Self Published Author | Category

The Benefits of Selling at Local Events

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Nov 27, 2018

Selling books at local events such as craft fairs, gift shows and Holiday celebrations can help you make some money as it provides additional benefits. Here are several reasons you might want to attend these events.

• You can sell personally autographed books on a non-returnable basis at full price

• If you sell 50 books, each at $14.95, you will take home about $750 for the day

• You may find the networking beneficial. I know of people who made contacts at local events that led to large-quantity corporate sales and media appearances

• Get increased exposure. Some events expect 5,000 or more attendees

• Display your books with other authors to share the costs and have a fun time

• Regular sales at local events give you a rewarding sense of momentum and activity while working toward long-term, larger sales.

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The POD Process Explained in 8 Simple Steps

by Julie-Ann Harper
Bowker | Tue Nov 20, 2018

Many authors and self-publishers would have come across the term ‘print on demand (POD)’ during the course of publishing, but there may be some confusion around what the term means exactly. How does POD work? How does it differ from other kinds of publishing or printing? And most importantly, should you do it? Self-publishing expert and founder of Pick-a-WooWoo Publishing Group, Julie-Ann Harper, gives us a breakdown of the terms used, the processes involved and the benefits of POD.

What is print on demand?

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7 Tips for Great Book Covers

by Ebony McKenna
Bowker | Tue Nov 13, 2018

As much as we try to rise above it all and not be judgmental, we really do judge books by their covers. With thousands of English-language books published every month, competition is fierce — your book needs an amazing cover to compete for readers’ money and time.

Here are some tips for finding a great designer so that your cover can outshine (or out-gloss or out-matte) the competition.

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Design & Production

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How to Succeed in a Changing Market

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Oct 16, 2018

Publishers Weekly (October 3) wrote that Barnes & Noble may be up for sale, and that can provide a lesson for book publishers: there is an opportunity for substantial revenue growth of printed books in non-bookstore markets. Publishers who ignore these changes and rely on the traditional business model of selling primarily through bookstores may run out of room to grow.

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Self-publishing Essentials: Hybrid Authorship

by Ellie Marney
Bowker | Tue Oct 9, 2018

The publishing industry has gone through big changes in the last few years — and perhaps the biggest change has been the emergence of a new model of authorship.

What is a hybrid author?

A hybrid author is a writer who is published both traditionally and independently. Some of their work (books, articles, poetry, screen or stage works, critique) is released through traditional means, and some is self-published.

You’re allowed to do that?

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Writing

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Self-publishing Essentials: the Purpose of Publishing

by Ellie Marney
Bowker | Tue Oct 2, 2018

When planning to self-publish, the first questions that most people ask usually relate to process. How do I turn a document into an ebook? What do I do about distribution? Who do I contact about ISBNs?

Before that stage, however, there are a couple of essential questions about purpose that an author needs to consider in order to work out which self-publishing path is the right one to take. Figuring out the answers to these questions will give you a stronger understanding of what you’re doing and how to handle the production process for your book — and it will give you a greater chance of success.

Why did you write this book?

We write for all different reasons — and not all books are written with the intention of hitting the New York Times bestseller list.

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Writing

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How to Reach Non-Retail Buyers

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Sep 25, 2018

Book marketing is relatively simple (but not necessarily easy) because there are only two arenas in which to compete: retail and non-retail. The retail sector consists of bookstores (bricks and clicks) and other outlets such as office supply stores, supermarkets, airport stores, warehouse clubs, health-food stores, gift shops and specialty stores.

Selling to these establishments is primarily done through middlemen that control the flow of goods and who exact a fee for their services. Sales through these channels are plagued by two other factors that deteriorate profits: returns of unsold books and payments in 120 days or more.

Publishers may also sell to libraries, and then consider their sales opportunities exhausted. But there is a significant source of profitable revenue in the non-retail arena. This is made up of buyers in corporations, associations, schools, the military and government agencies.

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Holiday Book Marketing

by Penny C. Sansevieri
Bowker | Tue Sep 11, 2018

Why you should start now to sell more books this holiday season

It may seem like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and all of the other big holiday sales dates are a long way off. But the reality is that they’re just around the corner. And, what’s more, if you’re looking to take advantage of them in your book marketing efforts, you don’t want to wait until November to get started. In fact, any retailer can tell you that if you want to take advantage of the holiday sales rush, you’d better start early.

Make sure your book is right for holiday promotions

First of all, if it is November by the time you’re reading this, it might be too late for a big holiday push, but there are still some smaller things you can do. Bottom line here, you need to be realistic not just about what you have time for, but also what is appropriate for your book.

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Sell No Book Before Its Time

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue Aug 28, 2018

An engineer can look at the foundation of a building under construction and tell you its eventual height. The deeper the base, the higher the structure will be. Similarly, an independent publisher must create a strong foundation to support a title's future growth. This preparation is performed in five phases.

1) The Planning Phase
Focus on creating a strategic marketing plan for your title at least six months prior to its publication date. Begin by precisely defining your target readers. Then outline your strategies, describe the tactics you will perform, and establish completion dates for each, in four functional areas:

* Production. How many pages and what size should the book be? What type of binding? Will you use illustrations or halftones? Ideas for cover design.

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Now in the Latest Edition of The Hot Sheet...

by Richard Smith
Bowker | Tue Aug 14, 2018

The Hot Sheet

If you’re an author and want to stay on top of the important issues in the world of publishing — issues that affect you — you need The Hot Sheet.

With all the chatter out there, it will help you sort through the noise with stories that focus on relevant topics from across the publishing spectrum. From author success stories to key industry statistics, you’ll find what you need to know in The Hot Sheet.

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News & Resources

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