Friday, May 1, 2009

The Savvy Self-Publisher, May-June 2009

Tip of the Month:

If your book has been indexed by Google Book Search, you can
add a free "Look Inside" preview on your own Web site or
'Blog by adding just a few lines of code. Here is an example:

http://www.unlimitedpublishing.com/power


Detailed instructions will appear on our Blog soon, or see:

http://books.google.com/intl/en/googlebooks/publishers.html





Lead Story: ATM for Books?

More than 80,000 different books will soon become available for
in-store printing while you wait, as part of a new pilot program
from POD giant LightningSource and On Demand Books:

https://www.lightningsource.com/NewsItem.aspx?id=CST118


Bookstores are dying in 2009 as online booksellers grow, as
reported in earlier issues of this newsletter. But is there
an alternative? Imagine that cool little bookstore 'round the
corner offering your choice from tens of thousands of selections
in the time it takes for you to enjoy a cappucino and browse
the shelves...

It could become a reality soon. More importantly, this concept
could expand to MILLIONS of books available for in-store printing
in the years ahead (read: Google Book Search) and yes, YOUR book
could be one of them!

Please stay tuned to U-Publish.com for future updates. Perhaps
reports about the demise of brick-and-mortar bookstores (to
paraphrase Mark Twain) are premature?




The $359 Doorstop:

If your Amazon account is closed for any reason, your Kindle
stops working:

http://www.booktrade.info/i.php/20723




First Self-Publishing Book Expo Planned:

November 7 in NYC:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6651681.html





Please feel free to forward copies of this newsletter to your
fellow authors and publishers. This is a fre@ resource that is
available to anyone in the book world upon request. We don't
accept paid advertising, endorse or guarantee products or
services, nor accept fees for mentioning them without full
disclosure. See http://www.u-publish.com/monthly.htm to join.




Great 'Blog about the Future of e-Books:

"If you wonder why bookstores keep going out of business and why
publishers are losing money, here is a clue..." Worth a look:

http://ebooksabout.blogspot.com





Snow to Speak in NYC in May -- Twice

Danny O. Snow will join the 'faculty' IBPA's 25th annual
"Publishing University," May 28 at the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC:

http://www.thepublishinguniversity.com


The sponsor, the Independent Book Publishers Association
(formerly PMA) is an invaluable resource for anyone getting
started in publishing:

http://www.ibpa-online.com


Snow will also join a panel on trends in POD book publishing
on May 29 at Book Expo America, sponsored by CreateSpace.com.

Publishing U and BEA are landmark events, of interest to all
authors and publishers. More details will appear in the June
issue of this bulletin.




Update on Google / Book Rights Registry:

The New York Law School is launching a Web site dedicated to the
Google Book Search settlement that will include discussion
forums, a comprehensive archive of settlement documents and
related commentary:

http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/21123



1 comment:

Bob Spear said...

Hi Dan,
I thought you might like to know that one of the uses for the half-title page is to use up two pages to help fill out a signature. For example, let’s say the printer wants the final book layout’s pages to be divisible by eight and the page count is short by two pages (238) to have the divisibility by eight requirement, the designer will put in a half title page on the recto and a blank page on the back or verso side of the paper. That will bring the count up to even eight-page signatures with a total of 240 pages (divided by 8 is 30 signatures). Just thought I’d throw that little factoid out there.
Bob Spear--Book Editor and Designer
http://www.sharpspear.com