You need to be very careful when you scan pencil. That being said, it's used a lot. If your image is an outline, the line needs to be as solid as possible and in a 2B or softer pencil. If your illustration is a full out image shaded etc, when it's scanned you need to be sure that you don't loose any of the mid-tones or make the darker areas more solid than you wanted. Pencil has a 'shine' quality when scanned that you might have trouble with. Your illustrator should know how to draw to get the best results from today's technology, be sure you let them know how their final product will be used. They might also offer the service of scanning them for you. Or you might find a professional imaging house to scan for you.
Each medium has a unique production process for them. It's a good idea to have an open conversation with the illustrator and printer before work is done to get the best results for your final product. If you have any other questions about your book, please feel free to contact me.
That's it. Keep doing something everyday towards your book ...
Take a look at my website http://www.BookCoverDesigner.com
and contact me if you have any questions.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Will Illustrations Done in Pencil Reproduce Well for Printing?
Monday, December 10, 2007
Celebrity Testimonials
Celebrity Testimonials
Book Design: Celebrity Testimonials
Get those "more-bang-for-your-buck' testimonials for your back cover...This online database contains contact information for celebrities managers, agents and more...for over 54,000 celebrities and public figures worldwide.
http://www.contactanycelebrity.com
EAN Barcode Placement on Back Cover
Thursday, August 9th 2007
Distributors and retailers have different requirements for your EAN barcode. Be sure to check with them before approving your cover design. Here is a list that was sent to me from one of my customers distributors.
EAN Barcode Placement on Back Cover
(1) Bar Code: Only the EAN 13 bar code will be permitted on the back cover. The UPC bar code is not to be printed on the back cover/cover 4.
(2) EAN 13 Bar Code: The EAN 13 bar code must appear on the back of the book and include the isbn printed out in a consumer readable format above the bar code.
(3) EAN 13 Bar Code Price Extension & Price: You must now include the price in the EAN bar code price extension. Many publishers have not been including a price in the bar code extension. This is now a requirement of our major customers.
(4) Consumer Readable Price: There must be two US prices on the book. The first is in the bar code as mentioned above. The second is a price that i s printed somewhere on the back of the book in consumer readable format in 9 point or larger font. If there is just one currency shown on the book, it could read, for example, $12.99. If there is more than one currency it should read US $12.99.
(5) Bar Code Size: The size for EAN 13 bar codes can be no smaller than 7/16" x 1 3/4" wide. This is a new requirement by our accounts, including Barnes & Noble. Some publishers have been told by international designers/printers that the bar codes can be smaller. They must meet this minimum size or NBN will be charged for stickering to the compliant size and NBN will rebill you.
(6) Placement: The EAN bar code must be located on the bottom right corner of the back cover. This is a new requirement.
Book Design Interior Format Tips
Tuesday, May 8th 2007
Book Design: Tips for interior formatting
THREE GRAPHIC DESIGN TIPs for INTERIOR Format
1. Some might not realize it's done, but the first paragraph in chapters looks and reads better if the indent is omited and the line is flush left. This allows the reader a 'strong' beginning point.
2. books can be made longer by using simple layout tweeks such as increasing type size, leading and margins.
3. Space after a paragraph is also important, I like to use extra space and an indent. This helps your eye move easily
Book Cover Dustjacket Design
Tuesday, May 8th 2007
Book Design: Paper choice for Book Cover
When designing your book cover consider the Paper you'll use. Most are glossy, laminate, UV, etc., but have you really looked and felt them all...? Some are a delightful linen or uncoated stock that for, the right book, can really bring home another 'sense' to the reader. And for your paperbacks... be sure to get samples from the printer on 10 or 12 pt CS1 stock... the weight makes a difference too.
Using cartoons in your book cover design
Tuesday, May 8th 2007
Book Design: Use of Cartoons
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!!
Your book cover is more than you see...it's what you think as well. More than once a new publisher has come to me with a cartoon for their cover 'because all the other books in the catagory' had used a similar image so it must work. Not necessarly true. Cartoons. Is your book funny? Does it need to be introduced in a non-threatening way? Leave your options open to other possibilities when you hire a designer. Knowing the right questions to ask make all the difference in the final result.
