Self Published Authors

"Self Published Authors" Bi-Monthly Newsletter
Helping self-published authors promote and market their books and share information and resources.

April 1, 2008 Volume 4: Issue 11
Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.selfpublishedauthors.com

By Subscription Only! You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter.

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Editor's Notebook
2. Newsletter Submission Guidelines
3. Feature Article by Judy Cullins
4. Resource Links
5. Review by Dan Shaurette
6. Free Products, Services, and Downloads
7. Interview with Patricia Fry by Dan Shaurette
8. Upcoming Events
9. Promotion Article by Dan Poynter
10. Reciprocal Links
11. Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information

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1: EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
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Welcome to the April 2008 newsletter for SelfPublishedAuthors.com. For those of you who are new to the website and newsletter, welcome and I hope you enjoy the issue. Thank you for visiting the website and subscribing to the list. To the regulars out there, welcome back for another issue.

In this issue is an interview with Patricia Fry and a review of her latest book, THE RIGHT WAY TO WRITE, PUBLISH AND SELL YOUR BOOK: Your Complete Guide to Successful Authorship. This excellent resource for writers should not be missed.

As always, if you have questions, comments, suggestions, or if you'd like to contribute, be interviewed, add an event or have a request, please reply to this email, or drop a line to me at: editor@selfpublishedauthors.com. If you are interested, don't hesitate to send a query my way.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the issue!

Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.DanShaurette.com

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2: NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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The newsletter for SelfPublishedAuthors.com is here to provide a resource for all authors. Obviously, I want to help you succeed in your writing, self-publishing efforts, and self-promotion. I have received a few requests from fellow authors asking what they can do to promote their books in the newsletter.

I am always happy to help promote an author and their works in the newsletter. That's what we're here for. That being said, the best I can do is one of the following.

If you are interested in writing an article about your experiences as a self-published author, I would be more than happy to consider it for publication. If I publish the article, I will give you space for a signature box that you could use to promote yourself and your book.

If you would like to send me an ARC copy of your book, eBook format preferred, I would be happy to review it and interview you. The interview would most likely be what gets published in the newsletter, but reviews of recommended books may also be published. Please note, I have already been presented with some works to read, so please query me first before sending your books.

If you have a book signing coming up, we do try to list those when they are timely. Remember our newsletter is published in February, April, June, August, October, and December. If you host a class or workshop, or have a website that promotes a writer's resource, please let us know about it. All links about such events are provided free of charge. Your name, location, dates, and contact info. will be presented.

If instead you are just interested in placing an advertisement in the newsletter for your book or website, I'll ask for some patience. I am re-evaluating various plans for advertising in both the newsletter and the website.

Currently there are places for you to list your books, websites, and even join our banner ad exchange. You can also feel free to post in our forums and tell us about yourself and your books. As soon as I figure out a new model for classified ads in the newsletter, I will let you all know. Thank you for your patience.

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3: FEATURE ARTICLE by Judy Cullins
Write Articles for Book Marketing -- 7 Reasons Why
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If you have spent time and money down the drain waiting for "word of mouth" to kick in, or multiple hours on networking meetings, you may want to investigate this number one way to publicize your web site, book, or service. Beginners welcome. And, once you learn the skills, you can delegate it all to your office assistant.

Seven Reasons to Write Articles:

1. It's free.

Top web sites, blogs, and article directories want your articles. They don't charge you to submit your article. Thousands of daily visitors come to find out more about different topics. They appreciate your knowledge and unique approach to it. They get the articles free. You get to include your powerful web bio or signature file that attracts new people to your web site where your sales letters for your seminars, products, and service are. In blogs, you can include a link to where you sell your books.

2. You can reach from 10,000 to 500,000 of your targeted audience each day that you submit an article.

These people surf the top sites in their fields and article directories to get free information. When your articles get published, you will be at the top of well-known online business people who provide a great service. Remember Bill Gates' prediction: After 2000, you either take your business online, or you won't have one.

3. You will spend far less time promoting online than more traditional ways.

You spend from one to five hours a week to write articles. Your article will be 300-900 words. And, you can delegate the submissions to your virtual or in-office computer assistant. Total time promoting? Less than five hours a week. This is the best marketing investment because your articles show your audience that you are the savvy expert in your field, and you will become a household name. The more articles you write related to your book or business, the more Online exposure you will get with links back to your web site.

