BPNW.org

No fooling, our website has moved

2009-04-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

As of April 1, 2009, the Book Publishers Northwest's website has moved to:
http://bookpubnw.wordpress.com/

Join us there!

That's A Wrap: 31 Stories in 31 Days for Small Press Month

2009-03-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

We started on March 1 with a pledge to publish 31 stories in celebration of Small Press Month drawn from the lives and experiences of our members. It's been terrific fun to read about the many, many different types of publishing being down here in the Northwest by our members.

Novels, poetry, nonfiction, fragmentary writing, and so much more. We've learned about members who literally traveled in the footsteps of Marco Polo, who brought their childhood stories from Africa to the American radio via picture books, who started writing to escape farm chores, and who are persistently peppering the President of the United States with a call to expand health services for returning veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq.

You can still read all these stories at:
http://bpnw.blogspot.com/search/label/Small%20Press%20Month

And feel free to pass this link along or share with a friend.

And we still haven't told everyone's story! At Book Publishers Northwest, we're meeting new people at every gathering of the group, both veterans of publishing and newcomers. Starting April 1, this blog and website will be migrating a new location. We're keeping all the wonderful resources here and adding new features to help both experienced and new publishers.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our blog in March. You made this truly a celebration of the Small Press Month.

Small Press Story #31: Publish or Farm

2009-03-31T07:53:00.000-07:00

Located near Walla Walla, Washington, Detour Farm is devoted to wildlife and habitat conservation as well as Rocky Mountain horses and alpacas. It's also the name of owner and author Sam Macleod's publishing venture, a business move that got him out of day-to-day farming chores assigned by his wife Annie.

"I love living on the farm, but leave the farming to Annie. When we first moved to Walla Walla, the concept of getting back to nature, appealed to me. I’d read about it in books. Seemed inviting, free-range, maybe even heart-healthy," writes Sam on his website. "But the concept took on new meaning when Annie asked me to turn the manure pile with a big shovel, help her move six tons of hay from one place to another, and climb up on the barn roof."

So Sam has moved onto the porch with his laptop, turning out books and a blog about life in eastern Washington while Annie runs the farm. If you buy a book from Sam, Annie will plant another tree or two. Or you can just drop into his blog and check out what he's cooking for dinner. He even shares his recipes, like how to make Aunt Wiese's Strawberry Pie.

Small Press Story #30: Rose Alley Named For Dryden's Mugging

2009-03-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

Rose Alley Press was founded by David D. Horowitz in November 1995. It was named for the London street where, on December 18th, 1679, poet and playwright John Dryden was brutally beaten by three thugs. Evidence suggests that an aristocrat who mistakenly attributed a satire's authorship to Dryden hired the assailants. Undaunted, Dryden continued writing, even more boldly than before the assault. Inspired by such perseverance, David established Rose Alley Press, which publishes rhymed and metered poetry, cultural commentary, and an annually updated booklet about writing and publication.

Rose Alley's authors appear at a variety of public events including the following for April:

Parkplace Books
Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 7 p.m.
Take a Poem From Your Heart
Joannie Kervran Stangeland, Nancy Dahlberg, Murray Gordon, & open mic
348 Parkplace Center, Kirkland

Green Lake Branch Library
Saturday, April 11, 2009, 4 p.m.
Donald Kentop, Lyn Coffin, Priscilla Long, & open mic
7364 East Green Lake Drive North, Seattle

Edmonds Bookshop
Thursday, April 16, 2009, 6:30 p.m.
David Ash, Amanda Laughtland, Jack McCarthy, & David D. Horowitz
111 Fifth Avenue South, Edmonds, WA

Green Lake Branch Library
Saturday, April 18, 2009, 4 p.m.
David D. Horowitz, Larry Coffin, one other TBA, & open mic
7364 East Green Lake Drive North, Seattle

Small Press Story #29: Examining a Guitar Legend's Circuits

2009-03-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

Northwest publisher Pentode Press specializes in academic and technical titles. Publisher and author Richard Kuehnel's first book about a guitar legend began with the desire to build his own amplifier.

"My goal was to design my own guitar amp. When I discovered that so many amplifiers are based on the 5F6A circuit, I decided that what worked for Jim Marshall and other legendary amp builders might work for me," he writes on his website. "So armed with the Radiotron Designer's Handbook, the works of Frederick Terman, and many other great references from the tube era, I began to study Leo Fender's famous schematic. I wanted to completely understand how the original circuit worked before attempting to modify it. The results literally filled a book."

Circuit Analysis of a Legendary Tube Amplifier: The Fender Bassman 5F6-A has now gone through two editions. Pentode Press has grown to include two more books on guitar amplifiers as well as a translation of Frederich Mann's work on Georg Simon Ohm.

The publisher's website also includes numerous articles on technical and academic subjects.

Small Press Story #28: Playing Cards and Wine

2009-03-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

When Raconteurs Press publisher Tom Parker wanted to reuse his illustrations for his guide to Washington wineries, his answer was playing cards. Following the success of the "Washington Wine Playing Cards," Raconteurs has added "Vineyard Traditions Classic Wine Playing Cards."

The "Vineyard Traditions" cards celebrate the classic wine grape varieties prized from ancient times through today. Every face card in this two deck Bridge-size set features a beautiful illustration depicting grape varieties, winemaking scenes, historical wine subjects, wine facts and trivia, and much more relevant to all wineries and wine regions.

Small Press Story #27: Publisher and Activist Gary Worthington

2009-03-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

Timebridges publisher and author Gary Worthington helped develop the new Cama Beach State Park on a historic waterfront resort site formerly operated by his wife Sandra's family on Camano Island, Washington. The story of the area is the subject of Worthington's most recent book, Cama Beach: A Guide and a History.

The couple are also involved in planning and developing The Cooper Point Wildlife Preserve, with several green-built houses and a large natural area on a 38-acre site by their home.

Following their travels in India, Gary and Sandra established a private foundation which funds primary schools in India and other projects to help people become economically self-reliant.

Small Press Story #26: Oguneye's Story Featured on KOMO

2009-03-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sikulu and Harambe are becoming radio stars. If you're in Seattle tune in to KOMO 1000 Radio. The story first broadcast between 7:15 am and 7:45 am and will be repeateded throughout today (March 26). Previously they were featured in story broadcast by Sound Focus on KUOW.

If you're not in Seattle, you can listen online at http://www.komonews.com/aboutradio.

BPNW member and author Kunle Oguneye was born and raised in Nigeria. He graduated from Valparaiso University in Indiana with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He left the world of computers and technology to focus on his passion for story-telling.

His first book is based on a folktale from his childhood, and the great story reinforces the beauty of kindness to young children. The book also offers a glossary of terms and weaves information about Zambian culture into the story.

Small Press Story #25: How I Came To Write A Self-Help Book With Mom

2009-03-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

It all started because we were in the same profession. Doing similar things.

Ruth (a.k.a. “Mom”), and I were both clinical social workers. In our practices, we both ran support groups for the widowed and other bereaved.

One day I mentioned to Mom that I’d noticed group members bringing in small articles or pamphlets on how to cope with loss. They seemed drawn to these because when grieving, it’s difficult to concentrate on lengthier forms of advice such as typical bereavement books. Mom had also noticed this in her own groups.

Then it hit me: why not create a self-help book for the widowed that was easy to use? Having been widowed herself at 45, Mom’s personal experiences would also add a “been there” quality to our professional insights.

We agreed to title the book, Lost My Partner – What’ll I Do? A Clear, Practical Guide for Coping and Finding Strength When Your Spouse Dies.

First, we outlined the contents.

Then started writing. We soon discovered that my strengths lay in envisioning the “big picture” and doing the actual writing. Mom’s strengths were providing the most authentic “voice” for the narrative and editing.

Eventually we created a working process:

1. We would agree on a chapter topic.
2. Mom would dictate. I would add my three cents worth.
3. I would draft the words into chapter form.
4. Mom would edit.
5. I would rewrite.
6. Mom would edit.
7. Then on to the next chapter.
8. Repeating the above.

The writing and publishing processes were definitely challenges to our relationship. Family gatherings became punctuated by my sister’s protestations of “No talking about the book!” whenever Mom and I became engrossed in shop talk.

But Mom and I persevered, eventually publishing a book that has been praised by widowed readers as “the only bereavement book I’ve been able to actually use.”

We’ve recently launched the "Revised and Expanded Edition of Lost My Partner."

And fortunately, my sister hasn’t disowned us. Yet.

submitted by Laurie Spector, McCormick Press

Small Press #24: The Cutest Personal Finance Book

2009-03-24T05:29:00.000-07:00

Money Sucks! Money Strategies for Real Life, the cutest personal finance book you’ve ever seen, has recently released the 2nd Edition, chock full of updated information and adding an information glossary. 1st Edition created a stir among adults who immediately bought numerous copies to give to children, nieces, nephews, new high school grads, and college kids off to school.

Published in 2006, Money Sucks! Money Strategies for Real Life quickly made a name for itself as an easy way of transmitting basic financial information on how to manage money to young adults. Each chapter includes a light-hearted one-panel cartoon that gives a little lift of humor. The overall feeling of the book is that financial information isn’t that scary, and you really can manage your money successfully. But, yup, it takes some work to do it (and that sucks).

Topics include areas such as: how to create a budget, how to fill out a W-4 IRS form, how to balance a checkbook, how to successfully manage credit cards, and techniques to keep your identity as safe as reasonably possible.

Whether your child was lucky enough to learn these tasks at school or not, Money Sucks! Money Strategies for Real Life is available to give basic instruction in this most important life skill. Accessible, easy-to-read, and fun for young adults, the large font, white space between paragraphs, and short chapters entice the reader to give it a try. While there are many thick volumes on this topic with wonderful information, Money Sucks! Money Strategies for Real Life boils down to these essential elements. For more information on this outstanding book, visit the publisher’s web site at www.greenelmspress.com.

Small Press Story #23: Big River Press

2009-03-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

Big River Press is the brain child of editor and author R. J. Brown, an avid reader and writer since childhood who knows what she likes in a book. The mission statement of Big River Press is to bring unusual and engaging fiction and creative non-fiction to the reading public.

