Whitman Selected For Pub U Scholarship

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 #15: Bennett Up For 8th Award

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 #11: Bright Ideas for Learning

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

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

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.

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

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.

David Ash's Article in IBPA

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.

Epicenter Announces Changes in Distribution

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

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"

Nonexistent Email or Why You Haven't Received A Newsletter

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.

Oguneye Heard on KUOW

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.

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

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)

Wanderlust Featured in Times of India

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.

Recap of September Meeting on Pub U

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

Update from Bright Ring

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.

Epicenter's Palin Biography A Bestseller

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.

Rosemary Jones's Book Signing

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.

Carlson Article Featured in Independent

Linda Carlson's article "How Well Do Downloadables Sell?" was featured on the cover of the Independent, the magazine of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA).

According to Carlson, the challenges facing publishers entering into the downloadable market include finding proper technical support to supply the most customer-friendy downloadable files (e-books are but one type of downloadable), finding sales channels for downloadables, and pricing downloadables.

BPNW is an affiliate of IBPA (formerly known as PMA). BPNW members receive a discount for membership in IBPA.

Dogwise Expands List

Dogwise Publishing recently announced that the company will be the new wholesale distributor for Pat Hastings and Dogfolk Enterprises.

Oregon dog trainer and author Hasting is currently an AKC Judge of the Herding, Non-Sporting, and Working Groups, Junior Showmanship, and Best in Show. Her titles distributed by Dogwise include Puppy Puzzle: The Hastings Approach to Evaluating the Structural Quality of Puppies, Tricks of the Trade: From Best Intentions to Best In Show Revised Ed, and Another Piece of the Puzzle: Puppy Development.

B&H Title Selected by Novia Scotia Dept of Education

Bennett & Hastings Publishing recently announced that the Nova Scotia Department of Education has selected one of their recent publication Sam Langford: Boxing’s Greatest Uncrowned Champion as a standard text for distribution within the province.


At the time of Sam Langford’s induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame (October 1955) he was the only non-champion accorded the honor. This detailed biography tells Langford’s life story and helps explain the circumstances behind that unique entry into the Hall of Fame. In 1999 Sam Langford was voted Nova Scotia’s top male athlete of the twentieth century.

Sam Langford: Boxing’s Greatest Uncrowned Champion
Biography/Boxing/African American History
ISBN 978-1-934733-02-8, hardback, 438 pages, 98 photographs, $29.95 retail
Available in distribution or direct from publisher for colleges and libraries.