“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly. ” ~  Richard Bach

At our weekly meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Steamboat Springs,Colorado http://bit.ly/w1qdgz a staff member from the local Indie Bound Bookstore came to update us on a program that our organization supports.

Thousands and thousands of Advance Reader Copies and galley copies are sent to bookstores and libraries all over the country each and every year. ARCs are uncorrected proofs that can not be resold in retail in environments or placed on shelves in libraries. They serve as advance promotion and advertising for publications soon to be released.

The Kiwanis Club of Steamboat assists with funding shipping costs to send Advance Reader Copies of books to families of military troops. www.operationpaperback.org   For those who do not have access to a variety of books ARCs are a perfect way of fulfilling a need for literature for children and adults in far off places of the world.

As we discussed this wonderful program, that saves hundreds of thousands of books from ending up in landfills each and every year, I began to think how a complete systemic change in the way ARCS are delivered would save a lot of postage and delivery charges for publishers and as well as time and money for those disposing of the ARCS once they have been read and reviewed.

Making wise choices and changes from printing to marketing is all a part of sustainable publishing. Do you think sample chapters of books on-line is enough to make an informed decision as to whether a book is worth purchasing or not?  We would like to hear from you.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.