ah...smell the ink

There are all your “p” choices, and believe me, I find it hard to keep up with this stuff.

To publish. To print-on-demand (POD) or to print on your own. Dying is really not necessary.

Today’s post is a very abbreviated overview of how these routes differ. Surely, you and I will both require more sleuthing. Especially before any decisions are made.

Publishing:

That which relies on the acceptance of an enclave of people who think they know what readers want. They take you on, they foot the bill. Unless you are very clever at contract time, they take charge of your timeline, your title, your cover, some direction of your content, your promotional campaign, your destiny. You get a buck or two for every book sold. You may have to wait a few publishing cycles for your book to be born, but you have no cash outlay (except for the hidden suggestions that you really should be proactive in marketing your book. Proactive translation: expensive)

If you get a big fat advance, remember, all that money needs to be made by the sales of your book before you see any more of it.

POD:

You hire a company to act as your publisher but you pay them. Hey, what? It’s true, but you retain some semblance of control as you employ them. They do all of the front end fussing like getting you an ISBN number, designing your book, choosing the paper, and they even offer some promotional packages (that’s extra) or a la carte services. What do you get? Books when you want them, no warehousing woes, limited distribution (be careful here, this can be misleading), and some help along the way if you need it. Beware, the company OWNS your ISBN number and your files. You are bound to them. Can’t just pick up your files and take them down to the neighborhood printer. And, the unit price for POD printing is pretty high. Hard to  profit this way.

Printing on your own:

I kind of like this option. We even have a division that does this at HCI. There something a little more freeing about it. You get total artistic license, you are the master of your own castle. Hire your own editors, proof readers, researchers, whatever you need. Take your finished manuscript, download it into some “Quark” or “InDesign” or other file and turn it over to some master printers. The more you print, the cheaper the unit price is. So, whatever you sell it for, once you get the money, everything but your investment goes into your pocket. True, you now need to investigate fulfillment houses and think about marketing your book. That’s where people like me come in – hee – hee! All kidding aside, at this phase you either become not only a self-published author but a self-marketer, too. Or, seriously, you can hire any number of very talented people to help you promote your book. For both the POD and this route, getting books distributed into stores is a little tricky. It can happen, but it’s hard. Trust me, distribution is hard even for the big league publishers.

So, if you’re an author who does a lot of lectures, special events, or have an online presence, you may have plenty of opportunity to sell books this way. This is really one of the primary secrets to the legendary Chicken Soup for the Soul success. The old selling books in the back of the room routine. It just so happened they had a publisher. The same can be done if you don’t.

If you’re just a woodshed writer waiting to be discovered and handled, these are not for you. 

Whatever your publishing scenario is, at least now there is a bigger variety of choices. And, the alternate publishing routes are gaining more respect and credibility all the time. Just be sure to do your homework, always ask to see samples of a POD or printing company’s wares. Talk to former customers. Just because a book gets self-published doesn’t mean it has to look self-published. 

I’d like to hear about your experiences particularly working with the self-publishing companies like Lightning Source, iuniverse, authorhouse, etc. You don’t have to mention them by name, but I am curious about how things went for you. I have heard mixed stories.

So, until the next time

May the force be with you.

p.s. Coming Thursday AND Friday: Your election haikus and limericks. They turned out pretty well!

#1 Every page so far has reduced me to tears.  Every excuse , every feeling , every denial has been my battle cry since I was fourteen.  I had a disfiguring car wreck.  My confidence has been still born for 42 years yet your book has given it hope and I feel the stirrings of a rebirth.  God bless and thank you on behalf of all the women who’s life you are changing without you ever knowing.  When you change a life it pools out and touches others lives with its light…

#2  I am going to be 46 this year and I know I’m in desperate need of a makeover.  I have always prided myself on looking and acting younger than my years, but in the past 17 months I look like I’ve aged 10!  Since February  2007, I have been helping my now 17 year old daughter battle an addiction to cocaine and it has really taken its toll on me.  Her story is one of great success and I wouldn’t take any of the struggles we’ve been through (or worry lines) back for anything, because she has truly become a changed person.  But, as I send her off to college 17 MONTHS SOBER !!!, I take a look in the mirror and know that I have suffered as much from the devastating affects of addiction as she has. I want desperately for her to have a “new start” as she finds her way in the world, but I want a “new start” as well.  I feel like I’m at a turning point and it’s now or never that I begin to refocus my energies on myself and my appearance as I go forward with my second act! Thanks so much for the words of wisdom and encouragement you gave me in the book.

