LiteraryArchitects

The Long, Hot Blog-less Summer

2006-07-24T15:36:00.000-04:00

I have a million excuses. If you're an editor, I know you've heard them all. (As an author, I'm sure you have a few creative ones yourself.) But I'm copping to the fact I've been a bad, bad blogger. So, while we get this back on track, I'll catch you up on our summer so far!

Tim is sleeping again! This corresponds directly to the fact that the triplets are old enough to be sleeping themselves. So, we have Tim's brain back! Yea!
Bryan is finally in Indianapolis! This weekend marks his move from Bloomington to Indy making it easier for us all to get together without him blowing a day on his commute.
I finished the Danskin Triathlon in Chicago! Thanks to author and triathlete extraordaire, Sally Edwards, I trained for and finished the Danskin Triathlon in 2 hours and 25 minutes which is pretty good for my first time. Actually, I had a great trip and Sally, who is the spokesperson for the entire Danskin Triathlon series, was an inspiration. She was there at the start line and at the finish -- and I know she checked my time because she had emailed me before I was even home from the event! Thanks to Sally and also, many special thanks to author Susan Kane who had a lovely dinner the night before for myself and several trainers and execs from Heart Zones. With 4,000 women competing, it was a pretty awesome weekend. (Plus, nothing much can describe the true sense of accomplishment I felt when I came up the beach from the swim and saw I was only a minute off my best training time.)

On the business front we have some exciting and big news that I can't quite blog on here yet, but we'll have more in a few weeks. Let's just say Book Expo was incredibly productive for us. Our first two books are doing well and we have a busy pub schedule for the fall. Our early 2007 is shaping up and we're actively encouraging anyone (agents or authors) with seasonal books for spring to call us now.

We'll have more news and commentary as we go, but for the first post catching up, we thought everyone needed an update. Here's to a break in the heat -- and better blogging!

Out of Print, Out of Mind

2006-05-31T07:12:00.000-04:00

Terry Whalin at The Writing Life has an excellent post on Out of Print books with some recommendations. One additional option he doesn't cover includes putting your own book back in print *if* -- and a very important *if* -- you have a market for your book! If your book has gone out of print and you haven't been actively out driving a large portion of your book sales, then there's no reason to believe it will do any better if you try to self-publish. However, if you are a frequent speaker, drive bulk sales, have special sales opportunities, or were in need of a thousand or more copies a year, then putting your own book back in print makes sense.

While rights reversion can be time consuming, the process of knowing what you can and can't reproduce from your current work can be even more confusing. Make sure you consult an industry professional to avoid potentially complex legal issues with reprints.

The POD "Publisher" Myth

2006-05-23T20:36:00.000-04:00

I was poking around on some other blogs today and I noticed several references to "POD Publishers". In a few cases, authors were comparing "traditional publishers" meaning trade houses versus "POD publishers" which makes me especially crazy. There is no such thing as a POD "publisher". There are POD printers such as Lulu.com or BookSurge or Lightening Source and there are POD printers that offer authors services such as any of the above and companies like AuthorHouse. Print on Demand is merely the technology used for printing books. Even large traditional houses are using POD today -- and many many small houses are. But print on demand companies -- or any printers for that matter -- are not *publishers* per se. Publishers select your work. They read it. They care about it. They advise you. They help you brand, strategize, design. Regardless of the financial model they work from, if you're thinking about self publishing. Look for a *publisher*.

BEA: Change is Coming -- Are You Ready?

2006-05-22T08:11:00.000-04:00

Of all the articles I read summarizing BEA and the current state of the industry, this one -- from an outside source -- summed it up best. The quote from Menaker sums up the old guard in this industry so well.

"At my age (64), I wish it was as simple as holding on to the older way of doing things," says Daniel Menaker, executive editor-in-chief at the Random House Publishing Group. "This is a convention that is haunted by questions about the future."

Not surprisingly, we spent most of our time on Friday meeting with some of the very companies they mention -- Google, Amazon, BookSurge, Lightening Source, Ingram, etc. -- strengthening existing relationships and building new ones. We're comfortable with change -- and in fact, very comfortable with new ways of publishing books while still maintaining the quality needed to be part of mainstream publishing. I doubt many execs would be surprised to find there are a lot of smart publishing professionals out here on the edge. It sure is refreshing after the stifling atmosphere of the old NY publishing traditional that aren't just stifling this business, but smothering it.

