Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks

5 Ways to Promote Your Book in September

It is back to school time!  Now that summer is over, it’s time to get back the business of promoting your book.  Here are five easy ways to promote your book this month:

  1. I’m a little late this month, but Labor Day was on Monday. What better to do on Labor Day than sit back with a cup of coffee and a nice book to read? Remember that next year.  😉 Labor Day weekend is a great time to ask friends, colleagues and other potential book reviewers to read your book and write a review for you.
  2. Make a list of local independent bookstores you will visit to pitch your book or author event.  To find your local independent bookstores, visit http://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder
  3. Create a CD Media Kit to send out to the media and book buyers.  Be sure to include a high resolution image of your cover, an author bio, synopsis, any recent press and your contact information.
  4. The Beijing Book Fair takes place September 29th through October 2nd. Even if you’re not travelling to Beijing this month, pay attention to the buzz in the publishing industry and keep yourself informed about what’s going on throughout the event.
  5. Use FreeConference.com to record your own teleseminar. You can do this to promote your current book – present on a topic related to your subject matter – or record yourself discussing a different topic and have the recording transcribed into your next book!

DISCUSSION: How are you planning to promote YOUR book this month?

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT:
Kelly Schuknecht works as the Vice President of Outskirts Press.  In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.
Book Design, Book Promotion, Cheri Speaks, Self-Publishing

The Importance of Illustrations

They say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Don’t think that is true? Ask yourself, “Would A.A. Milne’s children’s classic, Winnie-the-Pooh, be just as charming without the illustrations from Ernest Shepard?” Maybe, but the beautiful illustrations have brought the world of the Hundred Acre Woods to life. Award-winning illustrations are often the difference between a good book and a GREAT one.

Finding the Right Illustrator

The illustrations in your book help communicate your book’s value to readers and buyers. As a children’s author, you must remember that children are you audience but adults are your buyers. You need to produce a book that is appealing to both children and adults. One of the ways to do this is by combining your story with great pictures.

When choosing an artist, make sure their style meshes your vision of the book. There are a wide range of illustration styles, so it is essential that you choose one that helps convey your message. Self-publishing companies such as Outskirts Press allow you to choose the artist who best fits your needs.

How Illustrators Are Paid

Payment arrangements typically include a flat fee or royalties and usually depend on where you find your illustrator. Self-publishing companies are a good place to look for an illustrator. Some companies such as Outskirts Press don’t require you to publish your book with their companies to use their illustrators but offer a discount on services if you do publish with their company. When considering a self-publishing company, be sure to read all of the fine print.

Another option is to hire a freelance illustrator without going through a middle man. This can be done by searching sites such as www.guru.com and www.elance.com. You can also talk to other writers to find out which illustrators they recommend.

Before hiring an illustrator, make sure you look at sample work. Ask yourself, is this how I want my illustrations to look? If not, keep searching. There is an illustrator out there whose style will complement your story.

Beyond Picture Books

Illustrations aren’t just for children’s books. Pictures can enhance any book. Whether you are in need of a book cover, an interior image, or a full series of illustrations, there is an illustrator you can bring your book to life.

Cheri Breeding ABOUT CHERI BREEDING:
Since 2005 Cheri Breeding has been working as the Director of Production for Outskirts Press. In that time, she has been an instrumental component of every aspect of the Production Department, performing the roles of an Author Representative, Book Designer, Customer Service Representative, Title Production Supervisor, Production Manager and, Director of Production. She brings all that experience and knowledge, along with an unparalleled customer-service focus, to help self-publishing authors reach high-quality book publication more efficiently, professionally, and affordably.
Book Design, Self-Publishing, Wendy Speaks

Color Printing vs. Black and White Printing… What is the Difference?

When you choose to self-publish a book, you must decide you want the interior of your book printed in color or black and white. This decision impacts the look of your book as well as the price. When considering your options, it is important to understand the process as well as the benefits of each choice.

Colored Printing

Colored printing is typically used for smaller manuscripts averaging 30 to 50 pages. These are usually books geared towards children. Because illustrations tell half of the story in a picture book, color is extremely important in children’s books. It captures the imagination and brings the story to life.

Black and White Printing

Black and white printing is typically used for longer manuscripts. This not mean that you will have a black and white cover. It simply means that the interior pages of your book will be printed in black and white. This option is more cost-effective for longer manuscripts because of production cost and market price.