From 1998-2006, R. J. Brown, with her husband, created and ran the award-winning book review site RebeccasReads.com, preferring to highlight lesser-known authors who published themselves via POD - Print On Demand. Using her 40 years of editing experience, R. J. Brown also worked with writers on their manuscripts.

After caring for her husband's father, Lincoln Brown, in the last years of his long life, R. J. Brown wrote a creative non-fiction memoir of that experience; Standing the Watch: Memories of a Home Death, and set out to find a literary agent. With her rejection folder bulging at the seams, she asked the many authors she had interviewed while reviewing their books about going the POD route. In 2002 she published with iUniverse and was not impressed by the final product nor the then customer service.

By winter 2005, she was burnt out managing the weekly updates to her book review site and felt the call to write her own books, and in July 2006, she closed RebeccasReads.com to tend to personal health. It was revived in 2008, under new management in a different format by Irene Watson of ReaderViews.com.

In the Fall of 2006, while D. H. Brown recovered from multiple bypass surgery, he completed his first military thriller, Honor Due, assisted by his wife's editing. After more than 200 rejections from literary agents and major publishing houses, R. J. Brown formed Big River Press to publish Honor Due in 2007, to critical acclaim. It has since been awarded the 2008 Silver Medal for Literary Fiction from the MWSA - Military Writers Society of America, and also received an Honorable Mention from the American Authors Association.

In 2008, Big River Press published the expanded second edition of R. J. Brown's memoir Standing the Watch: The Greatest Gift. It has been awarded First Place in the 2009 Memoir/Autobiography Category by ReaderViews.com.

Also in 2008 Big River Press published Honor Defended, D. H. Brown's second book in his Citizen Warrior Series. Big River Press's newest book (2009) is Epitaph, the second submariner thriller by Veteran and author D. Clayton Meadows. The next addition to the Big River Press catalogue will be R. J. Brown's first fiction, The Dead Husband: A Sally Sees Cozy Mystery due to be launched April 2009, and the third book in the Citizen Warrior Series, Honor Redeemed due by late Fall.

Big River Press works hard at presenting its books to the highest of publishing industry standards. Books are available to retail outlets through Ingram, Baker and Taylor, and most online booksellers/distributors.

Media Contact:
Big River Press
P. O. Box 371, Clallam Bay WA 98326-0371
360-963-3112
business@bigriverpress.com
http://www.bigriverpress.com

Small Press Story #22: Dispatch Travels

2009-03-22T05:10:00.000-07:00

Founded by globetrotter, Beth Whitman, Dispatch Travels publishes the popular Wanderlust and Lipstick guides for women travelers. This currently includes The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo (Whitman), For Women Traveling to India (Whitman) and Traveling with Kids (Leslie Forsberg & Michelle Duffy).

The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo was first released in March 2007 and has sold nearly 6,000 copies. A second edition of the book is due out in April, 2009.

After spending nearly 20 years traveling and 17 years teaching travel-related workshops in the Seattle area, Whitman had wanted to extend her reach farther than the Northwest. She created the Wanderlust and Lipstick guides and website (www.WanderlustAndLipstick.com) in order to do just that. The catchy series title has helped propel the brand into the international market and she regularly receives orders through her website from women in Asia and Australia.

The authors of Traveling with Kids will be appearing at a half dozen bookstores in the Pacific Northwest from April through June.

An anthology of women’s stories is expected to be released in early 2010.

Small Press Story #21: Metacreative Press

2009-03-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

Metacreative's books address creativity, spirituality, and transformation. This Bellevue publisher's titles include Joyous Child Joyous Parent: 60 Ways to Have More Fun and Joy with Your Child by Connie Allen, MA.

In Joyous Child Joyous Parent, Allen encourages parents to focus on their behavior, to look at what actions they can take that will nurture their child’s emotional, social, and physical wellbeing.

Small Press #20: Pun & Oink Graphics

2009-03-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

Dawn Kravagna's Cattle Capers mystery series follows the adventures of master detective Adam Steer.

"It is possibly the first cartoon mystery novel in existence," writes Kravagna in her Amazon.com blog. "I was inspired by my lifetime love of the classic Warner Bros. cartoons, particularly a great fondness for Tweety and Sylvester."

March 19 "Small Press" meeting begins at 4 pm

2009-03-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Participate in a publishers' roundtable on ways to promote a small press. Pick up a free "Big Things" poster celebrating the work of Northwest book publishers (while supplies last). Book Publishers Northwest's March meeting starts at 4 pm at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington.

Small Press Story #19: Placing Writing for Wellness in Churches

2009-03-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

"We are calling about four churches a day to see if they would be interested in starting Writing for Wellness classes," says publisher Tom Blaschko of Idyll Arbor. "Most say yes. We follow up with emails: one from Dawn at Idyll Arbor (including a description of how a church could implement the program) and one from the author, Julie Davey. Dawn follows up a week later with a phone call."

Idyll Arbor's website for this book is http://writingforwellness.net

"If anyone reading about the program wants to get more information about starting one, they can contact Dawn at Dawn@IdyllArbor.com or call us at 360-825-7797," added Blaschko. "We think that these classes really help and are always looking for people with time, energy, and the desire to help others."

Sample Letter from author Julie Davey:

Hello, I'm Julie Davey, author of the book Writing for Wellness: A Prescription for Healing.

Dawn Craft at Idyll Arbor Publishers gave me your email addresses after you all asked for information about possibly teaching a Writing for Wellness class. Some of you may have also asked about one-on-one help for members of your church through in-home ministries.

I offer here some advice and counsel. Having been a volunteer writing teacher for more than eight years, I can tell you for sure that the process works. People need to write about what they are going through or have gone through and have never discussed.

Given the right setting and opportunity, they will.

You may be in a better position to help people than I often am. Most of the time I do not know the participants in my classes at City of Hope until they arrive at the classroom door. I must, in just a few minutes make them feel welcome and safe and willing to write about what they are going through. I have methods I have developed. I feed them, I hug them and I tell them I have found that we all have stories to tell, especially when we have been through a great deal. I promise them they won't have to read aloud and that I will help them learn some techniques they will find to be easy.

Here is my "pep" talk to you. Since I can't feed or hug you, here is my advice:

As you establish Writing for Wellness classes in your church, follow your beliefs, follow your heart. There are people who need your support and that of your church members. They need to write about how they feel and to do so in a safe and comforting environment. Your church is that place.

You may discover, as I did, that the religious beliefs of participants as they face extreme challenges in their lives are sometimes tested. What they believed before their child got cancer or they lost a friend to it may come into question. When they suffer great losses or have family separations, they need to write and talk about these upheavals in their lives.

Unlike in my classes which have been offered in a secular setting, City of Hope National Cancer Center, yours can bring spirituality and faith to the forefront.You may choose to refer people to the minister/pastor for Biblical explanation. You may choose to open and close your classes with prayer.

In my 33 years as a public high school teacher and college professor, I learned to avoid revealing my own religious beliefs in classroom settings. Had I been free to express those, as you are in your own church setting, I would have had much to say. My "mixed-faith" background of Methodist (mother), Catholic (father), Lutheran (husband) makes me more ecumenical than some, perhaps, but my belief in God has brought me through cancer twice and, I believe, has placed me in the classroom at City of Hope for more than eight years as I try to show, by example, that we are indeed, our brothers' keepers.

Small Press #18: Impassio, home of fragmentary writing

2009-03-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Impassio is a literary press publishing a variety of fragmentary writings and a mix of genres, including journals, diaries, notebooks; letters; aphorisms; and short prose pieces.

Olivia Dresher, Impassio’s founder, editor and publisher, has been reading, writing, and collecting fragmentary writing for more than 30 years. She founded the Diaries, Journals, and Notebooks Collection for the library at the Richard Hugo House literary center in Seattle, and is editor of two anthologies: In Pieces: An Anthology of Fragmentary Writing and (with Victor Muñoz) Darkness and Light: Private Writing as Art. She is also director of the Life Writing Connection and the founder and editor of an online magazine of fragmentary writing, FragLit.

Whitman Selected For Pub U Scholarship

2009-03-17T07:21:00.000-07:00

This year's Pub U Scholarship goes to Beth Whitman of Dispatch Travels.

"Though I am now in the process of publishing my fourth book, thus far what I’ve learned has come from how-to books and through BPNW meetings and members. While these have all been extremely valuable, the next logical step to successfully grow my business is to attend Publishing University," wrote Whitman on her application.

Every year, IBPA awards a full scholarship to a member of Book Publishers Northwest for Pub U, a three-day course on publishing held in conjunction with BookExpo America.

Small Press Story #17: Shakespeare, Poetry, and NW Authors

2009-03-17T03:33:00.000-07:00

Established in 1996, 74th Street Productions in Seattle started out publishing picture books for children and adults based on the works of William Shakespeare. Since then, this small press located "just north of the Center of the Universe" has issued a book by acclaimed poet Marvin Bell, a popular guide to public speaking for writers, and an anthology of Northwest writers to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association.

The company's mission remains to develop books of high literary and artistic quality which encourage interest in Shakespeare, the theatre, other performing arts, literature and art among children and adults.

Small Press Story #16: Thin Threads

2009-03-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

I live with an idea about human potential, the common ability to create reality. So I pulled a story from the Akashic Records and wrote a novel, transforming those seeds of human potential into a stream of consciousness on paper that I can present for sale. Now, those seeds are alive, sprouting in someone else’s mind – someone I’ve never even met. That’s incredible.

Thin Threads, the first novel in a series, introduces a handful of ordinary people – just like you and me. They hail from all walks of life in Tibet, England, Tasmania, Canada, Brazil, the US and France. From across the globe, only this handful of people can potentially save humanity. For tools, they have their intent and the need to survive – and they’d better hurry. The fabric of the Universe is unraveling.

Can they reweave the fiber of reality? Could you? We’re going to face things no one has ever faced before. Can you feel it coming? I can.