AuthorHouse Loses Libel Case

2006-05-17T09:49:00.000-04:00

PW reported yesterday that AuthorHouse lost its libel case based on a book it published last year. It's a pretty interesting case since POD publishers (like AuthorHouse, xLibris, iUniverse, etc.) tout that they put the author in control. What they really mean is that they give the author a price list of services and authors can choose what they think they need or don't need. Authors end up with the just what they order -- their self-published book which hasn't been edited and in many cases copyedited, designed, or proofread. Either way, the book isn't read in-house by an editor. Their contracts says the publisher (AuthorHouse) assumes no legal responsibility or liability for anything the author publishers.

In what seemed only inevitable, a book came in, libeled someone (in this case, the author's ex-wife), and AuthorHouse published it -- that is, they printed it at Lightening Source and LSI pushed it to their normal distribution channels through Ingram. AuthorHouse tried to distance itself from the claim by saying that the author was in control. However, the jury essentially ruled their contract invalid saying "if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's a duck." If you call yourself a publisher, and provide services a publisher provides, then you're a publisher.

It's been interested to us, since our publishers liability (and Errors and Omissions) insurance is one of our single biggest yearly expenses. But we also acquire, edit, and advise authors on all books we publish. Most editors know (or should know) red flags for libel, fair use, and permissions issues. Plagiarism is to some extent harder to spot.

But what happens when you call yourself a publisher but no one in house reads or vets the books you publish? Can you still call yourself a publisher without being held liable for a problem like this? Or are you responsible for everything that comes our under your name? (Let's hope so.) If an author tells you the book has been rejected by another house (any kind of house) for libel reasons, wouldn't you ask the author if they've revised the material and then check it yourself? (I guess not if you think your contract absolves you of responsibility.) It's all very interesting -- and unless the punitive damages are extremely high we probably won't hear of it again. I don't know what kind of publishing insurance they must have (without being selective about what they publish or reading it in-house) but presumably this might be covered.

Interesting either way. We'll see how this unfolds.

Prepping for BEA

2006-05-16T08:49:00.000-04:00

All three of us (especially Bryan) have been busy prepping for BEA, this year in Washington DC running all this week. We're going in for meetings (and a couple of parties) on Friday and Saturday. I've been pleasantly surprised by how many people are going this year. It seems like last year a lot of people didn't make it, even though it was in NYC.

BEA is always a great chance to meet face-to-face with agents, publishers, vendors, and distributors, even some authors. Over the years, PMA has added their self-publishing "university" earlier in the week flooding the show floor with authors who've worked hard to produce their own books but often without any assistance. They get so frustrated trying to connect directly with publishers and distributors not understanding that a) they're never going to be able to get to the person they need to get to at this show, and b) their self-published book's life may be over before it's begun if the book doesn't conform to industry standard, necessary specs and include everything from barcodes to copyright page set-ups. But more power to them -- it's a tough crowd if you're to publish on your own though.

For us, we're spending a lot of time not only meeting with agents (in order to better identify and partner with them on authors who live in both the traditional publishing and self-publishing worlds) but also with our key vendors and distributors. We're working out the kinks in the system for all our books -- and we know what we're doing. I can't imagine trying to sort all this out with no knowledge of the system. (No matter what they tell you, no vendor or distributor does it all.)

We splurged on a new printed brochure and also spent the last month in a mad dash to get covers and tip sheets done for all our Fall titles. You can see our current list up on the site now.

A Blogfest

2006-04-26T11:19:00.000-04:00

While we're adding blogs, here are a few more:

The Long Tail: Everyone is talking about The Long Tail. With a book coming in the fall, here's the blog that started it all. Development of customized products with great customer service targeting niche markets is something near and dear to our little company's heart. And imagine, it's all a part of the long tail.

Bob Bly's Blog: Robert Bly is a well known author, marketer, copywriter, and while I haven't worked with him directly in the past, my former group published a couple of his books. His blog is an educated resource for general marketing tips and techniques for anyone with their books in the marketplace.

