Author Entrepreneurship Magazine How to Write a Good Book Trailer Script
Self-Publishing & Its Technology The Evolution of Indie Publishing
Take 30 Minutes to Learn About Enhanced Ebooks
By Cheryl Derricotte
January 2013, Issue 7
About Us
Credits
Author Entrepreneurship Magazine is published monthly by Barany Consulting, an education and consulting firm located in Oakland, California. The magazine goes out to nearly 1,200 subscribers via email and is also distributed via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to reach over 10,000 people. For information on advertising please contact the editor at beth@ bethbarany.com, or call her at (510) 332-5384.
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Beth Barany Designer & Layout: Ezra Barany Editorial Assistants: Michelle Geary, Virginia Gielow Contributors: Annmarie Lockhart, Barbara Millman Cole, Catharine Bramkamp, Cheryl Derricotte, Dave Sheets, Ezra Barany, Hannah Sheppard, Mary Caelsto, Stacey Aaronson Cover Photo: Jason Perkins
Feel free to forward this to your staff, colleagues and clients. If this magazine was forwarded to you, you can receive free future issues by signing up here: www.AuthorEntrepreneurshipMagazine. com. If you’d like to use one of our articles in your newsletter or blog, please contact the respective author for permission. All materials and photos in this magazine are copyright protected. Publishers, Writing & Book Professional Associations: Interested in advertising with us? Contact Beth Barany at Beth@BethBarany.com or call her at (510) 332-5384 to find out how you can reach your audience and save money over print publication advertising. Š 2013, Barany Consulting, Oakland, CA. All rights reserved to the respective authors. If you wish to use any materials in this publication you must contact the author first for written permission. Thank you for protecting our copyrights.
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H
Letter from the Editor
appy New Year! Welcome to our seventh issue and the first of a brand new year. I feel hopeful about 2013. New changes are afoot! We’ve seen a Mayan apocalypse 5125.4-year calendar cycle end, and restart. Fun! This issue explores New Technology in our fast-changing world of publishing, and how technology is affecting, pushing, and pulling that change. It’s time for a fresh new start, full of hope. Re-vision your year with the articles enclosed and dig into how today’s new tools are affecting our lives as authors and author entrepreneurs. Special: In order to get to know you better, serve your needs, and help keep this magazine free, please take this survey at http://bit.ly/ReaderSurvey01. Thanks! And thanks to new friends, Tim McAtee and Mallory Leone, for helping me set this survey up. Tim and Mallory reached out to me as fellow local Oakland authors. They’re doing some innovative events, including one Feb. 13th. See the Events page for all the details. Lastly, a shout out to one of regular writers, Cheryl Derricotte. She is our featured author this month. Enjoy her article, “Take 30 Minutes to Learn About Enhanced E-Books.” And share with your friends! Please support our advertisers who make this publication possible and free to you! Click on their ads for more information, and forward the magazine to your clients and customers so they can read this magazine, too! Thanks! Beth Barany, Creativity Coaching for Authors The Torah Codes 6 Short Stories of Suspense Henrietta the Dragon Slayer
Overcome Writer’s Block The Writer’s Adventure Guide Twitter for Authors Creativity Transformational Write Shops 30 Minute Manager YourBookStartsHere.com AuthorsBroadcast.com Print-to-Order, Snowfall Press Where Books Go Global, IPR License The Muse Charmer Stacey Aaronson, Book Doctor
Some links in this magazine (“Magazine”) may be affiliate links (“Affiliate Links”), including links to Amazon.com. From time to time, the Magazine includes featured books and/or product giveaways. Should AE Magazine receive compensation as a result of featuring any such books or giving away any such product, that fact will be disclosed. AE Magazine earns a commission from the Affiliate Links which commission is based on the number of sales that are made as a result of readers of the Magazine clicking over to the Affiliate Link and purchasing from the Affiliate Link a product and/or service.
January 2013 AuthorEntrepreneurship.com | 3
Featured Story:
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Take 30 Minutes to Learn About Enhanced Ebooks
By Cheryl Derricotte
6 10 18 22
Is the Bic Mightier?
Catherine Bramkamp
How to Write a Good Book Trailer Script
Ezra Barany
In the Beginning There was the Typewriter
Annmarie Lockhart
Ebooks, Pricing, and Purpose
Mary Caelsto
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26 32 34 36
Adapting to the Jetson Age Barbara Millman Cole
Self Publishing and Its Technology
Dave Sheets
Exploiting Your Rights Potential
Hannah Sheppard
The Evolution of Indie Publishing
Stacey Aaronson
Is the Bic Mightier than the Shun Fuji 7-Piece Knife Block Set on Sale at Williams Sonoma for $1,599.95?
By Catherine Bramkamp
I
work with a friend on a project called PotatoGirls.com. She is in charge of the potatoes, I’m in charge of the video, web and Facebook. Her favorite piece of equipment is a ricer. I have no idea what a ricer is. So far I have not seen her put any rice into it. But it possesses enough interlocking parts to be suitably incomprehensible and grinds potatoes to the correct consistency for potato-like dishes and thus, is indispensible. The ricer has starred in many videos. It gets more attention than I do. Ask a cook, crafter, painter or builder about their equipment, and they will rhapsodize endlessly about tools we don’t understand. Writers listen politely and pretend to take note of the only place that offers the perfect spatula experience, or the cooking shop on Market Street, or what aisle of Lowes holds the ultimate U pipe. But what we’re really thinking is, “I wish there were cool writing tools on which I could spend more money than was prudent, then toss around my studio like flour and strips of parchment paper so I look like I’m in the middle of some important
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work.” The second corollary to this is: I wish there was some way to break into a sweat and really prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I’m actually working. What writers lust after is of course, the latest, greatest, fastest laptop. Or the latest, greatest, fastest, lightest e-reader or pad. But everyone has a computer. What then is writerly equipment?
