PMA on Amazon's POD Policy

PMA, The Independent Book Publishers Association, representing more than 4,000 independent publishers, is speaking out against Amazon’s recent policy aimed at publishers who use print-on-demand technology to sell directly on amazon.com. The company has directed that publishers either must print their books on demand exclusively at Amazon’s subsidiary printer for fulfillment of orders placed with Amazon, or incur additional cost to print elsewhere and maintain inventory with the online retailer.

“This policy imposes a significant financial burden on tens of thousands of small and independent publishers who can least afford it,” points out Executive Director Terry Nathan. “Without the opportunity to benefit from competitive pricing, small publishers risk at best an expensive and needless overhaul of their manufacturing process, and at worst, the loss of their livelihood.

“On behalf of all the small and independent publishers whose businesses are in jeopardy, we urge Amazon to reconsider its position,” continues Nathan. “Over the years, Jeff Bezos and his company have given small and independent publishers a level playing field to compete with the largest of companies. Suddenly, this magnificent playing field has been converted into a ‘members only’ club, to the detriment of those very publishers who have contributed to Amazon’s success. We will continue to monitor developments in the weeks ahead.”

Free Skyline Seminar May 20

If you're heading off to BEA or any of the large exhibitions, you might want to check out Skyline's free seminars on better ways to run a exhibition booth. Skyline is in the business of manufacturing trade show booths, but they keep their pitches down and the information high in these sessions (as we discovered in a mini-session that they did for Book Publishers Northwest).

The next free Skyline seminar is May 20 and includes

Successful Trade Show Marketing Strategies
9:30 am – 12:00 pm

Bonus Afternoon Session:
Better Booth Staffing - May 20, 2008
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm


Presented by and Hosted at:
Skyline Pacific Northwest
4105 Airport Way South
Seattle, WA 98108

Register for free at Skyline.com

Basho's April/May Appearances

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 Basho Press web site at www.BashoPress.com or call (206)
200-9525.

Friday, April 25 at 6:00 p.m.: reading and signing at Barnes & Noble Northgate, 401 NE Northgate Way, Seattle, WA. For specific information and directions, call the store at (206) 417-2967.

Saturday, April 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.: reading and signing atBurning Word: The Festival of Poetic Fire, Whidbey Island’s Greenbank Farm, Greenbank, WA. For specific information and directions, log on to www.burningword.org and click on Burning Word Festival.

Wednesday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m.: reading and signing at Parkplace Books, 5th St. and Central Way, Kirkland, WA. For specific information and directions, call the store at (425) 828-6546.

Franca's Story Out in Paperback

Franca's Story: Survival in World War II Italy will be published in paperback on April 30, 2008.

Highlights of the 2008 schedule for Franca's Story include:
- InternetVoicesRadio.com, January 1 with Lillian Cauldwell (interview posted on web site)
- InternetVoicesRadio.com, January 30 with E. Everett McFall (interview posted on web site)
- Holy Names Academy, Seattle, March 12 - Peace and Justice Day
- Sons of Italy, Bremerton, April 16
- InDepthYOU Radio Show, May 7
- Mercer Island Senior Foundation, May 7
- Special guests at numerous private book club meetings

"Franca's 82nd birthday is April 9, and we are continuing to fulfill her fondest wish: to speak with middle school and high school student audiences." said publisher Diane Kinman.

Flenniken Teaches Graphic Novel Class

Scripting the Graphic Novel for Writers and Artists

The graphic novel has come into its own as a Pulitzer Prize-winning literary form and the inspiration for many feature films. Whether your story is pure fantasy or gritty nonfiction, as the auteur of your graphic novel you have complete control of your personal vision. Bring your idea, life story, intriguing scenario or blank page to this class and find out how to build your graphic novel from the ground up. Explore common sense techniques that will help you develop themes, structure your story and create legendary characters. Your finished product will engage the reader and easily translate to the silver screen. If you can draw a stick figure, you're ready for this class! Instructor will e-mail students before class with a list of materials to bring.

Instructor: Shary Flenniken
Meets: Saturday, April 12, 1–5 p.m. Min. 5 Max. 15
General: $95 Hugo House Member: $85.50

Hugo House is located at 1634 Eleventh Avenue in Seattle

HOW TO REGISTER

Call Hugo House at (206) 322-7030 with your credit card information (Visa and MasterCard only), noon to 9 p.m. weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays (except holidays). If you have any questions about registration, please e-mail Brian McGuigan at brianmcguigan@hugohouse.org or check http://www.hugohouse.org for registration forms.

Shary Flenniken is a member of Book Publishers Northwest. We welcome news from members, just e-mail your announcement to bpnwnews@aol.com.

Follow-up to March Power E-mail Meeting

If you couldn't make the March meeting on "Powerful E-mails" or want to contact Michael Clark directly, please use the information below.

Constant Contact Northwest Resources:
Email: michael@constantcontact.com
Web: http://seattle.constantcontact.com
Michael’s Phone: 866.373.2997
Customer Support Questions: 866.289.2101
Greater Seattle Metro Accounts Consultant: 800.239.0158 (Dann)

Email Quickstart or other Professional Services: http://seattle.constantcontact.com/services/index.jsp

A communications expert with more than seven years experience in education, marketing, and graphic design, Michael has led the development of successful educational programs and presentations for dozens of programs for small organizations. He has also helped organizations develop branding strategies to enhance their public awareness, including new strategies on how to market their organization on the Internet. Michael seeks to provide small businesses and organizations with the tools and knowledge to enhance their visibility and grow their business or organization through e-mail marketing and online surveys.

Join Michael's mailing list for more updates

PNBA New Title Program

PNBA is now accepting entries for the Summer/Fall edition of the Northwest New Title Preview.

The Preview designed to help publishers target the distribution of free review copies of forthcoming books, ARCs, or galleys directly to bookstore buyers in the Northwest.

For $120, PNBA will add a book to the online listing of new and regional titles with jacket art, a blurb, and a linked email address of the contact person at the publishers.

Listings are sent directly to booksellers, and they e-mail you to request the books.

The deadline for materials is Friday May 2, 2008

The titles will become active on the site on May 16, 2008.
An order form is available at:
http://www.pnba.org/images/08NWNTPform.pdf

No Cooking the Books in 2008

Organizers announced today that "Cook the Books," the celebration of edible tributes to great reading, has been canceled for 2008. The organization hopes to return to frosting fine literature in 2009.

Until then, past edible creations can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/frybooks/

More information on "Cook the Books" can be found at the new website:

www.frybooks.com

Acknowledge Your Help

When writing his Haiku for Coffee Lovers (and other Haiku for… books), David Ash said he asks several guest editors to give feedback on his books, then includes their names on the acknowledgments page. They turn out to be his best customers. So you may want to lengthen your acknowledgments page to accommodate those who helped on your book.

This is part of a series of articles provided by Nancy Burkhalter and Jack McKee following the February meeting on ways publishers can work together. Click on member suggestions in labels to see these articles and any follow-up.

Working With Printing Companies

There are sales reps from printing companies that will help. People mentioned those from Malloy (http://www.malloy.com), Thompson Shore (http://www.tshore.com), United Graphics (http://www.unitedgraphicsinc.com), and Friesens in Canada (http://www.friesens.com), all of whom are quite helpful. Don’t feel shy about calling them.

Be sure to go shopping and quote exactly the same thing to each one. If you go with a print broker, get 30 quotes.

Printing a book with a CD in the back is more difficult to publish because you have to coordinate the production of the CDs as well as their delivery to the publisher on time and with sufficient numbers of them. If there aren’t enough CDs to accommodate the print run, the printer may not alert you and print several copies without the CD.

