Book Marketing Blogs

Book Expo America is turning out to be action-packed, at the show in NYC as well as online for Armchair BEA! Today we feature an interview with a book blogger, Heather from Capricious Reader, http://www.capriciousreader.com/. See what Heather has to say about blogging, what authors should know, and be sure to check out her blog!

1. What have you enjoyed most about having a book blog?

Oooooo good question! Making bookish friends, most definitely! It was one of main reasons I started my blog. I don’t know any one who reads like I do in my off-line life. My online bookish friends have been amazing additions to my life. They are irreplaceable! (more…)

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Have you ever wondered what all of this Internet jargon means? SEO, SEM, black hat SEO? It seems a bit like Greek, doesn’t it? Well I’ve broken down some terminology for you to help you navigate the Internet marketing sphere like a web 2.0 pro!

SEM: Search Engine Marketing. This is a term that refers to organic (non-paid) online marketing. This type of marketing will optimize results as well as your site the way no pay-per-click advertising campaign can.

SEO: Search Engine Optimization. This term refers to the back end stuff your web designer might do to optimize your web site for better search ranking.

Black Hat Marketing: also referred to as Black Hat SEO, this type of marketing is unethical and should be avoided at all costs. If you’re looking to hire a company to do an Internet campaign for you ask them point blank if they do any Black Hat marketing. They’ll no doubt deny it but it will put them on notice that you’re not a novice. You should only work with companies that do White Hat marketing. Examples of Black Hat are link farms that gather thousands of incoming links to a web site from irrelevant and inappropriate sites just to gather links.

Organic Online Marketing (also referred to Organic SEO): This is a term (much like SEM) that refers to organic marketing efforts online. If you’re hiring someone ask them if their work is organic. That’s important. Why? Because organic marketing leverages better results and better (read: ready to buy) customers.

Keyword stuffing: using keywords over and over again in an attempt to artificially inflate your search engine ranking (hint: once Google is on to you your site will drop in ranking like a ton of bricks)

Buzz Monitoring: used mostly by pr firms that specialize in Internet marketing, this term means to track conversations online, monitoring “buzz” as it were

Avatars: these are images, pictures, logos or whatever you chose that represent you in the virtual world. You’ll use avatars on everything from Facebook to Squidoo, Twitter, and even Second Life.

Link Baiting: a way in which web sites, blogs, podcasts, etc encourage incoming links from other sites. You “bait” the user, asking them to link to you for a special offer to their consumer base.

Consumer-generated media (CGM): any and all media generated by a consumer. This isn’t just on Web 2.0 properties like Facebook, Squidoo, and Twitter but also in forums and on message boards, even blog commenting is considered CGM

Pass-along factor: also referred to as the pass-along rate, this term is associated with viral marketing and means how often something is passed-on to another likeminded consumer.

Ping: we’ll often refer to as “pinging” a search engine, but what does it mean really? Well Ping is an acronym that stands for “packed Internet gopher” which essentially is an automatic notification sent to search engines when a blog or web site has been updated. Also, often your site/blog designer can incorporate various ping notifications to not only hit up the bigger search engines but some of the smaller ones as well!

Feeds (also called RSS Feeds): this refers to syndication from blogs, podcasts, even WordPress powered web sites. It’s important to have a feed attached to your blog so if you don’t, you might want to ask your web person about this.

Narrowcasting: as opposed to “broadcasting” this term refers to the ‘Nets ability to reach a very narrow, focused market. Narrowcasting is often the best way to promote yourself and your book/product/service.

RSS: stands for really simple syndication and refers to the syndication feeds on blogs, podcasts, web sites and social media sites.

Social Bookmarking: this is a way of storing your favorite sites (or pages within a site) on a public system like DIGG, Delicious, or Stumbled Upon. You can use this to both notify the world about great sites (including your own) but it’s also a great way to build traffic and incoming links!

Social Media: is an umbrella term used to describe Web 2.0 properties like Facebook, Squidoo, Twitter, YouTube, and Linkedin.

Tagging: this involves using keywords to catagorize online content (such as blog posts). These tags are often descriptors that help consumers find your content based on tag words

Wiki: much like Wikipedia, this describes an online workspace that multiple users can access, add to and update.

Mashups: this is a way of combining several services into one. In music mashups are referred to several songs that are brought together to create a new one. Online you can see mashups created by techies to combine the best elements of a web site into one. Mozilla (since it’s open-sourced code) has a number of mashups.

Today we have a Q & A with Wendy Burt-Thomas. She is a full-time freelance writer, editor and copywriter with more than 1,000 published pieces. Her third book, “The Writer’s Digest Guide to Query Letters” hit stores in January 2009. To learn more about Wendy or her three books, visit www.GuideToQueryLetters.com. If you have a writing-related question, you can also post it on http://AskWendy.wordpress.com.

1. Q: Can you tell us about your book?

The book was a great fit for me because I’d been teaching “Breaking Into Freelance Writing” for about eight years. In the workshop, I covered a lot of what is in this book: writing query letters to get articles in magazines, to land an agent, or to get a book deal with a publisher. Since I’m a full-time freelance magazine writer and editor with two previous books, this was incredibly fun to write because it didn’t require tons of research. I was lucky enough to receive lots of great sample query letters from writers and authors that I use as “good” examples in the book. I wrote all the “bad” examples myself because I didn’t dare ask for contributions that I knew I’d be ripping apart!

