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)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
More on Circle of Seven Productions
Sheila Clover English, CEO of Circle of Seven Productions, spoke to a packed meeting on November 11.
For those wanting to find out more about book video promotion, she provides a number of resources at her company's website: www.cosproductions.com.
Or watch this short video:
For those wanting to find out more about book video promotion, she provides a number of resources at her company's website: www.cosproductions.com.
Or watch this short video:
Book Video: Two Examples from Big River
Honor Due by D. H. Brown
Standing The Watch: The Greatest Gift by R. J. Brown
Standing The Watch: The Greatest Gift by R. J. Brown
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Members' Book Video: Crypt of the Moaning Diamond
The following book video was created for member Rosemary Jones with the help of a fellow author:
Book Publishers Northwest members are encouraged to share their book videos here.
Book Publishers Northwest members are encouraged to share their book videos here.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
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.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Two Meetings in November
November 11
Making Book Trailers for the Web
November 20
Marketing Small Press Fiction
Each meeting takes place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington.
Free for members
Making Book Trailers for the Web
November 20
Marketing Small Press Fiction
Each meeting takes place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington.
Free for members
Thursday, October 16, 2008
October 16: Print Production
Planning to produce a book in the next year? Short runs vs. long runs, new technology, and more.
Book Publishers Northwest's next meeting will be October 16 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington.
Speakers include:
Victor Judd, Americas Press
www.americas-press.com
Americas Press is high-quality, short-run digital paperback book printer. The printing plant is located in Houston, Texas, and company began doing short-run printing for NASA in the 1960s.
More recently, Americas press has evolved into short run book printing. “We have been very successful in the Southwest and began expanding nationally last year. It is still a small family run company that focuses on quality printing and customer service,” said Judd.
“I have been a printer since I studied it in high school in the late 60's,” he added. “Over the years I have worked in every department in a print shop. I became the West Coast rep for Americas Press in early 2007.”
Craig Pearson
Global Fulfillment
www.gloful.com
On-demand digital printing, variable data and off-set printing are services offered to compliment both projects and long term fulfillment programs.
Two Pacific Northwest based companies, Karla’s Hand Bindery and Fulfillment Solutions, joined together in 1997 under the combined name of Global Fulfillment. The company currently operates in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle.
Book Publishers Northwest's next meeting will be October 16 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington.
Speakers include:
Victor Judd, Americas Press
www.americas-press.com
Americas Press is high-quality, short-run digital paperback book printer. The printing plant is located in Houston, Texas, and company began doing short-run printing for NASA in the 1960s.
More recently, Americas press has evolved into short run book printing. “We have been very successful in the Southwest and began expanding nationally last year. It is still a small family run company that focuses on quality printing and customer service,” said Judd.
“I have been a printer since I studied it in high school in the late 60's,” he added. “Over the years I have worked in every department in a print shop. I became the West Coast rep for Americas Press in early 2007.”
Craig Pearson
Global Fulfillment
www.gloful.com
On-demand digital printing, variable data and off-set printing are services offered to compliment both projects and long term fulfillment programs.
Two Pacific Northwest based companies, Karla’s Hand Bindery and Fulfillment Solutions, joined together in 1997 under the combined name of Global Fulfillment. The company currently operates in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
ASL Tales of Portland
New BPNW member ASL Tales of Portland, OR (www.ASLTales.net) publishes a line of children's picture books told in American Sign Language and English. The richly illustrated books are shipped with DVDs providing voice translation in 8 languages and interactive web tools. The books, performed by ASL storytellers, introduce ASL structure, vocabulary and Deaf Culture to hearing children, Deaf children, reluctant readers, children with language development challenges and children learning English as a second language.
The company, founded in 2008, has produced three titles so far. ASL Tales: The Princess and the Pea is available now. ASL Tales: Rapunzel and ASL Tales for Tots: Annie's Tails will be available for distribution December 2008.
The company, founded in 2008, has produced three titles so far. ASL Tales: The Princess and the Pea is available now. ASL Tales: Rapunzel and ASL Tales for Tots: Annie's Tails will be available for distribution December 2008.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Epicenter's Kent Sturgis on NPR
Local publisher Kent Sturgis started off this fall with the only biography in print of Sarah Palin. 500,000 copies sold later, he calls this unexpected windfall the publishing equivalent of a gold rush. Oh, and he's still voting for Obama.
Catch the latest on Epicenter's rollercoaster ride at NPR.
Catch the latest on Epicenter's rollercoaster ride at NPR.
Layoffs Hit Lulu
Lulu.com, the website that allows anyone to publish easily, has been hit by the credit crunch. The company just announced layoffs based on the "frozen" credit market.
Friday, October 03, 2008
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:
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:
This report submitted by Tom Masters
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
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Constant Contact Local Seminars
Some people may have remembered anearlier free seminar about using Constant Contact for e-newsletters that BPNW hosted. This is the web-based program that Book Publishers Northwest uses for our e-newsletter and reminders.
If you're interested in learning more about Constant Contact, there are a number of free events in the area about this program. Check the Constant Contact web calendar for times and locations.
If you're interested in learning more about Constant Contact, there are a number of free events in the area about this program. Check the Constant Contact web calendar for times and locations.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Checking E-mail, Pricing Books
A BPNW member recently e-mailed and asked about pricing books. We answered the question via e-mail -- only to keep getting the same query sent by the member. By the third time that we received this e-mail, we began to suspect that our original answers were going into a spam folder. Sad, as this is the member's business e-mail as well.
If you send a query and don't get an answer in two to three working days, search your spam folder. You might be surprised at what you find.
In hopes that this will help, here's the original query and answer.
How should I price my book for a bookstore?
If you send a query and don't get an answer in two to three working days, search your spam folder. You might be surprised at what you find.
In hopes that this will help, here's the original query and answer.
How should I price my book for a bookstore?
The normal discount off the cover price to a bookstore is 40%.
You can set a lower discount, like 20%, if you want. It's not unusual for small press to do that.
A distributor like Ingram usually asks for a 50 to 60% discount, so they can in turn offer a 40% discount to bookstores.
This is why margins are very thin in publishing and getting your "per book" cost down is important -- if you plan to distribute through bookstores. If you are planning to have most of your distribution through direct sales, you can have a higher per unit cost because you're keeping more of the retail price for yourself.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
BPNW Display at Fall Trade Show
On Sept 16, Book Publishers Northwest joined with Northwest Association of Book Publishers and IBPA to display members books at the PNBA Fall Trade Show for booksellers and librarians.
Celeste Bennett sent us the following photos of the display and trade show floor.
Members at the show reported that traffic appeared to be up from the 2007 show.
BPNW's display included books and sales literature demonstrating the wide range of material published in the Northwest.
Friday, September 19, 2008
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.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Publishing Round Table on Sept 18
Join Gail Sexton, our 2008 Pub U Scholar, for a publishers' roundtable for good advice on starting, growing, or just having fun with your publishing business. Start off the fall season with new ideas!
This meeting is free for members.
Meeting takes place at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 18. See you there!
This meeting is free for members.
Meeting takes place at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, Seattle, Washington, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sept. 18. See you there!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
PNBA Display Books Donated to Rural Library
The Darby Community Library in Darby, Montana, were picked to benefit from the PNBA Rural Library Drive. At the end of the PNBA Fall Trade Show, exhibitors like Book Publishers Northwest left their display books with volunteers from the library.
The community recently acquired a new building that will now be stocked with a wide range of wonderful titles donated by BPNW members and others at the PNBA Fall Trade Show.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
A plea from your editor at BPNW News
* Keep Your E-mail Up-to-Date
* Check Your Spam Folder
* Use the Blog!
Why is all of the above in bold type? Because your slightly stressed-out BPNW blog lady is moving, remodeling, and finishing up a novel for publication in 2009 (City of the Dead, coming next year from Wizards of the Coast).
This means that I probably won't have time to track down why certain newsletter subscriptions and other e-mails bounce. So if your server goes down and you switch to gmail, use the subscribe tool on this page to get your newsletter. Or e-mail me at bpnwnews at aol.com.
If you don't see the newsletter arriving in your in-box every month, check your spam folder. It might be lurking there.
Dates for meetings are always posted here first. Use this blog for quick information. Use the RSS and you won't miss anything!
Have a great Fall. I'm hoping to see you at the Sept 18 meeting. But bear with me as I make few transitions this season.
Sincerely,
Rosemary Jones
Book Publishers Northwest
* Check Your Spam Folder
* Use the Blog!
Why is all of the above in bold type? Because your slightly stressed-out BPNW blog lady is moving, remodeling, and finishing up a novel for publication in 2009 (City of the Dead, coming next year from Wizards of the Coast).
This means that I probably won't have time to track down why certain newsletter subscriptions and other e-mails bounce. So if your server goes down and you switch to gmail, use the subscribe tool on this page to get your newsletter. Or e-mail me at bpnwnews at aol.com.
If you don't see the newsletter arriving in your in-box every month, check your spam folder. It might be lurking there.
Dates for meetings are always posted here first. Use this blog for quick information. Use the RSS and you won't miss anything!
Have a great Fall. I'm hoping to see you at the Sept 18 meeting. But bear with me as I make few transitions this season.
Sincerely,
Rosemary Jones
Book Publishers Northwest
Friday, September 05, 2008
Learn About Orphan Works Bill
Seattle Graphic Artists Guild is hosting a special free meeting on the "orphan works" bills currently in Congress. Join them at the Museum of History and Industry, Thursday, September 11, 2008, 6:30:-8:30 pm. MOHAI is located at 2700 24th Avenue E.
Lisa Shaftel, Graphic Artists Guild National Advocacy Committee Chairperson, will lead this informal meeting. Shaftel will share a brief insider background of the crucial orphan works issue and its proponents, and review the up-to-the-minute political status of the two bills now in Congress as well as what's likely to happen next. The Guild recommends this meeting for all visual creators or those likely to be impacted by the designation "orphan work."
Among the topics to be discussed are:
* Learn the many things you can do to prevent your works from becoming orphans.
* Get key instructions on how to protect your work, with easy steps to follow.
* Hear tips on key issues to watch out for.
More information about the orphan works legislation can be found at www.orphanworksnews.com
Lisa Shaftel, Graphic Artists Guild National Advocacy Committee Chairperson, will lead this informal meeting. Shaftel will share a brief insider background of the crucial orphan works issue and its proponents, and review the up-to-the-minute political status of the two bills now in Congress as well as what's likely to happen next. The Guild recommends this meeting for all visual creators or those likely to be impacted by the designation "orphan work."
Among the topics to be discussed are:
* Learn the many things you can do to prevent your works from becoming orphans.
* Get key instructions on how to protect your work, with easy steps to follow.
* Hear tips on key issues to watch out for.
More information about the orphan works legislation can be found at www.orphanworksnews.com
Pubwest In Portland: SPAN Members Get Discount
PubWest's (the Publishers Association of the West) 2008 National Publishing Conference will take place in Portland in November. The conference topics range from Publishing 101 to advanced viral marketing and digital content.
SPAN is an Industry Partner of PubWest's conference allows SPAN members to sign up at PubWest member's rates. Members of Book Publishers Northwest can join SPAN for a discounted rate.
More information can be found at http://www.spannet.org/pubwest-conf.htm.
SPAN is an Industry Partner of PubWest's conference allows SPAN members to sign up at PubWest member's rates. Members of Book Publishers Northwest can join SPAN for a discounted rate.
