PNBA Spring Trade Show

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association is now taking registrations for the Spring Trade Show in Portland. Book Publishers Northwest (the Washington-based publisher group) is currently discussing doing a joint catalog with Northwest Association of Book Publishers (the Oregon-based publisher group) for this show. BPNW will also being doing a display at the PNBA Fall Trade Show, which will be held in Bellevue in 2007.

Registration for the 2007 Spring Trade Show is now available online.. PNBA’s Spring Convention and Tradeshow, scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 15-17, 2007 at the Portland Airport Holiday Inn. Approximately 300 booksellers from about 100 Northwest stores are expected three days of bookselling and booktalk.

On Thursday, PNBA will produce a full day of FREE educational workshops, including one series for publishers and authors. Exhibits will be open for one day only, Friday March 17th from 9:30 am until 4:30 pm. Exhibits may be set up on Thursday, March 16 between 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. and from 7:00 - 9:30 a.m., Friday, March 17.

PNBA is also taking orders for an ad in the show program (deadline: Feb. 2), or inserting a flyer in the mail to pre-registered attendees (deadline: March 2) or as a “stuff-it” in attendees’ bookbags (deadline: March 9).

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
2007 Spring Show: Thursday - Saturday, March 15-17, Holiday Inn, Portland Airport
2007 Fall Show: Wednesday - Friday, September 19-21, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA

For more information on 2007 BPNW or NWABP activities, be sure to register for the regional group closest to you. BPNW membership forms are available on this site.

Promoting Spring Titles to NW Booksellers

The deadline for submissions for the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association's Spring/Summer NW New Title Preview is January 12, 2007. The program helps you target your distribution of free review copies of forthcoming books, ARCs, or galleys directly to bookstore buyers in the Northwest.

For $120, PNBA will include your book in an online listing of new and regional titles with jacket art, a blurb, and a linked email address of the contact person at your company for bookseller requests. Booksellers can then e-mail you to request the books. A submission form for this program can be downloaded at:
www.pnba.org.

Taking Refuge in Renton

Here's a storm report from member Bette Filley, Dunamis House:

The good news is, we've got water and a working gas range. (But no way to wash dishes). Our yard is a foot deep in broken branches, but none broke anything or came through the house or barn on the way down. Darn! And we just finished cleaning up all the broken branches from the storm of December 26, 1999.

The bad news is we've got no electricity, no phone service, no cable or internet service. The house went from Warm and Christmassy to bitter cold, dark, and clammy. Several trees are lying across the road coming toward our place, and when they fell, they took the phone poles with them. the street is a jumble of cables and wires.

Our daughter east of Renton got her power back today (day 4), so we've all barged in on her with our empty tummies and dirty laundry.

The power company says they still have 200,000 customers to go, and they're out of telephone poles. They're got to bring in more from out of state, and we may be out of luck until after Christmas!

Hope all is well at your house. Count your blessings, and have a wonderful Christmas.

Bette Filley

Storm Swamps Kirkland Bookstore

From Paciic Northwest Bookseller's Association, we received the following report.

Just weeks after celebrating their 20th Anniversary, Parkplace Books in Kirkland, Washington experienced a devastating flood in this past week's rain and wind storm. Overflowing storm drains drenched the bookstore and a dozen other businesses on Thursday, Dec. 14th, with over 4 inches of water filling the store, rushing in through doors and walls. Relief was hampered by the high winds, which knocked out power all over the Eastside. Downtown Kirkland remained without any power for several days, making it all but impossible to use pumps or dryers to try to save merchandise. Owners Mary Harris and Rebecca Willow are still assessing the damage; carpets have already been pulled up, but the walls must still be dried out before fixtures can be replaced. The store's computers remain operable, and with the restoration of power, the phones are working again. Despite the damaged floors and watery smell, the store will be open for business again on Monday, December 18th, in hopes of salvaging some holiday sales. Says Harris "We even had some sales on Saturday, with customers sloshing about in the dark."

Sales reps wishing to donate books to help replace lost inventory can bring or ship directly to the bookstore, as traffic to the Eastside should be back to normal after Monday.

Larry West, Executive Assistant
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association

Books & Bubbly Tonight

Book Publishers Northwest celebrates 2007 and wishes all its members a

Happy, Healthy, and Creative New Year!

Microsoft's Live Books

Microsoft is launching an online search service for books called Windows Live Book Search. Participation in the program is open to all rights holders—publishers and authors. Books selected for the program will need to be written in English and have a valid ISBN.

For more information on how this program works, see the
Live Books FAQs.

PNBA Planning Spring Show

Dear Publishers, Publicists and Reps:

It's time to send PNBA your author proposals for the Spring show, which will be March 15-17 at the Airport Holiday Inn, Portland, OR.

Our shows are a terrific opportunity to introduce, or re-introduce, your books and authors to hundreds of booksellers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Montana. Authors who appear at our shows get invited to speak and sign in NW bookstores, win PNBA awards, and find their books on the Book Sense Picks lists and the Pacific NW Indie Bestseller lists.

Deadline for proposals is January 12, 2007.
Sincerely,

Larry

Larry West, Executive Assistant
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
214 East 12th Ave.
Eugene, OR 97401-3245
T: 541-683-4363
F: 541-683-3910
E: larry@pnba.org
W: www.pnba.org

[Editor's note: PDF forms for the Spring Trade Show are available on the PNBA website or contact Larry West at the numbers listed above].

2007 Spring Show: Thursday - Saturday, March 15-17, Holiday Inn, Portland Airport
2007 Fall Show: Wednesday - Friday, September 19-21, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA

ALA Midwinter Show in Seattle

The American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting will be in Seattle, Washington, January 19 - 24, 2007.

ALA Midwinter attracts library professionals from across the country. Librarians who attend the Midwinter Meeting include the Association's Executive Board, budget assembly, councilors, members of the executive boards of ALA's divisions and round tables, and officers of committees and sections.

According to statistics supplied by ALA:

• 62% of the Midwinter Meeting attendees found new companies to do business with based on their time spent in the exhibits.
  
• 81% of attendees have operating expenditures of over $1 million
  
• 95% of the attendees are a buying influence for at least one of the products and services exhibited at the Midwinter Meeting.
  

Although early e-mails from ALA stated that all booths had to be reserved by July 2006, the organization recently sent out an e-mail saying that reservations received by Nov. 21 would still receive a listing in the show guide.

Online applications are available. Prices start at $700 for a “press table.” Booths are priced by square foot.

For more information on exhibiting at ALA, contact the organization by phone 630.434.7779, fax 630.434.1216 or via e-mail ala@heiexpo.com.

PNBA New Mailing Address

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association announced that they do have a street address:
214 East 12th Ave.
Eugene, OR 97401-3245

The organization retains their old phone, fax, and e-mail addresses. For more information, see pnba.org.

November Meeting: netGalley.com

The meeting topic for November has changed. Local software developer Ted Treanor will be our guest speaker. He will be discussing netGalley.com, a new online community launching in November for authors, publishers, book reviewers, bookstores, and librarians. Under development for the last six years, this new site will use the latest Web technology to allow publishers to build a network of reviewers, bookstore buyers, and librarians who want to receive their galleys in digital or print form.