In addition to the ins and outs of what makes a good query, the book covers things like why (or why not) to get an agent, where to find one and how to choose one; writing a synopsis or proposal; selling different rights to your work; other forms of correspondence; and what editors and agents look for in new writers.

It was really important to me that the book not be a dry, boring reference book, but rather an entertaining read (while still being chock full of information). I was thrilled that Writer’s Digest let me keep all the humor.

2. Q: Why are query letters so important?

Breaking into the publishing world is hard enough right now. Unless you have a serious “in” of some kind, you really need a great query letter to impress an agent or acquisitions editor. Essentially, your query letter is your first impression. If they like your idea (and voice and writing style and background), they’ll either request a proposal, sample chapters, or the entire manuscript. If they don’t like your query letter, you’ve got to pitch it to another agency/publisher. Unlike a manuscript, which can be edited or reworked if an editor thinks it has promise, you only get one shot with your query. Make it count!

I see a lot of authors who spend months (or years) finishing their book, only to rush through the process of crafting a good, solid query letter. What a waste! If agents/editors turn you down based on a bad query letter, you’ve blown your chance of getting them to read your manuscript. It could be the next bestseller, but they’ll never see it. My advice is to put as much effort into your query as you did your book. If it’s not fabulous, don’t send it until it is.

3. Q: You’re also a magazine editor. What is your biggest gripe regarding queries?

Queries that show that the writer obviously hasn’t read our publication. I’ll admit that I did this when I was a new writer too – submitted blindly to any publication whose name sounded even remotely related to my topic. One of the examples I use was when I submitted a parenting article to a magazine for senior citizens. Oops! A well-written query pitching an article that’s not a match for the magazine isn’t going to get you any further than a poorly written query.

4. Q: There’s an entire chapter in the book about agents. Do you think all new writers should get agents?

Probably 99% of new writers should get an agent. There are lots of reasons, but my top three are: 1) Many of the larger publishing houses won’t even look at unagented submissions now; 2) Agents can negotiate better rights and more money on your behalf; 3) Agents know the industry trends, changes and staff better than you ever could.

5. Q: You’ve been a mentor, coach or editor for many writers. What do you think is the most common reason that good writers don’t get published?

Poor marketing skills. I see so many writers that are either too afraid, too uniformed, or frankly, too lazy, to market their work. They think their job is done when the write “the end” but writing is only half of the process. I’ve always told people who took my class that there are tons of great writers in the world who will never get published. I’d rather be a good writer who eats lobster than a great writer who eats hot dogs. I make a living as a writer because I spend as much time marketing as I do writing.

6. Q: What are some of the biggest misconceptions that writers have about getting a book deal?

That they’ll be rich overnight, that they don’t need to promote their book once it’s published, that publishing houses will send them on world book tours, that people will recognize them at the airport. Still, you can make great money as an author if you’re prepared to put in the effort. If it wasn’t possible, there wouldn’t be so many full-time writers.

7. Q: What must-read books do you recommend to new writers?

Christina Katz (author of “Writer Mama”) has a new book out called “Get Known Before the Book Deal” – which is fabulous. Also, Stephen King’s “On Writing” and David Morrell’s “Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing.” Anything by Anne Lamott or my Dad, Steve Burt.

8. Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a full-time writer?

Seize every opportunity – especially when you first start writing. I remember telling someone about a really high-paying writing gig I got and he said, “Wow. You have the best luck!” I thought, “Luck has nothing to do with it! I’ve worked hard to get where I am.” Later that week I read this great quote: “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” It’s absolutely true. And writing queries is only about luck in this sense. If you’re prepared with a good query and/or manuscript, when the opportunity comes along you’ll be successful.

9. What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Writing the “bad” query letters. I’ve read – and written! – so many horrible ones over the years that it was a little too easy to craft them. But misery loves company and we ALL love to read really bad query letters, right?

10. Q: What do you want readers to learn from your book?

I want them to understand that while writing a good query letter is important, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You can break it down into parts, learn from any first-round rejections, and read other good queries to help understand what works. I also want them to remember that writing is fun. Sometimes new writers get so caught up in the procedures that they lose their original voice in a query. Don’t bury your style under formalities and to-the-letter formatting.

1) Why would someone want to turn their book into a booklet?

This gives readers a bite-sized palatable introduction to a new topic in their life rather than first delving into a 200-page book as their first experience with new information. The booklet can be an overview of the most important concepts in the book, taking something from each chapter. Once the reader digests those basic ideas, they will be eager and ready for more, which becomes the full-length book. It also gives the reader a choice of which publication is their starting point, rather than a yes/no about whether to buy the book or not. This all gives the author greater sales opportunities.

2) I already wrote a book or I’m thinking of writing a book. How can a booklet help me?

Instead of creating only one booklet from a book, an author may decide to divide the book into as many booklets as there are chapters. Having a series of booklets provides much more revenue than a single book is likely to do. It also lets the reader buy segments of the book that would be most appealing. For the author who has yet to write the book and intends to, doing a series of booklets can be a painless way to write an entire book, and have something to sell before the entire book is completed.

