Tag Archives: independent publishers

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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Let’s be Frank

Owning a business that serves independent publishers, I am often asked my opinion about the Kindle reader and e-books.  I can see the convenience of both. But,  after sitting in front of a computer all day writing business prospecting letters, business proposals and now blogging, I can tell you the last thing I want to do is read a book on an electronic device.  When the day is done, I want to be as far away from an electronic screen as possible!

I like to curl up in a comfy chair, wrap myself up in a blanket, sit in front of a fire, enjoy a cup of tea  and hold an honest to goodness real book. I like feeling the weight of the book, the smell of the paper and seeing the print on the pages.

Curl up with an electronic reading device? I don’t think so!  But, that is only my point of view.

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Partners

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If you plan on hiring an outside company to handle order fulfillment of your independently published books and DVDs, it is always a good idea to begin your search for a fulfillment company well in advance.

Advanced research (and obtaining quotations) will help you in setting your price points for your products. You will want to make sure the shipping and handling fees you charge your customers will pay for a good part of having your publication shipped from the warehouse to your customer’s door.

A qualified fulfillment company knows and can discuss the mail order industry standards for shipping and handling fees. Make this a part of your discussion when searching for fulfillment companies. Sometimes, two heads are better than one when it comes to establishing appropriate shipping and handling fees.

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Angels and Such

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“Many hands make light work” ~ John Heywood

One of my favorite movies of all time is “Lilies of the Field” starring Sidney Poitier. The basic story line is that an unemployed construction worker ends up at a remote plot of land when his car breaks down, while traveling through. The land, located in the west, is being worked by some nuns with a vision to build a chapel and a school. The long and short of it is – Homer Smith (played by Poitier) ends up being the “angel” in the story, convincing the community to join hands. They labor together and contribute materials to build the beautiful, yet simple chapel.

The lessons of this film prevail as strongly today as they did back in 1963 when the film was produced. Anything can be accomplished in  strong communities with lots of willing hands to help.

Comin’ Down the Track

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Traditionally published writers are jumping the track and heading down the road toward independent publishing. It is not that their manuscripts aren’t good and can not be accepted by traditional publishing houses. Quite the contrary!  They have established themselves as creditable writers and already have  a following. They just want to try the independent publishing route this time around.

My advice to this group of writers is not to jump the track completely. Continue having an outside source assist you with marketing, order fulfillment  and distribution of your publication. There are lots freelance professionals that can help you with those aspects of the process.

The “to do” list is long enough for writers. Don’t think you can engineer the entire publishing process on your own. Surely, you do not want a train wreck!

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Printing and Binding Matters

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For the independent publisher or self-publishing author, there is alot to be learned. The path to success includes not only writing a great publication but making good choices along the way regarding the entire publishing process.

One decision to be faced will be a choice between digital or offset printing. Typically,  offset printing is most economical if you wish to have more than 1000 copies of your book printed. Other advantages include a greater range of paper choices, the image quality (pictures) is better and the page sizes are not as limited.

Digital printing is great for a short run of books (under 1,000), the turn around time tends to be much shorter and the complete process can be accomplished via the internet.

There are considerations for choices in book binding as well.  But,  most importantly, remember that if you have any intentions of seeing your book on the shelves of book stores and libraries, a perfect bound book is key.  Perfect bound books are prefered because they will stand up on shelves by themselves. The spines have the title and author’s name printed on it and is easily readable. Not the case with saddle stitched books, plastic  and wire comb bindings or plastic coil binding.

There is alot to be considered in the world of book printing and binding. Any quality book printing company can lead you down the path to making good choices,  however!

Writers, USA – Unite!

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I don’t mean to sound like a broken record on this blog subject. But, I think it is worth repeating!

Writers, let’s unite on Saturday mornings and all be on the same web page! Tune in to www.wnzf.com  “Cover to Cover” with Frank Gromling.   Broadcast times across America –

  • Eastern Standard Time       11:30 am
  • Central Standard Time       10:30 am
  • Mountain Standard Time    9:30 am
  • Pacific Standard Time          8:30 am

Every Saturday morning, that is right! Every Saturday morning! Frank promises to make each show well worth listening to!

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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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Cover to Cover – New Radio Show

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Every Saturday Morning

Radio Show for Authors and Publishers

Tune in to www.wnzf.com

Listen on Line      11:30 am  Eastern Standard Time

                                   10:30 am  Central Time

                                     9:30 am  Mountain Time

                                     8:30 am Pacific Time

1/2 hour radio show filled with information on marketing your book, traditional vs. independent publishing, getting started in publishing, author’s role in book marketing, establishing your niche market and much more. Essential information to all publishers and authors. Listen in and learn!

July 18 – A Big Day for Writers!

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Calling all writers! Two great opportunities to network  and learn, both on July 18!

Steamboat Writers Group will be presenting “A Day for Writers.”  This is their 28th annual conference and registration is limited, so jump on board right away if you are interested. For details and to register, visit their website www.steamboatwritersgroup.com

Also, on July 18th at the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco, California Instock – The Conference for Self Publishers will be taking place. For details, visit www.instockconference.com. 

Both events look great! Networking and attending writers conferences are so valuable. You will meet all kinds of like-minded people , come away with refreshing new ideas and you never know what you will learn!

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