Welcome to Another Blog

2006-04-25T16:01:00.000-04:00

We sent out our quarterly Friends and Family update this morning and I got to hear from some great folks I haven't heard from in a while. One of them, author and editor, Terry Whalin sent a note to say "hello" and asked us to check out his blog. What a plesant surprise! The Writing Life is terrific! Nice work, Terry!

Face Time in Chicago

2006-04-24T08:41:00.000-04:00

I had a great drive up to Chicago last week to see a couple of new, prospective authors. In corporate America, we very rarely had budgets for travel and when we did, I had no time. So, over the years, I learned to live without face time, but I can honestly say now that I've met more authors face-to-face in the past year than I have in the past five years.

It was a great meeting and a chance to not only communicate via a long distance call, but a chance to really see expressions and body language and workspaces and more. It's always worth it!

How Important is an Author's Platform? Critically.

2006-04-20T07:49:00.000-04:00

I've been talking to a lot of authors lately about "platform". Many don't understand it, recognize its importance, or have a clue how to create it. I know it's frustrating as an author to be turned away by every agent and publisher you talk to, but when they say "You don't have a platform," it's time to think about how to come up with a solution.

What is your platform? Your platform is who you are in relation to your topic. How much of an expert are you? If you're offering your readers a solution to a problem (or giving them a treatise on your topic of choice), your platform is what makes you a reliable source. Do you have training in the field or industry? Are you an "expert"? Do you have experience other than just "I did it and want to help others do it, too"? Do you have a following? Do you speak? Do you blog? Do you have a website? Do you have readers for a newsletter, or hits on a web site, or great quotes from names who say "this person is terrific! Read what they have to say!" Your platform is your base of credentials. It's your credibility on a topic. It's your position in the industry, your company, your topic. It's any related certifications, degrees, speaking experience, work, or involvement. What difference does it make to the success of your book? All in the world.

Can you create a platform for yourself? Of course. But only you can do it -- no one else. A publisher can create a great book for you, but they can't create a market for it out of thin air. If you have no platform, we won't be able to find a way for your readers to understand why they should pick up *your* book. If readers can't understand who you are and what your connection to the topic is very clearly, they can't understand your perspective on your book. Lack of significant platform is probably one of the top reasons manuscripts are rejected by any kind of house that's selective about what they publish.

So how does one create a platform? Become an expert, get certified, take classes, become known and credible in the community based around your topic, create a website, start a blog, speak, volunteer, teach, lecture, travel, network, get to know everyone of importance in the world of your topic area and have them know you. If you publish with a traditional house, your publisher is going to want to know who you are within the context of your topic. (If they don't care, then you have a whole other problem.) Be creative about yourself and where you fit! Have fun and become passionate about your topic. You'll have your platform built before you know it.

From you to your website to MP3s to my iPOD

2006-04-10T20:52:00.000-04:00

I get it. I so get podcasts. Tonight, after yoga, I asked my instructor when she'd have her website up. She's a step ahead of me. They're already working on MP3s. It's purely selfish on my part. I just want a recording of her talking through the relaxation that I can download and burn to a CD to use at home.

Done right, ancillary content can really work for your book. Downloadable supplemental articles, teacher manuals, audio files, podcasts, pronunciation guides, discussion questions all work for me. Keep you readers coming to you. It will be perfect if she ever does a book on yoga. She'll have a built in audience to her website ready to go!

Dan Brown Wins Case

2006-04-07T10:38:00.000-04:00

Sky News is reporting that Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, has won his case in England against the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail. At stake was not a simple plagiarism issue, but a potential precedent-setting decision that could affect many authors of historical fiction based on supposed or speculative history. More from Sky and more on the case from NPR.

Research Research Research

2006-04-06T10:33:00.000-04:00

As an editor, some days it feels like I do nothing but research. On authors, their markets, their books -- it's all research. We're constantly looking at competing titles, shelving requirements, category overviews, market data, trending reports, growth numbers, and more. Why? Well, publishing is guess work. No one really knows what's going to succeed or fail in the marketing place. All we can do is try to make as educated a guess as possible -- then do everything we can to support the book in its journey. Sounds a little like parenting when you put it that way. (I guess all my analogies about finishing the book being like giving birth aren't completely off.)