Reproducing Charts & Graphs & Tables in your book
Tuesday, May 8th 2007
Book Design: Book Interior Design
Designing the interior of your book: Most manuscripts I receive have the charts, graphs, tables already made exactly the way the author wants them so some times redoing them can be costly. Most of the time they are able to be exported from MS Word exactly the way they were created and look good in reproduction. Be sure to consult with your book designer when the time comes... they can really help you with the process.
Tomato Soup Cake... my Sons' favorite!
Tuesday, April 17th 2007
Tomato Soup Cake... my Sons' favorite!
Other related subject: Great Receipe!
Tomato Soup Cake (1971) My son Jasen's traditional Birthday Cake
Mix the following:
2c flour
1c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Add the following:
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
optional 1 cup dates
Mix all the dry ingredients above then add and stir with a spoon as the mixture will be thick...you can try a mixer but be careful not to burn up the motor! the following ingredients.
1 tsp vanilla
1 can Campbell's Tomato Soup
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Place mixture into an 8x8 baking
pan or loaf pan...flour the
bottom only to prevent sticking
Bake 45 mins to 1 hr at 350ยบ or until a toothpick or clean knife when inserted comes out clean
cool then frost with the following butter cream frosting
1 3oz pkg cream cheese (soft)
1 T butter
1tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
combine first three ingredients then gradually add the powdered sugar until smooth and frost cooled cake. I like it refrigerated...tastes better but similar to carrot cake.
Enjoy!
Barcodes being made without knowing price??
Tuesday, March 27th 2007
Book Design: Barcodes need a price!
When you purchase your ISBNs you might be asked to also have barcodes made. This will cause the barcode to be made with a 90000 number in the place of your price and this might cause problems with distributors and retailers. Barcodes are easy to have made "as you need them" there are many online services. I recommend that you wait until you have a book/project to assign, one that you know the price for and then have the barcode made up.
Childrens Books - writing and illustrating
Tuesday, March 20th 2007
Other related subject: Childrens Books
I just found the neatest group for those of us who dabble in writing... childrens books! It's a national organization as well as local groups. They are SCBWI, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators They offer events, discussion boards and lots of other things that can be of help on the way to writing a childrens book. I attended the local So. Cal Smooze and was very happy with the experience. Check them out.
http://www.scbwi.org
Getting Insurance for your business...Other related subject: Small Business Insurance
Tuesday, March 20th 2007
This may seem off subject for my blog but I have the toughest time with things like insurance and lawyers and corporation procedures... so when I was told I needed to have general libility insurance I litteraly freaked! To put it mildly. The lawyer who told me, referred me to an insurance man who said I didn't make enough for him to bother with me! REALLY! Then the search began for a company who could write me a policy... and I called all over locally, the internet, friends gave me names... finally I realized I belonged to NASE, the National Association for the Self Employed... yes, I didn't think of it in the first place... and they helped me. There is a company, Hartford Insurance that has an online form for small businesses.... easy to fill out and their response was timely. Here is the webaddress, the companys name is Crescent Insurance.