4. Submitting articles is seven times as effective as any other promotion because when you submit many articles, you become known as the savvy expert, and your market will flock to your web site.

After you write ten articles, you can leverage them to many other articles with a different angle or audience. This outstanding viral marketing technique will bring many new opportunities because many of the people who read them will contact you to publish on their site, be interviewed as the expert, and be featured in their book. See how the good word spreads?

5. You can raise your own ezine subscribers from 10-25 every day you submit an article to multiple high-traffic web sites and article directories.

After reading six or seven of your ezines, your targeted audience who came to you through these articles, trusts you more, believes in you, and eventually becomes a client or customer.

6. You reach your targeted audience for your service

Let's say you are a career coach. You write articles that relate to that topic. You send them to top web sites, blogs, or article directories each week. Your audience visits these sites because they want and need your information. They notice your fabulous web bio and go for your free offer. That's far better than article blasting services because you directly hit your targeted audience--wanting what you have to offer.

7. Your book brands your business.

Once thousands of people have read your articles, they will share your information with their friends and associates. They will visit your web site to check out your book's sales letter. This branding works for speakers, consultants and coaches, solo professionals, and other small businesses.

It's not who you know. It's who knows you. The internet changes your promotion game in ways you'll appreciate, because you will not have to spend much time or money promoting.

Start writing short articles now, and see how this great exposure to eager online readers and web surfers in your field will bring your book and business big success.
___

Copyright © 2008 Judy Cullins. Reprinted with permission.
Book and Internet Marketing Coach Judy Cullins helps businesses get all the clients and sell all the books they want. Author of 13 books including How to Write your Book Fast, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Targeted Web Traffic, Advanced Article Marketing - Nine Mistakes and How to Solve Them, and Advanced Article Three Book Program. Judy offers 256 articles and free eBook "Book Writing and Marketing Tips" with monthly ezine subscription at http://www.bookcoaching.com and http://www.advancedarticlemarketing.com
Email her at judycullins@cox.net or Phone: 619/466-0622

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4: RESOURCE LINKS
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THE LERUE REVIEW - Publisher and Newsletter seeking writers
Reno publisher, LeRue Press, LLC., is looking for writers that would like to review books. They offer a copy of the book you will review and a byline in their soon to be released publication The LeRue Review. The LeRue Review will be online and in print in the Reno/Sparks area. We expect to reach 2500-3500 subscribers with our first run. We invite you to check out our website for other writing opportunities.

We are also looking for article writers for The LeRue Review. We will pay $10 and up for each accepted article. We do ask that you consult us before submitting articles. We have some specific categories we are seeking. You may e-mail us at mfriesen@leruepress.com.

Finally, LRP Printing, a division of LeRue Press, LLC is available for Print-On-Demand and small book runs. You can find them at http://www.leruepress.com/lrpprinting.html/.

Marie Friesen
P.O. Box 19694
Reno, NV 89511
Home of The LeRue Review
http://www.leruepress.com/

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5: REVIEW by Dan Shaurette
THE RIGHT WAY TO WRITE, PUBLISH AND SELL YOUR BOOK:
Your Complete Guide to Successful Authorship by Patricia Fry
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Genre: Non-fiction/Reference - Publishing
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Matilija Press
ISBN: 9780977357628
Price: $19.95 USD

It would be a tragic understatement to say this book is a comprehensive discussion of writing and self-publishing topics. Patricia Fry has laid out for the reader nothing short of a step-by-step manual for anyone who wants a career as a self-published author. The book is full of advice and anecdotes, checklists, directories of resources, samples and examples, and more. It explores all topics ranging from book proposals, to writing advice, how to find an editor and publisher, how to promote yourself, and what you can expect along the way.

Patricia is the President of SPAWN, the Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network. She is the author of many books and articles on the subject of writing and publishing, and brings her years of experience directly into the book.

For such a massive collection of information, she has made a great effort to categorize and organize it all so that the reader can find exactly what they are looking for. It makes a better textbook on the craft than any I've ever read.

Note also that while she does share her opinions on every topic, she's sure not to steer the reader down any primrose path. We all know there's no one solution to turn your dreams of becoming a published author into reality. Her book lists all avenues, with their pros and cons, and straight answers to the questions we all ask.

Then if that wasn't enough, she also sells THE AUTHOR'S WORKBOOK companion to THE RIGHT WAY. In it, she breaks everything out into checklists and forms to help guide the reader in their progress. It goes hand-in-hand with the book, and really fleshes out key concepts for beginning writers.