Get sample sheets to see what the book will look like on that paper

This is part of a series of articles provided by Nancy Burkhalter and Jack McKee following the February meeting on ways publishers can work together. Click on member suggestions in labels to see these articles and any follow-up.

Print Brokers

Print brokers are a clearinghouse to help decide which printer to use. You can find a printer on your own, but it’s time consuming. If you do it on your own, you have to make a lot of decisions, such as whether it’s a hard back or a case book, what paper and finish and weight to use, whether it’s color or b/w, etc. You need to know about all these options to do it on your own.

The broker pays the printer and takes cut. A sales rep gets a fee too but it’s built into the salary, which ends up being comparable to a print broker. Brokers will find the most low-cost company, but the choices are not as broad as you can find on your own.

PMA has a list of printers to choose from that are not necessarily good – just choices. Dan Poynter, How to Self Publish, has lots of information. Also see John Kramer’s 1001 Ways to Market Your Book.

This is part of a series of articles provided by Nancy Burkhalter and Jack McKee following the February meeting on ways publishers can work together. Click on member suggestions in labels to see these articles and any follow-up.

Article Directories by Jack McKee

Article Directories are internet sites where there are 1000's of articles that can be republished (with proper credit given) or just read by anyone for pleasure. There are lots of them and some are interconnected, I think. Articledashboard.com, artipot.com, goarticles.com, isnare.com, articleally.com, and articlecentral.com are a few. There are specialty sites like edarticles.com and probably sites for dog articles or airplane articles. Some have a stats page so you can see how many times your article has been read or downloaded.

I've used them for no cost nonfiction book promotion. It only has been a month, so it is a bit early to tell but here is what I did and what seems to be happening: I wrote several one page articles, taken from my books, added a couple more articles that were loosely related, and a couple more that didn't make the cut for the book. Six or seven one-page articles all totaled and submitted them to six or eight directories.

Here is one reference. I shortened up the introduction from my book: Woodworking at Articledashboard.com

This article is about how I stumbled across the idea for Builder Boards (the title to my first book): Builder Boards at Articledashboard.com

At the end of each article you get to put an about the article and, of course, I mentioned the two books I wrote.

There has been no incredible spike in sales or website hits. Maybe a slight increase in sales of one book. But when I google my titles those articles are popping up so there are many more references to my books. We'll see if there will be a more long term effect.

If anyone else has anything to add, or more long term experience, I would like to hear about it.

This is part of a series of articles provided by Nancy Burkhalter and Jack McKee following the February meeting on ways publishers can work together. Click on member suggestions in labels to see these articles and any follow-up.

NWABP Posts Newsletter Online

Book Publishers Northwest's sister organization, NWABP, now has a complete archive of newsletters on the web. Focused on the needs of Oregon publishers, this group also is an affiliate of PMA.

BPNW and NWABP have partnered on various projects and trade shows in the past and plan to bring back our joint catalog in 2008. Keep an eye on our websites for more information.

February Meeting: Pool Your Talents!

"What I Do, What You Do, What We Can Do Together"
Bring your questions about a project, your search for some help, and/or your considerable talents to the next meeting of Book Publishers Northwest. This is a chance for the publishing community to show off latest projects, ask questions, and make a few contacts.

BPNW's February meeting will take place at Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford on Feb. 21, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The February meeting is free and open to the public.

All meetings scheduled for third Thursday of the month, 4 pm to 6 pm, at Good Shepherd Center. Meeting topics subject to change, please check this website frequently for more information.

Update on Rosetta

BPNW member Ted Treanor just sent in the following report on his company's netGalley project:

We’ve been busy building netGalley and growing Rosetta Solutions. Thought you would like an update. Publishers Weekly published PW-netGalley deal as the lead article with PW Tries New Galley Service as the subject of the email for the online publication. New netGalley registrations and email inquiries have been flowing steadily. Sweet!

Also below are some blog responses to the announcement. There is very interesting excitement about netGalley from Oxford in reviewing the first day of O’Reilly’s Tools of Change conference announcements. I also like the fact that many of the bloggers see netGalley as supporting ‘Green’ initiatives.

Publisher’s Weekly

Oxford University Press
Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists
Book Promotion Blog & Book Promotion by S.J. Miller
PersonaNonData

M Coy Closes

M Coy Books, a small and always interesting independent, is hanging the final "closed" sign on the doors in downtown Seattle. Increasingly high rents was the reason given for the closure. Local media have mourned the loss of yet another singular business in the downtown core but owner Michael Coy states clearly in interviews like the one published in the P.I. that independents only survive in the neighborhoods that protect and nurture them.

The bookstore is currently selling off its fixtures. Bookcases, display tables, and more are now available. Call 206.623.5354 for more information. Items are available for pick-up after Feb. 17.

Printing with a Steamroller

For the fourth year, King's Books in Tacoma presents Wayzgoose, a gathering of local letterpress printers and book artists celebrating Small Press Month.

These artists will be on hand to demonstrate how books and other fine printing was made before computers.

The organizers also promise Steamroller Printing with a real steamroller! Visit King's Books on March 2 from noon to 4:00 p.m. to find out how you print with a really big industrial truck.

Got a Penny for the Postman?

Start saving your pennies now. Or buy a FOREVER stamps. Because the cost of a first-class stamp increases to 42 cents in May.

The US Post Office announced this week that prices for Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Special Services will increase on May 12.

Eaglemont Distributed by Scholastic

Bellevue-based Eaglemont Press's Adventures of Riley series have been picked up by Scholastic. The giant publisher Scholastic will license world English rights to publish and distribute the books by Amanda Lumry and Laura Hurwitz. Eaglemont was founded in 1997 to produce books focusing on conservation and the preservation of wildlife, habitats, and cultures.

E-Book Conference in Portland

EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection) national conference will be held in Portland, Oregon, at the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center, March 6 through March 9, 2008.

“It’s Not Easy Being E” conference’s keynote address will be given by Michael Powell, owner of Portland's really big bookstore. Other conference highlights include the annual awards banquet where the EPPIES (for excellence in electronic publishing) are handed out.

Fees for the three-day conference are $155 for EPIC members and $185 for non-members. A single day rate of $75 is also available. These rates are good until Feb. 10, 2008.

For more information contact Judith B. Glad, the conference coordinator, at EPICon2008@gmail, or visit the EPICon websites, www.epic-conference.com/ and http://www.hevanet.com/gladhaus/EPICon/unoffmain.html .

Write in a Cottage, Live in Belltown

Richard Hugo House is offering two cottages near the Belltown P-Patch for writers. The "Hugo Huts" will be rented to two writers at a "below market" rate in return for the writers' participation in Hugo House programs.

The writers will begin their residency on September 1, 2008, with a term of 12 months, subject to a month-to-month approval by the Parks Department. The residency is renewable, with a two-term limit. The below-market rent does not include utilities. Applications are due by April 11

The Belltown Cottage Park Project is a collaboration between “Friends of Belltown P-Patch,” Seattle Parks, and Recreation and Richard Hugo House. The housing is in two refurbished cannery cottages at Elliott and Vine Streets in Belltown neighborhood, north of downtown Seattle. A third cottage at the site is available as a community venue for neighborhood meetings and events. Each cottage is 440 square feet, with a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and living room.

The selection process will be complete by the first two weeks in June. For more information about Richard Hugo House and the "Hugo Huts," please see www.hugohouse.org.

Facebook Marketing

Everyone is talking about how touring your book through various websites can be a great way to cut down your promotional expenses. Hard on the heels of our successful January meeting on "Blog Tours," industry bible PW discusses social networking on Facebook.

