How Independent and Chain Bookstores Choose the Books on Their Shelves
By
Theresa Chaze
In order to be successful, authors must find placement both on independent and chain bookstore shelves. Yet no matter how well written, bookstores will not place it on their brick and mortar store shelves if they cannot make a profit. It is up to the author to choose a publisher who can produce a product that will attract the attention of bookstore owners.
When making the decision on which book to carry on their shelves, owners focus on the five criteria.
1. A discount off the cover price. The industry standard is a minimum is 50%; however, the larger the discount the stores receive, the more likely an owner will be interested in purchasing the book.
2. Returnability. Bookstores will be more willing to risk their money and shelf space on a new author if their risk is reduced by giving them an option to return the book. While it is common for traditional publisher to make their product returnable, until recently, it has been a major issue for POD publishers.
3. A reasonable cover price. The more the book costs, the less likely reading public willing to buy it. An over price book by a new author will be passed over for one that is of equal quality, but has a cheaper cover price.
4. A good marketing plan. By placing ads and creating a name brand, the author will not only create a readership, but will make it easier for bookstores to sell the books thereby increasing the likely hood of finding shelf space.
5. Uniqueness of the topic or the author. If an author is considered an expert on the subject, it will not only give the author additional credibility but also marketability. In addition, if the author takes a fresh perspective or angle on the book, you can use this in your marketing plan to attract readers and bookstores.
Although the online sales of books are increasing, most book sales are still made in brick and mortar stores. In order to be successful, a book has to find placement on those shelves. The authors have to take responsibility for choosing a publisher who will meet industry standards and be willing to support the book after publication. If the publisher cannot economically produce the book by offering an industry standard discount, making it returnable, and keeping the price reasonable, the author needs either to rethink their choice of publisher or accept the fact that bookstores will not carry their books on their shelves.
Showing posts with label pod. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pod. Show all posts
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Publishing and Publicity Consultant--Let Me Help You Make Your Book Successful
Publishing and Publicity Consultant--Let me help you make your book successful
If you have a book you want to publish you no longer have to depend of the whim of traditional publishers or on the ethics of new breed of POD publishers. Getting your book in print and distributed is cheaper and easier than you think. Hire me and I will make your book look professional. Follow the link below and see what I can do for you.
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/Valkyrieserves.pdf
If you have a book you want to publish you no longer have to depend of the whim of traditional publishers or on the ethics of new breed of POD publishers. Getting your book in print and distributed is cheaper and easier than you think. Hire me and I will make your book look professional. Follow the link below and see what I can do for you.
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/Valkyrieserves.pdf
Friday, November 23, 2007
Virtual Book Tours: A New Promotional Tool For Authors
Virtual Book Tours: A New Promotional Tool For Authors
By
Theresa Chaze
Virtual Book Tours are the newest marketing opportunity for authors. With traditionally book tours, authors travel from town to town doing book signings and doing interviews to publicize their books. Although the process is very effective, it also involves great expense, travel and time. Virtual book tours essentially do the same; however, instead of the authors physically traveling to bookstores, the interviews and book readings are conducted electronically through posting on blogs and IM conversations.
Although a Virtual Book Tour doesn't have the same personal touch at the traditional tour, it can be more informative and effective. From the comfort of their homes, readers can learn more about new writers and their work. By reading the interviews on the blogs, the readers not only learn more about the author’s work, but about her or his private lives. Interviews are conducted by many bloggers, each of which will give a fresh perspective on the author as a person and on the work. By following the tour, the reader will be able to get to know the author on a more personal level as well as be able to read excerpts of the book.
The internet also allows the readers to meet the authors electronically through IM messaging, conferencing and chat rooms. Many of the IM services have both audio and video features, which personalized the experience more. No longer just words on the screen, the authors can become three dimensional people who can answer questions about themselves and their work in real time. Chat rooms and conference room have the advantage over the one to one IM messaging by allowing the readers to share in on both the questions and answers. By coming together in a room, the author's answers are shared with all in the room instead of just the individual. For the readers, it gives them the opportunity to receive answers to questions they may not have thought of or were afraid to ask.
For the authors, it has the advantages of being able to reach a more diverse audience quicker and more conveniently. No longer do authors have to pack up and travel from town to town to gain the attention of their target audience. The internet has also made reaching new audiences and reconnecting with existing ones, easier and quicker. No longer bound by time and space, authors can not only make direct contact with their target market, but also expand their readership into the general audience. The proper use of key words in the blog will make the interviews more accessible by search engines. The diversification of the type of blogs involved in the tour will help the author reach a varied audience that might not have be otherwise open to the author’s work.
