I wanna publish

Eclipse Follow Up from Stephanie Meyer - The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

2010-03-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

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.

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

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 enjoy

Will Kindle And Other eBook Readers Lose Out To iPad?

2010-03-06T15:58:00.000-08:00

A recent survey 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.

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%.

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

The Self Publishing Boom And How It Gave Birth To Unsuspecting Authors

2010-03-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

We have to admit that self publishing is now a very acceptable means of putting your work out there.

To quote Mediashift, "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."

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.

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.

"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 article.

In the end I think it's going to lean a lot on the author's preference, ambition and capacity to pay.

Read the full article, Self-Publishing, Author Services Open Floodgates for Writers

Random House Acquires Rights to Michael Jackson's Autobiography

2009-07-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

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.

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 death

The Real Book or The Kindle Book?

2009-06-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice entry by Scott Stein I found on CNET. 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.

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.

Why does Scribd work as an online selling tool for books?

2009-06-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

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).

Scribd quickly took it down after the complaint was posted by publisher, Berrett-Koehler.

However one thing led to another & Scribd was later on discovered to be a very viable marketing venue for books.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.
I don't think Scribd will beat Amazon, but I do think it's a worthwhile option to consider.

Another Side of Miley cyrus - A 16-year-old writes her autobiorgraphy

2009-03-05T03:44:00.000-08:00

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.

Well I guess if you're famous you have an excuse to write your autobiography even if you're just sixteen years old

In the pages of her first book, "Miles to Go," 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.

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."

Well I do hope they stick to the facts and not end up with fiction

eBook Readers are Upgrading Faster than I can say Kindle!

2009-02-27T02:56:00.000-08:00

And I thought Amazon wasn't even able to keep up with Kindle demand...

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.

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

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

Here are the new Kindle specs

Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines
Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback
Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots
Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images
Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging
More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books
Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns
Read-to-Me: With the new Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud to you

Large Selection: Over 240,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs available
Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise

Tips On How To STart Writing And Keep On Writing By Beth Harpaz

2009-02-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

One 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.

Whatever your goals, here's some advice on everything from getting started to self-publishing.

START WRITING: 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.

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.

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."

Some writers treasure solitude. For others, a class can help.

"It's like having a trainer," said Brown. "Anybody can exercise by themselves but not everyone is successful doing that."

Sadler recommends writing retreats. "Just leave behind the cell phone or the BlackBerry," she said.

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.

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."

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."

GET ORGANIZED: 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."

Create a folder in your inbox, too, and save copies of all relevant e-mails.

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."

Sadler added that nonfiction writers must "define the boundaries of their material" and be able to explain their projects in a sentence or two.

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."

Try leaving the last sentence unfinished, so that you have something easy to start with when you resume.

LIFE STORIES: Would you like to write up your childhood memories, or help a loved one tell the family story?

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.

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.

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.

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."

SELF-PUBLISHING: 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).

"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.

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.

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.

Alternatively, you could order a set number of copies, pay all costs upfront, and distribute and sell them yourself.

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.

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.

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?"

Via MSNBC

Patrick Swayze's Memoirs Gets Published

2009-02-06T06:56:00.000-08:00

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

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

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 credit

American Idol's Sanjaya - The Author?

2009-01-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

Thad McIlroy's Take On Book Publishing Trends And Outlook

2009-01-01T07:47:00.001-08:00

This 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.

What is it about books that make them the sine qua non 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 many different books that have had an equally strong impact.

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.

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.

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.

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 idea of publishing more than any other form - when I say "publishing" you probably think books (perhaps even if you happen to be a newspaper publisher).

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!

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.)

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?

The Traditional Context of Book Publishing
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.

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.)

Not surprisingly, the history of publishing is well-documented in books. One such, a fine work, The Nature of the Book 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.

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.

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.)

I'll examine shortly the statistics that bear on these challenges. Some of them have changed in the last decades; many still apply.

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.

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 The Wind in the Willows. Technology need not be destructive for book publishers; it can be a very positive force for change.

Types of Book Publishing
There are many kinds of book publishing. Most listings differ, but here is a representative sample of publishing types.

1. Trade publishing

(i) Hardcover
(ii) Trade paperback
(iii) Mass-market paperback
(iv) Children's books
(v) Religious books

2. Textbook publishing

(i) Textbooks in hardcover or paperback
(a) K-12 textbooks
(b) Secondary school textbooks
(c) Higher education: college and university textbooks
(d) Post formal institutional education (adult learning) textbooks

(ii) Ancillary texts, such as teacher or student guides

3. Reference publishing

(i) Encyclopedias
(ii) Directories
(iii) And numerous others

4. Reports, studies, etc. by not-for-profit publishers, government agencies, etc.

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.

Hoovers, 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.

The Book Industry Study Group offers the following breakdown of small publishers:

The Scope of the Book Publishing Business in North America

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.

The same group estimates 2006 U.S. book sales at $35.7 billion, up 3.2 percent over 2005's total.

R.R. Bowker projects 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.

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."

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. Canadian Books in Print listed 4,300 book publishers in the year 2000.

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 59% of domestic book sales in 2004 (the percentage has increased). The Canadian book publishing industry is foreign-dominated.

Hoovers also remind us that "demand for books...is largely resistant to economic cycles." As I discuss in my blog entry "Economics and the Future of Publishing," this recession is thus far proving different, and the eventual outcome for book publishers remains to be seen.

The Practice of Book Publishing
Several unique practices have definitively characterized book publishing in the modern era:

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).

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.

Furthermore, at the largest book publishers the decision is no longer generally about quality but more often about salability. Is that taught at Swarthmore?

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.

2. At the same time, I consider it inarguable that most writers need good editors. William Zinsser, author of the classic text On Writing Well, wrote "The essence of writing is rewriting."

Ernest Hemingway is reputed to have told George Plimpton during an interview that he rewrote the ending to A Farewell to Arms 39 times before he was satisfied.

"Why so many rewrites?" Plimpton asked.

"Because," Hemingway responded, "I wanted to get the words right."

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.

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.

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.

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.

Print-on-Demand Changes the Equation
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.

Vanity Publishing Becomes Self-Publishing
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.

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.

In the age of the Internet, distribution issues are significantly muted, and the reading public has discovered that they don't necessarily care what The New York Times says about an inexpensive book covering a topic in which they're interested.

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.

Book Readership
Probably the most important document revealing key aspects of the future of book publishing is a 60-page report published by in June 2004 by the National Endowment for the Arts. Called Reading at Risk, 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 "Reading at Risk is not a report that the National Endowment for the Arts is happy to issue."

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.

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:

What is most notable in this first chart is an important anomaly between the number of literary readers and the percentage. Because of population increases, the total number of readers is constant over a 20-year period, while the percentage decline, as illustrated in the next figure is 7.3%, and by 2002, the rate of decline had increased to 14%!

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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.)

A few key data points:

Nearly half of all Americans ages 18 to 24 read no books for pleasure.
The percentage of 18- to 44-year-olds who read a book fell 7 points from 1992 to 2002.
The percentage of 17-year-olds who read nothing at all for pleasure has doubled over a 20-year period.
Although nominal spending on books grew from 1985 to 2005, average annual household spending on books dropped 14% when adjusted for inflation.
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.

Future of Book Publishing -- Trends & Outlook
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.

The Future Of Book Publishing

2009-01-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

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?

Here are the statistics for book publishing via Thad McIlroy's future of publishing

Nielsen BookScan, quoted in the June 2007 Harper's magazine (available to subscribers only), reported that nearly 1.5 million different 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.
A ground-breaking 2005 report by the Book Industry Study Group (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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

My overall rating for the future of book publishing is a continuing modest decline in total sales volume, but certainly not an impending catastrophe.

According to the Motion Picture Association of America (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 Bowker, 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 May 2008 press release from Bowker 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."

25 Things You Need To Know About Self Publishing

2009-01-01T07:26:00.001-08:00

Here'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

1. Self-publishing is easy.

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.

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.

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).

2. Quality has improved.

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.

3. Some of the more successful self-published books are about self-publishing.

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.

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.

4. Good self-published books are few and far between.

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.

5. The odds are against you.

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.

6. Creating a "professional" book is really hard.

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.

7. Have a clear goal for your book.

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.

8. Even if it's great, there's a good chance your book won't sell.

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.

9. Niche books do best.

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.

10. Buy your own ISBN--and create your own publishing house.

If you have market aspirations for your book, buy your own ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and create your own publishing company.

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.

11. Create a unique title.

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.

12. Turn-key solutions cost a lot of money.

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).

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.

13. Self-publishers don't care if your book is successful.

They say they care, but they really don't care. You have to make them care.

14. Buy as little as possible from your publishing company.

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).

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.

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.

15. If you're serious about your book, hire a book doctor and get it copy-edited.

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.

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).

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.

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).

16. Negotiate everything.

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).

17. Ask a lot of questions and don't be afraid to complain.

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).

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.

18. Self-publishing is a contact sport.

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.

19. Getting your book in bookstores sounds good, but that shouldn't be a real concern.

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."

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.

20. Self-published books don't get reviewed.

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.

21. Design your book cover to look good small.

(Credit: Amazon)

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.

22. If you're selling online, make the most out of your Amazon page.

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.

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).

The manifestation of categorizing your book.
(Credit: Amazon)

23. Pricing is a serious challenge.

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).

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.

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).

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.

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.

24. Electronic books have potential, but they're still in their infancy.

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.

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.

25. Self-publishing is a fluid business.

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?

Book Sales For a Cause: Tales of Beedle And Bard Sales To Help Fund Children's Charity

2008-12-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

What spurred this?

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.

It's nice to know some authors look for some meaning beyond personal gain. Darn! Now I have to go buy that book too.

Publishing a Collector's Edition: Learning From JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle and Bard

2008-12-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

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.

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!

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.

Discovered "among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives," the venerable wizard's ruminations on the Tales 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.
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 Tales 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 Tales, 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."

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.

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:

Exclusive reproduction of J.K. Rowling's handwritten introduction
10 additional illustrations not found in the Standard Edition
Velvet bag embroidered with J.K. Rowling’s signature
Embellished book cover complete with metal skull, corners, and clasp; replica gemstones; and emerald ribbon
Collector's edition also includes a set of 10 ready-for-framing prints of J.K. Rowling's illustrations

Philippine Local Book Pubilshing (RBS) Partners With Google Book Search

2008-11-12T03:48:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

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.

"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.

Why Stephenie Meyer is such a good writer

2008-11-09T04:13:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Holiday Promotions From Self Publishing Companies - Xlibris And iUniverse

2008-11-03T04:52:00.000-08:00

Here are some holiday promotions from two of the biggest self publishing companies to-date - Xlibris and iUniverse.

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.

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.

Book Publishing In Trying Times

2008-10-31T02:32:00.000-07:00

I 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.

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.

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.

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.

The key is to keep on writing.

Writing For A Cause - Xulon Press "Support The Troops"

2008-10-19T06:04:00.002-07:00

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.

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.

iUniverse Dives To $399

2008-10-18T22:26:00.000-07:00

Just 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.

Times must be getting really hard

Full Color Publishing Just Got Cheaper

2008-10-05T04:26:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Their promotions are looking more and more alike don't you think?

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.

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 Tsk

Authorhouse Gives Away Your Age In Free Books

2008-09-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

Xlibris Offers Wannabe Authors The Opportunity To Get Published Before Christmas

2008-09-21T05:55:00.001-07:00

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.

The idea here being that you will have your book ready for sale in time for the holidays.

Lauren Conrad Of "The Hills" Signs 3-Book Deal With Harper Collins!

2008-09-14T04:58:00.001-07:00

"The Hills" star Lauren Conrad Soon To Be A Published Author Of Not 1, Not 2 But THREE Books.

For writers like me who just dream of getting published, that is just OUCH! Come on! Okay she might be good. But you have to admit, people are billing mostly on star power and not much else.

