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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Small Press Story #9: Volvos by Frederick Su

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

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

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

People want to save money, and learn.

Small Press Story #8: Blogging to Book

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Editors' Conference: Beyond Red Pencil #2

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

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

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

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

Small Story #5: Margaret Doyle starts Orcas news site

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

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

Small Story #4: Following Marco Polo Across Asia

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

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

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

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

Small Press Story #3 by Linda Carlson, Parenting Press

Why should authors consider small presses?

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

Linda Carlson handles marketing and media relations for Parenting Press.

Random House Still Making Acquisitions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chris Salditt, Mother Love Publishing
Mukilteo

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

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

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

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

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

NWABP February Meeting And Other Oregon Events

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

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

===

Paul Gerhards to speak at Looking Glass Bookstore

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

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

February Meeting: What Happens After You Hit the Bestseller Lists

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

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

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

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

David Ash's Article in IBPA

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

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

BEA Stays in New York Until 2011

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

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

Bay Area Publishing Institute

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

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

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

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

WLA Brown Bag Session on Taxes

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Canada's BookExpo in Trouble

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

Edible Book Fair Returns to Seattle

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

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

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

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

Epicenter Announces Changes in Distribution

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

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

Bennett Wins Prize

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

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

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

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

January 15 Meeting: The Elevator Pitch

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

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

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

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

More Information on Lead Testing for Children's Books

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

CPSIA and Publishers

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

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

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

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

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

Apple Apps Censor Books

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

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

You Book Tube: New Video Site for Publishers

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

Lead Laws Impact Amazon Advantage Clients

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

Scallops & Science: You Are Invited to a Party!

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

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

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

http://www.nwscience.org

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

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

Join BPNW and Save $30 From IBPA!

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

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

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

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

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

Checks should be made out to Book Publishers Northwest.

Nonexistent Email or Why You Haven't Received A Newsletter

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

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

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

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

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

A Report on Publishers' Props

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

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

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

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

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

PNBA Preparing Spring Catalog for Booksellers

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

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

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

Junemann's contact information is:

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

Borders and Publisher Experiment with "No Returns"

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


Full Article

A Gift from Betsy in Florida

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

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


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


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


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

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


Happy Holidays, cousins!

Best,
Betsy

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

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

Ingram Publishing Services

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BPNW Members Party

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


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

Oguneye Heard on KUOW

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

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

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

Use IBPA Services

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

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

Some websites recommended for promoting fiction

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

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

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


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

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

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

New section of articles by BPNW members

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

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

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


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

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11 Sites to Make Money Selling Old Gadgets

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

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


11 Sites to Make Money Selling Old Gadgets

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Why You Should Apply for Pub U Scholarship

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

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

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

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

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

November 20 Meeting: Promoting Fiction

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

Affiliate Scholarships Now Being Accepted

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

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

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

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

Greeting from Sandy, Utah!

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

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

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

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

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

David Ash
Publisher, Basho Press

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

Book Video: Sikulu and Harambe

Sikulu and Harambe by the Zambezi River

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:

Book Video: Two Examples from Big River

Honor Due by D. H. Brown




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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Recap of September Meeting on Pub U

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

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

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

Some things Gail found particularly interesting and useful included:

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

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

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

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

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

This report submitted by Tom Masters

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.

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?

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

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

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

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

BPNW Display at Fall Trade Show

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

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



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



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

Update from Bright Ring

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

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

Publishing Round Table on Sept 18

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

This meeting is free for members.

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

PNBA Display Books Donated to Rural Library

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

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

A plea from your editor at BPNW News

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

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

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

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

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

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



Sincerely,

Rosemary Jones
Book Publishers Northwest

Learn About Orphan Works Bill

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

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

Among the topics to be discussed are:

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


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

Pubwest In Portland: SPAN Members Get Discount

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

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

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

Epicenter's Palin Biography A Bestseller

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

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

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

No Meeting in August, Preparing for PNBA

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


PNBA Fall Trade Show: Free Display for BPNW Members

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

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

Join BPNW today for this and other benefits!

Site seeking articles on publishing

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

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

Articles may be submitted at the site
Sellingbooks.com

Amazon buys Shelfari

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

Shelfari Joins Amazon.com Family

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...

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.

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.

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!

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.

Carlson Article Featured in Independent

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

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

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

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.

40 Topics for Corporate Bloggers

40+ Topics for Corporate Bloggers

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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

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:

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.