Virtual book tours also benefit the bloggers involved by bringing more traffic to their site. As part of the promotional process, the coordinator also promotes the hosting blog thereby temporarily giving the blog additional attention. By hosting a stop on a tour, the blogger also promotes their own message, while helping another. It is a win-win situation for all involved.
Dorothy Thompson is one to the premier Virtual Book Tour co-coordinators. Her promotional website Pump Up Your Book Promotion and her book promotion blog at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion has helped many authors successful promote their books. In January, she will be hosting a Virtual Book Tour for Kathleen Willey's book Target: Caught In The Crosshairs Of Bill And Hillary Clinton. Currently it is ranked 79# at Amazon. She has also hosted many other authors both in the US and in Canada. Her success rate has surpassed most of the other tour coordinators. In addition, she is the author of the self-promoting e-book, The Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook. Her success rate has made her tours a valuable promotional asset to the authors she has represented.
By
Theresa Chaze
Virtual Book Tours are the newest marketing opportunity for authors. With traditionally book tours, authors travel from town to town doing book signings and doing interviews to publicize their books. Although the process is very effective, it also involves great expense, travel and time. Virtual book tours essentially do the same; however, instead of the authors physically traveling to bookstores, the interviews and book readings are conducted electronically through posting on blogs and IM conversations.
Although a Virtual Book Tour doesn't have the same personal touch at the traditional tour, it can be more informative and effective. From the comfort of their homes, readers can learn more about new writers and their work. By reading the interviews on the blogs, the readers not only learn more about the author’s work, but about her or his private lives. Interviews are conducted by many bloggers, each of which will give a fresh perspective on the author as a person and on the work. By following the tour, the reader will be able to get to know the author on a more personal level as well as be able to read excerpts of the book.
The internet also allows the readers to meet the authors electronically through IM messaging, conferencing and chat rooms. Many of the IM services have both audio and video features, which personalized the experience more. No longer just words on the screen, the authors can become three dimensional people who can answer questions about themselves and their work in real time. Chat rooms and conference room have the advantage over the one to one IM messaging by allowing the readers to share in on both the questions and answers. By coming together in a room, the author's answers are shared with all in the room instead of just the individual. For the readers, it gives them the opportunity to receive answers to questions they may not have thought of or were afraid to ask.
For the authors, it has the advantages of being able to reach a more diverse audience quicker and more conveniently. No longer do authors have to pack up and travel from town to town to gain the attention of their target audience. The internet has also made reaching new audiences and reconnecting with existing ones, easier and quicker. No longer bound by time and space, authors can not only make direct contact with their target market, but also expand their readership into the general audience. The proper use of key words in the blog will make the interviews more accessible by search engines. The diversification of the type of blogs involved in the tour will help the author reach a varied audience that might not have be otherwise open to the author’s work.
Virtual book tours also benefit the bloggers involved by bringing more traffic to their site. As part of the promotional process, the coordinator also promotes the hosting blog thereby temporarily giving the blog additional attention. By hosting a stop on a tour, the blogger also promotes their own message, while helping another. It is a win-win situation for all involved.
Dorothy Thompson is one to the premier Virtual Book Tour co-coordinators. Her promotional website Pump Up Your Book Promotion and her book promotion blog at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion has helped many authors successful promote their books. In January, she will be hosting a Virtual Book Tour for Kathleen Willey's book Target: Caught In The Crosshairs Of Bill And Hillary Clinton. Currently it is ranked 79# at Amazon. She has also hosted many other authors both in the US and in Canada. Her success rate has surpassed most of the other tour coordinators. In addition, she is the author of the self-promoting e-book, The Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook. Her success rate has made her tours a valuable promotional asset to the authors she has represented.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Print on Demand Opens Options for Writers
Print on Demand Opens Options for Writers
By
Theresa Chaze
The Print on Demand technology has given writers the freedom to take total control of their work. No long bound to publishers’ demands and limited expectations, writers can affordably publish their own work, circumventing both traditional and POD publishers all together. With the willingness of distributors to widen their standards, smaller publishers now have access to brick and mortar stores as well as the online shops. The internet not only makes marketing and promotion accessible and affordable, but it gives authors and readers greater access to each other.