Treanor has worked with a wide variety of publishers, authors, reviewers, librarians, and bookstore owners to help form a web service that will provide a more effective way to deliver galleys to reviewers and market books to stores and libraries. Don't miss our last meeting of 2006 at the Good Shepherd Center, 4 pm to 6 pm, on Nov. 16.

BPNW Blog Gets an Author Recommendation

Greetings,

I wanted to let you know that I have included the BPNW website as a recommended resource in my new book: From Entrepreneur To Infopreneur: Make Money With Books, Ebooks And Information Products (John Wiley & Sons, December 2006)

Thank you for providing such a valuable resource!

Warm regards,

Stephanie
Stephanie Chandler
Small Business Expert, Author and Speaker

*FROM ENTREPRENEUR TO INFOPRENEUR (John Wiley & Sons, December 2006)
*THE BUSINESS STARTUP CHECKLIST AND PLANNING GUIDE (Aventine, Sept 2005)

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Moving

Hello,

This is just a quick note to let you know that we are moving our offices on Tuesday, Nov 7th.

We need to have our phone and data lines switched and if there are any glitches, we may be out of touch for a day or so. We hope to have everything back up and running by Thursday, Nov 9th. Keep your fingers crossed!

We are still working with the City of Eugene and the post office to get our new mailing address established (it's a long story). We will notify everyone as soon as we have it.

Regards,
PNBA Staff

Larry West, Executive Assistant
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
317 West Broadway, Ste 214
Eugene, OR 97401-2890
T: 541-683-4363
F: 541-683-3910
E: larry@pnba.org
W: www.pnba.org

Book Publishers NW at PNBA

The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Fall trade show drew approximately 355 exhibitors to the Oregon Convention Center this October. Book Publishers Northwest displayed more than thirty of its member’s books at this trade show. For the first time, BPNW allowed books to be ordered on site, but this resulted in only a few sales. Most interested booksellers made notes, and picked up brochures and postcards as a reminders, then intended to order from their distributors.

BPNW volunteers worked on the exhibition floor Thursday evening setting up tables for BPNW and for PMA/Independent Book Publishers Association. Books were flying everywhere but by Friday morning each table was beautifully arranged and well staffed.

BPNW volunteers had opportunities to interact with 78 librarians and 390 booksellers representing about 126 stores from the region. Floor traffic both days was disappointing and exhibitors perceived a much lower attendance versus past years. However, many reported that people spent more time talking books at booths compared to years when the floor was jammed.

BPNW volunteers staffed both the BPNW and the PMA booth with enthusiasm. Representing the association were Lani Jacobsen (74th Street Productions), Peter Kahle (74th Street Productions), Jan Walker (Raven Publishing), Diane Kinman (Wimer Publishing), John Diviny (Wilder Productions), and Margaret Doyle (Port Gamble Publishing). In addition, BPNW sister association in Oregon, NWABP, provided help, experience and good will from members Marvin Mitchell, Barbara Whittaker, and Linda who all did double-duty staffing the PMA booth and their own adjacent table.

At the conclusion of the show, remaining books were donated to the Hooper Bay Library and the White Mountain Library in rural Alaska – both totally destroyed by fire this year. This was a satisfying and warm finish to a warm October weekend.

submitted by Lani Jacobsen, 74th Street Productions

Fantagraphics Opens Bookstore in Seattle

Comic book and graphic novel publisher Fantagraphics Books wil open a new bookstore in Seattle to sell the publisher's in-print books as well as discounted titles and out-of-print books still in the publisher's stock.

Located in Seattle's Georgetown district at 1201 South Vale Street, Fantagraphic Books officially opens in December and will begin hosting events in 2007.

PMA Online Course: The Buck Starts Here

Join PMA's Publishing University Online on Wednesday, October 25 when Book Marketing Guru Brian Jud addresses how:

The Buck Starts Here
Event Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Time: 2:00 p.m. EST

Sign up
Wednesday October 25, 2006
2:00 PM Eastern (US)
60 Minutes

You can make more money, eliminate returns and increase your sales when you sell your books in non-bookstore segments such as gift shops, catalogs and other lucrative segments. In addition, the buying and payment periods are shorter, and direct access to buyers will make your promotional dollars more efficient. But the purchasing process is different for each niche.

Learn the nuances, buying practices and selling techniques that will help you sell more books, more profitably in special-sales markets.

To sign up, visit the PMA Website and follow the directions there.

On Air: Improving Interview Style

"You're on the air---or at the lectern!" Tips for authors and publishers who find themselves being interviewed for audio or video presentations---or speaking at bookstores, libraries or professional associations. What to wear, how to handle difficult questions, how to stay calm, how a reading differs from a talk or teaching, how to handle differing kinds of venues: no-puff advice from Linda Carlson, longtime former BPNW board member and author of 11 books. She continues to make at least a dozen speeches or media appearances a year and coaches Parenting Press authors.

On Air: Improving Interview Style
October 19, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Good Shepherd Center
4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington

PMA Scholarship

PMA awards a PMA-U scholarship to one member of each Affiliate group. The scholarship should be awarded to a publisher who needs assistance in growing his/her publishing company. The scholarship includes free registration to attend the May 2007 Publishing University, plus a $500 stipend to help pay for travel expenses to New York.

The criteria for applicants is as follows:

• Must be a member of BPNW in 2006 as well as PMA.
  
• Must be a publisher, preferably in the early stages of developing his/her company.
  
• Has not received the scholarship in the past.
  

Application process:
Download application from the PMA website, fill it out, and return it to Rosemary Jones, attn: PMA Scholarship, PO 19575, Seattle WA 98109/

The BPNW Board will review the applications and then forward them to PMA (PMA rules require all applications be submitted to the Affliate's Board to verify that the applicant is a publisher/member in good standing, applications cannot be sent directly to PMA).

PMA staff and the PMA Board Affiliate Liaison will make final recommendations for the Scholarship to the PMA Board.

Applications can be found on the PMA website – www.pma-online.org. You must send application to BPNW by November 30.

Sept 21 Meeting: Tradeshow Training

For the September meeting, Jeff Backstrom, president and CEO of Skyline Pacific NW, will discuss how companies should plan for tradeshows. Backstrom conducts seminars throughout the Pacific Northwest to educatepeople about how to be more effective with their tradeshow marketing. The topics that he will cover include:
-Setting Measurable Objectives
-Budgeting for Success
-Exhibit Staffing Skills

Backstrom encourages participants in his seminars to examine their tradeshow programs to determine what events will be best for them, based on their individual marketing situations. Publishers are welcome to discuss their own tradeshow experiences and ask Backstrom’s advice on how to make tradeshows an effective part of their marketing plans.

“I am a Seattle native, who grew up in the advertising industry. I began selling advertising in 1986, then opened a small ad agency in 1991. In 1995, I found tradeshows and haven’t turned back since. In 2001, I partnered with my brother John to buy Skyline Pacific NW,” said Backstrom.

This BPNW meeting will be held Sept. 21 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington.

