PMA Pub U in May

The 2008 Publishing University takes place May 27-29 at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles, just prior to the start of BEA.

We have added a lot of new bells and whistles to the 2008 University. Check us out at www.pma-online.org and click on the 2008 PMA University. We are looking forward to a great event!

Sincere best wishes,

Robin
Robin Bartlett
Educational Chair
Publishing University
PMA, The Independent Book Publishers Association

For Book Publishers Northwest’s members, PMA is offering a special discount. If you haven’t received your discount code yet, just e-mail bpnwnews@aol.com. You must be a 2008 member to receive this discount. BPNW members also receive discounts for PMA membership and other services.

BPNW Annual Report 2007

BPNW 2007 Income and Expenses

Book Publishers Northwest was able to end its fiscal year 2007 (January through December) with a slight surplus. This was due to early renewal of 2008 memberships in November and December as well as a successful all-day conference held in September 2007.

Total Income 2007 $7,137.97
Total Expenses 2007 $6,826.88
Surplus for 2007 $311.09

The organization's financial statements were prepared by past treasurer Lani Jacobsen (January through June) and board secretary Rosemary Jones (July through December). These statements are currently being reviewed by the board treasurer Tom Blaschko. As a nonprofit incorporated in the state of Washington, Book Publishers Northwest makes its annual report available to the public. For more detailed financial statements, please contact BPNW in writing.

2006-2007 BPNW Board
President: Tom Masters
Vice-President: Sheryn Hara
Treasurer: Tom Blaschko*
Secretary: Rosemary Jones
Advising Board Members: Lani Jacobsen,* Margaret Doyle, Duse McLean, Nate Woodward

*Blaschko assumed the post of treasurer in July 2007, replacing former treasurer Lani Jacobsen.

NW Publisher Seeks Reviewers

Chris Salditt, author of 50 Ways to Leave Your Mother, is seeking reviews of the book at online booksellers Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The book is a humorous, easy-to-read survival guide for grown kids who are thinking of moving, or who are already out there, away from their parents. It deals with renting, roommates, and the ramen noodle diet, and so much more. If you are interested in writing a review, e-mail Chris at motherlovepublishing@comcast.net for a copy of the book.

Keeping Up-to-Date with BPNW

Subscribe to the newsletter? Or subscribe to the blog? Do either, and you'll stay up-to-date with Book Publishers Northwest. For some people, our monthly newsletter acts as a nice digest of the blog and keeps all the information in one place.

If you have trouble opening e-mails with pictures or don't want to receive a newsletter once or twice the month, use the "bookmark" button to add the blog to your newsfeed. Then you'll get information as it is posted, often days before the newsletter.

To the right of this entry, you'll see buttoms for both subscribing to the newsletter and adding the BPNW blog to your newsfeed. Do one, do both, but keep up-to-date with Book Publishers Northwest.

Member looking for editor

Larry Fisher at Pangean Sun is looking for someone to edit/proofread a novel. For more information, please contact him at sales@pangeansun.com.

Powell's Books Grows Up

Powell's Books recently announced that it will continue to expand its flagship store in downtown Portland. Current plans call for adding one to three floors of retail by 2010.

Basho's Bookstore Tour

Mukilteo author David Ash, the poet and publisher of the humorous Haiku for Life™ series (including Haiku for Catholics, Haiku for Baseball Lovers, Haiku for Poker Players, Haiku for Coffee Lovers, and the recent Haiku for Chocolate Lovers) will make the following appearances to read from and/or sign copies of his books. For general information, check the Bashō Press web site at www.BashoPress.com or call (206) 200-9525.

Sunday, January 27 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.: signing at Barnes & Noble Alderwood, 19401 Alderwood Mall Parkway, Lynnwood, WA as part of the chain’s fundraiser for local Catholic schools. For specific information and directions, call the store at (425) 771-2220.

Wednesday, February 13 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.: reading and signing at The BookWORKS, 1510 Third Street, Marysville, WA. For specific information and directions, call the store at (360) 659-4997.

Blog Tour Information from Tom Masters

The following information is provided by Tom Masters. For a complete PDF of his Blog Tour presentation, please contact him at tom.masters@orionwellspring.com

a blog tour is . . .
guest appearances of you and/or your book, on one or more relevant blogs, during a time close to the launch of your title.