I formed a publishing company, Denim Books, to present Thin Threads. Now, how do you sell books?

GayLinda Gardner, Denim Books

Small Press Story #15: Bennett Up For 8th Award

2009-03-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

The Pale Surface of Things has been short-listed for the Montaigne Medal, part of the Eric Hoffer Awards. The Montaigne Medal is given to the most thought-provoking titles, books that either illuminate, progress, or redirect thought. Books are nominated for the medal by the judges of the Eric Hoffer Awards.

If it wins, it will be the eighth award for the independently published novel from Hopeace Press. "Amazing, eh?" writes the author Janey Bennett, who is a member of Book Publishers Northwest and spoke to the group last fall about how to promote a small press novel.

"I'm in my Canada time of year," added Bennett, who lives part of the year in British Columbia and part of the year in Washington. "Makes heading south for BPNW tricky. But I still love the group. Best support group ever!"

Small Press Story #14: Books that rock!

2009-03-14T06:03:00.000-07:00

"We publish books written by or about music and musicians. Books that rock!" writes Gary McKinney about Bellingham's Kearney Street Books.

McKinney joined his first rock-and-roll band at age sixteen, and worked professionally as a musician for two decades. These days, he continues to play acoustic rock-and-roll with Fritz & the Freeloaders.

Kearney Street's books include Tribute to Orpheus, an anthology of short fiction, poetry, and non-fiction prose by or about music or musicians, as well as McKinney's mystery, Slipknot, about a Deadhead turned sheriff investigating a murder in southwestern Washington.

Small Press Story #13: Builder Boards and Other Hands-On Projects

2009-03-13T05:41:00.000-07:00

Jack McKee is a builder/designer who started volunteering in the schools when his kids were in school.

"Much to my surprise kids were appreciative of the hands on activities I did (many copied from old science books) and I went on to teach woodworking and science for the city Parks Department. Parents and teachers kept asking about both woodworking and my set of Builder Boards so I wrote two books: Woodshop for Kids and Builder Boards," writes McKee on his website www.woodshop4kids.com.

McKee's YouTube page also includes videos on builder boards and other projects.

Small Press Story #12: Dogwise

2009-03-12T05:33:00.000-07:00

Dogwise Publishing was established in 2001 as a subsidiary of Direct Book Service Inc. and Dogwise.com to produce and market high quality books on dogs.

Dogwise is committed to publishing books that improve upon the information available, use humane training methods, cutting edge science, and proven solutions to make living with a dog more fun and enjoyable. Their audience includes dog owners, trainers, breeders, dog sports competitors, veterinarians, shelters, and dog-related professionals.

Over the years Dog Writers Association of America, DWAA, has selected several Dogwise books for their highest honor, the Maxwell Award, and book industry insiders recognize that Dogwise Publishing titles give readers well-written, sound educational information on dogs.

Small Press Story #11: Bright Ideas for Learning

2009-03-11T03:41:00.000-07:00

MaryAnn Faubion Kohl has a passion for children and for their natural creativity through art that first permeated her teaching years, then her parenting years, and now her current daily life. That passion became a publishing company in 1985, Bright Ring Publishing, Inc., with her first book Scribble Cookies: Creative Independent Art Experiences for Children (now Scribble Art). There was nothing on the market like it and it has become a cherished classic for parents, teachers, childcares, homeschools, and libraries around the world.

Bright Ring has progressed from that simple classic to a full color glossy art book for kids, Great American Artists for Kids: Hands-On Art Experiences in the Styles of Great American Masters (2009). When asked about independent publishing, Kohl says, “Independent publishing has given me a voice and a crayon-bright-pipeline directly to kids that has changed the face of art for children in this country. What used to be cute kid crafts directed by adults is now true art inspired by children’s own creativity. My mission has been a joy and continues to grow as I bring my passion to the lives and art tables of kids everywhere. One of the side benefits of my independent press is traveling and speaking to large groups of educators and librarians around the country, sharing my passion for creativity and art for children, and best of all, sharing hands-on art experiences with them. After they have been through ten or fifteen art experiences, and they feel the hands-on joy of pure creativity, they are hooked! If I sell a few books in the process, well then, I know I’ve succeeded.”

Bright Ring Publishing, Inc. recently completed a count of all the books in print that Bright Ring has published, those Kohl has written for Gryphon House, Inc. (another independent press), and those translated in numerous foreign countries. The total it is closing in on 2 million copies. Kohl was asked, “How many children has each copy reached?” She replied, “The sheer thought of that number is gloriously staggering and impossible to know. It could be over sixty million, if I do a quick estimate. I think I will just take a moment and stare at the clouds imagining each of those children finding art within themselves. Inspiring doesn’t quite cover it!”

Small Press Story #10: Bestsellers One Laugh At A Time

2009-03-10T05:52:00.000-07:00

Being on a top-ten bestseller list would make a publishing house of any size proud. But a small Washington state humor publisher with only eight titles has managed something of a sales coup during a tough holiday season, proving that depth can be as good as height.

Basho Press, based in Mukilteo, Washington, is the producer of the Haiku for Life® series of humorous haiku gift books. Billed as “witty, insightful, inspiring, and sometimes just plain weird,” each book is filled with 100 seventeen-syllable poems aimed at the funny bone. From Haiku for Coffee Lovers to Haiku for Catholics, the series adds a new target market every other month or so.

“We’re trying to make enough titles to fill just about anybody’s gift shopping need,” says poet and publisher David Ash. He even wrote Haiku for Christmas in case customers needed something generically festive and fun for the holidays.

Book buyers seem to agree. The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) has crunched the holiday sales numbers from the premier independent bookstores in its five-state region to see how the 152 titles in its annual Holiday Catalog fared. Taken individually, Ash’s books did respectably. But from the beginning, Ash has believed that the product line’s strength lies in the diversity of the series. “People ask me which book is my favorite, or which one I hope will sell the best,” relates Ash. “I tell them I really don’t care which title they like most. I hope they will buy the one most appropriate for their friend or loved one.”

And that’s what pulls the Haiku for Life® series up into bestseller territory. PNBA reported that when sales of the eight titles are combined as if they were one book, the series comes in at #7 on the Holiday Catalog bestseller list. Coming in so high is even more impressive when one considers that:

Five of the six books that ranked higher were being advertised nationally
PNBA Holiday Catalog is the only marketing promotion to customers that Basho Press has ever done
Only a fourth of the stores initially ordered Ash’s books in November for the catalog promotion (others were slow to order; some never did)

Ash is very pleased overall, and hopes those who passed now recognize they missed a sure seller. “I was very pleased with the results that PNBA’s catalog provided,” Ash states. “It was our first time launching an advertising campaign. The sales bolster our reputation and give us a solid foundation for future growth. Our exposure on the back page of the mailer was essential to our success. The books will be in this spring’s Leafing Out Catalog as well and we look forward to continuing our relationship with PNBA and its member stores.”

In preparation for supporting the spring catalog, David Ash will be appearing at more than a dozen stores and events in the Northwest between March and May. You can enter his name in the search bar of BookTour.com to find details. For more information on the books, go to BashoPress.com or call (206) 200-9525.

Small Press Story #9: Volvos by Frederick Su

2009-03-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

bytewrite LLC is the publisher of An American Sin, about an Asian American and Vietnam. In the novel, David Wong’s Volvo breaks down on the freeway outside Missoula, MT. This actually happened to me and my wife when we were moving from Kalamazoo, MI, to Seattle. So, I incorporated that breakdown into the story, having Wong meet the fictional representation of one of the pivotal heroes of the Vietnam War, the guy who saved civilian lives at My Lai.

“One December, our 1987 740 Turbo Volvo station wagon died. Its death was a great mystery. What killed it?” So begins my humorous article, “Can an Ex-Physicist Fix His Volvo No-Start?” available at www.stepbystepvolvo.com. It took me six weeks to diagnose and fix the car, in the middle of winter. I grew as a backyard mechanic. And, I decided to turn that knowledge and experience into the aforesaid website to help do-it-yourself Volvo mechanics. There was a need for it because so many manuals leave out critical steps and rarely produce good troubleshooting procedures.

Is there a return? If the self-help documents have saved people money (do you know the cost of professional mechanics these days?), I ask for a donation of $4-$6, depending on the topic. At the same time, I make a pitch for them to buy my novel at a 20 percent discount. I have also signed up for Google Adsense. No, I’m not making much money, but I’m having fun getting the word out about me and my novel in a guerrilla marketing sort of way at almost no cost. Participating in Volvo chatrooms, where I’ve been promoted to “Senior Member,” I’m getting more hits per day on my stepbystepvolvo site than on my An American Sin site, www.bytewrite.com.

People want to save money, and learn.

Small Press Story #8: Blogging to Book

2009-03-08T04:16:00.000-07:00

Blog to Book & Beyond (Orion Wellspring) outlines a new approach to writing that helps authors successfully create an audience for their work while they write.

BPNW president Tom Masters explores why publishers are starting to view the blogosphere as a fertile ground to find promising writers. As he pointed out during a recent BPNW meeting, an author who blogs can identify and quantify the audience for their work and this is attractive to risk averse publishers.

Small Press Story #7: Nixon Book Debuts on President's Day

2009-03-07T03:43:00.000-08:00

Book Publishers Network has released an intimate look into the family of one of this country's most influential, innovative, and controversial American Presidents: Richard Milhous Nixon. The life of Richard Milhous Nixon will forever be a focal point of 20th century American history.

Written by Nixon's youngest brother, Edward Nixon , tells the story of the family both before and after Nixon's term in office in The Nixons: A Family Portrait.

Publisher and BPNW board member Sheryn Hara said this is the first book that she has ever launched at a presidential library. Ed Nixon appeared at the Nixon Presidential Library Musuem in California on February 16 to reminisce about the family, growing up in Orange County, the early influences of the community on his brother, and to sign copies of the hardback.

Small Press Story #6: Exxon Valdez skipper says he’s sorry

2009-03-06T05:34:00.000-08:00

A new release from Epicenter Press, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, is creating some news in Alaska because one of its interviews contains an all-out apology to Alaskans from Capt. Joe Hazelwood, who commanded the oil tanker that went aground in Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound twenty years this month, spilling an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil.