#3 I love working in hospice, feel it is my calling and have had the privilege to meet wonderful people who unfortunately have cancer, heart disease, HIV/AIDS and other terminal illnesses…. In the past two years I have gone from 125lbs (size 6) to 181 lbs (size 1X). I am 5′7″. The stress shows on my face, body, hair and has sucked the life out of my role as a wife and mother. Most importantly it has taken its toll on me,  a once vivacious, life-loving person. I have reached the point that I know I have to do something for the sake of my sanity and health.. I desperately want to remake myself and regain my love for life. I feel old beyond my years and very frumpy. I don’t recognize the reflection looking back at me in the mirror. I have taken the first step by changing jobs and have started a very healthy diet to not only make me look better but to help with the gnawing feeling I feel in my stomach everyday. What I am asking is would you help me makeover my looks?

#4  I don’t really have a question, just a note of thanks. For the first time in seven years, I feel hopeful that I can look okay again. I bought Staging Your Comeback yesterday. Boy, did I need it. Six years and eleven months ago, my world fell apart in many ways-illness, miscarriages, job losses, financial hardship, you name it, I’d been through it. I was newly married at 40 and in my first year of law school, but I stuck it out and learned how to walk, talk and think again after severe illness. However, the traumas took their toll on my psyche and looks. I look sick and tired…and feel it, too. But this book offers clear, realistic advice yet delivered stunning results. And the pictures are so beautiful. I’m thinking…maybe it is time for my comeback. I’m going to read it thoroughly and try some of the tips. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and gifts.

Yes, it’s true. I represent this book at HCI. How lucky is that? You can be sure that I’ll only include items on this blog that have meaning for me and hopefully for you. Corny as it sounds, I can think of nothing better than touching people’s hearts, this time in the most unexpected package. I don’t know about you but I love surprises.

So, what’s the verdict? Does this sound like your average beauty makeover book?

I think not.

Are New Age books popular in the Bible Belt? If so, can someone tell me why?

And, the bigger question is: do you (like me) consider central Florida part of the Bible Belt?

Well, even if Lady Lake, Florida isn’t part of the actual belt, it’s certainly close enough to qualify as the suspenders or maybe the garters of it.  When you’re from the suburbs of New York City, it doesn’t take much to activate your radar for these kinds of places. A church on every other block is usually my first clue.

Why do I bring up this place?  You see, I had reason to spend the weekend at a hotel in the Spanish Springssquare of a place called The Villages, a veritable 22,000 acre haven for aging golfers. Besides the fact that I felt like I was on a movie set modeled after the town square in Santa Fe (one of my favorite cities on the planet), I had an opportunity to visit the local Barnes & Noble.

While there, after doing an unofficial spot check for HCI Books, my celebrated employer, I roamed around the store. (For those of you in the book publishing business, perhaps you’ve enjoyed a spot check or two that entailed turning your books from “spine out” to “face out”. This isn’t exactly a legal tactic, but us loyal publishing soldiers sometimes can’t help ourselves. I have yet to hear about any incarcerations for this.)

On the suggestion of a friend, I began hunting for a book on the Enneagram* (they tell me I’m a “4″ in this personality typing system – which translates loosely to “I feel a lot” or something). My instinct, which turned out to be incorrect, was to check the New Age section.  To my surprise, I found a very big section housing this category. Something like four entire waist high book cases. That’s about 3-4 shelves per case. In other words, a whole lot of astral travel, past life regression, aura seeing, tarot cards, numerology and astrology books.

No enneagrams, though. That was shelved in the “self-improvement” area, which by the way, was EVEN BIGGER!.

Whatever my preconceptions are or were about the average church-centered community resident, I was way off.  Apparently, it’s not all Bible study and hallelujahs. If the local B&N was displaying this large number of metaphysical tomes right out in the open, then perhaps the locals themselves were accepting of alternative ways of thinking. That was a refreshing revelation for me.