3) How would you use a booklet to market your book?

It’s typical for a booklet author to specifically invite the reader to seek out the book, by adding on the last page “For more in-depth information on this topic, you’ll want to add our book… to your library today.” This is only one of many ways the booklet markets the book. The booklet can also be an inexpensive value-added item that is physically bundled with the book to enhance and increase the value of the purchase.

4) Are there particular types of books that work better for this?

Non-fiction books are often the easiest starting point for tips booklets. However, it is completely possible to create a tips booklet for a fiction book, focusing on some theme in the story or travel to the location in which the story is set or any number of other elements within a fiction book.

5) Is there a formula for writing an effective tip?

Create a tip by writing one sentence starting with a positive verb, telling the reader what to do. Follow that with one or two sentences explaining “why” or “how.”

6) What is a good way to choose a topic for a booklet?

The best topic is the one you are most enthused about and, ideally, is also the focal point of your business or cause.

7) Won’t a booklet keep people from buying my book(s) and services?

The booklet actually encourages more sales of your products and/or services by establishing your credibility and introducing you as a valued resource for more relevant information and/or service.

Can I write one booklet or do I have to write a whole series for this to work well?

Your personality and your business requirements will best dictate whether one booklet is all you need and want to do, or if it makes better sense to develop an entire series. Either way can and has been effective.

9) How does a booklet actually market and promote a business I have?

A booklet defines you as a trusted adviser, expert, and resource. Each time a copy of your booklet lands in anyone’s hands, you are educating them on your expertise and informing them of where  they can get more from you that will benefit their life.

10) Can this booklet be leveraged in some ways, maybe even into other products?

Entire information product lines, both hard copy and digital online, can be developed from a single 3,000-5,000 word tips booklet document. It is highly effective as a business owner to create your booklet in other formats that appeal to different learning styles, life circumstances, convenience, price considerations, and “wow” factor.  It is fairly common for people to want multiple formats of the same information so, at any point, they can choose to read or listen, store on their computer or read at the beach, or share with others in some way. Some formats have no development cost at all. Others can be nominal. The return on your investment can be huge. This is especially true when you become aware of the many opportunities to sell your products in very, very large quantities to corporations for them to use to promote their own product, service, or cause.

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Paulette Ensign

www.CollectionOfExperts.com

www.tipsbooklets.com

www.PublishingProsperity.com – recent birth

Follow me www.Twitter.com/pauletteensign

858-481-0890

San Diego, CA 92130

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Much like If I Did It, the confessional penned by OJ Simpson, Jewel of Medina is another book no publisher wanted (Random House bailed on the deal after being cautioned the book could offend the Muslim community) from the yet Eric Kampmann took it on. To find out why we went to the man himself for this in-depth and insightful interview.

1) Eric, tell us how you came to acquire this book?

The short answer is unexpectedly. I was watching the O’Reilly Factor on August 19, I believe. Laura Ingraham was hosting and she was discussing the title Jewel of Medina with guest Irshad Manji. I had heard all about this historical novel about Aisha the last wife of Muhammad and I had assumed another publisher had picked it up after Random House decided not to publish the book. The next day, I spoke to Beaufort’s Associate Publisher, Margo Atwell, about the book and we agreed that she should contact the agent to see what was going on. On Tuesday, September 2, we had a signed agreement.

2) Why did you decide to take it?

Beaufort is a young “can do” kind of publishing house. We look for reasons to publish a book; when we find a book that has the promise of success, both for the author and for us, we don’t get too bogged down with committees who often spend their time finding ways not to get things done. Ultimately, I made the decision to go ahead because we felt this book was a rare publishing opportunity for Beaufort. Sherry Jones has crafted a first rate work of historical fiction that was sidelined for reasons other than quality. We were in a position to help and so we decided to become involved. I am optimistic that we have made a great publishing decision, but of course, ultimately, the consumer will be the judge of that.

3) What is Beaufort’s core focus?

Beaufort is a general interest publishing company. Our books are sold through bookstores and other channels. We use Midpoint Trade Books for our sales, marketing and distribution services. They reach virtually every bookstore in the USA.

4) I know you’ve been asked this question a lot in recent interviews but doesn’t taking on this book worry you?

While I am not worry-free, I do not do an excessive amount of worrying about most issues that cross my desk. We are not looking for trouble and do not anticipate finding any either. Sherry Jones will do a great amount of TV, radio, print as well as speaking engagements and there will be some level of controversy, I am sure, but the earlier claims against this book were overheated, and, as far as I’m concerned, do not represent anything more than the negative opinion of an associate professor.

5) What safety precautions are you taking?

If we have reason to be concerned, we will take every necessary measure to protect the safety of our employees.

6) In the past year you’ve taken on two very controversial books, are you worried about getting branded?

Is “controversial” bad? We embraced controversy when we published If I Did It because we felt a huge responsibility to get the Goldman’s story out into the public sphere. Fred and Kim Goldman wanted that book out, not because they liked it, but because they viewed it as A TRUE CONFESSION. Finally OJ Simpson had confessed to the crime many believed he had committed. Justice sometimes comes wrapped in strange packages and in this case the package was in the form of a book. But nevertheless, If I Did It in some very tangible ways has brought Mr. Simpson to the place where he is today. We have just released an expanded paperback version of the book, including a new introduction by the Goldmans and a piece by their lawyer Peter Haven.