PW's "Are You on Facebook?" chronicles a weeklong search of the 125 book-related tools on Facebook—and why publishers and authors should be using them.

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.

Meeting Topics for 2008

Book Publishers Northwest’s Board met on Dec. 13 to discuss topics for meetings next year. Dates and speakers will be announced later. Among the topics suggested by the Board and BPNW members were:

Adapting Books for Amazon.com’s Kindle
Blog to Book: How to Make This Work
Book PR Tips
Cracking the Gift Market
Effective Marketing through E-mail
Getting Reviewed by PW
Making Book Videos
NW Regional Publishing
Selling through Social Networks
Understanding Google Ad Words
Used Book Websites Expand to Small Press Sales
Working with Freelance Editors/Proofreaders

The Board is also planning a survey of members and other subscribers to BPNW E-newsletter to better determine the needs of the membership and interest in various BPNW projects.

Members are encouraged to help with meetings. Comments are welcome! If you’d like to organize a meeting, volunteer as a speaker, or suggest a speaker, please contact BPNW at bpnwnews@aol.com.

Corporate Book Events

Corporate book events, those talks and book signings held at corporations like Microsoft or Starbucks, were the subject of a recent San Francisco Chronicle article.

Among the experts quoted was Kim Ricketts, NW entrepreneur who spoke at BPNW's Sept. 8 Business of Books meeting.

Time for PNBA's New Title Program

It's time for the Winter/Spring edition of PNBA's Northwest New Title Preview. If you have a title you think will be a hit with Northwest booksellers, this PNBA program helps target your distribution of free review copies of forthcoming books, ARCs, or galleys directly to bookstore buyers in the Northwest.

For $120, PNBA will include your book in an online listing of new and regional titles with jacket art, a blurb, and a linked email address of the contact person at your company for bookseller requests. PNBA sends booksellers the listings, and they e-mail you directly to request the books.

The PNBA Fall/Winter Northwest New Title Preview is available at:

http://www.pnba.org/NTP0807.htm

The deadline for materials is Friday January 11, 2008. The titles will become active on the site on January 25, 2008. An order form is available at:

http://www.pnba.org/images/08NWNTPform.pdf

Pig Becomes Poet

Snyder: The Pig's Tale
Author: Morten Nilsen
Format: Cloth hardcover with dust jacket
Publisher: Counterbalance Books
ISBN: 978-0-9774906-0-8
Price (US$): $24.95

The biography of a pig who escapes the farm to become a poet and street performer.

To learn more about Snyder, visit http://www.thepigstale.com.

Counterbalance Books is a member of Book Publishers Northwest.

Do You Know About These Contests?

Recently, several of our members have received invitations for various competitions. We're wondering if anyone has actual experience with these organizations and what that experience was. Feel free to comment on the following:


Eric Hoffer Awards
www.HofferAward.com or www.WritersNotes.com

Books and Authors Awards
www.Books-And-Authors.net

SPGA Brown Bag Event

Viewing of "Macworld and Photoshop World 2007 - You Are There!"
Wednesday, November 28, 2007, 12-2pm
Location:
Greenwood Branch, Seattle Public Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N., Seattle WA

The SPGA Seattle Chapter of the Graphic Artists Guild presents a brown-bag lunch event, "Macworld and Photoshop World 2007-You Are There!", at the Greenwood branch of the Seattle Public Library on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at 12 to 1:30.

Lots of free parking available. Bring your lunch and be ready to take notes as we show a double feature DVD from Peachpit filmed at their booth at Photoshop World Conference Las Vegas and Macworld Conference and Expo San Francisco 2007 showing their top Mac and Photoshop authors sharing their digital savvy, great tips and inside info on the hottest applications and technology trends. And best of all, it's FREE!

Questions? Email info@seattleguild.org

Mailing to Washington Bookstores in December

Book Publishers Northwest will be mailing our remaining copies of the Spring and Fall catalogs as well as holiday best wishes from all of our members to the Washington state bookstore members of Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association.

If you are currently a member of Book Publishers Northwest (see below), you may add one (1) title recommendation to this mailing. Please e-mail the following information to bpnwnews@aol.com by December 1.
Title:
Author:
Publisher/Website:
ISBN:
Price (US$):
One sentence description: (not to exceed 15 words)

This information will be added to a very simple flyer inserted with the full-color catalogs. We will be working with the Northwest Association of Book Publishers to create a new full-color catalog for 2008. More details about that project will be announced early next year.


We currently show the 2007 and 2008 members of BPNW to be:
74th Street Productions, Adoxography Books, Ananse Press, Bascho Press, Bennett-Hastings Publishing Services, Janey Bennett (Proofreader), Book Publishers Network, Bright Ring Publishing, Inc, bytewrite LLC, Sherrill Carlson (Editor), Cedar Creek Publisher, Counterbalance Books, Crabman Press, Denim Books, Detour Farm, Dog Hollow Press, Dogwise Publishing, Dunamis House, Empress Publishing, Epicenter Press Inc., Ericson Dorow Inc, Eye-Scapes, Globe Trekker Press, Graphic Artists Guild, Green Elms, Hands On Books, Healing Pages, Idyll Arbor, Illumination Arts, Impassio Press, Inside Out Publishing, Isaiah 11:6 Publishing Co, Island Publishing, Mary Kabrich (Author), Kearney Street Books, Legacy Consultants, Living Free Press, Malloy Inc, Marquette Books, Jennifer McCord Associates LLC, Clare Meeker (Author), Metacreative Press, Mindcastle, Mother Love Publishing, Muddy Puddle Press, October Mist, One Sock Press, Orion/Wellspring Publishing, Pangean Sun, Parenting Press Inc., Patina Productions, Pentode Press, Ray Pfortner & Company, Pickle Point Publishing, Port Gamble Publishing, Pun & Oink Graphics, Raconteurs Press LLC, Raston Publishing, Raven Publishing, Rivendell Publishing Nw, Rodnik Publishing Co, Rose Alley Press, Rosebriar Publishing, Seattle Book/Rosetta Solution, Slave To Her Pets, Sojourner Publishers Inc., South Slope Productions, Stagger Lee Books, Stoneleigh Press, Sundial Press, TCN Inc, Them Potatoes, Thistle Press, Thomson-Shore, Timebridges Publishers LLC, Van Patten Publishing, Dorothy Van Soest (Author/Publisher), Vital Self Inc, Wilder Productions, and Wimer Publishing Co.

If you are a member of Book Publishers Northwest and your name does not appear on this list, please contact bpnwnews@aol.com.

Guild Social December 5

Graphic Artists Guild Festive Holiday Party & Portfolio Extravaganza!

Wednesday, December 5, 2007, 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm at
Rock Salt Steaks and Seafood Lake Union, 1232 Westlake Ave N., Seattle WA

Come one, come all, to the Annual Graphic Artists Guild Festive Holiday Party and Portfolio Extravaganza! The Guild is pulling out all the stops this year and having an event to remember, and celebrating the National Guild's 40th Anniversary, too!

Bring your portfolio (sorry, no internet access) for folks to look at and admire if you'd like, grab your reindeer sweater and light-up earrings and prepare to party. It'll be the meet and greet event of the season. This year, to make the holiday spirit more real, we are accepting cash or check donations for Northwest Harvest. Do not bring food, please, just cash or checks. Let's share our blessings.

The Guild will offeran assortment of yummy finger foods, a no-host bar, and you can participate in the Ornament Exchange (optional). If you'd like to join the game, bring a creative or gorgeous WRAPPED ornament, costing under $10, for a very enjoyable holiday amusement. You're sure to go home with something wonderful if you play, according to the organizers.

