Archive for the ‘Trends’ Category
The Future of Publishing (according to Penguin)
March 18th, 2010 by Nick CiskeRead the story behind this video at The Future of Publishing post on Penguin’s site.
Where Do I Sell My Books? How do I tell the world my message?
December 8th, 2009 by J A Heinlein
Is your Marketing Strategy: New & Improved…Tried & True… or Old & Tired…?
Recently, Christian Retailing featured an article on “Self-publishing”. It outlined new developments and statistics and included highlighting some “big brand name” publishers who have become involved in self-publishing. And, predictably, it quoted some quite overused and outdated arguments against. But, one quote that stood out to me was a quote from a respected industry agent (and friend) regarding sales and distribution,
“I think the chances of those books actually having a very effective distribution channel [into retail bookstores] are very slim.”– RG, Christian Retailing Dec 7, ‘09
First of all, I have to respond by saying, that I highly respect the very essential role of agents in the publishing process. But, that said, it must also be understood that good agents are good at selling books to publishers. But, even good agents don’t generally participate in the actual selling process into the “real marketplace”.
And, that statement also caused to me to reflect on an industry “trend shift” that is not readily perceived and often overlooked.
Books are sold in bookstores right? Well, about half of them are…
“52% of books are not sold in bookstores. They are merchandised [directly] via mail order, online, in discount or warehouse stores, through book clubs, in nontraditional retail outlets, etc.” “The worldwide book market is almost $90 billion, and every year [more than] half of those sales are made in non-bookstore markets such as museums, schools, libraries, warehouse clubs, catalogs, book clubs, book fairs, and to corporations, among many other markets.” – http://BookStatistics.com, Para Publishing – http://bit.ly/14nOAF
Bookstores are now “a sales channel” and, are now not “the only channel” for book sales. And, selling books to the “traditional retail channels” is likely not the most profitable way to sell books – especially for a smaller publisher or new authors. For most, the required “sales hoops” that must be jumped through are simply insurmountable. This includes high discounts, expensive marketing and merchandising programs, and a high percentage of returns. And, all of that is done for a very short “selling window” – usually 3-6 months.
Another whole discussion involves the very definition of “what is a published book?”–it’s many forms and formats that are now available–and the related new emerging sales channels.
So where/how do I sell my books?
The most basic and fundamental objective of marketing is connecting with the right audience–that is introducing a product, solution, or service to those that are most likely to benefit.
Developing a productive author platform that engages and develops relationship with the intended audience is essential.
The good news is that there are now many ways to connect to your best audience – that is to directly access your intended niche market - and common interest affinity groups.
The Online Trend: Building an “Author Brand” with Social Media Marketing
Develop a Social Media/ “Web 2.0″ strategy for building & expanding author platform on established associations, identity, and audience.
- Develop integration process for EVERYTHING – create a sales “funnel”
- Drive target audience to a specific direction/destination – author website and ecommerce page(s).
- Use all web 2.0/social media priority “standards”: Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, Youtube, LinkedIn, and bookmarking sites such as Digg.
Purpose Objective: build a following – a “Tribe”
“A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. For millions of years, humans have been seeking out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). It’s our nature.” “Now the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time. – Seth Godin, Tribes
“If you are an author, your tribe members are your readers—or, at least, that’s potentially true. The only question is whether or not you will become the tribe’s leader and equip them to communicate with you and with one another.” – Michael Hyatt, CEO-Thomas Nelson
Recommended reading:
Beyond the Bookstore: How to Sell More Books Profitably to Non-Bookstore Markets (9781594290022): Brian Jud
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us (9781591842330): Seth Godin
Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust (9780470743089): Chris Brogan, Julien Smith
Related Links
- Are you a trust agent? Do you need to be? (myventurepad.com)
- The Power of Tribes on Blog Talk Radio (theimuniversity.com)
- Julien Smith – Social Capital and the New Tribe (andreavascellari.com)
- Reach Matters – Even In Social Media (socialmediatoday.com)
Innovate with Integrity
November 24th, 2009 by Jenni BurkeThe internet is abuzz with chatter from publishers, writers, agents, and other self-professed “word nerds” like myself… tweeting, blogging, and commenting on the rapidly expanding role of self-publishing.
Many industry insiders say that the traditional publishing model is broken. The speed of change taking place in recent years proves that even if it’s not broken, it is definitely evolving. And while those waves of change have and will continue to upset the status quo, the companies and individuals who recognize the inevitability (and potential benefits) of change will find creative ways to adapt and stay ahead of the curve. Those who do this well will keep the needs of their customers in mind and always partner innovation with integrity.