22-year-old reality TV star for "The Hills" has signed up with Harper Collins for a series of young adult fiction novels - sounds a lot like Stephenie Meyer don't you think?

The book will be entitled "L.A. Candy." The book will revolve around transition from regular gal to recognizable face. To be more specific the book will tell of the behind-the-scenes story of a young girl who moves to L.A. and unexpectedly becomes the star of a reality-television show. Hmmm.... autobiographical much?

You can tell I'm not so in to this book don't you? Can you blame me? I am green with envy so I may be way off and overly stereotypical, but really does she look like a writer to you? Anyway the book's first installment is due next summer

Xlibris Labor Day Publishing Promotion - Get Published By Christmas And 2 For The Price Of 1

2008-09-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

Xlibris celebrates Labor day by giving out a free publishing package for each manuscript you publish. A buy 1 take 1 promotion so to speak. They also have this nice incentive that allows you to complete the entire publishing process by Christmas. Their publishing packages include:

Advantage - Only $299
Streamlined and practical. Perfect for books with simple design requirements

Basic – $499, 2 for 1 or save $75
An economical service with multiple design options.

Professional – $899, 2 for 1 or save $135
Interior customization and graphics with hardback availability.

Custom – $1,599, 2 for 1 or save $240
Have total control over complex design and text formatting.

Premium – $2,999, 2 for 1 or save $450
A full-service package with an extensive marketing campaign.

Executive – $5,999, 2 for 1 or save $900
VIP service, full customization and up to 125 books.

Platinum – $12,999, 2 for 1 or save $1,950
An incomparable assortment of publishing, marketing, and editing services that will cater to your every need.

iUniverse Back To School September Publishing Promotion

2008-09-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

Simply put, iUniverse is giving away free books this first half of September when you publish your book with them.

Promotion Description:	Code*
Receive 60 FREE** paperbacks with every Premier Pro Publishing Package purchase. (40 Bonus copies plus 20 included with the package.)	40SEPBOOK
Receive 30 FREE** paperbacks with every Premier Publishing Package purchase. (20 Bonus copies plus 10 included with the package.)	20SEPBOOK
Receive 15 FREE** paperbacks with every Select Publishing Package purchase. (10 Bonus copies plus 5 included with the package.)	10SEPBOOK

Even Matthew McConaughey's Mom Is Now A Published Author

2008-08-28T04:38:00.000-07:00

The woman on the right wouldn't be familiar to you, but you'd definitely recognize her son - Matthew McConaughey.

Banking on her son's fame as well (like many authors these days), it wouldn't take that much talent to get this book across.

Anyway Kay McConaughey has decided to pen her own book entitled, "I Amaze Myself!" apparently it talks about herself. Her life with her more famous son, her now deceased husband (who she openly claims to have died during sex with her) and about again her more famous son's new child.

She even set up her own website - I Amaze Myself.

Well I'm amazed that for sure. Good luck to her though.

Micheal Phelps - Swimmer, Olympic Gold Medalist, and now... Author?

2008-08-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

When you're a success I guess the next big thing is to write a book about yourself. Miley Cyrus has done it, and now Simon & Schuster wants Michael Phelps to do it too. The book entitled "Built to Succeed,” will be published by Free Press (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) in December.

Taking advantage of course of book marketing is the fact that Phelps is already really famous. So just saying his name would make dollars drop on the register I bet.

The book will focus on the Beijing Olympics and how Micheal Phelps won his eight gold medals there. Including the secrets of his success, how he trained and how he won. But it will also look back at his life and his childhood - what life was like being raised by a single mother and being diagnosed with ADHD - attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

If such a kid with a semi-abnormal existence got to grow up like Michael Phelps then I guess being psychologically impaired might be so bad for the rest of us.

The book is bound to have images - how did Michael Phelps get so hot and buff?

2008-08-17T05:31:00.000-07:00

I got this letter in my mailbox recently about a new book marketing company called BookWhirl:

It has recently come to our attention that a company, by the name of BookWhirl,
has been contacting Xlibris authors and offering to provide internet book marketing
services to promote their book. While we encourage you to explore every avenue
available to you to maximize your book sales and exposure, we recommend that you
exercise caution when dealing with any company that has no discernible history or
that seems to appear overnight. To protect yourself, it is advisable to background
check any company that contacts you by visiting the Better Business Bureau
online at http://www.bbb.org/ .

At one of our author’s behest, we took the liberty of doing some background research
on the aforementioned company and found that the address listed on the website does
not exist. Using an online research program, we were able to determine that there
is no building existing on the site, only a vacant space. Furthermore, our attempt
to send a letter communication by Federal Express was returned to us citing the
reason “No Address Existing”. In a subsequent exchange of e-mails with a BookWhirl
representative, we requested for a correct US address, but were given the same
address that appears on their website, and that was listed by Federal Express
as not existing.

The Controversy Behind Why The "Jewel Of Medina" Was Never Released By Random House

2008-08-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

One of the decade's most controversial topics is showcased in the book, "The Jewel of Medina." Said to be about Muhammad's child bride A'isha who was engaged to the prophet at the age of 6 years old and was speculated to be his favorite wife. Because of its rather sensitive topic, instead of the books becoming available on August 12, it has been postponed indefinitely I think.

Random House said it had been advised the book "might be offensive" to some Muslims, and "could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment."

The decision was taken "for the safety of the author, employees of Random House, booksellers and anyone else who would be involved in distribution and sale of the novel," said the company's deputy publisher Thomas Perry in a statement.

Which is a good call I think, although just like Dan Brown's publications (Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons) that caused a ruckus in the Roman Catholic circles, the controversial factor of the book's topic does make it more attractive and therefore more potentially profitable.

Xlibris Publishing Promotion - Customize Your Publishing Package With Additional Free Services Up To $5,000

2008-08-09T21:54:00.001-07:00

Xlibris is trying to be a bit more original this month compared to self publishing company counterparts iUniverse and Authorhouse. Instead of going with the free books and/or percentage discount routes. Xlibris has decided to provide additional add-on and marketing services to authors who would like to purchase any of their publishing packages.

Reading from their website, Xlibris is giving up to $5,000 worth in free services. $5,000 of course comes with their highest package - the Platinum, which already has a lot in it (which it should since it's available for a cool 13 grand), I can't imagine anybody wanting more. But nevertheless the promotion breakdown goes like this:

Xlibris basic package which starts at $499 has an additional $250 worth of free services

Xlibris professional package at $899 comes with $400 worth of free services
Xlibris custom package that sells for $1,599, has $750 worth of free services
Xlibris premium package that costs $2,999, als comes with $1,500 worth of free services
And finally Xlibris' executive package that comes just below their platinum sold at $5,999, has $2,500 worth of free services.

So if you imagine that's a value of half the package that gets added back to your spending power. The fine print though which you should know mentions that entitlement to free services does not include printed marketing materials, leather bound editions and/or bookstore returnability.

As an added bonus, probably just to match or better the running iUniverse offer, Xlibris is also giving away an additional 20 free books until the 15th of August. This is a tiered offer of course so those getting the basic package will get 5 free books while those getting higher value packages will get more free books (on top of the free books already in the publishing package)

Authorhouse Giving The Store Away With A Lot Of Publishing Promotions This August

2008-08-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

I was quite surprised when I took a look at all the different offers that Authorhouse has posted on their website. Aside from the Free Gas Card which they already started giving out last month, they're also giving out promotions on

Publishing packages -- save up to $300 or get up to 20 extra books on select publishing packages. This means though the offer may not apply to all their publishing packages so best to ask first
Book marketing -- Take advantage of Buy One, Get One Free marketing services. Authorhouse has seemed quite eager to push their book marketing services. This buy one get one offer sounds a little vague but I'm sure they probably should be of the same value or the free service might be of less value.
Book purchasing offer -- Get 10% free books and free shipping on author book purchases. This is the best offer I think, because not only do you save on your book costs (10% more) I presume over the usual author discounts they provide as well as free shipping. That's a nice combination.

These offers are running through the whole month of August.

iUniverse Olympic Theme - Publishing Promotion Free Books

2008-08-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the Olympics in Beijing, iUniverse has patterned their publishing promotion theme with the Olympics.

iUniverse is giving away up to 60 free books with their publishing packages this August. In reality though if you read it closely, there's only really 40 additional free books.

Here's how you break it down:

iUniverse select publishing package has 5 free books, they're giving away an additional 10 with their August offer (coupon code 10AUGBOOK)
iUniverse Premier Publishing Package already has 10 free books, in August there will be 20 more (coupon code 20AUGBOOK)
Finally iUniverse Premier Pro publishing package has 20 free books (already in the package), they're giving away an additional 40 to equal 60 free books. (coupon code 40AUGBOOK)

So that's the real deal - 40 additional free books if you publish this month with iUniverse. This offer expires on the 17th, although I do expect that there will be a sweeter offer at the second half of the month as is usually the case for self publishing companies.

The Twilight Hysteria! Breaking Dawn In Stores Today! How Did This Housewife From Arizona Do It? How Did Stephanie Meyer Get Published?

2008-08-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

If you have just come out of a 3 year hibernation, then you must have missed Stephanie Meyers' great rise to fame now that her 4th and last book "Breaking Dawn" has been released

So who is Stephanie Meyer?

Before becoming a best-selling author, Stephanie Meyer was an ordinary home-maker, a native of Arizona. She attends Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which means she is Mormon and that there are no erotic scenes on her book.

She first released Twilight in 2005. It made the rounds on New York Time, Publishers Weekly, Amazon and Teen People. So even then it was acknowledged that she had the potential to even sell more books. An even more unexpected turn-out came when the sequel New Moon was released, and it was a hit ever since.

They're even making a movie! It's like every author's dream come true. Publication, a feature length film and one best-seller after another. Stephanie Meyer is now a household name. I should know, I'm a thousand or so miles away from the Unites States and I know who she is!

My friends have pre-booked their copies of Breaking Dawn weeks ago and we've been reading about her phenomenal successs day-in and day-out. Makes me wish I were a stronger writer.

How did Stephanie Meyer, virtually an unknown author 3 years ago become such a phenomenal best-selling author?

I had to do the research of how she did it. And I have to admit it sure didn't sound like it was easy. Stephanie Meyer started with a dream. Like all authors - she had "THE" dream. The dream that started her story - the dream that started "Twilight."

But not until she took the pain-staking effort to put everything together did she ever come up with a 500-page masterpiece. Sleepless nights with 3 bounding boys, she had to make time to write her chapters. She let her sister, Emily, read through chapter by chapter as she finished them. And Emily told her to get published.

Even Stephanie Meyer had a hard time getting published. She sent out about 15 queries to publishing houses and literary agents and Stephanie Meyer got 8 rejections - let me spell that out, Twilight got EIGHT REJECTIONS when Stephanie tried to get it published.

Now isn't that just a big relief? Knowing that even literary agents can be wrong.

But Stephanie pulled through when a girl from Writer's House came back to her and asked to read the first 3 chapters. The feedback was good and she was approached by Jodi Reamer who became her literary agent. They worked on the manuscript before sending it out to publishing houses, which by the way went out to 9 - yes NINE publishing houses before it even got any attention.

They had to polish it even more and rename the title (from Forks to Twilight) and eventually got the deal of a life time from Little, Brown and Company. According to Stephanie, the deal was so big she thought it was a hoax, and I do believe the deal is just going to get better.

Stephanie Meyer will release another book soon, still in the realm of Twilight but this time from the male protagonist's perspective - Edward, instead of the one from Bella - which is the topic of the Twilight series.

So just to put it all together, it took Stephanie Meyer approximately 2 years to write Twilight and get it published. It took a whole lot of determination and hard work, some guts and support from family and friends to bring the story of Bella and Edward into the millions of young adults all over the world.