7) Were you vindicated in the end by taking on If I Did It given the book’s success (despite the sense from many that the book would hurt, not help, Beaufort?

I never considered vindication as part of my game plan. I had one job and that was to do everything in my power to make sure the book was well published. The public took care of the rest.

Do you feel obtaining this book is the reward for being successful with If I Did It, moving Beaufort into a new level?

There is no doubt the people at Beaufort and Midpoint gained a tremendous amount of self confidence by taking on a tough project and succeeded with it. We learned a great deal under fire and it worked out, but we did not create a new publishing model by succeeding with one book. We publish many good books, many of which do not receive a high level of public recognition, but we trudge on, taking each day as it comes and embracing each challenge as best we can.

9) What are your promotional plans for the author?

We will be starting out with high intensity national publicity, and will follow every positive path that opens up to us. We see a long term campaign.

10) What are your hopes for this book?

I had no idea how well If I Did It would do when I became involved. With Jewel of Medina and Sherry Jones we have a very powerful combination. I am confident that this book will be successful at a level that would please any publisher.

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Amazon is a big piece to our success and as they continue to change their model, how we market and sell our books needs to change as well. For those of you who are new subscribers and don’t know the origin of this Amazon situation, you can check out an interview on my blog that should help bring you up to speed on the issues surrounding the Amazon battle: http://amarketingexpert.com/ameblog/?p=245

It’s no secret that Angela Hoy of BookLocker and WritersWeekly has been very vocal about the recent move on Amazon’s part to get all their POD publishers to print books through BookSurge. You can see some of her past posts on this topic by clicking over to her WritersWeekly site: http://www.writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/004701_05212008.html

Amidst the media firestorm Angela is in, she’s taken some time to answer our questions related to this topic:

1) You just filed a lawsuit against Amazon. Why did you decide to do this?

We believe what they’re doing violates anti-trust laws and puts us and other POD publishers and authors at risk. Somebody had to stand up and cry foul.

2) Can you discuss the nature of this lawsuit?

There is a link to a PDF file of the actual lawsuit here: http://antitrust.booklocker.com/.

3) Do you think you can win against this giant?

Yes, I absolutely do.

4) Many people have talked about Amazon being a monopoly, do you feel the same way and is there anything that can be done against this giant?

The only way to stop this type of action by a company that dominates the online book selling market is to take them to court. That’s what they have forced us to do.

5) There’s been some scuttle recently that Amazon might have aspirations on being a publisher. Do you think that will ever happen? What are the ramifications of this if it does happen?

Amazon already is a publisher. They not only became a publisher when they purchased BookSurge, but Amazon also admits in its 10-K filing with the SEC, http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6550867.html&&ref, that publishers are their competitors.

6) So many individual authors with their own imprints have been affected by this decision, many of them don’t even realize the ramifications of this BookSurge push. What can one book author do to fight this giant?

What many authors don’t realize is that some POD publishers may already be working with Amazon (the confidentiality clause in the Amazon/BookSurge contract appears to prevent them from disclosing the relationship) and that those authors’ books may soon be printed by BookSurge without their knowledge. Authors who have researched BookSurge online may have grave concerns about the quality of BookSurge books that have the author’s name printed on it.

I, personally, would never let BookSurge print a book with our name on it. We have a history with BookSurge that involved quality problems.

Just to check up on them, I purchased a book from Amazon/BookSurge last month and the quality was horrible. The back cover was off-center, some of the photos were so dark the people were completely unrecognizable (black shadows is the best way to describe it), there was a gross glue glob on the cover, and more.

7) What else can we do to fight this online giant?

Authors and POD publishers need to speak out about this situation now, and need to keep speaking out about it. Amazon may be hoping things will just simmer down and that people will forget all about this someday.

Unfortunately, when that someday arrives, some POD publishers and self-publishing authors may be out of business because of Amazon’s actions today.

If Amazon is allowed to do this, what do you think will happen in the future? Will their next announcement be a roll-out of their publishing model?

They’ve already rolled out their publishing model and they’ve already taken action. The buy buttons for Publish America books (estimated at 30K titles) have already been turned off by Amazon.

9) What has surprised you most about this process?

It didn’t take any forethought at all for us to decide to fight this. It’s wrong and somebody has to do something about it. We expected some press in the writing and publishing industry publications and blogs. What we didn’t expect was the overwhelming support we received on a global scale from authors, publishers and book buyers. People are furious with Amazon. I’ve done more interviews in the past six weeks than I’ve done cumulatively my entire life. In addition, we’ve received far more emails about this topic than about any other topic we’ve covered in the past 11 years in WritersWeekly.com.

Every voice counts and you CAN make a difference! Believe me. Amazon is reading what people are saying! Please post your comments regarding this situation to the bottom of this page: http://antitrust.booklocker.com/booklocker-files-class-action-lawsuit-against-amazon#respond.

