTRQQ5RRytesXp92XpzCyRWS5BGK1P6zNP2E8o-VoubTrgdZNUbV63oUGdHUaI079syPQxWYIRPIHFFkPQ2N5vOUKw/s400/sa.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294704371792771858" /></a><br /><br /><br />You remember Sanjaya? That long haired guy who tried to make a play on American Idol some years ago? Well this time around, he wants to be an author. He wrote a tell-all book about himself, of course, which topic would a guy know more about than himself right? Autobiographies are just big these days.<br /><br />Written with Alan Goldsher and centered around his time on the reality competition, the book includes everything from his “grueling” auditions to taking the stage in the “Idol” top 10.<br /><br />Among the insider info is a look at how contestants make it to the judges’ table. Potential contestants go through three auditions before they ever get in front of the cameras. “Then they get on the show and they’re beat down,” Malakar said. <br /><br />This might be interesting to those who like American Idol or that particular season of American Idol. All I can remember about the guy was that he had weird hairstyles, other than that he was rather unexciting so seeing how this book would turn out should be interesting.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-47552567896540454962009-01-01T07:47:00.001-08:002009-01-01T07:50:03.301-08:00Thad McIlroy's Take On Book Publishing Trends And OutlookThis article is just right on the spot with regards to outlining book publishing its trends and what it is projected to be in the next few years.<br /><br /><blockquote>What is it about books that make them the <em>sine qua non</em> of publishing? I think it's very simple. Great books have changed lives, have changed history. While there have been innumerable articles of great importance in magazines and newspapers, let's face it - they don't have the force of the classics of literature and non-fiction. Just about any reader can point to a book that has changed his or her life. Most of us can point to <em>many different books</em> that have had an equally strong impact.<br /><br />We encounter these books at different ages. I know that many of the books I read when I was only 10- or 12-years-old made a huge impact then and still influence me today. The whole context of reading as a child was a unique emotional experience. As I grew older, I found books that suited my age, and continued to grow and mature with the extraordinary literature at my disposal.<br /><br />Further, since Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic efforts, there has always been a great infrastructure for enjoying books. Most cities in North America have many fine libraries and bookstores. Books are everywhere! Supporting them also was a robust film industry that interpreted books in unexpected ways; as often as not driving us back to the original written version.<br /><br />I fully entered the world of books in the early 1970s via book publishing, first as a bookseller, then as a traveling book sales rep, and then as a publisher. I still have very strong feelings about book publishing: most of the people I know who work in the book publishing industry feel as strongly. It's hard to get publishing out of your blood.<br /><br />Book publishing is not the first form of publishing by any means - think cave drawings, scrolls and those dedicated monks with their beautiful manuscripts. But somehow book publishing has come to embody the <em>idea of publishing</em> more than any other form - when I say "publishing" you probably think books (perhaps even if you happen to be a newspaper publisher).<br /><br />Yes, for most of us, books hold a unique emotional place in our hearts and minds. When it comes to imagine the so-called "death of print," we react in unison: Perhaps some kinds of print, but not books!<br /><br />So then how to interpret the changes in the book publishing industry? We've still got Harry Potter, don't we? (With the last volume the greatest success of the series.)<br /><br />What about all of the books for children, those marvelous classics. Surely they won't disappear? The bestsellers we read in hardcover and paperback; the fine non-fiction biographies and histories. These can't disappear, can they?<br /> <h3><a name="the_traditional_context_of_book_publishing"></a>The Traditional Context of Book Publishing</h3> Nearly all of us who are close to printing and publishing romanticize Gutenberg's invention of movable type (circa 1450) and cheerfully ignore the context that surrounded it. We cheerfully ignore the fact that printing was invented in China long before Gutenberg got near his printing press, and that in Korea a system of printing from movable metal type was developed around 1041.<br /><br />We ignore that Gutenberg was a businessman as much as he was an "artist" - and possibly much more interested in business than art. (Unfortunately he was not a stellar businessman - by 1455 Gutenberg was effectively bankrupt.)<br /><br /> Not surprisingly, the history of publishing is well-documented in books. One such, a fine work, <em><a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/13479.ctl">The Nature of the Book</a></em> by Adrian Johns (The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1998), illustrates in 753 pages the very commercial nature of the book trade from its earliest days. Book publishing today is very much a descendant of those early efforts. It remains inescapably a commercial enterprise.<br /><br />Certainly some not-for-profit groups, associations and government-subsidized efforts reduce the commercial pressure on their publication efforts as money-making ventures. But the vast majority of book publishers worldwide undertake their tasks with at least one eye on the bottom line, and this necessarily has a great impact on how the business of book publishing is conducted.<br /><br />As someone who operated three different trade publishing companies in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, I began to see the modern challenge of book publishing as two-fold. The first was to get anyone to notice that a new book had even been published - as we've seen, hundreds of thousands of books are published each year, and it is expensive to get noticed with that much competition. Also (and particularly in the pre-Internet era), the sale of trade books relied on the distribution of those books to bookstores across America, or across Canada, or across...you name the country, and the cost of this broad geographic distribution was prohibitive except for the most high-profile titles. (Which tended to push publishers toward paying large advances for the few titles that were hoped to carry the many.)<br /><br />I'll examine shortly the statistics that bear on these challenges. Some of them have changed in the last decades; many still apply.<br /><br />Much more interesting to consider is the impact of the Internet on the creation, marketing, distribution and sale of books. The Internet is having an enormous impact on the future of book publishing - both in positive and negative ways. I'll examine this trend also.<br /><br />At the same time there are other forces at work: eBooks, print-on-demand, the digital scanning of vast libraries and the conversion of certain books into other electronic formats. Each of these is playing a part in securing a fascinating future for my beloved <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind_in_the_Willows">The Wind in the Willows</a>. </em>Technology need not be destructive for book publishers; it can be a very positive force for change.<br /> <h3><a name="types_of_book_publishing"></a>Types of Book Publishing</h3> There are many kinds of book publishing. Most listings differ, but here is a representative sample of publishing types.<br /><br /> 1. Trade publishing<br /><br /> (i) Hardcover<br />(ii) Trade paperback<br />(iii) Mass-market paperback<br />(iv) Children's books<br />(v) Religious books<br /><br /> 2. Textbook publishing<br /><br /> (i) Textbooks in hardcover or paperback<br /> (a) K-12 textbooks<br /> (b) Secondary school textbooks<br /> (c) Higher education: college and university textbooks<br /> (d) Post formal institutional education (adult learning) textbooks<br /><br /> (ii) Ancillary texts, such as teacher or student guides<br /><br /> 3. Reference publishing<br /><br /> (i) Encyclopedias<br /> (ii) Directories<br /> (iii) And numerous others<br /><br /> 4. Reports, studies, etc. by not-for-profit publishers, government agencies, etc.<br /><br />I'll stick with this short list of the types of book publishing for the time being, having it serve principally as a reminder that no discussion of book publishing can be authoritative without recognizing its varied species.<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.hoovers.com/book-publishers/--ID__188--/free-ind-fr-profile-basic.xhtml">Hoovers</a>, referenced below, reports that trade books account for 30 percent of the market, textbooks 25 percent, and professional books 15 percent. Those figures seem reasonable.