Sony ebook edges on Kindle

2008-07-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sony ebook reader has expanded its acceptable formats trying to getting an edge on Kindle - which is quite heavily promoted on the biggest online retailer in the world. It's a rather smart move I think, since Kindle is tied to Amazon subscription and purchases, opening up the Sony ebook reader to a more varied audience will give it better coverage instead of only being limited to Sony's ebook store.

The new models coming out next month and those with upgraded firmware will be able to load

IDPF/EPUB - this is the XML-based standard format proposed by the International Digital Publishing Forum, all the major publishers like Harper Collins, Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Penguin are offering texts in the .epub format
PDF/A files - subset of the Portable Document Format that was designed for the purposes of long-term archival, with all fonts and images embedded into the document
The device previously supported BBeB (Marlin) Books, PDF, TXT, RTF and Microsoft Word files (converted with Sony's CONNECT software).

This will make the Sony ebook reader a more flexible product

iUniverse's Expands Author Marketing With Newly Appointed Director

2008-07-18T00:36:00.000-07:00

The Bookseller posted that iUniverse just appointed a director for author marketing. What does this mean for writers and authors exactly?

Let's define author marketing first. Author marketing is when authors with published works decide to spread the word about their work through a variety marketing efforts, like marketing campaigns for books that happen online, in print and through media publicity.

The goal would be to get as many people know about the book's release, the book's theme that would get readers interested in buying the book.

iUniverse apparently wants to provide affordable services to help authors develop a platform and sell books through a broad range of quality marketing services for iUniverse authors

Xlibris Publishing Promotion - Dollar Savings And Free Library of Congress And Copyright Registration

2008-07-04T02:11:00.000-07:00

It looks like self publishing companies are going all out this July. Xlibris' publishing service promotion has authors getting Library of Congress and Copyright Registration at no additional charge when they publish before July 16. Also enjoy an additional 5% on top of the discounted rate.

So you get dollar discounts when you publish plus the registration stuff

Choose from our comprehensive range of Black & White Book Publishing packages and find the one that is perfect for you.

Advantage - $299 (special offer does not apply)
Streamlined and practical. Perfect for books with simple design requirements

Basic – NOW $449, SAVE $50
An economical service with multiple design options

Professional – NOW $799, SAVE $100
Interior customization and graphics with hardback availability

Custom – NOW $1,349, SAVE $250
Have total control over complex design and text formatting

Premium – NOW $2,499, SAVE $500
A full-service package with an extensive marketing campaign

Executive – NOW $5,249, SAVE $750
VIP service, full customization and up to 125 books

Platinum – NOW $10,999, SAVE $2,000
An incomparable assortment of publishing, marketing, and editing services that will cater to your every need

Authorhouse Gives You Free Gas Cards When You Purchase Marketing Services Or Books In July

2008-07-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

You can get up to $100 in free gas cards when you purchase marketing services or books in Authorhouse. They're either brilliant or just desperate. Imagine giving out gas cards.

Although I can appreciate the effort. Gas prices are indeed expensive so the question here is what's the catch?

iUniverse Publishing Promotion - Offer Option, Save On Dollars Or Get Free Books

2008-07-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

In a very aggressive and novel move, iUniverse just introduced 2 separate offers this month with which you can choose either dollar savings on your publishing package or free books

CHOOSE a special package price:
Promotion Description

Save $200 off the regular price of a Premier Pro Publishing Package. $1,299 NOW ONLY $1,099 -- JULPRO200

Save $150 off the regular price of a Premier Publishing Package $899 NOW ONLY $749 --- JULPRE150

Save $100 off the regular price of a Select Publishing Package. $599 NOW ONLY $499
--- JULSEL100

OR CHOOSE more free books:

Promotion Description

Receive 60 FREE** paperbacks with every Premier Pro Publishing Package purchase. (40 Bonus copies plus 20 included with the package.) --- 40JULBOOK

Receive 30 FREE** paperbacks with every Premier Publishing Package purchase. (20 Bonus copies plus 10 included with the package.) --- 20JULBOOK

Receive 15 FREE** paperbacks with every Select Publishing Package purchase. (10 Bonus copies plus 5 included with the package.) --- 10JULBOOK

Getty Images Helping Authors And Book Publishers With Book Images

2008-07-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

I know how it feels trying to find just the right image to compliment your thoughts, trying to find just the right illustration to convey how you feel... that one picture that speaks a thousand words to better emphasize your theme and help you tell your story. It is very difficult to find the right picture to compliment your words in just the way you want it.

So here comes Getty Images. They just opened a Book Zone that has tailored offerings for book publishers, including images, footage, music and more.

They have a specialized book team to help with everything from image searches to licensing with galleries across a broad range of book-publishing themes as well.

I think it's a very timely service, having the kind of database that they have. Getty Images though is a tad high-end so depending on your budget you should consider your options carefully

Xlibris New Book Marketing Service Product - All About Search Marketing

2008-06-24T05:38:00.000-07:00

Apparently Xlibris can win over Google with their new marketing services product for your book. Xlibris places ads on search results pages (SERPs) of Google for specific keywords that are related to your book.

The motive here is to drive visitors and would-be book buyers to your website or the bookstore that sells your book. The requirement here would be that you will need an online purchase location for your book. If you don't have one then this product will be rather useless to you.

Xlibris did not mention how much the product cost in their email - which must mean this might be expensive.

iUniverese's Publishing Promotion

2008-06-22T06:32:00.000-07:00

Promotion Description:

Save $150 off the regular price of a Premier Pro Publishing Package and get 15 extra FREE paperback books. ($1,299 NOW ONLY $1,149)

Code: JUNPRO150

Save $100 off the regular price of a Premier Publishing Package ($899 NOW ONLY $799)

Code: JUNPRE100

Save $50 off the regular price of a Select Publishing Package. ($599 NOW ONLY $549)

Code:JUNSEL50

Amazon Bullying The Publishing Market?

2008-06-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

There have been news that Amazon is taking out the icon "buy now with 1 click" for several publishers. How important is this one button? Here's an explanation from the International Herald Tribune:

The button allows registered users to purchase titles instantly, with free shipping. Customers can still buy the affected books, but they have to navigate to an open marketplace that links them to third-party sellers of new or used books. And they have to pay for shipping.

Just recently it has disabled this button for British Web site with hundreds of books published by Hachette Livre UK, from back-list Stephen King novels to, naturally, "The Hachette Guide to French Wine."

According to Hachette's CEO Tim Hely Hutchinson, Amazon - one of the biggest online retailers, he said, was demanding a bigger slice of the "cake." Publishers traditionally sell books to retailers at a discount off the recommended retail price, but Amazon was demanding more than its existing 50 percent.

"Amazon seems each year to go from one publisher to another making increasing demands in order to achieve richer terms at our expense and sometimes at yours," Hutchinson said in the letter. "If this continued, it would not be long before Amazon got virtually all of the revenue that is presently shared between author, publisher, retailer, printer and other parties."

For now, the dispute remains unresolved. So the buy buttons are missing from older titles like "Labyrinth" by Kate Mosse or "Duma Key," by Stephen King, who still managed to get favored treatment for titles in his "Dark Tower" series. Many of Hachette's titles have also been dropped from Amazon promotions suggesting additional titles for customers in their favorite genres.

The dispute with Hachette is not the first in which Amazon has resorted to removing the "buy now" buttons for certain books. In the spring it started disabling the icons for some small publishers in the United States who resisted Amazon's demand that they use an Amazon-owned company, BookSurge, for print-on-demand services. Amazon is the dominant seller of such titles.

I used to admire Amazon a lot, specially the business model that Jeffrey Bezos put together. How they were consumer centric and user friendly. But now it seems it's all about the money.... tsk tsk tsk

Christopher Ciccone, Spills On Madonna In His Tell-All Memoir, "Life With My Sister"

2008-06-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

I believe in every endeavor, it is to your advantage to have an edge versus your competitors. I think Christopher Ciccone found that edge by using his sister - world's one and only Madonna, not only is she an actress, she's a singer, fashion icon - she's THE celebrity. It's unfortunate that he's about to tell the world what she's really like. It would have been nice to retain that same image of Madonna, specially at this stage of her career.

I think Madonna will weather a character attack, should that be present in Christopher Ciccone's book, "Life with my sister."

The publishing house, Simon & Schuster, has ordered a monster first printing of 350,000 copies of Life With My Sister, set to hit shelves July 15.

It will sell a lot I'm sure. Madonna advocates will want to see what he has to say and Madonna critics will be excited to learn about the dirty little secrets it may have against Madonna.

Xlibris Launches New Website With New Features

2008-06-08T07:05:00.001-07:00

Well if you haven't seen it yet, try checking out Xlibris' new website. It has some cool new features that you may enjoy.

Change font size feature - you can increase the main text fonts so that they become bigger or smaller depending on your taste
Easier access to their bookstore. You can click through to search their bookstore. Their bookstore isn't new though.
They had their "look inside an Xlibris book" before, but I still say it's a cool thing to have - the flipping book thing
An author's center that has lists of events, author resources as well as freelance experts that can help with publishing

I haven't gone through the whole site intensively, but if you find something else that's interesting, let me know.

iUniverse Publishing Promotion - Cash Discounts

2008-06-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

iUniverse is taking a Daddy's deal offer this month to celebrate Father's day on June 15th - although their offer ends on June 17.

Promotion Description:

Save $200 off the regular price of a Premier Pro Publishing Package. ($1,299 NOW ONLY $1,099) Code: 200JUN
Save $150 off the regular price of a Premier Publishing Package ($899 NOW ONLY $749) Code: 150JUN
Save $100 off the regular price of a Select Publishing Package. ($599 NOW ONLY $499) Code: 100JUN

J.K. Rowling Speaks At Hogswart er Harvard

2008-06-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

Harvard felt much like Hogwarts when their commencement exercise had none other than J.K. Rowling as main speaker.

It's weird when certain personalities are asked to speak in events like that. Harvard most of all has the most extravagant taste in celebrities, everyone from Paris Hilton to J.K. Rowling I suppose have guested there.

Nevertheless, even non-Harry Potter fans appreciated J.K. Rowling's message during the said affair, most of which devoted to the power of imagination, specifically the human ability to put oneself in another’s place. The author discussed her stint working for Amnesty International and how the letters sent to the office taught her about the horrors many suffered in distant places. Rowling then encouraged the graduates to use their intelligence and privilege to better the world.

Unorthodox Book Marketing, Tung Desem Waringin To Throw Away 100 Million Rupiah To Market Book

2008-05-31T22:59:00.000-07:00

Some guy will throw away more than ten thousand US dollars out of an airplane this Sunday as his way of promoting his new book. I'm all for it, giving away free stuff is always a good way to promote yourself. Take a look at politicians!

Tung Desem Waringin, author and motivational speaker will be throwing 100 million rupiah ($10,740) from an airplane on Sunday as part of a marketing ploy for his second book according to a Reuters article.

A spokesman for the organizers, Diki Sidik, said Jakarta police had refused to issue a permit for the event but Tung would go ahead with the plan outside the capital.

"Rather than spend a lot of money for unsuccessful marketing, better give the money to the people," Sidik said.

The first time around, apparently this author rode around in a horse. It was said that he sold 10,091 books that day in Indonesia with the amount of publicity he got, he also reached out to companies. That's one aggressive guy. Most people just pay someone else to do their book marketing. Looks like he went the extra mile

Xlibris Book Pubilshing Promotion - Memorial Day Special, Up To 250 Free Books

2008-05-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

Xlibris has opted for a more somber look to commemorate Memorial Day. The Xlibris Memorial Day offer ends on May 23rd. They're giving away up to 250 free books and $13,000 in savings with a second book (I think that means it's free - the second book is free I guess)

There's also a special offer if you've only got 1 book to publish, and that's a 25% discount off the publishing package for that one book

iUniverse Publishing Promotion - Up To 60 Free Books

2008-05-17T18:10:00.001-07:00

With a spring motif, iUniverse is offering free paperback books when you publish

Promotion Description:	Code:*
Receive 60 FREE paperbacks with every Premier Pro Publishing Package purchase. (40 Bonus copies plus 20 included with the package.)	40MAY
Receive 40 FREE paperbacks with every Premier Publishing Package purchase. (30 Bonus copies plus 10 included with the package.)	30MAY
Receive 25 FREE paperbacks with every Select Publishing Package purchase. (20 Bonus copies plus 5 included with the package.)	20MAY

Taking Inspiration From Best-Selling French Author - Marc Levy's Humble Beginnings

2008-05-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Taking inspiration from the story of self-exiled French author Marc Levy, who has sold 15 million copies in 39 languages.