Each year we get a lot of questions about Book Expo (BEA). Authors and publishers are wondering if they should go, how they will benefit from it and most importantly, how best to maximize BEA. This year I decided to ask AME’s Publishing Consultant, Jerry D. Simmons for his take on BEA. Having spent countless hours at this event, I thought he would be a perfect candidate to share some valuable insight on this big publishing event!

1) For those who are reading this who don’t know what BEA is, can you explain what it is?

Book Expo America is the annual showcase for the largest publishers in the world. It’s a place where companies rent booth space to display their goods and services. The convention hall includes publishers and related businesses, both large and small, which offer products and services to industry professionals directly or indirectly related to the industry.

2) Someone reading this might wonder, why would I attend BEA? Do you think it benefits anyone in publishing to go to an event like this and if so, why?

If you’ve never attended, it is fun to attend at least once just to get a feel for what the bigger world of publishing is all about. Depending on your particular situation either as an author or business person, it is the one place where all related companies gather to display their offerings so if you want to see what the industry is all about and how you or your business might fit, it’s worth the visit. Book Expo can be as much or as little as you want out of it, but if you derive your revenue from books, publishing, or anything related, you should attend at least once.

3) Can you explain the setup of BEA? It seems that the big 6 New York publishers are always taking center stage of this event, is that true? Is it a case of “whoever can throw the most money at this event gets the biggest booth?” Or is BEA generally a primary focus of corporate publishing?

BEA is focused around the six big publishers, no doubt, without them the BEA would hold little relevance to the general public. As it stands today, the media is interested simply because of the celebrity authors and future bestsellers that are on display. Each of these big companies may spend well in excess of $1 million on this show so it is a big deal for them and they spend a lot of time in New York preparing.

Booth placement is key for this show and the sponsors do the best they can to make everyone happy. Size of the booth is indicative of how much money the sponsors are receiving from the big publishers. Having attended more than 20, I would have to say that the BEA as it now stands is as much representative of corporate publishing as anything else.

4) So, let’s say I’m a small publisher looking for more exposure for my books. How would I strategize BEA to my best advantage?

For small publishers BEA becomes a necessity to attract the kind of attention it takes to build your business and sell books. If you are small and do not attend, then industry wide you are not seen as a “player” in the publishing business. The best way to strategize if you are a small publisher is to make sure your booth reflects who you are or who you want to be as a publisher. You have to promote your company to the industry, such as agents, authors, and other publishers. It’s important for you to put forth the perception that you publish quality product and are serious about your own development as a company. The BEA is the place where you have an opportunity to capture the attention of the bigger players regardless of their area of expertise. This is especially true if your books rarely get reviewed in the traditional media and if you are not based in Manhattan.

5) As a small publisher, what’s my best plan of attack? How should I prepare for this event?

The first thing you have to do is make sure you have developed an image you want to portray to the industry. If your focus is quality fiction then you need to have large images of your covers, with free and review copies available, and complete marketing plans, including promotion, publicity and advertising. You have to mimic what the big publishers are doing which gives the impression you can compete even if you are on a smaller scale.

6) I’m a vendor looking to acquire more business. Let’s say I’m a publicist or marketing person…why would I want to go to this event and how could it benefit me?

The first thing I would do is walk the halls and get the lay of the land, in other words, determine where the big publishers are located and what all the other booths are about. It’s one thing to read the BEA catalog or read Publishers Weekly for the convention layout, it’s quite another to walk the hall to see for yourself what each of these businesses are all about. The employees of all the big companies constantly walk the halls looking at their competition, and not just the big publisher booths, but the entire hall.

As a vendor trying to acquire more business, I’d gather as much free information in the form of handouts as you can possible carry, including catalogs from everyone. I would also gather as many business cards as you can and shake hands and speak with as many people as you can meet. Then at night in your hotel pour over all of this information looking for opportunities. I’d pick up as much competitive information as possible and then use this information in acquiring more business.

7) As an author, how could BEA impact my career? How could BEA help me?

Depending on where you are in your writing career attending a BEA for the first time should open your eyes to the possibilities. The books you see from the biggest publishers could easily have been written by you, it‘s all about understanding the market, positioning your manuscript, having knowledge of what the big guys are looking for, how they purchase rights to publish books, and then knowing how to market yourself as an author. As you walk the hall you will get a sense of just how big the industry, how serious you need to approach your writing, and how extremely important it is to know how the business operates. The authors of the books you see in the catalogs of the big publishers are no more talented than you, but they know something about the business and how to market themselves and their writing. If you’re serious about a career as a writer, you can learn what you need to know to be successful by keeping your eyes open and developing your plan.

As someone who’s attended many of these events, what are some insider tips you can share about event networking and attracting new business at an event of this magnitude?

The idea that you can walk into any booth and make a cold call on an editor, publisher or any business and accomplish something is the easiest way to be seen as an amateur. When that happens, no one will take you seriously. The BEA is not the place to try and transact business; it’s the place to meet people that will hopefully allow you to transact business in the future. The only way for anything to get accomplished at BEA is to have established some contact prior to the show and then set an appointment to meet during the show. That is the only way. Dropping in on people and sticking your hand out with a business card is the quickest way to ruin what reputation you might have established.