And there's more! There will be a prize (rumor has it that it's a box of fine chocolates) for best holiday garb, so deck yourself in something festive and and party with the artists on Wednesday, December 5, 5:30 at the Rock Salt Grill.

Cost:
$15 Members and their spouses/ sig others,
$20 nonmembers,
$15 full-time students with ID, with online RSVP by Friday, November 30.

Cost at the door:
$20 Members and their spouses/ sig others,
$25 nonmembers,
$20 full-time students with ID.

Credit cards OK at the door.

RESERVATIONS: RSVP via PayPal before NOON on November 28.


Questions: president@seattleguild.org

Jud Looking for Sales Stories

Brian Jud is updating his book, Beyond the Bookstore, on how to sell books to non-bookstore markets, needs updating. The second edition will be published in mid 2008.

If you have a special-sales success story, or know of someone who has sold books in large quantities to non-bookstore markets, Jud would like to hear from you as he is seeking such examples for his next edition.

Contact Brian Jud at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001; (860) 675-1344; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com

Blogger Seeks Books to Review

Hi, I have a blog where I write about self-published and small press books. I have not worked on it for about a year because of work pressures but I am gathering up stuff to read and write about.

http://smallpressures.blogspot.com
akritenbrink@gmail.com

A person who wishes to have a book reviewed can email me for further information. One caveat -- I can't promise that if someone sends me a book, it will appear on the blog.

Angie Kritenbrink

Are you a reviewer or a member of the media? Would you like to be added to BPNW's media list to get announcements from Book Publishers Northwest or our members? Just send an e-mail to bpnwnews@aol.com

Chocolate for Haiku

In honor of the fifth book in the Basho Press Haiku series, Haiku for Chocolate Lovers, Jack Bateman and the Rose Hill Chocolate Company of Mukilteo has designed a special Haiku Truffle.

"Our family absolutely loves it! It’s a dark chocolate truffle with a light creamy ginger flavor and a small piece of dried ginger to decorate the top," reported Basho founder David Ash.

Bennett Wins Best Book Award

I wanted to let you know that Pale Surface of Things received the BEST BOOK 2007 reward in the Multicultural Fiction category.

The award is presented by USA Book News.

Yippee!
Janey


Pale Surface of Things by BPNW member Janey Bennett is a "fast-moving novel in a Cretan village — kidnaps and killings, prayers and healing, ethics and ritual, and a darned good tale..." The book is currently available through bookstores or through Bennett's website.

Salditt's Book Finalist in National Best Books

I just got word that my book, 50 Ways to Leave Your Mother was an award-winning finalist in the humor category of the National Best Books 2007 Awards.

I'm excited to add this to my finalist award for the 2007 PMA Benjamin Franklin Book Awards for the same book.

Regards,
Ms. Chris Salditt
http://www.fiftywaysbooks.com/

Sheryn Hara and Tom Masters on Radio

Sheryn Hara and Tom Masters will be interviewed on Evergreen Radio's live call-in show from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 24. Hara is the president and owner of Book Publishers Network and has been publishing books for 23 years. Masters founded Orion/Wellspring and recently published his first title on blogging. He also teaches classes on blogging and marketing and serves as a consultant for websites. Both Hara and Masters are members of the BPNW Board: Masters is the current president and Hara is vice-president.

Evergreen Radio Reading Service is part of Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, and broadcasts live talk shows, radio dramas, and news stories read aloud for the blind and visually impaired throughout Washington State. Listeners tune in through special receivers checked out from the library or the library's new webstreaming service.

Craig Johnson, Lead Broadcaster for Evergreen, said that the station has two long running literary programs. "Literary News is an author interview program and Publications Northwest focuses on regional works. Obviously our listeners are very interested in all things about publishing and bookselling," he said in a recent e-mail.

Cheap Wine and Poetry, November 8

With $1 glasses of wine and an open microphone, "Cheap Wine and Poetry" attracts standing room only crowds of poets, writers, artists, art lovers, literati, students, hipsters, cheap wine lovers, furious knitters, and the occasional dog, according to our friends at Richard Hugo House. The series features local and national artists and writers, many published in the print publication when it rains from the ground up.

Series curator Brian McGuigan will read at the next "Cheap Wine and Poetry" on Thursday, November 8, 2007, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Richard Hugo House. Also expected that night are poet and performer Rajnii Eddins, fiction writer Chris Leasure, and Ryan Boudinot, author of “The Littlest Hitler.”

Although admission is free, donations are welcome. Open mic sign-up is at the door. Hugo House is located at 1634 11th Ave., Seattle, WA.

Wordstock Still Has Exhibitor Space

Wordstock, the annual festival of books, writers, and storytelling in Portland, Oregon, is expecting up to 25,000 people to participate in the book fair on November 10-11, 2007.

Organizers recently sent out a letter saying that exhibitor booths are available at very reasonable rates. For more information about how you can participate Wordstock, contact Katherine Pfeiffer at Katherine@wordstockfestival.com or Greg Netzer at greg@wordstockfestival.com, or call 503-546-1012.

Tacoma Small Press Event

T.A.L.E. (Tacoma Area Literary Enthusiasts) are hosting their first annual celebration of Puget Sound literary artists on November 3rd, 2007. Tacoma Word! Northwest Perspectives in Literary Art will be a one day festival that will include workshops, performances, open mic readings, and plenty of other exciting activities. The event will be free and open to the public. We are searching for authors, playwrights, poets, songwriters, small presses, and other literary artists who would like to promote, display and sell their work at our Literary Open House, which will be held from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. Tables are free, but space is limited and first come, first serve. We are also looking for a a small press willing to put on a paper making demonstration and a children's storyteller.

Emaill at JessieMcGuffey@gmail.com before September 30th if you would like to participate.

PNBA Trade Show, Sept 20-21

Approximately 400 booksellers from 140 Northwest bookstores attended the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Trade Show in Bellevue, Washington. Among the many displays that the booksellers browsed were six tables of books from PMA, BPNW, and NWABP members. Many publishers also visited the display to learn how they could join PMA or the organization's Northwest affiliates.

Fifteen volunteers from Book Publishers Northwest (Seattle, WA) and Northwest Association of Book Publishers (Portland, OR) staffed the booth. It was a chance to meet old friends and make new ones. New BPNW member Michael Lalumiere (right) of Staggerlee Books came to the PNBA show to help at the PMA table and promote a new novel set at Crater Lake.

BPNW also worked with PNBA to help local members to set their exhibits near the PMA tables. Just behind the PMA exhibit, publisher Tom Blaschko discusses Idyll Arbor's latest titles.

At the end of the show, the display books were donated to PNBA's Rural Library Drive, a charity that collects books for small rural libraries with little or no book-buying budget. The grateful librarians were impressed with the incredible variety of the titles that they received from the independent publishers.

Book Publishers Northwest at PNBA

Book Publishers Northwest will be displaying our members' books at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association's Fall Trade Show, Sept. 20 and 21. Our display will be located at tables 108-113 at the PNBA Fall Trade Show. We are sharing this space with PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association, and the Northwest Association of Book Publishers (NWABP).

The Fall Trade Show is the largest industry event for booksellers and publishers located in the Northwest. This year, it takes place at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, WA.

The Trade Show begins with educational session on Wednesday, Sept. 19, including a presentation at 3 p.m. by BPNW Board President Tom Masters. For full schedule of PNBA events, see www.pnba.org.

Funding for our display was generously provided by PMA, the largest trade association for indepedent publishers in the United States. This organization provides a full complement of services to small presses AND members of BPNW receive a $26 discount off PMA memberships.