http://www.crescentinsurance.com/business_owners.asp
Posted by: Kareen on Sep 20, 06
Sending Press Releases after your Book Design
Archives: September 2006
Press Releases are information you share to get others excited about your book. The first eliment is your hook, put that in the first paragraph. This is the come-on copy why they need to read more. In the second paragraph, state the benefits, what one will get from your information, what is the angle. If you have one, add a photo of your book cover designed, either on a separate sheet or within the text of your release. Use the third paragraph to tell them a little about your credentials. The last paragraph is where you might list a few questions or topics your book relates to in a news-worthy way. Your call to action and offer your time for an interview. Be sure to end with your name and contact info. For more information or to set up an interview call: Your Name, phone: 1-000-000-0000 or email (insert your email address)
Posted by: Kareen on Sep 20, 06
Media Kits after your Book Design
Sun Sep 10, 2006
Once your book design is done be sure to creat a media kit an important part of your marketing. A kit is your resume, it tells and shows what you're about. It should include: a short bio, image of your book cover, contact information, list of questions you can answer, book flyers, business card, poster, bookmark, any news media tie ins, what your product / service is and web link etc. Once your kit is assembled, Media professionals will have all the info necessary to determine what you offer for their interviews. Contact me to assist you with your media kit... karen@bookcoverdesigner.com
Posted by: Kareen on Sep 10, 06
Mailing Lists for Self Publishers PR and Reviews
Once your book design is done don't forget to market it....Magazines, newsletters and newspapers with book review columns. Advertising space is expensive. Editorial space is free. Use these lists to send review copies of books and news releases. Review copies and news releases are your least expensive and most effective form of book promotion. Set up dealerships with associations. Mailing Lists for Book PR and Reviews
Posted by: Kareen on Sep 20, 06
Pointers to Help Sell Your New Book
Help your book sell follow these tips: write a great informative book for your specific audience. Have a great cover created by a professional designer like me... KarenRoss.com. Have a few friends read your first chapters and take their comments to heart... they are you audience too!——Write your 5-10 selling bullet points why your customers need this book or what they will learn from it...your customers will appreciate knowing more...——Write articles on your subject and offer it to online free article sites as well as specialty publications. Always include your web address and phone number.
Posted by: Kareen on Sep 20, 06
Don't forget to send a thank you note!
This tip courtesy of Rick Fishman newsletter120506
A "Rick Tip"
Don't forget to send a thank you note!
I know it sounds crazy- but most people don't send a thank you note after they do a
media interview...
Big mistake! Always send a note the the host and the producer.
In the note...
1- Thank them for having you on ( or for the interview)
2- Remember a specific item from the interview and talk about that
3- Give them your cell # and offer to be on anytime at the last minute
4- Tell how much fun you had on the show and how you got a great reaction (
phone calls and e mails etc)
5- Ask them for a "testimonial" and ask them to send it to you on their stationary (
for your press kit)
6- Ask them for an mp3 of the show ( or a tear sheet if it is a print interview)
For more tips go to http://www.plannedtvarts.com and sign up for our "TIP SHEET"
That's it for this week
To Your Success
Rick
www.plannedtvarts.com
Posted by: Kareen on Sep 20, 06
Increase Your Revenues with Information Products
Once you've publisned your book(s) and have created a list of readers interested in your subject matter and wanting more from you... Capitalize on providing them with extended info materials. Create several short Books, E-books, Special reports, Audio recordings, Teleseminars, Video/DVD programs, Training courses, Computer-based training (CBT), Workbooks, Tips booklets, Seminars, Workshops, counseling sessions, articles or anyother form of electronic product and promote them with your newsletter. There are companies set up especially for this type of sales and distripution. You have many access options, downloadable, read only and time sensitive e-books, etc. By creating this form of revenue you will have money coming in while you are working on your next book...!
Posted by: Kareen on Sep 20, 06
Amazon and Google ... offer lots!
Seems that Amazon and Google offers authors so much now in the way of Marketing their books. Be sure to check out all their services. Especailly the reviewing of other books, and list making. Never know whats going to push your book over the top.
Information for getting Celebrity Testimonials
Get those "more-bang-for-your-buck' testimonials for your back cover...This online database contains contact information for celebrities managers, agents and more...for over 54,000 celebrities and public figures worldwide. http://www.contactanycelebrity.com
Posted by: Kareen on Oct 23, 06
Typefaces and the readability of your interior
The interior of your book is just as important as the cover. Once your book is purchased you'll need to hold the readers attention. Certainly good content has a lot to do with it. Good editing and proofing as well. But the real reading is done from the type that is set... formated, sized and styled to hold the readers attention and make them feel comfortable and not want to put your book down. We have been "taught" by exposure to feel comfortabe with reading a typeface with "little feet" otherwise know as serifs. Typefaces such as Times Roman and Garamond are know as serif faces and when used for your interior text will give your reader an easy read. Typefaces such as Ariel and Futura are known as sanserif (without little feet) and are best used for heads, subheads or chart and graphs. Be sure to request test pages of your text layout for your approval before your book is formatted. Contact me with any questions.