In the new book, sixty-two men and women share personal stories in their own words describing what they saw, how they reacted, and how they coped with North America’s worst tanker spill. Reliving their experiences were fishermen, Alaska Native villagers, biologists, environmentalists, sociologists, Exxon executives, the governor, mayors, journalists, workers who washed oil rocks—even Hazelwood.

“I was the captain of a ship that ran aground and caused a horrendous amount of damage,” Hazelwood told co-author Sharon Bushell. “I can’t escape responsibility, nor do I want to. I would like to offer an apology, a heartfelt apology to the people of Alaska for the damage caused by the grounding of a ship that I was in command of.”

The book and Hazelwood’s apology were the subject of a front-page lead story in the Anchorage Daily News on March 5.

Other first-person accounts tell of a shockingly slow response, the struggle to save the stricken tanker, the often heroic but largely futile efforts to limit the spread of oil and clean the beaches, a heart-breaking loss of fish and wildlife, and a loss of innocence among Alaskans who believed this spill never would happen.

Epicenter Press printed an initial press run of 5,000 copies of The Spill in a trade paperback original with a list price of $17.95. Among its 288 pages are 18 pages of color photos and an elaborate two-page map. Epicenter is a regional trade publisher based in Fairbanks, Alaska and Kenmore, Washington specializing in nonfiction titles about Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

For more information, visit www.EpicenterPress.com or contact Kent Sturgis at info@epicenterpress.com.

Editors' Conference: Beyond Red Pencil #2

2009-03-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

Want to improve your professional editing skills and revel in the company of more than 100 fellow word lovers? Sign up for "Beyond the Red Pencil, No. 2," the second biannual conference organized by the Northwest Independent Editors Guild. It takes place at North Seattle Community College on Saturday, March 28, and is open to members and nonmembers alike.

The conference offers a full day of activities, with something for everyone. Enjoy professional development workshops, interact with expert speakers, and meet fellow editors. The keynote speaker is Sheila Bender, publisher of Writing It Real, an online instructional magazine. Sheila will speak on “Using Our Hearts to Head in the ‘Write’ Direction: Editors and Writers Moving Forward.”

Morning and afternoon seminars will address such topics as dealing with problem clients, online vs. print editing, tooting your own horn, editing longer manuscripts, and “Taking Control of Microsoft Word,” led by Hilary Powers from the San Francisco Bay Area. Plus, there’ll be a catered lunch (included in the conference fee) and an informal lunchtime spelling bee! Get the best choice of sessions by registering now at www.edsguild.org/conferences.htm.

The Northwest Independent Editors Guild (www.edsguild.org) is a 12-year-old professional and social network for editors in the Pacific Northwest, with more than 200 members in four states.

Small Story #5: Margaret Doyle starts Orcas news site

2009-03-05T05:56:00.000-08:00

BPNW member and publisher Margaret Doyle has a background as a newspaperwoman and recently launched a new website devoted to telling the news for the residents of Orcas Island.

Margie, as she calls herself on Bullwings, been an Orcas Island resident since 2001 and the editor of the Islands Sounder from 2006 to 2008. She hopes to make Bullwings " a new model of journalistic notice, debate and depth" where "citizen journalists and contributors are monitored by editors."

Small Story #4: Following Marco Polo Across Asia

2009-03-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

BPNW member Harry Rutstein was the first person to accurately follow the route of Marco Polo over land and sea from Venice, Italy to Beijing, China, making his own journeys from 1975 to 1985.

The author of In the Footsteps of Marco Polo: A 20th Century Odyssey, originally published by The Viking Press, Rutstein currently heads The Marco Polo Foundation, Inc. This non-profit foundation is dedicated to providing a better understanding between the East and the West by means of international research.

Rutstein worked with Bennett & Hastings in Seattle to publish The Marco Polo Odyssey in September 2008. An interview with Rutstein about his adventures was broadcast on February 9 on Sound Focus and can be heard at KUOW's website.

Extra: The February 9 Sound Focus broadcast also includes an interview with BPNW member Kunle Oguneye on the publication of his first book Sikulu and Harambe By the Zambezi River

Small Press Story #3 by Linda Carlson, Parenting Press

2009-03-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

Why should authors consider small presses?

Because many small presses don't distinguish between front list and back list: they promote their back list, and their back list authors, as enthusiastically as they do those brand new books. Because selling rights and licensing are important sources of income for small presses, some pursue these opportunities, and that can mean significant income and exposure for authors. Because a small press recognizes that its authors cannot live off royalties, and may assist its authors in landing speaking engagements, school visits and other revenue-producing assignments. Because small presses invest emotionally in each book they publish, and in each author, which means that publishers and authors often become trusted colleagues, and sometimes dear friends.

Linda Carlson handles marketing and media relations for Parenting Press.

Random House Still Making Acquisitions

2009-03-02T23:17:00.000-08:00

Random House announced today that they are acquiring quirky California publisher Ten Speed Press. Since its start in 1971, the publisher has grown to be a leader in the vegetarian, spiritual, and self-help categories with approximately 100 new titles issued every year and a backlist of 1,000 books.

Bestsellers for Ten Speed include Richard Bolles' What Color Is Your Parachute; Mollie Katzen's The Moosewood Cookbook; and The New Detox Diet by Elson Haas and Daniella Chase.

According to initial announcements from Random House and Ten Speed, the company's editorial offices will remain in Berkeley, California.

Small Press Story #2: Idyll Arbor Mails Book Weekly To President Obama and Gary Trudeau

2009-03-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

To highlight the plight of American soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, Idyll Arbor is mailing a copy of their new book, Faces of Combat: PTSD & TBI, each week to President Obama and cartoonist Gary Trudeau. Each package contains letters and other material from veterans.

"It's a race to see who will be the first to recommend the book to the American public," explains publisher Tom Blaschko on the website www.FacesOfCombat.us.

Both men are concerned with the issues raised by Faces of Combat. During his campaign, President Obama met with veterans and discussed how better care could be given to the men and women returning home with post-traumatic stress disorder and TBI.

Blaschko points out that Trudeau's characters Melissa and B.D., two veterans in the Doonesbury comic strip, demonstrate the cartoonist's commitment to helping our veterans.

"We are asking both of these men to recommend Faces of Combat so all Americans can understand why our returning veterans need and deserve our help when they come home," Blaschko added.

Small Press Story #1: BPNW Members Distribute BPNW's Own Small Press Poster

2009-03-01T19:22:00.001-08:00

March is Small Press Month: every day we'll be telling a new story about what our members are doing, why they are publishing, what new events or books are coming, or just any of the other 31 other stories (or more) that come to us during Small Press Month.

For Story #1, we'd like to share our beautiful BPNW poster, created especially for us by Lionfish Creative. BPNW member Galyn Gardner got this project started and with help from her colleagues at Lionfish, including designer Michael Wildeman, created a lovely reminder that big things happen even at the smallest press.

The following BPNW members are distributing this poster to their local libraries and bookstores in Washington. If you picked up posters at the Feb. 19 meeting and are not listed below, be sure to send us your name and where you will be distributing your posters. Want to help? Posters still available for pick-up at Lionfish Creative, 11010 Northup Way, Bellevue, WA 98004, 425-285-1500. Galyn will have posters available at the front desk, along with the national Small Press Month poster featuring Sherman Alexie.

Tom Masters, Orion Wellspring
Queen Anne Bookstore, Seattle, WA
Queen Anne Library, Seattle, WA

Beth Whitman, Dispatch Travels
Wide World Books, Seattle, WA
Square One Books, Seattle, WA
Third Place Books, Seattle, WA

Galyn Gardner, Lionfish
Snohomish County libraries:
Arlington
Granite Falls
Lake Stevens
Marysville
Monroe
Stanwood
…and
Bellevue Regional
Crossroads – The Library Connection
Village Books, Bellingham, WA
Stonehouse Books, Kirkland, WA
Book Worm, Marysville, WA
East West Books – University District, Seattle, WA

Margaret Doyle, Port Gamble Publishing
Darvill’s Bookstore, Eastsound, WA
Griffin Bay Bookstore, Friday Harbor, WA
Pyramidion, Eastsound, WA
Serendipity, Friday Harbor, WA
Island Studios, Friday Harbor, WA
Artsmith, Eastsound, WA

Ellen Martorelli, Eye-Scapes
Half Price Books - University District
Twice Sold Tales, 45th St., Seattle, WA
Magus Books, Seattle, WA

Rebecca Brown, Big River Press
Odyssey Books, Port Angeles, WA
Port Book and News, Port Angeles, WA

Chris Salditt, Mother Love Publishing
Mukilteo

Tell Us Your Story: We'll Feature Your Press In March, Let's Tell a New Story Every Day!

2009-02-28T07:27:00.000-08:00

We'd like to post a new story about a Northwest publisher member each day during March, Small Press Month. Let's celebrate by telling our stories. Let us know what inspired you to begin your business, what keeps you publishing, what's new in your world!

Doing an event during March? Be sure to send a listing to Book Publishers Northwest. We will be featuring a "Small Press Month Events" calendar on the website.

For ideas on how to celebrate Small Press Month, check "31 Ways to Prepare for Small Press Month (March)" in our articles by BPNW members archive.

Send your news and event listings to bpnwnews at aol.com.

NWABP February Meeting And Other Oregon Events

2009-02-22T11:23:00.001-08:00

The Northwest Association of Book Publishers (Oregon) will hold their February meeting, Thursday, Feb. 26, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Fairfield Inn, 6100 Meadows Rd., Lake Oswego.

Linda Kuhlmann, author of Koenig's Wonder, will speak on her efforts to market her first novel.

===

Paul Gerhards to speak at Looking Glass Bookstore

NWABP president Paul Gerhards talks about "One Thing Every Author Needs to Know about Book Publishing" at 7:00 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, at the Looking Glass Bookstore, 7983 SE 13th Ave., Sellwood.