The other night I spoke to a group of non-fiction writers and had to remind myself to explain research and why it's important. To the uninitiated, it's hard to understand that you don't just write a book and throw it out into the world. Writers need to know their section, genre, topic, and niche. They need to know who's doing great work and who they like. First thing? Know your space. Where is your book going to go in the bookstore? If you can't figure it out, chances are an editor isn't going to be able to either. Get familiar with bookstores. Know where your section is in Borders and Barnes and Noble. (Hint: the sections aren't the same. Some books fall in different categories at one or the other.)

Know what books are shelved and what appears to be selling. Who's popular? If you're a self-help author, you can't help but know Dr. Phil is popular! What format is most common for books in your section? Softcover? Hard cover? Mass market? Get to know what's on the store shelf versus what's out there on Amazon. Then figure out where you fit.

Know your competition, and know who's doing great work in your category. Zero in on the top factor your book will need to succeed. If you're doing non-fiction travel narratives, understand that these books shelve in the travel section (usually) and their success hinges on great writing (usually). Who do you like? Peter Mayle? Francis Mayes? If you know, you'll increase your chances for being successful. Until you do your research, you don't really know what you've got. In order to explain your book to me, you need to know how it fits in context with other books on the topic. I don't necessarily care if the book directly competes with Suze Orman or not. I do care if you don't know.

Books can be daunting. It seems like it can be discouraging. But the best way to face a large project is to tackle it in small pieces, and doing your research can help you have a better idea of where you stand -- and where you know you can fit in!

Pointers Pointers

2006-03-26T09:20:00.000-05:00

Related to a couple of Bryan's posts, I ran across some interesting posts on a few other blogs this week:

Joe Wikert points us to former editor Erik Dafforn's post on search engine optimization and specific things publishers and authors can be doing to make sure their books perform well in searches. He examined mainly tech publishing, but many of his recommendations apply to all sorts of trade titles. Plus, he reports that very few publishers seem to "get it" from a holistic perspective.

John Jantsch over at Duct Tape Marketing (a great small business marketing blog) is a huge advocate of blogging for businesses. I thought of his post on the "B" word when Bryan told me about his marketing meeting experience.

And via The Church of the Customer (one of my favorite blogs these days) we have Laurent Flores' post on why focus groups don't work. We're always known to some degree that this method was flawed (in book publishing as well as development for other consumer products) and Flores offers up some interesting theories why -- mainly that it's an aquarium. And our readers aren't fish. Which, you know, I'd wager is true.

Using Blogs in the Business World

2006-03-25T12:04:00.000-05:00

I recently attended an online marketing seminar hosted by the Indianapolis Business Marketing Association. There were about 75 marketing professionals in the room to hear Hollis Thomases, president of Web Advantage, one of the most well-regarded online marketing strategies firms. She touched on all aspects of online marketing and what each is best for. When the topic of blogs came up, only about half the room raised their hands that they had read a blog. When asked how many of their companies had business blogs, less than a half dozen hands remained. When asked how many of those blogs allowed comments to be posted, mine was the only hand remaining up.
Not surprisingly, most of the people in the room (and the businesses they represent) were skeptical of allowing open two-way communication on what they view as a corporate communication tool. Embracing a website or an e-newsletter is easy, since the company controls the entire message -- and the broadcast communication is all one-way (or at least responses are private). However, that view ignores the whole point of a blog (and what we hope to do with this one), in which you can give people much more than a corporate communication vehicle -- a better view into your business, the people behind the business, your thought process, concerns your industry is facing, and then open an honest dialog with customers, industry professionals, and other interested parties. A successful blog is far from a corporate communications piece -- those blogs that are designed in that way will likely never produce the results intended. Sure, any good business person that creates a blog is hoping to gain something from it -- we hope to show potential clients who we are, what motivates us, what keeps us awake at night, and why you would benefit from doing business with us. But we also hope that our blog is a learning tool for us as well -- with honest discussions about our industry, about creative ideas, and occasionally about something we didn't think of or didn't get quite right.
Sure, you run the risk of allowing disgruntled customers or competitors to sabotage your company on your own site, but how a company responds to that situation again gives blog readers an insight into the company. How often have we heard that crisis management brings out the best and the worst in people? As a blogger, you has several tools for responding and building upon this situation. Quick, helpful responses to legitimate complaints and negative comments, deleting inappropriate posts, and posting new blogs addressing issues of concern are but three ways -- and ways that can show readers that you (and your business) are concerned, responsive, and respectful.
Viewing a blog as just an extension of your corporate mission statement, or a vehicle for further spreading a press release, or another controlled one-way media device is not to take advantage of the real benefits of a blog.