I love the concept of innovation: to create or introduce a new idea or method. Of course, those who lead in innovation will inevitably attract criticism and resistance from those who fear change or like things “the way they are”. Thomas Nelson’s CEO Michael Hyatt is highly respected in the industry for his innovative leadership style combined with integrity; that combination has led Thomas Nelson on as one of the most successful Christian publishers in the world. Hyatt has also attracted criticism from some lately for his company’s recent bold move into self-publishing.
He posted a thoughtful yet animated response to this criticism on his blog on Friday: Why Agents May Be Opposed to Self Publishing. In the post he examines the three most common arguments leveled against self-publishing by “the guild”, or those within the industry. He also points out that over half the books published in the United States are self-published and that the reason people (especially agents) lash out against the approach may be because they feel threatened by a disruption of the status quo. Interesting, no?
Hyatt concluded his post with this reality-check on the inevitability of change, challenging everyone in publishing to examine how they might be dragging their feet instead of taking steps forward:
“As a form of user-generated content, self-publishing is a disruptive force that isn’t going away. It is arguably the fastest growing segment of publishing. It will ultimately impact everyone in traditional publishing. As a result, publishers are having to change and so are authors. Maybe it’s time agents took a hard look at their own business model and asked how they can add value in the new publishing economy.”
We at D.C. Jacobson & Associates agree with Mike that the “traditional” business models need to be re-examined. Our company was, after all, founded on principles of innovation and integrity. When Don Jacobson sold his successful Multnomah Publishers to Random House in 2006 and asked himself how he could continue adding value to the industry he loved, he saw the need for a new kind of literary agency.
While our primary focus is placing excellent books with royalty publishers, our growing team of specialists is passionate about contributing to the production and promotion of life-changing messages on multiple levels. Together we offer our clients the highest quality of service in three distinct but complementary branches: Author Representation, market-informed Literary Consultation , and Publicity Campaigns & Consulting. The community at BelieversPress is a great example of vision and values, which is why we love working with them.
Some who prefer things “the way they were” have taken shots at us; maybe they’re the ones Mike Hyatt’s blog post is speaking about. We don’t listen to them; we listen to the success stories of our authors and publishers. We will continue to look ahead and innovate with integrity. As the saying goes, “keep your heart pure and drive on.”
QUESTION: What do you think about the changes you see taking place across the publishing industry?
Marketing Your Book with Social Media — it’s a conversation
November 10th, 2009 by J A HeinleinWilliam Barrett, Professor of Philosophy, wrote back in 1979:
“…our modes of communication and expression take place within the framework (of an increasingly complex technology) and are increasingly shaped by it … the task … in this situation becomes neither the meaningless rejection of technology nor the equally meaningless affirmation of technology, but to try to see where technical and technological thinking, with no other principle but itself, must lead us; and whether some countervailing mode of thought may not be called for.” —Barrett, William, The Illusion of Technique, (Anchor Books: Garden City, New York, 1979) p. 230″
I was just going through my email — clearing the box — while having coffee at one my favorite local community coffee shops (as is my morning ritual). As I read the message (excerpted below) from a new client, it occurred to me that his request contained something that I have been pondering all last week… how do you really “use” social media?
Well, first of all, to “correct myself”, one doesn’t “use it”… one participates… it is simply a conversation. Use beyond that, can quickly just become annoying noise.
Recently, I have been more than impressed and humbled by being able to participate in personal and direct messages and conversations with the likes of Chris Brogan and Danny Brown. These guys (”guys”… they are figurative “giants” really! -personable, nice, “gentle giants”, but giants nonetheless) …find a way to organize their daily lifestyle, moments… precious time to directly answer and converse on a personal level with many, many people… constantly… every day….
It is after all “Social Media”. They literally have 100’s of thousands of “followers”…but, somehow they find a way to “have the conversation…” And, this is what I find to be most impressive and confounding… and, am observing to be the “Secret” to theirs and others like themselves’ success.
I like many, am still learning and trying to figure it out? I suspect and am also learning… that part of it is just to relaxing into the practice…. that is… one must “just be”… and become a willing and calmly active participant in the happening… In other words, don’t “try” so hard…
One thing that is certain and very obvious… The example and model is there — being personal is not optional!
My email conversation:
“Hi Jay,
I apologize for my confusion….I’m not the “brightest bulb in the box” when it comes to Facebook…or computers!!
Can you give me an idea of exactly what to do with each of the names and addresses you gave me? Once I understand it I will never forget..it’s just….understanding it??