<br /><br /> The Book Industry Study Group offers the following breakdown of small publishers:<br /> <img src="http://www.thefutureofpublishing.com/images/uploadimages/Profile_of_Small_Publishers.jpg" alt="" width="478" height="360" /><br /><br /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--> <strong>The Scope of the Book Publishing Business in North America</strong><br /><br />According to Hoovers "The US book publishing industry consists of about 2,600 companies with combined annual revenue of $30 billion. Large US publishers include McGraw-Hill, Pearson PLC, John Wiley & Sons, and Scholastic. Some of the biggest publishers are units of large media companies, including HarperCollins (NewsCorp), Random House (Bertelsmann AG of Germany), and Simon & Schuster (CBS Corp). The industry is highly concentrated; the top 50 companies hold 80 percent of the market." This book industry report points to two different aspects of the industry: first, that there is a high degree of concentration at the top of the pyramid, and two, that most book publishing analysts grossly underestimate the size of the industry in the U.S. As pointed out above the Book Industry Study Group claims that in 2006 there were in fact 88,528 "active" publishers in the U.S., and nearly 68,000 had sales under $50,000 per year.<br /><br /> The same group <a href="http://www.bisg.org/news/press.php?pressid=42">estimates</a> 2006 U.S. book sales at $35.7 billion, up 3.2 percent over 2005's total.<br /><br /> R.R. Bowker <a href="http://www.bowker.com/press/bowker/2007_0531_bowker.htm">projects</a> that U.S. title output in 2006 increased by more than 3% to 291,920 new titles and editions, up from the 282,500 published in 2005.<br /><br />The Canadian Government's Statistics Canada agency counted 1,324 publishing companies in 2005, representing total sales of (CDN) $2.4 billion. It cautioned however that "the number of establishments is comprised mainly of small companies. Of the 1324 establishments for the industry only 444 were in the survey portion. This means that most of the movement in number of establishments from year to year comes from 884 companies that had under $50,000 in revenue."<br /><br />Based on the U.S. figure of over 62,000 active publishers, one wonders if the Canadian figure should not be closer to 6,000 than 1,000, judging by the standard 10 to 1 ratio that holds for most industrial comparisons between the two countries. <em>Canadian Books in Print</em> listed 4,300 book publishers in the year 2000.<br /><br />A unique aspect of the Canadian book publishing market is that 19 foreign-controlled publishers, which represented less than 6% of all companies surveyed, accounted for <strong>59% of domestic book sales in 2004</strong> (the percentage has increased). The Canadian book publishing industry is foreign-dominated.<br /><br /> Hoovers also remind us that "demand for books...is largely resistant to economic cycles." As I discuss in my blog entry "<a href="http://thefutureofpublishing.com/blog/2008/10/economics_and_the_future_of_pu.php">Economics and the Future of Publishing</a>," this recession is thus far proving different, and the eventual outcome for book publishers remains to be seen.<br /> <h3><a name="the_practice_of_book_publishing"></a>The Practice of Book Publishing</h3> Several unique practices have definitively characterized book publishing in the modern era:<br /><br />1. Individual editors and/or publishers make individual decisions about what will or won't be published by their firm (at larger companies, a larger group may be involved in the decision).<br /><br />This, as much as anything I believe is the cause of the transformation and decline of book publishing in the modern era. Who are these editors and publishers who have so much power to make life-and-death decisions on what books will or won't be published each year? They may have some kind of education associated with the history and/or practice of writing and literature. This ostensibly makes them "expert" in what constitutes "quality" in writing. But of course they are as susceptible as the rest of us to individual matters of taste, to bias and to lapses in judgment. Still their role within their respective companies is god-like - they make judgments of life or death, except in this case upon what will be published, rather than who will be sent to hell.<br /><br />Furthermore, at the largest book publishers the decision is no longer generally about quality but more often about salability. Is that taught at Swarthmore?<br /><br />Publishing courses are now abundant. Who really believes that you can take English majors in their twenties and "teach" them how to intuit what will be this year's bestseller? Twaddle.<br /><br /> 2. At the same time, I consider it inarguable that most writers <em>need</em> good editors. William Zinsser, author of the classic text <em>On Writing Well</em>, wrote "The essence of writing is rewriting."<br /><br /> Ernest Hemingway is reputed to have told George Plimpton during an interview that he rewrote the ending to <em>A Farewell to Arms </em>39 times before he was satisfied.<br /><br /> "Why so many rewrites?" Plimpton asked.<br /><br /> "Because," Hemingway responded, "I wanted to get the words right."<br /><br />So while I argue above that editors can offer blocks to the publication of worthwhile books, in their key role, that of helping authors improve their texts, they are invaluable. That has been my consistent experience. The tales of great editors are legion, such as Maxwell Perkins and his role in shaping F. Scott Fitzgerald's prose. But a merely good editor can work magic also.<br /><br />While many very poorly-written and poorly-edited books have become bestsellers, this doesn't obviate the general rule: a book written (and/or edited) with clarity in mind will succeed beyond a similar text that lacks such clarity.<br /><br />3. The book industry has traditionally been a retail-based industry. Books are mostly bought in bookstores. The explosive growth of the major chain booksellers in the 1970s and onwards was continually lamented as representing some sort of "death of publishing." That dire prediction on the future of book publishing proved untrue. The major complaint was that the book chains would force publishers to take a pass on publishing important books in favor of "mindless" bestsellers. But with 350,000 books published in English last year that prediction has also proved false. Furthermore the numerous book superstores ordinarily feature a far broader inventory that the average independent bookseller.<br /><br />Online bookselling by Amazon.com and its competitors has had an enormous impact on bookselling. Now anyone can quite easily obtain any of the 300,000+ new books that can't be found in the retail channel. The result is that never have so many different books been so easily, readily and inexpensively available.<br /> <h3><a name="print_on_demand_changes_the_equation"></a>Print-on-Demand Changes the Equation</h3> This section links very clearly into the next. The premise is one that I often observe: a technology develops or evolves and a new industry (or sub-industry) is born. The improvement in print-on-demand (using a generic name for this type of print manufacturing) over the last decade has been astounding. As discussed elsewhere, most book publishers grew up in an industry where the consideration was between printing 3,000 copies or 5,000, hoping to shave perhaps 10-15% off the manufactured cost. What happens when you can print one book for 120%/per unit of the price of 3,000 books? An industry changes. The book publishing industry has changed because this is the new reality.<br /> <h3><a name="vanity_publishing_becomes_self_publishing"></a>Vanity Publishing Becomes Self-Publishing</h3> Vanity publishing always had a bad name. The concept was that some sucker would pay some huckster to print several thousand copies of their "terrifically important" manuscript that somehow had been cruelly overlooked by 300 New York agents and publishers, and turn that into the bestseller it had always deserved to be. Of course there were a few success stories to fuel the flames, but in many cases naïve authors found themselves with a large invoice and 2,999 copies of their book in the bedroom cupboard.<br /><br />The big difference is distribution. In the old days of vanity publishing, those publishers had few mechanisms for book distribution, and even fewer chances of having their vanity publications taken seriously by any of the mainstream reviewers.<br /><br />In the age of the Internet, distribution issues are significantly muted, and the reading public has discovered that they don't necessarily care what <em>The New York Times</em> says about an inexpensive book covering a topic in which they're interested.<br /><br />This has led to the blossoming of Lulu.com and its brethren (see References for more information on Lulu.com), and I for one, will not lament the end of New York's hegemony on deciding what should be purchased and read.<br /> <h3><a name="book_readership"></a>Book Readership</h3> Probably the most important document revealing key aspects of the future of book publishing is a <a href="http://www.nea.gov/research/ResearchReports_chrono.html">60-page report</a> published by in June 2004 by the National Endowment for the Arts. Called <em>Reading at Risk</em>, the report presents the results from a 2002 survey (conducted by the Census Bureau) of 17,000 people aged 18 or older, who attended artistic performances, visited museums, watched broadcasts of arts programs, or read literature. The results are compared to similar surveys carried out in 1982 and 1992. The first sentence of the preface to the report notes that "<em>Reading at Risk</em> is not a report that the National Endowment for the Arts is happy to issue."