I couldn’t help but notice that the Jewish studies section was microscopic. That could have something to do with why there were no synagogues in my view. We do like to golf. As far as reading’s concerned, does People of the Book,’ ring any bells?

So move over St. Peter and let Edgar Cayce, Sydney Omar, Esther and Jerry HIcks, and Sylvia Brown have their 15 minutes.

When I see New Age books in the Bible Belt, or let’s be fair and just call it what it is, Central Florida, I have hope. Not that I think anyone should abandon their roots or their religion, or that I advocate any particular strain of New Age-ism (usually, I’m cynical about both), I am just happily relieved to know that people that you least expect are actually exposing themselves to more than one way of thinking.

I find that healthy.

Excuse me now while I visualize white light, chant my mantra, attract my soul mate and activate my money magnet. While sitting in lotus position, of course.

But, most likely, I’ll be facing Jerusalem.

Aummmmmm…

* p.s. let me recommend a good book on the Enneagram: The Wisdom of the Enneagram by Riso and Hudson.

p.p.s. let me recommend a good friend who is wise in the ways of the Enneagram, Aimee Bernstein. See her site at: http://www.openmindadventures.com

In fact, Aimee’s doing a teleclass on the Enneagram tomorrow, September 17,  registration is still open (just note that the date listed as Sept. 10 is now Sept. 17):

I’ve been asking my dear friend, Judy Martin, to contribute a post to this blog, and today, she delivered. Personal branding and your book and talking points are her subjects and something many of you will want to know about. Judy, who I think of as my little sister, is an up and comer in this great big world. She’s an award-winning broadcast journalist, a peace activist, a media trainer and a great writer. We’re lucky to get a complimentary slice of Judy’s magic. There’s some very valuable advice ahead, so take it all in. And now….here’s Judy!

Spread way to thin in her world of marketing, a recent client hired me to hone-in on her many gifts and articulate her unique message. We met for an entire day in an effort to tap those laser-sharp talking points that she knew laid dormant in her consciousness about her work. She was so darn good at promoting other people, but when it came to discussing her own work and in fact the book that was bursting to be born within her – she entered a shy-zone. 

This was odd coming from a woman so passionately dedicated to helping others on their journey of entrepreneurship. She has already had incredible eras of success, but was now in somewhat of a transition and was toying with her talking points to figure out how to approach writing her book.  What emerged shocked us both – an original first outline for her book, and subsequently a book proposal. A month later she had a book deal with a major business publisher. 

Hard to believe – but a true story which I embrace and share. When you align your core values with your work and are doing the work you love, inevitably the universe (or whatever term you are comfortable with) has a tendency to support you. Still, as we all know – we must do the work to trigger the information download. 

When my client made the commitment to move toward completion of this book project, she knew she had to be different, and use her unique voice to make a significant impact in her field. She tapped that inner resource – which we all have and can cultivate -  to take her business to the next level and write a book.

 YOUR Individual Message

There is a depth to your message as an expert which no one else on this planet offers. That’s because you are delivering it through your lens of awareness – in your voice. Deliberate talking points will be heard above the rest no matter what kind of work you do, and in fact are a part of your personal branding power. 

Another client recently contacted me about her desire to hone in on one message. The problem was that she was so good at so many things, and delivered in three completely unrelated fields of work, that she wasn’t sure which area to focus on. This dilemma was causing a disconnect in the structure of her business and in fact – she was in the midst of an identity crisis from a business perspective – although she was highly skilled. 

After a few hours of working together it became evident that she was actually a one stop shop for marketing, branding, and interior design. Instead of highlighting one particular skill – she merged them. She gave them all a voice in an integrated way and now has more business than she knows what to do with. 

An Integrated Approach to Your Message

It’s that integrated approach that we have shunned in the past because traditionally we were taught to concentrate on that one Big corporate career which would drive our pension and lead us into retirement. That’s not the case anymore. We are a multi-tasking, multi-skilled society in a 24/7 global marketplace. We can work from anywhere in the world. But so can everyone else which means that the internet, media, advertising and marketing venues are being flooded with information.

