Category Archives: Book marketing

Weekend Indie Publisher News

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IPPY AWARD INFORMATION

What are the IPPY AWARDS? “The IPPY Awards reward those who exhibit the courage, motivation and creativity to bring about change in the world of publishing.” Awards are given in 67 categories, along with regional awards as well.  It is the world’s largest book awards competition!

Who is eligible to enter: All small presses, self publishing authors using print on demand, university presses and self publishers.

Enter Early! Fees increase as the deadline approaches!             $75 per title, per category until November 14, 2009                                 $80 per title, per category from November 15 – January 16, 2010       $85 per title, per category from January 17 – March 20, 2010               FINAL ENTRY DEADLINE – MARCH 20, 2010                                                $45 Regional entries (such as travel, local history, geography, etc.)  

Why enter?  Awards earn credibility for your book!  Awards earn publicity for your book! Awards SELL BOOKS!

For more information and to register your publication for the IPPY Awards, go to www.independentpublisher.com.

IPPY AWARDS GRAB THE ATTENTION OF BOOKSELLERS, BUYERS, LIBRARIANS AND BOOK LOVERS AROUND THE WORLD!                                    ENTER NOW!

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Grow, Baby, Grow

“He who plants a garden, plants happiness”   Chinese  Proverb                             

Writing usually begins with a hint of an idea, a small thought, a vague notion.  As time goes by, the seed sprouts, the microscopic buds reach out and the plot develops, paragraph after paragraph, page after page, chapter after chapter!

But remember, your marketing plans for your book or film must too develop. Many independent publishers make the mistake of limiting the marketing possibilities to the thought that “my family and friends” will buy it. Quite bluntly, that is the wrong approach.

Just like a vine, the marketing possibilities  for your independently published book or film should reach out in every imaginable direction. Beauty can be found in unpromising places. Let your imagination run rampant, without discipline, without fences as it’s borders. You may need to trim the growth once you have discovered your target market but, when putting together the initial plan – brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm.

You have put too much time and effort into planting the seed, weeding and nurturing your publication to completion to limit its possibilities. A book or film which you may feel has limited potential is only limited by your efforts! Aim high, reach for the stars and most of all, share your thrill for your beautifully cultivated publication with others. Your excitement needs to be like poison ivy – contagious!

After all, a gardener is optimistic! Let that spirit carry your publication to the beautiful places you have dreamed about.

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More Indy Publishers News

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More upcoming events for Independent Publishers:

October 14    Midwest Independent Publishers Assoc.                 Guest speakers: Dunn & Assoc. – Kathi Dunn & Ron Hobart

to visit their website go to www.dunn-design.com They are among the best in the business for book cover design!   For more information on the event, visit www.mipa.org/Events

October 18 & 19 American Library Assoc. (NELA), Hartford, CT   For more information and to register, visit www.ipne.org/Events

January 15 – 17, 2010 American Library Assoc. Mid Winter Conference (ALA),  Event to be held in Boston, MA.  For more information and also to register, visit www.ipne.org/Events

ATTENTION – CALLING ALL POETS!!!                                                Between September 15 – October 15, 2009 there are 49 writing and poetry contests. Go to Submission Calendar in Poets and Writers Magazine on-line. http://www.pw.org/submissioncalendar

Special Offer Now: Poets and Writers Magazine           subscriptions at discounted rates  50% off   6 issues for  $14.97                               to subscribe go to http://www.pw.org

Stay tuned next weekend for more writers and publishers resources, events and conferences! There is always something happening in the independent publishing industry!!

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Weekend Indy Publisher News

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My desk has become a landing field for broadcast information on independent publishing display opportunities, writers conferences and workshops. In fact, it could be a full time job just staying “in the know” with all the happenings on the independent publishing scene.

In an attempt to keep  our independent publishing friends up to date and informed, our weekend blogs, at least for the next few weeks, will be devoted to passing along information regarding conferences, workshops and publishing display opportunities. Bookselling, in part, is dependent upon trade shows, so it is important to get this information out!

Upcoming:                                                                                                            September 25-27                                                                                                   Burlington Book Festival, Burlington, VT                                                          For more details, visit http://BurlingtonBookFestival.com

Baltimore Book Festival, Baltimore, MD                                                            For more details, visit www.baltimorebookfestival.com

Florida Publishers Association presents “Strategies for Success”           2009 Publishing Ed-U-Conference                                                                      For more details, visit www.FLbookpub.org

October 2 & 3                                                                                                               New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA),          Hartford, CT   To register & for information, http://www.ipne.org

The Collingswood Book Festival, Collingswood, New Jersey                    For more information, visit www.collingswoodbookfestival.com

Five great opportunities! Get on Board! Join In and Participate!

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Go, Venture, Explore

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It is rare to find a subject that has not been written about before. It is easy to find all kinds of knowledge on the internet. But, web browsing can not compare to spending time in a library, going up and down the aisles, reading the titles, looking at book covers. Before you know it, “gottcha!” a book will say to you. A book that you can not resist reading. It happens time after time.

Reading can take you to places you have never  been before! It is, no doubt, an escape from reality of our face paced world. What better way to de-stress, relax and visit with some different characters that we don’t hang with in every day life.

September is Library Sign-up Month! If there is a child in your life, whether it is your own child, a niece, a nephew, a grandchild or a neighbor – do them a favor! Take them to the children’s reading hour at a nearby library. You will see expressions of excitement, wonder and curiosity on children’s faces as they are being read to. It could  be your contribution to engaging a life long reader. While you are there, grab a book yourself, find a remote corner and enjoy the journey!