All told, this is a great book for old hands and new writers alike, and that is what I like most of all. This book deserves to not only be on your bookshelf, but truly on your desktop along with all of your tools of the trade.

To find out more about Patricia Fry and her books, visit http://www.MatilijaPress.com/ and http://www.SPAWN.org/.
___

Copyright © 2008 Dan Shaurette. Reprinted with permission.
Besides being the newsletter editor for http://SelfPublishedAuthors.com/, Dan is the author of LILITH'S LOVE, a modern vampire romance novel, which you can learn more about at http://Liliths-Love.com/. You can find out about all of his projects at http://DanShaurette.com/.

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6: FREE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, and DOWNLOADS
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LANGUAGE IS A VIRUS - Games and tools for writers
Writer's block? Cure writer's block with creative writing games, brainstorming widgets, poetry generator, character name generator, and more. Brainstorming and creative writing techniques galore. Have fun while working your writing muscle.
http://www.languageisavirus.com/

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7: INTERVIEW: Patricia Fry by Dan Shaurette
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Patricia Fry is the President of SPAWN, the Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network. She is the author of 28 books and many articles on the subject of writing and publishing, and brings her years of experience directly into her work.

She recently released the second edition of her comprehensive book on writing, publishing, and promotion entitled THE RIGHT WAY TO WRITE, PUBLISH AND SELL YOUR BOOK: Your Complete Guide to Successful Authorship. The book is truly a step-by-step manual for anyone who wants a career as a self-published author. It is full of advice and anecdotes, checklists, directories of resources, samples and examples, and more.

DS: Patricia, thank you for this opportunity to interview you. Though it is a large book, I really appreciated everything that you detailed in so many topics. There was no chapter inside where I didn't learn something new and I always enjoy learning more, especially about this industry.

PF: Thank you Dan. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to hopeful and struggling authors through my books (I have 11 on writing/publishing-related topics) and interviews such as this one. In an industry where approximately 3/4 of titles fail each year, authors certainly need information and knowledge. It's their insurance against failure.

DS: In a marketplace full of other books about writing and publishing, written in many cases, I imagine, by friends and colleagues, what makes your book stand out?

PF: Yes, I do have many friends and colleagues with books related to writing and publishing. Most of these books focus on one aspect of publishing or writing--self-publishing, book promotion, writing fiction, making money through your writing, etc. Mine is unique in that I've attempted to capture the entire scope of the publishing industry: your options, the possible consequences of your choices and your responsibilities as a published author. I want hopeful and struggling authors to understand something about the industry before getting involved. But I also walk the author through the entire process of publishing whether they want to land a traditional royalty publisher, go with a fee-based POD "self-publishing" company or self-publish in the traditional way--establish their own publishing company.

DS: Did you sit down with the intent to write this because you felt there was a need for one "complete guide", or was this the result of a lot of previous works you wanted to collect together?

PF: As the president of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) and as a professional in the writing/publishing field, I travel and I meet a lot of authors. Many authors tell me the same story of failure. They are disillusioned with the industry, deflated and broke after making some bad choices. They tell me, in essence, that if only they had spent more time studying the industry, they might have made better choices. Most of them didn't know they had options. They just went with the first "publisher" who expressed an interest in their manuscripts. So I decided to write a book designed to educate hopeful authors so they would be more well-prepared and definitely informed when they entered into the world of publishing.

DS: How long have you been writing professionally, and do you think your purpose has changed over time?

PF: I started writing for publication in 1973. I began dreaming of writing articles for magazines when my three daughters were babies and vowed that someday I would follow this dream. In 1973, when my girls were in their early teens, I sat down at a borrowed manual typewriter, set up in the corner of my bedroom and I wrote my first article. I began writing to fulfill my own creative desires. I guess I needed to be published in order to validate my writing. But I also wanted to help and teach through my writing. I've told people for years that I can't not write and this is still true. And I continue in my efforts to teach and help. So, while my writing focus has changed over the years (I write fewer articles and more books), my purpose hasn't changed all that much,

DS: When you first started writing and tried to get published, how hard was the process? Do you find it to be easier today, or do the choices available makes the process even more difficult?