“What writers lust after is of course, the latest, greatest, fastest laptop.” Google I know, everyone uses Google, but it is particularly helpful to writers. Most of us are not finishing up our dissertations, so Google often functions beautifully for basic and speedy research. Triangulating information is fast and allows you to quickly reach an adequate answer that carries at least enough authority for you to move on and finish the essay, story or book. The caveat to Google research is to know what to look for. That’s why I look for three
Continued on pg. 8
Ah, a wedding in the wine country. But Allison's best friend Carrie’s grand event may end less like a romantic comedy and more like a slasher flick. Who is stalking the bride? How did Ben’s former Friend With Benefits turn into Injured With Repercussions? And why must Allison wear 90 pounds of red tulle during the hottest season of the year? While innocent bystanders fall like flies, Allison copes with selling her house in Sonoma County, scrambling to finance the shower from hell, and wondering if the person responsible for the spate of murders can be hired to take out her ex-boyfriend before her own nuptials.
Realtors order Trash Outs to completely clear out a listing in order to sell it. When this done by amateurs, it’s called vandalism. On Amazon in Kindle and paperback – right now.
For more information: www.YourBookStartsHere.com
sources before I launch into my assumption that what I just read is true. By the way, I tried BING; hated it.
a ricer that is only used for potatoes. A more reasonable tool is the Shorter OED app for only $34.99.
“The disadvantage to writerly tools is that shopping is easy and relatively inexpensive.” Amazon: The New Books in Print Amazon is a great resource to check on the stuff you uncovered in Google. Did the author of that blog really write a book? What else did she write? How are the reviews on her books? What is her real field? The same as what you just read in her posts or different? (Did the author write a post on sea sponges while an Amazon search reveals she has published 20 Regency romances? She may not be the last word in marine biology.)
The disadvantage to writerly tools is that shopping is easy and relatively inexpensive and so we are left bereft when the cocktail conversation veers to paint quality, wrench heft and the Le Creuset collection. But you can take the big chunks of information from Google, shave off a few undesirable pieces courtesy of OED and Amazon, grind it through your own observations and create something new and beautifully digestible. Maybe I was paying attention during the cooking videos after all.
“A more reasonable tool is the Shorter OED app.” Besides a great back up, Amazon is the resource for books – period. Plus, it is possible to compile a book wish list that goes on for pages and pages. Which is very handy during those marvelous rainy afternoons spent in used bookstores. You can look up what you want on Amazon and buy it on site. Oxford English Dictionary As a collector of books and cool dictionaries, the full OED is very tempting and would look great next to my hard copy of the American Heritage Dictionary, except the hard copy Oxford English Dictionary is $1,290.00. About as impressive as owning
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Catharine Bramkamp is on LinkedIn and Facebook, and blogs through Wordpress. She is at her noisiest on Newbie Writers podcast every Friday afternoon. Her new book is Trash Out, a Real Estate Diva Mystery. More on her site at www.YourBookStartsHere.com.
Nobody Cares What Your Book is About: How to Write a Good Book Trailer Script My wife revealed a pearl of wisdom when, one day, she summed up the purpose of a book trailer. “It’s a promise of an experience.” If you can do that, if you can give the viewer a visceral glimpse of the emotion they’ll feel when they read your book, you’ve succeeded in making a great book trailer. Here’s how to do that.
“A video that promotes a book instead of a movie.” The Formula for Writing Great Book Trailer Script
By Ezra Barany
E
ver see a book trailer? It’s a video that promotes a book instead of a movie. I’ve rarely seen a good one. The problem with most book trailers is that they usually show you what the book is about. The horrible truth is nobody cares what the book is about. Viewers don’t want to be told what a book is about or what a movie is about. They think they do, but they really don’t. Instead, they want to feel a bit of the emotion they can expect to experience if they read your book.
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a
The best formula I came up with for writing a great book trailer script is the following: 1. Your “What if” statement or a “Remember when” plus “What if” statement. 2. Your one sentence synopsis of the story. (Optional) 3. Testimonials and credibility 4. Title and byline 5. Call to action Here are the steps, explained: 1. Your “What if” statement: In less than 28 words, write the question that your book answers. For the movie Hook, the statement is “What if Peter Pan grew up?” Here’s another: “What if a young Continued on pg. 12
prince, tired of his rich life, traded places with his doppelganger, a poor boy?” That would be for The Prince and the Pauper. What’s yours? Your “Remember when” plus “What if” statement: “Remember when you nearly drove your car into that child in the street? What if you had hit him?” or “Remember when you gambled more money than you should have in a place like Vegas? What if you had won?”
“My wife revealed a pearl of wisdom when, one day, she summed up the purpose of a book trailer. ‘It’s a promise of an experience.’ ” 2. Your one sentence synopsis: This is the answer to your “What if” question. The sentence shows how your book addresses the question or embodies the question. You can skip this step since it often doesn’t have as much of an impact on the viewer as all the other components. 3. Testimonials and credibility: Wouldn’t you be more likely to buy a book if others said it was great? What if you discovered the book was a bestseller? Would that make you more inclined to take a closer look at the book? For most readers, information establishing credibility helps them decide if the book is worth buying. 4. Title and byline: Now that they’re curious about the book, they’ll pay attention to what the book is called. Simply state the title and your name. For example, “The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain.”
5. Call to action: This will make or break your sale. If you don’t have this, you will have lost your reader. It can be as simple as showing your website or displaying the words “On Amazon.” Or it can be as strong as “Buy your copy today on Amazon before all copies are sold!”
Examples
Here’s an example of a script for my book The Torah Codes. I’ve made trailers for the book -- you can see them on YouTube -- but they don’t use this script. (I came up with this script formula after having already made a book trailer for The Torah Codes.) What if you discovered your landlord has been watching you through a two way mirror? Nathan Yirmorshy, a computer programmer in the Oakland Hills, discovers that his voyeuristic landlord is part of a secret society bent on forcing him to fulfill a dangerous prophecy, just as the ancient scriptures have foretold. “The pages seem to turn themselves!” “A plot full of twists and turns puts The Torah Codes in the top of my ‘Best Books I’ve Read’ list!” “I couldn’t put it down!” An Amazon bestseller for all of 2012, award-winner at The Hollywood Book Festival, The Torah Codes by Ezra Barany. Available now on Amazon. Here’s the book trailer I made for the sequel, Fighting with God. You’ll notice I had to start by explaining a Jewish legend for the “What if” statement to make sense. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Ng_YVwi1CFo
The 3 Most Common Mistakes in Making Book Trailers
1. Too long: Keep your video between 30 seconds to 1:30 seconds long. Any longer and you risk putting your viewers to sleep.