Our Next Indiana Appearance

2006-03-25T08:57:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that we're into education about publishing, the industry, and the marketplace. It seems we spend just as much time educating our authors about the process as publishing their books. Look for us at the Writers Center of Indiana on April 4. I'm going to give a guest lecture in Ingrid Cummings' non-fiction writing class that evening. Additionally, we're considering putting together a class or seminar for later in the spring. Is there anything in particular that you think authors or writers really want to know? What direction should we go with a seminar? How publishing works? How a productive author/editor/publisher/agent relationship works? What kind of publishing works best for you? What else to do with your rights? Let us know.

Ask, Don't Tell

2006-03-22T08:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, in a launch meeting as we set manuscript submission deadlines, one of my authors jokingly said "Ask me to do something, don't tell me. I'll be a lot more likely to do it." He's a life and financial coach, so I tend to listen to his nuggets of wisdom. Plus, he really wasn't joking. Asking instead of demanding is pretty easy to do actually. "Could you get that chapter to me on May 1?" "Could you have your corrections back to us by Weds." "Would you be so kind as to send me your ideas?" We all tend to live in a world of demonstrating how important we are, not how important the person we're talking to is. So, I'm going to pay attention and see how it works. I suspect he'll be right, as usual.

Updates and Whatnot

2006-03-20T08:08:00.000-05:00

I've added some links in the margins to some blogs I follow on a regular basis. You'll notice there are no author, publishing, or agent blogs yet. It's mainly because I haven't found an author, editor or company blogging on self-publishing without a) trying to blatantly sell something, b) giving their whole sad story of how it didn't work for them, and c) touting their ability to help make your book "A Bestseller!" It's no secret in this business that many self-publishing companies overpromise and underdeliver. They play on authors dreams of glory then happily take their money. It makes me queasy.

You'll find what seems to be a lot of hip marketing and/or technology blogs. We chose those because the represent some companies we feel "think like us". The future of publishing is hybrid models where authors have more control over how their content is sold and packaged. The future of publishing is digital, online, paper, color, black and white, web, bricks and mortar and more -- all those things, not just a plain traditional picture where a reader walks into a bookstore and finds your book on the shelf. It just doesn't work that way anymore.

Tim and I attended a meeting in New York last week where publishers were still lamenting that "digital was a dirty word." Are you kidding me? Some were aghast that outsourcing was a better option than editors in house, that B&N doesn't love them, and that Google is taking over the world! Well, hey, if Google can help me and my authors sell their books (in their programs that don't completely steal copyright), I'm happy to participate.

The future is coming and it's going to change the face of publishing. Many small presses aren't going to go easily, but they'll have to go in some way or face extinction. We believe that authors today have more options than ever as long as their content is good. And while we may be further out in front than we thought, we like it just fine out here. (And if you can recommend any blogs, please feel free to post them in the comments section.)

Why I'm Addicted to Google AdWords

2006-03-08T16:44:00.000-05:00

I recently started an online advertising campaign for our first title, Play Golf Forever, using Google AdWords. For those of you that don’t know, Google AdWords are the advertisements that appear on the right-hand column of every Google Search results page (and on gmail, AOL, ask.com and many other pages). What has made this intriguing to me is the ad tracking website Google provides where you can see the results of all your advertisements – from the number of times each ad has appeared to the number of click-throughs that it has resulted in. I've found myself checking the results page for our advertisements every few hours, and modifying the ads, adding new search terms, and creating new ads nearly every time I go in.

It's become addictive – I now know the rush that those authors who've become addicted to their Amazon.com book rankings feel. There's something about being able to watch your results live -- a mix between fantasy baseball and televised election results, but with me in full command of the digital dashboard. I’ve seen the online advertising campaigns I’ve ran go from 30-40 impressions to over 1600 impressions a day, with the resulting clicks going up significantly. I’ll be the first to admit that I am far from an expert at this online advertising, but every time I check out stats I find myself reading two or three new postings on Google advertising tips and techniques. The ads that I have created lately are drawing significantly better results than my initial ads – and that is probably mostly because I've learned to hone the three 35-character lines of the ad. If nothing else, the Google AdWords advertisements make you learn to keep your message short and to the point.