For more NWABP news, visit their website www.nwabp.org.

February Meeting: What Happens After You Hit the Bestseller Lists

2009-02-19T06:24:00.000-08:00

It's every publisher's dream: have a bestselling book flying out the door at bookstores and online sites. But what happens after your initial print run is sold out, the orders keep flying in, and suddenly everyone wants you to have the work done immediately?

Last summer, Epicenter Press had the only biography in print of Alaska's governor Sarah Palin. Literally thousands of orders came pouring in after Palin was announced as the vice-presidential candidate.

Join Epicenter's president and founder Kent Sturgis as he talks about how his company handled the rocketing demand, the need to reprint quickly, the closing window of opportunity as the election approached, and kept on track with the other books in their catalog. The February meeting of Book Publishers Northwest takes place at the Good Shepherd Center, Feb. 19, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

This meeting is free for BPNW members. $5 for others. Please click on the link to the right for directions to the Good Shepherd Center in Seattle.

David Ash's Article in IBPA

2009-02-13T09:58:00.001-08:00

BPNW member David Ash has an article, "Will It Play in Peoria? Every Publisher Can Take a Pulse," on page 19 of this month's (February) IBPA Independent!

Ash's company is Basho Press, publisher of Haiku for Life series of gift books. Basho Press, LLC, was formed in 2007.

BEA Stays in New York Until 2011

2009-02-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

The organizers of BookExpo America have announced that the show will continue in New York City on an annual basis at least through 2011. Previous plans for returning to Washington DC in 2010 and Las Vegas in 2011 have been canceled in favor of staying close to mainstream publishing business and the media located in New York.

Starting in 2010, the convention floor will open for two days only instead of three. A day of conferences, special events and a show preview the day before the show floor opens will continue to be held. The new dates for BEA are May 25 to 27 for 2010, May 24 to 26 for 2011, and May 30 to June 1 for 2012.

Bay Area Publishing Institute

2009-02-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

The Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (BAIPA) welcomes writers, authors, editors and publishers to Marin County’s SF Theological Seminary for the 2009 Independent Publishing Institute Get Published!, an intensive one-day workshop on independent publishing and book marketing with a great opportunity to network. The event will be held Saturday, March 21, 2009 from 8 am to 5 pm with lunch and all-day refreshments provided.

Key presenters include Jim Horan, author of the Amazon best-seller series The One Page Business Plan®, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, popular author and producer of “West Coast Live” radio, and David Battino, author of The Art of Digital Music. Topics include: Your Book as Your Business Partner; Publishing Demystified; Getting Pre- and Post Book Reviews; Book Design & Production; Book Marketing & Publicity; Children’s Books; Fiction Marketing, and an Ask a Publishing Pro interactive session.

Full program information, breakout sessions, speakers and registration available at: http://www.baipa.net/Workshop/index.htm.

Costs: $95 BAIPA member advanced registration ($125 after March 7) and $125 non-member advanced registration (non-member registration includes a 6-month BAIPA membership) and $150 at the door. Attendees may also sign up the day of the Institute. Send checks to: Bay Area Independent Publishers Association, P.O. Box E, Corte Madera, CA 94976. Phone: 415.975.0950. Email: valpub@yahoo.com. Marin County’s SF Theological Seminary is located at 40 Kensington Road in San Anselmo.

WLA Brown Bag Session on Taxes

2009-02-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

911 Media ArtsCenter, 402 9th Ave N, Seattle, Washington 98109 Wednesday,
February 18, 2009, 7:00pm - 10:00 pm

Depreciation, capital gains, deductions, W-2's, 1099's! Having trouble keeping track of it all? Neil Sussman's popular tax workshop is back to guide creative individuals and their attorneys through yet another season of gains, losses, formulas and forms. Learn all the basics you need, plus special tips and what's new for your 2008 tax return.

Designed specifically to address the arts and entertainment issues, topics to be covered will include:
What deductions can be claimed
What tax forms to use and how tofill them out
How to keep business and tax records in an organized manner
How to minimize the chances of getting audited

Space is limited for what is sure to be a popular event, so early registration is encouraged!

DATE AND TIME:
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
7:00pm to 10:00 pm
(registration begins at 6:30 pm. Program begins at 7:00 with a 15 minute break.)

LOCATION:
911 Media Arts Center
402 9th Ave N
Seattle, Washington 98109

FEE:
In advance: $40 attorneys and paralegals; $15 artists and students
At the door: $45 attorneys and paralegals; $20 artists and students

REGISTRATION:
To register, click here to visit Brown Paper Tickets or call 800.838.3006. To pay at the door, RSVP to Washington Lawyers for the Arts at 206.328.7053. Please note that the event is subject to cancellation; visit thewla.org or call 206.328.7053 for more information.

Canada's BookExpo in Trouble

2009-01-21T07:57:00.000-08:00

Quill & Quire reported yesterday that a number of large publishers have pulled out of BookExpo Canada (the Northern equivalent of BEA). The magazine speculates that BookExpo Canada cannot continue without major exhibitors.

Edible Book Fair Returns to Seattle

2009-01-20T06:18:00.000-08:00

Seattle once again hosts an event tied to The International Edible Book Festival -- a world-wide event "for bibliophiles, book artists and food lovers to celebrate the ingestion of culture and its fulfilling nourishment."

The 2009 Seattle Edible Book Festival will help raise money for Seattle Center for Book Arts.

Information and registration for your edible book art can be found at: http://frybooks.blogspot.com/

This year's Seattle Edible Book Festival will take place at the Good Shepherd Center between noon and 1 p.m. on April 4, 2009.

Epicenter Announces Changes in Distribution

2009-01-16T06:32:00.000-08:00

Epicenter Press recently announced changes in distribution. The press will service accounts directly through its business office in Kenmore, WA and warehouse in Kent, WA. Customers also may order from Partners West in Renton, WA or through rep Jim Harris, who will cover the Northwest, California and Hawaii. In Alaska, Epicenter titles are in stock at Todd Communications and the News Group. Epicenter titles will be available through Ingram and Baker & Taylor by early February.

Epicenter founder and president Kent Sturgis will be Book Publishers Northwest's featured speaker in February.

Bennett Wins Prize

2009-01-15T19:23:00.000-08:00

Janey Bennett has been named winner of the Joanna Catherine Scott Novel Excerpt Prize in the National League of American Pen Women, Nob Hill branch Soul-Making Literary Competition. Bennett's latest novel, with the working title of Jia Li, is the story of the failing adoption of a Chinese daughter.

Bennett will read from her novel at the Soul-Making Awards event in San Francisco in March.

Bennett's first novel, The Pale Surface of Things, which has won seven book-industry awards since its publication, received second place in the PEN Nob Hill Soul-Making Awards in 2004.

The Soul-Making Literary Competition is a national award that looks for original, freshly creative and finely crafted works that embrace all creative interpretations of English poet, John Keats' statement: "Some say the world is a vale of tears, I say it is a place of soul-making"

January 15 Meeting: The Elevator Pitch

2009-01-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

How do you answer the question "What is your book about?"

Every author/publisher/illustrator needs a clear, concise and memorable answer to that question. If you are struggling with creating an engaging elevator speech, or if you have one that needs refreshing, you won't want to miss this session. Lorraine Howell, author of Give Your Elevator Pitch A Lift!, will take you through her step-by-step proven process for crafting your own 30-second commercial. In this tough economy, how you talk about your writing is the least expensive way to build buzz for your work. Her method helps you eliminate the verbal clutter, build confidence, and keep your networking conversations alive!

In this session you will learn tips, tools, and strategies for:
-Identifying your target audience/constituencies
-Developing key phrases and language that resonates with your audiences
-Keeping your "elevator speech" fresh and relevant

The Elevator Pitch meeting runs 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on January 15 at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington. The meeting is free for Book Publishers Northwest members; $5 for others.

More Information on Lead Testing for Children's Books

2009-01-14T15:48:00.000-08:00

Scott Flora of SPAN has published the following information on the impact of "lead testing" on children's book publishers:

CPSIA and Publishers

As most of you know, CPSIA requires items sold for children, manufactured after February 10, be tested and certified for lead levels by an independent lab.

A Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) letter, dated December 23, 2008, affirmed children's books are included in category of products that need to be tested for lead.

Products in inventory (in storage and on bookstore shelves) do not need to be tested, but retailers can be fined if the products are found to have excessive levels of lead.

Testing and certification takes place at the book printer level. Publishers of children's books need to check with their printer if they have books in the printing process.

SPAN is providing more information on this issue at:
http://www.spannet.org/cpsia-info-2009.htm

Apple Apps Censor Books

2009-01-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

As recently reported by CNET, people adding books to the iPhone App store may be blocked if Apple's word filters determine that the content is not appropriate for a general audience.

While the iPhone is a much less popular eReader than products like Kindle, some authors and publishers have expressed concern that their audiences will be diminished by Apple's censorship policies.

You Book Tube: New Video Site for Publishers

2009-01-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

A new video hosting site, Your Book Tube, encourages authors and publishers to publish their book videos on their site.

Lead Laws Impact Amazon Advantage Clients

2009-01-11T04:17:00.000-08:00

Amazon Advantage has asked publishers of children's books to complete a form that verifies that your products meet the new child safety laws regarding lead in books. If Amazon has not received the form by January 15, products will be returned to publishers. Further information can be found on the home page of the Advantage site.

Scallops & Science: You Are Invited to a Party!

2009-01-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

Recently received this invitation from Sally James, vice-president of NW Science Writers:

We are a nonprofit in Seattle dedicated to science writing and our members are writers, editors, bloggers, authors and public relations folks.

Our big annual party is Jan. 22 at the Seattle Aquarium. We have a big venue, so we can invite everybody and want to include your members.

http://www.nwscience.org

All the details on buying tickets are there. We encourage buying and not waiting in line at the door. Just imagine eating scallops while the live creatures eye you from their tank. Or not.

Got an event that you think local publishers would enjoy? Just e-mail the details to bpnwnews at aol.com.

Join BPNW and Save $30 From IBPA!