 Scores of professionals in your field are all vying for attention. One of the best ways to attract clients and/or the attention of your boss is to emphasize your unique qualities and gifts. For many, that means digging into the real meaning of your passion behind your work, and bringing that passion to the surface by articulating it through a more integral approach. It’s also about finding your story – a unique narrative. Exploring the nuggets of specialty that only you can offer will help you to stand out above the rest. Also keep in mind that depending on your audience, you might accentuate certain skills above others.  

We all want to share our message infused with meaning, passion and purpose. But delivering your distinct vision in a succinct way is an art form that warrants careful consideration and planning. Producing “talking points” is not an overnight process, but here are a few pointers to get you started:

1. Ask yourself, “Who am I, and what is the unique message I have to offer?” Your personal brand and/or identity is your calling card. If you are a therapist – what is your specialty? What education, experience, background makes you uniquely qualified to comment as an expert in your field? Is your message different from others in your niche?
2. Who is your audience? If your specialty is indoor air quality – who needs to hear your message? Perhaps learning institutions, large corporations, parents with children suffering with allergies. Cull anecdotes from your client work. Know the latest trends, statistical information and   studies associated with your field.
3. Write down the top ten points most important to you. Have a discussion with a friend (not another expert) about these ten items. Ask them to share the top three points that would make them want to hear more about your topic.
4. Choose talking points that you can associate with a visual image. Descriptive language which creates a picture is more interesting to listen to, than random facts.
5. Be open to using your personal story as a talking point. I know a man who decided to go to massage school after years of unrelenting back pain. He had tried all other approaches including surgery and finally realized that certain massage techniques helped him alleviate the pain. He uses his story to help and teach others. Why have you chosen your line of work and why are you passionate about it?
6. Look out for storylines related to your field that the media harps on. Often, you’ll see the same story in a different version continuously popping up in your community or on a national level. Keep up-to-date on current affairs in your niche. Begin to develop your own talking points or comments on these issues.
7. Be aware of the needs of the media. While TV and radio call for quick sound bites, if you are being interviewed for a blog or magazine, you might have more of an opportunity to get your message across. You should have tighter talking points for broadcast media.

 For more information about personal branding and your book and talking points and to learn about Judy’s media training work, click on: http://www.judymartinspeaks.com

Judy also blogs at: http://www.worklifemonitor.com

Judy Martin

Here’s something different.

For all of you who write about the furred, feathered and finned set, there’s a special conference being held for you this coming February. In the glorious Big Apple, you’ll be able to rub elbows with the elite from both the publishing world and the pet industry.

I think it’s a great idea. (on most days, I  prefer critters to humans)

cameo appearance by darlin' Mochi

Personally, I love pushing pet books. I get to work with some pretty talented folks like Gina Spadafori, Dr. Marty Becker, Darlene Arden, Allia Zobel Nolan, Carla Genender, Patty Lawson and now, conference organizer and pet expert, Charlotte Reed.

Just like any other part of publishing, for pet writers, it’s a jungle out there. (I know,  I know…)

So, why not take tips from the likes of Dick Donahue from Publishers Weekly or Susan Canavan from Houghton Miflin Harcourt?  See how to work with an literary agent with Beth Adelman.

It’s the first The Business of Pet Writing Conference on February 7, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Radisson Martinique on Broadway 49 West 32nd Street in New York City.

It really sounds grand.

All this during the same week as the Westminster Kennel Club show. You know, the Olympics of dog showing. (Can we ever forget the movie, Best in Show, chortle, chortle) I’ve never been but have drooled over many a pedigree pup on tv. (And, have been amused by many a dog handler in her calf length skirt and flat shoes running around in a circle)

Rumor has it that one of the hosts of the esteemed show will be stopping by.

So, if you’re interested in learning about: Pet Book Selling and Publishing; Negotiations and Book Contracts; Tips for Having a Succesful Working Relationship with an Editor, How to Find the Right Literary Agent for You and Your Book; or, Writing Book Proposals, you may want to hot tail it to Manhattan (in my book, the center of the universe).

For more information, email: info@petwritingconference.com or call:  212-631-3648

Sarah Palin’s updo is a mixed bag. The bangs are modern: not too thick and nicely swept to the side. But the bun, to us, screams “tiara holder.”