Measuring the results of a traditional print advertising campaign is blurry at best and often dubious. How do you know who really paid attention to your advertisement? And how many impressions does it really take for an advertisement to stick with the consumer? There are plenty of case studies and focus groups that have been done that show typical results and typical consumer behavior, but on a limited marketing budget, that is an expensive unproven risk. What I like about the Google AdWords tracking is that I can see how many impressions were served up, how many people were motivated by the ad, which keywords resulted in the best interest, and then I can shoot to improve on that. Rarely does marketing or advertising allow these kinds of results (direct mail and phone campaigns come to mind).

I’ve yet to figure out what a good click-through rate is, or even whether all the statistics that Google has provided are really helpful, but I am determined to see my hits go up. Time will tell how many of those hits and click-throughs result in actual sales, but in the meantime, I know that my advertisements are getting visual impressions – and I will be checking those numbers and tweaking my advertisements every few hours.

Where Have All the Chicken Dinner Eaters Gone?

2006-03-02T08:38:00.000-05:00

Tim and I are attending the AAP general annual meeting in New York in a couple of weeks. The Association of American of Publishers is an interesting and diverse group for both large and small publishers. The first day of the meeting is for the big guys. Executives from S&S, Random House, Penguin, and others will listen to presentations by top level government officials and corporate executives on the state of the industry. (All the trade publications will pick up any interesting news so we're skipping day one. I'm meeting with agents and other industry folks in the city that day before having dinner with one of my favorite food and wine writers!) The second day is the meeting for smaller publishers and much more practical including sessions on cover design, marketing, and financial strategy.

But the over-arching theme for the first day caught my eye: Where Have All The Readers Gone? (and Where Can We Find the New Ones?) I'm fascinated by this ongoing fixation the Big 5 have with the idea that Americans are reading less. Every year they release results of another study and groan about the death of the book, bookstores and "lit-er-a-ture". Please. Americans aren't reading less -- they're just buying fewer books through traditional channels! They're not reading less -- they're reading *differently*. Americans are just reading smaller segments for informational purposes and fewer rotten novels or bad political memoirs.

Americans today are more educated, do more research, and read more than any other time in history -- they just do it in smaller pieces and in different mediums. This isn't a reading problem or even a book problem. It's a *bookstore* and *book delivery* problem. The Big 5 have to figure out how to stop trying to cram products the public doesn't want down sales channels that their vendors don't want to support. (So, really, it's a publishing problem in that if they don't figure it out, they're going to have to downsize or retool which, ultimately, is why it's on the agenda for the big day at AAP.)

Think of it as a meat and potatoes problem. If you were a sit-down restaurant that only made chicken dinners with mashed potatoes for your customers (and you made great chicken, don't get me wrong), you'd be a hit if you were the only game in town. And you'd still be a hit if you were better than any other chicken dinner restaurants out there. But today, consumers have options like Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Moroccan, and steak. Plus, consumers don't have to sit to eat anymore. They have take out, fast food, and every option in between. So, it's not hard to imagine that they don't sit down and consume as many chicken dinners as before. What do you do? Lament the passing of the chicken dinner? (Where Have All the Chicken Dinner Eaters Gone?) Or do you figure out what your business is going to be. Do you take your customers chicken dinners where they want it eat them? Update them to make them oriental style? Make smaller, healthier chicken dinners? (Create edgier chicken dinners that cause indigestion and make you go on Oprah on defend your recipe?) Or do you decide you don't want to be in the chicken dinner business anymore?

Put in perspective, I can better understand the worry about the changing American reader. One answer is figuring out how to get books to readers more directly than relying on bookstore channels. (Niche and target marketing is a topic near and dear to our company's heart.) Another is to examine other models and methods for delivery of content. We had a great lunch this week with publisher and blogger Joe Wikert who is one of the smart folks, looking forward at what the future of publishing might look like. I understand -- and respect -- the "old school" idea that publishers are gatekeepers of what the public should read, but times are changing, the reader is changing, and the days of no-option sit-down chicken dinners are coming to a close. The winners will be those who can figure out how to keep serving up quality and getting it in the reader's hands.