Directions to Good Shepherd

From I-5 north or south, take the 45th/50th street exit turning westward onto 45th or 50th, Sunnyside is about 1/2 mile up, at the top of the hill. Buses: From east/west, Metro bus route #44 stops 2 blocks south of the Good Shepherd Center at 45th Ave and Sunnyside Ave N. for north/south travel, route #16 stops on the west side of the Good Shepherd Center on Meridian. Free parking is available on-site.

PMA Offers Online Learning

Under the direction of PMA Board Member Frank Gromling, PMA/Independent Book Publishers Association has begun to explore online learning.

The first e-learning session will feature Jonathan Kirsch, PMA's General Counsel and publishing attorney, in an Legal Track, entitled How to Build a Better Book Contract on September 20, 2006.

This live session on September 20 will then move online and can be easily accessed throughout the year for those needing this information.

A longer explanation of this new PMA program and a complete description of the Kirsch session can be found on the PMA website.

Northwest Publishers Invited to Display at Midwest Shows

From our friends at MIPA

MIDWEST BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION TRADE SHOW
The Midwest Independent Publisher's Association (MIPA) invites all of our "cousins" to display books at the Midwest Booksellers Association (MBA) Trade Show. Booksellers from all over the Midwest will gather on September 29 and 30 in St. Paul to find books for their stores. MIPA will have a table at MBA (formerly called UMBA) and we invite you to display your book for all of the booksellers to see.

Books will be displayed face out and will be listed in our catalogue. The cost is $35 (additional titles, $25). We will need the following information about your book(s): title, author, publisher's address, isbn, price, format (paper or hard cover), category, year of publication and distributor(s) a short (75-100 words) description of your book(s), and your contact information in case we need more information.

THE DEADLINE FOR ENTERING BOOKS IS SEPTEMBER 8. Please send the above information about your book(s) and payment (made out to MIPA) to Pat Morris, MIPA, 1729 A Street, St. Paul, MN 55106. A .jpeg of the cover to be used in the catalogue should be sent to parmorris@comcast.net. Books should be sent to arrive at the same address by September 15.
_____________________________

TWIN CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL

MIPA will also have an exhibit at Rain Taxi's Twin Cities Book Festival on Saturday, October 14. If you wish your book to be included in both shows, please include an extra $10.00 in your payment.

The Twin Cities Book Festival is held at the Minneapolis Community & Technical College in Minneapolis. Exhibit hours are 10 am-5 pm. This festival is open to the public.

PNBA: Last Call for Buzz Books

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association is closing the "Buzz Books" promotion on September 1. Larry West of PNBA sent the following reminder to Northwest publishers:

"With so many books out there vying for bookseller's attention, this program has really worked to highlight titles and guarantee that store buyers see your book at the show and stop by your booth to talk about it.

BuzzBooks is also a real advertising bargain, as you will receive nearly $1,000 worth of exposure for only $400.

PNBA ust need your sign-up sheet and payment by September 1. We will send you a confirmation explaining what advertising materials we need to have before the show in October."

Forms for Buzz Books are available on the PNBA website or by contacting Larry West at PNBA. His contact infomration is listed below.


Larry West, Executive Assistant
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
317 West Broadway, Ste 214
Eugene, OR 97401-2890
T: 541-683-4363
F: 541-683-3910
E: larry@pnba.org
W: PNBA
2006 Fall Show: Thursday - Saturday, October 12-14, Oregon Convention Center, Portland

Hugo House seeks young writer-in-residence

Richard Hugo House will hire a writer between the ages of 16 and 19 to serve as the Youth Writer-in-Residence from October 2006 through September 2007. Candidates should be active writers, either poets, plays, fiction, or creative nonfiction. They should have experience writing for a school newspaper (or another established publication) or have produced their own publication (such as a zine or chapbook). Candidates should also have experience in or enthusiasm for running writing-based performances and programs for youth from diverse backgrounds. Hugo House's open mic for youth, Stage Fright, is an example of this kind of programming.

For more information, contact Alix Wilber, 206-322-7030 or e-mail programs@hugohouse.org. Applications are due September 15, 2006.

Planning Ahead: Start Now for October Show

Besides displaying and sellling your book at Book Publishers Northwest's table at the PNBA Fall Trade Show, there are also a number of ways to promote your books to the booksellers attending the show. Deadlines are approaching fast (reservations for the BPNW table needs to be done by Sept. 1), which makes August the month to plan.

Also mark Sept. 21 on your calendar for BPNW meeting on maximizing trade show experiences. Jeff Backstrom of Skyline Pacific will lead a seminar on how to work out the cost effectiveness of a trade show, how to display your product to the best advantage, how to make the best use of contacts made at a show, and more. The meeting will take place at the Good Shepherd Center from 4 pm to 6 pm.


PNBA Advertising Offers for the Fall Trade Show
Please contact Jamie Pasaro for further information on the PNBA Fall Trade Show (contact information shown below).

NORTHWEST NEW TITLE PREVIEW

Target your distribution of forthcoming books (ARCs, galleys, finished copies all work) directly to bookstore buyers in the Northwest through PNBA's Northwest New Title Preview. For $100, PNBA will include your book in an online listing of new and regional titles with jacket art, a blurb, and a linked email address of the contact person at your company for bookseller requests. The next listings will go up in September. Deadline is September 1 for payment and materials. For more information on New Title Previews, e-mail brian@pnba.org.


STUFF-ITS

You produce flyers and PNBA stuffs them into the canvas bags that they distribute to the first 250 booksellers on the exhibit floor October 13 (BPNW members displaying at the BPNW table will be listed on the BPNW stuffer). Flyers and payment of $100 are due by October 6 for inclusion in the show bag OR send 150 copies and payment of $100 by September 22 for inclusion in the packet sent to pre-registered booksellers. A form for this promotion is available on the tradeshow page of the PNBA website.

SHOW PROGRAM

Promote author signings or tradeshow exhibits through an ad in the PNBA show program, which gets mailed to pre-registered booksellers before the show and gets distributed on the exhibit floor to everyone attending the show. Rates range from $200 for a 1/4-page ad and $600 for a full-page ad. For a list of all of the rates, go to the PNBA advertising rate card. The deadline for materials and payment is September 1.


BUZZBOOKS

For exhibitors only: BuzzBooks is a new PNBA program that works like a scavenger hunt on the exhibit floor Friday. Since booksellers must meet with each BuzzBooks publisher at the show in order to be entered into a drawing to win some nice cash prizes, the program creates enthusiasm for participating books/authors/publishers before, during and after the show.

Each BuzzBook package costs $400 and includes:
• a chance to win Biggest BuzzBook of the show
• a prominent display at the show
• a posting on PNBA’s BuzzBooks webpage
• booksellers required to talk to you or your rep about your book
• promotion in pre and post-show newsletters
• promotion in the show program
• one free Stuff-it insert (a $100 value, these are inserted in the canvas bags distributed to booksellers on Exhibit Day One)
• an announcement at the Author Feast
• post-show press release with announcement of winner to PW, Shelf Awareness, Bookselling This Week and other book media

The BuzzBooks form is availableas a downloadable PDF.