“The more you read,

The more you know,

The more you know,

The smarter you grow,

The smarter you grow,

The stronger your voice,

When speaking your mind,

Or making a choice.”

~ Unknown

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Tantalize, Tease and Entice

Owning a company that is a vendor to the independent publishing industry, I often enter into discussions with writers about book covers.  The importance of book cover design can not be overstated.  Good cover design is what leads us to pick up a book in the first place. It is what makes us decide to venture further and take a peak. Good cover design draws us in.

One time, a poet came to me with his book of poetry which was hot off the press – a print on demand publication. He was proud as a peacock that his first published work was complete. The poetry was good. Actually, I liked it alot! He painted visual pictures with words quite effectively. He had used the caption of one of his poems as the title for his book of poetry – it was something like “Hot, Steamy Sunset: Poetry for Evening Reflection.” The cover design, however, was nothing more than a blank canvas – just the name of the book, the author’s name and a solid color (sage green) background.

A discussion ensued about the cover design and I inquired about the lack thereof. He said he had chosen the “least expensive option” available from the print on demand company because  ” he didn’t know how many books he would sell.” 

The cover did nothing, absolutely nothing, to make me want to open up the book of poetry and read it.  So, please remember, the cover needs to be reflective of what is on the inside. It needs to grab a reader and make them yearn for more!  I am not in the book cover design business, but to my way of thinking, the choice of a cover design would have been quite obvious.

Sunset

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Planes, Trains and Automobiles

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“The world has arrived at an age of cheap complex devices of great reliability and something is bound to come of it.”                     – Unknown

There! Maybe that quote explains what I have been pondering on all morning long! My morning meaderings have led me to the thought of the number of packages that are shipped across the country and all over the world on a daily basis. What set my mind on this course this morning, was the order we received from Germany. The customer is half way around the globe, yet his order arrived via the internet within seconds of placing it. Furthermore, the book he ordered will arrive at his doorstep in Germany in approximately 5 – 7 days.

Some companies prefer one shipping method or carrier over another, and that is fine. Everyone has their preferences. Usually the choice is strictly about economics, which carrier can get it there faster and cheaper! After all, as a fulfillment company, we must be guardians for our clients to make sure they retain the highest profit margin on their sale.

But when it comes to reliability, I think all major carriers are about as reliable as they can possibly be. It is amazing how few shipments are “lost” on a yearly basis. The percentage is infinitesimal compared to the number of parcels, packages and letters that criss-cross the world every year.

Global shipping is a complex chain. The logistics of getting the job done is something that I can not even wrap my mind around!

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Early Warning!

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The name of this blog is a bit ominous sounding. There is nothing foreboding about this notification. I am writing to remind all writers, emerging and experienced, that the weekly radio show “Cover to Cover” with Frank Gromling is broadcast on Saturday mornings. Tune in to www.wnzf.com on line. The show is filled with information on getting started as a writer, marketing yourself as a writer, interviews with NY Times best selling authors and local writers exposing their new publications to the public.  It is educational, enlightening and fun to listen to. Broadcast times in the various parts of the country are :  

 11:30 am Eastern                                     10:30 am Central

9:30 am Mountain                                     8:30 am Pacific time

If you haven’t tuned in before, you are missing it!

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To Market,To Market, To Buy A…….

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A few years ago, my husband and I saw a show on the Travel Channel about teardrop travel trailers. They are the cutest little june bugs! These camper trailers came on the market after World War II and were made out of surplus materials. The exteriors were made from the wings of World War II Bombers. They are making a come back and every so often, you will see one being towed behind a car, if you are alert.

This weekend at Arts and the Parks, we saw this little turquoise teardrop travel trailer being used as part of a booth display. The exhibitors were selling a line of cosmetics, soaps, hand lotions designed and packaged for the “rodeo girl.”  The products being sold were not exactly art, but what was art was the entire brand identity this company had built. The packaging of the products had an outstanding southwestern “rodeo” theme,  all highest quality of packaging, the company owner was dressed in her rodeo wear(complete with cowboy hat) and even the teardrop trailer was decked out inside with towels appliqued with western motif  and the galley table in the trailer had tableware settings of western design. The entire booth “worked” to sell their unique line of products. I remarked to the company owners that I liked their booth very much. They told me they had won best booth awards about 6 or 7 times from various arts and crafts events they have participated in. I can see why!

How does this relate to independent publishing you may ask? Well- products don’t sell themselves. People sell products. With independent publishing, critical to selling products is the author’s involvement in the process. You will need to sell yourself  as an author and that, in turn, will sell your publication. Polish up your “shoes” and know what you are passionate about as a writer. Visit bookstores, libraries, and other venues. Convey that passion about your publication to your potential readers. If you can find something “gimmicky” that will set you or your genre of writing apart, great!

Independent publishing is not just about the writing process!

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Wake Up and Jump In

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Are you ready to self publish but not quite sure to where to begin? There is a wonderful guide published by Tri-State Litho called Self Publishing: A Writers Guide. It will help you make the transition from manuscript to a printed, published book. It has information on applying for ISBNs, copywriting, Library of Congress Catalog Card numbers, page design, fonts, paper weights. Other useful information includes offset vs. digital printing, book binding options, and a super glossary for all publishing terms. It is a resource that beginner independent publishers should not be without.

To obtain a copy of this book contact Frank Compagna at Tri-State Litho, Phone #800-836-7581 or see their website www.tristatelitho.com. While you are at it, ask them about their short run printing services and tell them Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC said to call.

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