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2. Audio is poor quality: Audio quality is more important than visual quality. Poor audio can ruin a video, whereas viewers are more forgiving over poor video. Also, make sure the audio contributes to the emotion you wish to evoke. Case and point, here’s a video that has poor visual quality but I dare you to watch it without getting teary-eyed. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=zVNTdWbVBgc 3. Images flash by too slow or too fast: Usually, faster is better. That is, it’s better to err on the side of having the images flash too fast than too slow. Too slow and your book trailer is sluggish. Too fast and your video is too exciting. Important: Also, make sure you don’t infringe on any copyright when using images or music. Below is a list of places to get free royalty-free images and music.
site http://incompetech.com/. Another site is http://www.freeaudioclips.com/ To create the actual video, I recommend animoto.com. It has a free basic package and you can get over 15% off for the Pro package if you click here. Remember, a book trailer is the promise of an experience. If you accomplish that, your viewers will be more excited to check out your book and perhaps buy it.
Free Stuff
You can find FREE Royalty-free images at these places: 1. http://sunipix.com/Index.htm; 2. www.fromoldbooks.org/Search/; 3. www.usa.gov/Topics/Graphics. shtml; 4. www.kavewall.com/stock; 5. www.freepixels.com; 6. http://www.copyright-free-images. com/page/gallery/ 7. www.flickr.com (Make sure to refine your search for images with a creative commons license, and to respect the license by crediting the photographer.) You can also find a wider variety of low-cost royalty-free images at: 1. www.istockphoto.com 2. www.shutterstock.com A great FREE royalty-free site for some wonderful music is at Kevin Macleod’s
Ezra Barany is an author and mentor to authors. He started his career of freaking out readers with his suspense and thriller stories in college. In March 2011, Ezra unleashed his first novel The Torah Codes, a thriller, now an award-winning bestseller in both the U.S. and the U.K. In his free time, he writes mushy love songs inspired by his wife and book coach Beth Barany. Ezra now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where he is working on his next book when not terrorized by his two cats. More at: http:// bit.ly/TheTorahCodesForKindle.
January 2013 AuthorEntrepreneurship.com | 13
Take 30 Minutes to Learn About Enhanced E-Books By
M
By Cheryl Derricotte
ore Americans than ever are using e-readers for their books. A 2012 survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project revealed that by February 2012, “one-fifth of American adults had read an e-book in the last year.” The study also found that “the average reader of e-books says she has read 24 books (the mean number) in the past 12 months, compared with an average of 15 books by a non-ebook consumer.” (See the link to the full study here: http://libraries.pewinternet.
org/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading/ for more fascinating statistics). These figures reveal that this is a still a growing market and a great audience for authors. This article will shine a spotlight on some interesting examples of enhanced e-books, provided as guidance on how to help our books stand out from the field. What is an enhanced e-book (EEB)? An enhanced e-book includes video, audio, interactive links and/or opportunities for Continued on pg 15
social interaction among readers. There are a few standouts in the field that I encourage to take 30 minutes to check out.
here: http://files.harpercollins.com/ Assets/HC/US/Features/telegraphavenue/telegraph.html.)
“An enhanced e-book includes video, audio, interactive links and/or opportunities for social interaction among readers.” Locally in Oakland, CA we are familiar with Michael Chabon’s book, Telegraph Avenue . In concert with the release of the book in 2012, Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins, planned an extensive EEB edition (http://bit.ly/TelegraphEnEd) including “an interactive map of Oakland, where the book is set; eight videos of Chabon; an enhanced table of contents and animated cover; Chabon’s playlist for the book; and original illustrations by artist Stainboy Reinel including three “Strutter” movie posters, a mockup of a DVD box set described in the story, a set of “air fresheners” featuring CandyGirl and Strutter and a fake iron-on t-shirt design of CandyGirl. The EEB is planned to also include clips of the audio book narrated by actor Clarke Peters of “The Wire” and “Treme,” and a “Telegraph Avenue” theme song composed by Peter Lerman and released as a track by the fictional Wakanda Philharmonic mentioned in the book. (See the full Wall Street Journal article about the release here: http:// blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/08/13/ harper-plans-enhanced-e-book-formichael-chabons-novel/ and view the sample chapter from the enhanced EEB
Berrett–Koehler (BK) Publishers has also been pushing the envelope of what is possible with e-books. They are big on video. The company publishes a series of Book Internet movies. These 2-5 minute movies will change the way you think about book trailers, as they are tied to social media to encourage sharing and conversation among readers.
“These 2-5 minute movies will change the way you think about book trailers.” Here is a link to one I particularly enjoyed, the companion movie to John Izzo, Ph.D’s book Stepping Up:
Continued on pg. 16 January 2013 AuthorEntrepreneurship.com | 15
How Taking Responsibility Changes Everything: http://www.bkconnection. com/stepping-up/. Note how at the conclusion of the short movie, readers can interact on the BK blog, download a free chapter or buy the book at a deep discount if they are ready to purchase. All of the movies include a “share this” button, so that viewers can share the movie and the book with their own networks.
mobnotate.com enhanced book versions of Alice in Wonderland (Alice Enhanced), Bible Enhanced and a SOMA Art Guide, among others. I hope this article has provided you with some great samples and inspiration to take your e-books to the next level. Have a happy and prosperous New Year!
“Readers can interact on the BK blog, download a free chapter or buy the book at a deep discount if they are ready to purchase.” Last but not least, one on my favorite enhanced e-book tools comes from a new tech start-up, Mobnotate, http:// www.mobnotate.com/. Mobnotate uses a sophisticated algorithm to link your e-book to others in your personal catalogue of books, as well as other e-pub catalogues for cross-fertilization. The tool also links your blog to your enhanced e-book to keep your content fresh. A great short video on using mobnotate.com is available on YouTube. IPhone users can see free examples of
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Cheryl Patrice Derricotte, is the Chief Information Officer for 30 Minute Manager, LLC, an indie publishing company she founded in 2011. Her new book: Being the Grown-Up, a guide to managing a loved one’s terminal illness and death will be published this winter. Stay in touch with Cheryl at www.30minutemanager.com.
AVAILABLE SERVICES BOOKS Being The Grown-Up, a practical guide for caregivers of loved ones with terminal illnesses (Winter 2012). CONVERSATIONS Confirm Cheryl Patrice Derricotte, Chief Information Officer of 30 Minute Manager, for your upcoming special event, conference, radio and televsion show. TIPS Join the 30 Minute Manager community and get your free report, 30 Minutes To A
Providing practical information to help you tackle life’s challenges & embrace life’s great adventures.