Further information on Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association's programs and trade shows is available from:
Jamie Passaro
PNBA Executive Assistant
317 W. Broadway, Ste. 214
Eugene, OR 97401
T: 541-683-4363
F: 541-683-3910
www.pnba.org

2006 Fall Show: Thursday - Saturday, October 12-14, Oregon Convention Center, Portland

SCBWI Announces Eastern Conference

The Northwest chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators announced that the 2nd annual SCBWI Eastern Washington/ Idaho Panhandle Conference will take place September 23, 2006. The theme will be "On The Road to Publication" and the conference will be held in Coeur D'Alene Casino, Highway 95, Worley, Idaho.

Featured Speakers:

Ginger Knowlton, Agent with Curtis Brown Ltd.
Susan Kochan, Assistant Editorial Dir, Putnam
Verla Kay, IOCL Instructor & Picture Book Author
Deborah Nourse Lattimore, Author/Illustrator/Art & Literature Teacher at UCLA & Pasadena Art Center College of Design
Linda Joy Singleton, Mid-grade & YA Series Author

More information

August 14 Barbecue

Book Publishers Northwest members are invited to a barbecue at the home of publisher Duse McLean, Thistle Press.

This event is a potluck, so bring your favorite grill item and a sidedish to share. BPNW will be bringing sodas and chips as well as the basic utensils.

For directions, please email dusem@thistlepress.com.

BPNW Will Sell Books at PNBA Fall Trade Show

Book Publishers Northwest will have a display table at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Fall Trade Show in Portland. A special order form will be made up for this show and BPNW will take orders for books at the trade show. This is the first time that the organization has taken collective orders at a show aimed at the trade.

2006 members of BPNW will receive a letter this week outlining how orders will be taken. To participate in this event, a publisher must become a member of BPNW prior to Sept. 1.

Space on the order forms and display table will reserved on a first come, first served basis.

If you are interested in learning more about this event, contact Rosemary Jones at bpwnews@aol.com.

If you are interested in volunteering to work at this event, please contact Lani Jacobsen at info@74thstreet.com.

PNWA Summer Conference

The Pacific Northwest Writers Association Summer Writers Conference will be held July 13 through July 16, 2006. Session presenters include Mercedes Lackey, Robert Ferrigno, Larry Dixon, Meg Chittenden, and Ann Rule.


PNWA Summer Writers Conference
Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center
July 13 through July 16, 2006
Book-signings are open to the public on Saturday, July 15, at 8:00 p.m to 10:30 p.m.
 

Revised Meeting Schedule

This meeting schedule replaces the schedule previously announced in the June issue of the BPNW News. If you have any questions, please contact bpnwnews@aol.com.

2006 Meeting Schedule: July through December

July 2006
No Meeting

August 14 2006
BPNW Barbecue in Bellevue
Barbecue is a members only event.

September 21, 2006
Tradeshow Training
Good Shepherd Center, Seattle, WA

October 12-14, 2006
Pacific Northwest Bookseller’s Trade Show
Portland, Oregon
Display limited to member books.

October 19, 2006
On Air: Improving Interview Style
Good Shepherd Center, Seattle WA

November 16, 2006
High Quality Low Print Runs,
Good Shepherd Center, Seattle, WA

December 2006
Books & Bubbly, Annual Celebration
Members only event, time and location TBA.

Welcome to New and Returning Board Members

In June, Book Publishers Northwest added new board members Tom Blaschko, Margaret Doyle, Tom Masters, and Charlene Woodward.

Continuing and returning board members are Lani Jacobsen, Rosemary Jones, Duse McLean, and Kent Sturgis.

June Meeting: Opportunities for a Small Press

PMA Pub U and BEA Report

June 15, 2006
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Scott’s Bookstore
121 Freeway Drive, Mt. Vernon, WA

1-800-532-2665

Learning From Others at Pub U and BEA

by Margaret Doyle, Port Gamble Publishing

I arrived at Publishing University, a three-day seminar conducted by PMA, the Independent Publishers Association, to grow my one-person publishing company.

I chose courses from the following tracks: general business advice; finance, legal, marketing, editorial, sales, publicity and Internet. Over and over we are told three things:
1. Watch out for publicists
2. Do what you’re good at, what you like the best. Farm the rest out.
3. Have fun

Kent Sturgis, Epicenter Press publisher and retiring board president of PMA, greeted us on Tuesday morning saying that a straw poll shows that about 60% of us have published one to five titles, and tells us that 20% of independent publishers survive five years. He said, “Publishing is a competitive business, but folks help each other.” I’ve found this to be true in my two years as a publisher, and it is the greatest benefit of this nutsy business.

Robin Bartlett, the education chair of PMA, spoke of “extenuating markets” beyond “the Trades.” I remember when “the Trades” referred to winds of a certain latitude, and being mystified by reference to “trade” books and the “trade” market. Now I understand Bartlett when he says, “Look for places outside of bookstores to sell your books.”

One advantage of independent publishing is that you can set your own time-table and promote your book as much and as long as you want. But the best way to capitalize on the experience and expenses of marketing The Fisherman’s Quilt (my first book) is to publish more books, keeping in mind the vision and integrity of my company.

So I went to Washington DC with the successful sales record of 1.500 copies of The Fisherman’s Quilt selling annually, a memoir on the horizon (early 2007), and a planned oral history collection from soldiers who had served in Iraq in 2003-2004. My course selection at Pub U was a mix of hard knowledge of bookkeeping , planning for growth, and motivating courses on making my best year yet happen.

Join Margaret Doyle at Scott’s Bookstore in Mount Vernon for a discussion of PMA’s Pub U and BookExpo America, the largest book trade show held in the U.S., as well as opportunities for a small press in today’s bookselling climate.

Rosetta Solutions Exhibits For First Time At BEA

We shared a booth with OSoft.com (from Tacoma, WA), a new advanced software reader. BEA was in Washington DC this year, after a 20-year absence. The location was excellent--down one aisle from a main escalator. Show organizers reported that 31,971 people registered for the three-day convention and 20,000-plus attended. Our two primary goals were to generate revenue and to build credibility by being an exhibitor at BEA.

There are currently two sales pros generating sales opportunities and following up on leads for Rosetta. We picked up numerous leads during the three-day event. They included assorted publishers, sales channels, investors and potential partners. The sales team is deep in follow-up activities and has several face-to-face meetings throughout the US.

There were very few peers from digital publishing or technology exhibitors at BEA this year. There was no direct competitor exhibiting. Three major search-the-book vendors exhibited: Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. They all want to digitize the world’s books.

Publisher response is mixed; from excitement that someone else is paying to digitize their books, to extreme paranoia, believing that these companies are becoming their most formidable competition.

Some of our best prospects at BEA came to the booth with advance intent to meet us, as a result of the exhibitor directory. They had specific issues to discuss and wanted to learn what we can do for them.