Marc Levy started out as a businessman, but with the birth of a son in 1989, he composed little stories for the boy until the child decided, at age nine, "television is better".

"I missed the writing," he said, so started a manuscript called "If Only It Were True".

His sister persuaded him to submit it to Laffont which replied in less than eight days. And "we are at three, four million copies today," said Levy.

In what sounds like a concession to his critics, he says "it was the best-selling book in 2000, but it was not the best. I was lucky. I was there at the right time, with the right story, in the right place."

In 2005, Spielberg's DreamWorks spotted the novel and transformed it into a US box office hit, the romantic comedy "Just Like Heaven".

Although still abhorred by French critics for his "commercial" work and love for Britons, he has remained one of the most popular authors in France.

Now if only some of us could be as lucky.

From Agence France Presse via ABS-CBN News

FREE Comic Book Day This Saturday In Dallas!

2008-05-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

Each year, every major publisher puts out one or two issues specifically to be given away in comic book shops. This year's Free Comic Book Day will be Saturday, join the fun in the fourth annual Comics and Pop-Culture Expo, which is being held at Craddock Park near Zeus Toys & Comics on Lemmon Avenue, Dallas.

The Comics and Pop-Culture Expo will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Zeus Toys & Comics, 4411 Lemmon Ave., and at Craddock Park, just north of Zeus on Lemmon. Free. Guests include Wonder Woman writer Gail Simone, Marvel Zombies writer Robert Kirkman, World War Hulk writer Greg Pak and Wolverine: Origins writer Daniel Way. Info at www.CapeDay.com.

via Dallas News

Authorhouse Publishing Promotion - Dollar Savings and Free Books

2008-05-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

Authorhouse also joined the publishing promotion escapade with their own dollar savings and free books special this month. They don't have a theme going on but they're pushing online book submissions it seems.

Xlibris Publishing Promotion - Publish 2 Book For The Price Of One

2008-05-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

Well Xlibris also has the whole Mother's Day thing going on. Their offer is their 2 for 1 special where you get 2 publishing packages but have to pay for only 1 of them. As a mother's day special they're also giving away free books

Poetry, Basic or Professional – additional 5 FREE BOOKS
Custom or Premium – additional 10 FREE BOOKS
Executive or Platinum – additional 25 FREE BOOKS

iUniverse Publishing Promotion - Dollar Savings To Make Mom Proud?

2008-05-02T05:33:00.000-07:00

iUniverse is taking the Mother's Day theme with their promotion this May. I don't really understand how the dollar savings will make mom proud. The book being published might though

Promotion Description:	Code:*
Save $200 off the regular price of a Premier Pro Publishing Package. ~~$1,299~~ NOW ONLY $1,099	200MAYPRO
Save $150 off the regular price price of a Premier Publishing Package. ~~$899~~ NOW ONLY $749	150MAYPRE
Save $100 off the regular price of a Select Publishing Package. ~~$599~~ NOW ONLY $499	100MAYSEL

The State Of Self Publishing Books And Some Major Players

2008-04-27T06:54:00.001-07:00

In an attempt to outline the growth of book self publishing in the United States, I found this article by Rachel Donadio entitled "You're An Author? Me Too!" It cites some stats on book publishing in the United States as well as some information on the leading self publishing companies like iUniverse and Xlibris.

Here's what she had to say on the state of book publishing:

In 2007, a whopping 400,000 books were published or distributed in the United States, up from 300,000 in 2006, according to the industry tracker Bowker, which attributed the sharp rise to the number of print-on-demand books and reprints of out-of-print titles. University writing programs are thriving, while writers’ conferences abound, offering aspiring authors a chance to network and “workshop” their work. The blog tracker Technorati estimates that 175,000 new blogs are created worldwide each day (with a lucky few bloggers getting book deals). And the same N.E.A. study found that 7 percent of adults polled, or 15 million people, did creative writing, mostly “for personal fulfillment.”

And here are some honest to goodness stats on iUniverse. It doesn't sound so nice seeing that an average author from iUniverse doesn't sell anything above 200 copies of his/her book:

IUniverse, a self-publishing company founded in 1999, has grown 30 percent a year in recent years; it now produces 500 titles a month and has 36,000 titles in print, said Susan Driscoll, a vice president of its parent company, Author Solutions. While some are “calling card” books that specialists sell at conferences and workshops, most are by ordinary people who want to get their work in print. The writers tend to be on both ends of the age spectrum. “As people get older, they have more time and more money and something to say,” Driscoll said, while their grandchildren are often driven by “that need for fame,” she said. “They may not be avid readers, but they certainly are writers.” Not that anyone is necessarily paying attention. Driscoll said that most writers using iUniverse sell fewer than 200 books.

Also she had some information from Xlibris, another self publishing company that highlights more promising sales for potential authors

Xlibris, a print-on-demand operation, has 20,000 titles in print, by more than 18,000 authors, said Noel Flowers, a company spokesman. It is “nonselective” in choosing manuscripts, he said, though it does screen “for any offensive or inappropriate content.” Xlibris’s top sellers include “Demonstrating to Win!,” a computer manual (15,600 sold, not including copies bought by the author), and “The Morning Comes and Also the Night,” which the company lists in the “religion/Bible/prophecies” category (10,500 sold).

The article continues to outline self publishing companies, their alliances and their costs but she ends her article with a note on how so many of these books are cluttering the reading atmosphere with noise rather than music.

Although I do think it's possible that all these books may be making it much more accessible for ordinary people to get published, let's not discount the opportunity to find the gems in the mines. That is why we mine right? To find the gems?

Authorhouse Responds To Amazon/ Booksurge Monopoly

2008-04-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

Kevin Weiss, the CEO of Author Solutions that owns both Authorhouse and iUniverse just issued a statement that apparently shows their position on what he calls the Amazon/ Booksurge "situation." Even from the start there you'd notice that there is a lot of ambiguity going on.

The statement continues to say that basically nothing has changed and that everyone has seemed to have remained in the "status quo" just saying that they'll improve their services and systems to make lives better for authors.

The only clear stand I saw in the whole piece was this.

We do not anticipate any change to the current availability of our titles on Amazon, either in the short or long term. If there are any changes that we think will have an impact on you – either positive or negative – we will let you know directly.

Which means, nothing will change on their end and if something will - we'll let you know as soon as it does. Basically I guess no one knows. Is Amazon/ Booksurge bluffing? Or will it pull through and eventually take down all nonBooksurge self-published books from its shelf?

How Does Google Book Search Get All Those Old Books Digitized Into Their System?

2008-04-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

Well even when it comes to the world's #1 Brand and possibly the most amazing and most advanced technological company, Google does some manual labor. Apparently the digital versions of some of the oldest most fragile books are digitally scanned - 600 pages a day and loaded up to Google Book Search. These books are scanned as two overhead cameras photograph the pages, but that means someone has to turn page after page and click. After which each digitized book goes through optical character recognition processing, which makes the text searchable.

Google, the Internet's leader in search and advertising, says the process it developed and is using for scanning the majority of the books in Book Search is proprietary.

Through Book Search, users can track down a book on any topic they're interested in and read a small portion. If the book's not protected by copyright, users can download the whole thing. If it is, or if they just want to read an original, they can use Book Search to find copies to buy or borrow.

Book Search has the support of many publishers, authors and librarians, including Cambridge University Press and Wisdom Publications. But some publishers and authors have sued, claiming the service violates their copyrights. Google says Book Search is aboveboard because Web surfers can retrieve only snippets of copyright material through the service.

Details care of AP

Even Miley Cyrus a.k.a. Hannah Montana Will Publish A Book!

2008-04-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

The New York Times just reported that Miley Cyrus, the 15-year-old star of the Disney Channel series “Hannah Montana,” has agreed to write a book about her early life in Tennessee, her move to Los Angeles and the influence of her parents — especially her mother — on her success. In a seven-figure deal, Disney Book Group acquired the rights to Ms. Cyrus’s book, to be published by the Disney-Hyperion Books imprint in spring 2009, when the Hannah Montana movie is also scheduled for release.

Jeanne Mosure, global publisher of Disney Book Group, said the company had already sold 15 million copies of some 60 Hannah Montana-branded titles worldwide, including novelizations and gift books about the show. She said the new book would have an initial print run of one million copies. “It’s rare that you hear from someone her age that they want to talk about their family,” Ms. Mosure said. “How she sees her family in light of everything that she’s exposed to on a daily basis is pretty incredible.”

Xulon Press Publishing Promotion

2008-04-22T04:03:00.000-07:00

This month Xulon Press is offering you $1,000 OFF our regular price to get published. What's nice about Xulon Press is that they have this cool video on their homepage that explains what they do for you. It's weird though because their prices start at $999 but their discount is $1000 so the book publishing packages must be a whole lot more expensive than normal

National Poetry Month! Happy Poetry Writing!

2008-04-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

Here's some info on National Poetry Month from Poets.org

What is National Poetry Month?

National Poetry Month was established by the Academy of American Poets as a month-long, national celebration of poetry. The concept was to increase the attention paid-by individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our poetic heritage, and to poetry books and magazines. In the end, we hoped to achieve an increase in the visibility, presence, and accessibility of poetry in our culture. National Poetry Month has been successful beyond all anticipation and has grown over the years into the largest literary celebration in the world.

Who started it?

The Academy of American Poets has led this initiative from its inception in 1996 and along the way has enlisted a variety of government agencies and officials, educational leaders, publishers, sponsors, poets, and arts organizations to help.

When is National Poetry Month?

April. Every year since 1996.

Why was April chosen for National Poetry Month?

With input from booksellers, librarians, poets, and teachers, the Academy chose a month during the school year so that schools and students could participate fully. February is Black History Month and March is Women's History Month, so April seemed a logical choice. Also, there are many wonderful poetic references to April:

T. S. Eliot wrote, "April is the cruelest month." It is our hope that National Poetry Month lessens that effect.

On a lighter note, Chaucer wrote:

Whan that April with his showres soote

The droughte of March hath perced to the roote,

And bathed every veine in swich licour,

Of which vertu engendred is the flowr

Finally, Edna St. Vincent Millay asked, "To what purpose, April, do you return again?" For National Poetry Month, of course

Xlibris Publishing Promotion - Free Books

2008-04-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

With Xlibris this month, they're giving away free books on top of their free upgrade offer

Poetry, Basic or Professional – additional 5 FREE BOOKS

Custom – additional 10 FREE BOOKS

Premium – additional 15 FREE BOOKS

Executive or Platinum – additional 25 FREE BOOKS

Free upsize of your publishing package, additional copies of your book, a special bonus if you’re ready to submit this month, double your exhibition marketing, Kirkus New Edition packages and deep author discounts all available this April.

J.K. Rowling Vs. Vander Ark - The Fight For Harry Potter Lexicon. To Publish Or Not To Publish?

2008-04-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

It looks like the new Rowling case is a fan's passion carried too far. I do believe the the HP Lexicon site just wants to expound on the work of J.K. Rowling and in effect "be part" of the Harry Potter world, but J.K. Rowling does have a point about trying to stop it.

J.K. Rowling wants to be the supreme authority on Harry Potter as should be because she is the book's author. We should probably give her that. I think it's more a matter of integrity now rather than a case of copyright.