PF: The first article I wrote I sold to the first magazine I submitted it to. I also sold my first book to the initial publisher I approached. You don't hear about this happening in today's highly competitive market. But I had done my homework. I studied the magazines before I submitted, so I knew what was lacking, what type of articles they used, their submission policy, etc. The same is true of my approach to the publishing house. My book fit a niche market and I chose a publisher that published books in this niche--books for horse enthusiasts.

DS: How much time do you devote to marketing your books and what has worked the best for you?

PF: I guess I market my books constantly, through my informative blog (which I add to daily) http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/, through articles for writing/publishing-related magazines and newsletters, through presentations to authors, through SPAWN and so forth. I found you through a mention on my Google Alerts and contacted you about reviewing my book. While I certainly have other projects going on--those for clients as well as my own--the task of marketing my books is always on the front burner and I take every opportunity to promote them.

DS: Do you travel often to promote your book, or focus on other means?

PF: I use any and all means that occur to me and take advantage of marketing opportunities as they are presented. For example, if someone contacts me with a question about a publisher or how to determine the genre of their book or do they really need a book proposal, I will respond in the most detail possible and then I always recommend one of my books that I think would most benefit them--generally it is THE RIGHT WAY TO WRITE, PUBLISH AND SELL YOUR BOOK. But yes, I also travel. I participate in approximately eight or ten writers' conferences, writers' group meetings and book festivals each year both locally and in other locations. I'll be conducting a 3-hour seminar on writing a book proposal in Atlanta at the Spring Book Show (Georgia World Congress Center) March 29, 2008. I have to be in Nashville for the PMA Affiliate Retreat the following week, so, with the help of a writers' group leader in Nashville, I've set up a workshop and book signing at a local Borders Bookstore on March 31. I taught 5 workshops at the San Diego State University Writers' Conference in January. I'll travel to Baltimore for a writers' conference in May and I'll be in Phoenix in October. There are about half dozen events locally here in Ventura County, CA that I'll be participating in this year. Plus, I'll be in the SPAWN booth with my books at the gigantic Los Angeles Times Book Festival.

DS: Where was the most exciting place you've been on tour?

PF: By far it was Dubai in the Middle East. I went there as a guest of the Toastmasters. I was the first woman ever to be invited to deliver the keynote speech at their annual Toastmasters convention. I spoke in front of 800 Toastmasters from the UAE, of course and Kuwait, Behrain, Saudi Arabia, Qa'tar, Pakistan, etc. for an hour. And this was an all expenses paid trip including a first class flight. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the people. They are most gracious. While my speech was not on writing--I spoke on creativity as a speaker--I took a dozen copies of the first edition of THE RIGHT WAY TO WRITE, PUBLISH AND SELL YOUR BOOK and sold them all within a period of 5 or 10 minutes.

DS: What was the impetus behind SPAWN? Were you involved with it from the beginning, or was it a network that you joined and later came to manage?

PF: Mary Embree, author of "Author's Toolkit" started SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) in 1996 and I came along for the ride. I was with her from the beginning when we used to have face-to-face meetings in three counties each month. The Internet eventually became a more important way for authors to meet up and we closed down the real time meetings and became an Internet presence only. Mary's idea was for authors, graphic artists, printers, illustrators, booksellers, to network and maybe even collaborate on projects. This is still going on through SPAWN and we have also become a major resource center for anyone interested in publishing. I write the incredibly useful SPAWN Market Update each month for members only. It is designed to keep a finger on the pulse of the industry and I always include opportunities for freelance writers, authors seeking publishers and authors promoting books, artists, screenplay writers, etc. I include resources for folks interested in publishing and I conduct interviews with people from the industry. The March edition features an interview with publicist, Kate Bando.

DS: What other projects are you actively involved in right now?

PF: As you can tell, my plate is pretty full. However, I have just finished writing a new book. It is a small ebook and it developed from a popular article I've been circulating on how to write a post-publication book proposal. The book is called, "The Author's Repair Kit." The subtitle is, "Heal Your Publishing Mistakes and Breathe New Life Into Your Book." It will be available soon at http://www.matilijapress.com/ and as a free giveaway book for new members joining SPAWN.

I also work with other writers and authors on their projects. I do editorial work, I help authors write their book proposals and so forth. I have some incredible testimonials from happy clients at my website. I also teach online courses on demand. This means that you can sign up at any time for one of my 6 or 8-week courses. The choices are "How to Write a Successful Book Proposal," "Book Marketing Course," "Establish a Freelance Writing Business," and "Self-Publishing." http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm/.

