Tip of the Month:
Twitter in Plain English
Just when you thought that your MySpace or Facebook page might prove useful as a tool to promote your book(s), another flavor of the month has become the rage in social media: welcome to the world of Twitter.
"What are you doing right now?" might sound like a mantra for
those with too much free time on their hands, short attention
spans and little desire for privacy... but Twitter can help
writers cultivate a following from a grassroots audience by
sending "tweets" (limited to 140 characters each) about their
lives that could catch the attention of potential readers.
Or you can create a free Twitter page from the POV of the
protagonist of your story, and let her/him keep readers updated.
If you're a writer who is committed to riding the ever-changing
wave of new media to publicize your work, you need to explore
Twitter.
For a brief overview about Twitter in plain English, watch this
short video from Lee Lefever:
http://www.commoncraft.com/Twitter
Lead Story:
Talking Kindle Fuels Debate
Amazon's new Kindle2 'read-to-me' feature turns text to voice.
It is under review by The Author's Guild due to potential
copyright issues.
Publishers typically negotiate separate rights for audio books
with authors, and pay them accordingly. "These are not audio
books," said Amazon spokesperson Andrew Herdener.
The Authors Guild also questioned whether the technology could
constitute creation of a new literature format that fell
under copyright rules now protecting e-book and audio books.
As a result, Amazon has pledged to modify the Kindle 2 so that
authors, publishers or any holders to a book's rights can
choose whether to turn on the feature, which takes written
text and converts it to human speech.
JT Duxbury, author of "Earth's Knell," licensed rights to
convert the 2004 edition of "U-Publish.com" from text to
speech with permission from the publisher. We found it a
nice option for readers with impaired vision, and readers
on the go who may not have time to "read" a paperback:
http://stores.lulu.com/cdbooks
Remember this tip from Poynter & Snow: WRITING the book
is the hard part; once written, it makes sense to deliver
your work to the public in as many formats as possible.
With today's technology, it's fast and economical to
turn a paperback into a hardback, large print edition,
e-Book or talking book. Why not attract readers with
special needs?
Last Call: Snow to Speak in NYC
"Print Publishing in 2009's Digital Landscape" is the topic of
an upcoming panel by Danny O. Snow at the 2009 Publishing
Business Conference, March 23-25 at the New York Marriott in
Times Square.
Adam Davidson and Alex Blumberg of NPR, plus a host of book
industry leaders will deliver a diversity of workshops and
panels on the hottest trends in today's fast-changing
publishing world.
Subscribers to this newsletter can get a free pass to Snow's
panel. Visit http://www.PublishingBusiness.com then select
"Expo Pass Plus 1 Session – $195." Use the discount code
Snow09 to get a freebie courtesy of U-Publish.com.
It's "Read an e-Book Week," March 8-14:
http://www.ebookweek.com
In previous years, Poynter and Snow's books have been featured
by this foresighted outfit. Check out their site for the latest
news about the role of e-Books in the future of the written word.
There was a 119.9% increase in December 2008 e-book sales over
the same period one year ago:
http://www.booktrade.info/i.php/19856
New Site for Writers to Share Ideas:
Speak Without Interruption was created as a place where writers
can initiate and complete ideas. It has grown to include both
published and unpublished authors as contributors in a wide
variety of topics. Any writer may participate:
http://www.SpeakWithoutInterruption.com
News to Use:
F R @ E book download available for authors titled "The Career
Novelist, by notable literary agent Donald Maass:
http://www.maassagency.com/books.html
Tip courtesy of Jim Duxbury
Quotation of the Month:
"Beautiful credit! The foundation of modern society... [From]
the mouth of a distinguished speculator in lands and mines this
remark: 'I wasn't worth a cent two years ago, and now I owe two
millions of dollars.'"
-- Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910), and
Charles Dudley Warner (1829-1900) in "The Gilded Age."
This 'Blog presents only EXCERPTS from our newsletter.
Click the link below to get the FULL edition by e-mail:
http://www.u-publish.com/enroll.htm
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The Savvy Self-Publisher, February-March 2009
Tip of the Month:
Have you published a new edition of your book, or written a
completely new book?
Go to Worldcat and look up libraries that hold
the first one in their collections. Then notify the collection
manager (or acquisitions librarian) of each library that the
new one is now available.
Contact each librarian individually by name. (Do not spam
librarians!) Be sure to mention that the library already has
one of your books, and where they can order the new one.
Lead Story: Books are NOT Dead, but...
Educators and politicians often lament that young people don't
read enough, preferring TV and online entertainment.
But a new report from the National Endowment for the Arts says
that "literary" reading is growing, not shrinking, with 112
million readers:
http://www.nea.gov/news/news09/ReadingonRise.html
Likewise, many in the publishing world fear that the printed
book is fading away, as more people read in digital form.
But books are not dying either:
http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=8501
But bookstores ARE dying as more and more readers buy books
online. This trend is virtually certain to accelerate in a
time of economic crisis and high fuel prices. Why drive to
a bookstore when you can browse online from the comfort of
your home or office, saving time, money and natural resources?
Likewise, the traditional publishing industry practice of
printing and warehousing thousands of copies of each new
book is fading away, as "Print-on-Demand" grows more and
more popular.
The traditional publisher's habit of overprinting, then
giving up big discounts to wholesalers and retailers who
return unsold books for pulping is wasteful, inefficient and
environmentally unfriendly. It will be replaced by more and
more authors self-publishing POD books -- then selling them
directly to readers.
