Book Expo for Readers
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 15th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
I’ve received many emails commenting on my post dated April 5th titled Book Expo America. Most have asked about the relevance of attending if you are not an author or publisher but a reader. The answer I would offer anyone that is curious about attending as a consumer of books is YES! If you enjoy trade shows, or have never attended but are curious, then by all means go and enjoy.
The cost of entry is steep but this conference offers a full day of activity and the opportunity to get a boat load of free galley copies that the biggest publishers offer. The food is expensive, the crowds can be a pain, but overall the experience is worth the effort if you enjoy browsing what is essentially a huge bookstore.
When you buy your ticket you will receive a badge that indicates by color that you are a visitor, which means when you walk through the booths of the big New York publishers you will be ignored, which is fine. If you are seen carrying what appears to be a large envelope, or manuscript, they will run the other way because these companies do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Carry a canvas bag for all the free stuff that is given away and wear comfortable shoes.
You should bring bottled water, assuming they let you take that into the center (you might want to check online before you head off to get details). Restrooms are plentiful but you must have a map of where you can find the biggest publishers. You can easily get lost and turned around if you do not have a map of the show and where everyone is located. You must check out the booths for Random House, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Putnam, Holtzbrink/MacMillan/St. Martins, Harper Collins and Hachette. Those are the biggest and will offer the most for free.
Take your time, don’t be in a hurry and enjoy the day. It’s a huge air conditioned hall with carpeted walkways and booths. Parking could be a problem so again, check online before leaving your home since mass transit may be your best bet. Book Expo America offers readers and fans a great opportunity to see the business up close and personal.
Access to Booksellers
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 13th, 2010 | 3 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
In the world of publishing, if your book does not have access to booksellers then the prospects for sales are handicapped. If you have a book printed by one of the POD companies then you have no access or distribution. They will tell you that you have distribution through Ingram or Baker & Taylor but they never explain what that actually means in terms of access.
If your book is listed in the databases of either of the two accounts mentioned then anyone interested in buying your book can special order from a bookstore and have a copy shipped to them for purchase. When this happens the bookstore orders from either Ingram or Baker & Taylor since neither will stock your title due to the fact it is a POD book. So the reader wants to buy a copy and the bookstore orders from the distributor who in term orders from the printer/publisher. This is what is referred to as having your book “available” for sale and does not provide the author with “access” to booksellers.
The reason you have no access is because publishing with the POD companies gives booksellers a negative perception about the quality of your writing since none of these companies utilize editorial control over the content they publish. This is why booksellers refuse to stock any title published by a POD printer. Keep in mind, without access to booksellers provided by a publisher with a positive perception in the market, you are handicapped in selling your book.
Book Publishing Involves Choices
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 7th, 2010 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
If I told you that signing a contract with a traditional book publisher meant you, as the author, would lose all rights, ownership and control over your content, possibly forever…would you do it? Most would jump at the chance and it is difficult to understand why so many writers are enamored with the print side of publishing.
Depending on your hopes for a career as an author, being under contract with a traditional publisher may enhance your credibility with friends and family as well as your audience at speaking engagements. However the risks are enormous and failure to understand the process of how your manuscript is produced, marketed and sold in-house could spell doom.
Traditionally published authors today are at risk to the very companies that publish their work. You are as important as the last manuscript you published and if sales fall to unacceptable levels, the end is near. Publish independently and you are not under such scrutiny to succeed as quickly and you allow yourself time to build an audience in the process.
Will a traditional publisher still want your book if you publish on your own? The answer is a resounding, YES! They don’t care where or how you publish previously IF they believe your writing as a chance at a larger audience and expanded sales. But wait…is there a better way to publish? As an independent author the answer again is a resounding YES!
The future of the book publishing industry is in digital content, namely the eBook. If you are a writer searching for the very best opportunity to publish and become successful, then eBook is by far the best chance at making a name for yourself and selling content.
The naysayers will argue that eBooks represent only about 2 percent of total book sales which is true, but the market is just getting started and there is no better place for a new author to succeed than with an eBook. While printed books have experienced declines in total book sales each year for the past decade, eBooks will likely triple in sales this year.
Don’t ignore the obvious, eBooks are here to stay and the best platform to launch a writing career is with an eBook.
Writing and Editing
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 2nd, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Have you ever wondered why we write? I’ve never considered myself a writer, but I do get enjoyment out of putting words on paper. I’ve written one book with plans for updating and revising, and am penning a new one. The work is daunting and I struggle with words. Thankfully I have a friend who helps with my editing.