The Power of Outside Help

2006-02-17T09:14:00.000-05:00

Since we began Literary Architects, I've been amazed at the number of ways that small business is more functional than many big corporations. There are a million reasons -- some obvious and others not so much. But one of the best things I've loved about the start-up experience has been the access to outside help. Yesterday, we had a vitally inspiring, challenging, comforting, and exciting meeting with one of our advisory board members on our industry and far-future strategy. The coolest part? Having great interaction with someone who's interested in our success -- so much so that they'll volunteer time for our advisory board. (I think this every time we meet with one of our advisory board members -- it's such a great concept.)

Why is outside help so much more accessible in small business? In a corporation, if you're working on a new project, a business unit, or any other sort of venture requiring specialized expertise, you're pretty much limited to what you know or have access to in house. If you can't get help, you just wing it. Going outside for help is too time consuming and expensive. No one ever has any budget, so you try to educate yourself as much as you can with research, but otherwise, between you, your boss and anyone else involved, you go with what you've got. You end up trusting a lot of people who may or may not really know what they're doing and hoping for the best. You may be grabbing books and taking crash courses on what you need, but otherwise, you're on your own. (Which is pretty ironic in a big corporation when you think about it.)

Small business? We've found it to be completely different. I've never felt less "on my own" in my life. Experts? Between the three of us, we have a broad range who have sincerely offered their help. And what do we do? We take them up on it as often as possible. Latest in web usability studies and design? We talked to an expert about that. Latest in content on demand technologies? We have an expert on that. Latest in business, financial, and professional publishing? We've got a great contact. Typically, when we really reach an impasse, we know someone who's brain we can pick. We've been so lucky to have friends, professionals, former colleagues, and mentors who've offered to help. And our best move? We ask lots of questions, as often as possible.

Why does this back-and-forth work in small business? People like to help. They like to be associated with new ventures and if they've been supportive of you, personally, or your projects in the past, they're likely to want to again. Never underestimate the power of personal relationships. Plus, if you ask an expert for advice on their topic (say, audio production), chances are they'll think of you when it comes to your topic (that is, publishing). When you start a new business, lots of good people will offer to help -- and my advice? Take them up on it. Sure, you should have a good idea of whether or not they're going to be real help to you, but if you know subject matter and topic experts, business strategists, web experts, lawyers, accountants, and other top notch professionals, pick their brains. Let them in.

Taking the Plunge

2006-02-16T11:33:00.000-05:00

I love this business! Yesterday I had a great conversation with a former colleague, a woman who is one of the most creative and enthusiastic special sales reps I've ever worked with. (In publishing, "special sales" is a sales channel encompassing the selling of books to outside third parties for branded, bulk sale opportunities like a premium or custom publication.) She was a great matchmaker helping publishers and authors alike brainstorm opportunities. Over the years, I changed jobs and imprints and so did she, but I knew I could always count on her to look at creative ways to help authors expand their reach. We've been working together for almost 10 years!

So, imagine my excitement when yesterday she called to let me know that she's going out on her own! She's making the leap, taking the plunge, jumping into the deep end of the pool, and opening her own consulting practice. Woo-hoo! Good luck, Debbie, and welcome to the entrepreneurial side of publishing. I look forward to brainstorming -- and even working together again -- in the future.

Marketing Your Book Starts During the Writing Process

2006-02-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

Renee's post on goal setting and a marketing seminar I attended got me thinking about the book marketing process, and one of the problems we often see. I am often asked when the marketing for a book should start. When do you move from creating to marketing? My answer is that marketing the book should start as early as the writing -- and often before-hand.

When you first decide what the book is that you are writing (and what your goals are for the project), it is critical to start thinking about who your specific readers are and what they are looking for in the book. To effectively market a book to your target market, you need to make sure the content that you are writing is focused specifically for that reader. The earlier you have that specific reader in mind, the easier it will be to make sure that your book addresses the needs of that reader (and your goals).

It is always easier to make sure the book fits the needs of your target readers at the time you are writing the book, than to realize after the book is written that there is another potential market for the book (and that it doesn't quite ideally fit that reader), and then trying to redefine the sales pitch and marketing copy to sell your pre-existing book to the market.