How is this different from traditional publishing?

In traditional publishing, the black and white pages of a manuscript are printed on one press while the colored pages are printed on another. After all of the pages are printed, the manuscript is assembled. Print on demand (POD) publishing works a bit differently. Each page is printed individually on the same press. This means that just some spot of color will require your manuscript to be printed on the colored press. This immediately increases the cost of your book because the colored press is more expensive to maintain and operate. It requires a more skilled operator and heavier, more expensive paper.

What options do authors of long manuscripts have?

As an author of a long manuscript, you need to not only consider the production cost of your book but also the market price. Long manuscripts that are published in color have a higher market price because of the production cost. This in turn typically results in poor sales because readers are unwilling to buy a book that is overpriced compared to other books of similar lengths.

This does not mean that you have to publish a dull book. If you want to include images in your longer length manuscript, you can use a grayscale. Your manuscript will still be printed on the black and white printer, but your colored images will be converted to black and white. This is an option that is frequently and successfully used by POD authors.

If you are passionate about your book being published in color, it is an option. Just be prepared for higher costs, and plan for a higher market price. One of the perks of self-publishing is that you are in control of your book. You decide how it will look, so make the choice that is best for you and your readers.

ABOUT WENDY STETINA:
Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction, or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path.
Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-Publishing Weekly Book Review: The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter by Samuel DiMatteo & Kristin Johnson

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if they don’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review by Midwest Book Review:


The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter

Samuel DiMatteo & Kristin Johnson

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 9781432764500

Genre: Children’s Book/Sports

Reviewed by Midwest Book Review

To be a champion is the goal of anyone who seeks a sport seriously. “The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter” is a children’s book. It is a story of Sami DeMani,   a golfing gander whose his career ruined when his luck goes over. But with the help of technology, Sami might very well be able to play again. The authors present a story of perseverance and tenacity in the face of ill fortune. “The High-Tech Gooseneck Putter” is worth considering for reading for any golf lover and their children.

Marketing Your Self-Published Book

Does Offering An Online Preview of Your Book Devalue It?

Earlier today, I was reading through old emails, and I found one sentence from an author that intrigued me. She said, “Sharing too much minimizes the impact of my book.” This ignited many thoughts, but mainly I thought about content marketing and how effective it can be (and has been for many people). I also began to wonder why authors feel the need to hold out on “free” content to get book sales. The author’s book is available online only, and she was expressing concerns about her book’s availability on Amazon’s Search Inside the Book. I was trying to show her the value of that extra visibility, and she was fighting me tooth and nail on it.

Here a few key reasons why every author should consider making their book available for online preview:

  1. Your reader may not know you. Unless your book has been recommended to them, what reason do readers have to trust you? This is especially true if you are a new self-published author.
  2. The reader may know you but may not be too sure about the content of your book. In your eyes, your book is gold. You know you’ve created the perfect book that everyone should want to read. The question is, will everyone feel the same way? Or worse yet, how will they know what to think of your book if they can’t at least take a peek.
  3. The “real” bookstore experience is lost online. People can’t skim the pages of a book to see if they may enjoy its content – unless you have a preview for your book. Giving readers the option to glance over your book’s content first helps them get a feel for your work and can work to ease the pain of opening the pocketbook.

So, with all of these benefits, why was she so opposed to Search Inside? She was afraid that people wouldn’t buy her book because the preview would reveal too much. She felt her written word was as good as gold, and as such, people should pay a fair price for access. It’s good that she takes pride in her work, but this line of thinking can turn buyers away – especially in the case of nonfiction books.

Think of it this way – would you buy an item from a store that doesn’t have a return policy if their price was comparable to a store that does have a return policy? Possibly – but more often that not, most people will put more trust in the store that does offer a return policy. Consider offering a return policy for your book so that you can instill a little bit of faith. I assure you that unless you share the entire book online, people will still buy your book after reading the preview if they’re interested. Remember – you can’t go wrong with content marketing.

What are your thoughts on sharing your book with readers before they commit to buying it?

Elise Connors ABOUT ELISE L. CONNORS:
Elise works as the Manager of Author Support of Outskirts Press.  She also contributes to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com. Elise and a group of talented book marketing experts assist not only published Outskirts Press authors, but also all authors and professionals who are interested in getting the best possible exposure for their book.