We met with the VP Business Development and Marketing, and the CEO/Pres of R.R. Bowker. We talked about the NetGalley suite of services, focusing on the ONIX Engine and the eGalley services. It was a particularly good first meeting. They sat in cramped quarters inside our small exhibit, during a very busy time at the booth. The CEO would like a Web-based demo in the next couple of weeks. We invited her to select someone to join our advisory team for the NetGalley blog to contribute to the shaping of the NetGalley services.

submitted by Ted Treanor, Rosetta Solutions

Rosetta Solutions, Inc. (www.RosettaSolutions.com) also does business as Seattle Book Company (www.SeattleBook.com), a publisher and an eBookstore. In 1996, this Northwest company began as an ePublisher called Alexandria Digital Literature. This part of the business is now doing business as AstraTM (an imprint of Seattle Book Company). NetGalleyTM (www.NetGalley.com) is under development as a destination site for reviewers, booksellers, libraries, media and the reading community.

Small Press, Big Author, A BEA Story

For more commentary on Publishing University and BEA, go to www.PortGamblePublishing.com or attend the BPNW meeting at Scott’s Bookstore in Mt. Vernon on June 15 at 4 pm.

Margaret Doyle, Port Gamble Publishing, submitted the following article. Doyle founded Port Gamble Publishing in 2004. She was the 2006 PMA Publishing University scholarship recipient, represented BPNW at Pub U this year, and will be the speaker at our June 15 meeting at Scott's Bookstore. More information on the meeting can be found in the newsletter. Click on the link on the right to download a PDF copy of the newsletter.

From Doyle:

One of the most inspiring conversations I heard was the lunchtime interview by Jan Nathan, Director of PMA, of Paul Coates, Publisher of Black Classic Press, and Walter Mosley, author of 19 books, among them, the “Easy Rawlins” mysteries.

Paul Coates related how he heard Walter Mosley challenge the mainstream publishing industry as being dominated by white men, racist in fact if not in intention. Coates went to a Walter Mosley reading to thank him for his brave comments to publishers, and Mosley told him he was looking for a small black press to publish his next work. Coates related that he’d identified himself for so long as a black press, that to think of his publishing company as a small, independent press, required a mental adjustment.

But Coates came to match Mosley’s integrity with his own courage in taking on a major author, whose print run would be in the hundreds of thousands. Coates’ second challenge came in figuring out the finances of publishing a well-known author and a large print run.

Where would Black Classic Press get the money for printing, staffing, and promotion of a Walter Mosley publication? When meeting with Mosley’s previous publishers, they made an offer of financial assistance, and Coates thought they should take it. But Mosley wanted the integrity of truly publishing through an independent press, so he refused their offer. Paul described it as a unique experience “of saying no to someone who’s larger than me.”

Nathan questioned, “What should an author expect, or not expect from an independent publisher?” Coates replied that the author can’t expect of lot of money up front.

From the author’s standpoint, the publisher needs to keep author “informed of everything you do,” Mosley said. “Writers don’t know anything about publishing,” and “it behooves the publishing industry to inform writers into the reality of their world,” he added. Authors must understand returns, royalties, and other intricacies of this complex industry.

When Nathan asked Coates if he’d repeat the experience with another best-selling author, his honest answer surprised me: “Probably not, the stress is not worth it. There’s millions in, millions out, and nobody’s getting paid.”

“If you want to make a lot of money, go into real estate,” Coates concluded, which is ironic for me as my day job providing internet and marketing services to a small real estate company provides the ongoing budget in support of my publishing ventures.

However, Coates described the close friendship and respect that developed between Mosley and himself; a friendship that goes beyond royalties and best-seller lists. Coates did publish Mosley’s next book, What Next, a collection of social and political essays. Mosley felt that going with a major publisher would limit his freedom to express himself, so he again chose to work with Black Classic Press in 2003.

When Mosley was asked if he was disappointed that other successful black authors didn’t choose to support smaller black publishers; his response brought applause: “I’m disappointed in the same way I’m disappointed with the United States being in Iraq.” He clarified his statement by adding that we as a nation are experiencing two ideas at war: democracy and capitalism.

I can’t remember if it was Mosley or Coates who said, “If something is true and you know it’s true, you have to take an action.” But I do know that it’s an ideal that publishers as a class aspire to communicate; and that the brotherhood that Coates and Mosley found in their publishing relationship is one that I’ve seen played out over and over as members of the publishing profession help each other achieve and succeed.

Franca's Story Receives Two Awards at BEA

Franca's Story: Survival in World War II Italy won the Publishers Marketing Association’s Benjamin Franklin gold award for best interior design of a book using 1-2 colors. Seattle designers Peggy Zafarana and Lautaro Gabriel Gonda worked with author Diane Kinman on the book, published by Wimer Publishing Company of Mercer Island, WA.

The book also received ForeWord Magazine’s Silver Award: 2005 Book of the Year for Autobiography/Memoir. Kinman's debut memoir is based on the true story of her friend, Mercer Island artist Franca Mercati Martin, who helped her family and 300 elderly citizens live through the trauma of WWII in northern Italy. It provides a window into a fascinating time and an intriguing family determined to survive amidst increasing devastation and loss.

Librarians and booksellers across the U.S. selected ForeWord’s winners from 1,500 entries and 613 finalists. “The books were all wonderful,” said librarian Angela O’Kane. “It was hard to narrow it down.” Entries were judged on criteria including originality, writing and production quality, and patron/customer interest in the subject matter. Award announcements were made during ceremonies at the Book Expo of America held May 18-21, 2006, at the Washington, D.C., Convention Center. Book Expo of America is the largest trade show for the book industry in the U.S.

Pioneer Distribution: Nonprofit Fulfillment Service

Looking for local fulfillment help?

At a recent BPNW meeting, Kent Sturgis of Epicenter Press (“Alaska Book Adventures”) recommended a warehouse/fulfillment center for publishers large and small. Sturgis said he likes doing business with the Pioneer Distribution Center at 606 S.Othello St. for three reasons.

First, Pioneer is a division of Pioneer Human Services, founded in 1963, a not-for-profit company that puts to work people from what a spokesman called “the fringes of society,” including reformed alcoholics and drug addicts, parolees, and others who want to turn their lives around.

Second, Sturgis said the prices are very competitive. “I don’t believe we could find this level of service anywhere else for the price,” he said.

Third, the company strongly emphasizes quality control, with an error rate under 1%. Sturgis found out about Pioneer from Sasquatch, which has warehoused and shipped books from Pioneer for several years. Pioneer is interested in serving publishers ranging from the Sasquatch and Epicenter size down to the “one pallet” publishers.

For more information, contact David Lawson at (206)768-5151 or email the company at pds@p-h-s.com. For more information about Pioneer Human Services, visit www.pioneerhumanservices.org.

PNBA Wants Author Proposals For Fall Trade Show

Dear Publishers, Publicists and Reps:

It’s time to send PNBA your author proposals for the fall show, which will be October 12-14 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

Our shows are a terrific opportunity to introduce, or reintroduce,your books and authors to hundreds of booksellers from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Montana.

Authors who appear at our shows get invited to speak and sign in NW bookstores, win PNBA awards, and find their books on the Book Sense Picks lists and the Pacific NW Indie Bestseller lists.

Deadline for proposals is June 30.

