Publisher Talk

In an era where book store chains are disappearing while the number of e-distributed books and new authors are rising, how will your book get noticed? This is the burning question everyone is asking as they mull over self-publishing. Recently publishing strategist, Jane Friedman, delivered a keynote to the Writers’ League of Texas Agents Conference discussing the “state of the book” and she did not mince words.

Her key note was titled “Is The Book Dead? Who Cares!” where she addressed the fact that the publishing industry is moving from a place where limited shelf-space is no longer an issue. Wrap your mind around that for a moment. This makes for a great situation for authors in making their works available. It’s easier than ever before. But because there are more titles available, how can you get your book in the right hands?

Friedman believes “we have not stopped improving” the digital process (both publishing and distribution.) So don’t limit yourself. She explains how she believes some of the most creative storytelling of the moment is happening on television (she cited Madmen and Six Feet Under among others.) Yet others believe the future of revealing a story lies with movies or games. In other words, the future is unwritten. It’s up to you!

TechChi has posted a brief review of Friedman’s keynote. Among the info you will find there is a slide used to show the many avenues authors can connect with their audience. You may have read recently this being called the “transmedia approach.” If you haven’t seen the Social Media Wheel take the time to analyze it and see just how vastly you can build and connect to your audience.

And lastly, we wanted to share a related post The Passive Voice turned us onto today. It’s about a series written by Fortune magazine where various people share their experiences of making it in the current economy and how they have reinvented themselves. Author Paul Levine demonstrates this by showing how his routine has become less writing-intensive and more focus given to online book forums, Facebook and monitoring his book sales. It’s a brave new world.

Music and the written word can create a wonderful collaboration. In fact, there are  many examples where one has had direct influence over the other to list. You may have an author blog you follow who mentions music or posts playlists. Most famously Twilight series author, Stephanie Meyer, has posted playlists for each book in the series.

If you ever wonder how to keep fans engaged on your website or blog, creating a playlist to share is a great addition. Playlists can be created to reveal mood, character background or simply share what gets you in the mood to write! It can also help you to keep content fresh without having to write a full post. Consider incorporating a monthly or weekly list into your posting routine.

You can even go a step further and routinely share your playlists on your Facebook page or through specific apps using music services such as Last.FM and the new (to the US Market) Spotify. The real power is in the sharing because it’s one more way you can make a personal connection with your readers and fans.

Regardless of where you are in your writing project, you’ve certainly considered the importance of a web destination. Social media is a wonderful outlet, but having your own informational website is ultimately the best way for readers to find you.

Content should be at the top of your list. Yes, even before links to purchasing your book! Consider the reasons you would visit one of your favorite author’s website. Maybe you want to learn more background about their latest book or what they are working on next. Here are some drivers to author websites:

• Former releases. New authors take note. Visitors seek out information on both future and past titles. Give them titles, distinguish series and make it easy for readers to purchase.
•  Exclusive content. Get creative. Sure, the basics are good (somewhat extended bio, insight to most recent book), but give them a taste of your personality. Some authors post book recommendations. You may want to think about tie-ins with your social media.
•  Updates. We all need a frame of reference. Readers making the effort to find your site want to be in the know. Post and date interviews, appearances and anything else of relevance. And be specific when your next title will be released. You can be vague for a time by posting “Summer 2012” but once you have the month locked down, add a banner on the front page that can’t be missed.

 Take the time to thoughtfully consider a clean, simple site with these elements and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of repeat traffic to your author site.

You’ve spent a long time writing your book, and we recommend you spend a little more time looking it over before sending it to print. Most printers will pre-flight check for common file problems before you print. If you print with us, we can correct some at no charge. However, there may be some corrections that we can’t fix on our end. The three most common problems are wrong page size, text justification, and low-resolution graphics.

If your text is also typed using the default setting on your word processing application, it may also be left-justified. This will make the text edges look uneven when printed. Left-justified text will be uneven on the outside of the page on even pages (right-hand side) of the book, but it will be uneven on the inside of the page on odd pages (left-hand side). To make sure the text looks even and easy-to-read, use middle justification. This will ensure the text edges are even on both sides of the page.

If your images in your book and on your cover are low resolution, they will print blurry or pixilated in your finished copy. There’s no way to add resolution to images, so you will want to make sure your pictures are all at least 300 dpi or greater. If a 300dpi image is not available, you will either have to remove the image, or accept a low resolution image in your book.
Aside from these three common file problems, there are many
other things to look for:

-Bleed allowance
-Text placement too close to trim
-Correct color profile of cover images

-Fonts embedded if submitting PDF
-Margin size

ISBN stands for “International Standard Book Number”. It is a unique identifier for books, ebooks, tapes, and DVD’s. The ISBN numbering system is used worldwide and publishers around the globe identify their work in this standardized format.  Each title or edition must be identified by a unique ISBN. In essence, the ISBN is similar to a license plate which guarantees that each book type product is identified uniquely. If a book is available in both hardcover and softcover (perfect binding) each must have a unique ISBN assignment to differentiate the two binding types.

To complicate the matters, there are a variety of different types of digital file formats. Amazon Kindle uses MOBI, AZW (Kindle) and KF8 (Kindle Fire.) All other ebook resellers use a standardized EPUB format. As per BISG and ISBN guidelines, authors are supposed to use a separate ISBN for each digital format they provide. In practice, most independent self-publishers assign a unique ISBN to the EPUB version of their work and use it for Amazon as well. The Amazon system automatically creates a proprietary identifier called an ASIN for each title format uploaded to its database. Sales on Amazon are primarily tracked by ASIN .

It is important to note that ebooks sold on a author’s website do not require any ISBN identification.