<br /><br />The survey asked respondents if during the previous twelve months they had read any novels, short stories, plays, or poetry in their leisure time (not for work or school). As the report notes, included were "popular genres such as mysteries, as well as contemporary and classic literary fiction. No distinctions were drawn on the quality of literary works." Literary non-fiction was apparently not included.<br /><br />The results paint a grim picture for the future of the book. The charts (all taken directly from the report, and copyright of the National Endowment for the Arts) best reveal the tale:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.thefutureofpublishing.com/images/uploadimages/DeclineLiteraryReading.jpg" alt="" width="470" height="197" /><br /><br /> What is most notable in this first chart is an important anomaly between the <strong>number</strong> of literary readers and the <strong>percentage</strong>. Because of population increases, the total number of readers is constant <strong>over a 20-year period</strong>, while the percentage decline, as illustrated in the next figure is 7.3%, and by 2002, the rate of decline had increased to 14%!<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.thefutureofpublishing.com/images/uploadimages/RatesDeclineLityReading.jpg" alt="" width="470" height="218" /><br /><br />It's somewhat cold comfort that the rate of decline in the reading of "any book" decreased by half of the percentage of the decline in the reading of literature.<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.thefutureofpublishing.com/images/uploadimages/TrendBookLiterarReading.jpg" alt="" width="470" height="197" /><br /><br /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--> Not many will be surprised, though most of us will remain concerned, that the decline in reading is most pronounced in the young, although the following chart encompasses those up to the age of 44! Even the "elderly" are partaking of the slaughter, but in far more modest numbers.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://www.thefutureofpublishing.com/images/uploadimages/LiteraryReadingbyAge.jpg" alt="" width="470" height="269" /><br /><br />Looking at similar results from a slightly different statistical perspective, while the U.S. population increased by nearly 40% between 1982 and 2002, the percentage reading literature dropped by just over 10%.<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.thefutureofpublishing.com/images/uploadimages/LiteraryReading19829202.jpg" alt="" width="470" height="171" /><br /><br /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--> What conclusions to draw from this arguably grim data? I think that the pessimist's viewpoint is well-represented by these charts (and more so in the original report - recommended reading). But it is worth focusing on the brighter side of the picture. Two data points stand out: while there is a clear shift away from literary reading, the reading of the broad range of books published does not show as steep a decline. Also, the North American population will continue to increase, and this will to some extent ameliorate the trend from the publishers' perspective - although the nature of what they publish will have to change if they wish to hold their own against the trends so clearly illustrated here.<br /><br />The other question remains as to what percentage of all books sold annually could be classified as "literary." I suspect the percentage is modest. (I'm still looking for a data source to illuminate this question.)<br /><br /> A few key data points:<br /> <ul><li><strong>Nearly half </strong>of all Americans ages 18 to 24 read no books for pleasure.</li><li>The percentage of 18- to 44-year-olds who read a book fell <strong>7 points</strong> from 1992 to 2002.</li><li>The percentage of 17-year-olds who read nothing at all for pleasure has <strong>doubled</strong> over a 20-year period.</li><li>Although nominal spending on books grew from 1985 to 2005, average annual household <strong>spending on books dropped 14%</strong> when adjusted for inflation.</li></ul> What makes this report both more important and more unsettling than its predecessor is that it is of course more timely, but also that it moves beyond the single category of "literary reading," taking a broader view of publishing. And that broader view is a bleaker view.<br /> <h3><a name="future_of_book_publishing_trends_outlook"></a>Future of Book Publishing -- Trends & Outlook</h3> While the book publishing industry has begun to come to terms with some of the opportunities afforded by the Internet, I fear that this is thus far a case of too little, too late. Of course it's not merely missed opportunities on the Internet and the Web. More fundamentally, it appears that competing media are slowly eroding the economic base of publishing. Twenty years ago television and music were distracting for the young. In combination with chat, social networking sites, mobile phones and more, the book has certainly met its match.</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-68338167705995409502009-01-01T07:40:00.000-08:002009-01-01T07:46:41.763-08:00The Future Of Book Publishing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4YULQzl7woyQZfW5Nka09qv3K1Hc4G8DXWFauMnnYRuoKjTsj1D9-4EVc-zSJ1_boU3Hjx1r5mGGGZe3OTQjyPuJj6oskJq21yImZIvUhgWM-cHs8-JH_OM_T0Qcr9E57eNpURrPJys/s1600-h/book-publishing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4YULQzl7woyQZfW5Nka09qv3K1Hc4G8DXWFauMnnYRuoKjTsj1D9-4EVc-zSJ1_boU3Hjx1r5mGGGZe3OTQjyPuJj6oskJq21yImZIvUhgWM-cHs8-JH_OM_T0Qcr9E57eNpURrPJys/s400/book-publishing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286351989798126082" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've always wondered what will book publishing be like in the future given the rise of so many new technologies like the ebook and the internet, will we stop reading books? Just as the encyclopedia is slowly growing out of style and obsolete by the minute, will books in general lose its place?<br /><br /><br />Here are the statistics for book publishing via Thad McIlroy's future of publishing<br /><br /><br /><div class="elv"><div class="elv_text"><ol><li>Nielsen BookScan, quoted in the June 2007 <em><a href="http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/06/0081526">Harper's</a></em> magazine (available to subscribers only), reported that nearly 1.5 million <em>different</em> titles were sold in the United States in 2006, although 78% of those titles sold fewer than 99 copies, while only 483 titles sold more than 100,000 copies.</li><li>A ground-breaking <a href="http://www.bisg.org/publications/radar.html">2005 report</a> by the <a href="http://www.bisg.org/">Book Industry Study Group</a> (BISG) revealed that there are 62,815 active publishers in the United States, and that 46,860 of these publishers had revenues below $50,000 per year. (Most observers would have placed the number well below 5,000; in 2002 the U.S. Census reported 3,570 book publishers.) In 2006, using a slightly different methodology, the BISG reported that there were in fact 88,528 "active" publishers in the U.S. Nearly 68,000 had sales under $50,000 per year.</li><li>Book publishing remains arguably amongst the least digitized of publishing industries, and yet this lack of automation appears not to have hampered the business. What might improved use of digital production bring to the bottom line? The industry has only begun to explore the many opportunities that the Web is offering, in terms of promotion, sales and distribution. There remains a significant upside here.</li><li>With all of the demographic changes in print readership, book publishing industry has weathered the challenge, in part through the publication of more specialized titles in shorter print runs, in part through increased publications of "non-books" (novelty titles) and in part through improved distribution method, including on the Internet.</li><li>In the separate section on Education I cover the textbook industry. While it currently remains profitable, growth has stalled, and the move to new electronic media poses a very serious threat to this $20 billion sector of the book publishing industry.</li><li>Despite some modestly positive trends, the underlying basis for a successful future for the book publishing industry is rapidly being eroded. As reported below, reading rates are dropping drastically, and average annual household spending on books dropped 14% between 1985 and 2005 when adjusted for inflation.</li><li>On the other hand, e-books do appear to be rapidly (and finally) gaining a foothold in the industry, both substituting for and augmenting print sales.</li></ol> My overall rating for the future of book publishing is a continuing modest decline in total sales volume, but certainly not an impending catastrophe.