More information can be found at http://www.spannet.org/pubwest-conf.htm.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
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.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
No Meeting in August, Preparing for PNBA
Book Publishers Northwest's next meeting will be September 18 at Good Shepherd Center, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Join Gail Sexton, our 2008 Pub U Scholar, for a publisher's roundtable for good advice on starting, growing, or just having fun with your publishing business.
PNBA Fall Trade Show: Free Display for BPNW Members
Book Publishers Northwest will have a joint display with NWABP and IBPA. Every 2008 BPNW member can display one title for free at this regional trade show.
Join Today To Display Your Book At PNBA
Free display of one book at the PNBA Fall Trade Show is restricted to 2008 members who joined before July 30 or 2008/09 members who join by Sept. 1.
Join BPNW today for this and other benefits!
PNBA Fall Trade Show: Free Display for BPNW Members
Book Publishers Northwest will have a joint display with NWABP and IBPA. Every 2008 BPNW member can display one title for free at this regional trade show.
Join Today To Display Your Book At PNBA
Free display of one book at the PNBA Fall Trade Show is restricted to 2008 members who joined before July 30 or 2008/09 members who join by Sept. 1.
Join BPNW today for this and other benefits!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Site seeking articles on publishing
Sellingbooks.com is looking for articles on any aspect of writing, publishing and marketing books, including publicity, speaking, internet marketing, copyright, or design.
Articles should be 300+ words, and informational not promotional. All articles may include a short (2 - 3 sentences) author bio with promotional copy and links.
Articles may be submitted at the site
Sellingbooks.com
Articles should be 300+ words, and informational not promotional. All articles may include a short (2 - 3 sentences) author bio with promotional copy and links.
Articles may be submitted at the site
Sellingbooks.com
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Amazon buys Shelfari
Amazon is moving into the reading/social networking field with the acquisition of Shelfari:
Shelfari Joins Amazon.com Family
Shelfari Joins Amazon.com Family
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Struggling Independents in Seattle
The closure of Couth Buzzard and All for Kids Books this summer made headlines in Sunday's Seattle Times.
Tough times for some independent bookstores...
Tough times for some independent bookstores...
Friday, August 22, 2008
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.
PAX 10 is one of the largest gaming conventions in the US and is expected to draw 50,000 gamers to Seattle.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Internet Review of Books
The book review website Internet Review of Books is looking for books in the fields of science, social science, history, art, music, biographies, and current affairs. The site also reviews literary fiction.
A query about non-fiction manuscripts, should be e-mailed to Carter Jefferson at editor@internetreviewofbooks.com. Julie McGuire at jmcguire@internetreviewofbooks.com reviews literary fiction.
Site editors suggest keeping e-mails brief and including the press release in the body of the message.
A query about non-fiction manuscripts, should be e-mailed to Carter Jefferson at editor@internetreviewofbooks.com. Julie McGuire at jmcguire@internetreviewofbooks.com reviews literary fiction.
Site editors suggest keeping e-mails brief and including the press release in the body of the message.
Friday, August 15, 2008
New Look, New Features
The BPNW News Blog decided to update its look -- it was something to do during NBC Olympic broadcast's commercials!
New features include RSS subscription button (see right) and a new Kaboodle list of members' books. Click on Kaboodle link to find a sampling of books published by BPNW members, including links to order forms on the publishers' websites or other online booksellers.
Enjoy the new features and let us know what we can do to make this an even better blog!
New features include RSS subscription button (see right) and a new Kaboodle list of members' books. Click on Kaboodle link to find a sampling of books published by BPNW members, including links to order forms on the publishers' websites or other online booksellers.
Enjoy the new features and let us know what we can do to make this an even better blog!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Inside the Distributor's Mind
Ever wonder what goes on at a distributor? Well, you can get the idea at Partners West's blog that they spend a lot of time reading the latest bestsellers and surfing the web: http://www.partners-west.com/blog/
Drop in if you want to read some amusing commentary.
Drop in if you want to read some amusing commentary.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Display Your Books at Florida Show
FAME (Florida Association for Media in Education, www.FloridaMedia.org) is set for September 24–26, at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando. Attendees are school librarians.
The Florida Publishers Association is once again offering to display the books of affiliate members, such as BPNW members, at their booth.
Display of each product in the Florida Publishers Association booth costs $60 for publishers that are not members of FPA. (A booth of your own costs $800.) To learn more about how to display with FPA at FAME, visit http://www.flbookpub.org/fame.html.
The Florida Publishers Association is once again offering to display the books of affiliate members, such as BPNW members, at their booth.
Display of each product in the Florida Publishers Association booth costs $60 for publishers that are not members of FPA. (A booth of your own costs $800.) To learn more about how to display with FPA at FAME, visit http://www.flbookpub.org/fame.html.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Author's Den Recommended
I'd like to inform my fellow members of another opportunity to get their names and titles known in the writers/publishers community. It's called AuthorsDen (www.authorsden.com) and, along with an extensive amount of information about you as an author and samples from your books, cover, and other pertinent info, the writing of articles to be published on the site is encouraged.
I urge BPNW members to check it out. With the help of my internet-savvy husband, I am now listed on the site, and you can check my listing out as an example of how you and your works will be displayed. More good news: there was no charge to do this.
Regards,
Chris Salditt
Mother Love Publishing
I urge BPNW members to check it out. With the help of my internet-savvy husband, I am now listed on the site, and you can check my listing out as an example of how you and your works will be displayed. More good news: there was no charge to do this.
Regards,
Chris Salditt
Mother Love Publishing
Sunday, August 10, 2008
A Modest Proposal, or A Little Summer Fun
Noting that Book Publishers Northwest (BPNW)'s shared display with the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and the Northwest Association of Book Publishers (NWABP) at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Trade Show would be the BPNW/IBPA/NWABP display at PNBA, member David Ash of Basho Press made the following modest proposal:
However, IBPA member Mary Shafer of Word Forge Books responded:
I propose that we should all merge and change our name to the Society of Western Educational, Entertainment, and Trade Book Independent Progressive Publishing Yahoos, or SWEET BIPPY for short. It would make walking into an industry cocktail party much more interesting if that were on our name tags!
However, IBPA member Mary Shafer of Word Forge Books responded:
I agree that it would be interesting — but wouldn’t this be the cause for much unauthorized gambling? Because I can just see it now: everyone wanting to “bet their SWEET BIPPY” on something. And what kind of consternation might it cause if a member were to win one of the Independent Publishing awards? Can you just hear it? “We’re proud to present this year’s IPPY to someone from SWEET BIPPY!” And God help us if that winner just happened to be from Mississippi...
Monday, August 04, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Seattle Storm Promotes Reading at SAM
The Seattle Storm and the Seattle Art Museum are teaming up to promote reading at a special event August 13.
Seattle Storm star players Sheryl Swoopes and Katie Gearlds read works about the Impressionist art movement during this afternoon event for kids age 5 to 19.
Adults must accompany all groups of teens and children. Please call 206.654.3238 for more information.
Date: 8/13/2008
Time: 3:30-5 p.m.
Location: Seattle Art Museum, 1st Ave. and University St.
Seattle Storm star players Sheryl Swoopes and Katie Gearlds read works about the Impressionist art movement during this afternoon event for kids age 5 to 19.
Adults must accompany all groups of teens and children. Please call 206.654.3238 for more information.
Date: 8/13/2008
Time: 3:30-5 p.m.
Location: Seattle Art Museum, 1st Ave. and University St.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
2008-09 Catalog Closed
Once again, Book Publishers Northwest and the Northwest Association of Book Publishers new catalog of members’ books will be distributed at the PNBA Fall Trade Show and Wordstock.
Registration for this catalog closed on July 30, 2008.
Those who registered for the catalog through BPNW will be sent receipts on August 2-4. Please DO NOT SEND new registrations after July 30.
Registration for this catalog closed on July 30, 2008.
Those who registered for the catalog through BPNW will be sent receipts on August 2-4. Please DO NOT SEND new registrations after July 30.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Parenting Press Issues First POD
Twenty-nine-year-old Seattle publisher Parenting Press chose print-on-demand through Amazon.com’s BookSurge for its new “Internet Safety and Your Family” (ISBN 1884734944, $9.95) for two reasons:
The company wants to be able to update the 38-page guide often, as new risks and new safeguards need to be publicized; and it wanted to test the quality of Amazon.com’s POD program.
The book is also available as a PDF at www.ParentingPress.com.
Written by Linda Carlson, who creates Parenting Press’s monthly newsletter for parents and quarterly newsletter for parenting education professionals, and writes for the Independent Book Publishers Association’s newsletter, “Internet Safety and Your Family” points out that even if your own family isn’t online, the Internet has all sorts of information that cyber criminals can use to stalk kids or parents, or to spoof, phish or bully. Almost all of this personal data is free—and it doesn’t take a computer geek to find it. The guide emphasizes that parents may inadvertently be putting their families at risk by what is posted to personal blogs and web sites, and to user groups.
The concise overview also explains how to research what is online about you and your children, how to control spam, hackers, viruses and access to risky and offensive web sites, and how to report cyber harassment. It describes virtual worlds, social networking, and how kids can be abused online.
The company wants to be able to update the 38-page guide often, as new risks and new safeguards need to be publicized; and it wanted to test the quality of Amazon.com’s POD program.
The book is also available as a PDF at www.ParentingPress.com.
Written by Linda Carlson, who creates Parenting Press’s monthly newsletter for parents and quarterly newsletter for parenting education professionals, and writes for the Independent Book Publishers Association’s newsletter, “Internet Safety and Your Family” points out that even if your own family isn’t online, the Internet has all sorts of information that cyber criminals can use to stalk kids or parents, or to spoof, phish or bully. Almost all of this personal data is free—and it doesn’t take a computer geek to find it. The guide emphasizes that parents may inadvertently be putting their families at risk by what is posted to personal blogs and web sites, and to user groups.
The concise overview also explains how to research what is online about you and your children, how to control spam, hackers, viruses and access to risky and offensive web sites, and how to report cyber harassment. It describes virtual worlds, social networking, and how kids can be abused online.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Rosemary has a new book out
BPNW member and blog editor Rosemary Jones has a new title out: Encyclopedia of Collectible Children's Books. This hardback from Collector Books was co-written with Diane McClure Jones.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Graphic Artists' Summer Party
It's summer and it's time to have some fun. The Seattle Graphic Artists Guild is hosting a FREE Bad Art Party on Weds., July 16, 6-8 p.m. for Guild members, not-yet members, and their friends. At beautiful, parklike South Sound location, 20 minutes from downtown Seattle, the Guild will supply tasty snacks, wine and soda, cool prizes and some art supplies: gluesticks, glitter, macaroni, and paper to mount what they hope will be messy bad art pieces.
Patry goers should bring paper, scissors (but no rocks!), and magazines to cut up, and as well as any other art supplies desired.
To attend, you must RSVP for directions to: kjbateman@q.com
Patry goers should bring paper, scissors (but no rocks!), and magazines to cut up, and as well as any other art supplies desired.
To attend, you must RSVP for directions to: kjbateman@q.com
Monday, July 14, 2008
No BPNW meetings in July or August
Although Book Publishers Northwest takes a break from regular meetings in July and August, check out these events for publishers and writers happening in the NW.
Editor's Guild on Self-Publishing
July 14, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Richard Hugo House, Seattle, WA. Free for BPNW members.