Watch for dramatic changes in the book world this year. Some
will result from short-term factors triggered by the global
economic crisis. Others are coming after decades of unsound
business practices by mainstream publishers and booksellers.
But at the end of the day, the book itself is very much alive.
And everyday people are still reading them. Only the methods
used to print and deliver books are destined to change.
Podcasting: Revolution or Fad?
A podcast is like an audio book, except shorter -- usually just
a chapter. And usually they're free, intended to attract book
buyers. Podiobooks.com says that 45,000 podcasts are downloaded
daily.
Podcasting also benefits from the current trend toward delivery
of more and more "reading" material to portable devices, such
as the mighty iPod... and now the iPhone or Google Android.
For success stories of self-publishers who used podcasting to
land publishing deals, see the following article:
http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1872381,00.html
Snow Signs with Wiley & Sons
The Book Industry Study Group is pleased to announce that Danny
O. Snow has been signed as a contributor to its upcoming
publication Print on Demand For Dummies (R), due out in May 2009. The book is being published in partnership with John Wiley
& Sons, publishers of the popular 'For Dummies' (R) series, and
will be available exclusively from the BISG Web site.
Reminder: Snow to Speak in NYC
"Print Publishing in 2009's Digital Landscape" is the topic of
an upcoming panel by Danny O. Snow at the 2009 Publishing
Business Conference, March 23-25 at the New York Marriott in
Times Square.
Adam Davidson and Alex Blumberg of NPR, plus a host of book
industry leaders will deliver a diversity of workshops and
panels on the hottest trends in today's fast-changing
publishing world.
Subscribers to this newsletter can get a free pass to Snow's
panel Visit http://www.PublishingBusiness.com then select
"EXHIBIT HALL + 1 SESSION." Use the discount code Snow09
to get a freebie courtesy of U-Publish.com.
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.
Quotation of the Month:
"Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to
better." -- Richard Hooker (1554–1600)
Have you published a new edition of your book, or written a
completely new book?
Go to Worldcat and look up libraries that hold
the first one in their collections. Then notify the collection
manager (or acquisitions librarian) of each library that the
new one is now available.
Contact each librarian individually by name. (Do not spam
librarians!) Be sure to mention that the library already has
one of your books, and where they can order the new one.
Lead Story: Books are NOT Dead, but...
Educators and politicians often lament that young people don't
read enough, preferring TV and online entertainment.
But a new report from the National Endowment for the Arts says
that "literary" reading is growing, not shrinking, with 112
million readers:
http://www.nea.gov/news/news09/ReadingonRise.html
Likewise, many in the publishing world fear that the printed
book is fading away, as more people read in digital form.
But books are not dying either:
http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=8501
But bookstores ARE dying as more and more readers buy books
online. This trend is virtually certain to accelerate in a
time of economic crisis and high fuel prices. Why drive to
a bookstore when you can browse online from the comfort of
your home or office, saving time, money and natural resources?
Likewise, the traditional publishing industry practice of
printing and warehousing thousands of copies of each new
book is fading away, as "Print-on-Demand" grows more and
more popular.
The traditional publisher's habit of overprinting, then
giving up big discounts to wholesalers and retailers who
return unsold books for pulping is wasteful, inefficient and
environmentally unfriendly. It will be replaced by more and
more authors self-publishing POD books -- then selling them
directly to readers.
Watch for dramatic changes in the book world this year. Some
will result from short-term factors triggered by the global
economic crisis. Others are coming after decades of unsound
business practices by mainstream publishers and booksellers.
But at the end of the day, the book itself is very much alive.
And everyday people are still reading them. Only the methods
used to print and deliver books are destined to change.
Podcasting: Revolution or Fad?
A podcast is like an audio book, except shorter -- usually just
a chapter. And usually they're free, intended to attract book
buyers. Podiobooks.com says that 45,000 podcasts are downloaded
daily.
Podcasting also benefits from the current trend toward delivery
of more and more "reading" material to portable devices, such
as the mighty iPod... and now the iPhone or Google Android.
For success stories of self-publishers who used podcasting to
land publishing deals, see the following article:
http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1872381,00.html
Snow Signs with Wiley & Sons
The Book Industry Study Group is pleased to announce that Danny
O. Snow has been signed as a contributor to its upcoming
publication Print on Demand For Dummies (R), due out in May 2009. The book is being published in partnership with John Wiley
& Sons, publishers of the popular 'For Dummies' (R) series, and
will be available exclusively from the BISG Web site.
Reminder: Snow to Speak in NYC
"Print Publishing in 2009's Digital Landscape" is the topic of
an upcoming panel by Danny O. Snow at the 2009 Publishing
Business Conference, March 23-25 at the New York Marriott in
Times Square.
Adam Davidson and Alex Blumberg of NPR, plus a host of book
industry leaders will deliver a diversity of workshops and
panels on the hottest trends in today's fast-changing
publishing world.
Subscribers to this newsletter can get a free pass to Snow's
panel Visit http://www.PublishingBusiness.com then select
"EXHIBIT HALL + 1 SESSION." Use the discount code Snow09
to get a freebie courtesy of U-Publish.com.
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.
Quotation of the Month:
"Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to
better." -- Richard Hooker (1554–1600)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