30 Minute Manager, LLC 2633 Telegraph Avenue, Studio 212 Oakland, CA 94612
Grown-Up Estate Plan. www.30minutemanager.com CONTACT 30minutemanager@gmail.com
In the Beginning, There Was the Typewriter
By Annmarie Lockhart
H
ow does new technology enhance a business based almost entirely on interpersonal communication? Let us count the ways. Words are the basis of this industry. Therefore any technology that involves words, particularly, the exchange of words, is central to what you do. But technology can be highly impersonal; the other key to author entrepreneurship is trust. So the trick is to engage new technology while retaining trust in the client relationship. Skype and Facetime can enhance communication, particularly where distance and geography are factors affecting meetings. To be able to see the person you’re talking to, share work on screen simultaneously, and even to record these meetings can bring you to your client without either of you having to leave the house. It renders the concept of a phone call remote. File exchange services can also make things easier. Sharing a file in google docs enables you and your client to make
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changes to a file in real time, preserving version control and maintaining a historic record of revisions for reference at any time. These services also allow you to send files that are too big for conventional email. A little dedicated time and you could hammer out a revised draft with your client in one session as effectively as you could being in the same room. Your client can send you a video of a reading of her latest poem and in no time you could send a critique back. A few minutes could render a revised recording and the whole process could be complete within a onehour appointment.
“Technology can be highly impersonal; the other key to author entrepreneurship is trust.” Many editors and publishers use submissions managers like Submittable (formerly Submishmash) to track submissions. You should be knowledgeable about these programs and able to lead your clients through the steps of using them. Less technology-savvy clients might need a little handholding until they get it figured out, but your proficiency will be an asset they value. You should also be able to train them in how to use their own submission tracking software so they don’t forget what’s out for consideration where. Perhaps most interesting to authors is the evolution of the ebook. You probably
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January 2013 AuthorEntrepreneurship.com | 19
know there are different formats, namely epub and iBook, but your client might not understand the differences. This is where you come in. You will need to understand the conversion protocol for each standard and you should be familiar with tools to simplify those conversions. Apple has a new program, iBook for Authors, that allows a novice to convert a manuscript into an iBook format. It incorporates video, graphic, and audio capabilities, which means your clients can create their own multimedia literary experience for nearly immediate distribution on a widely accessed platform.
and you’ll cut lost office time by a huge margin. Each year brings new innovations to the technology we quickly learn to take for granted. It’s hard to imagine what will be available tomorrow to take some of the work off your table. Whatever results in more productive client time can be a win for your practice. Seek out solutions via new technology. I would love to hear what works particularly well for you and what you’d like to see develop in the near future. If it brings you closer to your clients, it’s a keeper.
“Each year brings new innovations to the technology we quickly learn to take for granted.” Messaging, calendar programs, and business management technology can also simplify your workday. You might even forget you needed administrative help if you learn how to make these tools work for you. There are applications that will read a document to you, applications that will translate a document for you, applications that will manage getting and tracking signatures for you. Pair that with a simple computer filing hierarchy
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Annmarie Lockhart is the founding editor of vox poetica, an online literary salon dedicated to bringing poetry into the everyday, and unbound CONTENT, an independent press for a boundless age. A lifelong resident of Northern New Jersey, she lives, works, and writes two miles east of the hospital where she was born. More about Annmarie’s work here: http://unboundcontent.com/.©2013
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January 2013 AuthorEntrepreneurship.com | 21
Ebooks, Pricing, and Purpose
By Mary Caelsto
A
s soon as the major bookstores, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, announced their proprietary e-readers, there has been a lot of talk around e-book pricing. Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have varying commission structures depending on e-book pricing, and the courts have even gotten involved. So how can an author know what price point is best for his or her novels in this new e-reader publishing world? Generally there are two schools of thought for e-book pricing. The first is to price what the market will bear. Yes, cheaper books, such as 99 cent books, may sell a lot more than a book priced more in line with industry standards (such as they are); however, not only is the author’s share of royalties a lot less, but also the reading public is starting to see those cheap books as “self-published” and treating them as a lesser product. Depending on genre and niche, readers are starting to steer away from cheap or free e-books, because of quality and story problems found within them.
The second school of thought is to ignore the e-book pricing model all together and price depending on the value a reader will receive from a given work. While this works best in nonfiction and has its place, if the e-book reader is coming from a mostly fiction market, then seeing anything over $9.99 on an e-book, especially at Amazon or Barnes & Noble, creates sticker shock. For most authors, the path to e-book pricing will be a blend of the two models. If an author is writing fiction, then a variable pricing model, where the book is regularly priced at a market-based price (for example $3.99 or $4.99), but then has “sales” periodically where the price drops might be a better path to go. This allows the author to find a price point which works best for his or her specific book and not sacrifice too much income.
“Ignore the e-book pricing model all together and price depending on the value a reader will receive from a given work.” For a nonfiction author, there is already a built-in perception that a nonfiction book will be more expensive. That occurred long before e-books, given that most fiction is published in a mass market form with a price point of $7.99 or less. Nonfiction tends to come in trade paperback or hard cover, where the prices start at $12.95 and go up. This allows the nonfiction author to price more in accordance with the content of the book, rather than the length or the
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January 2013 AuthorEntrepreneurship.com | 23
market. However, even in e-books, nonfiction is starting to see its prices fall. With Amazon’s cap on 70% commission coming at a $9.99 price point, and many authors self-publishing and putting out their e-books for $2.99 or less, the pricing is moving toward a fiction model. And yet, I see authors pricing their e-books over $15, both on their own sites and on Amazon/Barnes & Noble. But my readers will gain so much value from my work. Why shouldn’t I price it accordingly?