Maybe just take one of the addresses like ______and tell me step by step how to get them on my Facebook?
Sorry for the request… but computers and I have not been very close friends….arrrggghhh!!!
Thanks Jay – For Everything!!
========================================
“J,
-no worries… and, I strongly disagree!
You are refreshingly one of the “brightest bulbs” that I have met in a long time…
I am thankful to be in the company of the likes of you, L, and “Dr. Pat”!
re Facebook
You are naturally very social, so once you get “it”…the learning curve will be short…
Think of “it” as just talking…having a conversation…
-that is the true heart of “social media”…
-there is a lot of “noise” out there as “marketers” try to flatten the learning curve…
-and, many are mistakenly just applying old practices to the new medium (including me…I have been guilty…)
…but, this one… “Social Media” is different…
…and, alas, I blab…
one step at a time…
step 1: simply “join”…ask for a “friendship“, become a “fan”, or join the “group” -whichever applies…
step 2: introduce yourself
step 3: join the conversation…or start one…
step 4: post “helpful links”… items of “mutual interest” and incl your own…
step 5: coming soon…. “Earning the right to ask a favor…”
HAVE FUN!!!
: )
Jay
Some other tips for using Facebook
Of course variations of these can be done on other social media platforms… please comment below and I will respond with more suggested ideas…
Add to your page
- Your bio
- Description of your book
- Include your contact information (website, blog, twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, Biznik information)
- Join one of the many groups for writers and authors and be active!
- Include a graphic of your book cover
- Invite friends to review your book and post comments
- Add a Shelfari widget and showcase all of your books or books by other authors you support
- Create a virtual bookshelf with your books
- Post updates about your book to the blogs and comments sections
- Invite other authors to be your friends, build your network
Elements of a Successful Publishing Project
November 4th, 2009 by J A Heinlein1. You need to know Why You Want to be Published
You must ask yourself and answer the question, “…why do you want to be published?”
Some feel called to educate and inspire, while some want to “entertain” and tell a story, either fiction or non-fiction. And, the different callings and writer desires can combine to accomplish both.
What is the objective of your writing? Who will benefit?
I work with a lot of very successful professional speakers/authors, and over the years, the most common mistake has been for them to want to “rush too quickly to write and get published”… and, without having asked and answered those most fundamental of questions:
What is the reason and purpose for me to be a published author?
- it is my ministry and calling?
- to help expand my brand?
- to provide lasting value and impression?
- to create an additional income?
- to increase my speaker’s fee value?
What will the reader take away as the value from my book?
How will that help my ministry and/or business? How does this book reflect my personal mission and objectives?
And, once answered, how do I get this done?
See Also: How do you write a book or novel
2. You need to be informed
- Do your homework – “flatten” the learning curve as quickly as possible.
- Do the advance work to understand the “basics”– outline your plan for writing, marketing
Basic publishing elements
- Editing/Formatting
- Packaging: Creative Design: Cover, Layout, Illustration
- Production: print options – POD/Digital, offset, ebooks, ebook platforms
- Registrations
- Considerations of Setting-up Small Business
- Pricing, Distribution, Fulfillment
- Promotion, Sales, Market Placement
- Social Media Marketing – Online Network Management
- Online Presence, Search Engine Visibility Development
- Experience: Do’s & Don’ts
Related Links:
- Sell- Marketing yourself and your work, promotion and contests
- Writer’s Digest – 101 Best Websites for Writers
- 100 Free Tools to Write, Publish and Promote Your Own Book
- 5 Advanced Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses
3. You need a platform
“Platform is a big word in publishing. Seriously, it’s a critical component of getting a book sold. It’s so important, in fact, that many experts recommend that you start to build your platform long before you’re ready to submit your book for publication. What is an author’s platform? It’s what helps sell your book. An author’s platform is the way you reach readers. It’s a network, and it’s notoriety. It’s exposure.”
- Lolaness, Build an Author’s Platform: It’s How to Sell Your Book“10 simple steps that will take your visibility from zero to standout in a short time, while also giving you ample opportunities to flex your expertise, carve out your niche topic and connect with your audience.”
Christina Katz, Writer’s Digest – How to Build a Marketing Platform
4. You need a plan
The strategic plan is tailored and built upon the idea of developing a niche strategy focus, from the author’s identified platform and intended audience. Its goal is to direct focused efforts toward the right audience for initial sales and ongoing sell-through.
“…the publishing business is all about marketing, and it’s certainly true that books don’t sell themselves. However, there’s a caveat to the idea that anybody who can market books can start their own publishing house, and it’s that you need a business plan in place that will allow you to make a profit on the books you sell.”
