On April 9, Infinity Publishing will participate in the Pearl S. Buck Spring Writer’s Conference being held at House of Buck Writing Center.
This is the third year the event will be held and will focus on the art of self-promotion and publishing through electronic means. There will be three speakers giving talks at the event. “This event really opens up unique opportunities that not many authors have,” says Cynthia Louden, Chair of the House of Buck Writing Center for the Pearl S. Buck Volunteer Association. “It’s a real opportunity to meet with experts in their area and to share the journey of publishing with each other.”
The event is Saturday April 9, 2011 from 8:30 AM-3:30 PM at the House of Buck Writing Center in. The fee is $40.00 online pre-register and $45.00 at the door.
For more information visit: www.psbi.org/springconference
The first speaker will be Chris Stanley, a content specialist for the Journal Register Company. Mr. Stanley has 25 years of experience in community newsgathering as a photographer, writer, online editor, videographer and editorial system specialist in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Chris was named the first online editor at The Reporter in 2007, guiding the newspaper’s web, video, and community journalism outreach efforts. He is currently involved with efforts by the Journal Register Company to convert their daily and weekly publications from print to web-based news.
The second present is Suzanne Zoglio, Ph.D. Susan is a psychologist, author, and motivational speaker, has coached executives, facilitated meetings, and lectured nationally for over 20 years. She has appeared on radio and television in more than 25 states, been published in over 30 business journals, and featured as a life-balance expert in such popular magazines as Time, Family Circle, Prevention, Fitness and Women’s Health. She is the author of several books including Recharge in Minutes and Create A Life That Tickles Your Soul which was named “Outstanding Book of the Year” and “Most Life-Changing” in the Independent Publisher Book Awards 2000.
The third presenter will be Arthur Gutch, CEO of Infinity Publishing and two of our high energy authors who will take questions about their journeys as published authors. Infinity is a leading innovator in print-on-demand book publishing. They have worked with nearly 5,000 authors and published over 6,000 titles. They have published best-selling authors, celebrities, professionals, and first-time authors. Mr. Gutch and team will present everything authors and artists need to know about self publishing their work.
Also at the conference they will announce the winners of the 4 short story contests in the categories of Elementary, Middle School, High School and adult writing.
Visit www.psbi.org/springconference to register today! Checks payable to PSBVA may be mailed to:
Pearl S. Buck Volunteer Association
520 Dublin Rd, Perkasie 18944
For More Information: call 215-794-2562
or e-mail: write2b AT comcast DOT net
Sponsored by the Pearl S. Buck Volunteer Association
Pearl S. Buck International is a nonprofit organization continuing the legacy and dreams of our founder, author, activist, and humanitarian, Pearl S. Buck. For more information, visit our website at www.psbi.org/springconference
by Denise Thomas
I decided to pre-sell enough books to pay my expenses, so I could start making a profit sooner. I needed to sell 100 books to cover the set up fee, cost of books, giveaway books, envelopes, and postage.
I began with my Christmas list. I knew that my friends and family were eagerly anticipating my first book, but the truth was that with so many in other states, I wasn’t in regular communication with many of them. They wouldn’t know when the book was ready for sale.
I started with a Valentine’s Day special. I wrote a letter and offered to pay the postage on any book ordered before February 14th. (This saved each mailed order the $3.50 I charge for postage and handling and encouraged them to buy immediately.) Naturally, I offered to autograph the books, too.
I couldn’t believe the response!
I confess, I felt awkward trying to sell to my friends and family. What I discovered, however, is that they really wanted to be part of my success and were glad to buy one or more copies and encourage their friends to buy, too. They also thought it was cool to know a published author personally.
Yes, I easily made my goal, but the best part was receiving so many notes of encouragement with the checks. I felt humbled, loved, and energized to sell even more books.
By the time the book was ready, some were ready to buy more. I published my first book without debt, and I had a head start getting the word out.
I’d like to thank my family and friends for making my dreams come true!
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Denis’ Thomas is the author of Newly Wed and Newly Cooking (published by Infinity), a guidance counselor, a local DJ and a freelance writer, visit her website at: www.denisthomas.com.