PNWA Summer Conference
Northwest's largest writer's conference, July 17 to 20, 2008, Seattle, WA
NWABP Seminar on Web Marketing
All Day session, July 19, Portland, OR
Our next regularly scheduled meeting will take place on Sept. 18 at Good Shepherd Center.
Editor's Guild on Self-Publishing
July 14, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Richard Hugo House, Seattle, WA. Free for BPNW members.
PNWA Summer Conference
Northwest's largest writer's conference, July 17 to 20, 2008, Seattle, WA
NWABP Seminar on Web Marketing
All Day session, July 19, Portland, OR
Our next regularly scheduled meeting will take place on Sept. 18 at Good Shepherd Center.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Miryam Gordon Moderates BPNW Group
Book Publishers Northwest has started a Yahoo Discussion group for members to post questions and make connections with other members. Special thanks to Miryam Gordon, Green Elms Press, for volunteering to moderate this group.
For directions on how to join this discussion group, e-mail bpnwnews@aol.com
For directions on how to join this discussion group, e-mail bpnwnews@aol.com
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
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.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
SPAN Supports Booklocker Lawsuit Against Amazon
The Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN), a national trade association dedicated to advancing the interests of independent publishers, launched a campaign to generate support for the class action lawsuit Booklocker.com, Inc. vs. Amazon.com, Inc. The SPAN board recently voted to publicly support the lawsuit.
Booklocker.com, Inc., initiated the class action antitrust lawsuit to challenge the legality of Amazon’s new policy requiring print on demand (POD) publishers using the company’s distribution services to print their books using Amazon’s subsidiary BookSurge. The lawsuit states that Amazon is illegally tying the BookSurge printing to Amazon’s distribution services. According to antitrust law, companies generally cannot require a customer to buy one product in order to have access to another distinct product.
Through its campaign, SPAN aims to generate significant public pressure to compel Amazon to reverse its new policy. The campaign is built on two objectives: To collect 10,000 signatures on a petition that will be sent to Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, and to unite 100+ writer and publisher organizations in opposing the policy and supporting the lawsuit
“From the public outcry over the announcement of Amazon’s new POD policy, we have an army of enthusiastic writers and publishers ready for the next step in getting Amazon to change its policy,” said SPAN Executive Director Scott Flora. “This campaign is the next step.”
SPAN’s campaign is creating support in five primary ways: uniting voices through the petition; writing letters to Amazon; recruiting other organizations; generating press coverage; and passing the word along friends and colleagues.
Booklocker.com, Inc., initiated the class action antitrust lawsuit to challenge the legality of Amazon’s new policy requiring print on demand (POD) publishers using the company’s distribution services to print their books using Amazon’s subsidiary BookSurge. The lawsuit states that Amazon is illegally tying the BookSurge printing to Amazon’s distribution services. According to antitrust law, companies generally cannot require a customer to buy one product in order to have access to another distinct product.
Through its campaign, SPAN aims to generate significant public pressure to compel Amazon to reverse its new policy. The campaign is built on two objectives: To collect 10,000 signatures on a petition that will be sent to Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, and to unite 100+ writer and publisher organizations in opposing the policy and supporting the lawsuit
“From the public outcry over the announcement of Amazon’s new POD policy, we have an army of enthusiastic writers and publishers ready for the next step in getting Amazon to change its policy,” said SPAN Executive Director Scott Flora. “This campaign is the next step.”
SPAN’s campaign is creating support in five primary ways: uniting voices through the petition; writing letters to Amazon; recruiting other organizations; generating press coverage; and passing the word along friends and colleagues.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Big River Announces New Release
Big River Press will publish a 2nd expanded edition of R. J. BROWN's memoir Standing the Watch: The Greatest Gift.
In Standing the Watch, 89-year-old Lincoln Brown is in a Seattle hospital when his doctor gives him three months left to live. He chooses to return to his cabin on the Olympic Peninsula rainforest where he can die at peace in his own bed, cared for by his son and daughter-in-law. Weaving excerpts from her medical log which she had to keep for the State with memories, e-mails, essays, and useful lists, R. J. Brown gently shares what it took to stand the watch of her beloved Poppa's final days.
STANDING THE WATCH: The Greatest Gift
Author: R. J. Brown
Publisher: Big River Press
Genre: Memoir, Health, Medicine, Aging
ISBN-13: 978-0-9798744-3-7
ISBN-10: 0-9798744-3-2
Binding: Perfect Bound Trade Paperback
Price: $13.95
In Standing the Watch, 89-year-old Lincoln Brown is in a Seattle hospital when his doctor gives him three months left to live. He chooses to return to his cabin on the Olympic Peninsula rainforest where he can die at peace in his own bed, cared for by his son and daughter-in-law. Weaving excerpts from her medical log which she had to keep for the State with memories, e-mails, essays, and useful lists, R. J. Brown gently shares what it took to stand the watch of her beloved Poppa's final days.
STANDING THE WATCH: The Greatest Gift
Author: R. J. Brown
Publisher: Big River Press
Genre: Memoir, Health, Medicine, Aging
ISBN-13: 978-0-9798744-3-7
ISBN-10: 0-9798744-3-2
Binding: Perfect Bound Trade Paperback
Price: $13.95
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Free Webinar Offered by Bowker
Maximizing Sales Through Quality Data
SPAN (Small Publishers Association) and Bowker present a Free Webinar
July 9, 7:00 pm, Eastern Time
Bookstores, libraries, and other book buyers are looking for
your books. Can they find them? Learn how to sell more books
by effectively using Bowker's Books in Print and other free
services.
To register, e-mail Denielle.Starr@Bowker.com.
SPAN (Small Publishers Association) and Bowker present a Free Webinar
July 9, 7:00 pm, Eastern Time
Bookstores, libraries, and other book buyers are looking for
your books. Can they find them? Learn how to sell more books
by effectively using Bowker's Books in Print and other free
services.
To register, e-mail Denielle.Starr@Bowker.com.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Book Publishers Network Wins Alaska Award
The Alaska Pen: An Illustrated History of Unga received the Alaskana Award on March 1 at the Alaska Library Association Conference held in Fairbanks. The book was compiled and edited by Thor Lauritzen, Peggy Arness, and Edward Melseth, and published in 2007 by Book Publishers Network in Bothell, WA.
The award is presented annually by the Alaska Library Association to acknowledge an outstanding work of fiction.
The award is presented annually by the Alaska Library Association to acknowledge an outstanding work of fiction.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
PNBA Author Proposals Due June 27
Appoximately 400 booksellers from more than 130 Northwest stores and librarians from as many as fifty libraries to attend Pacific Northwest Bookseller Association's Fall Trade Show. Proposals for author signings are due at PNBA on June 27.
Send books or ARCs, along with your proposals, author bios and reviews to PNBA at the address below. Contact Thom Chambliss at 541-683-4363 or thom@pnba.org, and visit www.pnba.org for more info about the PNBA show.
SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES
PNBA has spots for eight nationally-known authors to speak:
· four at the Book & Author Breakfast Tuesday, September 16.
· four at the Book & Author Breakfast Wednesday, September 17.
(Publishers donate 150 pre-signed books or ARCs for these events)
AUTHOR FEAST
PNBA has twenty spots for nationally and NW-known authors to meet with booksellers during dinner. Authors will rotate through tables of booksellers, spending 20 minutes with each group, at a banquet on Tuesday evening, September 16.
(Publishers donate 150 books or ARCs for this event)
AUTOGRAPHING SLOTS
PNBA has 50+ autographing spots of one half-hour each:
· Monday, Sept. 15 from 8-10 p.m. at a dessert party
· Tuesday, September 16 from 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., at the close of the exhibits
· Wednesday, September 17 from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the exhibit show floor
(Publishers donate 50 copies of each book for these signings)
PNBA MUST RECEIVE YOUR PROPOSALS AND BOOKS BY THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 27.
If there is a day that your author is NOT available, include that information with your materials. A contact email address must be sent with each proposal.
The list of the proposed authors will be submitted to PNBA's Selection Committee, which will supply a priortized list to PNBA staff by July 7. PNBA staff will begin sending invitations for authors on Tuesday, July 8.
To help off-set the expense of promoting authors, PNBA charges $350 for breakfast authors, $250 for feast authors and $125 for each author at a signing.
Authors' expenses are their publisher's responsibility.
Send proposals to:
PNBA's Fall Show Author Proposals
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
214 East 12th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97401-3245
Send books or ARCs, along with your proposals, author bios and reviews to PNBA at the address below. Contact Thom Chambliss at 541-683-4363 or thom@pnba.org, and visit www.pnba.org for more info about the PNBA show.
SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES
PNBA has spots for eight nationally-known authors to speak:
· four at the Book & Author Breakfast Tuesday, September 16.
· four at the Book & Author Breakfast Wednesday, September 17.
(Publishers donate 150 pre-signed books or ARCs for these events)
AUTHOR FEAST
PNBA has twenty spots for nationally and NW-known authors to meet with booksellers during dinner. Authors will rotate through tables of booksellers, spending 20 minutes with each group, at a banquet on Tuesday evening, September 16.
(Publishers donate 150 books or ARCs for this event)
AUTOGRAPHING SLOTS
PNBA has 50+ autographing spots of one half-hour each:
· Monday, Sept. 15 from 8-10 p.m. at a dessert party
· Tuesday, September 16 from 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., at the close of the exhibits
· Wednesday, September 17 from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the exhibit show floor
(Publishers donate 50 copies of each book for these signings)
PNBA MUST RECEIVE YOUR PROPOSALS AND BOOKS BY THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 27.
If there is a day that your author is NOT available, include that information with your materials. A contact email address must be sent with each proposal.
The list of the proposed authors will be submitted to PNBA's Selection Committee, which will supply a priortized list to PNBA staff by July 7. PNBA staff will begin sending invitations for authors on Tuesday, July 8.
To help off-set the expense of promoting authors, PNBA charges $350 for breakfast authors, $250 for feast authors and $125 for each author at a signing.
Authors' expenses are their publisher's responsibility.
Send proposals to:
PNBA's Fall Show Author Proposals
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
214 East 12th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97401-3245
Monday, June 23, 2008
Self-Promotion for the Chronically Humble Writer
Wendy Call is organizing an one-week marketing blitz to the boost a writer's literary life needs. Call recently spoke to BPNW as part of our Editor's panel.
"We’ll start on Monday with time management and goal setting," said instructor Wendy Call. "On Tuesday we’ll tackle queries to editors and publishers, also touching on book proposals. Wednesday, we’ll grapple with grant writing. We’ll finish up on Thursday by writing our way to a writers’ conference or residency. (The dizzying pace will keep us from remembering we’re shy, introverted writers!)"
Each class session includes hands-on practice, examples and resource lists.
Wendy Call is co-editor of the craft anthology TELLING TRUE STORIES: A NONFICTION WRITERS' GUIDE (Plume/Penguin, 2007). In the last two years her writing has been supported by 4Culture, Artist Trust, Hedgebrook, Jack Straw Writers Program, the Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and the Washington State Arts Commission, and she has served on peer review/selection panels for three of those six organizations. She recently completed two years as Writer in Residence at Richard Hugo House.
Meets: Monday, July 07, 2008 - Thursday, July 10, 2008
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM each day
maximum of 15 students
$145.00 for non-members
$130.50 for Hugo House members
Scholarships are available! contact Brian McGuigan (registrar@hugohouse.org) for more information.