Posted by: Kareen on Oct 23, 06
Photos scans for the interior of your book
I've written about this before... but it's such an important subject here it is again...
I can't encourage you enough to contact a knowledgeable professional if you are planning on having one or hundreds of photo/illustration images on the inside of you book. There are so many "if's" involved and the wrong road could cost not only money but quality in the end product. Be sure that your images are scanned at least 300 dpi, color or grayscale (color can be converted to B&W), jpg, or preferrably tiff and at least 5'x7' in size. Do not scan already printed images unless that is the only image available and then you might want to invest in a service to do it for you; 72dpi images won't work unless they begin as a large file in size ie: 22" so when they are downsized to 5x7 &300dpi the quality will still be there; don't scan directly into MS Word, the printer needs individual digital files.
Posted by: Kareen on Oct 23, 06
Your Manuscript...typing not like it used to be...!
When we were taught typing on a regular typewritter we were told to double space after a period "." but with computers this might cause problems when typesetting your book with a professional designer. You see, type is programmed to allow extra space automatically after periods and if you put in two spaces then you might have more space than you need depending on the final typeface being used. I find that omitting the extra space helps the manuscript read better. However, I do suggest you keep the two spaces if an "A" begins the next sentence...it just works better! I know, so many things to remember... after the first time this happens and you have to go back and omit all the extra spaces I promise you, you won't do it again! That is of course assuming you don't like the extra space...some people do...it's of course your preference! For a sample Go to:One Space vs. Two Space Sample
Posted by: Kareen on Oct 23, 06
Books designed with CDs - some things to consider
Should you put a CD in your book or not? or do you create a book designed with all the stuff in it that might go in the CD? good questions. If your book is not sealed, shrink wrapped, the CD could be easily taken and then your book is not sellable and the book store will return it to you...not good. The concept of the CD is good...or a least the concept of extended material, forms, info that is place on the CD is good. Try an alternative to this by setting up a link where book buyers can go, and login, a good way to a create mailing list, to pick up the extra info in the form of .pdf or pay-for-download situation. This will increase traffic to your site as well as help you build a targeted mailing list.
Posted by: Kareen on Oct 23, 06
Making the most of you Book Cover Design
Tue Oct 10, 2006
Another suggestion on how to make you book stand out from the others... use different paper types, embossing, foil stamping, die cuts, and special PMS call out colors all help make your cover be noticed. Quality percieved and real is worth every cent you might spend on the process...so when having your cover designed, ask your professional book cover designer...me!!... about what's possible for your cover... as some 'special' items are not possible with digital printing but are very available with offset.
Posted by: Kareen on Oct 10, 06
Reviews...how they help move your book sales
Tue Oct 03, 2006
Amazon and most other book sales sites depend on the reveiws buyers give to the books that are listed...so...list some...there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't post a review of your own book! Extend your opinion to possible readers...don't let your book just sit there waiting for a review...take the initiative and put the first one up yourself. The websites algorithm examines the number of reveiew and rank of the reviews when determining exposure levels... and we all know what that means! Call your friends, family, anyone you know to submit a review and make them 5-star reviews, and state that your book was informative and helpful or any other appropriate words that will motivate that next person out there looking to buy your book. The Amazon computer likes books that receive 5-star and considered helpful information. Solicit reviews from others, after you write a review for yours begin writing reviews on all the books you've read and post to their listings rememebering to mention your book in the review...(for example, "this review by the author of --name of your book here--- or also recommended by the author of --- name of book and info ----
Posted by: Kareen on Oct 3, 06
Effective book marketing
Thu Nov 17, 2005
Magazine, Newspaper, mailers, and Television advertising is expensive. More often than not, it's also fruitless for most first-time authors. The return on investment for these forms of book marketing is usually dismal without a brand name or established hype to supplement it. The general exception to this, is in support of scheduled personal appearances such as book signings or speaking engagements.
Websites on the other hand, can be very inexpensive to build and maintain, and if done right can help you connect to an audience of millions. Googles Blogger and the Open Source WordPress are both free and easy to use for the novice, and offer numerous templated site designs to choose from.