Dish Up Literacy Night

Numerous Seattle restaurants are donating a portion of their sales on Sept. 26 to Page Ahead, a non-profit literacy program dedicated to fostering a love of reading in at-risk children. Every year Page Ahead distributes approximately 150,000 new books to nearly 50,000 children from low-income families in Washington. They also offer workshops and resources for parents and other community programs.

For more information: www.dishupliteracy.org

Carlson in USA Today and on CNBC

Linda Carlson consults to Northwest publishers, including the 28-year-old Parenting Press, where she has handled marketing since 2000. She is the author of 11 books, a contributor to the Publishers Marketing Association newsletter, a member of the Humanities Washington speakers' bureau, and a former board member of Book Publishers Northwest. She recently spoke on PR and marketing at the Business of Books. Linda just sent us the following update on her activities

It was fun to see my Company Towns of the Pacific Northwest (UW Press) mentioned in a page 3 story in USA Today on Tuesday in conjunction with my comments regarding company towns in general and Scotia, Calif., in particular. And today I was called by CNBC and scheduled for an appearance on the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 19...at about 5 a.m. Pacific time.

The producer who scheduled me is being sent a copy of the book and she said the cover of it will be shown on air.

Linda Carlson
www.lindacarlson.com
info@lindacarlson.com
Seattle WA 98199

Member Review of New Business of Books

First let me say how much I enjoyed the BPNW publishing seminar last Saturday. I learned a lot and I am already incorporating some of the suggestions into my publishing/promotional/marketing plans.

PARA Publishing (Dan Poynter) offers newsletter space to authors who are seeking other authors to write reviews of their books on Amazon and Barnes & Noble sites. Would that be something BPNW might offer their authors? It would just be giving space for authors to list their desire for reviewers, with contact info and genre. Then interested reviewers would contact them to get a copy of the book. That way your BPNW members are getting much desired reviews on those sites, thereby improving their rankings. Is this something you might be able to do?

Thanks for listening.

(Ms.)Chris Salditt
Mother Love Publishing

Chris has a great idea. As an old PR pro, I'm a little uncomfortable with Poynter's restriction that this must be a four-star review. I think reviews should be honest--as a publisher or writer, I would want to know why a book doesn't connect with the reader. Might not agree with the review, but I would want to see it.

However, if BPNW members want to make offers to reviewers, I'm happy to post them on this website. Are there other marketing ideas that you think we should pursue as an organization? Feel free to comment below.

Rosemary Jones
BPNW Blogmaster

A Full Day at New Business of Books

The New Business of Books conference began with a welcome from Tom Masters, board president of Book Publishers Northwest and author of Blogging Quick And Easy. It was a terrific start to a full day of education for publishers.

Over the next few weeks, we will be posting information from the speakers who led the panels at the New Business of Books on September 8. If you have a question for them or any member of Book Publishers Northwest, simply post a comment or e-mail bpnwnews@aol.com.

Freelance Editing September 10

A Panel Discussion about the Seattle Editing Marketplace
When: Monday, September 10, 2007, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Location: Richard Hugo House on Capitol Hill in Seattle, 1634 11th Avenue (near Pine), Alice Room (second floor)
Cost: FREE! and open to anyone interested in the topic.

For more info: e-mail info@edsguild.org.

Are you a new editor starting a freelance career in Seattle? Or an experienced editor interested in expanding your clientele? Come find out about the diversity of the Seattle editing marketplace—our panel discussion will explore what type of freelance editorial work is available and what different industries look for in a freelance editor. We’ve invited people from local industries that regularly hire freelance editors to discuss how they work.

Panel will include representatives from the following sectors:
•Magazine publishing (Seattle Magazine)
•University (University of Washington’s Creative Consultants Network*)
•Advertising (Worktank Seattle)
•Nonprofit (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
*The CCN is a network of freelance writers, editors, and designers who are screened and approved to do contract work for the university.

A member of the steering committee will moderate the discussion, asking questions and eliciting responses from each panel member. So come learn more about these areas of the Seattle editing marketplace, including what they look for in editors, what tasks editors perform, how often freelancers are hired, and what demands or challenges an editor might face.

Directions to Business of Books Conference

New Business of Books: 2007 And Beyond
Saturday, September 8, 2007
9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Discover U in Belltown (less than 1 mile north of downtown Seattle)
2901 3rd Avenue, Suite 150, Seattle, WA
To register, call Discover U at 206-365-0400.

Discover U's new Belltown campus is located in the black building stretching between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue and bordered by Denny and Broad. Although the street address is 2901 3rd Avenue, Seattle, WA, you should enter the first floor Suite 150 from the 2nd Avenue side or through the garage elevators.

If you are driving, the building garage will be $5 for the entire day.

This site is also within one block of several Metro routes traveling along Broad, Third, or Second Avenue.

Updated Schedule for Business of Books

New Business of Books: 2007 And Beyond
September 8, 2007
Discover U Downtown Campus, 2901 3rd Avenue, Seattle, WA
9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
To register, use the link right to enter Discover U's secure page for Web registrations or call Discover U at 206-365-0400.

9:00 am - 9:50 am
Welcome from Book Publishers Northwest
Coffee and light refreshments, meet the publishers and other conference attendees

10:00 am - 10:50 am
Defining Your Genre: Publishers Talk About Their Niche

Children's books juvenile/young adult

General fiction/non-fiction

Travel books

Memoir/biography

Self help/how-to
Speakers include Tom Blaschko, Idyll Arbor; Margaret Doyle, Port Gamble Press; Sheryn Hara, Book Network; John Thompson, Illumination Arts; and Beth Whitman, Globe Trekker Press.

11:00 am - 11:50 am
Session 1: Marketing Your Title, Money Ideas
Panel A: Marketing Your Book

Traditional PR

Non-traditional marketing

Online PR
Speakers include: Erin Eaves, Amazon Advantage; Linda Carlson, Parenting Press; and Al Sampson, Seattle University

Panel B: Turning a Profit

Making your book make money

Subsidiary rights

Selling lots of books outside of the bookstore
Speakers include: Michael Duckworth, UW Press, Kent Sturgis, Epicenter Press, and Bette Filley, Dunamis House

12:00 pm - 1:20 pm
Lunch with the Experts (optional)

1:30 pm - 2:20 pm
Session 2: Legal issues, Distribution Via Web and Bookstores, More Marketing Ideas

Contracts and legal issues
Presented by Gary Marshall, lawyer

Organizing Events: book signings, author talks, and more
Speakers include Kim Ricketts, events organizer, and Al Sampson, Seattle University

Working with wholesalers and distributors
Speakers include Phil Garrett, Partners West, and Sheryn Hara, The Book Network

Design Part I: Cover and interior illustration
Two-hour design session with Shary Flenniken; Morten Nilsen, Z-N Enterprises; and Ray Pfortner, Pfortner & Assocs.

2:30 pm - 3:20 pm
Session 3: Marketing, Distribution, More on Production

Editorial: Proofreading and Indexing with Freelancers
Presented by Nancy Burkhalter

Printing Tips
With Sheryn Hara, The Book Network; Justin Smith, Bang Printing; Victor Judd, Houston Datum; and Bob Smith, BookPrinters Network.

Design Part II: Working with photographers and illustrators
Two-hour design session continues with: Shary Flenniken; Morten Nilsen, Z-N Enterprises; and Ray Pfortner, Pfortner & Assocs.

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Closing & Wrap-up: Meet Experts for Last Q&A (3:30 to 4:30)

Sessions may be broken into more than one room. Times and speakers subject to change without notice.