Register here: http://www.hugohouseservices.org/home/SubPages/Classes/Classes.aspx
If you have questions, contact: wlc@wendycall.com
"We’ll start on Monday with time management and goal setting," said instructor Wendy Call. "On Tuesday we’ll tackle queries to editors and publishers, also touching on book proposals. Wednesday, we’ll grapple with grant writing. We’ll finish up on Thursday by writing our way to a writers’ conference or residency. (The dizzying pace will keep us from remembering we’re shy, introverted writers!)"
Each class session includes hands-on practice, examples and resource lists.
Wendy Call is co-editor of the craft anthology TELLING TRUE STORIES: A NONFICTION WRITERS' GUIDE (Plume/Penguin, 2007). In the last two years her writing has been supported by 4Culture, Artist Trust, Hedgebrook, Jack Straw Writers Program, the Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and the Washington State Arts Commission, and she has served on peer review/selection panels for three of those six organizations. She recently completed two years as Writer in Residence at Richard Hugo House.
Meets: Monday, July 07, 2008 - Thursday, July 10, 2008
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM each day
maximum of 15 students
$145.00 for non-members
$130.50 for Hugo House members
Scholarships are available! contact Brian McGuigan (registrar@hugohouse.org) for more information.
Register here: http://www.hugohouseservices.org/home/SubPages/Classes/Classes.aspx
If you have questions, contact: wlc@wendycall.com
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Seattle Graphic Artists: Web Design with CSS
Seattle Graphic Artists Guild June 2008 Workshop:
WEB DESIGN II WITH ERIK FADIMAN
Rock Salt Steaks and Seafood on Lake Union
1232 Westlake Ave. North , Seattle , WA 98109 206-284-1047
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 . Arrive 11:30 a.m. , meeting noon to 1:30 p.m.
Learn How to:
Build web pages with Cascading Style Sheets
Use CSS to change how a web page looks without changing content
Lay out web pages with CSS in Adobe Dreamweaver
Use list for navigation
Understand:
The CSS Box Model
The importance of DIV tags and structural mark-up
The separation of presentation and content
Tour: The CSS Zen Garden site
Erik Fadiman is a freelance graphic designer working in Seattle , Washington . His business services include branding, corporate identity, marketing collateral, web standards, interactive media, packaging and advertising. In his web design classes at Seattle Central Community College , Erik teaches the importance of creating clear, compelling content with current web design techniques and considerations.
Walk-in members and students : $35. Students must show current, full-time student ID. Walk-in non-members : $40.
WEB DESIGN II WITH ERIK FADIMAN
Rock Salt Steaks and Seafood on Lake Union
1232 Westlake Ave. North , Seattle , WA 98109 206-284-1047
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 . Arrive 11:30 a.m. , meeting noon to 1:30 p.m.
Learn How to:
Build web pages with Cascading Style Sheets
Use CSS to change how a web page looks without changing content
Lay out web pages with CSS in Adobe Dreamweaver
Use list for navigation
Understand:
The CSS Box Model
The importance of DIV tags and structural mark-up
The separation of presentation and content
Tour: The CSS Zen Garden site
Erik Fadiman is a freelance graphic designer working in Seattle , Washington . His business services include branding, corporate identity, marketing collateral, web standards, interactive media, packaging and advertising. In his web design classes at Seattle Central Community College , Erik teaches the importance of creating clear, compelling content with current web design techniques and considerations.
Walk-in members and students : $35. Students must show current, full-time student ID. Walk-in non-members : $40.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
One Bookstore Opens, Another Closes
From our friends at Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, some Oregon bookstore news:
PNBA member JoAnne Kohler plans to open a general interest bookstore, Tea Party Bookshop, in downtown Salem by the end of July. The store will be located opposite the Phoenix Inn and the city's convention center at 420 Ferry St SE, Salem, OR 97301.
Kohler says the name for the store came to her while reading Stacy Mitchell's Big-Box Swindle. Kohler was inspired by Mitchell's reference to the Boston Tea Party being the first instance of Americans rebelling against a corporation controlling their buying options.
At the end of May, Bend’s downtown bookstore, The Book Barn, closed after 35 years of business. Linda Torres, the store's seventh owner (and who'd owned the store for the last seven years), was quoted in the Bend Bulletin as saying "competition from online retailer Amazon.com and big-box stores, coupled with a slow spring, spelled the end" of the Book Barn.
PNBA member JoAnne Kohler plans to open a general interest bookstore, Tea Party Bookshop, in downtown Salem by the end of July. The store will be located opposite the Phoenix Inn and the city's convention center at 420 Ferry St SE, Salem, OR 97301.
Kohler says the name for the store came to her while reading Stacy Mitchell's Big-Box Swindle. Kohler was inspired by Mitchell's reference to the Boston Tea Party being the first instance of Americans rebelling against a corporation controlling their buying options.
At the end of May, Bend’s downtown bookstore, The Book Barn, closed after 35 years of business. Linda Torres, the store's seventh owner (and who'd owned the store for the last seven years), was quoted in the Bend Bulletin as saying "competition from online retailer Amazon.com and big-box stores, coupled with a slow spring, spelled the end" of the Book Barn.
Friday, June 20, 2008
FPA Accepting Books for Display
The Florida Publishers Association, Inc., is offering cooperative display of publishers'/authors' titles in its booth at the FAME (Florida Association for Media in Education) Annual Conference, September 24-26 in Orlando. Over 1,100 school librarians (now called "media specialists") will be in attendance, and they represent schools K through college.
The FPA booth at FAME always features a great selection of books (always displayed face out) and other products (digital media, videos, audio tapes, and sidelines such as plush toys, apparel and other logo or character items), drawings for door prizes, and free giveaways (as recommended by FAME organizers).
FPA will prepare a packet of flyers on displayed titles to hand out to show attendees.
Details on participation in FPA's booth can be found at www.flbookpub.org/fame.html. Details on FAME and its members can be found at www.floridamedia.org.
The FPA booth at FAME always features a great selection of books (always displayed face out) and other products (digital media, videos, audio tapes, and sidelines such as plush toys, apparel and other logo or character items), drawings for door prizes, and free giveaways (as recommended by FAME organizers).
FPA will prepare a packet of flyers on displayed titles to hand out to show attendees.
Details on participation in FPA's booth can be found at www.flbookpub.org/fame.html. Details on FAME and its members can be found at www.floridamedia.org.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Selling Books by the Ton
During today's meeting, member Mike Mihalik (October Mist) discussed the large bookfair groups Imagine Nation and Books Are Fun. Both organizations stage large corporate book sales and can buy literally thousands of books from publisher -- although they ask very high discounts of 80% to 90%. Still, given the volume sold, this can become a lucrative outlet for publishers able to gear up for large runs.
Mihalik sent this follow-up:
Mihalik sent this follow-up:
Here's a link to the article I mentioned today regarding Books Are Fun:
http://www.publishingcentral.com/articles/20030323-1-6d76.html
The article is kind of old, but I was successful contacting Tim using the information in the last paragraph of the article.
Also, here's Imagine Nation's website:
http://www.imaginenationbooks.com/
And Books Are Fun (now owned by Reader's Digest):
http://www.booksarefun.com/
June 19 Meeting: Working with a Sales Rep
How does a sales rep actually represent a publisher? If you're trying to expand the distribution of your books, come to the June 19 meeting of Book Publishers Northwest. Our speaker will be Kathleen Tuura.
A sales representative for 30 years and, for the past 15 years, concentrating on the gift and card market, Tuura mostly sells to independent gift and book stores. "The product lines are in the Northwest theme," she said, "but I do stray and take on things that speak out to me. I tend to go to the arty things, as my college degree was Music and Art for Elementary Education."
The June 19 meeting takes place 4 pm to 6 pm at the Good Shepherd Center, 649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, in Seattle. This meeting is free for members of Book Publishers Northwest.
A sales representative for 30 years and, for the past 15 years, concentrating on the gift and card market, Tuura mostly sells to independent gift and book stores. "The product lines are in the Northwest theme," she said, "but I do stray and take on things that speak out to me. I tend to go to the arty things, as my college degree was Music and Art for Elementary Education."
The June 19 meeting takes place 4 pm to 6 pm at the Good Shepherd Center, 649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, in Seattle. This meeting is free for members of Book Publishers Northwest.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
BPNW Directory Live on Issuu
Book Publishers Northwest's newest Members Directory can be seen as a flash document on Issuu.
Monday, June 09, 2008
SCCC Students Display Publishing Arts
Graduates of Seattle Central Creative Academy's Publishing Arts program will be displaying their work at the grand opening of the new 38,000 square-foot, $8.1 million facility, located on the fifth floor of the main campus.
Portfolio Show and Open House will be open to the public from June 10 through 12 at Seattle Central, 1701 Broadway, Seattle.
More information about the Seattle Central Creative Academy show is available at the student-created Web site: www.scccshowcase.com.
SCCC's Publishing Arts program is offers training in latest publishing software with advanced color computer labs (PC and Macintosh), a full range of digital imaging technology, and creative courses. More information about the program can be found at SCCC's website.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Debt Up for Award
Debt is Slavery: and 9 Other Things I Wish My Dad Had Taught Me About Money has been chosen as a finalist in the Business category of the 2008 National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA).
“It’s an honor the NIEA has picked Debt is Slavery as one of the top business books produced by independent publishers,” remarked BPNW member Michael Mihalik. “A lot of effort was put into the production of this book by a strong team of industry professionals. Debt is Slavery wouldn’t have become a reality without the excellent book cover and interior design by Peri Poloni-Gabriel and Monica Thomas of Knockout Design, the insightful editing of Heidi Thomas from SunCatcher Publications, and the quality printing of Color House Graphics.”
The popular personal finance website TheSimpleDollar.com recently selected Debt is Slavery as one of only eight books (out of 200 reviewed) to be included in its "Essential Bookshelf."
Mihalik authored the book, which he published under the imprint October Mist.
“It’s an honor the NIEA has picked Debt is Slavery as one of the top business books produced by independent publishers,” remarked BPNW member Michael Mihalik. “A lot of effort was put into the production of this book by a strong team of industry professionals. Debt is Slavery wouldn’t have become a reality without the excellent book cover and interior design by Peri Poloni-Gabriel and Monica Thomas of Knockout Design, the insightful editing of Heidi Thomas from SunCatcher Publications, and the quality printing of Color House Graphics.”
The popular personal finance website TheSimpleDollar.com recently selected Debt is Slavery as one of only eight books (out of 200 reviewed) to be included in its "Essential Bookshelf."
Mihalik authored the book, which he published under the imprint October Mist.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Blog Tour Highlights Book Reviewers
To promote the release of The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing, co-author Mayra Calvani will be interviewing 15+ reviewers and review editors during the month of June. Learn all about the business of book reviewing and what's in the mind of some of the most popular reviewers on the internet today. Some of the guests will include: Alex Moore from ForeWord Magazine, James Cox from Midwest Book Review, Irene Watson from Reader Views, Andrea Sisco from Armchair Interviews, Magdalena Ball from The Compulsive Reader, Sharyn McGinty from In The Library Reviews, Lea Schizas from Muse Book Reviews, Linda Baldwin from Road to Romance, Hilary Williamson from Book Loons, Judy Clark from Mostly Fiction, and many others!
To see the complete lineup, visit: The Slippery Book Review Blog.