A website though, regardless of how attractive or interesting it might be, is just about worthless if people can't find it - and they won't until the search engines start listing it and other websites begin linking to it. The Internet you'll find, is a vast and competitive place - so you'd better do your homework and be prepared to put in a real effort if you want to get noticed!
The good news is, it isn't all that hard...
If you do a search, you'll notice that the web is over-flowing with tips, schemes, and secrets on how to get listed and achieve top page rankings with Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, AOL, and the lessor known engines – forgeddaboudit.
What works is to have a clean, fast loading and easily navigable site that's chock full of interesting and relevant content that's updated regularly - exchanging links with quality, relevant sites such as your own, plus a free listing by an organization called DMOZ but more commonly referred to as the Open Directory Project, or ODP.
It frequently takes months for the ODP editors (yes, these are human volunteers - so be nice!) to get around to reviewing your site, but once you're in - good stuff starts happening! Just be sure to carefully read and follow their instructions about submitting your site to them - and remember they get thousands of submittals each day; their policy is first come - first served, so busy yourself with the following step while you're waiting...
Create more great content for your website! The search engines love depth and the more quality material you can add really helps.
Posted by: Kareen on Nov 17, 05
RSS, Podcasting, Blogging, Print-On-Demand, eBooks - Connecting with an audience.
The world of mass media has changed, and if you're not keeping up with the new technology you'll miss out on some amazing innovations that could put you and your book in the spotlight.
BLOGGING
Blogging, or more simply "blogs", are a form of website that is updated frequently with links, images, commentary, or anything else you like. New items go on top and older items flow down the page. Blogs can be political journals, personal diaries, or business related; they can focus on one narrow subject or range across a plethora of topics. For the author - blogging offers the potential to connect to, or develop a broad readership base in a timely and cost-efficient way.
RSS
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary (depending on who you're talking to) and is a format for syndicating news or other user definable content - known as a "feed" - that can then be viewed using a reader application - also called a news "aggregator" - such as NetNewsWire for Mac or FeedDemon for Windows users. Simply put, RSS lets you the author quickly share your thoughts and ideas by publishing to the web, while giving readers the convenience of grabbing these news feeds and viewing them together in a simple, ad-free list (that can be keyword specific) instead of having to navigate through multiple websites to find the information they're looking for. This ability to zero in on only the articles that interest the reader by entering a topic keyword into the RSS search field is highly addictive for those of us who have become dis-enchanted with much of the crap being served up by the major search engines.
PODCASTING
This technology is a new twist on RSS syndicated content feeds, only instead of pushing text from blogs and news sites to various content aggregators, podcasting sends audio content. This allows individuals to create their own radio shows and deliver them over the Internet to be played on listeners computers or mobile devices such as Apples hugely popular iPod and even on mobile phones.
PRINT-ON-DEMAND
While not exactly a new technology for those of us who have been using it for the last few years, and the so-called vanity presses have flooded the market with stigmatizing books using this printing model; it remains a brilliant, fast, and cost-effective method to test market new titles, or publish titles with limited niche market demand. Traditional publishers are using it, and it makes sense for the self-publisher too.
EBOOKS
Like print-on-demand, eBooks aren't really "new" anymore, but new things are being done with them so it's time to take a fresh look. Simple to make and distribute, eBooks are growing in popularity. eBook sales have been growing in double-digit numbers; a total of 419,962 eBooks were sold in the third quarter of 2004 alone – an 11% increase over the same period in 2003, during which time 377,095 units were sold. With this growing acceptance, eBooks are also becoming an innovative way for authors to reach their fans directly and deliver new material without the wait and expense of traditional book publishing.
Posted by: Kareen on May 05, 05
Want book sales? Get yourself a 'Platform'
Is there a realistic formula to generating substantial book sales without a gazillion dollar marketing campaign or a rave reveiw from Oprah? There is, and it amounts to building a "platform" – industry lingo for a regular column, blog, newsletter, or seminar that allow an author to pitch to a ready-made audience.
An increasing number of nonfiction authors who have found success these days have parlayed their platform into book sales; T. Harv Eker, Jeffrey Gitomer, Rick Warren, and Joel Osteen (among others) are hitting the bullseye because they built an audience before they wrote their books which is why we're seeing so many successful bloggers landing book deals with major publishers lately.