Sell Books at Business of Books

Book Publishers Northwest is offering you the opportunity to sell your books at the Business of Books conference. We will have a table of books set up where participants at the conference can buy books. Here is how you can sell your book there:

1. Be registered for the conference AND be a BPNW member for 2007 or 2008 (you can buy a membership there).
2. Send the name of the book, the author’s name, and the price of the book to tom@Idyllarbor.com by September 4.
3. Bring copies of the book with you to the conference. Two or three books should be enough. You’re carrying them, though, so you can bring more.
4. Pick up books that are left after the conference. We don’t have a place to store them for later pickup.

It’s that simple. We will sell the books, keep track of the sales, and mail you a check about a week after the conference. It would be sooner but I’m leaving for another conference the night of the BPNW conference.

We’re taking a 40% discount on the sale price, the same as a bookstore discount, and using the proceeds for future BPNW educational programs.

If you have any questions, please email me at tom@idyllarbor.com or give me a call (360-825-7797).

Tom Blaschko
BPNW Treasurer
Idyll Arbor

Lunch Added to Business of Books 2007

Attendees to the Business of Books seminar on September 8 now can purchase a box lunch with speakers and the members of the BPNW board. The seminar cost is $129 and the optional lunch is $13.

To register, use the link right to enter Discover U's secure page for Web registrations or call Discover U at 206-365-0400. New Business of Books: 2007 and Beyond will be held at the downtown Seattle campus of Discover U.

The New Business Of Books: 2007 and Beyond
September 8, 2007
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Location: Discover U Downtown Campus, 2901 3rd Avenue, Seattle, WA
Fee: $129.00
Lunch (Optional): $13.00
Registration: 206-365-0400

BPNW Members Can Display TWO Books at PNBA Fall Trade Show

BPNW's Board decided that all members can display TWO books at the PNBA Fall Trade Show. This applies to all members who have paid for 2007 and all new members who join for 2007-2008 using the form located on the website. Memberships should be posted by August 30 so BPNW has enough time to process payment and collect books for the show.

BPNW Members Receive Discounts From SPAN

Did you know that Book Publishers Northwest is a participant in Span’s Partner Program?

BPNW members can join the Small Publishers Association of North America for $70, a savings of $35.

BPNW provides its members with many different discounts throughout the year. To join, just download the BPNW Membership Form.

Supreme Court ruling on prices and how it affects the book industry

On June 28, 2007 the Supreme Court decided (5-4) that manufacturers could adopt and enforce "resale price maintenance agreements." In essence it means that in some cases a manufacturer can forbid discounting.

I think this is an incredibly important issue in the book-selling community with implications for both publishers and booksellers, especially independent booksellers who can't get the same discounts as the big internet retailers. If publishers are allowed to set prices, the independents will not need to compete against discounts they can't match. The publishers themselves will be in a better position to fight discount demands, too.

This affects me personally with a book (Writing for Wellness: A Prescription for Healing by Julie Davey) that is coming out in October. The book, which describes how to use a writing program as part of healing from cancer, will be sold primarily for fund raising for cancer hospitals and cancer research. As such, discounted books on Amazon.com, for example, will reduce the value of the book as a fund-raising tool. My question for you is whether the Supreme Court ruling applies to this book and how I should notify Amazon and others who are selling the book at a discount that they may not do that.

I'm hoping that the various perspectives will provide the best information on how to use this major change in the way the US does business.

Tom Blaschko
Idyll Arbor

Special Sales "Webinar" Given by SPAN

"What is Special-Sales and How Can It Increase Your Profits?"
hosted by Brian Jud

July 18, 7:00 pm Eastern Time

Sell more books and make more money through non-bookstore sales.
Nation-wide expert, Brian Jud will tell us how to sell through the military, airport store, catalogs and many more profitable markets.

The class is limited to 30 people, so sign up early.
SPAN Members: $30 Non-members: $40

For more information and to sign up: http://www.spannet.org/webinar.htm
You can also sign up by calling the SPAN office at 719-475-1726

SPAN is Small Publishers Association of North America. SPAN is a nonprofit professional trade association dedicated to enhancing the image and profits of authors and independent presses in the U.S. and Canada.

Italian Cooking Class Draws From Biography

Franca Mercati and author Diane Kinman are going to be featured at an “Italian Cooking” class on August 17 and 18 at Diane’s Market Kitchen, 1101 Post Alley, in Seattle. “Diane is no relation to me, but a great teacher!” said Kinman, the award-winning author of Franca’s Story: Survival in WWII Italy.

The class runs from 6 to 9 pm and students get to eat whatever they have just learned to make.

Many of the recipes are from Franca, who will talk about the food situation during WWII and how her family managed to survive.

To learn more about this book and BPNW member Wimer Publishing, check out www.wimerpublishing.com. To participate in the cooking class, call (206) 624-6114

New Members in June

Book Publishers Northwest welcomed the following new members in June:

Detour Farm
Walla Walla, WA
Publisher of books, CDs, and articles by Sam McLeod (shown right).


Van Patten Publishing
Vancouver, WA
Publishing gardening, hydroponics, and cannabis books since 1990.

To learn more other Book Publishers Northwest members, click on the Member’s Directory in the right hand column.

New Title From Dogwise

When Pigs Fly! Training Success with Impossible Dogs
Author: Jane Killion
Price: $17.95
Binding: Paperback, 192 pages, 180 B&W photos, Indexed
ISBN: 1-929242-44-1
Available: Immediately

Distributed by: Dogwise Publishing, Ingram, B&T
Intended Audience: Pet Dog Owners, Dog Sport Competitors, Trainers, Veterinarians, and Vet Techs

More about BPNW Member: Dogwise focuses on creating humane, understandable and scientifically sound books for people who work with, live with or care about dogs. To learn more about this publisher and other Book Publishers Northwest members, click on the Member's Directory in the right column.

DIY 2007 Focuses on Poetry, Fan Fiction and Zines

The 2007 DIY Book Festival organizers announced that they will place a special focus on the poetry, fan fiction, unpublished stories, and comics/zines categories in its annual event honoring the top independent authors and small publishers. Special reduced entry rates, exclusive category cash prizes and special spotlights for select entries are among the plans for these categories during the sixth annual competition. Details at www.diyconvention.com.

Jan Nathan

Book Publishers Northwest notes with sorrow the passing of Jan Nathan, past executive director of PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association. Nathan, 68, passed away June 17, 2007.

A memorial service in celebration of her life will be held at Green Hills Mortuary at 1:00pm on Thursday, June 28, 2007. In lieu of flowers, her family asks for donations to be made to Heal the Bay (www.healthebay.org) or City of Hope (www.cityofhope.org).

Ingram Digital Supplies Microsoft

Ingram Digital will become an outsource partner for Microsoft's Live Search Books.

In a recent press release, Ingram Digital announced they would provide book scanning, content acquisition, metadata management, and account management for print book content submitted for inclusion in Live Search Books, as well as manage digital files delivered by participating publishers.

Creating Buzz for Books: Contests

During yesterday's lively meeting of Book Publishers Northwest, many members discussed how entering contests can help boost a book's visibility. The most cited contest was PMA's Benjamin Franklin awards (see pma-online.org for more information), not only for their size but also for the feedback given to all entrants.

One visitor to our group commented that she was disappointed by the IPPY awards, which did not seem to include any such feedback.

We're always interested in hearing from other publishers about what works or doesn't work about entering contests.

Amazon Expands Chinese Site

Amazon is beefing up their support of their Chinese subsidiary Joyo including renaming the site Joyo Amazon.cn as of today. According to a recent Bloomberg report, the Chinese unit is the company's fastest growing by sales even thoug most customers in China pay by cash rather than credit card. Amazon's Chinese subsidiary has developed a network to accept cash-on-delivery payments in 330 Chinese cities.