I’ve spent my entire working life in publishing and it wasn’t until I started writing that I realized the importance of a good editor. I’m fortunate in that I have worked with many great editors in New York. But I never quite realized how important they were to the success of publishing in general. I hate to say that they were often taken for granted.
Without editors and their objective yet caring and professional set of eyes, I’m afraid many words and sentences just wouldn’t be as clear as they become after the work of a great editor. I’m partial to editors, because their skills and ability clear up my own words. If you have a good editor, then thank them, if you don’t, then find one. Writing and editing go hand-in-hand. For those who believe editors change the meaning of your writing, then all I can say is, you aren’t working with the right editor.
Avoid the Publishing Mills
By Jerry D. Simmons | March 31st, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
We’ve all heard of “puppy mills” or “puppy farms” which are large-scale breeding facilities for pets that operate in deplorable conditions and cause health and hereditary problems. They exist in publishing, those large mass produced factories that turn out books without editorial control. I’ve written and spoken numerous times about the need for writers to avoid those types of companies when publishing their manuscript. Then tend to be companies and individuals that promise a lot and deliver little, unsuspecting writers fall for the “sales pitch” and purchase services that are worthless.
I’m asking all writers to avoid the “publishing mills” that advertise and market aggressively and tend to dominate the self-publishing industry. This is not in reference to the “mom and pop” operations that handle authors and the end product with great care and produce a professional product. I’m speaking of the large scale operations that eliminate individuality by covering the book with a common template boring book jacket and have little concern other than getting paid and pushing out inefficient product.
If you have hope that your writing has a chance to sell in the marketplace you must avoid the “publishing mills” and concentrate on making an investment in the final product. Printing books will soon become obsolete for the independent author, producing an eBook for launch is the most cost effective and will even get you greater access to the market than a printed book. Consider your options carefully.
Being an author has two-parts—the writing and everything else. Don’t ignore “everything else.”
Anything is Possible in Publishing
By Jerry D. Simmons | March 30th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
If you are laboring away at a manuscript and are at times perplexed about writing and publishing, you aren’t alone. This is a tough business and it’s difficult to get your writing noticed and read. Your decision on how to publish can be confusing, expensive and costly in a number of ways if you make the wrong choice.
Help is available and there are answers to all your questions. Don’t rush into anything, ask for advice and do your homework before you purchase a product or service. Avoid companies or individuals that make wild promises because there are no guarantees in publishing. Take your time, complete your manuscript, find a competent editor, then worry about publishing and marketing your book.
I’ve been fortunate to have developed a tremendous number of contacts throughout publishing and my mission is to help you make the right decisions about how to publish, how to market and all related matters. I’m tired of unsuspecting writers being taken advantage of and during hard economic times when there are deals galore.
Don’t fall for the pitch, if you make the right choices, anything is possible in publishing.
Publishing is Parting from the Past
By Jerry D. Simmons | March 29th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
The big New York publishing houses have been systematically laying off workers in small numbers so not to catch the attention of the media. By eliminating loyal employees in groups of ten and twenty without fanfare, the action flies well under the radar of the press. People with famous names and pedigrees in this business will soon lose their jobs. What’s going on?
Sales are dismal. But that’s been the case for the past 16 consecutive years. Why now? Publishing is a broken business model and is in need of an overhaul. When I hear about the problems of the automakers, I can’t help but think how publishing is also in dire need of a major transformation. The marketplace is demanding change.
A good friend of mine who lives in New York recently returned from maternity leave at a major publishing house. She told me that her boss sat her down and explained: “publishing is not the same as it was twelve weeks ago when you left, and it will never be the way it was before. Everything you thought you ever knew about publishing is different. We’re all going to have to learn a new way to conduct business.” Behind the scenes, people are worried. Many have worked years with the same house and are scared.
Is there a silver lining? There might be. Ask yourself this important question: Would you like to be a part of the revolution to change publishing?
New and Exciting Market for eBooks
By Jerry D. Simmons | March 19th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
The demographics for eBooks clearly illustrate there is much to learn about who buys and reads them but we do know that the average age is above 40. We also know that the market has barely scratched the surface and as eReaders become widely available and hit the shelves of mass merchants, the market will likely explode. Where was music before the MP3 and iPhone? It seems that eBooks are heading in the same direction.
Success as an author in the digital marketplace still boils down to finding an audience and marketing your writing. Niche musical groups have managed to find ways to promote their music and themselves via social networks and the Internet so it seems logical that writers will do the same. I don’t believe that publishing mirrors music but I do think that writers have some advantages over musicians and that has to do with the plethora of writing groups and forums.