Between June 1st and June 30th, stop by Blogcritics and leave a comment under the reviewer interviews for a chance to win a Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tour (coordinated by book marketing guru Dorothy Thompson), OR, as an alternative to a non-author winner, a $50 B&N gift certificate!
To see the complete lineup, visit: The Slippery Book Review Blog.
Between June 1st and June 30th, stop by Blogcritics and leave a comment under the reviewer interviews for a chance to win a Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tour (coordinated by book marketing guru Dorothy Thompson), OR, as an alternative to a non-author winner, a $50 B&N gift certificate!
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
PNBA Trade Show Registration Forms
Here is the link to PNBA's web page with information about the fall show and the vendor registration forms. Please note, too, that if you choose to exhibit for two days, you must register by FRIDAY, JUNE 27. The link to the two-day registration forms will be removed on Friday, June 27.
To find out more about PNBA's changes to the Fall Tradeshow, check link above or read the interview with Thom Chambliss.
To find out more about PNBA's changes to the Fall Tradeshow, check link above or read the interview with Thom Chambliss.
Friday, May 30, 2008
FAQs Answered for PNBA Fall Show
Thom Chambliss, director of Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, recently answered vendor’s most frequently asked questions about PNBA’s Fall Show 2008.
The 2008 show will be held Monday through Wednesday, September 15 to 17, at the Portland Airport Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Center. For more information, see www.pnba.org.
Q: Are author signing, workshop speaking, and other promotional and educational event opportunities on Wednesday only open to two-day exhibitors?
A: NO, anyone with a fall 08 PNBA badge, including those who exhibit one day, will have access to the entire show, including Wednesday. If you exhibit for only one day, you are welcome to attend the events on Wednesday, you just won't have your own exhibit space that day.
--------------
Q: I am a little confused as to how that extra day (Wednesday, the second day ofexhibits) will work.
A: The second "day of exhibits" will have many fewer exhibitors, and those exhibitors will be situated (both days) near the front of the exhibit hall (generally speaking), so that all attendees entering the hall on the second day will need to walk past the exhibitors tables or booths before reaching the Author Promotions area.
There will be authors signing their new books, authors talking about what they will do when they visit a store for an appearance, an author/bookseller/librarian panel discussion about working together, a series of authors talking about their experiences with libraries, etc. etc. I don't know the exact details yet, because I don't know how much space we will have nor what kind of authors will be made available to us, but we have some ideas and I expect that we (PNBA staff) will plan some interesting stuff. The idea is to arrange it so that the attendees will have to walk passed the exhibitors still there on the second day to get to the author presentations.
--------------
Q: Who will still be around (on the second day of exhibits), and when are author events planned besides day two?
A: Again, we don't know exactly how many booksellers will stay, but with added author events (and NO signing on the show the first day), we hope it will be a good crowd. Besides the author events on except for the autographing on the floor on Tuesday, which we will not do. There will be a new Autographing Party on Monday night; on Tuesday morning, we'll have the Book & Author Breakfast (with four authors, all books pre-signed). Then Tuesday afternoon, after the show floor has closed, we'll have some autographing, and THEN the Author Feast, featuring twenty authors visiting six different tables of booksellers to talk about their new books.
--------------
Q: I don’t really know why booksellers go (to the show). Is it education, free stuff, socializing, or ordering?
A: The booksellers with whom I talk tell me that they LOVE connecting with the reps, most of whom they no longer see in their stores. They also connect with books that they may have missed for whatever reason; find new sidelines that they could use in their stores; attend the education sessions to get new ideas for their stores; gather good info about books that they may have not thought worth their time; and meet authors whom they may want to invite to visit their stores. The author connections are huge for some of our booksellers. Yes, they like the free ARCs, too!
--------------
Q: Can you serve good free coffee all day and make the lunch buffet so good nobody would leave for the typical 2-hour lunch?
A: If we can afford better coffee, we will have it! We heard a lot of complaints about the coffee at this facility last year, so I'm looking into hiring a high quality coffee vendor. They're not cheap. Making the lunch buffet "good" is actually a lot more challenging. We're talking hotel food here, but we will try. We are encouraging librarians to visit the exhibits between their educational sessions, so we hope that the lunch time will be crowded with librarians. Again, we'll see.
--------------
Q: Why not extend the Tuesday trade show an extra hour, from 8:30 am to whatever?
A: This is difficult, but I appreciate the concept. We have found that we cannot start our Book & Author Breakfast before 8:00 am, or the attendance numbers decline. We want to encourage attendance at the Breakfast, so we don't open the show floor until AFTER the Breakfast ends, about 9:30. It may be easier for us to keep the show floor open later, say until 5:00 pm, but that would cause problems with the dinner event that follows, the Feast of Authors. We rely a lot on bookseller help to produce that Feast, and they need to be there early to work with the authors. I will study the options.
--------------
Q: One question regarding authors on the floor for Tuesday: Can we have our authors there for informal signings?
A: SURE!! You can continue to do whatever you want to do in your own booth, or table, or whatever. Just so it doesn't drown out (loud) or crowd out (people in the way) the others around you.
--------------
Q: Will you continue Buzz Books as that has proved quite successful for us?
A: Oh, YES, very definitely. And, we hope to add several more events like it. The second day really will be more of an Author/Book Promo Day.
--------------
Q: I do think that with smaller exhibit space we will especially need an area for tables and chairs for people to sit and talk, and booksellers to look through catalogues, etc. I can't see protracted discussion at exhibit areas without complicating the area for other exhibitors.
A: Yes, we're aware of that issue, too. It's going to be difficult on Tuesday, the first (and main) exhibit day. The space is very limited. We are hoping to have some areas for sitting and relaxing, eating lunch or whatever, but they may be OFF the show floor, in the lobby or back hallway. It will certainlynot be ideal.
--------------
Q: I'd love to get my authors into better contact with booksellers and hope that there will be plenty of opportunities.
A: Exactly: it's author/bookseller and author/librarian connections that we plan to facilitate.
--------------
Q: Why have the dates been changed from an end of the week show to a beginning of the week show?
A: We prefer end of the week, that is, Thursday through Saturday, but the Holiday Inn at the Portland Airport was already booked for those days when we inquired. The only days close to our preferred were the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday earlier in the week, so we took them for 2008. Our 2009 contract, in the same facility, is for Thursday - Saturday, September 10-12.
About seven years ago, PNBA conducted a survey of both sales reps and booksellers, asking whether they preferred weekend or weekday shows. Surprisingly, the results were overwhelmingly "We don't care!" We received about 60 responses from booksellers and only three had a preference, two for the weekend and one for weekdays, each saying it was harder to find replacements to "mind the store" on their non-preferred days. We received about 40 replies from reps, and they ALL preferred week DAYS, not the weekend. Those who commented, said they did not want to have to work the weekend, if they didn't have to!
We have held a few shows on weekdays during the last few years, and the turn-outs indicated no lower attendance because of the fact that those shows were held during the week. If we can get a better deal, or if our preferred dates are not available, we feel OK signing for week days, but we still try to get dates late in the week, if we can.
The 2008 show will be held Monday through Wednesday, September 15 to 17, at the Portland Airport Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Center. For more information, see www.pnba.org.
Q: Are author signing, workshop speaking, and other promotional and educational event opportunities on Wednesday only open to two-day exhibitors?
A: NO, anyone with a fall 08 PNBA badge, including those who exhibit one day, will have access to the entire show, including Wednesday. If you exhibit for only one day, you are welcome to attend the events on Wednesday, you just won't have your own exhibit space that day.
--------------
Q: I am a little confused as to how that extra day (Wednesday, the second day ofexhibits) will work.
A: The second "day of exhibits" will have many fewer exhibitors, and those exhibitors will be situated (both days) near the front of the exhibit hall (generally speaking), so that all attendees entering the hall on the second day will need to walk past the exhibitors tables or booths before reaching the Author Promotions area.
There will be authors signing their new books, authors talking about what they will do when they visit a store for an appearance, an author/bookseller/librarian panel discussion about working together, a series of authors talking about their experiences with libraries, etc. etc. I don't know the exact details yet, because I don't know how much space we will have nor what kind of authors will be made available to us, but we have some ideas and I expect that we (PNBA staff) will plan some interesting stuff. The idea is to arrange it so that the attendees will have to walk passed the exhibitors still there on the second day to get to the author presentations.
--------------
Q: Who will still be around (on the second day of exhibits), and when are author events planned besides day two?
A: Again, we don't know exactly how many booksellers will stay, but with added author events (and NO signing on the show the first day), we hope it will be a good crowd. Besides the author events on except for the autographing on the floor on Tuesday, which we will not do. There will be a new Autographing Party on Monday night; on Tuesday morning, we'll have the Book & Author Breakfast (with four authors, all books pre-signed). Then Tuesday afternoon, after the show floor has closed, we'll have some autographing, and THEN the Author Feast, featuring twenty authors visiting six different tables of booksellers to talk about their new books.
--------------
Q: I don’t really know why booksellers go (to the show). Is it education, free stuff, socializing, or ordering?
A: The booksellers with whom I talk tell me that they LOVE connecting with the reps, most of whom they no longer see in their stores. They also connect with books that they may have missed for whatever reason; find new sidelines that they could use in their stores; attend the education sessions to get new ideas for their stores; gather good info about books that they may have not thought worth their time; and meet authors whom they may want to invite to visit their stores. The author connections are huge for some of our booksellers. Yes, they like the free ARCs, too!
--------------
Q: Can you serve good free coffee all day and make the lunch buffet so good nobody would leave for the typical 2-hour lunch?
A: If we can afford better coffee, we will have it! We heard a lot of complaints about the coffee at this facility last year, so I'm looking into hiring a high quality coffee vendor. They're not cheap. Making the lunch buffet "good" is actually a lot more challenging. We're talking hotel food here, but we will try. We are encouraging librarians to visit the exhibits between their educational sessions, so we hope that the lunch time will be crowded with librarians. Again, we'll see.
--------------
Q: Why not extend the Tuesday trade show an extra hour, from 8:30 am to whatever?
A: This is difficult, but I appreciate the concept. We have found that we cannot start our Book & Author Breakfast before 8:00 am, or the attendance numbers decline. We want to encourage attendance at the Breakfast, so we don't open the show floor until AFTER the Breakfast ends, about 9:30. It may be easier for us to keep the show floor open later, say until 5:00 pm, but that would cause problems with the dinner event that follows, the Feast of Authors. We rely a lot on bookseller help to produce that Feast, and they need to be there early to work with the authors. I will study the options.
--------------
Q: One question regarding authors on the floor for Tuesday: Can we have our authors there for informal signings?
A: SURE!! You can continue to do whatever you want to do in your own booth, or table, or whatever. Just so it doesn't drown out (loud) or crowd out (people in the way) the others around you.
--------------
Q: Will you continue Buzz Books as that has proved quite successful for us?
A: Oh, YES, very definitely. And, we hope to add several more events like it. The second day really will be more of an Author/Book Promo Day.
--------------
Q: I do think that with smaller exhibit space we will especially need an area for tables and chairs for people to sit and talk, and booksellers to look through catalogues, etc. I can't see protracted discussion at exhibit areas without complicating the area for other exhibitors.
A: Yes, we're aware of that issue, too. It's going to be difficult on Tuesday, the first (and main) exhibit day. The space is very limited. We are hoping to have some areas for sitting and relaxing, eating lunch or whatever, but they may be OFF the show floor, in the lobby or back hallway. It will certainlynot be ideal.
