Jan 03

Ten Publishing and POD Predictions for the New Year

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Everyone, it seems, has a predictions list, so it seems fitting to join in and offer our own predictions for 2013. I wish I could say that every one of these predictions is unique, but that’s not true. These are our top ten respective to the ever changing publishing world we live in.

  1. There will be consolidation. From all indicators, this will continue in the wake of the Random House and Penguin merger. Large publishers are looking for ways to trim costs and develop new sales/distribution advantages, including an ever increasing digital backlist.
  2. The growth of eBooks will continue to slow. This was predicted for 2012 and has proven to be true. The early adopters and heavy readers may be reaching saturation, and the rest of the market seems to be taking longer to make a decision to invest in a reader/device that may be used to purchase just a handful of books.
  3. The price of eBooks will continue to stay low fed in large part by Amazon’s intense desire to own the market. Publishers will work on new ways to increase the sale price in order to pay their bills.
  4. Self publishing, once thought of as ‘fringe’ and ‘unprofessional’, is now becoming mainstream. More publisher service companies will offer their services, and more ‘traditional publishers’ will try to capitalize on this market by offering self publishing ‘imprints’ of their own.
  5. Printed books will not die this year, and they are unlikely to die in the near future either. In fact, countries like the UK are experiencing higher print book sales than in previous years.
  6. More authors than ever, will ‘publish’ their first book. Many authors have decided to publish an eBook exclusively because the barrier to entry (i.e.: cost, tools, etc.) have made this easier.
  7. These same authors will quickly learn that there is still a majority of the market that prefers to buy print books, and will turn to POD as one way to offer printed books. POD manufactures are poised to have a banner year.
  8. Book retail will continue to move online, as the last of the giant book retailers struggle to keep up. Recent news from Barnes and Noble is gloomy, even with their lower than projected Nook sales. Could this be their demise?
  9. Independent publishers will increasingly look to strategies that allow them to engage their readers, sell directly with available print on demand and distribution tools, and build successful businesses.
  10. There will be big stories of well known authors walking away from traditional publishers to self publish, as well as success stories from unknown self published (I like the term independently published) authors who write a best-seller.

What predictions have you seen from industry experts that I missed? What do you predict 2013 will look like?

 

Dec 03

Inside look at Amazon

Distribution, Retail, Uncategorized No Comments »

Ever wondered what the largest bookseller in the world looks like behind the curtain? Check out these pictures.

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Oct 31

Facebook Bookstore Application

Authors, Marketing, Retail, Sales, Technology, Uncategorized No Comments »

Snowfall Press is first and foremost, a technology company. We produce technology for printers who want to be part of the Snowfall Print Network. We produce technology that makes it easier for authors and publishers to print their own books. We produce technology that enables authors and publishers to distribute their books across the globe, whether it is to readers or retailers.

One of the key technologies that Snowfall has recently released is called the Snowfall Facebook Bookstore Application. This application is available to any Snowfall Press customer who has both books for sale, and a Facebook Business or Fan page. The application creates a bookstore on the fan page, where fans can purchase the book directly from the author or publisher, and the order is printed-on-demand through Snowfall’s system, and drop shipped directly to the customer.

I was recently interviewed about new technology, and I talked about this new Facebook feature for authors and publishers.

 

 

For more information about the Facebook Bookstore Application, click here.

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Oct 22

7 reasons why every pastor should publish a book

Authors, publishing, Uncategorized 1 Comment »

Depositphotos_1987256_xs

October is clergy appreciation month…so if you have a pastor or priest that you worship with; make sure to let them know how much you appreciate their time and efforts.

Pastors, by their very nature are communicators. They take the time to learn and study each week, and then hone their verbal communication skills in order to bring a message that inspires and energizes.

In the past few years, the tools to publish have become easier to access, and the opportunities for clergy to expand their communication to the written word have never been greater. Many pastors have begun using social media as one way to build relationship with their congregations. Others have begun blogging as a way to communicate messages impressed on their hearts.