9) Many people say that “deals are made at Book Expo” but is that true, are there deals made on the event floor?

The biggest deals the largest publishers make is international rights transactions. I can’t say that deals are never done on the floor, but if there are, then BEA is the end point, not the beginning. Discussions are held that lead to business being conducted, but rarely do agents and authors, service and product vendors initiate contact at BEA that result in business being conducted at that moment. The atmosphere is more festive and most executives hate to have serious discussions on the floor. BEA is the place for introductions, exchanging of information, but not serious business.

10) As a service provider, publisher, or author – what are some things to look for in book placement, catalog placement, or promotional pieces that might clue me into new trends, or vendors one might want to connect with…

First of all depending on the product or service you provide, you need to scope out the competition. Who else is offering the same and how are they presenting themselves to the public? This is very important. If you are looking for opportunities from publishers’ catalogs, look for books that are similar to ones you have worked on in the past. Particularly check out the marketing of these titles and make a mental note on those which you have something to offer that is new and exciting for the publisher.

If you are a small publisher again, take note of the competition. Publishing is about perception; compare your presentation to your competitive publishers. Does your catalog compare? What about your marketing plans? Prices? Page counts? What are they doing differently? The goal is to figure out how to compete effectively.

As an author, there are tons of free and review copies available on the floor of the big publishers at all times, these are the titles they are heavily promoting. Pick them up and read them, this is what is selling today, compare the story, not the writing and pay attention to what publishers are doing to promote their books. Regardless of how you publish, there are plenty of marketing ideas floating around, right in front of your eyes, pay attention because chances are you can take those ideas back home and use them.

11) What type of information gathering do you recommend someone does prior to the event? What’s the best way to prepare for Book Expo?

Remember, the BEA is not the place to transact business; it’s the place to meet people who you can eventually do business with. It’s okay to have a plan of how you want to tour the hall, especially if your time is limited. But the best preparation is hunting and gathering as I’ve discussed before. The BEA has plenty of information to share, take advantage of the free offering in one location, and it happens only once per year.

The best way to prepare for a BEA is REST! Attending a BEA can be exhausting, go in with your eyes open and don’t let the show overwhelm you. It can be daunting to walk in and see all the huge displays and walk away feeling like you’re lost. This is the place to see what’s going on in the world of publishing. I tell my clients that the bookstore is their laboratory, where they can find out what’s being published and how books are being marketed. If the bookstore is your lab, the BEA is the PhD program for students of the business. There is a lot to learn and much you can gather at a BEA.

As a final note, let me share with you what the independent bookstores around the country are looking for when they attend BEA. There are searching for non-book product that is compatible with their store and shows promise of selling. They are not looking for books. Yes of course they drop by the big publishers’ booths and visit but they rarely make appointments. If they do, they typically are promoting their stores to the publicity department asking for more author events. For those book professionals BEA is not all about the books, but the industry as a whole.

Jerry D. Simmons is a Publishing Consultant with 25 years experience with corporate publishing. He’s worked on such bestselling titles as: Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Scarlett, Bridges of Madison County and thousands of others. Jerry consults with publishers seeking to expand their line, increase their revenue, or maximize their sales potential. He consults with authors on marketing and publishing possibilities and, together with Author Marketing Experts, Inc. has recently launched a book management service that will guide authors step-by-step through the publishing process. Jerry will be teaching a series of free teleclasses: Successful Publishing is More Than Just Publishing the Right Books. FMI on this call and planned dates, please email us at: info@amarketingexpert.com

Jerry can be reached via email at:jerry@writersreaders.com

You can get more information on heading to BEA by visiting their web site at: http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/ it’s being held in Los Angeles this year: May 30, 31 and ends on June 1.

The following interview is with Jerry D. Simmons, Founder of NothingBinding.com and former Time Warner Executive relative to the Amazon.com announcement.

What’s the real outcome going to be from this Amazon decision?

The publishers impacted will follow the demands of Amazon and print their books with Book Surge. The wider implication is that Amazon strengthens their position with these publishers and creates a monster with their vertical integration. This leaves each one of those publishers vulnerable to new demands by Amazon. What’s next? Higher discounts. Right now these publishers have been forced to change vendors, it might have cost them a bit more money, but remember, they market to writers not consumers. So if they are unable to place their authors’ books on Amazon, it looks bad in the eyes of their customers, the writers. These publishers don’t have the courage to say no and take a stand. And it’s not about the fact they sell a ton of books on Amazon, it’s about their customers’ view of them and their ability to market their own books.

How do you predict the long-term effects of this as it relates to the small author and publisher?

The long-term effects for the author and publisher are devastating. With Amazon strengthening and securing their place in the distribution and sales channel, they can do anything they want. The next move will be to squeeze these small authors and publishers for placement fees, advertising fees, and eventually higher discounts. When you give in once, it never stops, this is the way of the publishing world and booksellers. It will get to the point where they start to lose money on each book sold. Only then will Amazon back off, but you can bet they are going to push authors and publishers to the wall and take every possible nickel out of the equation.