Posted by: Kareen on Apr 03, 05
The power of blogs...
Tue Mar 01, 2005
The potential of blogs for the book author who is struggling to grow a readership is simply staggering. So far in the news, it’s been more a case of bloggers being catapulted into the role of book author, but the reverse shows equal promise of becoming the next big thing for self publishing authors. Book marketing and publicity is all about access; an interesting, well run, and frequently updated blog can achieve an audience of immense proportions for your material, and for little or no financial investment.
Blogging can be thought of as a continuous conversation of sorts, a conversation that propagates throughout the Internet by word of mouth in the form of links or emails between interested readers. What separates it from the static web pages we’re used to seeing, is an informal, more intimate exchange of dialog that creates a sense of community – only this community isn’t simply one website, but an amalgamation of several linked together as lists of links to other blogs. These lists are called blogrolls, and are the life-blood of the successful blog. But you can actually think of them as recommendations.
Link by cherished link, some bloggers have developed readerships numbering in the millions – becoming celebrities of sorts within the blogosphere, and even transcending the Internet into mainstream media. But the more obscure niches are finding an audience as well – which is the real power of blogs, and a source of optimism for the modern day author-entrepreneur.
It’s now possible for a successful title to never see the light of day in a brick-and-mortar bookstore.
Combined with print-on-demand and/or eBook technology, it’s now possible to write, edit, design, print, market, and distribute a book entirely electronically – completely on a do-it-yourself basis. Any of the technical steps you don’t care to tackle can be outsourced to the burgeoning number of freelance professionals online. Your book can readily incorporate the production values normally associated with name-brand publishers, and rival in quality most of what can be found on the shelves at your local Barnes & Noble.
If you consider the evolving online buying habits of consumers, your book needn’t ever see the light of day in a brick-and-mortar bookstore to be successful. Chris Anderson wrote in his article The Long Tail:
“The average Barnes & Noble carries 130,000 titles. Yet more than half of Amazon's book sales come from outside its top 130,000 titles. Consider the implication: If the Amazon statistics are any guide, the market for books that are not even sold in the average bookstore is larger than the market for those that are.”
Posted by: Kareen on Mar 01, 05
The Author-Entreprenuer
The current print on demand self publishing industry was built on vast numbers of hopeful people betting on the common dream of becoming a best-selling author; and some of the self publishing companies that fueled this notion skyrocketed from nowhere to being counted among the largest publishers on the planet. Ok, some of these authors were more grounded in reality, but there's little doubt a great many were fantasizing about grabbing the brass ring.
A year ago, just about any self publishing services company website you visited was actively pitching the "dream" of becoming a published author. Hinting that perhaps you had a shot at "best seller" status and tailoring their marketing to that message. But take a look at the industry leaders now and you'll find the emphasis they place on their offerings has changed to the more practical aspects in publishing such as distribution, design, royalty-agreements, and marketing.
The huge numbers of "first-timers" that fueled the initial growth of these companies is dwindling as the market begins to mature and the hype fades. Not too long ago, one such company proudly announced on their website they'd just paid out their "millionth dollar" in author royalties, while on the same page touting that more than ten thousand authors had published with them. Oops–some people did the math and cracks in the facade began to appear.
So is the industry dying? Not by a long shot, but it's my guess that the landscape is in for a pruning in the near future. On a positive note, there are people making lots of money in self publishing other than the publishing companies themselves. I call them "Author-Entrepreneurs". This, in my definition, is someone who builds a small (in some instances, not so small) business around their book or books as the case may be, and actually educates themselves on the industry and works it as a business enterprise.
If I had to choose an example to share with you, I'd first point you to Jack Canfield and Mark Hansen's story http://www.chickensoup.com/AboutUs.html for inspiration, and then to Seth Godin http://www.sethgodin.com for ideas on where to put your perspiration. Few people can hit me over the head with great business insight like Seth Godin, and he's just done it again with his new business primer called "The Bootstrappers Bible".