By Susan E. Davis
Writing books may be a solitary pursuit, but the writer’s life doesn’t have to be a lonely one. Writers need the company of other writers — to share experiences, offer support and guidance, and work collectively to protect their rights. Those are among the many reasons why the National Writers Union was founded in 1981. Ever
since, it’s been organizing writers of all stripes — book authors, journalists, technical writers, poets, novelists, academic writers, and even cartoonists — to better their economic conditions and defend their rights.
Maybe, as an Infinity author, you think you don’t need to belong to such a group. You’re happy with your publishing arrangement; you know you’ve got a good deal and you intend to stick with it. But that doesn’t address the many benefits that come with being part of a community of writers.
“The NWU-BOOK listserve is an excellent resource for authors,” says Jennifer Lawler, chair of the NWU’s Book Division and author of 23 books. “There, members share information on topics like how to promote your book, and you can always look up a subject in the online archives. It’s all about networking. Members share their knowledge and help educate other members. Belonging helps keep you from feeling isolated."
The NWU offers a host of other benefits:
- On the Road: The NWU’s Guide to Book Promotion discusses how to give your book the best shot in the marketplace — before, during, and after publication. Written by NWU members, it includes the basics of book promotion, tips on pitching your book to the media, how to organize a book tour, and resources for making your promotion plan both cost-effective and successful. This useful guide can be downloaded from the Members-Only section of the NWU’s Web site: www.nwu.org.
- Authors Network makes any book promotion tour easier and more affordable by providing more than 100 NWU hosts nationwide and a list of reading venues and reviewers in selected cities (also on the Web site).
- The NWU offers affordable group health insurance in selected areas around the country. We also offer national group dental, vision, and life insurance.
- Because the NWU is Local 1981 of the United Auto Workers, we offer members the consumer buying power available to more than 13 million members of AFL-CIO through the Union Plus program.
Other benefits address the needs of book authors who choose to sign with traditional publishers, including:
- Guide to Book Contracts, which provides preferred language to promote an author’s best interests.
- A Grievance and Contract Division — offers advice on what constitutes a fair contract.
- Agents Database — contains information about agents, the agency’s history, and commission structure.
- Preferred Literary Agent Agreement — a recommended contract for author and agent.
So if you like the idea of challenging the publishing Goliaths and of being part of a writers’ community, join the NWU. The more members we have, the more clout we can wield. And the better we can fight for the best interests of all writers.
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Susan E. Davis has published four books and numerous magazine articles, she writes a monthly newsletter for architects and engineers, and she’s been working on a novel for 25 years. A member of the National Writers Union since 1987, she was elected Second Vice President for External Organizing in late 2003.
Do you want to sell more books??? Brian Jud’s title, Beyond the Bookstore, is a Publishers Weekly book that shows authors how to sell their books to the vast non-bookstore markets. These markets are more profitable for the author because these specialized booksellers order books directly from Infinity and not from Ingram. Mr. Jud’s book describes hundreds of ways to find and contact prospective buyers for fiction and non-fiction titles who will order from Infinity.
Beyond the Bookstore will help you discover the names of buyers who could be looking for books just like yours—and they’ll order directly from Infinity. You will learn simple hints for successfully contacting prospects, and how to save hours and hours of doing endless research looking for them.
Beyond the Bookstore can help you increase sales and profits. Also included in this special deal is The Marketing Planning CD-ROMTM. This has a customizable marketing timeline to help you get all your projects done on time and in the right sequence. It also provides you with templates of easy-to-use formulas for controlling your expenses. This simple tool will help you to measure the cost-effectiveness of your marketing efforts and make your investment of time more fruitful.
According to Dan Poynter, author of The Self-Publishing Manual, Beyond the Bookstore is “outstanding and very insightful.” John Kremer, author, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books says, “If you want to sell outside the bookstore market, read this book now.” And as John F. Harnish, Infinity’s Special Project Director, says, it “effectively describes new ways to successfully sell Infinity titles to blossoming non-bookstore markets."