What can an author/publisher do to “fight back?” —

Draw the line with this decision, pull their books from Amazon, create a new online market for selling their books, a central location for all self-published, print-on-demand books that has no alliance with any publisher or printer. Again, it’s not about selling books, it’s about how they are seen in the eyes of their customers, the writers. They are concerned about their own pipeline for new business drying up and that is much more important than giving in to Amazon’s demands. Each one of these publishers could switch all their allegiance to B&N.com today, but they haven’t, and the reason is that in the eyes of the writer, they feel they must be on Amazon to be successful. Short term it hurts business and they are more concerned about that than the longer term impact which is going to be a continual erosion of their profit margin.

What alternatives do authors and publishers have besides selling their books on Amazon?

It’s time for the self-published, print-on-demand companies and small publishers to begin creating their own marketplace, totally and completely separate from all the online platforms that sell their books. I strongly believe that the website www.NothingBinding.com is a solution, and for full disclosure, it is a site that I founded. But here is the key, if you are not part of the traditional world of big New York publishing, from which I spent 25 years, then authors must realize it is fruitless to continue to struggle to become part of something dominated and controlled by the largest publishers in the world. Amazon is clearly inside the traditional world, and they are setting restrictions on anyone outside that wants to be part of their world. This will never end! It’s time now to create your own community and establish a voice in the marketplace. I’m confident that Nothing Binding can fill that void, becoming the community and voice for Independent publishing. The name alone signifies a non-alliance with any publisher or printer. A social networking website that allows authors free placement of their books with links to outside sources is a perfect way for authors to separate themselves from the traditional world of big publishing; in fact, it’s the only way to create a market and achieve increased sales they so desperately want and need.

Do you think this was a bad decision on Amazon’s part and if so, why?

Obviously Amazon weighed the profit from the sales of all these POD books versus the additional revenue of printing AND sales. They made a calculated gamble and it appears they have been right. Now there is no stopping them on their demands. It won’t happen overnight, but they will make new rules and continue to do so until it negatively impacts their own revenue stream. Giving in is a monumental mistake for the author and publisher, if the POD companies had taken a stand against the decision and risked short-term profits, they would have been much better in the long term and more respected by their own customers in the marketplace. Why do you think Amazon did this only for the print-on-demand books and not books that are offset printed? They claim they did this so it would be easier for them to marry books with other products that customers wanted, combine the package and shipping for convenience and cost savings. What about all the other books that are offset printed? They have the same problem with marrying books and products, but they don’t own an offset printing company, yet! If I was running any company that does a substantial amount of business with Amazon and saw what they were doing with books, I’d keep a close eye on what other parts and manufacturing companies they purchase. Vertical integration in this case is good for Amazon, no, great for Amazon, but bad for the publishing business and possibly very bad for other product lines sold on Amazon.

Since AuthorHouse/iUniverse and Lulu have signed the contract with Amazon, does this change the playing field for the other publishers, or is it irrelevant (and if so, why)?

With Author House and Lulu agreeing to Amazon’s demands, it puts pressure on the other companies to follow suit. None of these companies can risk their own business drying up and even though it’s doubtful they lose a ton of sales if they dropped from Amazon, it would be the negative perception their own possible customers would have, i.e. the writer, and of course their competition would use this as leverage in their own marketing as “being the one company still doing business with Amazon.” These writers don’t really understand the implications, yet, all they see is that their books are or are not on Amazon for sale; that’s all they care about.

In the survey of writers I completed long before NB was started, I found that virtually 98% felt they must have their books on Amazon, and clearly 70% hated the fact they had to give a 55% discount to them. When asked if Amazon went away tomorrow, how much would it impact sales, only about 15% felt they sold enough books on Amazon to make a difference. They must be there, they hate being there, yet it doesn’t really make a big difference, so what’s the point? Once Amazon raises the effective discount, or asks for ad or placement fees, and the publisher passes this along to their authors, they might wake up. But who knows, right now, all the author cares about is making sure their books are still listed and for sale on Amazon.

Fighting back should be done gradually and not a knee jerk reaction. I think if these authors and publishers set a deadline for Amazon to reverse their decision or else they would pull all books, they could get positive media attention to this, they will have capitalized on this in a way that would draw attention to them and their books, and in the long run they would be out from under the thumb of a very big online retailer. The analogy I use is that if the U.S. had been serious about alternative fuels back in 1973 during the oil embargo, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are today, 35 years later. Of course you can’t compare oil to books, but the fact remains, this cave in to Amazon is a very steep and slippery slope and it won’t take anywhere near 35 years for them to realize their mistake, maybe 35 months!

If authors seek out other platforms to sell their books – how will they compete with the “comfort level” consumers feel with Amazon?

There is no way to compete with the comfort level of Amazon and that of course is a problem, but a short-term one. Solutions will create short-term discomfort, but I strongly believe people buy books on Amazon because it’s all they know. If there was a viable alternative, then I think consumers would welcome it. The responsibility is on the shoulders of the publishers to counter this strategy with cover price discounts, until the consumer starts to feel comfortable again and then you can readdress the price issue. These publishers will have to make some short-term concessions to attract their consumers, but it beats what they are going to have to endure when they cave to Amazon. There is no easy solution, there is no silver bullet that will make everything okay tomorrow, there will be some issues that have to be worked out, but if all these authors and companies would combine forces, create a new online market for themselves and their books, in 35 months they will be glad they did. Eat it in the short term for long term gain—that is the answer to the Amazon problem. Because Amazon is going to do nothing in the future to help the POD companies’ bottom lines, they are going to continue to eat away at their margins in a number of ways while at the same time squeezing them on price and discount. It’s a no win situation for the authors and publishers and it doesn’t appear that they really realize the situation they put themselves in by giving in to Amazon’s demands.