Posted by: Kareen on Feb 05, 05
Sunday, December 9, 2007
The legitimacy of self-publishing
Thu Jan 06, 2005
Print-on-demand (POD) book publishing is not a "new thing" anymore. Tens of thousands of authors have already blazed that particular trail and for an assortment of reasons ranging from editorial control to timeliness. It's a good thing that's only going to get better in the near future, and here's an example of the direction I believe it will take:
Imagine this scenario; You're at your local bookstore and decide to purchase the latest Stephen King novel. There's a sample on the shelf (I love to browse, don't you?) but you actually make your purchase by plugging in your iPod and downloading your licensed copy (and in any language, or format you choose!) in just a few seconds. You then stroll over to the front counter and pick up your freshly printed and bound book (completed in under a minute) before heading over to the music store to do much the same thing. And by the way, Stephen got his cut of the purchase price deposited into his bank account almost instantly, as did the bookstore for printing it. There were no middlemen, inventory expenses, or shipping costs standing between the artist and consumer so you also paid less for the product while the author earned more.
Science fiction? Nope. It's almost here. Work-at-home software developers are selling their products directly to the end user over the internet and finding success. Audio books are already available from the Apple music store, as of course is music, and Xerox is building relatively compact machines that will print 800 pages in under a minute, print a full color cover, trim and bind it, and produce a finished book almost indiscernible from what we find on book shelves today, and all this is done almost automatically.
Books, magazines, music, software, and even movies are already being self-published and made available to a worldwide audience on a rapidly increasing basis and delivered to the end user almost effortlessly in this, or a variation of this manner.
Because these products are stored digitally, there's no need to stock an inventory and shelf space also becomes less of an issue, allowing for an unlimited number and variety of titles to be made available. Amazon.com has defined the current retail model for this, and Lightning Source (a subsidiary of Ingram Industries Inc., and the prevailing leader of print-on-demand books) prints more than 30 billion words per month and maintains a content library of 175,000 plus orderable titles.
Out-of-the-box WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) software and modern computer technology are making the more technical aspects of producing quality content fairly simple for the average person too. There are kids creating their own movies complete with "Hollywood" special effects, internet radio stations broadcasting from home computers, and sophisticated, magazine style "Blogs" on every subject under the sun.
Posted by: Kareen on Jan 06, 05
Free books?
Sun Dec 05, 2004
Most book author's today would be well advised to take a crash course in modern advertising and marketing techniques if they want to be competitive in the 21st Century marketplace.
My all time favorite marketing strategist is Seth Godin http://www.sethgodin.com who initially came to my attention because I heard through the grape vine that he had some fresh new ideas on marketing in this the information age, that his ideas were directly applicable to my business, and that he would share his insights with me for free.
Bestselling author, entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed "agent of change" Seth Godin has a message and if you're a book author, you'd be smart to study how he's delivering it. Take his book "Unleashing The Ideavirus" for example; Defying conventional wisdom Godin initially gave it away –yes, free- under a creative commons license http://www.creativecommons.org and it became the most popular ebook written to date. More than 1,000,000 people downloaded the digital version of this book.
How did he benefit? By giving it away as an ebook, he was actually implementing his own “Ideavirus” and creating a demand which he then fulfilled by later releasing a printed version that catapulted to Amazon’s Top 10 Bestseller list and, perhaps more importantly, created a world-wide readership for subsequent books he authored and even a movement http://www.vbma.net based upon his concepts.
Could giving away your book (or even just part of it) work for you? Might you actually sell more books because you provided the text for free? Stanford Law School professor Lawrence Lessig http://www.lessig.org and sci-fi writer Cory Doctorow http://www.craphound.com among others, are testing that very notion but there's more to it than freebies.
It's a cinch that Seth Godin has never heard of me, but I've purchased all of his books since downloading Unleashing The Ideavirus and I regularly visit his website and even refer friends. How did this happen? While I enjoyed his book and it's concepts ring true; what keeps me going back is his blog http://sethgodin.typepad.com where he keeps track of marketing trends, points out good (and bad) ideas he's found, and gives away more useful information that I can put to use - and oh, by the way, let's me know when he's got a new book out and gives me reasons to buy it.
Posted by: Kareen on Dec 05, 04 |