John F. Harnish, Vice President Author Services
Some folks might think this is a trick question, sort of like which came first: the chicken or the egg. No writer wants to publish a book that goes splat like a broken egg as it hits the floor-never going anywhere except into the trash. Indeed there are a few writers who have invested many long months and even years in toiling to complete their manuscripts, only to chicken out and never submit their first effort at writing a book for publication. Such a waste it is to have invested so much time and effort in creating a relatively polished draft of a book that lingers incomplete in an endless state of unpublished limbo.
Dan Poynter, author of more than 125 books, is quick to explain to aspiring authors that all published books are always only 95% complete-there's always an elusive 5% of undoneness that haunts all authors. Even established authors with a long list of publishing credits have that nagging feeling to do a wee bit more tweaking of their written words or perhaps do yet another rewrite of the opening of chapter three. However, keep in mind the chaos factor: your changes to chapter three will flutter throughout the rest of the book and the ensuing storm is likely to plunge you into another complete rewrite of the entire manuscript. Yes, it's another dratful delay that will keep your book from being published and release for public consumption.
Late in the 1960s, I discovered freelancing magazine articles and stringing for newspaper wire-services could produce a rather lucrative revenue flow. For sure checks would be forthcoming when the assignment was completed prior to the deadline, within the required word count, and right on target with the assigned topic. Of course my always hungry agent would call to see how I was progressing. I didn't need her gentle nudging me along because I knew a check would soon be on the way because most of the terms of payment were upon acceptance of the piece and not the delaying terms of upon publication. I dare say there was only one time when my agent called to inform me that I had to do a rewrite. Ugh, I was less than thrilled being told I had to do a rewrite, but I was totally elated learning the rewrite was because the editor liked my article so much that they wanted me to expand the assigned piece to become a lead feature. Naturally for more money!!!
Now that's a rewrite with a purpose and a cash reward waiting at the completion of my efforts is an excellent incentive. My agent referred to me as her perfect word-smith because if the price was right I'd write on almost any topic. Indeed I shamelessly confess I wrote for the folding green, thusly, my agent would pass on assignments offering only a publishing credit-bylines don't put immediate cash in the bank account. However, with time permitting I'd write freely for the American Cancer Society, the Heart Association, Planned Parenthood, and various community betterment groups as my way of creating good karma by providing purposeful help from the donation of my talents.
Too many writers embark on doing a rewrite without a defined purpose in mind-except with the intent to polish their manuscript one more time, or maybe a friend read it and made the suggestion that you need to include more of this or perhaps less of that. Opinions are so subjective-another friend might remark you need less of this and more of that. Stop trying to write for the masses and focus on first reaching one reader with your wordsmithing skills. When your words resonate well with one unknown person, you're on your way to reaching a whole lot more folks with your creative efforts.
It would be easy for writers to avoid falling into the bottomless pit of overwriting and rewriting if manuscripts were like a Butterball turkey with one of those little thingies that pops out when the turkey is cooked just right. Sadly that's not the case. Thusly the writer needs to make the fateful determination that their book is as done as it can be and submit the book for publication. Serve up that turkey and feast on the juicy joys of your completed efforts as you banish once and for all any thoughts of doing another delaying rewrite.
After submitting your book for publication, I would strongly recommend paying a mere .019 cents per word for Infinity's copyediting service to provide the peace of mind that typos and grammar goofs have been professionally purged from your book. If you want more individualized help creating or completing your book, you might consider getting feedback from an experienced developmental editor offered in one of our advanced Book Genesis programs.
The proof books are specifically for you to read over to make certain the book is essentially just how you submitted it to Infinity Publishing a few weeks ago for publication. This is not the time to go changing this and that all around, such undertakings will only delay the publication and distribution of your book and you could incur additional expenses to facilitate making more needless changes. The odds are those changes aren't going to make a bit of a difference in the quality of the overall good read you are providing for your readers.
Give yourself the gift of closure with your book, pronounce it finished, you're at the end of the writing process, now get it published and out there so folks can buy your book and read your telling words.
Once again we have a variety of books achieving Top Selling status in February with the authors employing a variety of promotional efforts to generate interest in their book.
Faye Hueston - February 2011 top selling author of: Silent Enemy
"I just returned from a week's stay in Houston and found your e-mail.