For a much smaller group of pastors, publishing has become another tool to expend their reach to people both inside and outside the church. With the rapid growth of self-publishing tools like access to freelance editors and designers; along with print-on-demand services, many pastors and churches are beginning to use this communication tool as part of their overall ministry strategy.

Here are 7 reasons every pastor should publish:

  1. Pastors are already communication experts. If you are an inexperienced writer, get help. Take the messages that are most impactful from the pulpit, and expand their reach to others. Or, prepare a book ahead of the next series, and make the book available to the congregation while you teach through its content.
  2. Pastors are thought leaders. It is a proven strategy in publishing circles, that pastors can influence a book’s success by simply mentioning it from the pulpit.
  3. Books are less intimidating. Sometimes, books can give advice where a person can’t.
  4. Books expand the ministry outside the walls of the church. Every pastor wants to reach new people, and books allow that to happen.
  5. Books can help shoulder ministry costs. Although churches are not set up to make profits, book sales can be used to fund ministry efforts.
  6. Books have fewer boundaries. Sunday morning sermons might live on in an audio format on the website, but books will travel to places the message will never reach otherwise.
  7. Books allow deeper engagement. Thirty minutes on a Sunday morning might be enough to start someone’s thinking, but a book will drive them deeper into the topic.

All of the tools are available, and the cost of entry is very affordable. If you are a pastor, have you considered this communication strategy? If not, why?

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Oct 17

If you need an expert, who do I recommend?

Authors, Uncategorized No Comments »

Writer on the Tracks | Stock Photo © Trevor Goodwin #2220146

Every week, I consult with small publishers and authors who are choosing to self publish their own book. As I have written about in previous posts (best time to be a writer, good company, build your house) self publishing is a lot like being the general contractor on your own book project. Each step of the process can be contracted out to free lance professionals. Unlike companies who offer self publishing packages, which are kind of a one size fits all approach, an author can choose the help they need ala carte, and many times get a better product while reducing their overall costs.

I have worked directly with most of these professionals, or have interviewed them about their experience and each has a track record of success.

Note: Snowfall Press does not benefit financially from any of these relationships.

Copy Editing

Cover Design

Typesetting:

Marketing Services:

Social Media:

Publicity:        

Expanded Retail Distribution:

E-book conversion:

Out of Print file construction/conversion: (scan physical book to printable PDF)

Legal (publishing and copyright):

There are lots of other wonderful professionals out there in these different areas. If you are an expert in one of these areas, send me a note. We love to help our authors and publishers find new people to work with.

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Oct 08

Authors can drive ‘discoverability’ with their books

Authors, Marketing, Retail, Uncategorized No Comments »

I ran across this information in a news post, put out weekly by Rob Eagar, owner of WildFire Marketing. He can be reached at Rob@StartaWildFire.com. In his post, Rob mentions being at a recent conference and hearing Kelly Gallagher from www.Bowker.com, comment on a survey that Bowker recently did. Here is what he said:

“A survey of 3,000 book buyers found that women, ages 30 – 44, (a coveted key demographic) discover new books in this order:

  1. In-person friend referral
  2. In-person retail store display
  3. Visit author website
  4. Review bestseller lists

What does this research mean to you?

  1. Create tools, such as free resources, that make it easy for people to tell their friends about you.
  2. Get published with a traditional publisher who can get you shelf space in the major stores.
  3. Build an effective author website.”

Of the three recommendations, both ‘1’ and ‘2’ are doable and the author is in the driver’s seat. What are ways you can help your ‘fans’ tell others about you?

  • Use Facebook to engage fans
  • Use Facebook to physically sell your product
  • Create contests and encourage your fans to share these
  • Give away content from your books
  • Engage your fans in the writing process – let them see your progress
  • Create a ‘street team’ of loyal fans who get access to special deals/content if they do certain things to help you ‘get the word out.’

Getting published by a traditional publisher is a great goal, but not something you can build your plan around. I call it the Field of Dreams strategy. Just writing the book doesn’t mean that people are going to come publish it, and eventually come read it. This solution is becoming increasingly difficult as the number of writers in the market continues to grow.