Sincerely,
Jamie

Please request author proposal forms from:
Jamie Passaro
PNBA Executive Assistant
317 W. Broadway, Ste. 214
Eugene, OR 97401
Tel: 541-683-4363, Fax: 541-683-3910
www.pnba.org
2006 Fall Show: Thursday - Saturday, October 12-14,
Oregon Convention Center, Portland

May 18 Meeting: Printing Outside United States

Is it cheaper to print in the United States, Canada, or Asia? Learn how the decision depends on the job and the best ways to save money on a project. Representatives from Amica (with printing plants in Asia) and Richard Thomas of Hemlock (based in Canada) discuss how to handle international printing projects with local book publishers.

The meeting takes place on May 18 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221. For more information, see www.bpnw.org or e-mail bpnwnews@aol.com (voice mail # 941-6514).

This session is FREE for 2006 BPNW Members (membership is counted by company so more than one person from a company is welcome to attend for free). Nonmembers are welcome. There will be a nonmember fee of $15 per person for this session.

CALL FOR BOOKS: Have you printed a project outside the United States in the last year? Bring your book to this meeting and share your story. A display of books printed outside the United States will be set up for this meeting.

One Sock Press Joins BPNW

Please welcome the following new member to BPNW.


ONE SOCK PRESS
William C. Branley
861 Taurnic Place NW
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Ph: 206-842-5207
info@onesockpress.com
www.onesockpress.com

Description:
A small publisher with one fiction title, "Sea Changes," coming out in 2006.
One Sock Press is interested in fiction, memoir, cooking, and music.

One Publisher's Report on Wordstock

Wordstock in Portland, Oregon, came roaring back from its newcomer success last year to give a great show. My table was right inside the entrance. The reading stages each took up a third of the north wall of the exhibition halls, instead of in the four corners of the room like last year. The writing and selling workshops were featured in smaller rooms outside the exhibition hall.

Attendance seemed to be down from last year, but still busy for the most part. Last year was a rainy weekend; this year was sunny and warm. Attendees seemed to be in two major groups: those who’d come to attend the workshops and pitch their own writing and those who came to hear the authors’ readings. Last year, the crowd seemed more generally curious and book-seeking. My sales were 23 books this year to 27 last year.

In general, the reading authors included more nationally known authors this year. If any author has been disappointed by audience turnout at a signing, consider the 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon author slot. It pitted Gore Vidal against Carolyn Radziwill (cousin-in-law to Kennedy clan). Vidal had all his seats filled and an overflow standing crowd at his theater, while Radziwill had maybe six people listening to her.

There seem to be many writers and writers’ organizations in Portland. I found the Independent Publishing Resource Center table to advertise all sorts of resources (including computers and graphics programs) for do-it-yourself publishers. It’s a non-profit organization based in Portland and promotes “zines” low-cost, lower-grade publications, usually of a personal nature.

My only wish for Wordstock was that I brought someone to work the table with me so that I could browse and chat more.

Margaret Doyle
Port Gamble Publishing
The Fisherman's Quilt
ISBN 0976 109 905

Franca's Story Finalist for Design Award

Franca's Story: Survival in World War II Italy has been named as one of three finalists in the 2006 Benjamin Franklin Awards competition, in the following category: Interior Design, 1-2 color. The designer is Peggy Zafarana with assistance by Lautaro Gabriel Gonda, both of Seattle. The book was published by Wimer Publishing Company.

For the title, Zafarana used Bodoni Book, a typeface with its origins from Giambattista Bodoni of Parma, Italy in 1798. The text is set in Adobe Jenson Pro, based on the classic forms of the Venetian Renaissance-Antiqua of Nicholas Jenson (1470) and the italic typefaces used by the master scribe Ludovico degli Arrighi early in the 16th century.

Should BPNW Go to Portland Trade Show?

The Board of BPNW is pondering whether to rent a table for the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Fall Trade Show in Portland. We have displayed books in the past at this show which usually draws a larger crowd than the Spring Trade Show in the Seattle area.

Because of the October date of the show, most of our usual volunteers cannot be there (we have a very small corp of regular volunteers who have done every show in the past few years).

So, before we say "yes" to PNBA in Portland, BPNW needs a firm commitment from our members that they not only want to display and, possibly, sell books at this show, but that they are willing to do some of the work. In return, those who work this show could have free entry to the show and free display space. Travel and lodging will be at the publisher's own expense.

We need to know the following from our members by the end of the April. Please answer 1, 2 or 3. Please be honest in your answer, especially if you answer 1, as we will take this a pledge of your willingness to work.

1. I am willing to pay my way to Portland in October to work a booth at this show. I am willing to take orders for other people's books as well as my own. I understand that I may have to pack and unpack boxes.

2. I am not able to go to Portland that week, but I would be willing to pay for someone else to show my book there and make a financial contribution to cover BPNW's expenses for such things as flyers or catalogs.

3. No, I don't want the group to spend its resources on this. I'll make my own arrangements if needed. Bonus question: if you answer 3, would you be interested in working with other BPNW publishers so all your displays are located in the same area?


More details about the Fall Show in Portland can be found at www.pnba.org.

Your thoughts appreciated. If the majority of members do not respond to this request, we'll take it as a sign that the interest in this show is not there. Please send your response to bpnwnews@aol.com.

The results of this survey will be posted on the website and in the May newsletter.

April 20 Meeting: Changing Distribution Needs

Gary Lothian, Northwest sales manager for Ingram Book Company, discusses the changing distribution and tracking models for books and how these changes impact a small publisher’s sales to the traditional bookstore market. He will be joined by Kent Sturgis, board president of PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association. PMA and Ingram have created a new distribution program for small publishers who normally might not qualify for distribution by a larger firm like Ingram.

Ingram Book Company is the leading wholesale distributor of books to independent and chain bookstores. The Ingram Book Group also includes Ingram Library Services Inc., America’s largest and fastest-growing distributor of books, audiobooks and videos to libraries; Ingram International Inc., the leading U.S. distributor of books and audiobooks to the world; and Ingram Fulfillment Services, which ships books directly to consumers.

PMA Board President Kent Sturgis is co-founder and president of Epicenter Press Inc., a regional trade publisher with 120 nonfiction titles focusing on Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

The meeting takes place on April 20 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221. For more information, click on the link for directions (right side of this page).

Benjamin Franklin Finalists Announced

The Benjamin Franklin Awards finalists were announced this month. The awards will be given during BEA in May.

Two titles published by BPNW members have been named. The titles are:
Am I A Color Too? Illumination Arts (Multicultural)
Cayman, Second Edition, Eaglemont Press (Travel/Essay)

If we have missed any BPNW members or their titles, please e-mail bpnwnews@aol.com.

Barnes & Noble Moves Silverdale Store

Barnes & Noble announced today that they will be moving their Silverdale, WA, location. The new store will be located at 10317 Silverdale Way Northwest and will replace the existing Barnes & Noble at 3108 Northwest Randall Way. The new location opens in November and will stock close to 200,000 book, music, DVD and magazine titles and include a cafe.

Barnes & Noble Adds Northgate Location

Shelf Awareness reported on March 23 that Barnes & Noble will add a new store to the Seattle scene. The company will close the B.Daltons currently operating at the Northgate Mall and open 200,000 square foot bookstore with a café.