As for what I've done, apart from ordering some books myself to give away to radio hosts and print editors who request a copy, I hired a PR firm who have procured a number of radio interviews on shows that deal mainly with health issues and so-called alternative therapies.
I know the Gerson Institute in San Diego has ordered copies several times (the Gerson therapy detoxified my body and saved my life when I had chemical poisoning in the 1980s, and cured my best friend of malignant melanoma almost thirty years ago). My book is a tribute to the therapy.
But the biggest response I received was when I was on the Coast to Coast AM program for three hours four Sundays ago. I received two hundred and fifty e-mails, many of which said they would buy the book. That was the one program I really wanted to get on and my PR gal finally succeeded.
I haven't had a book signing event yet.
The website for my book is: Silentenemy.net"
John Note: I've often referred to the importance of authors' having book dedicated websites, Faye's website is a good example of using your web presence on the Internet to promote your book. She has included a contact page so if you have questions about her book promotional efforts you can email her a note.
Lisa Mason - February 2011 top selling author of: Big Life Lessons From That Still, Small Voice
"Thanks so much for the e-mail and the words of encouragement. I really appreciate it and I have so enjoyed working with your awesome team.
As to the success of the little book, I think a big part of it is social media. I have spent absolutely no money on marketing... I have just posted my book on Facebook and on my website. Additionally, all of my friends have "tweeted" about it and posted it on their websites as well. One can never, never underestimate the power of the new technologically-advanced age in which we live. I went into it kicking and screaming but now cannot think of living without it. Second, I took a giant leap of faith and posted lots of excerpts on my website for people to read. I asked for their feedback... before I ever decided to publish. I literally asked readers to let me know if they thought the book was good enough for them to want to read more. It is interesting.... it is as if my readers feel as if they are the ones that brought this book to fruition... and in a way, they are! I don't know if that really answers your question or not. Mostly, I just feel very lucky that I have a small following that was interested in what I had to say.
Finally, I am doing a B&N event in Exton, Pa. at the end of April."
John Note: Lisa's book is an excellent example of the power of social networking sites. While in the process of writing her book she solicited input from her on line friends-sort of like priming the pump with early interest in her book project. When her book was released in February 2011, her book took off like a rocket. Visit her book page on Infinity's online bookstore to read a few of the exceptional reviews she has harvested from her Internet friends.
Todd Sebastian - February 2011 top selling author of: Tell Your Clients Where to Go! A Practical Guide to Providing Passionate Client Leadership
Focus on the Benefits of the Reader
If you’re writing copy for a non-fiction book, you have to focus on the benefits of how your baby will solve your readers’ problems. You can do that my presenting bulleted lists of your benefits. Then you strategically place the FREE bonuses the reader is going to receive within the body of the copy. You’re taking the reader on a journey of what they’re going to receive when they order by a certain date. For best results, you should have a 48 hour deadline. You want the most books bought it the least amount of time to increase the book’s ranking.
You’re going to have to invest sweat equity. Give yourself 6 weeks before you’re ready to launch your campaign. Go to chat rooms, forums, do a Google search of popular websites that are in your particular self-help genre to locate marketers who might team up with you. To reach bestselling status, you need ezine list owners that are a compliment to your book. Be prepared for some list owners to not respond. Be persistent.
Make no mistake: If you wrote a self-help book for women, an Internet marketer with mostly male biz-opp names is NOT going to want to get involved with you!
Don’t Let List Owners Take Advantage
When they give you the freebie without mailing to their own list, they’re being selfish and piggy-backing off your hard work. This is a joint venture where everyone that’s helping you will also benefit when buyers of your book become subscribers of their ezine. It’s a win-win for everyone. Also, instead of using text copy in an e-mail, get a web designer to create an inviting, pleasing landing page so everyone could get the offer.
Outsource Tasks For Better Results
To become a bestselling author yourself, to get people to open their wallets, you need:
- Strong, compelling copy, along with a short deadline for the reader to take action by.
- An inviting and pleasing website page, NOT long, wordy copy in an e-mail.
- Present your offer to the properly targeted list and you’ll sell LOTS of books.
When you make it all happen according to your plan, then you can brag to family members, friends, and foes that you’re a best selling author!!! Won’t that be fun?