2008-12-30T09:52:00.000-08:00

A 2009 membership in Book Publishers Northwest costs $50. But upon receipt of your payment, we will send you a $30 coupon for the Independent Book Publishers Association. This coupon can be used for an IBPA membership or selected services.

BPNW members can attend regular meetings at the Good Shepherd Center in Seattle for free. They can also bring members of their company for free. They receive listings in directory. Special offers for publishers as available. And a network of like-minded people to ask about the business!

To join Book Publishers Northwest for 2009, mail $50 to:
Book Publishers Northwest
Attn: 2009 Membership
PO Box 9535
Seattle WA 98109

Please include the following information with payment:
Business Name
Type of business: Publisher or Service for Publishers
Contact Name
Mailing address
Website
Contact e-mail

Please indicate if this information can be published in the membership directory and include a one-paragraph description of the business.

Checks should be made out to Book Publishers Northwest.

Nonexistent Email or Why You Haven't Received A Newsletter

2008-12-28T11:01:00.000-08:00

Book Publishers Northwest e-mails a newsletter at least once a month to anyone who subscribes (see right hand column for subscription information). We also send out reminders and offers to members at least once a month or more. If you have signed up for a subscription in the past and have not received anything from us in November or December, we may have a bad e-mail for you.

We recently removed the following e-mails from our lists as they had turned up as "nonexistent" for more than three tries. This only means that our ISP could not find these addresses and does not imply that a business is closed:

Deleted as of Dec 28 2008
gail at rastonpublishing.com
info at cirosbooks.com
info at raincitypublishing.com
lbinlow at kalama.com
sroberts at winetrails.com

ISP actively blocking our e-mail
Telcomplus.net
This ISP will not allow any of our e-mails to be delivered to its customers. If you are a Telcomplus client, you need to set up another account, such as Gmail, to receive our newsletters or contact Telcomplus customer service.

If you have any questions, please contact us at bpnwnews at aol.com.

A Report on Publishers' Props

2008-12-28T10:18:00.000-08:00

Last spring, members of Book Publishers Northwest were asked if they could contribute letterhead and envelopes as props for the movie World's Greatest Dad. Here's a note from Lisa De Alva on this film.

It's been a while since I first contacted you for help with props on "World's Greatest Dad" and I wanted to send along some good news: "World's Greatest Dad" has been accepted to the Sundance Film Festival!

Unfortunately since the movie has been edited in Los Angeles, none of us here have seen a finished cut, so I'm not sure how many of the publishers who so kindly helped us will see their names, logos or stationery used, but I'm hoping for a good showing!

I wish all of you a very Happy New Year and thanks so much again for participating in our movie!

Cheers, Lisa De Alva
Property Mistress, "World's Greatest Dad"

PNBA Preparing Spring Catalog for Booksellers

2008-12-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

The Pacific NW Booksellers Association is following their popular Holiday Catalog with a new "Leafing Out" Catalog for regional booksellers to distribute in the Spring.

PNBA Marketing Director Brian Juenemann suggests that publishers consider buying space in the catalgo for books with regional appeal, gifts for moms, grads, dads, inspiration for the garden, or activities to keep the kids busy when school lets out.

"Flip through your catalogs, confer with your rep and pick my brain--if I have your catalog on hand, I have surely flagged my odds-on favorites for success. It all has to be in place by February 11th, when production begins--and, space sold out last year--so don't push your decisions too far into the new year. I'm looking forward to talking a little spring with you," Juenemann wrote in a recent e-mail to publishers.

Junemann's contact information is:

Brian Juenemann
Marketing Director
Pacific NW Booksellers Assoc.
541-683-4363
brian@pnba.org

Borders and Publisher Experiment with "No Returns"

2008-12-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) - Borders Group Inc , the second-largest U.S. bookseller, will accept books from publisher HarperStudio on a nonreturnable basis, departing from a decades-old publishing tradition, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Full Article

A Gift from Betsy in Florida

2008-12-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

Betsy Wright-Lampe, Association Executive of the Florida Publishers Association, Inc, sent the following list of helpful websites. Enjoy!

Website Analytics and Search Engine Optimization Tools
Alexa: http://www.alexa.com
Google Analytics: http://www.google.com/analytics
Technorati: http://www.technorati.com
Del.icio.us: http://www.del.icio.us.com
IceRocket: http://www.IceRocket.com
Feedster: http://www.feedster.com
Feedburner: http://www.feedburner.com

Social Network Sites
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com
Bebo: http://www.bebo.com (Primarily in UK, Europe, growing in the US)

About Blogs
www.bloggingtips.com
www.bloglines.com
www.dailyblogtips.com
www.startingablog.com
www.blogit.com

Blog Hosting Services
TypePad: http://www.typepad.com
Blogger: http://www.blogger.com
WordPress: http://www.wordpress.com
Blogflux: http://www.blogflux.com
Movabletype: http://www.movabletype.com
LiveJournal: http://www.livejournal.com
Windows Live Space: http://home.services.spaces.live.com/

Email Services
Vertical Response: http://www.verticalresponse.com
Constant Contact: http://www.constantcontact.com
Topica: http://www.topica.com
GetResponse: http://www.getresponse.com
Aweber: http://aweber.com/?298144

Happy Holidays, cousins!

Best,
Betsy

Betsy Wright-Lampe
Association Executive
Florida Publishers Association, Inc.
P. O. Box 430
Highland City, FL 33846-0430
phone/fax (863) 647-5951
email: FPAbooks@aol.com
website: www.FLbookpub.org

FPA is an affiliate of the Association of American Publishers (www.publishers.org), the Independent Book Publishers Association (www.ibpa-online.org) and the Small Publishers Association of North America (www.SPANnet.org). FPA is a member of the Florida Library Association (www.FLAlib.org) and the Florida Association for Media in Education (www.FloridaMedia.org).

Ingram Publishing Services

2008-12-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

The following discussion was posted recently on the affiliates' list of IBPA.

“I have heard great things about Ingram Publishing Services, the distributor arm of Ingram. Not only are they excellent performers, they are financially sound.“

I just spoke to Janet McDonald there yesterday (lucky coincidence, no?). They have had great success with non-fiction that targets a clearly identifiable audience, but they are also interested in fiction and more popular non-fiction. They work with larger publishers, but have some clients that do as little as $100k per year in sales.

They are also actively looking for new clients. Janet herself is the contact person: Janet.McDonald@ingrambook.com.

As far as I can see, the big pro is that it's Ingram. The con is that so few folks know that Ingram has a distribution arm, so you don't get the automatic street cred that you might from IPG, NBN or Consortium, for example.

As for financially sound—all the big companies have, for very sound reasons, been using modern cash management techniques, which require access to very short-term, low-risk loans on a frequent basis. Unfortunately, in the current economic situation, bank lending officers are over-reacting and those taps are sometimes cut off when there's no reason to do so.

That means that any large company can hit a brick wall with very little warning. Be warned, and get your UCC-1s filed on the inventory in other companies' warehouses, and make other similar preparations for unforeseen problems with your large trading partners.

Of course, that's just my opinion, and you should each assess your risks and exposures individually.

Marion Gropen
Gropen Associates, Inc.
By-The-Question Consulting, Tools for Publishers, & Classes
www.GropenAssoc.com
Her blog: www.GropenAssoc.com/blog

BPNW Members Party

2008-12-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

The Book Publishers Northwest members party will take place on Dec. 6. Please e-mail host Sheryn Hara for directions: sherynhara at earthlink.net.

Members will have received a longer invitation via e-mail on Dec. 1. If you are a member of Book Publishers Northwest and did not receive your invitation, please e-mail bpnwnews at aol.com.

Oguneye Heard on KUOW

2008-12-05T06:32:00.000-08:00

BPNW member Kunle Oguneye recently appeared on KUOW's "Sound Focus" to discuss his first children's book called "Sikulu and Harambe By the Zambezi River."

This first in a series of picture books was adapted from a tales that Oguneye heard growing up in Nigeria.

Listen to an archive edition of this interview at KUOW's website.

Use IBPA Services

2008-12-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

BPNW members receive an affiliate discount for Independent Book Publishing Association's membership. The organization offers many services for small publishers including dispute resolution:

"IBPA does have a dispute resolution program. I wish it were better known. We might not be the publishing equivalent of Batman or the Avenger, but we do speak for 4,000 or so independent publishers, and that counts for something." - IBPA board member

Some websites recommended for promoting fiction

2008-12-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

Janey Bennett, author of Pale Surface of Things, was BPNW's guest speaker on November 20. Following are some of Janey's suggestions from her talk on promoting fiction:

Awards – Pale Surface has seven of them. It’s one of the miracles of this book’s promotion. We found the competitions mostly through ads on www.shelfawareness.com, which I recommend reading daily. It’s a great source of ideas.

I also received one fellowship and two awards before publication, for the manuscript of Pale Surface, from sites I found in Poets and Writers Magazine. Those start the process of moving the air molecules around your title and name.
http://www.pw.org/content/grants_amp_awards_your_guide_writing_contests

Press Release – When Pale Surface got the seventh award, we sent out a press release on www.PRWeb.com and it’s still (5 months later) drawing hits to our website, www.palesurfaceofthings.com. I would only send a press release when I had news, like seven awards, because puff press releases annoy people. Use press releases wisely.

Websites – My website, www.palesurfaceofthings.com has grown into a collection of information, an interview, a press area, reviews, reader comments, a slide show of my research photos of Crete, a lot of things connected to the book. But for interviews, we found it a good idea to set up a second website at www.janeybennett.com which offers information on my other writing (including a sample), and some mention of my other endeavors and my background. The two sites are linked.

Other internet ideas keep coming to me, and will come to you. Some are great, and sometimes I just roll my eyes and go back to work on the next novel. It’s a balancing act, how much you want to do. This is what I have done. I’m sure I’m forgetting some things, but here we are. The book is alive and kicking, and life is lovely.

New section of articles by BPNW members

2008-11-30T21:29:00.001-08:00

Recognizing that Book Publishers Northwest's members have wealth of knowledge to share, we've started a new section of informational articles by our members. Click on the link in the right-hand column to see the latest offering from our members.