DS: You have written in a wide variety of genres. Is there any other subject that you have thought about tackling next?

PF: Hmmm, I have written a book for long-distance grandparents, for people who want to have a Hawaiian luau in their backyards, for horseback riding enthusiasts, for local history buffs, for those interested in youth mentoring and for teens who want to learn more about journal-keeping. But I am so focused, right now, on writing about writing and publishing, I can't see too far beyond this topic. This is my passion.

However, another passion of mine is cats. And I have a book of cat stories on the back burner. I would like to bring it out some day. Maybe I will.

DS: Is there anything in particular, an author or favorite book that influenced and inspired you?

PF: I've pondered this question before during interviews and can never come up with a great response. Actually, I feel as though I carved out the hand and footholds in the steep mountain toward publishing success so that I could make the climb to my goals and my dreams. It seems as though my inspiration came from within in the form of extreme desire and commitment.

There was a time in my life when I had to go out and get a job. I had been writing articles from the corner of my bedroom for about 13 years by then. I had completed two books and established a publishing company in order to produce the second one, a 360-page comprehensive history of the Ojai Valley, CA. But when circumstances in my life changed and I had to earn my own way, I realized that I wasn't making enough with my writing to support myself. The job was lovely, as far as jobs go, but I hated working on someone else's agenda. I wanted to go home and write. When I realized that a full-time job would be my future, I became despondent.

One day while walking, I realized that I had to figure out a way to write no matter what else was going on in my life. I started getting up at 4 every morning and writing before work. I also wrote on weekends. I completed my book--a memoir, "Quest for Truth" in 8 months on that schedule. I decided to use those two hours every morning to establish an article-writing career. Remember, this was back in the day before home computers. But I had graduated to an electric typewriter.

Within the next 7 months or so, I had established myself as an article-writer to the point that I could quit my job and I've been supporting myself through my writing ever since--for about 20 years.

DS: Your book is all about advice in all aspects of the business of writing. But if you had just one piece of advice for aspiring authors, what would it be?

PF: Good question. Study the publishing industry before getting involved. Know something about the business of publishing. When I go out and speak to authors, I generally share two pieces of advice. One is to study the publishing industry and the other one is write a book proposal. A book proposal can make the difference between a successful project and a failed attempt. You can learn volumes about your project and yourself as a potential author through a well-written, well-organized, well-researched book proposal.

DS: Thank you again, Patricia. I wish you and the folks at SPAWN all the best.

To find out more about Patricia Fry and her books, visit http://www.MatilijaPress.com/ and http://www.SPAWN.org/.
___

Copyright © 2008 Dan Shaurette. Reprinted with permission.
Besides being the newsletter editor for http://SelfPublishedAuthors.com, Dan is the author of LILITH'S LOVE, a modern vampire romance novel, which you can learn more about at http://Liliths-Love.com/. You can find out about all of his projects at http://DanShaurette.com/.

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8: EVENTS
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2008 BEACH BOOK FESTIVAL CALL FOR ENTRIES

The 2008 Beach Book Festival has issued a call for entries for its annual program spotlighting the hottest reads of the upcoming summer season.

The Beach Book Festival will consider self-published or independent publisher non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, teenage, how-to, science fiction, romance, comics, poetry, spiritual, compilations/ anthologies, history, business and health- oriented books published on or after Jan. 1, 2000.

Our grand prize for the 2008 Beach Book Festival is $1500 cash, a flight to Atlantic City for our casino-based awards program and a publicity campaign from Tracey Miller & Associates, a leading international PR firm, following the competition.

Submitted works will be judged for general excellence, i.e., the potential of the work to be an engaging beach read this summer season.

Deadline submissions in each category must be postmarked by the close of business on April 25, 2008. Winners in each category will be notified by e-mail. Please note that judges read and consider submissions on an ongoing basis, comparing early entries with later submissions at our meetings.

TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at http://www.beachbookfestival.com or may be faxed/e-mailed to you by calling 323-665-8080 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific time.

The 2008 Beach Book Festival is part of the JM Northern Media family of festivals, which includes the New York Book Festival, Hollywood Book Festival, London Book Festival and DIY Convention. The 2008 Beach Book Festival is sponsored by The Hollywood Creative Directory; Westside Websites com; Shopanista; eDivvy and The DIY Reporter.com.