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Since the announcement earlier this week that Beaufort would publish If I Did It, I’ve spoken to Eric several times. I was very frank with him and told him that I didn’t understand why he’d take this kind of risk or, for that matter, why he’d publish this book. The answers to my questions are based on a fairly lengthy talk I had with Eric and subsequent interview. I’m beginning to see why he did it and understand what went on behind this process. I believe, above all, that Eric has put his heart and soul into this project. And regardless of how you feel about the book, I hope this interviews gives you some insight into what it’s like to be at the center of a firestorm. When I asked Eric about some of the attacks that have been waged against him he said to me: “I’ve been in this industry a long time and there’s nothing anyone can say that quite possibly hasn’t already been said before. I’m not, however, going to get down and sling mud with these people, I have a company to run and people who depend on me.”

My interview with Eric Kampmann, President of Beaufort Books:

Eric, clearly this book is controversial. Does the controversy surrounding this book bother you?

I probably underestimated the intensity of reaction generated by the announcement that Beaufort Books would be publishing If I did it, and I certainly did not anticipate becoming the spokesperson for the Goldman’s on national television as appeared yesterday. Actually my personal interchange with Denise Brown was very cordial. As for the controversy bothering me, I guess if I felt in my heart I was doing something wrong then I would be bothered because those objecting to the books would be speaking to my conscience. However, I feel that the Goldman’s voice has not been heard, and that the publication of this book will finally introduce truth as an element of this controversy.

This book was a nightmare for HarperCollins and Judith Regan got fired over this, doesn’t the history of this book worry you?

When that controversy hit late last fall, I silently voted with the majority of people who felt that it would be better for HarperCollins to withdraw the book and not publish it. Along with almost everyone else, I felt another injustice was being heaped on top of the original injustice by apparently rewarding OJ Simpson for the crime he had committed. So if the circumstances were the same, of course I would be worried. In fact, I would not be involved. However the circumstances have changed 180 degrees and so I am now worried about a whole different set of issues revolving mostly around packaging, printing and distributing the book.

If you take a hit personally or professionally because of taking on this work, does that concern you?

It does concern me because I am also the president of Midpoint Trade Books which has a sterling reputation for providing first-rate service to all of its publishers and which pays its publishers faithfully once a month. It’s quite remarkable that one writer Wendy Crisp, who knew me back in the 1980′s, has decided to smear my name for reasons that are totally unclear to me. For example, since founding Midpoint in 1996, we have produced sales for our publishers in excess of $125,000,000. We have had an excellent payment record and we are debt-free. Perhaps Wendy should update her files.

People might say that you’re not in this for altruistic reasons or to “catch a killer” what would you say to these people?

Almost everyone in a decision-making position in the publishing world knows that opportunities rise and fall very quickly. If you choose not to act on an opportunity normally someone else will step in. This particular project came upon us very quickly but it was based on an excellent relationship I had with the agent Sharlene Martin. Sharlene had come to know me and understood that as an entrepreneur, I could make a publishing decision quickly and honestly. After meeting on the phone with the Goldman’s and with Sharlene, I decided that their cause was just, the project was viable, and that the new circumstances meant that the book could now be reintroduced to the public. This in no way is similar to the situation HarperCollins and Judith Regan faced last fall. We strongly believe that the public should have an opportunity to make a judgment on their own as to the guilt or innocence of this man based on his own words.

Some have attacked your Christianity, how does that make you feel?

It’s interesting how some people believe that being a Christian makes life easy and resolves all of the normal conflicts other people will face. Nothing could be further from the truth. Christians and Christianity has always been under attack from the first century. There’s nothing new about this and if I am attacked for being a Christian, so be it.

You’ve said that you are doing this to help show that OJ did it, but the majority of the country already believes it. What is the real motivation behind this book?

It is my belief that the Goldman’s are seeking to reveal the truth above everything else.

Are you worried about opening old wounds with this or worried that somehow OJ will inadvertently make some kind of financial gain from this (purchasing copies and then reselling them autographed on eBay) – is anything being done to make sure that this book doesn’t end up working against the Goldman’s?

Based on the information I have, there is no way that OJ Simpson can financially benefit from the publication of this book. From the time I became involved in this book, everything being done has been strategic in nature. Once a book becomes public, the public has every right to buy the book or not buy the book, to comment on the book, to protest against the book, or to read the book and make a judgment on their own as to the rightness or wrongness of opening up this case once again. Once the bankruptcy court in Florida awarded the Goldman’s the book, they had a choice. That choice was to bury the book forever or to bring it to the market. Obviously they have chosen to take the second road. Time will tell whether they were right, but whatever the case, I am standing with them and believe that they have done the right thing.

In the end, what do you hope this book does?

I hope this book meets every expectation the Goldman’s have for it.

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