Tag: iPad

Elise Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book

Espresso Book Machines Offer Self-Publishing Authors a Jolt in Sales

Oh, the publishing industry has come such a long way since the days of minimum advance orders, massive preprinting and prohibitive upfront production costs. Technology has not only given digital readers the gift of instant downloads, but now has given hard copy traditionalists the ability to choose a book digitally and have it in hand in the time it takes to press a few buttons on a vending machine.

In fact, the Espresso Book Machine® (EBM), as the name implies, is essentially a vending machine for literature. Just as an espresso maker both makes and vends a piping-hot beverage on demand, the EBM produces a paperback copy of your selection on the spot. The buyer selects a title and the EBM instantly prints the selection, complete with a full-color cover, that is indistinguishable from a preprinted paperback plucked from a bookshelf. The machine even cuts the book to the proper size for that title!

All that in three or four minutes. You can’t even make a latte that fast.

It’s understandable why so much excitement is brewing over this technology. Booksellers and libraries, wise to many readers’ undying love for both tangible reads and instant gratification, are keen to offer as many new releases as possible, even when shelf space is hard to come by. Naturally, authors are drinking it up, as well; any gadget that serves up their books without requiring huge advance printing and shipment costs is a sweet deal. Authors only pay a small preprint cost and receive the full retail price, minus a consignment fee.

Espresso Book Machines are already working overtime in libraries and universities all over the world, including but not limited to:

  • New York Public Library
  • University of Michigan Library
  • New Orleans Public Library
  • San Francisco Internet Archive
  • University of Michigan Library
  • Manchester Center Northshire Bookstore
  • University of Alberta
  • McMaster University Bookstore
  • London Newsstand UK
  • Library of Alexandria, Egypt
  • Melbourne, Australia Angus & Robertson Bookstore

More vending locations are being added all the time. Self-publishing giant Outskirts Press has added the Espresso Book Machine as an affordable distribution option for its authors, and it’s a smart addition to any book marketing plan. The small set-up fee makes the book available at all of the EBM locations and automatically uploads your title to new machines as they’re added to the EBM network, at no extra charge.

Combine an EBM edition with Amazon book listing, and iPad, NOOK and Kindle editions to maximize access to your book and make it easier for readers to make the decision to buy. Of course, you can still keep your car’s trunk stocked with your latest book just in case, but the Espresso Book Machine can help you lessen the load when preprinting isn’t possible.

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.
Self-Publishing, Wendy Speaks

Top 5 Reasons to Self Publish in April

April is one of my favorite months. The weather is getting warmer, and the flowers are in bloom. Everyone is slowly starting to come out of winter hibernation. Plus, April is a great month to self publish a book! Here’s why:

You can put your tax refund to good use.

Instead of letting it sit in the bank or wasting it on material items you’ll forget in a month, invest in something great: you! Whether you’re a creative writing wanting to publish your debut novel or a professional wanting to increase your platform, publishing a book is a wonderful investment.

April is National Poetry Month.

April is the perfect time for poets to publish their collections. Take the jump, and do it in honor of all your favorite poets.

Spring is a time for new beginnings.

Spring is often associated with new beginnings and rebirth. So start your new beginning today by going from aspiring author to published author.

Celebrate April Fool’s Day by proving you’re not a “fool.”

Too often people dream of writing a book and never do it. Whether you want to share your family’s recipes, write the next best-selling young adult book, or build your credibility with a nonfiction book, now is the perfect time. Stop waiting for the right moment, and take the plunge.

Save 20% off an iPad.

Every month, self-publishing companies such as Outskirts Press offer promotions. This month, Outskirts Press is offering 20% off an iPad. For details, visit their website by clicking here.

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

Kindle, iPad, ebooks and your self-publishing future

Much discussion surrounds the future of ebook readers in the digital publishing world with the Kindle, iPad, and the upcoming release of the Google Book Store. Will e-books replace libraries and bound copies of books? Who’s to say? According to the Wall Street Journal, ebooks will account for 8.5% of all book sales this year.

But that’s really not the question; as authors, let’s step outside the box.

Think of e-books as an opportunity to tease. With a lower purchase price and more immediate gratification, many readers are inclined to give an e-book a try when they might pass on a traditional paperback, especially in the non-fiction and how-to genres. Instantly accessible information has its place, even though it is far from “everyplace”. And doubtful it ever will be. If readers like your e-book, chances are good they’ll end up purchasing the hardcopy book, anyway.

You can create an ebook on your own, but most full-service self-publishing firms will include that step for you. Many will for free.

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Self-Publishing

Kindle versus iPad. Or, not really at all…

At the recent Self-publishing Book Expo in New York City, Amazon’s Jason Kuykendall admitted to owning both a Kindle and an iPad.

(Don’t tell Jeff Bezos!) He already knows, and should because this is a good thing for Amazon, and for self-publishing authors. As Jason pointed out, the Kindle is more than a device among the various available – it is a distribution channel. As a reader, you may have a preference, or as can be the case with Apple an open prejudice. We’ll let Bezos and Jobs worry about those manufacturing and marketing details.

As an author, these devices are much more than readers, they are distribution channels from the Espresso Book Machine all the way up to Ingram. Instead of being readers, the Kindle and iPad are for authors important distribution channels.

Be sure to check with your publisher about options distributing through as many as possible.



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