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THE 2008 NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL - CALL FOR ENTRIES

The 2008 New York Book Festival has issued a call for entries to its annual program celebrating books that deserve greater recognition from the world’s publishing capital.

Last year, over 20,000 attendees enjoyed the beauty and serenity of Manhattan’s Central Park as they browsed books, listened to music and author readings and enjoyed our food vendors. This year, the June 28, 2008 edition of the day festival will offer expanded stages and new opportunities for authors, publishers, musicians and vendors.

The 2008 New York Book Festival will consider published, self-published and independent publisher non-fiction, fiction, children’s books, teenage, how-to, audio/spoken word, comics/’zines, e-books, poetry, wild card (anything goes!), unpublished stories, science fiction, horror, photography/art, romance and biography/autobiography works. Books published on or after January 1, 2000 are eligible for consideration.

Entries can be in English, Spanish, French or Italian and must be published on or after January 1, 2000. Our grand prize for the 2008 New York Book Festival Author of the Year is $1500 and a flight to New York for the June 27 awards and our June 28 day festival in Central Park.

Regular registration deadline submissions in each category must be postmarked by the close of business on May 25, 2008. Winners in each category will be notified by e-mail. Please note that judges read and consider submissions on an ongoing basis, comparing early entries with later submissions.

TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at http://www.newyorkbookfestival.com/. Forms may also be faxed/e-mailed to you by calling our office at 323-665-8080 or e-mailing us at NewYorkBookFest@aol.com.

VENDORS AND MUSICIANS: If you would like to be a part of our day festival in Central Park, please e-mail us at NewYorkBookFest@aol.com for an application.

The New York Book Festival is produced by JM Northern Media LLC, producers of the Hollywood Book Festival, DIY Convention, London Book Festival and DIY Book Festival, and is sponsored by The Hollywood Creative Directory, Westside Websites and Shopanista.

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9: PROMOTION ARTICLE by Dan Poynter
Your Book Promotion Foundation
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Because many smaller and newer book publishers are short of time and money, they must concentrate their resources in the most productive promotion areas. The mission is to tell the maximum number of opinion molders and potential buyers about your book at the least possible cost while expending the least possible amount of time. For most nonfiction books, publishers should follow a five-step plan. The first four steps will assure all the basic areas are covered and the fifth is where book marketing becomes creative and fun.

Whether you sell out to a publisher or publish yourself, the author must do the promotion. Publishers do not promote books. So, this advice is important to you whether you have a publisher or have self-published.

Customer/Reader.

First, sell directly to the user by promoting the book with book reviews, news releases, articles and by alerting your friends, relatives and associates with email. Book reviews are the least expensive and most effective promotion you can do for your book. If you are not sending out 300-500 review copies, you are not exploiting this form of free publicity.

News releases and articles are a way to keep your issue, name and book before the public after the book is out. If you are not sending out a news releases to all the magazines in your book's subject every month, you are missing out on a lot of free publicity. Naturally, book reviews and news releases will generate interest from wholesalers, bookstores, libraries and book clubs too. See
http://www.pma-online.org/coopcats_bfr.cfm
and
http://parapub.com/getpage.cfm?file=/bookprom.html

Spend your money on your book's cover and your creative energy on review copies, news releases and articles.

Tell the ultimate buyers of your new book with a pre-publication mailing offering them a copy hot off the press and tell them you will pay the shipping if they order now. Later, make periodic offers to small, highly targeted lists.

Bookstores.

Second. Get a distributor. Distributors have sales reps to visit the stores and get the orders, See
http://parapub.com/getpage.cfm?file=resource/promote.html
and
http://www.pma-online.org/benefits/tradedistribution.cfm

Bookstores are best contacted through cooperative bookstore mailings, targeted mailings to specialized bookstores, through special editions of appropriate magazines and the American Booksellers Association's Single Title Order Plan (STOP). See
http://www.pma-online.org/programs.cfm

Libraries.

Third. Since libraries are good pay but only order one book each, publishers cannot afford to spend a great deal of time and money pursuing them. It is best to use this seven-step library plan and move on to other areas of promotion.

Offer your book to Quality Books prior to printing. They will often take 200 copies or more directly from your printer. Other library wholesalers will order in dribs and drabs while Quality will give you a large early order. The secret is to let Quality know about your new book early enough. Fill out their New Book Information form and send it with a brochure, description, manuscript or galley well before you go to press.