In the Reuters article below, both sides are mentioned as saying their piece with regards to whether the book should or should not be published. I think it shouldn't. Vander Ark should just respect J.K. Rowling's work by letting her write it. If he truly does admire her work then he should respect it as well. Say no to the money man!

Author J.K. Rowling said on Wednesday publication of an unofficial
encyclopedic companion to her Harry Potter books would "open the floodgates" and
threaten other authors.

The British author and Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Time Warner Inc.,
are suing independent U.S. publisher RDR Books, which plans to publish "The
Harry Potter Lexicon," a 400-page reference book written by Steve Vander Ark
based on his fan Web site (www.hp-lexicon.org).
"This case is about an author's right to protect their creation," Rowling, 42, told a New York court. "If this book is allowed to be published the floodgates will open."

"Are we, or are we not, the owners of our own work?" said the author of
the seven Harry Potter books that have sold about 400 million copies. "It's not
just my work that is endangered."
Rowling, estimated by the Sunday Times to be worth about $1 billion, said she was outraged her work was considered fair game because it was so popular.

She has called Vander Ark's book "sloppy, lazy" work, unlike other Harry Potter companion books already published, which added original commentary
and criticism.

An emotional Vander Ark, 50, wearing spectacles similar to those worn
by Harry Potter, said on Tuesday his book was intended to help readers and
celebrate Rowling's work. He denied accusations of plagiarism.

A lawyer for RDR books said the book by Vander Ark, a librarian who has
spoken at Harry Potter conferences in several countries, would promote Rowling's
series and not hurt sales. Two literary experts testified for each side on
whether Vander Ark copied too much text, citing works on authors like C.S. Lewis
and James Joyce.

In closing arguments, Dale Cendali, a lawyer for Rowling and Warner,
said the lexicon reproduced "tremendous amounts of text" without attribution.
"There has been no testimony that it would add anything new or original," she
said. "The lexicon is filled with errors."

But Anthony Falzone, a lawyer for RDR, said Rowling could not suppress
a book just because she thought it was no good. "Copyright law does not permit
an author to suppress a book because she doesn't like it," he said.

U.S. District Judge Robert Patterson urged the sides to settle, saying
the case reflected an emerging part of copyright law with no clear precedents.
"I may need a reference guide to this case," he joked. He is expected to
take several weeks to reach a decision.

iUniverse Publishing Promotion - Free Books

2008-04-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Promotion Description:

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Authorhouse Publishing Promotion - $100 Off Plus Free Books

2008-04-13T03:35:00.000-07:00

Save an extra $100 and get up to 20 books before April 30!

Publish this month and save an extra $100 on select packages when you buy online, plus get up to 20 books with select premium publishing packages. Offer expires April 30, 2008. So even if you're putting the finishing touches on your manuscript, buy today to get your bonus savings.

A New Book Publishing Company - WEBook!

2008-04-13T03:28:00.000-07:00

In the ranks of Lulu and Wordplay come a new player into the book publishing market - Webook.com. They're encouraging an unconventional way to publishing books by allowing material to be shared.

I took this straight from their website - read for yourself what they're about

Let's face it: The traditional process for publishing a book is a lot like ivy-league school admission. Sooner or later, you'll find yourself brownnosing a guy with elbow patches. And then there's the endless waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

That is, until recently. What changed? Well, now there's WEbook, a ground-breaking online resource for aspiring authors, which lets you take charge of your own destiny. This avant-garde book publishing company applies an interactive approach to the process - in every sense of the word - by using the Internet as a platform to connect truly brilliant writers to print publication.

Think of us as a virtual studio lounge for writers, where self-professed literati like you can wax poetic about the finer points of writing and online book publishing, collaborate on project work, and provide valuable feedback to one another - all in real time through the power of the Internet. Best of all, if your contribution makes the cut, you won't have to spend a nickel to see your name in real, live print. Instead WEbook funds publication of the best books as printed books, eBooks, and other customized downloads. You and your collaborators share in royalties on book sales.

Library Of Congress Adapts Digital Technology!

2008-04-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

It's absolutely cool that even the Library of Congress has opted to adapt advancements in digital technology. In an age when people think technology will make books obsolete, it's nice to see them complimenting each other for a change.

The Library of Congress will launch an entirely new visitor experience. This innovative and educational experience will invite the public to explore the institution’s vast collections like never before. New interactive galleries will offer access to rare and unique items, including the rough draft of The Declaration of Independence, the Gutenberg Bible, the Waldseemüller map and volumes from Thomas Jefferson’s original library. To learn more, visit the New Library of Congress Experience Web site.

This Library of Congress Experience will offer “hands-on” interaction with rare cultural treasures in ways that inspire and engage.

Artifacts like the Waldseemüller map (the first to include the name “America”), the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, the Gutenberg Bible and original volumes from Thomas Jefferson’s Library will be virtually at your fingertips. You’ll be able to flip through their pages, magnify sections of interest and access commentary from the Library’s top experts-all on the same touch screen.

Xlibris Publishing Promotion: Upgrade Your Book Publishing Package Free

2008-04-06T05:06:00.001-07:00

Bigger is better, and it doesn’t get much better than a free upsize on your publishing package. Go big this April, get more for your publishing dollar and give your book the upgrade it deserves.

Here are the details of Xlibris' Free Upgrade To The Next Service Level

Advantage - Streamlined and practical. Perfect for books with simple design requirements
$299 (special offer does not apply)

Poetry Publishing - Full customization options perfect for poetry
$799 (special offer does not apply)

Basic - An economical service with multiple design options
save $50 and publish for only $449 OR Save $400 with a free upgrade to the Professional Package, ONLY $499

Professional - Interior customization and graphics with hardback availability
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Custom - Have total control over complex design and text formatting
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Premium - A full-service package with an extensive marketing campaign
Save $3,000 with a free upgrade to the Executive Package, ONLY $2,999

Executive - VIP service, full customization and up to 125 books
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Save $2,000 and become a Platinum author for ONLY $10,999

*Please note that additional books are not included in the free service upgrade

iUniverse Publishing Promotion - Up To 60 Free Books

2008-04-06T05:04:00.001-07:00

iUniverse Promotion Description:

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Code:* APRPRO

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Code:*APRSEL

A message from Angela Hoy of Writers Weekly To Amazon's Threat To POD publishers and the Booksurge "monopoly"

2008-03-30T01:31:00.000-07:00

A message from Angela Hoy of Writers Weekly To Amazon's Threat To POD publishers and the Booksurge "monopoly"

Some Print on Demand (POD) publishers are privately screaming "Monopoly!" while others are seething with rage over startling phone conversations they're having with Amazon/BookSurge representatives. Why isn't anybody talking about it openly? Because they're afraid - very, very afraid.

Amazon.com purchased BookSurge, a small POD publisher/printer back in 2005. Amazon also lists and sells titles for the largest POD printer, Lightning Source, which is owned by Ingram (the large book distributor). According to their website, Lightning Source serves more than 4,300 publisher clients and has more than 400,000 titles in their system.

You'd think Amazon's purchase of BookSurge might have made things a bit uncomfortable between the two companies. However, they continued to work together, getting books on demand to Amazon.com's loyal customers. Things appeared to be cruising along just fine, but perhaps not anymore.

Reports have been trickling in from the POD underground that Amazon/BookSurge representatives have been approaching some Lightning Source customers, first by email introduction and then by phone (nobody at BookSurge seems to want to put anything in writing). When Lightning Source customers speak with the BookSurge representative, the reports say, they are basically told they can either have BookSurge start printing their books or the "buy" button on their Amazon.com book pages will be "turned off."

The book information would remain on Amazon, and people could still order the book from resellers (companies that list new and used books in Amazon's Marketplace section), but customers would not be able to buy the book from Amazon directly, nor qualify for the coveted "free shipping" that Amazon offers.

Don't believe it? I didn't believe it either. I am Angela Hoy, the co-owner of POD services company BookLocker.com and publisher of WritersWeekly.com. I am well-known in the industry for my activism performed through WritersWeekly Whispers and Warnings. Over the years, we have helped writers recover tens of thousands of dollars in fees from deadbeat editors and publishers, helped them negotiate better contract terms, assisted writers in obtaining payment after their copyrights have been violated, and even assisted police in collecting evidence to prosecute criminals who have preyed on writers. I am also the author of 11 non-fiction books.

Still doubting the reports could really be true, I emailed an Amazon/BookSurge representative who's been trying to get us to talk to him by phone. John Clifford of Amazon/BookSurge called me at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, 2008.

My first comment was to tell him we heard a rumor that POD publishers who didn't use BookSurge would have the "buy" button on their Amazon.com book pages turned off.

He said, "What? Who told you that? That's not true!"

I told him I'd heard some rumors from the "POD underground."

He said he'd previously tried to talk to my husband, Richard Hoy, the President and CEO of BookLocker. I explained that we had a very bad experience with BookSurge in the past and that he was, naturally, hesitant to do business with them again. (Google the words BookSurge complaint without any quotes to see other customers' comments about them as well.)

He claimed the people who worked for BookSurge back then are probably all gone (but that didn't explain the more recent complaints). He made his sales pitch, talking about percentages and such, and said many POD publishers are resisting their attempts to convert to BookSurge. Mr. Clifford also said BookSurge's aim was to help Amazon customers get their books faster.

What he didn't say was that Lightning Source not only packages books for Amazon customers in boxes that feature an Amazon.com return address label, but also drop-ships those orders directly to Amazon customers at Amazon's request. Hmm...

He stated several times that books not converted to BookSurge's system would be "taken down." Since that wasn't exactly what we'd heard, I asked about books that perhaps weren't selling well, that aren't good candidates for converting to BookSurge (books that would remain for sale through Lightning Source, but would never be converted to BookSurge due to the time/expense involved).

Contrary to what he stated at the very beginning of our conversation, Mr. Clifford finally admitted that books not converted to BookSurge would have the "buy" button turned off on Amazon.com, just as we'd heard from several other POD publishers who had similar conversations with Amazon/BookSurge representatives.

Mr. Clifford said authors of those books could participate in the Amazon.com Advantage Program, meaning they would have to pay Amazon $29.95 per year PLUS 55% of the list price of their book, as well as buy and then send those books to Amazon directly for them to warehouse and ship to customers.

I explained to him that we had more than 1500 books in print and that it would take quite awhile to convert all of those over to BookSurge's system. He said as long as the relationship was "moving forward" that the "buy" button would remain active on our authors' books that had not yet been switched.

Another comment Mr. Clifford made was that their eventual desire is to have no books from other POD publishers available on Amazon.com.

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?!

I have to wonder if Jeff Bezos is even aware of what is going on within his organization. Here is Amazon's Vision Statement, taken directly from their website:

"Our vision is to be earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online."

What it doesn't say is, "Our customers can buy any print on demand book they might want online...as long as we also get paid to print it."

Nobody likes being backed into a corner, and saying "do this or else" naturally breeds angry rejection and hostility. If we did agree to sign the contract, pulling and transferring files to Amazon/Booksurge would take an enormous amount of time and money. From the POD publishers we've talked to, and from our own experience at BookLocker, we could all be looking at a dire and immediate threat of revenue cuts if we refuse to sign the Amazon/BookSurge contract. Most importantly, there could be an outcry from and potential financial hardship on the authors, who are completely innocent in all of this.

In BookLocker's opinion, and the opinion of all the fellow Lightning Source customers we talked to, the Amazon/BookSurge proposal does not appear attractive at all (yes, we obtained the contract and the file submission specifications). Amazon/BookSurge would make money two ways on Amazon.com sales - first the fee for printing the books, and then 48% of the list price of each sale through Amazon.com. Lightning Source allows its customers to set their own discount rate for Amazon and other retail sales, and does not force POD publishers or authors to pay "48%."

Furthermore, it could take the larger POD publishers months to submit their book files to Amazon/BookSurge, at a considerable cost and number of man-hours. This makes the deal even less attractive. Finally, while the initial list of books submitted by POD publishers could be submitted to Amazon/BookSurge for free, the contract states future books would cost $50 each to process. The cost for individual authors to publish through BookSurge is considerably more, with an average publishing package cost of more than $1,000.