<br /><br /> </div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--> According to the <a href="http://www.mpaa.org/researchStatistics.asp">Motion Picture Association of America</a> (MPAA), "the total number of films released in the U.S. in 2007 remained on par with 2006 with 603 films released." (They have subsequently revised this figure to 590 in 2007, vs. 599 in 2006). According to <a href="http://www.bowker.com/press/bowker/2005_1012_bowker.htm">Bowker</a>, the book publishing industry "bible," "(in 2004) publishers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand released 375,000 new titles and editions." While I can't find updated worldwide figures, <a href="http://www.bowker.com/index.php/press-releases/526-bowker-reports-us-book-production-flat-in-2007">a May 2008 press release from Bowker</a> reports that the company "is projecting that U.S. title output in 2007 increased slightly to 276,649 new titles and editions, up from the 274,416 that were published in 2006." </div> <span class="summary empty"> </span><br /><h3><a name="_"></a> </h3><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><div classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></div> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} </style> <![endif]--> <h3><a name="overview_of_the_future_of_book_publishing"></a></h3>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-91216386555558710502009-01-01T07:26:00.001-08:002009-01-01T07:40:51.803-08:0025 Things You Need To Know About Self PublishingHere's a nice article lifted from CNET reviews on self publishing your book by David Carnoy. He ended up with Booksurge so you may find that Booksurge is mentioned throughout the 25 items, but his experience is just as applicable to those who might want to self publish with other book publishing companies as well. I found it very insightful<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1vNEvsLwzsl38BHLKfuE8zthVdnfieefeRCrSN-pSNqPdiBhu4g24rGRU4uwPfJSOLhwAM3ToDtRTzUjqLRdj1_8jBpSkqgwga2blNcicgy9PgMqPt7CYM0GBWALW80d2tvQZoXos9M/s1600-h/bookpub.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 293px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1vNEvsLwzsl38BHLKfuE8zthVdnfieefeRCrSN-pSNqPdiBhu4g24rGRU4uwPfJSOLhwAM3ToDtRTzUjqLRdj1_8jBpSkqgwga2blNcicgy9PgMqPt7CYM0GBWALW80d2tvQZoXos9M/s400/bookpub.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286350430475609138" border="0" /></a><br />1. Self-publishing is easy.<br /><br />Here's how it works. You choose a size for your book, format your Word manuscript to fit that size, turn your Word doc into a PDF, create some cover art in Photoshop, turn that into a PDF, and upload it all to the self-publisher of your choice and get a book proof back within a couple of weeks (or sooner) if you succeeded in formatting everything correctly. You can then make changes and swap in new PDFs.<br /><br />After you officially publish your book, you can make changes to your cover and interior text by submitting new PDFs, though your book will go offline ("out of stock") for a week or two. BookSurge charges $50 for uploading a new cover and $50 for a new interior.<br /><br />Lulu offers very good, detailed instructions for the DIY crowd, doesn't require any upfront fees, and is very popular as a result. Ironically, I used Lulu's how-to content to put my book together for BookSurge, which has very poor instructions for DIYers. Interesting stat: Lulu claims to publish an average of 4,000 books a week. Oddly, the company didn't offer the size of the book I wanted to create (8 x 5.25 inches--the standard size for trade paperback novels; Lulu only offers 6 x 9, which is too big).<br /><br />2. Quality has improved.<br /><br />I can't speak for all self-publishing companies, but the quality of Booksurge's books seem quite solid. You can't do a fancy matte cover (yet), but the books look and feel like "real" books. The only giveaway that you're dealing with a self-published book would be if the cover were poorly designed--which, unfortunately, is too often the case.<br /><br />3. Some of the more successful self-published books are about self-publishing.<br /><br />I don't know what this says about the industry, but it's probably not a good thing. I didn't read any books because I was busy scouring the Internet, but there are a few that appear to have some useful information. However, take everything with a grain of salt because things change quickly in self-publishing and analysis of the industry tends to attract a lot of qualifying statements.<br /><br />As Mark Levine notes in a "sample" review of his The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, "Will BookPros provide a service that is $20,000 better than anyone else in this book? If your book takes off, then yes. However, if your book isn't very successful, you may not think so." In another noteworthy book, Stacie Vander Pol takes a stab at ranking top performing POD self-publishing companies based on sales performance. I'd like to see this stuff on a free website rather than a book. But that's just me.<br /><br />4. Good self-published books are few and far between.<br /><br />Because the barrier to entry is so low, the majority of self-published books are pretty bad. If I had to put a number on it, I'd say less than 5 percent are decent and less than 1 percent are really good. A tiny fraction become monster success stories, but every once in a while, you'll hear about someone hitting it big.<br /><br />5. The odds are against you.<br /><br />The average self-published book sells about 100-150 copies--or 2/3 to 3/4 of your friends and family combined (and don't count on all your Facebook aquaintances buying). I don't have a source for this statistic, but I've seen this stated on several blogs and as a Publishers Weekly article titled "Turning Bad Books into Big Bucks" noted, while traditional publishers aim to publish hundreds of thousands of copies of a few books, self-publishing companies make money by publishing 100 copies of hundreds of thousands of books.<br /><br />6. Creating a "professional" book is really hard.<br /><br />Barrier to entry may be low, but creating a book that looks professional and is indistinguishable from a book published by a "real" publishing house is very difficult and requires a minimum investment of a few thousand dollars (I'm up at around $5,000 right now). You wonder why "real" books take 9 months to produce--and usually significantly longer. Well, I now know why. It's hard to get everything just right (if you're a novice at book formatting, Microsoft Word will become your worst enemy). And once you've finally received that final proof, you feel it could be slightly better.<br /><br />7. Have a clear goal for your book.<br /><br />This will help dictate what service you go with. For instance, if your objective is to create a book for posterity's sake (so your friends and family can read it for all eternity), you won't have to invest a lot of time or money to produce something that's quite acceptable. Lulu is probably your best bet. However, if yours is a commercial venture with big aspirations, things get pretty tricky.<br /><br />8. Even if it's great, there's a good chance your book won't sell.<br /><br />If your book is really mediocre, don't expect it to take off. But even if it's a masterpiece, there's a good chance it won't fly off the shelves. In other words, quality isn't a guarantee of success. You'll be lucky to make your investment back, let alone have a "hit" that brings in some real income. Don't quit your day job yet.<br /><br />9. Niche books do best.<br /><br />This seems to be the mantra of self-publishing. Nonfiction books with a well-defined topic and a nice hook to them can do well, especially if they have a target audience that you can focus on. Religious books are a perfect case in point. And fiction? Well, it's next to impossible. But then again, the majority of fiction books--even ones from "real" publishers--struggle in the marketplace. That's why traditional publishers stick with tried-and-true authors with loyal followings.<br /><br />10. Buy your own ISBN--and create your own publishing house.<br /><br />If you have market aspirations for your book, buy your own ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and create your own publishing company.<br /><br />Even if you go with one of the subsidy presses for convenience sake, there's no reason to have Lulu, BookSurge, CreateSpace, iUniverse, Xlibris, Author House, Outskirts, or whomever listed as your publisher. For $99 (what a single ISBN costs) and a little added paperwork, you can go toe-to-toe with any small publisher. Lulu.com sells ISBNs. BookSurge does not. I bought mine at RJ Communications, which also provides author services. The complete list of sellers is here.<br /><br />11. Create a unique title.<br /><br />Your book should be easy to find in a search on Amazon. It should come up in the first couple of search results. Unfortunately, many authors make the mistake of using a title that has too many other products associated it with it--and it gets buried in search results. Not good. Basically, you want to get the maximum SEO (search engine optimization) for your title, so if and when somebody's actually looking to buy it they'll find the link for your book--not an older one with an identical title.<br /><br />12. Turn-key solutions cost a lot of money.