--------------
Q: I'd love to get my authors into better contact with booksellers and hope that there will be plenty of opportunities.
A: Exactly: it's author/bookseller and author/librarian connections that we plan to facilitate.
--------------
Q: Why have the dates been changed from an end of the week show to a beginning of the week show?
A: We prefer end of the week, that is, Thursday through Saturday, but the Holiday Inn at the Portland Airport was already booked for those days when we inquired. The only days close to our preferred were the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday earlier in the week, so we took them for 2008. Our 2009 contract, in the same facility, is for Thursday - Saturday, September 10-12.
About seven years ago, PNBA conducted a survey of both sales reps and booksellers, asking whether they preferred weekend or weekday shows. Surprisingly, the results were overwhelmingly "We don't care!" We received about 60 responses from booksellers and only three had a preference, two for the weekend and one for weekdays, each saying it was harder to find replacements to "mind the store" on their non-preferred days. We received about 40 replies from reps, and they ALL preferred week DAYS, not the weekend. Those who commented, said they did not want to have to work the weekend, if they didn't have to!
We have held a few shows on weekdays during the last few years, and the turn-outs indicated no lower attendance because of the fact that those shows were held during the week. If we can get a better deal, or if our preferred dates are not available, we feel OK signing for week days, but we still try to get dates late in the week, if we can.
Zogby Surveys Readers
An online survy of American book buyers by Zogby International showed that readers were more influenced to buy a book by public radio (15%) than Jon Stewart (8%) or Oprah Winfrey (5%).
The same survey also showed that readers still prefer curling up with a printed book rather than an electronic reading device.
The same survey also showed that readers still prefer curling up with a printed book rather than an electronic reading device.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Educational Seminars Needed for PNBA
PNBA is planning to emphasize "Booksellers Working with Librarians" at the organization's fall show this year, which will be held at the Portland Airport Holiday Inn and Conference Center, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, September 15 -17.
PNBA booked the entire hotel, including all of the break-out rooms for all three days.
BPNW has been invited to create educational sessions for authors and/or small press publishers at the show that focus on working with libraries.
If you are a member of BPNW and would be interested in creating such an educational session, please e-mail bpnwnews at aol.com.
"I am interested in hearing from BPNW whether you find this program interesting and potentially attractive to your members, and whether you and your colleagues would like to propose any specific educational sessions that you will produce," wrote PNBA director Thom Chambliss in a recent e-mail.
"PNBA is non-profit and cannot pay you for your sessions, and we will not charge attendees any additional fees to attend your sessions. As usual, anyone with a show badge will be free to attend any sessions of their choice," he added.
PNBA booked the entire hotel, including all of the break-out rooms for all three days.
BPNW has been invited to create educational sessions for authors and/or small press publishers at the show that focus on working with libraries.
If you are a member of BPNW and would be interested in creating such an educational session, please e-mail bpnwnews at aol.com.
"I am interested in hearing from BPNW whether you find this program interesting and potentially attractive to your members, and whether you and your colleagues would like to propose any specific educational sessions that you will produce," wrote PNBA director Thom Chambliss in a recent e-mail.
"PNBA is non-profit and cannot pay you for your sessions, and we will not charge attendees any additional fees to attend your sessions. As usual, anyone with a show badge will be free to attend any sessions of their choice," he added.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Bookstore News: Moving, Opening, Closing
From our friends at PNBA comes the following news about three Northwest bookstores:
Santoro’s Books is on the move and needs help. The Seattle store, currently at 7216 Greenwood Ave. N., shifts one block north to a new location next to the 74th Street Ale House. Owner Carol Santoro would love to hear from anyone interested in moving a box of books, packing or helping to reshelve in the new store. Call her at 206-784-2113. The store plans to close the old location on May 29 and reopen in the new space by June 4.
A new bookstore opened in Ocean Park, WA: Adelaide's Books & Coffee. "Not only has the coffee house portion of the store already settled into a routine spot for the retired neighbors to linger," owner Cyndy Hayward said in the May PNBA newsletter, "but more exciting has been the brisk sales of books. I honestly had presumed that the coffee house would subsidize the bookstore, but quite the contrary has happened so far."
Eugene’s Books without Borders closes in May. Billed as the city’s littlest independent bookstore, Books without Borders will hold a Last Hurrah Party on May 24 at 6 p.m., with local author signings and live music by local band The Ineffectuals.
Santoro’s Books is on the move and needs help. The Seattle store, currently at 7216 Greenwood Ave. N., shifts one block north to a new location next to the 74th Street Ale House. Owner Carol Santoro would love to hear from anyone interested in moving a box of books, packing or helping to reshelve in the new store. Call her at 206-784-2113. The store plans to close the old location on May 29 and reopen in the new space by June 4.
A new bookstore opened in Ocean Park, WA: Adelaide's Books & Coffee. "Not only has the coffee house portion of the store already settled into a routine spot for the retired neighbors to linger," owner Cyndy Hayward said in the May PNBA newsletter, "but more exciting has been the brisk sales of books. I honestly had presumed that the coffee house would subsidize the bookstore, but quite the contrary has happened so far."
Eugene’s Books without Borders closes in May. Billed as the city’s littlest independent bookstore, Books without Borders will hold a Last Hurrah Party on May 24 at 6 p.m., with local author signings and live music by local band The Ineffectuals.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
To Contest or Not to Contest?
Recently a Book Publishers Northwest member asked about the value of participating in contests. We sent the question out to the PMA Affiliates mailing list.
We got so many thoughtful answers back that we created a new blog just on contests. Check it out and let us know what you think!
We got so many thoughtful answers back that we created a new blog just on contests. Check it out and let us know what you think!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Showcase Tacoma Looking for Poets
The 3rd annual Showcase Tacoma will be held in downtown Tacoma on Friday and Saturday, August 8-9, 2008.
Anyone interested in hosting an organized group reading, a writers workshop, a poetry open mike, a spoken word performance or poets wishing to read live should check the application at www.showcasetacoma.org. Deadline is
June 16, 2008.
Anyone interested in hosting an organized group reading, a writers workshop, a poetry open mike, a spoken word performance or poets wishing to read live should check the application at www.showcasetacoma.org. Deadline is
June 16, 2008.
Friday, May 16, 2008
BEA Teleclass
Bob Goodman (PMA Board member and founder of Publishers and Writers of San Diego) recently gave a 45-minute teleclass called "How to Make the Most of your Book Expo America Experience."
A free recording of this session can be downloaded from the bottom of the following page of PWSD's site.
"An important correction in the recording Bob Goodman did is the location of BEA. The correct info is that it's at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Otherwise everything below is accurate, and we still appreciate Bob's generosity in doing this!" wrote Paulette Ensign, PWSD Board Member.
A free recording of this session can be downloaded from the bottom of the following page of PWSD's site.
"An important correction in the recording Bob Goodman did is the location of BEA. The correct info is that it's at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Otherwise everything below is accurate, and we still appreciate Bob's generosity in doing this!" wrote Paulette Ensign, PWSD Board Member.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
More Awards for Pale Surface of Things
We just got news that Pale Surface of Things won the Indie Excellence Award for Multicultural Fiction.
And last week Hopeace Press and Friesens Printing won the PubWest Award for Best Use of Environmental Materials for the 100% post-consumer recycled paper and vegetable inks used in producing Pale Surface.
And we got an Honorable Mention from Beach Book Festival Awards, too.
That's five (including USA BookNews Best Book Award for Multicultural Fiction and the Nautilus Award Finalist medal.)
Stay tuned. Book Expo America is when they are all announced, two weeks from now.
best,
Janey
The Pale Surface of Things
by Janey Bennett
ISBN 978-0-9734007-2-4
www.palesurfaceofthings.com
And last week Hopeace Press and Friesens Printing won the PubWest Award for Best Use of Environmental Materials for the 100% post-consumer recycled paper and vegetable inks used in producing Pale Surface.
And we got an Honorable Mention from Beach Book Festival Awards, too.
That's five (including USA BookNews Best Book Award for Multicultural Fiction and the Nautilus Award Finalist medal.)
Stay tuned. Book Expo America is when they are all announced, two weeks from now.
best,
Janey
The Pale Surface of Things
by Janey Bennett
ISBN 978-0-9734007-2-4
www.palesurfaceofthings.com
Local Poet’s Haiku Is Quick & Simple
Mukilteo poet and publisher David Ash thinks that writing books of haiku (three-line, seventeen-syllable poems) is fairly fast and easy. He has already produced his first six books of humorous haiku through Basho Press in less than a year. But next week, one of the world’s largest media conglomerates will proclaim them quick and simple.
Quick & Simple magazine, a weekly magazine published by Hearst Magazines, will feature excerpts from Ash’s Haiku for Chocolate Lovers as the back page of the May 27 issue.
“I keep chuckling at the karma,” muses Ash. “Of all the national publications that could be the first to write about my haiku books, could you ask for a more appropriate magazine title? Now that is funny!”
The Smile page of the magazine will feature ten chocolate-related haiku by Ash, including:
“When editor Laura Manske first called me in January, I said I was surprised because it was past the deadlines for Valentine’s Day,” Ash recalled. “She replied, ‘Are you kidding? We’re always looking for chocolate around here!’”
Quick & Simple is available at newsstands everywhere, including many Barnes & Noble stores. The Haiku for Life® book series is available online through Barnes & Noble and Amazon, and can be ordered at local bookstores through wholesaler Partners/West in Renton, Washington. For more info, log on to www.BashoPress.com or call (206) 200-9525.
Quick & Simple magazine, a weekly magazine published by Hearst Magazines, will feature excerpts from Ash’s Haiku for Chocolate Lovers as the back page of the May 27 issue.
“I keep chuckling at the karma,” muses Ash. “Of all the national publications that could be the first to write about my haiku books, could you ask for a more appropriate magazine title? Now that is funny!”
The Smile page of the magazine will feature ten chocolate-related haiku by Ash, including:
because cacao grows
around the planet’s waistline,
it ends up on mine
“When editor Laura Manske first called me in January, I said I was surprised because it was past the deadlines for Valentine’s Day,” Ash recalled. “She replied, ‘Are you kidding? We’re always looking for chocolate around here!’”
Quick & Simple is available at newsstands everywhere, including many Barnes & Noble stores. The Haiku for Life® book series is available online through Barnes & Noble and Amazon, and can be ordered at local bookstores through wholesaler Partners/West in Renton, Washington. For more info, log on to www.BashoPress.com or call (206) 200-9525.
May 15 Meeting: Marketing and PR for Publishers
Book Publishers Northwest's May 15 meeting focuses on "Increasing Book Sales Through Effective Author Marketing and Public Relations Strategies." Our speaker will be Susan Burnash of Purple Duck Marketing.
The May 15 meeting takes place 4 pm to 6 pm at the Good Shepherd Center, 649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, in Seattle. This meeting is free for members of Book Publishers Northwest.
If you're interested in learning more about Purple Duck Marketing, email: susan@purpleduckmarketing.com or phone 425.896.8959.
The May 15 meeting takes place 4 pm to 6 pm at the Good Shepherd Center, 649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, in Seattle. This meeting is free for members of Book Publishers Northwest.
If you're interested in learning more about Purple Duck Marketing, email: susan@purpleduckmarketing.com or phone 425.896.8959.
Monday, May 12, 2008
HaperCollins’ e-Catalogs
HarperCollins recently announced that they will preview an e-catalog at BookExpo America this month.