Since Amazon/BookSurge does not offer Ingram distribution (Ingram distribution is considered imperative in the industry for bookstore sales), any company that accepts the Amazon/BookSurge deal, who desires to keep offering Ingram distribution, may need to maintain two copies of the book files. Since the Amazon/BookSurge current specs don't match the Lightning Source specs, future book files, both interior and cover, may need to be formatted separately. So, they would have to pay double the setup fees and might have to do double the formatting work as well...or pay designers to do double the formatting work.

Likewise, self-published authors who believe they must have Ingram Distribution AND an active "buy" button on Amazon to be successful may need to pay double the setup fees (to a POD publisher AND Amazon/BookSurge), and also may need to create two separate sets of formatted files.

In the event where two versions of a book might be available, Mr. Clifford said the Amazon/BookSurge version of the POD book would trump (override) the version offered by Lightning Source on Amazon.com.

AMAZON WAS BUILT BY BOOKS....That Were Written By AUTHORS

When authors get wind of this, we believe they are going to be livid. Authors are also readers. They love books. We suspect they buy from Amazon in droves. I, myself, have been an Amazon junkie for years, not only heavily promoting Amazon.com in my non-fiction books for writers and on our very popular website, WritersWeekly.com, but also listing my own books for sale there, ordering other authors' books, DVDs and numerous other products as well. I pulled up our Amazon customer account and looked at our receipts. We've spent $1508.81 at Amazon.com in the past six months. Multiply that by the number of authors this will affect...authors who, like me, have a multitude of websites to choose from when doing their shopping online.

In addition, authors participate in the Amazon experience, via blogs on the website, by posting reviews about other books, and more, activities that help to continually make Amazon bigger and better. Authors are a loyal bunch! For years, they've been faithfully sending their readers to Amazon.com, again and again, even when they earned lower royalties for doing so.

It's not inconceivable to think that this group, if shoved against a wall like this, won't simply pledge their allegiance elsewhere. Let's face it, BarnesandNoble.com offers free shipping on orders of $25 or more, too. Authors can change the links to their book pages on their websites, in their ezines and press releases, and even in their email signatures to their book's page at BarnesandNoble.com. Authors can spend their own money elsewhere as well (as I plan to do). I imagine BarnesandNoble.com will be very happy to process the extra book sales that could result from all of this.

Amazon.com might also upset countless companies that have Amazon Affiliate bookstores on their websites (many authors have these, too!). If Amazon/BookSurge were to follow through with turning off the "buy" buttons for thousands of POD titles, customers following those links from other websites could be confused and annoyed. After clicking on a link, they would find no easy way to purchase the book directly from Amazon, and no way to obtain free shipping on that book, even if they're willing to buy more products to meet the $25 free shipping threshold. One would think Amazon must know the free shipping strategy works to upsell customers on additional products. That's why they offer it. Without it, these customers could have no incentive to buy more products because the product they surfed in to buy does not qualify.

One has to wonder if traditional publishers will be next? Will Amazon eventually require all books sold through Amazon.com to be printed by BookSurge?

Let's all hope and pray this situation is one huge, misguided idea from some mid-level management person and not corporate policy being dictated from the office of Jeff Bezos.

And that's a very disgruntled Angela Hoy on the Amazon issue... I found no release though that responds to these complaints from the Amazon/ Booksurge side

Shocking News For Self Published Authors -- Amazon will NO LONGER sell POD books unless from Booksurge

2008-03-30T01:17:00.001-07:00

Amazon has announced that it will only sell print-on-demand books printed by its own print-on-demand service BookSurge according to recent news from TechCrunch

The print-on-demand book business has thrived in the last few years as players such as Lulu, Blurb and others have catered to publishers looking to reduce overhead on inventory. It will be very difficult for anyone to compete with Amazon in the print-on-demand space.

The decision may also cause book prices to rise with the Wall Street Journal reporting that Amazon BookSurge prices are higher than other print-on-demand providers.

This is confirmed by a Wall Street Journal Article as well...

Amazon.com Inc., flexing its muscles as a major book retailer, notified publishers who print books on demand that they will have to use its on-demand printing facilities if they want their books directly sold on Amazon's Web site.

The move signals that Amazon is intent on using its position as the premier online bookseller to strengthen its presence in other phases of bookselling and manufacturing. Amazon is one of the biggest booksellers in the U.S., with a market share publishing experts estimate to be about 15%. Amazon doesn't comment on sales.

I wonder how other print on demand outfits like iUniverse and Xlibris will respond this news? I personally had to try this for myself and so searched for the book "My Road To Microsoft," an Xlibris book I love, and still found it there. Although it is true that there is no longer a "Buy" button it can still be added to a cart and be bought just like any other product.

Not sure if this should be a big deal... but yet again... I'm not a self publisher

Image from tridentconfidential.com

Danielle Steel Pens Children's book - The Happiest Hippo in the World

2008-03-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how you would do if you wrote about something other than the genre you were used to? Well Danielle Steel seems to be wondering the same thing

HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Danielle Steel's The Happiest Hippo in the World. The world-famous romance novelist, who has penned 88 adult titles, is not a complete stranger to the genre, having published the Max and Martha picture books with Delacorte in 1989. The new title with Harper, about a baby hippo that's green instead of the standard gray, is slated to hit shelves in fall 2009. The book will be illustrated by Margaret Spengler. Kate Jackson, senior v-p, associate publisher and editor-in-chief of HarperCollins Children's Books, brokered the deal with Kate Schafer of Janklow & Nesbit.

via Publisher's Weekly

Xlibris' Premium Extra Publishing With Kirkus Discoveries, Exhibit Marketing & SYOP

2008-03-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

Premium Extra Publishing With Kirkus Discoveries, Exhibit Marketing & SYOP

No need to hunt down the best deal this Easter. You can get the most out of your publishing experience right here at Xlibris with the exclusive Premium Extra Publishing Package.

All the great benefits of the Premium package plus free Kirkus Discoveries Review Service, Exhibit Marketing and the Set Your Own Price program. Absolutely unbeatable savings, but only until March 31, so hop to it and start your publishing journey today.

For just $2,999, you get the most comprehensive set of tools available for Black & White Book Publishing:

* 20 paperback & 5 hardback copies of your book
* Fully customized book cover and interior
* Registration with: Amazon.com, Borders.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Ingram, Books in Print, and more than 200 online stores
* U.S. Copyright & Library of Congress Registration
* ISBN Numbers and UPC barcode
* Data Entry service
* Copyediting & Indexing service
* CD Archive
* Personalized Website with Domain – Starter Design
* Book Review Campaign – Professional
* Press Release Campaign – 100 media outlets
* E-mail Marketing Campaign – 200,000 recipients
* 50 bookmarks, 50 business cards, 50 postcards & 5 posters

And as part of this Easter Exclusive you also get:

* Kirkus Discoveries Review Service
* Book Exhibition Marketing Show
* Set Your Own Price program

Call Xlibris today at 1-888-795-4274 or e-mail us at publishtoday@xlibris.com to take advantage of these unbeatable deals. Make sure you quote your Coupon Code: PREMEX.
This offer is only available until March 31, 2008

Message from Xlibris: Timing is Critical For a Successful Marketing Campaign

2008-03-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

Xlibris just sent me this quaint little message about how to make a successful marketing campaign for my book

Timing is Critical For a Successful Marketing Campaign

The difference between a successful book and one that is never heard of is often a professional, well thought out marketing plan. With more than 175,000 new titles published last year in the United States alone, it is incredibly difficult to capture the attention of the reading public. Without a concentrated and organized effort to create positive word-of-mouth, the chances of having a high-selling book are almost zero.

The essential elements of a successful marketing campaign are timing and focus. Spring has traditionally been a strong season for book sales, the time is right for you to focus your marketing efforts and breathe life into your campaign. Xlibris has launched six comprehensive Spring Marketing Packages (at a 50% discount for March) to coincide with the season and help you achieve your marketing goals.

Add a great assortment of printed marketing materials to help your promotional effort and save even more in March.

Call 1-888-795-4274, ask to speak with your personal marketing consultant, and let them help you decide which is the best marketing approach for you and your book.

Authorhouse Poetry Publishing Package

2008-03-19T18:18:00.001-07:00

Since we're in the topic of poetry publishing packages, I looked up several other poetry publishing packages as well. Here's the one from Authorhouse

Publishing Promotion: Xlibris Poetry Publishing Package

2008-03-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

Xlibris just launched a Poetry Publishing Package. Originally $799 but being sold at half price this month. These are available in Black and White and Full Color Poetry Publishing Package.

March Publishing Promotion: iUniverse Bracket Buster Bonanza

2008-03-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not exactly sure what iUniverse is doing with the basketball theme but here's their promotion for the 2nd half of March. These are dollar savings for each package

Save $200 off the regular price of a Premier Pro Publishing Package. $1,299

NOW ONLY $1,099 -- Code: PRO200MAR

Save $150 off the regular price of a Premier Publishing Package. $899

NOW ONLY $749 -- Code: PRE150MAR

Save $100 off the regular price of a Select Publishing Package. $599

NOW ONLY $499 -- Code: SEL100MAR

Join The Ranks Of Rudyard Kipling, Margaret Atwood and Stephen King in the SELF PUBLISHING Hall of Fame

2008-03-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

I read a book by John Kremer entitled 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. It was pretty darned thick and not necessarily the easy-read you would probably have after a long day of work, but it is quite insightful.

Well John Kremer is up to something new these days with his Self publihing Hall of Fame. Apparently if you self publish, you can be in on it too provided you have

big sales
significant rights sales
impact on society
growth as a publisher
an innovative marketing strategy
or a very good story....

According to the website

Self-publishing was at one point considered as bad as vanity publishing, but with so many self-published successes in the past few years, it is now possible to self-publish with respect. Publishers Weekly will now look at self-published books, something they would never have done five or ten years ago. “Gone are the days,” wrote former Publishers Weekly rights columnist Paul Nathan, “when self-publishing was virtually synonymous with self-defeating.”

And now with the advent of print-on-demand publishing, it's possible to self-publish at little cost. POD publishing or self-publishing are excellent ways to test the market for a book, establish that market, and even build the market to such an extent that an author can sell the reprint rights to a much larger publisher for a good advance. Indeed, many larger publishers now scour the shelves and the Internet for self-published and POD books that could fit their publishing program. Self-publishing has become respectable again.

You could stock a superb college library or an incredible bookstore just from the books written by the some of the authors who have chosen to self-publish: Margaret Atwood, L. Frank Baum, William Blake, Ken Blanchard, Robert Bly, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lord Byron, Willa Cather, Pat Conroy, Stephen Crane, e.e. cummings, W.E.B. DuBois, Alexander Dumas, T.S. Eliot, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Benjamin Franklin, Zane Grey, Thomas Hardy, E. Lynn Harris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, Robinson Jeffers, Spencer Johnson, Stephen King, Rudyard Kipling, Louis L'Amour, D.H. Lawrence, Rod McKuen, Marlo Morgan, John Muir, Anais Nin, Thomas Paine, Tom Peters, Edgar Allen Poe, Alexander Pope, Beatrix Potter, Ezra Pound, Marcel Proust, Irma Rombauer, Carl Sandburg, Robert Service, George Bernard Shaw, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Upton Sinclair, Gertrude Stein, William Strunk, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoi, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and Virginia Woolf.

Tip For Self Published Authors: How To Make The Most Of Your Book Publicity On Amazon.com

2008-03-07T04:56:00.000-08:00

Amazon.com may be the most powerful selling channel on the planet for self published authors. With the tag line "Earth's Biggest Selection," the site has become a platform for authors to connect directly with readers. Many of Amazon.com's features, which are designed to help readers find what they are looking for, can be utilized to drive readers to your book's detail page and result in a sale for you. Below are some of the features you can use to market and gain greater visibility for your book on Amazon.com. Get online and explore!