PMA Publishing University Starts Next Week

PMA Board member Ben Goodman sent the following message. Each year PMA offers a Publishing University in conjunction with BookExpo America, the largest publishing trade show in the US. Each November, BPNW and PMA offer one scholarship to the Publishing University -- applicants for the 2008 Pub U must have joined BPNW by Sept 1, 2007, and be a PMA member for 2007 and 2008. Watch the blog for more information on the Pub U scholarship.

I look forward to meeting you who are attending Publishing University next week, Unfortunately, I can't attend the affiliates dinner, but I'll look for you at the main event. If you see me, please come over and introduce yourself.

This a great chance for you to meet each other and a bunch of PMA folk. I think I speak for everyone when I wish you the best of experiences in NY. The more you succeed, the more all of us succeed.

Have a great time, take plenty of notes, and share the excitement with your colleagues when you get home.

See you in the Big Apple!


Bob Goodman
PMA Board Member and designated cheerleader

Larry Coffman at Seattle Guild May Meeting

Larry Coffman is a long-time Seattle resident and for the past 20 years has published MARKETING, a trade newspaper for the Puget Sound area. He is the keynote speaker for the May 30 meeting of the SPGA/Seattle Guild of Graphic Artists.

Larry's MARKETING newspaper serves as a resource for designers, illustrators, marketers, advertising agencies, and printers in the Pacific Northwest. It's a go-to source for finding out which talent was snatched up by what firm, who did what, who won what, and the true trends of the industry. The MARKETING contributors are in-the-field professionals providing real insights and tools for today's concerns.


Pre-Registrations:
$25 for Guild members and students (must show current, full-time ID at event check-in)
$30 for Non-Members

At-The-Door admission is $30 for Members and Students (must show current, full-time ID), and $35 for Non-Members. At-the-door payments may now be made with CREDIT CARDS.

For more information on the Guild and the May 30 luncheon, see http://www.seattleguild.org/

May 17 Meeting Cancelled

The May 17 Meeting of Book Publishers Northwest has been cancelled.

The next BPNW meeting takes place on June 21 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221.

BPNW/NWABP Catalog to Be Mailed to Libraries

The BPNW/NWABP Catalog distributed at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers' Spring Trade Show will be mailed to libraries in Oregon and Washington.

A supplement to the spring catalog will be published for the Fall Pacific Northwest Booksellers Trade Show in Bellevue, Washington. More information on this project will be available in June.

Business of Books Returns in September

The New Business Of Books - 2007 and Beyond
An All-Day Publishing Seminar

In 2005, Book Publishers Northwest's publishing seminar "Business of Books" sold out! Don’t miss this new and expanded all-day event that covers everything a publisher needs to know--from the basics of printing to the new income potential of the web and direct-to-consumer sales.


For registration information, see:
Business of Books 2007

Rainbow Bookfest

The Northwest Asian Weekly Foundation presents the 5th annual Rainbow Bookfest on Saturday (April 28, 2007) at the Asian Resource Center, 1025 S. King St, in Seattle.

Rainbow Bookfest makes it possible for authors of color to share and interact with readers from both mainstream and minority communities.

This free one-day event features guest speakers, author readings, panel discussions, food, and local vendors. This year's keynote address will be given by local author Kathleen Alcala, as well as panel discussions and presentations by more than 20 additional notable authors of color.

The festival opens at 9:30 am and runs until 5:00 p.m. For more information, see www.rainbowbookfest.com.

Amazon Sales to Top $13 Billion

Following a first quarter report of $3.02 billion in sales, Amazon.com now expects sales of more than $13.4 billion in 2007.

Ingram Bails Out Graphic Arts

According to Anchorage Daily News, Graphic Arts Center Publishing Co. of Oregon has been able to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings due to a "significant investment" from Ingram Book Group.

The reorganization plan will allow Graphic Arts to continue operating its businesses: Graphic Arts Books, WestWind Press and Alaska Northwest Books, the latter based in Anchorage.

Bright Ring Wins Homeschooling Award

Bright Ring Publishing, Inc. was recently awarded the 2007 Practical Homeschooling Reader Award in Art Appreciation for the title, Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Kids in the Styles of the Great Masters (by MaryAnn Kohl and Kim Solga). The award is by nomination from readers of the Practical Homeschooling magazine, and is Discovering Great Artists’ second year winning this award. Bright Ring is owned by MaryAnn Kohl.

Mother Love Up for Ben Franklin Award

Chris Salditt of Mother Love Publishing was recently notified that her book 50 Ways to Leave Your Mother is one of three finalists in the humor/satire/comedy category of the PMA Benjamin Franklin Awards.

Congratulations to Chris!

PNBA Puts Spring Show On Hiatus

The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association announced today that they will not hold a Spring trade show in 2008 or 2009. Plans continue for a Fall Trade Show to take place in Bellevue in Fall 2007.

"I think putting the spring show on hiatus is what the association needs right now. With two tradeshows a year, we are a Tradeshow Production Company," stated PNBA Director Thom Chamblis in the association's newsletter.

The hiatus, continued Chambliss, would allow PNBA's staff to work on new programs to increase sales for independent bookstores.

Call for PNBA Northwest New Title Preview

Dear Publishers, Publicists and Authors:

It's time for the Summer/Fall edition of PNBA's Northwest New Title Preview. If you have a title you think will be a hit with Northwest booksellers, this is a great, inexpensive way to give it more oomph.

Here's what Bloomsbury publicist Sabrina Farber has to say about the program: "I LOVE THIS PROMOTION! I think it's the smartest ABA kind of marketing tool to come around in a long, long time . . . I can't stress how effective I think this has been. I got tons of emails from stores about my titles (some stores I'd never heard of, too). Thanks for being creative w/publisher marketing dollars."

How it works: Northwest New Title Preview helps you target your distribution of free review copies of forthcoming books, ARCs, or galleys directly to bookstore buyers in the Northwest. For $120, PNBA will include your book in an online listing of new and regional titles with jacket art, a blurb, and a linked email address of the contact person at your company for bookseller requests. We send booksellers the listings, and they e-mail you to request the books.

Take a look! Last January's Northwest New Title Preview is available at:
http://www.pnba.org/NTP0107.htm.

The deadline for materials is May 4, 2007. The titles will become active on the site on May 18, 2007. An order form is attached as a pdf. I hope to hear from you soon!

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


2007 Fall Show: Wednesday-Friday, September 19-21, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA

Google Book Search: Another Way to Promote

Google sent Book Publishers Northwest the following article about their Google Book Search service. If you try the service, we would be interested in hearing about your results. Post a comment or e-mail us at bpnwnews@aol.com

Conventional wisdom says that a reader needs to know the title of a book or some other clue to find a book on the internet. But suppose a reader doesn’t know anything about a book – or even that a book exists that matches her interests?

Google Book Search is a great way to attract new readers and boost book sales – it matches people who are looking for information with the relevant words and phrases inside your titles. By matching the content in your books with user searches, Google Book Search connects your books with the people most interested in buying them. And any publisher – large or small – can join the program to market their books for free.

Through the Google Books Partner Program, publishers send their books to Google in either hard copy or digital format. Google in turn digitizes, hosts and makes searchable every word of every book we receive. As every publisher knows, browsing leads to buying, so we've made it easy for people to browse limited previews of publishers’ books in a secure environment. When you submit your books through the Partner Program, people are always able to search the full contents of your books, but you choose how much they will be able to view -- from 20 percent to 100 percent of each title. To protect your content, your book is hosted on our secure servers, and we disable print, cut, copy and save functionality. If readers decide they want to buy a book, we make it easy by providing links to online retailers and local bookstores via BookSense. If you sell your books directly from your own website, it gets top billing, appearing first in the list of purchasing links.