Although it is frowned upon to join a group or forum and promote you’re writing there are free formats for promotion such as NothingBinding.com.
There are lessons to be learned and information to share but in the meantime, you have to be in the game to play and if you’ve ever considered an eBook, now is the time to move forward and explore your options.
The Economics of Print versus Digital Publishing
By Jerry D. Simmons | March 18th, 2010 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Over the course of the past fifty years, the major book publishers of this country have created a system where they have systematically eliminated competition for retail book sales. They have managed to monopolize booksellers by offering an assortment of incentives, fees and discounts that capitalize on their deep pockets and prevent small and niche publishers from finding shelf space for their own titles.
Quality independently published books are having a difficult time finding adequate distribution for the print edition simply because the major houses continue to pour money into the retail sector. They will pay for anything from newsletter placement to author book tours and signings to advertising allowances for anything and everything. This has created a distribution system for print books that grossly limits quality small press titles from competing.
Retailers take a straight 50 percent off the top of every book they sell. Consider a $15.00 trade paperback, the bookstore will take $7.50, distributor will take another 30 percent or $4.50 leaving the independent author with 20 percent of $3.00. If you cannot print enough books to cover the cost of the $3.00 per copy printing then you will lose money on each copy sold. My best guess is that you would need to print roughly 3,000 copies to meet that threshold. The problem is that the quality independently published book rarely achieves a 3,000 copy advanced order.
Now consider the eBook market which is still so new that the major publishers haven’t figured out how to flex their muscles. The distributors for eBooks are not in bed with print publishers, they are digital companies who are willing to give quality small companies a fair chance to sell product. This favors the independent author over print in a number of ways. Plus, retailers for digital content have not set discounts that run standard like the print market because they are all still trying to find a competitive advantage. Another plus that favors the independent author and their eBooks.
Marketing and selling digital content is still faced with the massive problem of how to reach an audience and unfortunately there are no special formulas or secrets that will solve that issue. However, it appears that consumers or digital content are more likely to read about content via social networks, blogs and eBook reviews that are just starting to emerge. My prediction is that marketing for eBooks will start to shift from the traditional methods to more advanced ways of finding an audience through the Internet.
The cost of converting a word document original manuscript to an eBook that is compatible with all formats of eReading devices is a fraction of the cost to produce a quality print book. The eBook market is one where all sales are final which means no returns and no printing costs or warehousing, shipping and handling. Convert a manuscript to an eBook and concentrate on marketing, rather than reprinting and all that goes with that process.
As long as the major book publishers continue to focus on hardcover and trade paper print while delaying release of their eBooks the independent author has a clear advantage. By launching in eBook followed by print, after achieving a significant audience is the perfect strategy for the independent author. The low cost for entry into the marketplace allows more resources to be devoted to marketing which makes digital content the preferred choice over print editions for the independent author.
If you have a print edition and have been discouraged by the process and success, eBooks are not necessarily the answer. You should step back and look closely at your entire publishing program before deciding to move forward with an eBook edition. The emergence of eBooks and the growing market does not mean your content will suddenly find an audience it merely provides another opportunity for sales. In my thirty plus years of publishing experience, the emergence of the digital market is clearly one of the most exciting. If I can help answer your questions about eBooks, please send me an email jerry@writersreaders.com.
The New Hybrid Publishing Model
By Jerry D. Simmons | March 15th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
As the major publishing companies evaluate their current situation, one thing becomes clear, what they are doing is not working. You cannot stem the tide of falling unit sales when your strategy is to produce more of the same. Propping up a broken system that makes it difficult for new talent to break in and reprinting less-than-stellar writing from old tried-and-true authors is the best way to drive your customers away, and that strategy seems to be working!
The reading public is screaming for a new approach. This is my conclusion after seeing a decade long slide in single copy sales. How can an industry constantly fly in the face of the basic law of supply and demand? When demand goes down in publishing, the big companies increase supply by shipping more books and raise cover prices at the same time. This does not make sense.
The time is right for an entirely new approach, and it’s called the hybrid publishing model—combining the experience and vast knowledge of former New York publishing executives with top quality production to assist writers in publishing their own manuscript. In the end, the finished product is made available to booksellers via direct sales to book buyers at top retailers. The advantages are considerable.
Remember, publishing is about perception—publish with the wrong company and the quality of your writing will forever be judged before your title has a chance at success.