• the blogosphere is big, with most topics & audiences represented
• blogs tend to be audience and/or topic focused
• topic / audience related blogs tend to link to each other, increasing reach
• blog “reach”is measurable

blog tours
• virtual, no travel
• advertise on your book site the blog(s) you’ll be a guest on
• light coordination
• exposure not limited by geography or time
• sell via links to online book sellers or publisher site
• inexpensive

blog tour tools
• template contact letters
• tracking spreadsheet
• author bio & photo
• book cover art & book description
• author statement
• sample interview
• purchase links & info

researching blogs
• technorati
• Google

scheduling considerations
• Blogs may have varying requirements
• Blog owners may be slow to respond
• Allow time to publicize your blog tour
• The number of blogs you contact depends on the availability of high traffic and high authority blogs in your topic space

publicize your blog tour
• online press releases
• blog or book web site

caveats
• blog touring takes time: research alone can be 4-8 hours per audience
• typical response rates from blog owners are about 20-25%
• not all comments will be favorable

For more information
Tom Masters
Orion Wellspring, Inc.
tom.masters@orionwellspring.com
blog: www.futureperfectpublishing.com

BPNW respectfully asks others to honor Masters' copyright on this material and to ask permission before reproducing.

Kahle's Novel In Amazon.com's Breakthrough Contest

Pete Kahle’s novel Passage of the Kissing People was one of 836 semi-finalists selected for Amazon.com’s first Breakthrough Novel Award. Approximately 5,000 manuscripts were entered and initially judged by Amazon’s top reviewers and members of the PW staff.

Now Amazon is letting the customers do the reviews. Readers can download excerpts of those entries, rate, and review them.

Penguin editors will consider these comments when picking 10 finalists by March 3, with the winner announced April 7.

“I promise a damn good party if I get to the next level,” said Kahle (74th Street Productions). “And even if I don't - hey - we'll celebrate anyway. Besides, you could also win cool stuff: apparently the three customers who provide the most high quality reviews will be qualified to win one of three customer prizes, including an Amazon kindle reader, $2000 in Amazon gift card value, and an HP photo printer.”

You can find Kahle’s entry on Amazon.com via the following link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0011G9XOG, and access the main contest page where all entries are located at www.amazon.com/abna.

Book Publishers Northwest extends a hearty congratulation to member Pete Kahle for his achievement.

Blog Tours A Blowout!

If you squeezed into the room for our first meeting of 2008, you know that Blog Tours 101 attracted a crowd of enthusiastic writers and publishers.

Tom Masters, author of Blogging Quick & Easy, gave simple step-by-step instructions on how to launch an author on a tour around the world. He ran out of handouts, but Tom will be making the information available for readers of this blog!

January 17 Meeting: Blog Touring 101

Explore the reasons why an author or publisher might want to consider a blog tour as well as the planning, implementation and tracking of a blog tour.

This meeting is scheduled for 4 pm to 6 pm, January 17, in Room 221 at the Good Shepherd Center in Seattle WA. The Good Shepherd Center is located at 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N. in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. From the 45th or 50th N.E. exits, it is about eight blocks west of I-5.

Tom Masters will be leading this meeting. He sent the following examples of Blog Tours:

Cottage Tales
Ethnic Knitting Discovery
Ten Zen Seconds

Distribution for Small Press

Book Publishers Northwest member Chris Salditt sent in the following suggestion:

As a one-title publisher, I have been frustrated lately by how difficult it is to get reps and wholesalers to carry my book. Everything I've read warns people like me that these people do not want to bother doing business with us "one-title wonders," that it is a small payback for the effort. Do you think there is any merit in several small publishers like myself banding together, not as a publishing company, but under some umbrella of some sort, i.e., "Sound Spirit Society," "Not Ready for Big Time Players," or "The Big Fish in a Small Pond Writers Group?" (This is supposed to be funny.)

I don't know if it's doable, legal, or practical, but if it has any merit at all, then maybe there is someone out there who is knowledgeable and could speak to us about the possibility of such a venture.

Feel free to comment on this idea or suggest a possible speaker. BPNW welcomes members' suggestions for meetings.

Molalla Bookeroo in January

Molalla Writers Faire and Bookeroo runs January 25 through 27 in Molalla, Oregon.

This writer's weekend is $89.00 per person for the opening reception, Bookeroo (bookfair), roundtable, three workshops, banquet, and fireside chat. Mollala B&Bs Prairie House Inn (shown here in warmer weather) or Rosse Posse Acres offer housing for an additional $200.00 plus room tax.

Call (503) 829-2359 ext. 250 for more information on the Bookeroo or to register for the Writer's Faire.