Customer Reviews

Located just below the editorial reviews on your book's detail page, customer reviews are almost always impartial opinions of other consumers who purchased your book and want to tell other shoppers what they thought. How can this help you sell more books? Encourage anyone who tells you how much he/she enjoyed your book to write a review on Amazon.com. As your positive reviews grow, so may your sales.

Search Inside the Book

With Amazon's Search Inside the Book feature, customers no longer have to visit their local bookstore to see the actual interior pages of a book.

How does it work? When customers search for books, the actual text of your book is searched to display the most relevant results, rather than simply the author, title and keywords. Customers can also browse sample pages and perform additional searches inside the book to confirm your book is exactly what they are looking for.

AmazonConnect

Communicate directly with your readers and potential readers through AmazonConnect: post messages that will appear on your readers' Amazon.com home pages and your book's detail page, provide stimulating content for potential buyers of your book, and build a reader community by establishing loyalty and direct one-on-one relationships with your readers.

Before you get started, you might want to check out the AmazonConnect Author Directory to browse through the list of registered authors.

Amazon Shorts

Receive additional ongoing income streams and grow your online audience by publishing short fiction and non-fiction through Amazon Shorts. Offering the widest range of digital short-form content, Shorts will help you reach new audiences,drive sales and create robust marketing opportunity and visibility on Amazon.com. As a self-published author, you can leverage your rights ownership and provide readers with a risk-free way of sampling your work and promoting your full length book titles. Visit www.amazon.com/shorts and learn more about the program.

Buy X, Get Y Advertising Program

Buy X, Get Y is a paid promotion that allows you to increase the visibility of your book by pairing it with a top-selling book (or other product) to offer shoppers added value for purchasing both items simultaneously. Promotions are featured in the "Best Value" section of each product's detail page for one month. The products, when purchased together, are offered at a 5% discount.

Rankings

Your book's sales ranking on Amazon.com can be a great selling tool to include in promotional materials. How do the rankings work? The calculation is based on Amazon.com sales and is updated each hour to reflect recent and historical sales of every item sold on the site. As your book's popularity grows, so will its reviews and ratings which, when favorable, will add to the marketability of your book.

Listmania!

Listmania! is a tool created by Amazon.com to help shoppers help one another find useful products, (or in our case, readers find books they may not have otherwise come across). The lists appear on the right side of the page when a keyword search is conducted and at the bottom of a product's detail page. The lists appear when they pertain to the keyword that was searched or contain the product currently in view.

Create a Listmania! list (and ask your friends, family and fans to also) featuring your book and other similar books and products - a great way to lead readers straight to your book! Visit Amazon.com to learn more about creating Listmania! lists.

So You'd Like to ... Guides

So You'd Like to ... Guides are similar to Listmania! lists. They are created by Amazon.com users to help other Amazon.com users find products they may not have otherwise come across. Just like Listmania!, you (and your friends, fans and family) may want to create a So You'd Like to... guide that features your book. It will increase the likelihood that people will come across your book while browsing on Amazon.com.

via Booksurge.com

Outskirts Press Publishing Promotion

2008-03-07T04:52:00.000-08:00

Here's another self publishing company I found. I don't think it's as big as either iUniverse/ Authorhouse or Xlibris, but it looks like it may be worth a shot. Here is their promotion for March.

Save up to $100 when you start publishing today

Valid Promotion Dates:

March 1 - 9, 2008

Valid Promotion Code:

PP10P-030908

Packages:
Normal package price: Save 10% today:	~~$999~~ $899	~~$599~~ $539	~~$399~~ $359	~~$199~~ $179	~~$999~~ $899

Enter the Promotion Code at the time of your secure online payment.

Their book publishing packages are named after gems, diamond being the most expensive and emerald being the cheapest.

Authorhouse Gets Into Publishing Packages Plus Publishing Promotions

2008-03-02T05:08:00.000-08:00

Authorhouse just figured out that maybe they have to go into the publishing package route. Maybe they followed their newly acquired partner iUniverse? Sharing tips must be an advantage these days. Here are their packages. They also have a queer publishing promotion that says

Save $100 on most Authorhouse packages

Not clear on that but... who knows right?

iUniverse Publishing Promotion

2008-03-02T05:05:00.001-08:00

iUniverse is giving away cash discounts AND Free books this month! Pick up the luck of the published for St. Patrick’s Day and GET REWARDED...TWICE when you publish your book at iUniverse today. By purchasing your publishing package before March 18, you’ll get double the rewards — a discounted price and more free books

Promotion Description:	Code:*
Save $150 off the regular price of a Premier Pro Publishing Package and get 15 extra FREE paperback books ~~$1,299~~ NOW ONLY $1,149	MARPRO150
Save $100 off the regular price of a Premier Publishing Package and get 10 extra FREE paperback books. ~~$899~~ NOW ONLY $799	MARPRE100
Save $50 off the regular price of a Select Publishing Package and get 5 extra FREE paperback books. ~~$599~~ NOW ONLY $549	MARSEL50

Xlibris Spring Publishing Promotion

2008-03-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

It looks like Xlibris is up bright and early for spring, with all the flowers on their website.

Spring into savings this March. Save 50% on your promotional campaign with the Spring Marketing Packages, and up to 30% off your publishing service beginning on March 3rd with the Incredible Disappearing Discount. That means you can publish and share your manuscript with the world for as little as $349. Every day you wait, the discount rate diminishes, so start your publishing journey today and get the most out of your Spring Savings Spree. Remember, the earlier you sign up, the more you save.

I posted a link to their publishing promotion because my brain cells are barely keeping up with the math that's involved just to get to the discount for the day. What happens if they payment gets delayed? Do I lose a point off the discount?

Keep Your Book Short. More People Will Read Them. Brief Books Are In Style

2008-03-02T04:07:00.000-08:00

Here;s a little advice for authors who are still in the process of writing their manuscripts... keep the book short and simple. According to this article from AP, Brief books are in style. Please read on and be inspired...

As he prepared a biography of Edgar Allan Poe, author Peter Ackroyd read through more than 20 volumes of Poe's work and filled two file cabinet drawers with notes — more information than the most devoted fan could absorb in a lifetime.

It was all for a book that will run less than 200 pages, that can be read within a few hours.

"It's like writing an essay, rather than a biography," says Ackroyd, who has written an 800-page book about London and 500 pages about Shakespeare. "It's an exercise, in style as much as in substance. It's an opportunity to capture the broad strokes of a life, a career, a world, in ways which are probably impossible in a large-scale biography."

It is a showcase for the art of brevity.

In the decade since James Atlas revived the form with his "Penguin Lives" series, at least 10 publishers have started their own lines of short, nonfiction books, on subjects ranging from scientists to presidents to mythology. Although the advances are low — and sales often to match — short books have attracted such best sellers and prize winners as novelists Jane Smiley and Larry McMurtry, essayists Christopher Hitchens and Bill Bryson, and historians Robert Dallek and Sean Wilentz.

"I like this trend. It's fine, old-fashioned self-improving middlebrow literature," says humorist P.J. O'Rourke, who wrote a brief work on Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" for Grove/Atlantic's "The Books That Changed the World" series.

The nonfiction sketch dates back at least to Plutarch and has been upheld over time by John Aubrey in the 17th century and Lytton Strachey in the early 20th century. But never, Atlas and others say, have so many publishers been in on the trend at the same time, even if opinions differ on why there is a trend.

"I imagine a highly educated, reading public, readers of The New York Review of Books, readers of The New Yorker, readers of The New York Times Book Review," says Atlas, who currently edits the Eminent Lives series at HarperCollins. "There is an audience I know empirically exists out there of several hundred thousand readers who have a dedication to the idea of being educated, in the highest sense."

"It's not a gigantic commitment to read one of those books," says Grove/Atlantic publisher Morgan Entrekin. "It's not like picking up `The Looming Tower' or `The Coldest Winter.' You can educate yourself about something in a short period of time."

Ackroyd has his own personal line with Doubleday: "Ackroyd's Lives," a planned 10-book series for which works on Chaucer, Sir Isaac Newton and J.M.W. Turner already have been written. The Canongate Myth Series, short books on mythology, expects contributions from Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, Donna Tartt and several others.

Graywolf Press has started "The Art of" series, edited by award-winning fiction writer Charles Baxter, who contributed a work on "The Art of Subtext." At Palgrave/MacMillan, former NATO commander Gen. Wesley Clark is overseeing a series of short military biographies, including books on Stonewall Jackson, Omar Bradley and Douglas MacArthur.

"They're written in a very direct style, for the general public, to make these stories more accessible," Clark says. "They're the kinds of books you can pick up at an airport and finish in 4-5 hours and if readers are really interested, they'll seek out longer, more scholarly books."

If the ideal reader is an educated self-improver, the ideal writer is versatile, prolific and provocative, such as Garry Wills, who has written short books on James Madison (for the Times Books series on American presidents), Saint Augustine (for Penguin Lives) and Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello (for National Geographic's "Directions" series).

Other favorite short-form authors include Francine Prose, who has written short works on Caravaggio (for HarperCollins' Eminent Lives) and gluttony (for an Oxford University Press series on the seven deadly sins); Paul Johnson, books on Napoleon and the Renaissance; and Karen Armstrong, works on Buddhism and Islam.

With advances of $100,000 at best, the art isn't only in writing the book, but in finding the writer. Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. urged Bill Clinton to write a short biography of Abraham Lincoln for Times Books, but could only promise prestige, not the former president's multimillion-dollar market price. Atlas recalls asking for Henry Kissinger on another project, only to be told his starting price was $2 million, "several zeros over my limit."

But sometimes a little pleading works. For Eminent Lives, Atlas tried to lure essayist, travel writer and linguist Bill Bryson to write a short book on Shakespeare. Bryson, author of such best sellers as "A Walk in the Woods" and "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid," ended up writing one that came out last year.

"We try to elicit enthusiasms," Atlas explains. "I sent out these missives to writers I admire, sometimes into the Internet ether and sometimes by actual post. I sent some letters to Bill Bryson and sort of forgot about it until a few months later I got this letter from him. There's one word, followed by a question mark: `Shakespeare?'"

Others persuaded have been Hitchens, for books on Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson, and playwright David Mamet, who completed a work on anti-Semitism and Jewish self-hatred for NextBook's "Jewish Encounters" series. Contributors to the Times Books presidential series include former Senators Gary Hart and George McGovern, and Dallek, author of best-selling biographies of President Kennedy and President Nixon.

"I like to vary the rhythm of my writing," says Dallek, whose short biography of Harry Truman comes out this fall.

"Having finished a huge, 700-page book on Nixon and Kissinger (`Nixon and Kissinger'), it was very appealing to do a 150-page book and get it done in a much shorter period of time. I wasn't relying as much on archival research. The Truman book is more of a kind of think piece, an expanded essay, a kind of commentary."

Jane Smiley, whose novels include "Horse Heaven" and the Pulitzer Prize-winning "A Thousand Acres," was approached years ago by Atlas to contribute a book to Penguin Lives. Smiley chose Charles Dickens, and, like Peter Ackroyd, read far more about her subject then she could ever put in a short biography.

"From my point of view, it's like writing an article for a magazine. There's not going to be any great profits; it's more on the order of, if they've got to have a series, who should be in it?" Smiley says.

"I love the idea of all these short books coming out, although like every bubble, it'll break. But the great thing about book bubbles is that we'll have the books. Even after the market crashes, the books will be around to read."

From AP via Yahoo News

Image from Notablebiographies.com

iUniverse Return Author Publishing Promotion

2008-02-26T21:58:00.000-08:00

iUniverse wants to encourage their authors to publish again with this "retunr-flight" offer. So when you purchase 2nd publishing package before March 8, you’ll save 20% off the regular price. It's kind of like that Xlibris promotion "publishing your 2nd book free."