Learn to put your time and energy behind the things that you can control and that will pay dividends for you NO MATTER which publishing direction you might take.

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Oct 03

Don’t rush your publishing plan…especially if you don’t have one.

Authors, Marketing, publishing, Uncategorized 1 Comment »

This is a guest post from Marika Flatt, founder of PR by the Book, wrote this blog post in late 2010. Because we now continue to hear the same questions from self-published authors—planning to have a late-year pub date, she wanted to update the article and run it again. Enjoy!

This blog post is for all you authors out there who are self-publishing, now or in the future! Let’s start with the big picture. There is a reason why it takes so long for the publishing process to roll out with publishing houses. It’s not unusual for there to be an 18-month window (or longer) between a publisher accepting a manuscript and the publication date. There are a myriad of reasons why this is. So much has to be done: editing, cover design, more editing, seeding the distribution pipeline, sales meetings, more editing, printing galleys (also called ARCs/ advanced review copies), etc.

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/439901

The publicity department starts working on a title approximately six months prior to the pub date. The reason for this is because they want to send galleys to publications that are book review publications, industry publications (for that topic, such as education magazines) and national media outlets (such as national TV programs). This process takes time. And, for six months leading up to pub date, the publicists are pitching, pitching, pitching (and lunching with producers for national TV shows).

So, self-published authors…what’s the big hurry? I talk to 1-2 authors per week who tell me that their pub (publication) date is this month or next month and what can we do?? First of all, you don’t want your pub date to ever be in November or December (unless it’s a holiday book).  Don’t get me wrong. Publicists stay busy during November and December, but not on books that are releasing those months. So, why?

The publishing industry has two big time frames for releasing books: the Fall (primarily September and October) and the Spring (primarily March and April). There are a few other months that are popular for releasing books, depending on genres/ topics: January for New Year’s resolution-oriented titles: February for relationship books and books from African-American authors since it’s Black History Month; May and June for beach reads, etc.

But, bottom line—the year of pub date matters most (the year is more important than the month)! I had 4 authors tell me this month that they were self-publishing and were planning to put a Nov or Dec  2011 pub date on it, and they’d done no publicity to date. WHY? When January 1st, 2012 gets here, your book is automatically “old” in the book sellers’ and book buyers’ eyes. If you just pushed it 1-2 months, it would have a 2012 copyright date and be current for another whole year. Yes, a few months makes a big difference! You want, and need, a 2012 pub date.

Now, on to the publicity end of things.  You want to give your book adequate lead time with your publicist. We need 2-6 months prior to pub date to lay the proper foundation for your book. Depending on how much time we have, we can “seed the media” in various ways and have media starting to hit during your pub date month. But, wait! What else must be done before that happens?

We must thoroughly research and read up on your materials and set you up in our system. Then we write a full set of press materials (multiple press releases, Sample Interview Questions, author bio, etc.). Then we must build our media lists: we use two separate databases. Then, and only then, can we even start pitching you to the media. The outlets must get our pitch, decide they are interested, obtain materials from us, sometimes read the book and/or press materials, decide to use it, write up their review/ feature, submit it to their publication (and if they’re a monthly, that all has to be finished at least one month prior to their issue date).

So, we could talk all day about publicity timelines and lead times, but you get the picture. Don’t rush it! One of the biggest advantages you have in self-publishing is that you get to designate your release date. Use that to your full advantage. Take your time! It’s going to benefit you in the long run to do it the right way and give your book the best chance for life.

Marika Flatt is the owner of PR by the Book, www.prbythebook.com, a publicity firm dedicated to helping authors and publishers achieve quality media exposure. After 10 years in business, PR by the Book has helped land their clients exposure in major media outlets such as TIME, NPR, and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. You can reach them at info@prbythebook.com.