For more information about Google Book Search, check out this quick tour:
http://books.google.com/googlebooks/book_search_tour/
or find out what other publishers have to say about their participation here:
http://books.google.com/googlebooks/success.html

To sign up for your own Google Book Search account, simply visit:
http://www.google.com/bpnwbooks

If you have any questions along the way, feel free to contact the Book Search team at
books-support@google.com.

Alaska Magazine Looking for Books to Review

Alaska Magazine would like to see new books by Alaskan authors or "about/including Alaska" for their new book review column. Please send to:

Rebecca Luczycki
Senior Editor
Alaska Magazine
301 Arctic Slope Ave. Suite 300
Anchorage AK 99518

Rodnik Publishes Dari Phrasebook

When Bob Powers of Rodnik Publishing said that they added a Dari phrasebook to their list, we had to ask "What is Dari?" and here's Bob's reply:

I thought you'd never ask: Dari is one of the two main languages of Afghanistan and the one spoken by most people in Kabul. It's very close to Persian, which, fortuitously, I studied for a year at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey. It helped me a lot when proof-reading the phrasebook. I chose Dari for a phrasebook because it's an instant conversation starter: "Dari? What's Dari?"

Bob is busy traveling Europe but hopes to make April's BPNW meeting. If you have news to share about new publications, just e-mail bpnwnews at aol.com. And be sure to check out Rodnik's phrasebooks at rodnikpublishing.com

Contact Danforth Distribution Via E-mail

During the March 15 meeting, Laura Danforth said that she would be happy to send out information about her distribution services to any BPNW member interested. She asked that members contact her via e-mail: danforthbookdist@gmail.com.

Cook the Books!

The 3rd Annual Seattle Edible Book Festival
Sunday, April 1, 2007
826 Seattle (Greenwood Space Travel Supply)
8414 Greenwood Avenue North
Bring your edible entries between 1:00 - 2:00
Public viewing from 2:00 - 3:00
The books are served at 3:00!
Admission is FREE with an entry, or $5.00 suggested donation.

Masters on Blogging in March and April

BPNW member Tom Masters is teaching two classes on blogging this spring.

Introduction to Blogging

Blogging is an exciting new form of “social media” that anyone can participate in. Currently there are over 50 million blogs and the number continues to grow rapidly. Use blogs to advocate for causes, communicate with customers, share with family and friends, and promote your business. You’ll learn how others are using blogs, how blog work; what RSS syndication is; how to set up your own blog, and some blogging best practices that will make your blog stand out. See an in-class demonstration of how to create and edit a blog. Leave with the tools to start your own!

Dates: Tuesday, March 6, 6:30-9:30 pm
Location: Discover U Northgate campus (go to www.discoveru.org for directions)
Fee: $49
Materials: $8
Registration: Go to www.discoveru.org and search on “blogging” and follow the links; or call (206) 365-0400 to register by phone.


Blogging for Writers

Blogging is an exciting new media that can help you with book research, building an audience, marketing your work, and measuring your impact. See online demonstrations of how to create and edit a blogs, use blog search tools and manage your research with RSS readers. Features in-class demonstrations of blogging tools and

Dates: Tuesday, April 3, 6:30-9:30 pm
Location: Discover U Northgate campus (go to www.discoveru.org for directions)
Fee: $49
Materials: $8
Registration: Go to www.discoveru.org and search on “blogging” and follow the links; or call (206) 365-0400 to register by phone.

Beyond the Red Pencil

Seattle's Editors Guild celebrates its 10th anniversary with a one-day conference in March. Amy Einsohn, the author of The Copyeditor’s Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications, will be the keynote speaker.

For more information on the March 31 conference, check the Guild's website at http://www.edsguild.org/.

PMA March Online Course

Repurposing, Recycling, and Retargeting Your Material - Paulette Ensign

PMA Online Course, Wednesday March 21, 2007 at 2:00 PM Eastern (US)


Whether you have one book or dozens of them, learn to easily and painlessly turn those pages and ideas into an entire product line. This session promises new filters for viewing what you’ve already done and have been considering doing. Discover products that have zero production costs, providing you 100% profit and minimal development time. Expand your entire product line into various formats and languages using your book content as a base. Customize your products for specific industries and organizations. Unearth new markets and new revenue that’s right under your nose.

About the Speaker: Paulette Ensign is founder, CEO, and Chief Visionary of the San Diego-based Tips Products International, serving a world-wide clientele for several decades.

For more information and registration details, go to
http://pma-online.org/University_onlinenow.cfm

Display Books at Florida Library Show

Dear BPNW:

The Florida Publishers Association, Inc., is offering cooperative display of publishers’ products (books, audios, videos, CD-ROMs, etc.) at the Florida Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition, April 11-13, 2007, in Orlando, FL. FPA received FLA's “Best Booth” award in 2006.

To receive an information sheet/registration form, either visit www.flbookpub.org/FLA2007.PDF or contact FPA at FPAbooks@aol.com and a 3-page PDF will be emailed to you.

Display is available for PMA members and members of their affiliate organizations. BPNW is an affiliate of PMA and its members qualify for this offer even if they are not members of PMA.

Deadline for receipt of all materials is April 6. Linda Butterworth is the booth manager and can be reached at books@daytodayenterprises.com.

Great Lakes Affiliate Formed

Great Lakes Independent Publishing Association
Approved by PMA in May 2006.
7 offices and directors for a 2 year term.
5 states--Ill, Ind, Mich, Ohio and Wisc.

President Sherry Wells reports that 77 publishers have requested to be on the Affiliate's e-mail list.The organization will start signing up members and collecting dues at their February meeting.

If you are interested in learning more about the Great Lakes association, contact:
Sherry A. Wells
President, GLIPA
glipa@tm.net

PMA Affiliates Meeting

Tom Masters will represent BPNW at the PMA Affiliates meeting. He is currently collecting information and concerns from members for the meeting:

Hi -
I spoke recently with Kent Sturgis about the PMA Affiliates meeting last year. The general topic areas that were discussed included:

* Recruiting new members
* Programs
* Meetings
* Marketing
* Finances
* Staffing
* Board burnout

Also, Affiliates talked about their programs and exchanged copies of newsletters, print materials, etc. I would welcome your suggestions for discussion items in these or any other topic areas. The meeting takes place April 20-21. Thanks for your help!
- Tom
tom.masters @ orionwellspring.com (eliminate spaces to e-mail)

Submissions for PNBA Catalog Closed

BPNW received submissions of 23 books to be listed in the joint BPNW/NWABP catalog. NWABP will be publishing this full-color catalog and distributing it at the PNBA Spring Trade Show. Additional copies will be made available to the Fall Trade Show.

No further submissions wil be accepted for the Spring Catalog. Information on the Fall Supplement will be posted this summer.

Catalog for PNBA Spring Trade Show

Book Publishers Northwest is working with Northwest Association of Book Publishers to create a catalog of Northwest publishers' titles for distribution at the booksellers trade show taking place in Portland in March.

NWABP has also offered to display our members books at the PNBA Spring Trade Show for an additional $10 a title (this offer only applies to members who have reserved space in the catalog).

Payments and books MUST be received by February 12. Books submitted for display will not be returned--books will be donated to PNBA library drive.

If you have questions about this project, please e-mail Rosemary Jones at bpnwnews@aol.com. NWABP is currently planning to print 1000 copies of this catalog for distribution at the PNBA Spring Trade Show and Fall Trade Show (a fall title supplement will be done in the summer).

This offer is restricted to 2007 BPNW members. Download the membership form on the right to renew membership or join BPNW and download the "Catalog" form on the right to submit titles for this project.