“When you sell an e-book, you are selling the reader a license to read the book.” For a couple of reasons. First, you’re not selling a tangible product. When you sell an e-book, you are selling the reader a license to read the book. The reader cannot share the book, cannot sell it, or otherwise give it away later. It is not a physical product. You have to take that into account. Just like people don’t like how Microsoft is charging so much for its software and operating systems because of the licenses associated with software (If I buy one copy of Word, it is technically against the license to install it on computers which I do not personally own), people are getting savvy to the fact that they cannot resell their e-books. It’s illegal. This means that when the reader is done with the material, even if we hope that the reader will never be done with the knowledge we’re offering as authors, the reader is stuck with a file that either sits on a hard drive or gets deleted. Given that many e-books don’t even
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get read because they are “out of sight, out of mind”, telling the reader to pay $30 or more for an e-book doesn’t respect the purchaser’s rights, or lack thereof when it comes to electronic materials. (Note: I’m talking specifically about an e-book, not a course or other multiple media presentation which could be purchased, but a book/PDF document, especially if it’s under 100-150 pages or so.) Second, you’re missing reader’s expectations. When a reader thinks of a book, whether it’s electronic or paper, the reader is thinking of books in a bookstore, with pricing ranging from $4.99-$24.99. If an e-book is priced at or above the higher end of that scale, readers tend to get taken aback. There’s the old adage that if you have to ask how much it is, you can’t afford it. I’m finding many in the coaching and personal growth industry are following that axiom. However, a book, being a product that theoretically would be found in any bookstore, needs to fit in with that store’s other merchandise. It’s a gateway to the author’s other books, products, or services. That’s how publishers think of books, and it’s how self-publishing authors, especially authors with other products or services, need to think of them, too. It’s a taste, and it’s easier to get buyers at $5 or less, than it is at $30.
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Third, though there is a lot of talk in the coaching industry of not trading dollars for hours, and this is a wonderful thing when it comes to one-on-one coaching, classes, or other face-to-face (virtual or live) products and services, in the marketplace, things are only worth what the purchaser feels they’re worth. Same too with the classes, but it’s a bit easier in the purchaser’s mind to justify $30-$50, or more (sometimes a lot more) to work personally with an individual.
an e-book. The good news is that the e-book market is flexible, so an author, especially a self-published one, can play with pricing until he or she finds what works. However, starting out with pricing that’s in line with readers’ expectations will help make finding that pricing “sweet spot” easier. An author just needs to keep in mind the market and the purpose of the e-book.
“In the marketplace, things are only worth what the purchaser feels they’re worth.” A book is something someone reads on his or her own and the reader may, or may not, get out what the author intends. Think about the books where there are raving fans who love them and others who feel that the books are a waste of paper, ink, and give the English language a bad name. Without you, the author, there to guide the reading experience, you really don’t know what the reader will get out of any book, nonfiction or fiction. An author needs to take all of these things under consideration when pricing
As a published author of over forty books (between two pen names), including fiction and non-fiction, Mary Caelsto knows publishing. As the Muse Charmer, she provides her experience in the industry to authors, helping them release their inner awesome to create the careers they deserve and desire! More about Mary Caelsto at www.musecharmer.com. Email her at: marymuse@harmonicspirit.net.
January 2013 AuthorEntrepreneurship.com | 25
Scaffold Your Literary Life Adapting to the Jetson Age: Embrace New Technology at Your Own Pace
By Barbara Millman Cole
N
ew technology is winning the race. Race, we ask? We didn’t know there was a race. But when we think about it, no matter how fast we upgrade, new technology streaks past us, leaving us in the dust. Nevertheless, we must resolve to master these new technological wonders. The rapidity of change today is unfathomable to most, but whether or not we comprehend the effects of these new technological advances at the rate they occur, doesn’t really matter. All we need do is monitor how we respond to them, and tailor that response to our own paces. So there is a new app that allows us to link all our social media accounts to one button on our phones. (I know, it just got streaked by a newer, more user friendly model). Does that mean we have to jump
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on it and use it? No, not if we aren’t ready. Heck, some of us only have one social media account and still use our phones as strictly conversation tools, so no link is required. By the way, a heads up; we may have to upgrade to 4G before those low bar towers disappear for good. But you probably already knew that. Today new technology is old hat. It has become the norm to turn on the news and hear of another breakthrough in cell phone technology, computer software, home security controlled through cable or phone companies, or the next generation drone aircraft designed to deliver packages to our doors. Well maybe that last one is still in the research and development stage, but it’s coming.
“We must resolve to master these new technological wonders.” The 1960s Jetsons cartoon television show gave us our first glimpse of the prototype. We have developed technologically faster in the last century than any time before and in the last decade, even more phenomenally fast. A version of the The Hobbit movie is making some patrons ill because of the rapid 48 frames per second, doubled from the normally accepted high quality 24 frames per second of
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yesteryear. The mind boggles at the variety of gadgets and must-haves being marketed. Just because something is new and the latest doesn’t mean we have to jump through hoops to obtain it. Sometimes doing the research, comparing this tablet to that tablet or this cell phone to that cell phone, feels like a full time job. It doesn’t have to be this hard.
“Just because something is new and the latest doesn’t mean we have to jump through hoops to obtain it.” How do we know what we need? If we think about what we want, we can weigh whether it is something we will actually learn and use. Yes, learn. Each new gadget comes with a thick user manual that must be examined and deciphered to use the new tool effectively. Ask ourselves, do we need a monthly package so we can use the internet on our phones? Maybe we are comfortable keeping our instruments separate for now. At some point, we will make the leap and combine all those functions into one apparatus. Resolve to embrace the 21st century and all it has to offer. Be practical and know that we do not have to do it all at once. Realize that when we choose a new technological tool, a newer, better model will be out within the month. That doesn’t diminish the usefulness of the model we just purchased. New technology will make our lives easier. And eventually, we will all have intergalactic communication capabilities attached to our brains. For
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now, let’s take it one new advance at a time and enjoy the, albeit brief, moment of its marvels. Technology is here to stay, though the form it takes morphs and transcends. There will always be something new on the market. So, we can continue at our turtle paces, texting on our now, as of ten minutes ago, not so smart phone, while all the hares streak past us with their latest and greatest. We will catch up eventually, in our own good time, resolute in our journey to navigate this brave new world and master its bountiful new technology.
Barbara Millman Cole is an award winning author of Short Literary Fiction, content editor, and creativity coach, who helps writers delve deep to discover their true meaning. Understand why you create so you know what to create. Contributing author of Creativity Coaching Success Stories and author of the forthcoming book, The Painted Woman and Other Short Stories, she can be reached at bmillmancole@sbcglobal.net. Find Barbara online at http://www.meetup. com/The-Writers-Place/. ©2012 All rights reserved.