HOW TO: Turn A Blog Post Into a Podcast for Free

2008-11-28T11:57:00.001-08:00

Another useful article on Mashable about converting blog posts into audio files that can be downloaded through iTunes.

HOW TO: Convert Your Blog Into a Podcast on iTunes for Free

Posted using ShareThis

11 Sites to Make Money Selling Old Gadgets

2008-11-26T15:06:00.000-08:00

Mashable is one of your editor's favorite sources of new and wonderful ideas available around the Internet.

If you're thinking of clearing out the office this month, consider how that old equipment might be reused or recycled or just earn you a little extra cash:

11 Sites to Make Money Selling Old Gadgets

Posted using ShareThis

Why You Should Apply for Pub U Scholarship

2008-11-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

A Word about IBPA’s Publishing University (Pub-U)

Gail Sexton here, of Raston Publishing. I was the 2008 Book Publishers Northwest recipient of the Independent Book Publishers Association’s Pub-U scholarship. Each year IBPA accepts entries and chooses one winner from each affiliate. The scholarship includes the cost of attending the full conference ($775 for non-members, $675 for members) as well as a badge to attend BEA ($55.) You’d think that would be enough, but the scholarship includes a $500 stipend to be reimbursed after the conference! Niiiiiccce.

Do whatever you have to do to go – it is transformational. It’s the difference between reading about Italy and going to Italy. Reading about Italy is educational, going to Italy changes you. If you’re serious about being a member of the larger publishing community, this is the place to be. If you’ve previously submitted for the scholarship, submit again! This year there were over 100 industry professionals who donated their time to Pub-U to give practical industry advice as well as tons of inspiration. They enjoy getting to know the up and coming as much as we enjoy rubbing shoulders with them!

Remember, Book Expo America (BEA) begins right at the tail end of Pub-U, and in 2009 we’ll all be in New York City! I’ll be going on my own dime in 2009, because it’s that fabulous. Go, go, GO!! Go to Pub-U and BEA. Plan and budget now. Invest in your life, inspire your passion, connect with your publishing community, put your toe in the water – let yourself belong.

Be open. If you don’t go in, you can’t find out.

November 20 Meeting: Promoting Fiction

2008-11-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

Janey Bennett shares what works and what doesn’t in promoting fiction. November 20, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington.

Marketing mainstream fiction is not the same as marketing non-fiction. Your book will be tossed into the sharktank with ALL the other mainstream fiction books, and the fight for survival can be fierce.

When BPNW member Janey Bennett’s publisher announced that he was going back to graduate school and that all the marketing of her novel, The Pale Surface of Things, in both Canada and the US would be up to her, she began an education in fiction-marketing from point zero.

Fifteen months later, Bennett is a veteran of a fiction campaign including blogging, voice interviews on internet and cable (i.e., Sirius and Voice of America), book tours, trade shows, ad campaigns, bookclub discussions, and readings in churches and private homes. Pale Surface has received seven book-industry awards, is nearly through its first print run of 4,000, and will have a re-designed cover for its next print run.

Considering publishing fiction or already have novel or two on your list? Come to this meeting to learn more about how to promote your titles.

THE PALE SURFACE OF THINGS
by Janey Bennett
HOPEACE PRESS
ISBN 978-0-9734007-2-4
www.palesurfaceofthings.com

Grand Prize Second Place for All Fiction, Next Generation Indie Book Award
Gold Medal Winner, Multicultural Fiction Next Generation Indie Book Award
Gold Medal Winner, Multicultural Fiction USA BookNews BEST BOOK Award
Gold Medal Winner, Multicultural Fiction Indie Excellence Book Award
Gold Medal Winner, Best Use of Environmental Materials, PubWest Book Design Award
Silver Medal Winner, Multicultural Fiction & Non-Fiction, Nautilus Book Awards
Honorable Mention, General Fiction, Beach Book Festival Awards

Affiliate Scholarships Now Being Accepted

2008-11-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

Current members of Book Publishers Northwest are encouraged to apply for the Independent Book Publishers Association scholarship. The application can be found at:
http://www.ibpa-online.org/files/pdf/AffiliateScholarship.pdf

The IBPA Scholarship Program was implemented in 1997 to afford opportunity for individuals from the Affiliates to participate in IBPA’s primary learning session, the Publishing University, and to share what they have learned with other members of their group.

The Affiliate Scholarship is awarded to one representative from each IBPA affiliate allowing free access to IBPA’s Publishing University, which normally occurs the three days prior to BookExpo America in the host city of BEA. IBPA will also provide a $500 stipend to cover partially the cost of travel and/or accommodations for this event.

It's All in the Display: Road Lessons from Basho

2008-11-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

Greeting from Sandy, Utah!

I learned a valuable lesson on this tour at a very low "hard-knocks" cost. I spent the day Wednesday doing a string of courtesy calls at small independent NCIBA-member bookstores in northeast California and Reno, Nevada. A couple minutes after driving off from one of my stops, I heard a loud bang as though something heavy had fallen over in my trunk. I pulled over and checked my trunk: and all seemed well. It wasn't until I got to the next store 40 miles away and couldn't find my cardboard sample box that I realized what had happened. I had left it on the roof of the car at the last stop. It stayed there until I was out of town. Once I got up to highway speed, it flew off the car, hitting the trunk on its way to the ground.

Fortunately, there were only six copies total and some bookmarks and business cards left in the box: I was going to have to replenish it anyway. But how to carry books around for my remaining stops?

The only thing to do was dig out a wooden display case that was already set up for a future trade show. It holds five copies each of all eight of my titles and makes a very nice presentation. But I had never taken it in to a shop before. It's a bit weighty and there was no way to protect the books from the weather. At least it was a lovely day.

The response at my remaining four stops was fantastic. I sold ten copies outright at one store, and two others were checking ISBN numbers, saying they would put in an order with Partners West. One was the Barnes & Noble in Reno!

Presentation really is everything, and I will certainly keep doing this on my homeward stops. Who knows, I might start combing my hair too!

David Ash
Publisher, Basho Press

You can follow David's adventures at www.BookTour.com (search for "David Ash)

Book Video: Sikulu and Harambe

2008-11-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

Sikulu and Harambe by the Zambezi River

More on Circle of Seven Productions

2008-11-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

Sheila Clover English, CEO of Circle of Seven Productions, spoke to a packed meeting on November 11.

For those wanting to find out more about book video promotion, she provides a number of resources at her company's website: www.cosproductions.com.

Or watch this short video:

Book Video: Two Examples from Big River

2008-11-11T15:20:00.000-08:00

Honor Due by D. H. Brown

Standing The Watch: The Greatest Gift by R. J. Brown

Members' Book Video: Crypt of the Moaning Diamond

2008-11-08T05:03:00.000-08:00

The following book video was created for member Rosemary Jones with the help of a fellow author:

Book Publishers Northwest members are encouraged to share their book videos here.

Wanderlust Featured in Times of India

2008-10-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

BPNW member Beth Whitman continues to see coverage of her latest Wanderlust and Lipstick title about traveling solo in India. Check her blog for links to a Times of India article and other recent interviews.

Two Meetings in November

2008-10-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

November 11
Making Book Trailers for the Web

November 20
Marketing Small Press Fiction

Each meeting takes place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington.

Free for members

October 16: Print Production

2008-10-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

Planning to produce a book in the next year? Short runs vs. long runs, new technology, and more.

Book Publishers Northwest's next meeting will be October 16 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington.

Speakers include:

Victor Judd, Americas Press
www.americas-press.com
Americas Press is high-quality, short-run digital paperback book printer. The printing plant is located in Houston, Texas, and company began doing short-run printing for NASA in the 1960s.

More recently, Americas press has evolved into short run book printing. “We have been very successful in the Southwest and began expanding nationally last year. It is still a small family run company that focuses on quality printing and customer service,” said Judd.

“I have been a printer since I studied it in high school in the late 60's,” he added. “Over the years I have worked in every department in a print shop. I became the West Coast rep for Americas Press in early 2007.”

Craig Pearson
Global Fulfillment
www.gloful.com

On-demand digital printing, variable data and off-set printing are services offered to compliment both projects and long term fulfillment programs.

Two Pacific Northwest based companies, Karla’s Hand Bindery and Fulfillment Solutions, joined together in 1997 under the combined name of Global Fulfillment. The company currently operates in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle.

ASL Tales of Portland

2008-10-14T07:04:00.000-07:00

New BPNW member ASL Tales of Portland, OR (www.ASLTales.net) publishes a line of children's picture books told in American Sign Language and English. The richly illustrated books are shipped with DVDs providing voice translation in 8 languages and interactive web tools. The books, performed by ASL storytellers, introduce ASL structure, vocabulary and Deaf Culture to hearing children, Deaf children, reluctant readers, children with language development challenges and children learning English as a second language.

The company, founded in 2008, has produced three titles so far. ASL Tales: The Princess and the Pea is available now. ASL Tales: Rapunzel and ASL Tales for Tots: Annie's Tails will be available for distribution December 2008.

Epicenter's Kent Sturgis on NPR

2008-10-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Local publisher Kent Sturgis started off this fall with the only biography in print of Sarah Palin. 500,000 copies sold later, he calls this unexpected windfall the publishing equivalent of a gold rush. Oh, and he's still voting for Obama.

Catch the latest on Epicenter's rollercoaster ride at NPR.

Layoffs Hit Lulu

2008-10-13T04:36:00.000-07:00

Lulu.com, the website that allows anyone to publish easily, has been hit by the credit crunch. The company just announced layoffs based on the "frozen" credit market.

Recap of September Meeting on Pub U

2008-10-03T11:25:00.001-07:00

Gail Sexton of Raston Publishing spoke to the members about her experience at Independent Book Publisher Association’s Publishing University. As the 2008 IBPA Scholarship winner from Book Publishers Northwest, Gail had her tuition waived and received a $500 stipend from IBPA.