 

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Sep 24

This is the best time to be a writer

Authors, Industry Events, Leadership, Social Media, Uncategorized 3 Comments »

I just returned from my trip to the American Christian Fiction Writers conference (ACFW). It was a great opportunity to meet with authors and talk with them about the publishing world. I had the privilege of presenting a seminar on retail, and the state of publishing, especially as it concerns authors. For many authors, the business side of publishing is hidden behind the curtain. And yet, the author is critical to a publisher’s success, not only getting the book into the retail channel, but through the retail channel to the end consumer.

The keynote speaker for this year’s conference was Michael Hyatt. Michael is the former CEO and Chairman of the Board at Thomas Nelson. He has spent the last year and a half writing and speaking full time, although he is still very engaged with authors and the publishing community.

Michael shared these encouraging words in the first session, and I thought they would be helpful to share with all of the authors that I work with on a weekly basis.

Michael Hyatt’s five reasons why ‘today is the best time to be a writer.’

  1. It is easier than ever to do the writing. The tools have never been easier to access, from conferences and books about writing to specific software for writers and other technology.
  2. It is easier than ever to do market research. Google made it possible. Facebook and twitter have made it personal. Authors can research their characters and scenes with a few key strokes. Understanding the target audience for a book has never been easier with tools on the internet. ‘Group-think’ is facilitated by creative groups engaging each other through social media and writing circles. Authors can engage readers directly like never before. Authors have the tools to figure out what their platform is, and to build a tribe around it.
  3. It is easier than ever to get into print. Traditional publishing is no longer the only option. Self publishing is viable. It is not necessarily the best option for everyone, but it can be a great option for some. Traditional publishing is far from dead, and if traditional publishers learn to ‘lean into the changes’ being brought by the self publishing phenomenon, it can be an exciting place to be. Traditional publishers need to ask: What do these tools and this model make possible? What are the new opportunities? How can I find new readers in more places?
  4. It is easier than ever to build a tribe. Authors can engage their fans directly. There are new tools like the recently launched bookshout.com site, where authors can interact real-time with readers inside of their own book. Another new site called bookjolt.com, allows readers to read whole books for free online, and interact with authors. These are part of a new concept called social reading, and literally, an author’s book becomes a platform.
  5. It is easier than ever to build a business around your content. After all, it is great to write for writing sake, but most authors would like to earn some income from their writing too. Websites and blogs help you build your platform, engage readers, offer free content, and sell books. A small book business can be a sustainable business.

Michael also echoed something that I share with authors all the time. Authors have never been in a stronger position to make things happen than they are now. Authors can go after traditional publishing, or they can do it themselves. All of the tools are available for them to compete, in almost all cases, with everyone else.

This new model is a far cry from the stigma that used to be attached with what people called vanity publishing. In fact, a recent article in the Huffington Post, makes an interesting point that what we call ‘traditional publishing’, might be in fact, the new ‘vanity publishing.’

All of this change and opportunity is encouraging news for the content industry.

If you are an author, do you agree, or disagree with these thoughts? Let us hear it!

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Sep 14

Like us and get a FREE book!

Social Media, Uncategorized 6 Comments »

For a limited time, Snowfall Press is offering a FREE book to everyone who comes and LIKES us on our Facebook page. This book is a nice, concise guide to some of the best advice I have learned in my 17 years of publishing. I hope it is helpful to you, and let us know what you think, and what you would add these seven secrets.

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Aug 21

ICRS gathers the international industry

Foreign Language Resources, Global Distribution, Industry Events, Sales, Uncategorized No Comments »

ICRS is the place to meet with the greater industry, including hundreds of international publishers, retailers and authors. Many times, the international market is overlooked by small publishers, but larger publishers rely on more than 10-15% of their revenue to come from both export sales as well as foreign licensing.

If you are interested in selling your books to international distributors and retailers, here are some contacts.

Dan Wright Publisher Services, danwrightpublisherservices@gmail.com
aBridge International

If you are interested in licensing your books to international publishers (for both English reprints as well as foreign language translation publishing, here are some contacts:

Gospel Literature International (GLINT)
Riggins Rights
Fred Rudy and Associates

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