The new e-catalog is designed to help HarperCollins reduce the number of printed catalogs currently distributed to booksellers and other buyers.
Among the features listed for the HarperCollins’ e-catalogs was covers, prices, on-sale dates, reviews, and quotes as well as links to a selection of galleys and complete Advance Reader Editions for certain titles.
The new e-catalog is designed to help HarperCollins reduce the number of printed catalogs currently distributed to booksellers and other buyers.
Among the features listed for the HarperCollins’ e-catalogs was covers, prices, on-sale dates, reviews, and quotes as well as links to a selection of galleys and complete Advance Reader Editions for certain titles.
Postage Goes Up One Cent
Postage goes up a penny today for first class stamps. If you have a basket full of old stamps with no printed values from other rate hikes, you can find out how much they are worth at the USPS website.
Other changes to postage rages are also listed at www.usps.com.
Other changes to postage rages are also listed at www.usps.com.
Monday, May 05, 2008
PNBA Outlines Changes to Fall Show
We received the following letter on May 5 from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association. Please feel free to leave your comments about these changes.
Dear PNBA rep, publisher and author members,
We are making some very big changes to the fall show this year, and some of it may be confusing to you; so I am writing now to explain the changes, and to ask for your input on ways to help smooth the transition.
As background, last year's show in Bellevue was not well attended. We decided to move the show back to the Portland area, where we historically have had our best attendance.
We also have heard from many of you, and from some of our bookseller members as well, that the exhibits have been too spread out, with aisles much wider than we need and exhibitors too far away from each other. At the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, we used the entire exhibit hall, which was 35,000 square feet, down from 60,000 square feet that we were renting in the Oregon Convention Center. Many of you told me that that 35,000 sq ft space was still too large for our needs.
A large group of you have also suggested (some rather firmly) that we should cut the exhibit part of the show back to one-day, because the traffic in the last several years cannot justify two days. At the same time, many of you have asked that we not produce author events on the show floor during the exhibits, because of the sense that it drew customers away from your exhibits. Finally, in recent years many publishers have shown more interest in sending authors to the shows than they have in exhibiting.
To meld all of these interests into one new show is complicated, and will require adjustments for all of us. This 2008 show will be a trial effort for all of us; I hope that you will all be excited about the changes, and hopeful that they will re-invigorate the shows and our members. Here are the basic changes:
1) The next two fall shows (2008 and 2009) will be held at the Holiday Inn at the Portland Airport, whose Columbia Conference Center has only 15,500 square feet of exhibit space. Not only does this size require that we shrink the aisle space, it also means that our basic tables will be six feet long, not eight feet, and a basic booth size will be 8' x 8', not 8' x 10', as they have traditionally been each fall. (We did use six foot tables at most of our spring shows.)
2) PNBA will save some money using this independent exhibit hall, compared to the amount we spent at the OCC and the Meydenbauer. Therefore, we are reducing the cost of the table and booth space.
3) We are encouraging most vendors to exhibit for just one day, Tuesday, September 16. Those of you who tell us that you really need that second day (mostly independent reps, whose customers often pick up a catalog one day and come back the next to place orders) may sign up for two days, but will pay an additional fee for the second day, and will need to reserve your exhibit space much earlier than the vendors who will exhibit for only one day. After the two-day exhibitor deadline, I will have a short time to lay out the exhibit floor, to determine exactly how much space, in what locations, will be available for other uses on the second day, Wednesday, September 17. Only after those determinations are made will I be able to plan, promote, and schedule the other uses for those spaces.
4) There will be no author autographing on the show floor on the first day of exhibits, Tuesday, September 16. After the Book & Author Breakfast in the morning, there will be no author events and no educational events for booksellers until after the show floor closes Tuesday afternoon at 4:30. The emphasis on the show floor on Tuesday will be completely on the exhibitors. (I would love to hear any of your ideas about what PNBA might do to enliven and promote the exhibits.)
5) The second day of exhibits will now become Author Promotion Day, with those few exhibitors who paid extra for the second day sharing the hall with a diversity of author activities. In addition to the traditional author autographings, we will have authors meeting booksellers to discuss what types of presentation the authors might make when they visit stores, panels with authors discussing how booksellers can help promote their books, and seminars with authors and booksellers discussing how we can all work together to promote book sales. We will scatter the author events throughout the hall, to encourage booksellers to walk passed your exhibits on their way to the author events. And we will plan the author events so that they will not overwhelm the exhibitors who will be writing orders and talking with your customers.
6) We will be inviting a larger but limited number of librarians to attend the show (maximum 100), offering them free education on the first day of exhibits (Tuesday, the 16th) and complete access to the exhibit hall on Wednesday, the 17th. A main "theme" of this year's show will be "Booksellers and Librarians Working Together." I expect that the librarians will share our booksellers' interest in an Author Promotion Day.
As I mentioned earlier, I am anxious to hear from any of you with suggestions about how to make this new venue and schedule work best for you, the exhibitors, and for our booksellers. I will seriously consider any ideas and, if there are no problems with timing, space or expense, we will incorporate them into this year's event. If they are good ideas with problems that cannot be solved before this year's show, staff will discuss them after this show, in hopes of incorporating them into future events. If you have any questions or concerns about the new schedule, please contact me within the next two weeks, that is, before May 16. After the 16th, I will compile all of the concerns and post them, with our responses, on PNBA's web site, so that you may all share them.
To help you understand more completely what we envision for this year's show, we have posted several documents on our web site as pdfs. The links to those documents are at the end of this letter, after my signature.
Thank you for your consideration, patience and participation. We've got our fingers crossed, and hope that these changes will be well-received and will provide you with a re-invigorated show, well worth your time and effort. The PNBA Board has made it very clear to me that the most important consideration for the show is that it remain a valuable opportunity for booksellers to learn as much as they can about the industry and how to sell more books. With your help and enthusiasm, I believe that these changes will keep us working toward that end, and will provide us all with the best regional industry tradeshow possible.
Sincerely,
Thom
Thom Chambliss, Executive Director
Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
214 East 12th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97401-3245
T: 541-683-4363
F: 541-683-3910
E: thom@pnba.org
W: www.pnba.org
2008 Show: Monday - Wednesday, September 15 -17.
Jackson Street Books Closes
Jackson Street Books will close at the end of the month. The mixed new-and-used bookstore's owners are relocating outside Seattle. According to their blog, they will continue to sell books online, but the walk-in bookstore never had "the sales we need to sustain ourselves and make a living."
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Nautilus Nomination for Pale Surface
The Pale Surface of Things was named a finalist in the 2008 Nautilus Awards in the multicultural category.
The Nautilus Book Awards were conceived to recognize and reward a group of world-changing books, and to celebrate how they contribute to positive social change, spiritual growth, conscious living, high-level wellness, and responsible leadership. Nautilus winners will be announced at BEA.
Submitted by BPNW member Janey Bennett
The Nautilus Book Awards were conceived to recognize and reward a group of world-changing books, and to celebrate how they contribute to positive social change, spiritual growth, conscious living, high-level wellness, and responsible leadership. Nautilus winners will be announced at BEA.
Submitted by BPNW member Janey Bennett
Friday, April 25, 2008
PNWA Conference Set for July
Pacific Northwest Writers' Annual Summer Conference
July 17 to 20, 2008
Seattle Airport Hilton
* Online registration now available at www.pnwa.org
* Conference scholarships are available to PNWA Members
For details on 30 agents and editors attending the PNWA Conference as well as workshops, panels, keynote and featured speakers available at www.pnwa.org.
To take part in the Conference's On-Site Bookstore and/or Autograph Party, please download all listed forms on at the PNWA website. (You must be a current member of PNWA, speaker, or panel member).
July 17 to 20, 2008
Seattle Airport Hilton
* Online registration now available at www.pnwa.org
* Conference scholarships are available to PNWA Members
For details on 30 agents and editors attending the PNWA Conference as well as workshops, panels, keynote and featured speakers available at www.pnwa.org.
To take part in the Conference's On-Site Bookstore and/or Autograph Party, please download all listed forms on at the PNWA website. (You must be a current member of PNWA, speaker, or panel member).
Press Release from Rosetta Solutions
NetGalley(TM): An Innovative Service that Connects Publishers and Reviewers, Boosts Campaigns, and Controls Costs
Major book publishers go digital with NetGalley pilot program
Major book publishers go digital with NetGalley pilot program
SEATTLE, WA – April 24, 2008
NetGalley(TM), a new product and service that connects publishers and professional readers, streamlines the galley distribution process, and helps make marketing dollars more efficient, has been introduced by Rosetta Solutions, Inc. An online workflow solution, NetGalley enables book publishers, reviewers, media, librarians, booksellers, bloggers, educators and others to access and share content and information about today’s new titles. Launching commercially on May 28th at BookExpo America (BEA) in Los Angeles, the service is already drawing top publisher interest. Among the early adopters of NetGalley that are participating in a pilot program, St. Martin’s Press, Hachette Book Group, Bloomsbury USA, and Sourcebooks will submit their advance fall titles to Publishers Weekly (PW) through the NetGalley service. In February, Publishers Weekly announced that it would be the first major media organization to implement NetGalley, making the service its preferred way to manage galleys.
"We are delighted to be here at the beginning of this terrific program," said Matt Baldacci, VP, director of marketing and publishing operations at St. Martin's Press. "NetGalley will make our interaction with Publishers Weekly more efficient, and has the potential to show cost, resource, and environmental efficiencies. These benefits are good for PW, the publishers that will join the full roll-out, and the industry in general."
“We are excited to work with these first publishers in testing a process that creates significant efficiencies for both PW and publishers. PW will still continue to accept print galleys,” said Cevin Bryerman, associate publisher, Publishers Weekly. During the pilot period, publishers will submit their title information—and optionally digital galleys—electronically to PW. In return, PW will provide visibility on review acceptance and status through NetGalley.com. Pilot publishers will also have the opportunity to invite other reviewers, media, and bloggers to join their community and view their “NetGalleys” online.
Ted Treanor, CEO of Rosetta Solutions, commented, “The response from publishers to support this initiative has been extraordinarily positive. NetGalley selected this group for their diversity of size and publishing type, and their willingness to innovate. We’re counting on these partners to help us continue to refine NetGalley.com.”
An easy-to-use online service and connection point for book publishers, reviewers, media, librarians, booksellers, bloggers and educators, NetGalley helps users harness the power of digital content and electronic communications to dramatically cut costs, speed time to market, improve marketing campaigns and broaden global reach. By providing electronic distribution and tracking of galleys, digital press kit materials, and title metadata, NetGalley facilitates and boosts recognition of books and authors through the professional channels that recommend and purchase new titles.
With NetGalley, publishers can reach out to the blogosphere and use modern tools like e-galleys and print-on-demand, and promote their titles to an expanded universe of professional readers—including media, online reviewers, bloggers, and specialty publications—without incurring the cost of producing and distributing more physical galleys. (Print galley copies can be requested.) Publishers can send the galley for a featured title to a broad, personalized reader community with one touch, electronically. Professional readers can use NetGalley for free to access rich background information about upcoming titles, and look across the publishing community to filter all offerings down to specific titles of interest. Plus, NetGalley allows users to track communications, report on activities, and use linking to build broader, permission-based communities.
NetGalley is currently accepting pilot publishers to test other areas of the service including advance title promotion to booksellers, bloggers, librarians and educators.
