Children's Institute 2018: Conversations with Featured Authors
Children's Institute 2018: Promoting Literacy and Sales with Book Festivals
Children's Institute 2018: Authors and Illustrators to Meet
Published on June 26, 2018 | In Blog, Independent, Hybrid and Self-Publishing, News | 0 Comment
“We’re opening this institute in a time of strength and growth for indie bookselling,” noted American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher at the start of yesterday’s first full day of programming for Children’s Institute 6, which is currently being held in New Orleans. “For the eighth year in a row there has been growth in ABA member stores. There are now 2,470 ABA member locations, representing 1,835 companies. To put that in perspective, that is a 6% increase in the number of member locations and almost a 4 1/2% increase in member companies.”
Upbeat news concerning indie bookstores and children’s books continued in a session later in the day on bookselling trends with Allison Risbridger of NPD Books, who said that children’s books, along with adult nonfiction, have been growth drivers of the book industry in recent years. Viewing the industry as a whole, Risbridger said that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of unit sales for juvenile and YA rose 3% from 2014–2017, while adult nonfiction unit sales were up 5%. Children’s, which she referred to as “publishing’s darling,” has continued strong this year with units increasing 2.9% for the first five months of 2018.
Some of the biggest gains in children’s were in holiday and religious backlist titles. Sales for the week before Valentine’s Day were up 71% year over year, while Easter sales also rose over 2017. Those sales, Risbridger noted, were driven by backlist. Other strong juvenile and YA categories include education/reference books, which has jumped 10% so far this year. Comics and graphic novels continue to see strong growth with 32% CAGR from 2014–2017. Risbridger attributed those sales in part to authors like Raina Telgemeier and more recently Dav Pilkey and his Dog Man series. In terms of content, girl power, diversity, STEM/STEAM, wellness, and classics and nostalgia remain popular with young readers.
When it comes to format, board books continue to experience double digit sales growth with a 13% CAGR for 2010–2017 and up 12% so far in 2018. The majority of those sales are for backlist titles, Risbridger said, singling out books like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault, and Lois Ehlert, which came out as a board book in 2012. By contrast paperbacks were up 2% in 2017, while hardcovers were flat.
Risbridger pointed to branded titles, which were up 29% in 2017, as another indicator of the strength of children’s backlist. Two of the top-selling brands were written over 50 years ago: Dr. Seuss, which was number 1, and the Berenstain Bears, which ranked 8. In 2016 frontlist unit sales were up 5% while backlist rose 18%. Indies play a crucial role in frontlist discovery, said Risbridger.
Retail trends that NPD is watching, said Risbridger, include unboxing, blind packs, and subscriptions; nostalgia; nesting; and experiences over goods. One concern that has affected much of retail, but not the book world as much, is the number of consumer dollars tied up with monthly subscriptions for Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Stitch Fix, and meal kits. “People are spending more and more money online,” Risbridger said, adding that others are looking at how indie booksellers have countered that through “retailtainment,” or offering experiences in their stores.
Risbridger's statistics underlined what many booksellers have observed firsthand. Carol Moyer, children ‘s department manager at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, N.C., said, “I was glad to see children’s still strong. It confirmed what we keep seeing—the board book and the graphic novel are still strong.” Her other takeaway concerned the need to nurture frontlist.
The day also included a number of educational sessions, which were expanded this year to include more operational and inspirational ones. The morning keynote with Mallika Chopra, author of Just Breathe (Running Press, Aug.) on meditation for children, fit squarely within the latter. “Whatever you do, do it with a sense of love, gratitude, and purpose,” said Chopra, “and you will be living with intent.” To help booksellers prepare for a day filled with presentations on taking social media to the next level and on planning and executing large-scale events, Chopra led the audience in a three-minute meditation.
No meditation needed for one of the highlights of this year’s conference and its predecessors: an author reception on Wednesday evening, with 67 children’s book authors and illustrators in attendance.
Published on June 5, 2018 | In Blog, How To Begin Writing For Children | 0 Comment
"The Children’s Institute has become a vitally important part of ABA’s overall education efforts,” says Oren Teicher, CEO of the American Booksellers Association. “This year’s event offers more programming, more keynote talks, more authors, and more opportunities for booksellers to connect and share ideas, success stories, and their passion for building an even larger community of young readers nationwide.”
With more than 275 booksellers and more than 70 authors and illustrators planning to descend on New Orleans for Children’s Institute 6, to be held at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel from June 19 to 21, attendance at the 2018 conference will be record breaking. The city, which is celebrating its tricentennial this year, will also host the American Library Association’s annual conference and exhibition from June 21 to 26.
Teicher notes that there will be more educational sessions—19 in total—than at previous Children’s Institutes, along with a “compelling roster” of keynote speakers and featured presenters. Much of the programming, particularly the talks, will focus on two topics that have long been flash points for ABA and the book industry as a whole: diversity and activism.