“It doesn’t look presidential, or even vice presidential,” said Christopher Hopkins, author of “Staging Your Comeback: A Complete Beauty Revival for Women Over 45” (HCI Books, $22.95). “Hair pulled back can be very sophisticated, but the way she’s doing it is more Frederick’s of Hollywood, like ‘I’m going to pull my glasses off and let my hair down and look sexy.’ “

Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, come on…ya gotta love it!

The Makeover Guy, Christopher Hopkins, style trend expert

Richard Bandler, father and cocreator of NLP

At 8:40 pm ET, Tuesday night, the eve of day number two, the overall amazon ranking for Get the Life You Want is #43. Earlier today, it went as low as #33. It’s sitting pretty at #1 in the Psychology category and the reported sales for the past three days are very impressive.

Another boon to our campaign happened today when a Bandler fan released an email blast to an additional 30,000 people. Next, he plans to blast an even bigger list to promote a teleseminar with Dr. Bandler. I’ll keep you posted on that one.

How else are we supporting the big Bandler week? Remember, a campaign is made by not one promotion alone!

We’re running a blog ad campaign spanning this and next week to a number of heavily visited blogs. You can take a peek at one of the ads because it’s positioned on one of my favorite blogs and the favorite of tens of thousands of visitors daily, www.crazyauntpurl.com . (Love ya Laurie!) Look at the right column on her blog page and scroll  about midway down. If you don’t see the ad flashing, you’re missing out on some good hi tech stuff. (the blog ad campaign was put together by another fave, MJ Rose)

Radio interviews in Las Vegas, mentions on many online gathering places for NLP’ers, even a mention on craigslist.org will help keep the momentum going. And, soon to be followed by what comes from an ad  in an upcoming issue of Radio-TV Interview Report,

Next stop, Barnes & Noble, Borders, the above ground book world.

My computer was bookmarked all day to Bandler’s book. Probably will be tomorrow, too.

The adrenalin rush is palpable.

I need to put on Richard Bandler’s “mind spa” and recharge…. more on that another, time.

Ciao!

I’m here to share with you the homemade version. A simple recipe for proliferating awareness and subsequent sales that could make anything from a dent to a huge impact on your book.

Case in point: Get the Life You Want by Richard Bandler. 

Keep in mind, because Richard Bandler has a huge following worldwide (being the ‘father’ and cocreator of NLP), this illustration is a tad grander than what you might be able to do. I would still let it inspire you.

Weeks back, at HCI, we devised a plan that would “go viral” and evoke critical mass as Get the Life You Want became available. We picked the week that Dr. Bandler would appear in Las Vegas for a free lecture (Sept. 5) and the week that his monthly newsletter would go out.

The tools needed for the project: 1) a good (e)mailing list; 2) a great letter; and, 3) plenty of books stocked at amazon.com (which is the trickiest part of the equation). And, in Bandler’s case, some high profile colleagues with high trafficked websites.

The letter in question was from Richard himself. He invited his “peeps” to join with him to create a bestseller. In so many words. Naturally, before getting to that brazen point, he made a good case for why. Not to mention that the book has been highly anticipated, the author not having published a book in the United States for 10 years. So, the conditions were ideal. 

The next “call to action” Bandler requested is the clincher. Not only did he request the letter recipient to purchase a book or two or three on the exact dates of September 2, 3 or 4, he asked them to email the same letter (with their own personal note attached) to the recipient’s email list. Think about it. Multiply the number of people on your list and exponentially you could reach a ton of people

Oh, and the first 25 people to email (me) get an autographed copy of the book from the author. Another juicy detail.

In the case of this book, 500 NLP trainers were emailed twice. The NLP website (www.purenlp.com) carried the message of the book-buying week and also news of the Las Vegas free event. So did the websites of some colleagues. Twenty-five thousand people who get the NLP newsletter were informed of this campaign just today. This is where things really began to rock and roll.

Even though you’re reading this on Tuesday, as I write this on Monday, September 1, a day before the campaign should take hold, the amazon rankings are already stellar. The overall ranking is #56 and Get the Life You Want is #1 in Psychology & Counseling, #3 in Motivational books, and #6 in Personal Transformation. These all fall under the broader “Health, Mind & Body” category. Do I mind that people appear to have jumped the gun? Not one bit!

I’m ecstatic to see how the week unfolds. And, the best news…it’s a really great book!