The Northgate Barnes & Noble is scheduled to open in the spring of 2007.

Shelf Awareness is a free e-newletter covering topics of interest to booksellers.

Working With Freelance Editors

Richard Hugo House presents "What's In It For You? Working with a Freelance Editor," on Thursday, April 6, from 7-9 p.m. Local editors Barbara Sjoholm, Leslie Miller and Ann Gosche discuss when you should consider, how you can expect to benefit, and what is should cost to work with a professional freelance editor on a manuscript. Admission cost is $5.

Richard Hugo House is located at 1634 11th Ave. This is part of the House's InPrint Series.

Add to ForeWord Book of the Year Awards.

A Hike For Mike was named as a finalist in the travel essay category. It was published by BPNW member Dreams Shared Publications.

Kahle Leads Writing Class

Former PNWA president and current BPNW member Peter Kahle will lead a two-month writing class for novelists. The ten two-hour sessions will feature lectures and writing exercises along with chapter critiques of participants' work. Class will cover material from Vogler's Writer's Journey, John Gardner's Art of Fiction and E. M. Forster's Aspects of a Novel.

Kahle is the author of Naked at the Podium and Tempest: A Prose Narrative. Class will be held on Tuesdays, April 4 - June 6, from 7-9 p.m., at the Greenwood Senior Center, 525 N.85th Street, Seattle, WA.

The cost for the full session is $195. For more information, go to 74th Street.

BPNW Members Recognized in ForeWord Awards

ForeWord Magazine announced finalists this month for its 2005 Book of the Year Award. As always, Book Publishers Northwest members were well represented on this list. Among the titles named were:

The Pen and the Key (Anthologies), 74th Street Productions
Franca’s Story (Memoir), Wimer Publishing
Little Yellow Pear Tomatoes (Children’s Picture Book), Illumination Arts
Adventures of Riley (Environment), Eaglemont Press
Mission to Madagascar, (Environment), Eaglemont Press

A jury of librarians, booksellers and reviewers are selected to judge the categories for entry, and they select winners and finalists based on editorial excellence and professional production as well as the originality of the narrative and the value the book adds to its genre.

If any BPNW member was missed in this announcement, please e-mail bpnwnews@aol.com.

Horowitz Calls PNBA Spring Trade Show"A Smashing Success"

I sold three books at the PNBA publishers' trade show, and I consider my day there a smashing success.

No, I am not delusional. I also met owners of five bookstores who told me that they would be delighted to host me for an author reading. Another bookstore owner for whose store I have read before invited me back to read. These connections will make for a phenomenal autumn tour and probably many future readings, and book sales, over the years. I am thrilled!

I also had numerous excellent conversations with bookstore owners, authors, and fellow publishers. Some took a Rose Alley Press brochure and promised to consider ordering one or more of our titles through a wholesaler. Others praised the beauty of our books and the eloquence of their poetry. Again, I am thrilled!

Moreover, I promised an author with whom I will read in The Dalles this April that I would help him research a publishing niche in which he maintains special interest. At the trade show I discovered a publisher in Montana that might help him enormously. I can at least offer contact information and a recommendation. I feel triply thrilled!

Last, each sale of a book was accompanied by a thoughtful, provocative conversation. We traded ideas, not simply books and cash.

At this year's Spring PNBA Trade Show, I developed and deepened social connections, initiated relationships with owners of venues previously unknown to me, exchanged provocative ideas, and learned ever more about the changing landscape of Pacific Northwest publishing and bookselling. Yes, that is a success.

David D. Horowitz
President, Rose Alley Press
www.rosealleypress.com

Spring Cleaning: Is All Your Information Up to Date?

We’re currently spring-cleaning the BPNW database. 2005 members who have not renewed for 2006 will be removed from the on-line directory this month. We will also stop sending out hard copies of the newsletter to nonmembers (other than media).

Is your directory information current? Click on the directory (see right) and then follow the directions. If you cannot open the directory, it may be because your browser blocks “forwarding” (this is a feature of some versions of Internet Explorer). Please e-mail bpnwnews@aol.com and we will send you direct links to the appropriate pages.

PNBA, Friday, March 17, Trade Show Exhibition

As always, Book Publishers Northwest saw the most traffic at the table during the morning. PMA provided us with “March is Small Press Month” posters, which were eagerly snapped up by booksellers (we ran out in the first hour). Special thank you to Lisa at PMA for making this give-away possible.

By having something to give away, we were able to get booksellers to stop and chat for a minute. This gave them an opportunity to look more closely at various books and pick flyers for items that might suit their store.

Two stores mentioned very specific needs. Members should contact them if they have something that suits these bookstores:
Baker Street Books, 32709 Railroad, Black Diamond, WA 98010
This store is a general bookstore, but they particularly want books with a Scottish theme!

Fort Nisqually Museum, 5400 N. Pearl Street #11, Tacoma WA 98407
The Museum is expanding their bookstore and is seeking books about the early history of Washington or the Pacific Northwest. The Fort was built in the 1850s and they are very interested in books about that period.

Several of our members had their own tables or booths at the show. We would be very interested in hearing about their experiences. E-mail comments to bpnwnews@aol.com about what worked and what didn’t work for you at this Trade Show. We’ll be using this information to improve our own presentations.

Special thank you to Christine Quinn, Bob Powers, Lani Jacobsen, and Rosemary Jones, who all volunteered time to run the table.

PNBA, Thursday, March 16, Education Session on “Maximize Your Profits”

We had a terrific session on the Thursday "education" day of the PNBA Spring Trade Show—people liked it so much that they stayed past the end of our allotted hour. The speakers all addressed how publishers and authors can maximize their assets by spinning off additional products/services from their original books to increase revenue.

MaryAnn Kohl of Bright Ring spoke about how she turned her books (on how to create art projects with children) into a calling card for children’s television producers, creating a niche for herself as a content provider for TV, and other ways to turn any type of specialized knowledge into a revenue source for an author.

Linda Carlson of Parenting Press used the example of one book that was eventually published in various formats (hardcover, book club edition, board book) as a way to get the maximum exposure for a backlist title.

Ray Pfortner of Pfortner & Associates spoke about the use of magazine serialization as a way to increase profit on a title. Pfortner works with photographers and spoke primarily about how to sell the photographs into a secondary magazine market, adding that the same techniques could be applied to text or illustrations.

All three emphasized that they were not looking for publicity alone. Instead, they always try to negotiate the best deal possible—the one that pays cash as well as giving the author/book credit in the secondary market. As they suggested, even if cash payment isn’t possible, see if a real “value” can be added to the deal, such as an advertisement in a magazine as well as an article.

PNBA Trade Show Replaces March Meeting

Book Publishers Northwest’s regular March meeting at the Good Shepherd Center has been replaced by our exhibition at the Pacific Northwest Bookseller Association Spring Trade Show.

We will be exhibiting our members’ books at Table 55 in the Emerald Ballroom at Hilton Conference Center, 17620 Pacific Hwy S, Seatac. The Trade Show is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on March 17. For more information on PNBA and the 2006 Spring Trade Show, please see www.pnba.org.