Print on Demand or POD is the printing process that is capable of producing one book at a time for a relatively reasonable price. The printing process opens alternative options for authors to not only get their work into print, but to control the business end. By becoming their own publisher, the writer is able to manage the pricing and discounts of their work as well as maintain creative discretion. No longer do the private tastes of an editor stand between the author and the reading public.
Ingram is one of the widest know distributors in the country. However, they will not work with a publishing house that has less than ten titles in print. For a new publishing house, this can be a temporary obstacle. They do however have a list of associated distributors who will represent books from smaller publishers. The site address for the list is:
http://www.ingrambook.com/new/distributors.asp. Each of these distributors have their own standards and genres that they represent. Some of which require an exclusive contract for each book. For a fee, these distributors also provide a wide range of services from editing, promotions and marketing advisors.
Whereas there are limited amounts of distributors, the list of POD printers is rapidly growing. By Googling the “print on demand printers”, the writer can find an impress of list that varies not only in price but also in services. Lulu Publishing (www.Lulu.com) provides printing services without set up fees; however, their distribution is does not have the availability of Ingram, so it is more difficult to get into brick and mortar stores. Cafepress (www.cafepress.com) provides a similar service with equal distribution issues. However, if an author only needs a few copies or intends to sell solely online, both of theses services are inexpensive ways to get a book in print. Other POD printers are also available. The difference is that they not only charge set up fees, but they also provide other printing options. Lightning Press (www.lightning-press.com) is only one such printer who will provide professional printing services for reasonable prices.
No matter which printer is chosen, the author will have to provide all their materials print ready. The cover needs to be at least 300 DPI and be formatted correctly to include the full cover including the spine. The text will have to be typeset for the for the appropriate size and margin settings. In addition, the author will have to provide his or her own ISBN number. The ISBN is the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) that uniquely identifies books and book-like products published internationally, however the standard has been update to a 13-digit number. No matter what some publishing house advertise, ISBN numbers cannot be legally transferred or sold to individuals. The number is permanently connected to the publishing house. However, there is an option to buy individual numbers. For those authors who are planning to publish multiple books the cheapest option is to buy a block. Ranging from 10 to 10,000, the cost per number radically drops as the quantity increases. When a writer provides the ISBN number, it remains consistent no matter which printer or distributor works with the book. R. R. Bowker (www.isbn.org) is the exclusive US source of publisher prefixes and accompanying ranges of ISBN numbers for eligible publishers. They will also create barcodes for a fee. There are also barcode generator programs available; in addition, by doing a search on the net, the writer can find sites that will create the barcode for free.
Bookstores and chains are looking for quality books that are reasonably priced, with a good discount, and are returnable. These four qualities make it easier for a new author to find shelve space, which increases the probability for sales. Although online sales are increasing, the majority of book sales are still made in brick and mortar stores. Making the book returnable will not guarantee placement, but it will increase the number of stores who will be take a risk on a new author.
Whether traditional or POD, a beginning author does nearly all of the marketing and promotions. In order to be effective, the author has to not only find a niche market, but has to create brand name for her or himself. The niche market is the target market that you are seeking according to genre, age, gender and interest of the readership. Creating a brand name is creating a strong connection between the author and the target audience. In the past, traditional publishers placed ads and arranged for reviews. These are both still important venues; however, the internet has opened up many different options. Blogs, vblogs, and homepages are only three opportunities to attract readers. Online groups, chat rooms, and message boards are not only places to promote your work, but it is a great way to make connections with like minds. To just jump in to just do an ad, will annoy people. However, if you participate in the conversations, you will not only meet interesting people but allow them to see the author behind the words thereby creating an interest in you work. By creating cooperatives, such as blog rolls, you help other writers while increasing you readership. Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book Promotions (http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/) is a full service online book promotion agency who can show you how to sell books without leaving the comfort of your home. They specialize in virtual book tours and video book trailers.
Valkyrie Publishing provides the technical support for authors who decide they want to publish their own work. Their services include typesetting and the creation of custom book covers. The author maintains all right and profits from the work. Valkyrie Publishing only provides the technical service to make the work printer ready. For more information, email Valkyrie@theresachaze.com.