Promotion Description: Save 20% off the regular price of a Premier Pro, Premier or Select Publishing Package.
Code: DSC20

Xlibris Launches A Book Exhibition Marketing Campaign

2008-02-24T03:35:00.000-08:00

A trade show can really help your sales by hitting the right target audience. Xlibris’ Book Exhibition Marketing service now gives you the power to do so - that's straight from their website.

With a choice of over 20 shows each year at which to display your book and unleash the full potential of your marketing campaign by establishing a physical presence. Their packages combine the book exhibit with the Press Release Service and a Newswire campaign.

The packages range from $999 to about $1800

It includes the following shows just in case some of you out there might be interested

Show Name	Show Date
American Library Association Midwinter	11 Jan -14 Jan 2008
American International Toy Fair	17 Feb -20 Feb 2008
Michigan Reading Association	15 Mar -17 Mar 2008
London Book Fair New Title Showcase	14 Apr -16 Apr 2008
Public Library Association	25 Mar -29 Mar 2008
Florida Library Association	23 Apr -24 Apr 2008
Texas Library Association	15 Apr -18 Apr 2008
Bookexpo America New Title Showcase	29 May - 01 Jun 2008
Connecticut Library Association	28 Apr -30 Apr 2008
New Jersey Library Association	29 Apr -30 Apr 2008
Pennsylvania School Library Association	01 May -03 May 2008
Beijing International Book Fair	03 Sep - 07 Sep 2008
Bookexpo Canada New Title Showcase	15 Jun -16 Jun 2008
American Library Association Annual	28 Jun - 01 Jul 2008
National Education Association	01 Jul -03 Jul 2008
Frankfurt International Book Fair	15 Oct -19 Oct 2008
Ohio Library Council	12 Sep -12 Sep 2008
Illinois Library Association	03 Oct - 05 Oct 2008
New England Library Association	19 Oct -21 Oct 2008
California Library Association	14 Nov -16 Nov 2008
New York Library Association	05 Nov -11 Nov 2008
Pennsylvania Library Association	10 Nov -11 Nov 2008

Visit the Xlibris website for more details about this book exhibition service

Be Inspired To Keep On Writing

2008-02-24T01:33:00.000-08:00

This Authorhouse article attempts to answer, "Where do you draw your inspiration from?"

What sparks your inspiration?

Since hiring a muse isn’t as affordable as it used to be, inspiration for your writing may need to come from other sources. Life’s daily experiences can be a great source for material, and will provide your story with an authentic feel. Intertwining real events into your fiction could make the perfect murder mystery, or maybe a news broadcast will inspire the content of your next chapter. You could also weave anecdotes from events in your life into your narrative. The key is being aware of the details around you, because ideas may come from anywhere at any time—always be armed with your notepad and pen.

What keeps you writing?

When you begin to feel like your ideas just aren’t flowing and your progress has stalled, take a break. Though it’s important to stick to a writing schedule, breaks are just as essential to maintaining your creativity and writing stamina.

Take some time to think about your best and worst life experiences. What emotions make theses events stand out, and how did they change your life? As horrible as your worst experience may seem, you may find humor in it, or develop a dark mystery from it.

If you’d rather stay away from personal stories, go out and find a good spot in town to observe people as they interact around you. Pay attention to how people carry themselves and the way they converse with each other. What can you learn about someone by the details you notice? Incorporate these kinds of details into your story, and model the flow of your dialogue after real conversations.

So you have an idea for your story’s plot. You may now be wondering where do I base my story? Again, reference the “real-world” for a wealth of new ideas. Sit out in a park and observe how children play, or sit at a pub and see how the after work crowd interacts. Find a location that piques your interest and write a detailed description of the setting. You can use these notes to portray a detailed scene for your reader, making your narrative much more realistic and accessible.

Inspiration can be as fleeting as it is motivating. Keep yourself on track to meet your publishing goals by taking breaks often and constantly being on the lookout for new sources of material.

Express Book Publishing Package By iUniverse - Your Book Out In 45 Days

2008-02-22T03:35:00.000-08:00

iUniverse just launched the Express Publishing Package, dubbed as the fastest publishing option in the market. It is a book publishing package that offers the same basic features of our Select Publishing Package but is designed for authors who need to have their book available by a specific date. If you have an event or special occasion scheduled in the next 60-90 days because according to iUniverse website, your book will be available for order in the iUniverse bookstore about 45 days after you complete your manuscript submission. This package costs $1,199 and is only for online submissions.

"The Express Publishing Package is another example of our ongoing efforts to increase and diversify the range of services we offer to aspiring authors," said Kevin Weiss, chief executive officer of iUniverse's parent company Author Solutions. "Most importantly, this offering meets the expedited needs of authors who have an event or special occasion scheduled in the next 60-90 days."

Priced at $1,199, Express offers the same basic features of the iUniverse Select Publishing Package but is designed for authors who need to have their book available by a specific upcoming date. Among its many features, Express includes ISBN assignment, custom cover design, up to 10 free production-ready interior graphics, one free paperback copy and worldwide distribution through the Barnes & Noble and Amazon online bookstores.

This is one of the most aggressive publishing packages I've seen to-date. I think Outskirts Press offers the same quick turn-over for a lower rate, they are quite comparable. You have to make sure though that you follow a strict schedule. iUniverse even mentions that author copy should be returned in 5 days so that's pressure on the author to deliver as well.

Book Publishing the Traditional Way -- The Role of A Literary Agent

2008-02-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

For those interested in publishing your book through traditional means, by "traditional" I mean quite the opposite of "self publishing." While in self publishing, it is the author that pays for the publishing service, in traditional publishing - the publishing house purchases the rights to print and publish the author's book.

I'm going to post a couple of entries that are directly related to helping to get your work out. This will involve people you should know, steps you may want to take as well as important information that could help you get your book published or steer you away from fraudulent personalitties only looking to take advantage of writers and authors.

Let's start with the roles of a Literary Agent. To become a traditionally published author, you may have to establish contact with one of these. From Get Published! by Susan Driscoll, here are some of their functions as gatekeepers for most traditional publishing houses:

They have close working relationships with many editors and are careful to send them only quality works that they believe in as well as those they know suit a particular editor’s taste or a publisher’s range of categories

They assess the quality and marketability of an author’s proposal or manuscripts to determine whether they think it’s salable to a publisher.

They negotiate in behalf of the author to get the most money and best terms.

They are responsible for ensuring that the author agreement is in line with industry standards

They often become the points of contact for authors throughout their writing careers

Reputable ones don’t take a penny until the ink has dried on your contract

They are selective in accepting clients.

Be wary when choosing a literary agent. This person will be your guide into the world of publishing.

Xlibris Book Publishing Promotion

2008-02-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

Xlibris has three February specials.

Publish 2 books for the price of 1 (second submission is fully transferable and is valid for up to two years)

Cash discounts of up to $1,950

Free upgrade to the next service level.

Booksurge Publishing Promotion

2008-02-17T17:34:00.000-08:00

Booksurge Special Offer

Show your book some love in the month of February with special savings. Receive a free Unique cover when you sign up to publish with Total Design Freedom.

iUniverse Publishing Promotion

2008-02-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

Promotion Description:

Save $200 off the regular price of a Premier Pro Publishing Package. $1,299 NOW ONLY $1,099
Code: 200FEB

Save $150 off the regular price of a Premier Publishing Package. $899 NOW ONLY $749
Code: 150FEB

Save $100 off the regular price of a Select Publishing Package. $599 NOW ONLY $499
Code: 100FEB

Booksurge Increases Author Royalties

2008-02-06T16:49:00.000-08:00

Here's some self publishing news for those who want to earn a little extra something as published authors. If you take a look at Booksurge...

Effective February 1, BookSurge increased the royalty rates authors receive on sales of trade paperback books through all retail channels from 25% to 35%; this includes sales coming through from Amazon.com, Alibris.com, Abebooks.com and the BookSurge online bookstore.

Learn more about their new royalty rates here

Xulon Press And The International Christian Retail Show 2008 Publishing Promotion

2008-02-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

Xulon Press is set to attend the annual International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) convention hosted by the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA).

February is the LAST MONTH for you to get in on this once-a-year opportunity - and to SAVE $500. Xulon Press is already preparing for this annual mega Christian book conference, which will be held this year in Orlando, Florida. We're designing a beautiful exhibit and training the staff to talk about our books to curious onlookers.

You can get published for as little at $999, and $500 OFF the regular cost of Xulon Press' "Best-Seller" program (this gets your book in our exhibit at the Christian book convention). The deadline to submit your manuscript is February 29, 2008.

More Self Publishing POD Promotions This February

2008-02-03T16:07:00.000-08:00

Apparently Booksurge and Outskirt Press also have their own publishing promotion for February according to this entry by PODdymouth, how true that is you'll have to validate on your own cause I certainly can't find it on their websites.

Anyway Booksurge apparently has a Plus 1 book offer for every 5 you order and Outskirt press is giving away a diamond necklace if you get their Diamond publishing package before Valentine’s day. Hmmm... a little too much I think. Sounds exaggerated.

Xlibris Book Publishing Promotion - 2 for the price of 1

2008-02-02T05:18:00.001-08:00

Xlibris, the only one left of the big 3 self publishing companies, still standing alone (or appears to be anyway) has an offer this month that allows authors to buy 2 publishing packages for the price of one. So to say that backwards would be that you pay for one publishing package but get two of them. Sounds like a lot to give out but who am I to complain?

Here are their Black & White and Full Color Publishing Packages:

Publish 2 Books for the Price of 1
Advantage	- $299 (special offer does not apply)
Basic	- $ 499
Professional	- $899
Custom	- $1,599
Premium	- $2,999
Executive	- $5,999
Platinum	- $12,999

* Please note that the second submission does not include books.

February Cash Discounts

If you only have one book to publish, then take advantage of our February Dollar Discounts. Save up to $1,950 on the publishing package of your choice.

Advantage	- Streamlined and practical. Perfect for books with simple design requirements - $299 (special offer does not apply)
Basic	- An economical service with multiple design options – NOW $424, SAVE $75
Professional	- Interior customization and graphics with hardback availability – NOW $764, SAVE $135
Custom	- Have total control over complex design and text formatting – NOW $1,359, SAVE $240
Premium	- A full-service package with an extensive marketing campaign – NOW $2,549, SAVE $450
Executive	- VIP service, full customization and up to 125 books – NOW $5,099, SAVE $900
Platinum	- An incomparable assortment of publishing, marketing, and editing services that will cater to your every need - NOW $11,049, SAVE $1,950

Authorhouse Free Website Offer Extends In Feb

2008-02-02T05:15:00.001-08:00

Authorhouse has decided to extend their free website when an author decides to publish with them. They already had this same promotion last month. Maybe it worked for them? Anyway it's set to run for the whole month of February

Special offer extended:
Publish in February and get a Free Author Web Site

Sign up to publish a book by the end of the month and get a free author web site to promote your book. In addition, AuthorHouse is providing authors who choose the Standard Paperback Publishing option 20 free paperback copies of their completed book. Special offers are also available to authors choosing to self-publish children’s books and poetry books.

Offer expires on February 29th; cannot be combined with other offers.

iUniverse Valentine Publishing Promotion

2008-02-02T05:11:00.000-08:00

iUniverse (the self publishing company that just fused with Authorhouse) is offering free copies of your book when you publish before Valentines Days or Feb. 15 to be exact

Promotion Description:	Code:*
Receive 60 FREE paperbacks with every Premier Pro Publishing Package purchase. (40 Bonus copies plus 20 included with the package.)	40FEB
Receive 40 FREE paperbacks with every Premier Publishing Package purchase. (30 Bonus copies plus 10 included with the package.)	30FEB
Receive 25 FREE paperbacks with every Select Publishing Package purchase. (20 Bonus copies plus 5 included with the package.)	20FEB