IT LOOKS LIKE GOING ROGUE WILL HAVE

A LITTLE COMPETITION FROM GOING ROUGE 

Sarah Palin’s complexion may turn a bit pinker when the November 17^th release date of her memoir Going Rogue: An American Life is released. A second book is scheduled to make its appearance o the same day with the title Going Rouge:An American Nightmare. 

  Given the circumstances, I think the more appropriate title is by far the latter.  

This is the first release from OR Books, a new company begun by publishing veterans John Oakes and Colin Robinson. Their aim, according to a piece in Publishers Weekly, the industry flagship, is to “publish politically progressive and literary books with sufficient money to promote them.” 

That’s a fascinating –and very welcome—concept in the day when publishers shy away from promotion and leave the task and expense to all but their high profile writers…the ones who really don’t need the help. 

By publishing in e-book and POD forms and promoting essentially on the Web, the duo believes the low production costs will enable them to promote heavily online. They plan to offer the digital books at $10 each and the print version at $16.  

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SIMON & SCHUSTER DELAYING  E-BOOK VERSION

OF UNDER THE DOME UNTIL CHRISTMAS EVE 

As the “big boys” shift back and forth with publication dates trying to find the best way to accommodate hardcover and e-book versions of the same title, Simon & Schuster is the latest major to announce postponement of an e-book until after the holiday selling season, according to Publishers Weekly. 

It is releasing the hardcover version of Stephen King’s 1,000-word tome titled Under the Dome in November, but delaying the e-book version.  

Timing and uncertainty over concurrent releases of hardcover and digital versions isn’t the only concern upsetting publishers today. Pricing and its impact on profit is troubling the industry as well. Simon & Schuster stated in the PW story that the e-book price will match the print book at $35. 

That was somewhat of a shocker! 

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SOME FASCINATING FINDINGS ON

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ONLINE REFERRALS  

eMarketer recently ran an interesting summary of the effectiveness of various sites and search engines in referring readers to your web site or blog. It’s information that can very helpful to authors seeking visitors to their sites and buyers for their books.  

Of course, the search engines, particularly Google, topped the referral list by far. Taken together, all search engines produced 98% of them, with Google alone accounting for more than 76%. 

But the most interesting finding came from research done by Chitika that uncovered the fact that people referred to your site by Facebook and Digg are much more likely to revisit it. More than 20% of Facebook referrals returned at least four times in the course of a week. Less than 12% of Google referrals were that loyal.  

But the number of referrals by social media were infinitesimally smaller than those of search engines. Despite all of the hype that surrounds it, Twitter had almost none. Search engines remain far and away the dominant referral source. 

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Charlie’s Choice

Weekly Tips to Help You to Write,

Publish and Promote Your Work 

BOOK REVIEWS ARE ONE OF THE BEST WAYS

TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOK 

      Novice authors often ask me why I state that book reviews and endorsements are two of the finest and most effective ways to promote your book. The answer is very simple. It’s not the biased author and publisher proclaiming the wonders of their book. A recommendation from an objective third party carries a very high level of credibility, particularly if that reviewer is someone of stature in the publishing world or in the subject the book deals with.

      Recommendations from these leading professionals can be hard to obtain. That’s because many of them are extremely busy. But that should not deter you. Regardless of how prominent in his/her field, the potential reviewer is always pleased to find that you have so high a level of respect for his/her opinion. If your request letter is written well, the chances of success will increase substantially.

Where Do I find a Reviewer?

      First rate reviewers are not always easy to secure. When a half million brand new books reach the market each year, the demand for reviewers is extremely high. Publishers Weekly, the leading industry newspaper, reviews 5,000 books per year. Midwest Book Review, one of

publishing’s most respected review organizations processes in the neighborhood of 490 books each month.

      Nonetheless, your choices are extensive. You might begin by weeding through the many possibilities offered from a search on the Internet. Simply enter “book reviewers,” and a goodly number will pop up. Read their sites carefully. Be particularly cautious of paid reviewers. There are very few that are worth paying when so many quality reviews can be had at no cost, and carry a great deal more weight.

      By entering “Amazon Top Reviewers” into your favorite search engine, you will find large numbers of legitimate and highly respected reviewers. The designation “Top Reviewer” from Amazon—you can see it on the reviews of many books on its site—is a guarantee to readers and industry professionals that your book has been reviewed by a highly qualified person.

      One of the finest and most highly respected review organizations is Midwest Book Review that I mentioned earlier. Jim Cox, the founder, is devoted to books and to quality. His excellent team of reviewers shares his enthusiasm for literature and for the highest ethical standards. His web site is an encyclopedia of guidance on books and reviewing. Spend some time reading the articles he has posted and select additional reviewers from the list he very carefully vets and posts.

      If you’ve written a nonfiction book or a novel that has a specific theme, study the magazines and other periodicals that relate to your topic or theme, and request a review of your book. Unfortunately, current economic forces in the newspaper industry have severely reduced the number of book reviewers and even book sections. But check for those that still review, and contact them.