Remember, when I toss around that trusty old term “platform” time and again (and again, and again, and again), one of the components of a great one is a healthy mailing list — meaning up to date, sizable and inclusive of names that are compatible with your subject matter. An “e” mailing list to be specific. If yours isn’t going to reach 25,000 people at the moment, just consider every opportunity  to try and grow your list. When you do so, just be sure that you get permission to send emails so you don’t find yourself in any legal situation over spam.

Every name you add can represent a host of others. Consider them recruits. But, be judicious with your lists and do unto recruits as you’d have recruits do unto you. Be considerate. Be kind.

Don’t be a pest. Make people look forward to hearing from you.

All my best!

p.s. don’t feel left out…it isn’t too late to join in the fun. See what all the fuss is about and get your own Bandler book from amazon.com!

Hu Pryor - 1916-2008

There was an adorably written, short manuscript  called “The Habitat Under My Hat” that I hand delivered to the editorial department and then my boss for a remote possibility of publication.   Although I knew there wasn’t really a place for it on the HCI list, I thought it was an enjoyable enough read to share.

And, the author was my friend.

You never know.

And then, The Habitat Under My Hat, went missing. The author asked for it to be returned several times and I awkwardly made excuses while prodding my co-workers to dig around for it.  This went on for months.

Then, one Friday, I got a call from upstairs telling me that the blessed manuscript was found and would be returned pronto. What a relief. It’s one thing to lose property of a stranger but when it belongs to your friend and it’s the only copy in the universe, you feel kind of bad.

But, not as bad as I would feel a few days later.

My dear author friend would never retrieve his lost book proposal.

Two weeks before, Hu Pryor passed away. He was 92.

I met Hu browsing in a church bookstore in Delray Beach, waiting for my  minister friend, Cathy, to finish her sermon and accompany me to lunch. He was tall, distinguished, and we hit it off immediately.  I was in publishing. He was a writer.  Even with a gap in age of 39 years, there was a lot to talk about.

He enjoyed my company, I think, because it kept him “plugged in” to the buzzing world of book publishing. I enjoyed his for many reasons but mostly because the stories of his life fascinated me. They took me around the world and into the offices of some legendary periodicals.

He was also the exact age of my late father, and was sharp as a tack until the end.

Hu was born in Argentina, educated in Buenos Aires and in England and began his career as a South American correspondent of the United Press. He worked in the U.S. for the NY Herald Tribune, was senior editor at Look magazine and also edited at Science Digest.

What impressed me even more was that he held the editor’s post at Modern Maturity magazine, a publication that has since been renamed AARP magazine. As a publicist, this is one of the brass rings we aim for because of its mega-circulation, the largest of any magazine. (No, my friendship with Hu never got me a book review or a story!)

Hu continued his journalism career (as a Florida retiree) contributing columns to the Palm Beach Daily News (affectionately know here as “The Shiney Sheet”) up until his death. His mind was not only sharp, it was still flexible like that of a much younger person.

We’d trade stories about books and current events and veered off into the mysterious terrain of metaphysics. He knew and read a lot on the subject and contributed his own philosophy in a book called Soul Talk: Positive Mind Treatments to Turn Your Life Around. He marveled more than once at how since going out of print, his book had been up for sale on an online book site for over $50.00. That tickled him.

He made an appearance on a great little tv show, The God Squad hosted by a priest and a rabbi (who walked into a bar… no, not really, sorry!) and his book was written about, more than once on a site called www.soulfulliving.com

On July 9, my birthday, I called Hu to see if he’d meet me for a birthday meal. That’s the last time I would talk to him.

Not knowing what had happened, I kept emailing and leaving telephone messages.  It wasn’t that unusual to hear nothing from Hu for a short while. Then, in early August, as I had done a few times before, I held my breath and googled the name “Hubert Pryor.”  My worst fear materialized because this time an obituary appeared on the screen.  A lovely tribute from AARP to this great man I called my friend.

On July 15, Hu passed away.

I often picture him arriving to meet me for lunch at one of the local bistros walking with a determined forward lean carrying a navy blue windbreaker and a briefcase filled with ideas. And, they were often very good.

Especially, when they rhymed. (Hu’s specialty)

I will miss you dear old friend. I only wish I got to say goodbye.

xox