<br /><br />You've written your book and God knows you'd like to just hand it off to someone, have a team of professionals whip it into shape, and get it out there. Well, there are a lot of companies that will offer to make just that happen--and do it in a fraction of the time a traditional publisher could. But those "packages" range anywhere from a few thousand dollars to upwards of $25,000 for the deluxe stuff at BookPros with some marketing/PR extras rolled in. (BookPros says it's selective and aims to take on books that it thinks will sell).<br /><br />These folks can potentially put together a really nice book for you. But I've also heard a lot nightmare stories where people come away disappointed with the process and feel ripped off. Read this interesting interview with iUniverse CEO Kevin Weiss. Then read the comments in the comments section. You'll catch my drift.<br /><br />13. Self-publishers don't care if your book is successful.<br /><br />They say they care, but they really don't care. You have to make them care.<br /><br />14. Buy as little as possible from your publishing company.<br /><br />Self-publishing outfits are in the game to make money. And since they're probably not going to sell a lot of your books, they make money by selling you services with nice margins. That's OK. Some of the services are worth it--or at least may be worth it. In an experiment, I've invested in BookSurge's Buy X, Get Y program that pairs your book with an Amazon bestseller. While it's pricey--it's normally $1,000 a month, but during a special sale, I bought 3 months for the price of two--and may not help you sell all that many books, it does put your thumbnail image in front of a lot of people. (After I complete the program, I'll try to ascertain its effectiveness and report back).<br /><br />Personally, I'd never work with BookSurge's in-house editors, copy editors, and in-house design people. That doesn't mean they're bad at what they do (I've seen some covers that are well done). But if you can, it's better to hire your own people and work directly with them. Ideally, you should be able to meet with an editor, copy editor, and graphic designer in person--and they all should have experience in book publishing.<br /><br />By the way if you're interested in pairing your book with one of the big shots in Booksurge's Buy X, Get Y program, pairing your book with a bestseller isn't cheap.<br /><br /><br />15. If you're serious about your book, hire a book doctor and get it copy-edited.<br /><br />OK, so I've just told to avoid "packages" from publishers and yet I'm now saying you need editing and copy-editing. So, where do you go? Well, before I sent my book out to agents, I hired a "book doctor" who was a former acquisition editor from a major New York publishing house (like most editors he worked at a few different houses). He happened to be the father of a friend from college, so I got a little discount, but it still wasn't cheap. However, after I'd made the changes he suggested, he made some calls to agents he knew and some were willing to take a look. His name is Jerry Gross and he's part of Independent Editors Group (IEG), a group of former acquisition editors who take on freelance editing projects for authors.<br /><br />While I didn't use his copy editor (I used a friend of a friend who currently works at a big publishing house), he and other editors in his group can suggest people. To be clear, this isn't going to be a better deal than what you'd get from a package deal with a self-publisher, but these people are experienced and are going to be upfront and honest with you. They're not just pushing your book out to move it along the line on the conveyor belt, though they are trying to make a living. (Warning: They don't take on all writers).<br /><br />By no means is IEG the only game in town. There are plenty of good book consultants out there, including Alan Rinzler, who has an excellent blog and straddles the line between being an executive editor at an imprint of John Wiley & Sons and providing services to private clients. I expect that as the publishing industry contracts further, you'll see more editors--and former editors--becoming guns for hire.<br /><br />Note: I had the added advantage of my agent being a former editor at a publishing house. So, he was able to suggest changes that made the book better (alas, not good enough to entice a "real" publisher into buying it).<br /><br />16. Negotiate everything.<br /><br />BookSurge and other self-publishing companies are always offering special deals on their various services. There isn't whole lot of leeway, but it doesn't hurt to ask for deal sweeteners--like more free copies of your book (they often throw in free copies of your book). It also doesn't hurt to ask about deals that have technically expired. In sales, everything is negotiable. Remember, these people have quotas and bonuses at stake. (For their sake, I hope they do anyway).<br /><br />17. Ask a lot of questions and don't be afraid to complain.<br /><br />BookSurge charged me $300 to join the BookSurge club so to speak. Companies like Lulu and CreateSpace have complete DIY options and require no upfront setup fees. That's great, but when you're dealing with a superbasic package, you're most likely going to be doing customer support via e-mail or IM, which I don't love. I want to be able to call up and bitch (in a nice way, of course) directly to a live person on the phone and I'm happy to pay an extra $300 for that privilege (which is really the only thing you're getting for $300).<br /><br />I will say this: The customer service at BookSurge has generally been great. You can't always get through to your sales rep, marketing rep, or customer service reps right away (yes, the company is very regimented), but they do get back to you pretty quickly and all my issues have been resolved within a day or two.<br /><br />18. Self-publishing is a contact sport.<br /><br />The biggest mistake people make when it comes to self-publishing is that they expect to just put out a book and have it magically sell. They might even hire a publicist and expect something to happen. It's just not so. You have to be a relentless self-promoter. Unfortunately, a lot people just don't have the stomach or time for it--which is part of the reason I anted up for BookSurge's Buy X, Get Y program, which is essentially a form of advertising.<br /><br />19. Getting your book in bookstores sounds good, but that shouldn't be a real concern.<br /><br />You may have always wanted to see your book in a bookstore but bookstores aren't keen on carrying self-published books and it's extremely difficult to get good placement in the store for your book so chances are no one will see the three copies the store has on hand anyway. Furthermore, your royalty drops to 10% on in-store sales. Some of the self-publishing outfits offer distribution through Ingram. BookSurge offers it through Baker & Taylor. BookSurge says: "Your trade paperback book will be available for order through Baker & Taylor on a non-returnable basis. For an additional yearly fee, your book can be made available through Baker & Taylor on a returnable basis with our Baker & Taylor Returnable Program. You'll receive a 10% royalty on all wholesale book orders purchased through Baker & Taylor."<br /><br />Note: A while back I had a nonfiction book published by a traditional publisher, Faber & Faber. My local Barnes & Noble in New York had three copies of it. It felt good seeing it on a shelf--for about 10 minutes.<br /><br />20. Self-published books don't get reviewed.<br /><br />Yes, it's true. It's very hard to get your self-published book reviewed--and the mantra in the traditional publishing world is that reviews sell books. But eventually that will change. People didn't take bloggers seriously at first and now they do. And what's interesting is that reputable book reviewers such as Kirkus are offering special reviews services geared toward self-published authors. The author pays a fee to have the book reviewed (around $400-$550, depending on the speed) and a freelancer writes an objective critique (yes, they do negative reviews) in the same format as a standard Kirkus review--except the review must be cited as a Kirkus Discoveries review. I expect more companies to go this route to expand revenue streams.<br /><br />21. Design your book cover to look good small.<br /><br />(Credit: Amazon)<br /><br />Traditional book publishers design--or at least they used to design--a book cover to make a book stand out in a bookstore and evoke whatever sentiment it was supposed to evoke. Well, with Amazon becoming a dominant bookseller, your book has to stand out as a thumbnail image online because that's how most people are going to come across it. If you're primarily selling through Amazon, think small and work your way up.<br /><br />22. If you're selling online, make the most out of your Amazon page.<br /><br />I'm a little bit surprised by how neglectful some self-published authors are when it comes to their Amazon product pages. I've talked to self-published authors who spend a few thousand dollars on a publicist and their Amazon product page looks woeful--and they've barely even looked at it. I ask, "Where are people going to buy your book?" They don't seem to realize how important Amazon is. True, some people market through a Web site or buy Google keywords to drive traffic there. But you need to have your Amazon page look as good as possible and take advantage of the "tools" Amazon has to help you surface your book ("Tags," Listmania, reader reviews, etc.). It may not have a major impact, but it's better than doing nothing.