By
Theresa Chaze
The Print on Demand technology has given writers the freedom to take total control of their work. No long bound to publishers’ demands and limited expectations, writers can affordably publish their own work, circumventing both traditional and POD publishers all together. With the willingness of distributors to widen their standards, smaller publishers now have access to brick and mortar stores as well as the online shops. The internet not only makes marketing and promotion accessible and affordable, but it gives authors and readers greater access to each other.
Print on Demand or POD is the printing process that is capable of producing one book at a time for a relatively reasonable price. The printing process opens alternative options for authors to not only get their work into print, but to control the business end. By becoming their own publisher, the writer is able to manage the pricing and discounts of their work as well as maintain creative discretion. No longer do the private tastes of an editor stand between the author and the reading public.
Ingram is one of the widest know distributors in the country. However, they will not work with a publishing house that has less than ten titles in print. For a new publishing house, this can be a temporary obstacle. They do however have a list of associated distributors who will represent books from smaller publishers. The site address for the list is:
http://www.ingrambook.com/new/distributors.asp. Each of these distributors have their own standards and genres that they represent. Some of which require an exclusive contract for each book. For a fee, these distributors also provide a wide range of services from editing, promotions and marketing advisors.
Whereas there are limited amounts of distributors, the list of POD printers is rapidly growing. By Googling the “print on demand printers”, the writer can find an impress of list that varies not only in price but also in services. Lulu Publishing (www.Lulu.com) provides printing services without set up fees; however, their distribution is does not have the availability of Ingram, so it is more difficult to get into brick and mortar stores. Cafepress (www.cafepress.com) provides a similar service with equal distribution issues. However, if an author only needs a few copies or intends to sell solely online, both of theses services are inexpensive ways to get a book in print. Other POD printers are also available. The difference is that they not only charge set up fees, but they also provide other printing options. Lightning Press (www.lightning-press.com) is only one such printer who will provide professional printing services for reasonable prices.
No matter which printer is chosen, the author will have to provide all their materials print ready. The cover needs to be at least 300 DPI and be formatted correctly to include the full cover including the spine. The text will have to be typeset for the for the appropriate size and margin settings. In addition, the author will have to provide his or her own ISBN number. The ISBN is the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) that uniquely identifies books and book-like products published internationally, however the standard has been update to a 13-digit number. No matter what some publishing house advertise, ISBN numbers cannot be legally transferred or sold to individuals. The number is permanently connected to the publishing house. However, there is an option to buy individual numbers. For those authors who are planning to publish multiple books the cheapest option is to buy a block. Ranging from 10 to 10,000, the cost per number radically drops as the quantity increases. When a writer provides the ISBN number, it remains consistent no matter which printer or distributor works with the book. R. R. Bowker (www.isbn.org) is the exclusive US source of publisher prefixes and accompanying ranges of ISBN numbers for eligible publishers. They will also create barcodes for a fee. There are also barcode generator programs available; in addition, by doing a search on the net, the writer can find sites that will create the barcode for free.
Bookstores and chains are looking for quality books that are reasonably priced, with a good discount, and are returnable. These four qualities make it easier for a new author to find shelve space, which increases the probability for sales. Although online sales are increasing, the majority of book sales are still made in brick and mortar stores. Making the book returnable will not guarantee placement, but it will increase the number of stores who will be take a risk on a new author.
Whether traditional or POD, a beginning author does nearly all of the marketing and promotions. In order to be effective, the author has to not only find a niche market, but has to create brand name for her or himself. The niche market is the target market that you are seeking according to genre, age, gender and interest of the readership. Creating a brand name is creating a strong connection between the author and the target audience. In the past, traditional publishers placed ads and arranged for reviews. These are both still important venues; however, the internet has opened up many different options. Blogs, vblogs, and homepages are only three opportunities to attract readers. Online groups, chat rooms, and message boards are not only places to promote your work, but it is a great way to make connections with like minds. To just jump in to just do an ad, will annoy people. However, if you participate in the conversations, you will not only meet interesting people but allow them to see the author behind the words thereby creating an interest in you work. By creating cooperatives, such as blog rolls, you help other writers while increasing you readership. Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book Promotions (http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/) is a full service online book promotion agency who can show you how to sell books without leaving the comfort of your home. They specialize in virtual book tours and video book trailers.
Valkyrie Publishing provides the technical support for authors who decide they want to publish their own work. Their services include typesetting and the creation of custom book covers. The author maintains all right and profits from the work. Valkyrie Publishing only provides the technical service to make the work printer ready. For more information, email Valkyrie@theresachaze.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)