And keep in mind that a book can and should have multiple ideal readers -- but the more you can focus the book with specific readers in mind, the better it will be. As a publishing colleague once said, "the book that is written for everyone is really written for no one."

The Importance of Setting Goals for Your Book

2006-02-10T23:10:00.000-05:00

For the last two weeks, the question I've been continually asking authors is "what are your goals for self-publishing you book?" It's come up on four different projects. We've walked in a room, or gotten on the phone and asked right off "tell us about your book" followed by "what do you want to accomplish?" or "what's your goal?" It's been interesting to see who's had answers for this question. Big corporate clients? They have a ready response. Smaller companies seem to have a more difficult time focusing on the big picture. (It could be the nature of small companies and the strong teams of "do-ers" that most successful small businesses have, but that's a whole other blog post.)

When we ask you the goal question, know that the best answer is that you have them. Good answers? To market our company, to extend our brand, to add a touch to a high touch sale, to evangelize a message we're passionate about, tell people our style, give something back to our clients, give our philosophy to our client base, reposition ourselves in our industry, provide specialized information to help support/close a sale. Some good answers are less corporate -- to spend my retirement/time-off/2nd job selling and promoting my idea/message/advice to help people, to build my business, support my speaking, expand my credibility in my industry. To break even, to make money, to sell x-number of copies. These all worthy goals. "To have an expensive business card" is as worthy a goal as to "expand our sales by 50%". This I can work with.

What are bad answers? The worst answer is when you don't have a goal at all. Trust me, as an editor, I know when people are avoiding the issue -- and a bad answer is when I ask about goals and only get how cool the content will be. Or how there's budget and the CEO wants it. Then I get avoidance. Hey, I'm only trying to make you look good -- the CEO may sign off on a very big line item on the budget now, but what's he going to think in two years when those boxes are still stacked up in the storage room and he's wondering why they ever spent all that money on those crazy books.

Why are goals critically important to your project's success? Your goals will shape your book's content, its audience, its cover, its form, its interior design, its price, its market, everything. If you don't have a goal, you don't have a book. Or, rather, you can have a book but it's going to be an expensive hodge podge of text and pictures. Goals also help insure everyone is on the same page and that the entire team is working towards one objective. The author needs to understand the goal as much as each individual editor. It's going to be the first thing you need to tell each member or your team and its going to be critical for all your marketing efforts. Don't think you have a goal but know how you want to market your book? Tell me about that -- because sometimes that helps me understand what you're trying to accomplish self-publishing a book. However, if you're an editor or project manager and say to us "I don't know what they want to do with the books when they're done". Whoa, Nellie.

Self-publishing is a great endeavor -- and what's wonderful about it is how it opens up whole new avenues to authors to publish books for such a wide variety of reasons. But what just makes me want to cry is when I see companies allocate huge budgets to book projects that seem to just be a vanity gig -- or a pet project someone has sold them on -- and they don't have any idea what they're actually going to *do* with the books, or why they're doing them. They become expensive mistakes and put them off ever wanting to a book project again, when a properly focused book could actually be a huge help to them. So, set your goals. Ask. If you're an editor or freelance project manager, find out. But give it some thought, and know it's probably going to be one of the first questions I ask. You're going to increase your chances of publishing a successful project and you'll love us for making you look good.

Airport Ghost Town

2006-02-06T14:53:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity of being one of the few people not able to watch the Super Bowl last night. Instead, I was on a plane returning from New Mexico (where I'd been attending a publishing marketing conference -- more on that later). I had a lay-over in Minneapolis during the first half of the game, and it was an eerie feeling walking through a nearly deserted major airport at 6:30 on a Sunday evening. All of the fast food areas and waiting areas were empty. In fact, everywhere except the waiting areas with a television, or the bars with a television was empty.

People were crammed into the few areas that had the game on, and everyone was tuned in. It was the same odd sensation as walking through an airport at 1 am, or walking through the streets of a European city while that country's team is playing in the European Cup soccer championship game! It was nice seeing that everyone was focused on the TV and it wasn't some news coverage of some terrible disaster. Nothing to bring everyone together like the Super Bowl.