-Morris Rosenthal, Self Publishing: Starting Your Own Publishing House
5. You need help
Fortunately, there is now a “one-stop resource” that you can enlist help from! – The BelieversPress Community.
“BelieversPress is a gathering of Christian authors and an elite team of Christian publishing professionals collaborating to bring the message God has placed in authors’ hearts to touch the lives of millions.”
- If you’re serious about your book, hire a book mentor to coach you and to help in coordination of the publishing process.
- Educate yourself, by engaging and asking a lot of questions, and sharing your own experiences with the group.
- Engage with and enlist help by hiring from the variety of related services of the community.
6. You need to execute your plan
The plan should identify:
- industry professionals and interest “affinity” groups
- spheres of influence, building “word of mouth” viral campaigns
- special sales markets – beyond traditional bookselling/bookseller strategies
- emerging markets to develop new market channel opportunities
- select bookstore markets and current bookseller relationships
The developed plan will detail:
- Focused Research of Audience Demographics & Psychographics,
- Indentified Branding Objectives,
- Writing Schedule,
- Production Deadlines
- Package Planning ,
- Tactics for Promotion & Marketing,
- Sales, Market Placement, and Distribution.
Summary
For independently published authors, there is a lot of advance work that must be done by the author and, their “team” can be of immeasurable value, if they are fortunate to have one as in “the BelieversPress Community.
It is the “same” work and objectives that both traditionally published authors or independently published authors must accomplish.
The traditionally published authors would seem to have an edge as a result of having a “bigger machine” backing them.
-but, based on current sales results, the real effort and scaled back resources of brand name companies are being used to mainly push the “A list” level authors.
Bottom line, whether traditionally published or independently published, authors must take a very active role in promotions of themselves and their work. Those who expect to “just write” and let others “carry the load” will likely not be successful going forward.
Yes, advance planning, and taking part in marketing and promotions can be quite an investment of personal resources…difficult, time consuming… exhausting even… but, the rewards are being able to share your unique message with others, building and enjoying enduring reader relationships, seeing your dreams and passionate objectives become a reality…
…and of course, it is nice to be able to buy groceries…
“… authors who survive will be the ones who find ways to authentically grow their platform and meaningfully reach their readership.” “Communities will decide what books are worthwhile, and communities won’t have ego-filled judgments. Publishers will always be giving their authors one thing that is hard to come by: a measure of instant credibility. (That is: Someone thought this was good enough to take a financial risk on.) In good scenarios, there is also collaboration: to make a good book a great book. But soon, communities will have as much power as publishers to decide what books deserve attention.“
- Jane Freidman, My Big Rant on Self-Publishing, Writer’s Digest
Subject: Our Marketing Plan
October 14th, 2009 by Nick CiskeEllis Weiner posted a rousing satire of the shrinking promotional departments (and budgets) of many traditional publishers and their increasing reliance on authors to do more and more marketing for their own books.
Hi, Ellis—
Let me introduce myself. My name is Gineen Klein, and I’ve been brought on as an intern to replace the promotion department here at Propensity Books. First, let me say that I absolutely love “Clancy the Doofus Beagle: A Love Story” and have some excellent ideas for promotion.
To start: Do you blog? If not, get in touch with Kris and Christopher from our online department, although at this point I think only Christopher is left. I’ll be out of the office from tomorrow until Monday, but when I get back I’ll ask him if he spoke to you. We use CopyBuoy via Hoster Broaster, because it streams really easily into a Plaxo/LinkedIn yak-fest meld. When you register, click “Endless,” and under “Contacts” just list everyone you’ve ever met. It would be great if you could post at least six hundred words every day until further notice.
Continue Reading Subject: Our Marketing Plan at The New Yorker.
Publishing 2.0
October 12th, 2009 by J A HeinleinAbout Me
Since, this is a bit of a reintroduction, following is a little about me.
I am a proud father of three very talented and accomplished now-grown girls.
I am “passionate about books” and publishing!
My personal experience as a Publishing & Marketing Professional now spans over 20 years– I have the grey thin hair to prove it! I have had the privilege of working with several top Christian publishing companies including Word, Nelson, The United Methodist Publishing House, NavPress, and concurrently, my independent ongoing enterprise.
My particular chosen focus and background has been on marketing & sales, and the various and evolving communications media.
I like many today, am a social media enthusiast.
As part of the Believers Press Team, it is my goal to help with objective of facilitating the new “Publishing 2.0!”
It is a very good day to be in publishing! I am loving life and meeting the new challenges!