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Self Publishing and Its Technology
By Dave Sheets
O
pen up any publishing blog, magazine or news article, and you will likely read about how the industry is changing. Large publishers are consolidating. Ebook sales are growing and traditional books are selling fewer and fewer units each year.
“There has never been a better time to be an author.” According to Bowker Market Research, the leading source for industry publishing numbers, almost 350,000 books were traditionally published in 2011, with another 150,000 self published print books, plus an astounding 1.1 million “unclassified” titles hit the market in 2011. Needless to say,
there is a lot of content becoming available every year. What does an author do with this information? Is this a good time to be an author? Is there any chance to publish a book successfully? Is traditional publishing or self publishing the right route for you? According to Mike Hyatt, former Chairman and Publisher at Thomas Nelson Publishers, there has never been a better time to be an author. I heard him speak recently on this topic, and he listed five reasons why this is the best time: 1. It’s easier than ever to do the writing. 2. It’s easier than ever to do the market research. 3. It’s easier than ever to get into print. 4. It’s easier than ever to build a tribe. 5. It’s easier than ever to build a business using your publishing as the front end.
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Success, however, is in the eye of the beholder. What are your goals? Authors, who set realistic expectations based on their goals, can be successful. The publishing world is filled with authors who are successful in both traditional and self publishing models. There are also authors who didn’t “make it” according to their publisher’s or their own standards. Do you have a plan that takes your content to your niche audience? Can you be successful? Absolutely.
industry—and even took on demeaning names like ‘vanity press’ is now not only a viable alternative but what is driving the title growth of our industry today.” Myth #2: My product will be second rate. The truth is a poorly written book, will not be successful, no matter how it is published. If an author takes the time to work with competent editors, designers, etc., they can create a quality product.
Myth #3: I can’t get traditionally published if I self publish. Jane Freidman, the former publisher of Writer’s Digest, wrote about this on her blog. She contends that self-publishing is not the nail in the coffin for your career. Did the book make an impact? Did it gain a following (or increase your tribe)? Did it sell, make a splash, and cause others to notice it or gain the attenTraditional publishing is a great strat- tion of other opinion leaders? If the author egy for some authors. Once you land your can quantify these questions, then so can agent and a publishing partner, you can publishers and marketers at the traditional usually expect a modest advance, a modest publishing houses. To quote Friedman, “… royalty, and twelve to twenty-four months no agent, and no publisher, is going to turn before your book is released to the market. away a project where they see potential to Self-publishing has rapidly become a make money.” strategy for many authors. The author becomes the general contractor on their project. They may choose a package approach or hire professionals, à la carte, to complete the editing, design, typesetting, sales, marketing and distribution process. As you have seen in the numbers, many of your peers have decided that self-publishing is the right direction for them, and it can be for you to. However, let’s clear up a few self publishing misconceptions and Myth #4: I can’t get my books into myths. bookstores. This is false. Distribution is available for those who want it. More on Myth #1: Self publishing isn’t mainthis topic below. stream. This just isn’t true anymore. According to Kelly Gallagher, Vice-President, Myth #5: Self-publishing is too expenBowker Market Research, “What was sive. Compared to what you give up with once relegated to the outskirts of our
“Authors, who set realistic expectations based on their goals, can be successful.”
“Many of your peers have decided that selfpublishing is the right direction for them, and it can be for you to.”
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traditional publishing, self-publishing is not expensive or hard. It does have a learning curve, but there is a lot of good advice out there to help.
“Self-publishing is not the nail in the coffin for your career.” If you determine that self-publishing is the direction you need to go, then consider some of these advances in technology that are specifically set up to help authors act as a micro-publisher, and compete with the traditional publishers on a level playing field. 1. Publisher services. There are companies who offer all of the services you need, either as a package deal, or à la carte. Beware of the scams and some of these issues: careless editing; subpar cover design; inflated marketing claims; and onerous printing up-charges. If you buy one book, purchase The Fine Print of Self Publishing by Mark Levine. In the book, Levine ranks a bunch of these publishing services companies with lots of valuable information. 2. Ebook conversion and distribution. Similarly to other publisher services, there are quality companies who can convert and distribute for a fee. One of the best is publishgreen.com. If you publish faith-based content, you might consider faithandfamilypress.com. 3. Physical book printing and distribution. Print-on-demand technology has made publishing low risk for many authors. Print as you sell, rather than for inventory. Turnaround times are measured in days instead of weeks. If you want to get to retailers, the larger POD operations
will have distribution strategies to help you reach Amazon and everyone else. I am partial to Snowfall Press because I work there. Other popular choices are Lightning Source.com and CreateSpace.com. 4. Selling direct-to-consumer. The future belongs to authors who have direct relationships with their readers, and once you develop that relationship, why not reap the financial benefits of selling your book to them. Work with printers who can give you the tools to sell direct and drop ship the books directly to your reader. Snowfall Press has two options that authors use: The Facebook Application and InstiCart. Both give authors a bookstore tied directly to the print press. Go to snowfallpress.com to learn more about these tools.
Dave Sheets is the Vice President of Sales for Snowfall Press, a high tech print-on-demand company helping authors and publishers with their printing and distribution needs. For more information, see www.snowfallpress. com or contact Dave direct at david.sheets@ snowfallpress.com.
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Exploiting Your Rights Potential: New Technology Can Help
By Hannah Sheppard
W
e constantly hear from publishers that the industry is changing at a dramatic rate. The recent staggering volumes of ebook sales are evidence of this and digital revenues have replaced a huge percentage of publishers’ print revenues which is particularly impressive when you consider that many author contracts ten years ago didn’t even include an ebook clause.