<br /><br />One tip: Make sure your book is put into five browsing categories (it's only allowed 5). It helps to categorize your book to readers and also will make your book look better if it's a bestseller in those categories. No one at BookSurge suggested this to me; I had to figure it out on my own. (Again, they don't care, you have to make them care).<br /><br />The manifestation of categorizing your book.<br />(Credit: Amazon)<br /><br />23. Pricing is a serious challenge.<br /><br />The biggest problem with going the POD route is that it costs more to produce one-offs of your book than it does to do produce thousands. I can buy my book--it's a paperback--from BookSurge for $5.70. It's about 370 pages. Now, if I went ahead and had the thing printed up directly through an off-set printer--and ordered a few thousand of them--I could probably cut the cost of the book in half, and maybe even a little more. But I'd have to pay the upfront fee to buy the books and then I'd have to figure out a way to sell them (this is how vanity presses used to work--you had to agree to buy a few thousand books).<br /><br />Amazon sells my book for $15.99 (It stared at $17.99 but I've managed to get BookSurge to whittle the price down by $2). BookSurge royalty rates seem to be standardized: authors get 35% of the book's list price. You can also sweeten the pot by becoming an Amazon affiliate: if customers buy the book through the Amazon affiliate link (say, on an author-produced website that advertises the book), that's an additional 7% in the author's pocket.<br /><br />Those are actually quite good royalty rates (interesting article here) in the world of subsidy self-publishing. But the fact is, to compete against top-selling titles from traditional publishers my book should be a little cheaper (I barely beat the hardcover prices of bestsellers). Some of the other subsidy self-publishers seem to have a little more flexibility with price setting on Amazon, but BookSurge appears to have a better overall rate of return compared to the likes of Lulu, iUniverse, and Xlibris. In other words, if I was using Lulu and I set my selling price at $15.99 on Amazon, I'd make less money. (Lulu.com touts its own online store, which is well designed and has a big audience, but--compared to the Amazon juggernaut--I have my doubts you can sell a lot of books there).<br /><br />As I said, I've generally had a good experience with BookSurge and have been pleased with the service. However, the one thing that I truly resent is how my book is priced on Amazon. There's no discount on it! Every book from every "real" publisher has a slash through the list price and then there's the Amazon price. On mine, the list price is the price.<br /><br />That's not cool, Mr. Bezos. I mean, if BookSurge needs to set a price floor to hit certain margins, set the list price higher, put a slash through it, and put the street price at a buck or two less and give the author the royalty on the street price. That way, the book looks like every other book and the buyer thinks he or she is getting some sort of discount. That's important. As it is, I guess I'm looking at sort of an Apple pricing model, where the list price is the street price. I should note that there is a chance my book might get discounted--but it's dependent on an Amazon algorithm that kicks in when you hit some sort of milestone that remains shrouded in mystery. To be fair this is not a BookSurge problem exactly, it's more of an Amazon/BookSurge synergy problem and a database issue.<br /><br />24. Electronic books have potential, but they're still in their infancy.<br /><br />Once you have your book finalized in a Word or PDF file, it's relatively easy to convert it into one of the many ebook formats--or just offer it as a download as a PDF. There are several epublishers geared to "indie" authors, including Smashwords (good list of others here) and many ebook-oriented blogs. I like the concept of HarperCollins' Authonomy, which is designed to discover new talent--but it's more geared toward trying to get a traditional publishing contract.<br /><br />In terms of ebook readers, Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader line have the biggest audiences (BookSurge charges $299 to turn your book into a Kindle ebook--that's too much, considering you can find other parties to convert it correctly, formatting tweaks and all, for half that, and probably less). But a lot of people are looking toward the iPhone and iPod Touch as a potentially interesting market for ebooks because there are so many of them out there (see CNET TV's Molly Wood's related video here). For self-published authors, I see all these electronic avenues as ways to reach a larger audience quickly, but I don't see anybody getting a ton of downloads unless you're willing to sell your ebook very cheaply or give it away. There are exceptions, of course, but self-published ebooks present more of a supplemental marketing opportunity than a way to make big bucks.<br /><br />25. Self-publishing is a fluid business.<br /><br />Self-publishing is a rapidly evolving industry with lots of competitors that are constantly throwing out new information. Publishers are continually upgrading their facilities, infrastructure, and pricing, and what I--or other pundits say today--could be wrong just a few months from now. Last year, BookSurge was only offering 25 percent royalties on books. This year, it's 35 percent. What does next year hold in store?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-40474587028502872822008-12-05T17:29:00.000-08:002008-12-05T17:48:48.886-08:00Book Sales For a Cause: Tales of Beedle And Bard Sales To Help Fund Children's Charity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiBmVS_xgLe0x_CE9vFjacS_FS13P_0Ei6y6M5GhkhF88Qp3WOxoLbZkJgOQPyTvRMilPCo2HorELgiSg3cVcT5ZX6lkBKFnFrT1rASsyIqQzgGZIrixDEgeX02qpQoE24yJFieXRNPE/s1600-h/jk-rowling-5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 321px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiBmVS_xgLe0x_CE9vFjacS_FS13P_0Ei6y6M5GhkhF88Qp3WOxoLbZkJgOQPyTvRMilPCo2HorELgiSg3cVcT5ZX6lkBKFnFrT1rASsyIqQzgGZIrixDEgeX02qpQoE24yJFieXRNPE/s400/jk-rowling-5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276488002068321634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Now I know we're not all rich like JK Rowling, and we don't have that great American Novel (or a tween version like Twilight whichever turns you on), but nevertheless doing something for a good cause is always uplifting.<br /><br />I just read that sales of the volume of five fairy tales, with eight million copies in print worldwide, will help fund the Children's High Level Group (CHLG), a charity Rowling co-founded for Eastern European children vulnerable to autism.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What spurred this?</span><br /><br /><div id="ds-firstpara" class="ds-firstpara">Four years ago JK Rowling was so shocked by a newspaper photograph of a small boy staring from his caged bed in a Czech care home that her first reaction was to turn the page. But, haunted by the image of Vasek Knotek (who was suffering from autism), the Harry Potter author went on to spearhead a multi-million-pound campaign to transform his and other children's lives across Eastern Europe.<br /><br />It's nice to know some authors look for some meaning beyond personal gain. Darn! Now I have to go buy that book too.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-59525617719868994102008-12-05T17:05:00.000-08:002008-12-05T17:52:02.291-08:00Publishing a Collector's Edition: Learning From JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle and Bard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPKt8w05Exlz62bbRga5-4D0yyIS0ZeQkn4SQepKcvI66FFPcv4pz_eD_AAH9bfOOKTrXYnvHgn2AcqLP-G6Ge68l-oKJHa2p5GKLnKbu-VFdyTlWqM8VsCP2ISHNGDY1ibw0qO9YJYs/s1600-h/beedle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 363px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPKt8w05Exlz62bbRga5-4D0yyIS0ZeQkn4SQepKcvI66FFPcv4pz_eD_AAH9bfOOKTrXYnvHgn2AcqLP-G6Ge68l-oKJHa2p5GKLnKbu-VFdyTlWqM8VsCP2ISHNGDY1ibw0qO9YJYs/s400/beedle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276482095297396210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />JK Rowling's "Tales of Beedle and Bard" started selling last December 4. The book soared to the top of the online bestsellers lists on Amazon.com and the Barnes&Noble Web site.<br /><br />Rowling originally created only seven copies for friends, bound in Moroccan leather and embellished with silver talismans and mounted moonstones. One was put up for auction in 2007 and sold for $4 million to Amazon.com. Now it's available for public consumption. Yey for us!<br /><br />Tales of Beedle and Bard was mentioned in the final installment of Harry Potter, the seventh book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and contains five fairy tales that helped resolve the last book as well as commentary (including extensive footnotes) by the great, late and gay Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard's-eye perspective to the collection.