###
About NetGalley/Rosetta Solutions (online at www.netgalley.com)
NetGalley, developed by Rosetta Solutions, Inc., is an innovative and easy-to-use online service and connection point for book publishers, reviewers, media, librarians, booksellers, bloggers and educators. NetGalley facilitates and boosts recognition of books and authors through the professional channels that recommend and purchase new titles.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Parkplace Books Asks for Help
This e-mail was forwarded to us by a member.
A Special Request from Parkplace Books
Dear Customers and Friends,
In all the years we have been working at Parkplace Books, this is the hardest letter we have written to you. We need your help. We need it soon.
The challenges that independent booksellers face in competing with the Internet and the huge box stores have resulted in the closing of most of the independent bookstores on the Eastside. With your past support, we have just managed to keep up with those challenges.
But now we face new changes that force us to retrench. The downturn in the economy is pinching most small retail businesses. Parkplace Books faces another particular problem: the departure from Kirkland Parkplace Center of several compatible retail stores . Without them, we have experienced a continuing drop in the foot traffic we need to sustain sales and maintain a desirable selection level of inventory. As the owners of Kirkland Parkplace Center work toward a massive expansion and remodeling, our future becomes more uncertain.
This week is particularly tough. We have a large bill coming due Monday, April 28. We do not have the resources to pay this bill and we need your help. If many of you help us by donating small amounts, we will be able to pay this bill and continue forward on our plan for the future. Please help us by sending a donation to the address at the end of this letter.
To address the continuing survival for Parkplace Books, we have called together a group of longtime advisers/friends to assist us in developing a long range plan.
That plan is likely to include:
* a greater emphasis on the Internet and online sales
* smaller, more efficient quarters at a probable new location in the Kirkland area
* and new ways for fans of the bookstore to be involved and stay in touch
We are eager to add your ideas to this mix. Please send them to us.
In the immediate future, you can help us most by coming to the store, saying hello and buying books and art. When our advisers met with us recently, they all exclaimed that Parkplace Books is essential to the community of Kirkland. They pointed out how -- in meetings about plans for Kirkland Parkplace Center, speaker after speaker expressed concern for keeping two vital businesses -- Parkplace Books and the movie theater.
And what is the bookstore? It's selection and knowledge about books. It's a staff who can respond to your questions and help you find the books you want. It's a comfortable space where people can relax and chat while they browse. It's a place where children can read and dream. It's a community gathering place that supports diversity and the exchange of ideas. It's an independent bookstore on the Eastside owned by two people that are passionate about the inherent value of books and reading.
Without you, there wouldn't be a bookstore. So please come in, say hello and help us in any way you can. We are keeping in mind the adage that in Chinese the ideogram for crisis is the same as that for opportunity. This IS an opportunity for us to rethink both our short & long-range plans and find new ways for Parkplace Books to serve you, our community. We believe Kirkland deserves the continued presence of a quality independent bookstore as part of our city's identity.
Mary and Rebecca
Our mailing address:
Parkplace Books
348 Parkplace Center
Kirkland, WA. 98033
ParkPlace Books
Kirkland's Community Bookstore
348 Parkplace Center
Kirkland, WA 98033
Phone: 425-828-6546
Fax: 425-739-6876
parkplacebooks@integra.net
A Special Request from Parkplace Books
Dear Customers and Friends,
In all the years we have been working at Parkplace Books, this is the hardest letter we have written to you. We need your help. We need it soon.
The challenges that independent booksellers face in competing with the Internet and the huge box stores have resulted in the closing of most of the independent bookstores on the Eastside. With your past support, we have just managed to keep up with those challenges.
But now we face new changes that force us to retrench. The downturn in the economy is pinching most small retail businesses. Parkplace Books faces another particular problem: the departure from Kirkland Parkplace Center of several compatible retail stores . Without them, we have experienced a continuing drop in the foot traffic we need to sustain sales and maintain a desirable selection level of inventory. As the owners of Kirkland Parkplace Center work toward a massive expansion and remodeling, our future becomes more uncertain.
This week is particularly tough. We have a large bill coming due Monday, April 28. We do not have the resources to pay this bill and we need your help. If many of you help us by donating small amounts, we will be able to pay this bill and continue forward on our plan for the future. Please help us by sending a donation to the address at the end of this letter.
To address the continuing survival for Parkplace Books, we have called together a group of longtime advisers/friends to assist us in developing a long range plan.
That plan is likely to include:
* a greater emphasis on the Internet and online sales
* smaller, more efficient quarters at a probable new location in the Kirkland area
* and new ways for fans of the bookstore to be involved and stay in touch
We are eager to add your ideas to this mix. Please send them to us.
In the immediate future, you can help us most by coming to the store, saying hello and buying books and art. When our advisers met with us recently, they all exclaimed that Parkplace Books is essential to the community of Kirkland. They pointed out how -- in meetings about plans for Kirkland Parkplace Center, speaker after speaker expressed concern for keeping two vital businesses -- Parkplace Books and the movie theater.
And what is the bookstore? It's selection and knowledge about books. It's a staff who can respond to your questions and help you find the books you want. It's a comfortable space where people can relax and chat while they browse. It's a place where children can read and dream. It's a community gathering place that supports diversity and the exchange of ideas. It's an independent bookstore on the Eastside owned by two people that are passionate about the inherent value of books and reading.
Without you, there wouldn't be a bookstore. So please come in, say hello and help us in any way you can. We are keeping in mind the adage that in Chinese the ideogram for crisis is the same as that for opportunity. This IS an opportunity for us to rethink both our short & long-range plans and find new ways for Parkplace Books to serve you, our community. We believe Kirkland deserves the continued presence of a quality independent bookstore as part of our city's identity.
Mary and Rebecca
Our mailing address:
Parkplace Books
348 Parkplace Center
Kirkland, WA. 98033
ParkPlace Books
Kirkland's Community Bookstore
348 Parkplace Center
Kirkland, WA 98033
Phone: 425-828-6546
Fax: 425-739-6876
parkplacebooks@integra.net
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
April 22 Meeting CANCELED
We are sad to announce that the April 22 meeting at Eagle Harbor Book Company has been canceled.
PNBA president Paul Hanson will try to reschedule this meeting later in the year.
Plan to come to our May meeting on PR at the Good Shepherd Center in Seattle.
Susan Burnash of Purple Duck Marketing will address how publishers can improve their PR on May 15, 4 pm, at Good Shepherd Center in Seattle.
PNBA president Paul Hanson will try to reschedule this meeting later in the year.
Plan to come to our May meeting on PR at the Good Shepherd Center in Seattle.
Susan Burnash of Purple Duck Marketing will address how publishers can improve their PR on May 15, 4 pm, at Good Shepherd Center in Seattle.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
New Title from Bright Ring
Bright Ring Publishing, Inc. is publishing its first full-color art activity/art appreciation book for children, due July 4, 2008. The book is in process with Doosan Printing, Korea.
Great American Artists for Kids: Hands-On Art Experiences in the Styles of Great American Masters (July 2008)
MaryAnn F. Kohl and Kim Solga
144 pages • $18.95
ISBN 9780935607000
Take a pre-peek at the book at www.brightring.com
MaryAnn Kohl was the guest expert April 10 with the State University of New York's video conference, Leo Lionni: An Author Study, offered to 6000 teachers and childcare workers interested in providing quality art experiences for children. Kohl will be the keynote speaker at the Crayola Factory, May 5, for the Abrakadoodle art franchise owners' annual training conference.
Great American Artists for Kids: Hands-On Art Experiences in the Styles of Great American Masters (July 2008)
MaryAnn F. Kohl and Kim Solga
144 pages • $18.95
ISBN 9780935607000
Take a pre-peek at the book at www.brightring.com
MaryAnn Kohl was the guest expert April 10 with the State University of New York's video conference, Leo Lionni: An Author Study, offered to 6000 teachers and childcare workers interested in providing quality art experiences for children. Kohl will be the keynote speaker at the Crayola Factory, May 5, for the Abrakadoodle art franchise owners' annual training conference.
April 17: Meet the Editors
Join us on April 17 as Book Publishers Northwest presents “How to Polish a Manuscript to Perfection.” Don't miss these amazing independent editors: Nancy Burkhalter, Wendy Call, Waverly Fitzgerald, Karalynn Ott, and Michele Whitehead. Be ready to bring your questions to BPNW's April 17 meeting, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside N., Room 221, in Seattle.
This meeting is free for members of Book Publishers Northwest, Northwest Independent Editors Guild, and Seattle WritergrrlsNancy Burkhalter, Ph.D.
Legacy Consultants
burkhaltern@earthlink.net
http://www.legacyconsultants.com/, 206.250.8520
In my business, Legacy Consultants, I help clients complete nonfiction manuscripts, which can entail everything from reorganizing ideas to editing for grammar, punctuation, flow, and meaning. I also specialize in ghostwriting, including compiling personal, family-business, or corporate histories. This process demands expertise in interviewing, editing, organizing, and managing its design and printing. I have gained this expertise through 25 years as a writer and composition teacher. My education includes a master's in journalism and doctorate in linguistics. I also teach and coach writing.
Wendy Call
Writer in Residence, Richard Hugo House
Co-editor, Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers' Guide
http://www.wendycall.com/
wlc@wendycall.com
Wendy Call is a developmental and substantive editor for books published by trade and university presses. Specialties include biography, environment, international subjects, memoir, narrative nonfiction, political/social issues, travel writing, and literary translation from Spanish. She works with writers from the initial idea stage all the way to final manuscript submission.
Waverly Fitzgerald
Editor, Teacher, and Writing Coach
waverly@waverlyfitzgerald.com, 206.325.1452
I specialize in developmental editing, which means I love looking at books in progress or rough draft, when I can provide perspective and focus. I coach writers working on non-fiction books, providing accountability, feedback, and light line-editing. I teach classes on writing novels, non-fiction book proposals, and intermediate level craft issues.
Verve Editorial
Karalynn Ott
karaott@comcast.net, 206.781.3661
Michele Whitehead
michelekw@comcast.net, 206.650.6861
Verve Editorial is a Seattle-based freelance partnership of editors Michele Whitehead and Karalynn Ott. We offer comprehensive editorial services for authors, including developmental editing, substantive editing, and copyediting of fiction and nonfiction book manuscripts, as well as shorter works (essays, articles, contest submissions, query letters, and book proposals). Above all, we are dedicated to nurturing clear, resonant writing while respecting each writer's individual voice and style. We strive to help our clients draw on their strengths and come away reenergized about their projects.
Karalynn Ott is on the Steering Committee of the Northwest Independent Editors Guild and her interests include both fiction and nonfiction-particularly novels, creative nonfiction, travel and outdoors, memoir, and biography. Michele Whitehead has a decade of editorial experience that includes feature writing for several local publications and her interests include contemporary literary novels, historical and young adult fiction, and creative nonfiction such as travel, essays, and memoir.
NWABP Offers Saturday Seminars
Portland's Northwest Association of Book Publishers is sponsoring a seminar series on the third Saturdays of May, July and September.
Each Saturday is different; all will focus on the changes in the publishing industry and marketing strategies which encompass the tried and true as well as utilizing the Internet and technology to one's advantage.
Each Saturday is different; all will focus on the changes in the publishing industry and marketing strategies which encompass the tried and true as well as utilizing the Internet and technology to one's advantage.
Friday, April 04, 2008
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.”
“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.”
Thursday, April 03, 2008
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
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
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
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.
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.
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.
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