NOTE FOR MEMBERS: If you are exhibiting books at the BPNW Table and want to pick them up before the show ends, please come by 4 p.m.

Doyle Wins PMA Scholarship

Margaret Doyle, Port Gamble Publishing, won the affiliate scholarship to the 2006 PMA University in Washington, DC as a representative from BNPW. Besides receiving the scholarship (which pays for all classes that she wants to attend), Doyle will receive a $500 stipend from PMA to help defray the cost of travel and accommodations at the University.

PMA offers one scholarship each year to members of PMA affliates, including BPNW. We congratulate Doyle on receiving this year’s scholarship and look forward to hearing about her adventures in Washington, DC.

February 16: Inventory Management

Whether you’ve just started publishing or have been publishing for decades, there comes a day when you have to look at your backlist titles and wonder whether to hold onto them or remainder them. Get some tips on how to manage your inventory and your money in Book Publishers Northwest’s February 16 meeting.

Our speaker is Cathy Strider, a woman who has managed large warehouses worth of inventory. Cathy Strider is a sales representative for Malloy Inc and is currently based in San Francisco, working with publishing clients from California and the Pacific Northwest. She joined Malloy in 2004 after 17 years of working for publishers. In her last position, Strider was Vice-President of Operations for O'Reilly Media.

Feb. 16, 2006:
Inventory Management
Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221,
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
2006 BPNW Members free, others $15.00

Truth vs. Fiction: Doyle Sounds Off

Port Gamble Publishing's Margaret Doyle decided to turn her memoir into a novel. The reason? Too much of the content was turning into fiction, according to Doyle.

Doyle's comments about truth in memoirs appeared in her essay published by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Check Pinewinds Blog, New Bigfoot Book

Tom Blaschko of Pinewinds Press keeps a blog for "looking at the life force and related topics: ki (chi), reincarnation, ghosts, faerie, Bigfoot, and other random, maybe related, thoughts and ideas."

Take a moment to check the Pinewoods blog. Like BPNW, Blaschko uses blogger.com's free software to maintain his blog.

Other new prjoects for Pinewoods include the reprint of the Bigfoot classic Bigfoot Casebook by Janet and Colin Bord (ISBN 0937663107). First published in 1982, the Bigfoot Casebook has been expanded to include reports of sightings and encounters through 2004.

Mountaineers Seeks Associate Aquisitions Editor

Mountaineers Books is seeking an associate aquisitions editor to solicit, develop, and contract new projects in support of the Mountaineers club mission “to explore, study, preserve and enjoy the natural beauty ...”

To learn more, see Publishers Marketplace.

PNWA Previews Summer Conference

Pacific NW Writers Association will preview their Summer Conference at their February 16 meeting.

Thursday, February 16, 2006
7:00 – 7:45pm PNWA Board meeting (members welcome)
8:00 – 9:00pm Preview of Summer Conference
Location: Chinook Middle School (Room adjacent to the Cafeteria)
2001 98th Ave. NE Bellevue, WA Look for the PNWA sign.

If you have any questions, please email staff@pnwa.org.

Rogers Joins Mountaineers

Seattle-based Mountaineers Books has named Kate Rogers as editor-in-chief. Previously, Rogers owned and ran book packager Unleashed Book Development in Seattle.

New NW Release: Calming Signals from Dogwise

DVD Title: Calming Signals: What Your Dog Tells You
Author: Turid Rugaas
Author Contact: charlenew@dogwise.com
Price: $24.95
Running Time: 48 minutes
ISBN: 1-929242-27-1 (Item # DTB788)
Available: Immediately

REVIEW COPIES available for book reviewers. Email charlenew@dogwise.com with your business or publication (including circulation) name and where to send a copy.

Your dog is “talking.” Do you know what he is saying? Yawning, lip-licking, sneezing, even scratching are just a few of the 30-plus signals that dogs use to communicate with one another. In her landmark book, On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, now in its second edition, Turid Rugaas identified and explained the meaning of these signals she calls calming signals. Now, with this DVD, you can see these signals in action.

Edible Book Festival Needs Volunteers

The Second Annual Seattle Edible Book Festival will be held on April 1 atanew location: 826 Seattle, 414 Greenwood Avenue North.

Following on the success of the 2005 "Cook the Books," the Edible Book Festival is currently searching for donations and volunteers. Top on their wish list is:

• An inexpensive printer for a flyer
  
• Volunteers to help distribute the flyer
  
• Volunteer photographers for the event
  
• Help with publicity
  
• Lots of entries*
  

To contact the Seattle organizers of the Edible Book Festival, e-mail ediblebookfest@yahoo.com or check out www.frybooks.com. To learn more about the international movement in edible book arts, check out the website: www.books2eat.com.

*If you decide to turn one of your publications into an edible entry, please send a description or photo to BPNW News. We’d love to show it off!

Beta Version of Quark 7 Available

A public beta program for QuarkXPress 7 provides an early look at the upcoming changes to the program. For publishers who use Quark or are thinking about adopting Quark, this is a free way to test the software. Anyone thinking about using the beta version of QuarkXPRess 7 should note the following:

•The QuarkXPress 7 Public Beta only will be functional through March 31, 2006.
•Not all of the features in QuarkXPress 7 are available in the beta release and users "may experience unexpected results" when using certain features, according to Quark's press release.
•QuarkXPress 7 public beta software is not intended for use in a production environment.

To download the QuarkXPress 7 public beta software, go to Quark’s website.

RSVP Needed Today for SPGA/Seattle Guild

Program: 2006 Employment Trends

Seattle’s graphic artists guild is meeting Wednesday, January 25, to discuss what employment experts expect for the coming year, what businesses are hiring now, which ones are expected to hire later, how hiring trends have changed, and how to make yourself attractive to 2006 employers.

Their panel of Employment Experts will discuss:
•The changing workplace forecast for 2006
•New employment trends in communications
•How to work with temp agencies to find jobs

If you want to get the early bird price for this meeting, you need to sign up on their website by 5:00 p.m. today. Check the details at www.seattleguild.org.

PANELISTS:
Jacqueline McCarthy, principal at Vivitiv, formerly known as Art-O-Mat Design. www.Vivitiv.com
Erin Lowe, technical recruiter at Volt Technical Resources. www.Volt.com
Carol Bowser, J.D., attorney and human resources consultant. www.ManagingConflict.com

Practicing What We Discussed

For our January meeting in 2006, our topic was "Blogging." While everyone in the room knew what blogs were, only three publishers were actually blogging. As busy as we all are creating books, we perhaps don't spend enough time communicating about those books and blogs appear to be a great, low cost way to let more people know what we do. By the end of the terrific discussion, led by Tom Masters of Orion Wellspring, we made the following New Year's resolution: BPNW will blog.

We will use this space to catch up members and interested others on events involving publishing, news about NW publishers, and news about books published by NW publishers.

And, because we see this as an extension rather than replacement of our regular means of communication, we will continue to create newsletters, send e-mails, and meet on a regular basis. So don't forget to check out all those other means of communication on our website or e-mail us at bpnwnews@aol.com.