<br /><br /><blockquote>Discovered "among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives," the venerable wizard's ruminations on the <em>Tales</em> allow today's readers to place them in the context of 16th century Muggle society, even allowing that "Beedle was somewhat out of step with his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles" during the era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters. <p>Professor Dumbledore also includes fascinating historical backstory, including tidbits such as the history and pursuit of magic wands, a brief comment on the Dark Arts and its practitioners, and the struggles with censorship that eventually led "a certain Beatrix Bloxam" to cleanse the <em>Tales</em> of "much of the darker themes that she found distasteful," forever altering the meaning of the stories for their Muggle audience. Dumbledore also allows us a glimpse of his personal relationship to the <em>Tales</em>, remarking that it was through "Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump" that "many of us [wizards] first discovered that magic could not bring back the dead."</p></blockquote><p></p>The book retails for $12.99, but a $100 collector's edition has been offered exclusively on Amazon.com skyrocketed from 778,576 to 22 on the site's "Movers & Shaker's" list, which tracks the biggest gainers in sales rank.<br /><br />This Collector's edition idea is great for authors and publishers. Once your book has gained enough momentum, the next best thing would be to offer it in "Collector's Edition." You can sell it for about ten times higher than the usual price. Here are some of Tales of Beedle and Bard's special features as a collector's edition:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcxE0576TNXz_Vc-ussKYo0zEy8K_EqhzqzU9vV9u-2uY20B5ufnyiOkSxIhgUYknMrp5s7iQoy4lbUYY8B1CYfUq024_ZIfSKZYic875peVEna2Lga5405ocNyzt-Vmi4JSDzeGBErY/s1600-h/tales-of-beedle-the-bard.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNcxE0576TNXz_Vc-ussKYo0zEy8K_EqhzqzU9vV9u-2uY20B5ufnyiOkSxIhgUYknMrp5s7iQoy4lbUYY8B1CYfUq024_ZIfSKZYic875peVEna2Lga5405ocNyzt-Vmi4JSDzeGBErY/s400/tales-of-beedle-the-bard.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276488682149804818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><ul><li>Exclusive reproduction of J.K. Rowling's handwritten introduction</li><li>10 additional illustrations not found in the Standard Edition </li><li>Velvet bag embroidered with J.K. Rowling’s signature</li><li><em>Embellished book cover </em>complete with metal skull, corners, and clasp; replica gemstones; and emerald ribbon</li><li>Collector's edition also includes a set of 10 ready-for-framing prints of J.K. Rowling's illustrations<br /></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-13417112752149902432008-11-12T03:48:00.000-08:002008-11-12T03:55:52.364-08:00Philippine Local Book Pubilshing (RBS) Partners With Google Book Search<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZ3BjanQ6oaes027rhZiMkooPG3K_aWViYbiiP4a-HMLI0oGLH3tJZlonWwtGGzeUn9LOkmrkKGgFN4ZNHdYfjalQU4QT_sj1cH2fm3XnH0syBRBHppz6c1T76jE0J6aRsOmrA_kE94U/s1600-h/ri.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 336px; height: 66px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZ3BjanQ6oaes027rhZiMkooPG3K_aWViYbiiP4a-HMLI0oGLH3tJZlonWwtGGzeUn9LOkmrkKGgFN4ZNHdYfjalQU4QT_sj1cH2fm3XnH0syBRBHppz6c1T76jE0J6aRsOmrA_kE94U/s400/ri.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267738442157612834" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's nice to know that the Philippines is managing to expand its knowledge base by partnering with Google Booksearch. Rex bookstore, one of the Philippines leaders in the industry, has joined the Google Book Search Publisher Partner Program.<br /><br />The move will see thousands of titles published by RBS digitized and indexed on Google’s search engine in the months to come. That's so nice to know considering there are very few online resources that are available concerning Philippine heritage, particularly the local language/ dialects.<br /><br />Google has been very kind about it too. "It’s an honor for Google to work with one of the most reputable publishing houses in the Philippines and a leader in local educational publishing," Erik Hartmann, head of Google Book Search Strategic Partnership Development for Southeast Asia, said.<br /><br />"The ability to discover locally published titles, in both English and Filipino languages, when searching on Google is really important for our millions of users in the Philippines," Hartmann added.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-37680755463237776342008-11-09T04:13:00.000-08:002008-11-09T04:24:43.749-08:00Why Stephenie Meyer is such a good writer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHctZtXA62X764BDxoz4dcp5X8VxHfvJAYhFW3M0KI1KO6bxaMu4vSNf9KkYH9pqSTHfMYlvgkD_ogVwDXo3CLGkiE8zUylHFGgTTqrntQ4TedoBOXP-GfuEEraSgmhogFmu_MR1ZFLM/s1600-h/tw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 341px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHctZtXA62X764BDxoz4dcp5X8VxHfvJAYhFW3M0KI1KO6bxaMu4vSNf9KkYH9pqSTHfMYlvgkD_ogVwDXo3CLGkiE8zUylHFGgTTqrntQ4TedoBOXP-GfuEEraSgmhogFmu_MR1ZFLM/s400/tw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266632409087466914" border="0" /></a><br />I'm reading the "Twilight" series and I have to admit that I am impressed with Stephenie Meyer's writing style. I read it and go, "I know exactly how that feels!" You see being a wannabe author, also means I like to dissect how other authors put their thoughts together and how they spill them on the page.<br /><br />With Stephenie Meyer though, it's like reading through a girl's head it's amazing. She's written about stuff that all girls have felt but most girls can't even begin to explain. She has put to words feelings and scenarios that play everyday in a girl's head about love and life and the what-ifs of what's to come. This makes her such a great writer.<br /><br />Sure "Twilight" reads more like juvenile fiction because it features high school kids (not to mention high school age vampires and werewolves), but it's so easy to read that just makes it even better.<br /><br />I read "Harry Potter' because I felt it was such a recreation to read it, and this is why I'm reading "Twilight" as well. It's not comparison though. People shouldn't compare them too much. Harry Potter was made for kids and adults just ended up enjoying it because it became such a big hit and a power tale. Twilight on the other had is first and foremost a love story rather than a fictional one. That would explain why most of the readers and fans are girls.<br /><br />It's nice to read about this wonderful guy (or guys - if you like both Edward and Jacob) and about this supernatural kind of love, it gives me an escape from reality. That is the mark of a great writer -- being able to take your readers where you want them and enthralling them in the world of your creation.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-52173250445700541962008-11-03T04:52:00.000-08:002008-11-03T04:58:10.043-08:00Holiday Promotions From Self Publishing Companies - Xlibris And iUniverseHere are some holiday promotions from two of the biggest self publishing companies to-date - Xlibris and iUniverse.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQysQBZLuP7jLwGWlmHq2Oviex3BhDM9TqBjeb__qtAVgJh_SxzhQqGlZyVmLZT9HeIuIc7Gz5z9I_4drYgbcEMg7Y7HtWB8w_ZKaRzmaDdxLyO_WW0kykmOfpsic-CVJ2zwDb-8sc4qw/s1600-h/xl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 426px; height: 43px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQysQBZLuP7jLwGWlmHq2Oviex3BhDM9TqBjeb__qtAVgJh_SxzhQqGlZyVmLZT9HeIuIc7Gz5z9I_4drYgbcEMg7Y7HtWB8w_ZKaRzmaDdxLyO_WW0kykmOfpsic-CVJ2zwDb-8sc4qw/s400/xl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264414618878175634" border="0" /></a><ul><li>Xlibris is going all-out with a "Christmas comes early" theme. All their publishing packages from their basic at $499 to platinum used to be $12,999 are now being offered at half price. That's 50% off publishing services this month.</li></ul><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0rdTym5VNE5047pb0yDB4TAaqvBWA8O3SUPnrKcGhsvtNiCAdzRT2kX37qYjJuPFxpYwYB0q7FnWZ-fd5wLSBVHCZUDOZkVhKENaIzkgzepv2gzihXiu5fcl-BS4jAZGZwk5Xh6xSa4/s1600-h/iuniverse.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 109px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0rdTym5VNE5047pb0yDB4TAaqvBWA8O3SUPnrKcGhsvtNiCAdzRT2kX37qYjJuPFxpYwYB0q7FnWZ-fd5wLSBVHCZUDOZkVhKENaIzkgzepv2gzihXiu5fcl-BS4jAZGZwk5Xh6xSa4/s400/iuniverse.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264413954838315282" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li>iUniverse is providing authors with an option to get a discount or free books with an election theme, zooming in on the great political debacle of McCain and Obama.</li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-1585854869166007802008-10-31T02:32:00.000-07:002008-10-31T02:38:06.054-07:00Book Publishing In Trying TimesI have to admit, I've put the breaks on getting anything done in terms of book publishing. Somehow it just doesn't seem as important as paying the bills on time. The seems to happen a lot during trying times, we put off our dreams and aspirations so that our necessities can take precedence.