Tag Archives: independent publishers

Weekend Indie Publishers News

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Wow! Where did this week go? It is hard to believe it is time to update you with more independent publisher news.

NEWS FLASH: The 2010 Eric Hoffer Book Awards are coming up!     Here is your chance indie publishers – shoot for the moon and submit!!

This contest is accepting newly released books or older books from     Small Presses~Academic Presses~Micro-Presses~Self Publishers                                                                                                        Deadline:  January 21, 2010                                                                                    Entry Fee: $45                                                                                                           Grand Prize and World Wide Exposure                                                        Winner and Runner-up Prizes in Every Category                                     Coverage in The US Review of Books!

Categories: Art, Poetry, Children, Fiction & Non-fiction, Memoir, Culture, Business, Reference, Home, Health, Reference, Spirtual/Self Help.

A SINGLE REGISTRATION GIVES YOU FIVE WAYS TO WIN!!!

For full details and to enter – please visit www.HofferAward.com         Other Contact Information: email – info@hofferaward.com                      The Eric Hoffer Awards, PO Box ll, Titusville, NJ  08560

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It is a Tricky Business

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One of the comments I hear from self publishing authors or independent publishers is “I had no idea what I was getting myself into!”  But this comment is not unique to the publishing industry. I have often heard the same comment from those who have renovated a house or had a house custom built! Sometimes, we just do not know all the facets of a project until  we roll up our sleeves and jump in!

This same comment can be heard from those selling independently published books, videos, DVDs and journals through e-commerce (internet sales). Independent publishers think “how hard can it be to put a book in the mail to someone?” What independent publishers fail to consider is this:

  • Is there time in your day to invoice the orders and record payments?
  • Do you have a reliable method for tracking your inventory?
  • Are you ready to deal with wholesale orders from bookstores, universities, libraries and other organizations?
  • Will you be able to handle customer service inquiries and calls regarding lost shipments or shipment tracking?

This is only surface stuff. Once you roll up your sleeves and jump in, I can assure you order fulfillment is a whole lot more time consuming and detailed than one can imagine. Just keeping track of what the most economical and most efficient way of shipping is, is a job in itself.

Thankfully, there are companies out there that can assist with the business end of shipping so you can focus on writing and publishing. The best way to find the support services you need is use your favorite seach engine and search the terms:  Order Fulfillment for Independent Publishers or Order Fulfillment for Independent Filmmakers or Order Fulfillment for Independently Published Books, Videos, DVDs and Journals. That part is not tricky!

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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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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.

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COLORADO INDY PUBLISHERS & THE PUBLIC WELCOME!

BIG BOOK SALE AND OPEN HOUSE – FREE EVENT!!

When:  Thursday, August 27, 2009               6pm – 9 pm

Where: Denver, CO at the Red Lion Inn (Quebec Street location)

Sponsored By: Colorado Independent Publishers Assoc. (CIPA)

This event is open to the public. A chance for CIPA members to sell  books, ask publishing experts your questions and meet vendors promoting their services. Attend this fun social event where you can network and receive free advice. CIPA will provide the food and cash bar will be available.

For more information go to www.ColoradoIndependentPublishersAssociation.com

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Cracking Up!

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As an independent publisher, do you ever feel the tasks are overwhelming? There are printing matters to be dealt with, cover design decisions to be made, making sure the editiorial/revision process has been effectively handled, layout, pagination concerns, and the list just goes on and on. Isn’t it enough to just focus on publishing matters without having to handle the administrative tasks and shipping side of publishing too?

Before you reach beyond your limit, there is no reason to “crack up” from the stress of it all. There are companies out there that can assist you with processing and fulfilling your orders. They know the fastest and most economical ways of getting your book, film or other publication to the buyer and can even keep track of your sales and inventory matters.

It is easy to find a company to assist you. Go ahead, google “affordable order fulfillment for independent publishers.” It is that easy! Don’t wait until it is too late!

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Best of Times for Indy Publishers

Richard Schmid and His Influence catalogcover

There is no doubt about it, independent publishers have never had it so good! The independent publishing scene is hot, hot, hot! Proof is in the statistics cited by seasoned publishing professionals.

Desktop publishing software has been developed so that it has become user friendly. The arrival of the Expresso Book Machine really has independent publishers smiling!

For those of you unfamiliar with the EBM (Expresso Book Machine), it has the capacity of downloading manuscripts from PDF format files, printing and delivering a perfect bound book within 10-15 minutes time. I kid you not! I have seen it first hand at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, VT.  www.Northshire.com

The Northshire Bookstore was the first retail store to obtain one of these print on demand book machines. Even now, few establishments have them.  A visit to the Northshire Bookstore to see this beast in action will be well worth your time. The Publishers Weekly Magazine has given the Northshire an award of distinction for “The Best Independent Bookstore.”

When you go, plan to spend a good part of the day exploring the nooks and crannies of the store. It is like a destination resort, unlike any other you have visited before. But, do me a favor, tell General Manager Chris Merrow that Sue Leonard from Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC says “hello!” And one more thing, please leave your kindle reader behind!

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What is Under Your Umbrella?

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“What is  your name?” and “What do you do for a living?” I am routinely asked being an unknown face in a new community. When I answer question #2 with “I own an order fulfillment company specializing in e-Commerce for independent publishers,” I am looked at like I am a space alien. To redeem myself, I usually go on to mention some of the services our company provides for independent publishers:

  • Order Processing
  • Order Fulfillment (pick and pack)
  • World wide shipping
  • Warehousing
  • Providing sales and inventory reports
  • Social Media Marketing for our clients (the alien look sets in again)!

Our company is definitely a niche market kind of business. But, anyone seeking our services knows what they are looking for.  They know to google “order fulfillment for independent publishers” to find us on the internet.

Sometimes when asked question #2 “What do you do for a living? ” I just put everything under one big umbrella and answer -“We assist independent publishers with the business and shipping aspect so they can focus what they do best – writing and publishing!”

Does that clear things up? I will keep my umbrella handy incase things get cloudy again.

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