Why I am interested in being a part of the BelieversPress community
Helping to bring the inspired and encouraging words of talented Christian communicators is an honor and privilege.
Simply, BelieversPress is an idea “which time has come!” I believe that it is truly a “Spirit-initiated” idea.
“…new way for Christians to publish books — a gathering of Christian authors and publishing professionals collaborating to reinvent the way books are published and sold.”
Objective of Publishing
In my opinion, producing quality and valuable content will always be the prime objective of publishing, and the future of the business will be determined by how that content is delivered and experienced by the various mediums/platforms, and by how each of those mediums/platforms is monetized and paid for…
The newly leveled playing field resulting from current technologies and broad access to both those technologies and broad direct access to the ultimate end-user market, is allowing publishing to return to its roots.
One thing that has changed dramatically, in particular, and for the positive, is that the two main viable options for publishing experiences no longer need be exclusive from the other. That is in the past, an independently published new author might have been quickly passed over [and, likely with some disdain] by a brand name publisher. The brand name publisher held all of the cards.
Now, as the big guys focus on trimming down and better efficiencies, it has actually become a strong positive to be able to bring to the table an established success in the marketplace.
The independently successful author is in a much stronger bargaining position, and can make an informed and deliberate choice, based on their own publishing vision and personal financial objectives.
Book Covers as Packaging in the New Marketing Environment
October 1st, 2009 by Terry DuganWhen deciding whether a cover design is right for your book, as with any product package you’re first asking a couple of important questions:
- Does it accurately represent the contents?
- Does it engage customers emotionally? Make them want to pick it up, turn it over, flip through it, find out what’s inside?
Good questions, but there are others to ask too. Does it look new? Contemporary? Fresh? As in all categories of design, fashion, automotive, architecture etc., what’s new is appealing, and what looks “new” is defined by a balance between trendiness and originality. So typefaces, color palettes, ways of rendering photos and images will need to fit in with other books currently making an impact, and yet have something fresh and different about them. That’s the task and the joy of a book designer, to find a perfect balance between fashion and originality while faithfully representing the contents of your book.
But there’s another key category, more important now than ever. Marketing. Where will the book be sold? How will it be promoted? Answers to these questions will increasingly drive cover design trends. For example, a traditional measure of a book title treatment in the past was often whether it could be read and would “pop” on a store shelf 10-20 feet away. So titles got huge…”wall-to-wall type” was the publisher’s request, and the blockbuster look was born. Then, in reaction to that—in recognition that out of the screaming throng of titles on a bookstore shelf, sometimes “small and understated” actually stands out from the crowd—a new trend was born, the sophisticated, simple, understated use of type and other elements. We now see that everywhere.
However, as books are sold more and more on the internet, with covers viewed on smaller and smaller screens, I think we’re going to see a design trend back to bigger and bolder titles and graphics. Titles now need to stand out in an Amazon lineup presented at low resolution 1 1/2 inches high! Particularly for self-publishers, if a cover doesn’t work at that size, it’s probably not going to work. Something to think about.
Hardcover books: No Jacket Required
August 24th, 2009 by Nick Ciske
The New York Observer reports:
September will see the publication of three unusual-looking books: Farrar, Straus and Giroux’s No Impact Man by Colin Beavan, Viking’s Bicycle Diaries by former Talking Head David Byrne, and Graywolf’s The Adderall Diaries by Stephen Elliott. What makes these books so unusual-looking is that, even though they’re hardcovers, their cover art is not printed on dust jackets but instead stamped directly onto the boards that hug their pages. The result is a handsome, eye-catching look that reflects a heightened awareness on the part of publishers that books these days cannot be counted on to simply sell themselves.
…
Part of the reason for that blandness, intuitively, is the cost associated with doing anything fancier. “You’d be surprised how few options there are, unless you’ve got oodles of money to spend on color and texture for the paper that covers most of our books,” said FSG designer Charlotte Strick, who created the design for Mr. Beavan’s No Impact Man. “The manufacturers just don’t have a huge range of these things.”
The wager with jacketless books like the ones coming out this September is that the extra money spent will attract attention they might not get otherwise by enticing booksellers to display them prominently in their stores and causing readers to notice them when they’re browsing.
The New Thing: Books Without Jackets
Tip: The book jacket can be wrapped around and glued to the book itself (called a case wrap hardcover). This gives you the fidelity of a full color cover, and the convenience of never losing, damaging, or discarding the jacket. It’s also a lot cheaper than the cost of stamping directly on the boards. A creative cover designer should be able to create a case wrapped book that looks like it’s stamped onto the boards, if desired.
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