“ ‘Digital’ is no longer something that is coming: it’s here.” There’s no doubt that the industry will continue to develop and adapt but the fact everyone needs to accept is that “digital” is no longer something that is coming: it’s here. And while this changes the way
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authors and publishers reach their market, it does so in a way that creates opportunity to increase business using the technology available. Indie authors have already seized this opportunity - in much the way that indie musicians have - recognizing the value in being able to directly communicate with their readers and being able to prove they have a market by publishing direct to consumer through Amazon’s CreateSpace program, amongst others. Publishers are also focusing more on digital sales and direct marketing to consumers than ever before. But what about other, less obvious, areas of the publishing business? Jonny Geller (of literary agency Curtis Brown UK) recently commented in The Bookseller that the 2012 Frankfurt Bookfair saw a pronounced increase in the number of books they sold translation rights for first, ahead of a UK deal. Rights sales are an increasingly
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There are over 200 countries in the world... And more than 150 languages spoken by over a million people... How many do you want to publish your book in?
ol r t n o c e k Ta ing t i r w r u o of y y. a d o t r e e car Visit www.iprlicense.com for more information and to register for our newsletter
The IPR License service helps authors connect with its member publishers from around the world. Create an author profile and records for each of your books for publisher to view. Publishers (and agents) will use a detailed search engine so only work suited to them will appear in the results. This means that, if your work fits the criteria, it’s more likely to be read than an unsolicited submission. Manage the process of finding an agent/publisher or directly sell translation rights yourself. IPR License is a partner of the Alliance of Independent Authors
Where books go global
important aspect of a title’s profitability for publishers, yet the potential income is often overlooked by indie authors who focus on selling their edition of their work in their own territory - or, with the help of digital publishing, internationally in their first language. But market trends vary around the world. Books that are largely ignored in the US may be a hot property in Japan.
“Rights sales are an increasingly important aspect of a title’s profitability for publishers.” It’s also the case that there is a cyclical nature to rights sales: as some territories grow, others will shrink, and it’s difficult to know which territories are worth focusing on at any given moment. New markets emerge all the time. The publishing market in Brazil has recently grown dramatically and a number of publishers are currently reporting increased rights business there.
Many authors find that they have greater success abroad than at home. Jonathan Coe, a respected and prize-winning British author, admits that his French editions outsell his UK books four to one.
And I worked with an author who anecdotally told me that his German advance (a thriving market, particularly for thrillers) was more than his UK and US advances combined. It’s also worth considering the potential of subsidiary rights such as film options and audio editions. These can be incredibly lucrative but, as opposed to the relative simplicity of self-publishing your book in print or digital format, can also be incredibly tricky (not to mention expensive) to personally produce a professional audio or film edition. There are huge opportunities to both increase your readership and make money from potential advances and ongoing royalties in foreign territories. But with all these variables to consider, how does an author go about exploiting the rights potential in their work?
“Many authors find that they have greater success abroad than at home.” Rights business has traditionally been conducted in face-to-face meetings between editors and rights managers at book fairs and through regular trips abroad. But with people generally becoming more used to trading online in their personal lives - on eBay for example we felt the time was right to bring digital benefits to another area of the publishing business. With this aim in mind, we launched IPR License: the first global and digital platform for trading international book rights. We think of it as eBay meets LinkedIn. By listing all the titles a publisher holds the rights to, they are better able to exploit these titles at the right time for the markets they are selling to without the expense of regular trips to each market. Continued on pg. 37
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And now IPR License is extending that service to authors - both unpublished authors who are looking to attract a traditional publishing deal and indie authors who want to manage the process of selling translation and subsidiary rights themselves. We aim to provide a ground-breaking service that creates a level and transparent platform on which authors can showcase their work to potential publishers.
membership. Turn the digital revolution to your advantage and get your books viewed across the world. To find out more about how joining IPR License might benefit your career visit us at http://www.iprlicense.com.
“Turn the digital revolution to your advantage and get your books viewed across the world.� Unlike a submission to a publisher which, once rejected, cannot be repeated, joining IPR License allows you to create an author profile as well as a record for each of the books you want to sell rights in. And then we reverse the traditional process so that the publishers use a detailed search engine to look for the work most suited to the current gaps in their list. (This can change constantly. Just look at the rush to snap up self-published erotica in the wake of Fifty Shades of Grey.) This means your books can be located by the right publisher at the right time for them at any point during your
Hannah Sheppard is Creative Director at IPR License where she is responsible for launching the author service. She spent ten years in trade publishing and has previously worked in editorial at both Macmillan and Hachette. Hannah is a twitter addict - chat to her at @ IPRAuthors or email her onhannah.sheppard@ iprlicense.com.
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The Evolution of Indie Publishing: What to Expect with Print-On-Demand
By Stacey Aaronson
A
hhh ... the allure of CreateSpace, Lightning Source, and myriad other portals toward publication. This new wave of options for writers is, in a word, fantastic. But what is it really like to work with companies who utilize print-on-demand (POD) technology, and what can you expect as an author time-wise, qualitywise, and otherwise? Let’s take CreateSpace, Amazon’s answer to the independent publisher, and examine what they provide, the steps you should be prepared for, and the royalties you can look forward to once your book is finalized and ready for sale. First, it’s important to know that just because publishing has evolved to provide an open door to virtually everyone, it doesn’t mean it’s an easy solution or that there isn’t work involved on your part. How you prepare your book through professional editing and design is vital, and you have the choice of hiring an independent contractor on your own or of using CreateSpace’s range of services.
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WHAT THEY PROVIDE: Editing & Design CreateSpace offers a variety of packages ranging from about $700 to $3000, depending on your needs and the complexity and length of your book. This includes editing, cover design, and interior layout, which is where all of your main publishing costs lie.
“How you prepare your book through professional editing and design is vital.” Be aware that although their packages are fairly comprehensive, there can be additional costs for multiple rounds of editing (which is always a necessity), and their interiors are based on selected templates and typography so you may not be able to get as creative as you wish. If you want a truly unique book and desire more one-on-one attention, consider hiring a freelance editor/designer who meets your needs in expertise and personalized Continued on pg. 40
attentiveness. Prices will range quite a bit based on the provider’s proficiency, so whether you use CreateSpace or an independent contractor, be prepared to ask thoughtful questions and to make a serious monetary investment in doing your book the right way. The rewards will come back to you! ISBNs Free ISBN numbers are provided on the CreateSpace menu; however, this will tie your book’s official publisher name to CreateSpace, and you may wish to avoid that by purchasing your own for current and future use through Bowker.com, where you can designate your imprint name as whatever you wish. Customer Service You will inevitably have questions, and CreateSpace provides complimentary access to 24/7 customer service by some of the friendliest, most helpful people in the business—a definite bonus! THE STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS: Here is a no-nonsense list of what you can expect for your project using a printon-demand service (POD): 1. Prepare for a 6-9 month period before your manuscript is a beautiful book in your hands. Each step is crucial and shouldn’t be rushed. 2. Perform multiple rounds of professional editing until your manuscript is polished. 3. Write a captivating book description that will draw your reader (this can be more challenging than writing your book!), or hire a professional writer to do it for you. This will go on the back of your book as well as on Amazon and other promotional materials, so you should have both a full-length and at least one abbreviated version. 4. Engage a cover designer (or use
theirs) who will create a compelling, audience-targeted design for you. Don’t settle on mediocre here. The cover is often your readers’ first impression and counts a great deal. 5. Hire a book interior designer (or use theirs) to create the perfect presentation of the words you worked so hard to write. Small touches for all genres make a big difference, so make sure you work with someone who understands well your content, audience, and goal of making each page impeccable. 6. Set up your account with CreateSpace (if you haven’t already). You will need to input personal and account info (for payments), as well as your book’s vitals (title, author(s), description, author bio, ISBN, categories, keywords, price, trim size and specs, and chosen sales channels).