<br /><br />I'm all for that, but we still have to move forward with life. Deprivation isn't the solution. Book publishing after all can still be a money-making venture. If you work hard enough, and invest smart instead of investing a lot, then you could break-even or better yet, make a profit.<br /><br />If writing is your passion then by all means write to your heart's content. The economy is bad enough as it is, we don't need suicides and human tragedy to add to that. Book publishing is now more affordable than ever if you decide to publish your work.<br /><br />If you're looking into self-publishing, it can be done for free, provided you have some time and effort and skill to spare; it can also be paid if you'd like supported service from companies like Xlibris and Authorhouse. Just always think about the value for your money.<br /><br />The key is to keep on writing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-31706179349347492312008-10-19T06:04:00.002-07:002008-10-19T06:11:24.129-07:00Writing For A Cause - Xulon Press "Support The Troops"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5OVmwe42Oqc9s4MiZDuN4oBTFn8T97eRyZQd3738yQmeffvQsDv8pnwU8d7H-YXNoCOAs8LxXxkTojYwi3ueNkVgP4sXP5r8wVk27hHdQsuuzukhNsV0loj3z9NiNxCNrn7QnGPe3Ck/s1600-h/xulon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5OVmwe42Oqc9s4MiZDuN4oBTFn8T97eRyZQd3738yQmeffvQsDv8pnwU8d7H-YXNoCOAs8LxXxkTojYwi3ueNkVgP4sXP5r8wVk27hHdQsuuzukhNsV0loj3z9NiNxCNrn7QnGPe3Ck/s400/xulon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258851882062150914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />In a very stirring way, Xulon Press has captured my attention with this really nice anthology dedicated to American troops overseas. Going by way of marketing "for a cause" Xulon Press is looking for approximately 500 writers to pen a short, 150-word letter to men and women serving overseas this Christmas season.<br /><br />Whether a it's a letter of inspiration and encouragement, a short prayer or poem, Xulon press will compile them and send copies to military chaplains serving in Iraq Baghdad, Taliban, Pakistan and in Afghanistan.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-6677721674080771402008-10-18T22:26:00.000-07:002008-10-18T22:28:44.193-07:00iUniverse Dives To $399Just a couple of days ago I received an email from iUniverse saying that up to the 31st of October, I'm eligible to get published for only $399. That's a pretty steep discount since their cheapest package is $599.<br /><br />Times must be getting really hardUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-41380042584345256782008-10-05T04:26:00.000-07:002008-10-05T04:54:12.363-07:00Full Color Publishing Just Got Cheaper<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvEbdmi4CEx0ldj0yzAfNuu2vXeDhRMDBeduHOmSbIdhTkGtYtQAuKWVpNZk-uJshkbdF5EuRJubXVXEQd8AQw83GANlR3vtVlSJb1F4yz2xOsHKIS6Jh_XAd-HFPliHt8okBX85pym8/s1600-h/ib.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 330px; height: 351px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvEbdmi4CEx0ldj0yzAfNuu2vXeDhRMDBeduHOmSbIdhTkGtYtQAuKWVpNZk-uJshkbdF5EuRJubXVXEQd8AQw83GANlR3vtVlSJb1F4yz2xOsHKIS6Jh_XAd-HFPliHt8okBX85pym8/s400/ib.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253636023761074738" border="0" /></a><br />I've been wondering these days about colored picture books. In the olden days, and when I say in the olden days I do mean about 10 years ago - you can only have your pictures developed through one of those kodak shops that charge you for developing the film and then for actual printing.<br /><br />These days there are so many options and the prices are just more or less the same. There's even full color book publishing. I know a couple who had their kid's album published and laid out just like a book. It was very cute.<br /><br />These days you can print photo books, travel book, baby books, scrapbook, business book, portfolio, cookbook and of course those seasonal books that people love to give out during holidays like Christmas and year books and just simple mementos for people who like to keep their memories in print.<br /><br />Few years back, Xlibris - the self publishing services provider charged at least $999 to publish a full colored picture book. But now their minimum price is only $499. And you've got the full service - lay out and image enhancement too along with worldwide distribution and marketing support. It's actually not a bad deal. And for October they've got the whole "upgrade your service" promotion - so if you get their $499 package (basic), you'll be receiving the services from the $899 package (professional), which just means more add-ons and more images and more freebies.<br /><br />This month too I noticed AuthorHouse’s Premium Color Paperback package is giving away a free Essential Color Paperback package if you get one of their regular publishing packages or there is this upgrade option that lets you upgrade to a second Premium Color Paperback package for $249.<br /><br />Their promotions are looking more and more alike don't you think?<br /><br />I also found this new site called Ink U Book (www.inkubook.com) that's also owned by Author Solutions (that's the same people that own Authorhouse & iUniverse actually). They specialize in photo book publishing. Apparently they're packaging it as an easy-to-use online photo book creation service that enables people to make photo books in minutes, sort of like Lulu and Blurb because they are relatively cheap - $13.95 to start. The software where you can make the book is free, pretty much like Lulu and Blurb. They just give you the tools so if you've got the skill and time to put the book together yourself, you're ready to go in minutes. The fee they charge depends on your book's size and number of pages. They don't have hardback yet so that's a bummer. But if you're just looking at getting a printed copy of your mementos then it's a pretty good deal.<br /><br />Also similar to We Book (www.webook.com), they've got this whole collaboration thing going on, where different people can actually contribute to the making of your book. Friends and family can edit and vote on your work. I think that's a nice feature for people who are just writing for fun. But if you're doing it for the fame and glory though I would think some discretion and privacy at work would be more essential. Would be tragic if you're plot would be leaked. Remember Stephenie Meyer? That vampire book girl who was about to write an alternate version to her Twilight series? That would have been great had a portion not leaked out we would have been able to enjoy it in its entirety. Tsk TskUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-50730660148652610022008-09-27T22:45:00.000-07:002008-09-27T22:58:25.258-07:00Authorhouse Gives Away Your Age In Free Books<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4h-RbIOUFLX0ymiMJe2-xc3qvHVImuUMvBaEZgrsP71oH-53-xq3i6SPdL2D3HEs6GZac6F9ySApcmYGYsqSTGNPOXoeJ8iEW9ZDidmoMMoR3stNf_8_MnYyuCsg9_DPkQmrFEgaoHuU/s1600-h/l5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 335px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4h-RbIOUFLX0ymiMJe2-xc3qvHVImuUMvBaEZgrsP71oH-53-xq3i6SPdL2D3HEs6GZac6F9ySApcmYGYsqSTGNPOXoeJ8iEW9ZDidmoMMoR3stNf_8_MnYyuCsg9_DPkQmrFEgaoHuU/s400/l5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250947329658586802" border="0" /></a><br />A promotion that was developed during the AARP’s Life@50+ Conference has led Authorhouse to start giving away free books that equal the number of candles on their birthday cake. That's quite nice.<br /><br />More mature people who are now retiring and/or are experiencing "empty nests" so to speak want to publish a book as they reach the sunset of their lives. More personal dreams of documenting success and/or just relishing the memories come closer to view I guess when we get to that certain age. Publishing isn't a financial issue or even a professional issue but more a personal aspiration that people want to leave behind.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6640754564817310601.post-51167993455832815082008-09-21T05:55:00.001-07:002008-09-21T06:00:01.088-07:00Xlibris Offers Wannabe Authors The Opportunity To Get Published Before Christmas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPZSHfOkuAjT7akQdtVivKs4YQH46JOpfyJ0pZp-7Dats40aDpuFpQ_drQgJb6HitjBykYcr3w2zO1e860T5W-PCz6NJZjhHTY2vrPMhiCOF_IrGZNJtGlRubsF3DTP7TjJirLtkq_gQ/s1600-h/xl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPZSHfOkuAjT7akQdtVivKs4YQH46JOpfyJ0pZp-7Dats40aDpuFpQ_drQgJb6HitjBykYcr3w2zO1e860T5W-PCz6NJZjhHTY2vrPMhiCOF_IrGZNJtGlRubsF3DTP7TjJirLtkq_gQ/s400/xl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248457912829076898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Xlibris, the self publishing services provider is having a limited publishing services offer that will allow writers to get published within the year. The email promotion I got mentioned that it will be available to the first 50 authors that will sign up this month.<br /><br />The idea here being that you will have your book ready for sale in time for the holidays.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0