Become a stock publisher with Baker & Taylor and get your book listed on their database. Notify all the library wholesalers about your book. Pursue reviews in the library review magazines such as Library Journal and ALA Booklist. Acquisition librarians read and believe reviews. Take part in the Publishers Marketing Association mailing to libraries. Make highly targeted mailings to appropriate special libraries and libraries with special collections. Finally, take part in special editions of appropriate book-trade magazines.
http://www.pma-online.org/library.cfm

Subsidiary rights.

The fourth area of book promotion is subsidiary rights. Most rights contacts can be handled via email and most should be pursued before the book goes to press. Some subsidiary rights are: periodical rights, condensation rights, anthology rights, book club rights, performing rights, translation rights, mass market reprint rights, and merchandising rights.

Nontraditional markets.

Fifth. Now that the basics are covered, you may (almost) forget about bookstores, libraries and subsidiary rights and concentrate your time, money and resources on the more lucrative nontraditional areas. Some of these non-book trade outlets are: specialty shops, local shops, catalogs, premiums, fund raisers, associations, the export market, and selling to the U.S. Government/military.

The nice things about specialty shops are that most buy in large quantities, pay in 30 days, feel a 40% discount is very generous and have never heard of returns. For example, Para Publishing's books on parachutes and skydiving are sold to parachute lofts (stores), skydiving schools, parachute catalog houses and to the U.S. Parachute Association for resale to its members.

Bookstores are not the only place to sell books--They aren't even a good place to sell books--In fact, bookstores are a lousy place to sell books. Sales to catalogs, for fund raising and to premiums buyers can take more time but the orders are much larger. They are worth the effort.

Don't miss marketing opportunities.

Many newer and smaller publishers come into this unique marketing arena with years of experience in other fields. While they are initially mystified by some of the book promotion basics that are required, they offer refreshing marketing creativity to the field. If you are new, cover the basics first, step-by-step, before you get creative.

With a pre-publication mailing to readers, some wholesaler orders, an order from Quality Books and some subsidiary rights (book club?) interest, you should sell enough books to exceed your print bill. Certainly, this is a nice target to aim for.

Publishing and promoting books is creative, invigorating and fun particularly when you are organized and have a plan to follow.
___

Copyright © 2003 Dan Poynter. Reprinted with permission.
Dan Poynter, the Voice of Self-Publishing, has written more than 100 books since 1969 including Writing Nonfiction and The Self-Publishing Manual. Dan is a past vice-president of the Publishers Marketing Association. For more help on book publishing and promoting, see http://ParaPublishing.com.

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10: RECIPROCAL LINKS
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LISTINGS:

ADD YOUR BOOK LISTING & AUTHOR BIO:
This is a marketing feature you don't want to miss:
http://www.selfpublishedauthors.com/books.php

JUDY CULLINS: Book and Internet Marketing Coach
Judy Cullins helps businesses get all the clients and sell all the books they want. Author of 13 books including How to Write your Book Fast, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Targeted Web Traffic, Advanced Article Marketing - Nine Mistakes and How to Solve Them, and Advanced Article Three Book Program. Judy offers 256 articles and free eBook "Book Writing and Marketing Tips" with monthly ezine subscription at http://www.bookcoaching.com and http://www.advancedarticlemarketing.com
Email her at judycullins@cox.net or Phone: 619/466-0622

SHIRLEY CHENG: Award-Winning Author
Miracle survivor, inspiring author and contributing author of seventeen books by age 24, poet, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, advocate, and a co-author in the bestselling WAKE UP...LIVE THE LIFE YOU LOVE book series. Board member of World Positive Thinkers Club.
Having a bad day? Then meet Shirley Cheng, A.K.A. the modern day Helen Keller, to inspire, empower, and motivate you to go for the gold medal in life! "Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!" Sign up to Inspiration from a Blind newsletter by sending an e-mail to: shirleynewsletter@shirleycheng.com
http://www.shirleycheng.com

SHAURETTENET: The Home Page of Dan Shaurette
- His Novel, LILITH'S LOVE - http://www.Liliths-Love.com
- Is This Thing On? Blog and Podcast - http://www.DanShaurette.com
- The Lurkers' Domain (creative writing forum) - http://lurk.us
All of this and more at: http://www.Shaurette.net

YOUR ADVERTISEMENT COULD BE HERE!
Contact Dan Shaurette for more information at editor@selfpublishedauthors.com

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11: Subscriber Management / Contact Information
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