      However, newspapers continue to run specialized features week after week. You’ll find sections like travel, food, seniors, real estate and business that appear regularly. If your book relates to any of these sections, don’t hesitate to contact the section editor. Offer your book for review or as an alternative offer an article or the chance to interview you. You’ll be surprised at the number of placements you can obtain this way.

Approaching a Reviewer

      It is considered a courtesy in our industry to send an initial query before sending a copy of your book to review. Write a letter that explains who you are and what your book is about. You should by this time have assembled a press kit that provides far greater detail on you, the author, and on your book. Send it with your letter that asks whether you can send him/her a copy of the book.

      This not only tempts the reviewer, if done well; it also provides the reviewer with adequate information to write an informed and informative review.  Be certain to include a SASE to make the reviewer’s response easy.

      Be sure to avoid certain comments that will immediately turn off your professional reviewer. Never tell him/her that your book is the best ever written on that subject or in that genre. Don’t state that your uncle, the professor, read and loved it or that your cousin who is an avid reader said it was wonderful. Be gracious enough to let the reviewer make his/her own decisions.  

Pre-publication Reviews

      Unfortunately, most newcomers to the book industry are not aware of the fact that to be able to obtain reviews from some of the most prestigious sources in the industry, an author must begin three to four months ahead of publication date. These reviews are basically directed toward members of the industry, not to the public at large. They are commonly called Advance Review Copies or ARCs.

      The reviews are carefully watched by publishers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, librarians and public relations professionals. A favorable review in one of these publications can easily translate into high volume sales even before your book hits the market. 

      The seven key pre-publication reviewers are:  Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Review, ForeWord Magazine, New York Times Book Review and Booklist (American Library Association. If your book is suitable for children and or young adults, include School Library Journal.

            It is also wise to get early review copies out to major book clubs and to Quality Books, considered the top distributor of books to libraries. (Never forget that libraries are one of your strongest markets.)

      Because these periodicals will not review a book once publication date has passed, requests for reviews from these key publications must be done early, as I stated. Since it is so far before the pub date, they will willingly accept galley proofs enclosed in a simulated cover. They must be bound, and it is preferable to trim them to the page size of the finished book.

      As an alternate, you can approach a short-run digital printer to prepare approximately 50 to 75 copies of the book in its finished form, even before it is given a final edit. You’ll need that many to send out for early endorsements and for other purposes.

            On the cover, always stamp in large type: “Advance Review Copy – Not Fully Proofed.”  That will allow you to make final corrections and other changes before going on press.

      As we progress through the various elements of a powerful promotional campaign, next week we’ll take a detailed look at using your abilities as a writer to craft strong press releases, as well as articles for distribution on the Web and in print to make readers aware of your web site and your book(s). We touched on that way back in July, but will dig in more deeply next week.

      See you then.

      Keep Writing! 

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TECHNORATI’S STATE OF THE BLOGOSPHERE

ESTABLISHES 4 CATEGORIES  OF BLOGGERS 

In this year’s new State of the Blogosphere, the introduction to the popular report creates four classes of bloggers, and they seem to make a good deal of sense, as Technorati often does. 

The largest group of bloggers are the “Hobbyists,” who blog for the joy of it. Of the 72% of bloggers who make up this group, 71% update weekly and 22% daily. With three-quarters of them blogging to ”speak their minds,” they seem to gain a great deal of personal satisfaction from their “sport.” 

In the “Part-Timer” category (15% of the blogging population) are those who blog to supplement their income, but not as a full-time job. They blog either to build their business or share their expertise. 

“Self-Employed” constitute an interesting group. They blog full-time for their own company, some of them 40 hours or more per week. They represent 9% of bloggers. For some the blog is their company, while 70% of the group own a company and blog about it. 

The smallest group, at 4%, are called “Pros” and blog full-time for a company or organization, although many admit their full-time doesn’t reach even 40 hours a week. 

It’s an interesting breakdown that I thought you might enjoy reading, albeit not very meaningful in planning promotions or other uses for blogs.    

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USPS PROMISES NOT TO RAISE FIRST CLASS

AND PERIODICALRATES NEXT YEAR

NO SIMILAR PROMISES FOR MEDIA MAIL 
 

In statements made last week, the U.S. Postal Service claimed it will not increase rates for what it calls “market dominant products” in the coming year. That category includes mailings of periodicals (magazines), first class and some categories of Parcel Post.  

That set a lot of minds at ease during a gathering of the Magazine Publishers of America last week, and should be welcome news to freelancers concerned about the stability of the periodicals they write for.  

But what about the concerns of book authors?  USPS has said nothing about media mail, that very special category that saves us thousands of dollars each year by reducing the mailing costs of the books we sell. 

The postal service has experienced a huge fall-off in activity over the past several years bottoming out at 202.7 billion pieces of mail in 2008.Projections for next year (2010) are as low as 160 billion.