Each year, IBPA provides one scholarship for a member of each affiliate association. Competition for the 2008 scholarship was fierce with numerous strong applications from BPNW members. Sexton's application was selected from the finalist by the IPBA Board.

At the Pub U, more than 100 industry professionals were instructors for the classes.

Some things Gail found particularly interesting and useful included:

1. Tips from the editors of Foreword magazine for getting your book reviewed in a major publication. (Gail distributed copies of the tip sheet; talk to her for more copies.)
2. When discussing your title, remember: It’s not about the boo – it’s about the benefits to the reader.
3. Offer yourself for free – e.g. teach a free seminar as a way to promote / sell your books.
4. Create cross buzz. That is, have multiple, self-reinforcing marketing efforts going on at the same time.
5. Speak! You are your book’s best advertisement.

Gail also had an opportunity to work the IBPA booth at BookExpo. When an Indian gentleman came by perusing the hundreds of books on the shelves there, Gail engaged him in a conversation and asked what he was interested in. He related that he was a buyer for one of the largest Indian book catalogs and showed her a sample catalog. She was able to talk to him about her title.

She also was able to talk to several experts about her book’s cover and got excellent and really focused feedback on how the cover could better convey what her book is about.

At the end of the meeting, Gail offered the following tips for attending Pub U or BookExpo:

·Go with a list of problems you want to solve and attend the classes, talks, etc. that will help you solve those specific problems.
·Tap the experts. Don’t be shy!
·Take comprehensive notes – especially for those “genius” ideas.
·Be really clear about who you want to talk to – both at BEA and Pub U.

This report submitted by Tom Masters

Constant Contact Local Seminars

2008-10-02T13:55:00.001-07:00

Some people may have remembered anearlier free seminar about using Constant Contact for e-newsletters that BPNW hosted. This is the web-based program that Book Publishers Northwest uses for our e-newsletter and reminders.

If you're interested in learning more about Constant Contact, there are a number of free events in the area about this program. Check the Constant Contact web calendar for times and locations.

Checking E-mail, Pricing Books

2008-09-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

A BPNW member recently e-mailed and asked about pricing books. We answered the question via e-mail -- only to keep getting the same query sent by the member. By the third time that we received this e-mail, we began to suspect that our original answers were going into a spam folder. Sad, as this is the member's business e-mail as well.

If you send a query and don't get an answer in two to three working days, search your spam folder. You might be surprised at what you find.

In hopes that this will help, here's the original query and answer.

How should I price my book for a bookstore?

The normal discount off the cover price to a bookstore is 40%.

You can set a lower discount, like 20%, if you want. It's not unusual for small press to do that.

A distributor like Ingram usually asks for a 50 to 60% discount, so they can in turn offer a 40% discount to bookstores.

This is why margins are very thin in publishing and getting your "per book" cost down is important -- if you plan to distribute through bookstores. If you are planning to have most of your distribution through direct sales, you can have a higher per unit cost because you're keeping more of the retail price for yourself.

BPNW Display at Fall Trade Show

2008-09-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

On Sept 16, Book Publishers Northwest joined with Northwest Association of Book Publishers and IBPA to display members books at the PNBA Fall Trade Show for booksellers and librarians.

Celeste Bennett sent us the following photos of the display and trade show floor.

Members at the show reported that traffic appeared to be up from the 2007 show.

BPNW's display included books and sales literature demonstrating the wide range of material published in the Northwest.

Update from Bright Ring

2008-09-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Bright Ring Publishing, Inc. has been selected as one of the best art websites for teaching art by The Link Homeschooling Magazine, 2008.

The company recently published its first full color art education activity book, August 2008, Great American Artists for Kids: Hands-On Art Experiences in the Styles of Great American Masters, with a first print of of 7000 printed in Korea. More than half of the first print run was sold as of September 2008 according to publisher and author MaryAnn Kohl.

Publishing Round Table on Sept 18

2008-09-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

Join Gail Sexton, our 2008 Pub U Scholar, for a publishers' roundtable for good advice on starting, growing, or just having fun with your publishing business. Start off the fall season with new ideas!

This meeting is free for members.

Meeting takes place at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 18. See you there!

PNBA Display Books Donated to Rural Library

2008-09-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

The Darby Community Library in Darby, Montana, were picked to benefit from the PNBA Rural Library Drive. At the end of the PNBA Fall Trade Show, exhibitors like Book Publishers Northwest left their display books with volunteers from the library.

The community recently acquired a new building that will now be stocked with a wide range of wonderful titles donated by BPNW members and others at the PNBA Fall Trade Show.

A plea from your editor at BPNW News

2008-09-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

* Keep Your E-mail Up-to-Date
* Check Your Spam Folder
* Use the Blog!

Why is all of the above in bold type? Because your slightly stressed-out BPNW blog lady is moving, remodeling, and finishing up a novel for publication in 2009 (City of the Dead, coming next year from Wizards of the Coast).

This means that I probably won't have time to track down why certain newsletter subscriptions and other e-mails bounce. So if your server goes down and you switch to gmail, use the subscribe tool on this page to get your newsletter. Or e-mail me at bpnwnews at aol.com.

If you don't see the newsletter arriving in your in-box every month, check your spam folder. It might be lurking there.

Dates for meetings are always posted here first. Use this blog for quick information. Use the RSS and you won't miss anything!

Have a great Fall. I'm hoping to see you at the Sept 18 meeting. But bear with me as I make few transitions this season.

Sincerely,

Rosemary Jones
Book Publishers Northwest

Learn About Orphan Works Bill

2008-09-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

Seattle Graphic Artists Guild is hosting a special free meeting on the "orphan works" bills currently in Congress. Join them at the Museum of History and Industry, Thursday, September 11, 2008, 6:30:-8:30 pm. MOHAI is located at 2700 24th Avenue E.

Lisa Shaftel, Graphic Artists Guild National Advocacy Committee Chairperson, will lead this informal meeting. Shaftel will share a brief insider background of the crucial orphan works issue and its proponents, and review the up-to-the-minute political status of the two bills now in Congress as well as what's likely to happen next. The Guild recommends this meeting for all visual creators or those likely to be impacted by the designation "orphan work."

Among the topics to be discussed are:

* Learn the many things you can do to prevent your works from becoming orphans.
* Get key instructions on how to protect your work, with easy steps to follow.
* Hear tips on key issues to watch out for.

More information about the orphan works legislation can be found at www.orphanworksnews.com

Pubwest In Portland: SPAN Members Get Discount

2008-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

PubWest's (the Publishers Association of the West) 2008 National Publishing Conference will take place in Portland in November. The conference topics range from Publishing 101 to advanced viral marketing and digital content.

SPAN is an Industry Partner of PubWest's conference allows SPAN members to sign up at PubWest member's rates. Members of Book Publishers Northwest can join SPAN for a discounted rate.

More information can be found at http://www.spannet.org/pubwest-conf.htm.

Epicenter's Palin Biography A Bestseller

2008-08-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

BPNW member Epicenter Press published the first and currently only biography of Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin.

The book turned into a runaway bestseller on Friday, with 40,000 orders pouring in, after Repulican presidential candidate John McCain announced Palin would be his pick for a running mate.

As reported in the Seattle Times, Epicenter has immediately geared up to produce a paperback version of Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down.

No Meeting in August, Preparing for PNBA

2008-08-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

Book Publishers Northwest's next meeting will be September 18 at Good Shepherd Center, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Join Gail Sexton, our 2008 Pub U Scholar, for a publisher's roundtable for good advice on starting, growing, or just having fun with your publishing business.

PNBA Fall Trade Show: Free Display for BPNW Members

Book Publishers Northwest will have a joint display with NWABP and IBPA. Every 2008 BPNW member can display one title for free at this regional trade show.

Join Today To Display Your Book At PNBA
Free display of one book at the PNBA Fall Trade Show is restricted to 2008 members who joined before July 30 or 2008/09 members who join by Sept. 1.

Join BPNW today for this and other benefits!

Site seeking articles on publishing

2008-08-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Sellingbooks.com is looking for articles on any aspect of writing, publishing and marketing books, including publicity, speaking, internet marketing, copyright, or design.

Articles should be 300+ words, and informational not promotional. All articles may include a short (2 - 3 sentences) author bio with promotional copy and links.

Articles may be submitted at the site
Sellingbooks.com

Amazon buys Shelfari

2008-08-26T11:02:00.001-07:00

Amazon is moving into the reading/social networking field with the acquisition of Shelfari:

Shelfari Joins Amazon.com Family

Struggling Independents in Seattle

2008-08-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

The closure of Couth Buzzard and All for Kids Books this summer made headlines in Sunday's Seattle Times.

Tough times for some independent bookstores...

Rosemary Jones's Book Signing

2008-08-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

Rosemary Jones will be signing Crypt of the Moaning Diamond, Dungeons Book IV, on Saturday, August 30 from 3 p.m to 4 p.m., at the Wizards of the Coast booth at Penny Arcade Expo 2008 (PAX 10, www.pennyarcadeexpo.com) in Seattle. This will be a combined signing two other Dungeons authors: Erik Scott de Bie, who wrote Depths of Madness and Bruce R. Cordell, who wrote Stardeep.

PAX 10 is one of the largest gaming conventions in the US and is expected to draw 50,000 gamers to Seattle.

Internet Review of Books

2008-08-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

The book review website Internet Review of Books is looking for books in the fields of science, social science, history, art, music, biographies, and current affairs. The site also reviews literary fiction.

A query about non-fiction manuscripts, should be e-mailed to Carter Jefferson at editor@internetreviewofbooks.com. Julie McGuire at jmcguire@internetreviewofbooks.com reviews literary fiction.

Site editors suggest keeping e-mails brief and including the press release in the body of the message.

New Look, New Features

2008-08-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

The BPNW News Blog decided to update its look -- it was something to do during NBC Olympic broadcast's commercials!

New features include RSS subscription button (see right) and a new Kaboodle list of members' books. Click on Kaboodle link to find a sampling of books published by BPNW members, including links to order forms on the publishers' websites or other online booksellers.

Enjoy the new features and let us know what we can do to make this an even better blog!