“Don’t settle on mediocre.” 7. Upload your interior and cover files through your Member Dashboard and submit them for review. 8. View a digital proof online 24-48 hours later. If you want to make changes to either your cover or interior files, you may do so as many times as necessary to achieve your perfect book. There is no charge for uploading new files, only the 24-48 hour waiting period for file review. 9. Order up to five physical proofs of your book at cost. 10. Have at least three people—including your editor/designer, someone in your field or a reader of your fiction genre, and/ or another professional proofread your book for all elements of grammar, clarity, flow, and layout consistency. 11. When your book is as impeccable as it can be, approve your files through CreateSpace and voilà! Your labor of love Continued on pg. 41
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will automatically be available with professional quality on Amazon for eager readers! COLLECTING ROYALTIES Now that you’ve made the appropriate investment in your book’s production, you’re likely wondering how long that money will take you to recoup. The answer, of course, differs for everyone and depends largely on your book’s audience and your marketing efforts. But the good news is that royalties for books through CreateSpace can equal up to four times what you would make through a traditional publisher.
“Small touches for all genres make a big difference.” For example: • A 200-page black and white book with a trim size of 6x9 and a full color cover that’s listed at $18 would draw a royalty of nearly $7.50 through Amazon. That’s about 42% in contrast to the typical 6-10% for traditionally published books. (Page count affects the royalty, so keep in mind that longer, larger books will command less.) • If this author spent $3,000 on her book’s editing and design, she would only need to sell 400 books to break even. • If the author received an advance of $3,000 from a publisher, they would have to sell nearly 1,700 books to equal that amount before the author would begin to earn royalties. Quite a difference, huh? Independent publishing has clearly come a long way from the days of “vanity publishing” and in a rather short time. With its Amazon affiliation, CreateSpace has been a big player in this changing landscape, capitalizing on authors’ increasing desire
to have complete control over their book’s production and in a shorter period of time than the big houses provide. So is independent publishing right for you? Quite possibly, yes. But whether traveling the POD route with a company like CreateSpace or holding out for a “Big Six” name on your book, if you keep the following three things in mind, you’ll be well on your way: • Be smart. • Have patience. • Understand that it’s a process. If you do choose the POD path, remember that the investment you make in producing your book professionally will go a long way: a polished end result will ensure that no reader will ever consider that your book was self-published. Now that’s pretty fantastic.
Stacey Aaronson takes self-publishing authors by the hand and transforms their manuscript into the book they’ve dreamed of — from impeccable editing to engaging cover and professional interior design. Email: sjaaronson@gmail.com.
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Event Listings January 18-21, 2013, Aloha Writers Conference, Kapalua, HI. http://www. alohawritersconference.com/ February 8-10, 2013, Creative Get-Away Retreat. Society of Children’s Books WRiters & Illustrators, San Francisco North and East Bay. Green Gulch Farm, Muir Beach, CA. http://www.scbwi.org/Regional-Chapters. aspx?R=9&sec=Events February 1, 2013, Oakland, CA. 3pm - 11pm. Oakland First Fridays - Sell books at our table or sign up to read. http://www.meetup.com/ Oakland-Authors/events/97434352/ February 13, 2013, Oakland, CA. Oakland Authors Presents: Love, Loss, and Loathing: A Reading. Say everything you ever wanted to tell an ex at this reading. Submit your poems, letters, or flash fiction to mal@ oaklandauthors.com before February 1, 2013. All work should be about or for an ex love and should be under five minutes. You will be notified before February 10 if your work has been accepted. Visit www. OaklandAuthors.com for details. February 14-17, 2013, San Francisco, CA. The 10th San Francisco Writers Conference: A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community. www.sfwriters.org March 23, 2013. Fremont, CA. Beth Barany presents on Voice and Style for Fiction Writers to the Fremont Area Writers, a branch of the California Writer’s Club. http://www.cwcfremontareawriters.org/ May 18-19, 2013. East Bay Writers Conference. Oakland, CA Theme: Author Success Academy. 10+ speakers. Hands-on tools. Networking with your peers. get the support you need to create a success business as an author and author entrepreneur. http://eastbaywritersweekend.com/
Events are listed for free, space permitting. For more in-person writer’s events and support groups, check out http://www. meetup.com, and your local writer’s organization. Become a part of a writing community. Find the right organization for you. International Corner: This month a special shout-out to the Big Smoke Writing Factory, a writing organization in Dublin, Ireland. If you don’t happen to get to one of their in-person classes or workshops, you can always check out their online courses here: http://www.bigsmokewritingfactory. com/OnlineCourses.php WRITING ASSOCIATIONS Romance Writers of America (RWA) http:// www.rwanational.org/ Mystery Writers Association http://www. mysterywriters.org/ Sisters in Crime http://www.sistersincrime. org/ Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. http://www.sfwa.org/ California Writers Club http://www. calwriters.org/ Broad Universe http://www.broaduniverse. org/ National Writers Union http://www.nwu.org/ Horror Writers of America http://www. horror.org/ The Authors Guild http://www.authorsguild. net/ International Thriller Writers, Inc. http:// www.thrillerwriters.org/ Society for Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators http://www.scbwi.org/ American Christian Fiction Writers http:// www.americanchristianfictionwriters.com/
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Author Entrepreneurship Magazine
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