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FUN, FRIENDSHIPS AND A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN;

MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ATTEND A QUALITY WRITERS CONFERENCE 

Traveling more than 1,200 miles—from the Garden State to the Sunshine State—proved to me once again just how valuable attendance at a writers conference can be. Particularly if it offers a well-planned, informative agenda. And the eighth annual conference of the Florida Writers Association (FWA) certainly did! 

In the interest of fair disclosure, I have to tell you that I was a presenter and spoke at two of the 33 diverse workshops that covered everything a writer might want to know from writing in various genres to publishing and promoting your work. When not speaking, I attended as many of these workshops as I could. 

The attendees ranged from experienced published authors to eager and hopeful wanna-bes all seeking to raise their abilities to a higher level. And the speakers that Conference Director Chrissy Jackson brought in were highly qualified to do just that. 

Perhaps the secret to running a first-rate conference is to put writers in charge. They know best how to serve the needs of their peers in the field. That was very much in evidence at the FWA conference. Chrissy and her staff were all writers at various levels of achievement, and as a group understood the varied concerns of their “guests.”     

Attendees were able to schedule appointments with any of the presenters, agents or publishers who were present. A bookstore featuring titles by FWA authors was constantly active and signing sessions were scheduled throughout the weekend. Frankly, it was one of the best organized conferences I have ever attended. 

FWA’s motto is “Writers Helping Writers.”  That was in evidence throughout the busy weekend as small clusters of authors, novice and professional, chattered away, sharing advice, forging new friendships and thoroughly enjoying themselves.  

Take advantage of these periodic conferences. You will be amazed at what you can learn both in sessions and while socializing with your peers.

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WALMART/AMAZON PRICE WAR

A THREAT TO PUBLISHING’S FUTURE? 

I’m not one of those “doom and gloomers” who interprets every shift in the way our industry conducts business as its death knell, but this latest price battle initiated by Walmart and the response from Amazon gives some real cause for concern. 

If the two contestants were average retailers who mounted a loss-leader promotion now and then, I’d have little concern. But both have enormous capital that can allow them to absorb losses for an extended period of time and/or over a fairly wide assortment of titles. They have thriving income from a vast variety of non-book merchandise they sell. 

As these behemoths seek to gobble up book revenue, the losers are the courageous independent booksellers who love books and are dedicated to serving a public equally devoted to reading. Indies can’t possibly compete in price wars.   

At best, Indies can offer reasonable discounts, and they do. But not loss-leaders, as they are called in the retail world. The discounts that run from 69% to 74% in this price war mean that the sellers are actually taking a substantial loss on every book they sell. 

Walmart is a predatory beast, crushing traditional local retailers and putting them out of business wherever it decides to locate. It has violated labor laws while posing as the true red, white and blue American business as it orders merchandise from sweatshops in foreign lands.  

Discounting can be a healthy element of retailing in a capitalist society; predatory selling at a loss is lethal and undermines free enterprise by devouring competition and forging monopolies. 

It is true, of course, that our industry is now in a period of re-evaluation. The print segment of publishing is scrambling to find ways to accommodate the growth of online readership. That’s legitimate and healthy, albeit a very difficult transition.   

The book segment is reeling from the burgeoning popularity of the e-book. That’s progress based on technological advancements. But it provides a level playing field. Yes, overall sales volume

will decrease because the retail price is so much lower than it is for hardcover print books. But the profit will not only remain equally high, it may even increase because production costs are so minimal. 

All of that is very different from the possible consequences of allowing a Walmart to undercut and destroy one of the nation’s most valued industries. 

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ALTHOUGH CLOSINGS OUTPACED LAUNCHES,

FEWER MAGAZINES FAILED SO FAR IN 2009 

This encouraging report from Folio Magazine is most welcome. It quotes a study by MediaFinder,com that finds 383 magazines shut their doors through the third quarter of this year. That compares to 643 that closed in the same period of 2007 and 613 last year. 

Unfortunately the 259 new titles that launched during the first three quarters weren’t enough to offset the losses. 

Business-to-business titles posted 75 launches, the highest number of any category. Regional magazines came in at 15. The food, health & fitness and home categories were all represented by a number of new launches.

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HEAVY HITTERS IN THE PUBLISHING WORLD

PETITIONING CONGRESS TO REVISE PATRIOT ACT 

The American Library Association, PEN American Center, Association of American Publishers and American Booksellers Association have all joined hands to form the Campaign for Reader Privacy and petition the Congress to amend Section 215 of the Patriot Act to protect the privacy of citizens when buying books or borrowing them from libraries. 

Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee changed the act to restrict investigations of borrowing library books only to cases of suspected terrorism or espionage. But no change was made affecting people who actually buy a copy.  

Tom Allen, the President of AAP said, “It makes no sense to safeguard the First Amendment rights of Americans who borrow books while denying that protection to Americans who buy their books.”  

That certainly is logical, and the group is asking all interested parties to contact their Congressional officials to extend the changes to book purchases.

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