One of the standout sessions on diversity will bring together Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, husband-and-wife founders of Just Us Books, which has been publishing multicultural children’s books for three decades; writer Kwame Alexander; and Phoebe Yeh, v-p and publisher of Crown Books for Young Readers, in conversation about the forthcoming anthology We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices: Words and Images of Hope (Crown, Sept.), edited by the Hudsons.
In the closing keynote, Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give, will likely bridge both themes. She believes authors and booksellers must provide young readers with “as many opportunities as possible to expand their mind-sets.”
In another featured talk, former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, will advocate for a different type of activism. With her picture books She Persisted and She Persisted Around the World (both from Philomel), Clinton wants to empower the next generation with examples of diverse women who have made a difference.
Keynoter Temple Grandin, best known for her advocacy on behalf of those with autism and her autobiography, Thinking in Pictures, will talk about her debut children’s book, Calling All Minds (Philomel). In it she addresses the importance of creativity and thinking like an inventor; both were a key part of her life growing up and continue to be today.
Just Breathe (Running Press Kids, Aug.) author Mallika Chopra—founder of Intent.com, a platform focused on personal, social, and global wellness—will offer insights on balance and purpose during the conference’s opening keynote.
As part of the diversity effort, a central focus will be on ensuring bookstores are welcoming places for all. A session will be devoted to “Reaching Underserved Communities.” Another session will offer tips for reaching out to young people, regardless of their orientation: “Creating and Implementing Successful LGBTQ Youth Programs.”
Other programming gets down to the nuts and bolts of bookselling, starting with a 101-level seminar on the principles of bookstore finance. There will be a workshop on creating eye-catching chalkboards, as well as sessions on planning successful large-scale events and selling STEM and STEAM books.
Social media continues to be an important part of bookselling. To help, Eva Chen—director of fashion partnerships at Instagram and author of the debut picture book Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes (Feiwel and Friends, Nov.)—will give pointers on how to build a bookstore brand at a special session on amplifying one’s presence on social media. The self-proclaimed “fashion nerd” has 884,000 Instagram followers and counting.
And no booksellers’ gathering would be complete without at least a few parties. In addition to the opening night reception and kid lit costume party, there will be a late-night screening party of the Netflix series Hilda. The show, which stars Claire Skinner, Daisy Haggard, and Bella Ramsey, is based on Luke Pearson’s Hilda graphic novel series. Scholastic is also bringing back its popular Meet & Treat After Party, open to all attendees.
Once home to William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, and Truman Capote, New Orleans shares the 25th spot (with Tulsa) on the list of America’s most literate cities. It’s ahead of Miami, Phoenix, Memphis, and Los Angeles, to name just a few, when it comes to bookstores, libraries, and publications. But the city is also, as Teicher notes, “one of the most welcoming cities in the U.S.” In that spirit, Teicher continues, “All of us at ABA are looking forward to welcoming a record number of booksellers to what we hope will be the most successful Children’s Institute yet.”
Below, more on Children's Institute.
Children's Institute 2018: Conversations with Featured Authors
Children's Institute 2018: Promoting Literacy and Sales with Book Festivals
Children's Institute 2018: Authors and Illustrators to Meet
Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
500 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 525-2500
Questions can be directed to ABA's Jill Perlstein at jill@bookweb.org.
Published on June 5, 2018 | In Blog, For Parents and Teachers, Resources | 0 Comment
What is Sanford Harmony? Imagine a classroom where students are empowered to: communicate, cooperate, connect, embrace diversity, and resolve conflict. Welcome to Sanford Harmony—a social-emotional teaching program that cultivates strong classroom relationships between all students.
The goal of Harmony is to incorporate specialized teaching strategies into classroom activities—from preschool through sixth grade—in an effort to reduce bullying, and help develop the youth of today into tolerant, compassionate, and caring adults for the future.
Harmony can be easily incorporated into lesson plans in as little as five minutes a day, and is aligned with Common Core state standard, national, and district learning initiatives.
Please explore all that Sanford Harmony has to offer, and spend less time managing troublesome behavior, and more time teaching!
“We piloted Harmony in our three state preschool classrooms this past spring, and the feedback from all of the teachers was very positive!”
Stacy Adler, Ph.D., Mono County Superintendent of Schools, CA
“Kudos to the creators of the Harmony curriculum for getting it right! It is working for us. We are grateful for your willingness to respond to our needs. We appreciate your generosity in providing us amazing materials that include: awesome lessons plans, cards, meet-up ideas, music, coaching, t-shirts, and Z dolls.”
Jo Ann Simmons, Counselor, Holy Family Catholic School, FL
“Sanford Harmony supports the great work being done by the education and nonprofit sectors, providing opportunities to touch even more children’s lives and creating a legacy for future generations. We’re turning a dream of mine into a reality, and you’re going to take it forward and change the world.”
T. Denny Sanford, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
©2018 National University Sanford Education Programs
Published on May 24, 2018 | In Blog, How To Begin Writing For Children | 0 Comment
APRIL 02, 2018 | 0:22:33 Click on the link below to listen to this soulful interview.
Is there someone important you've never properly thanked? Find how award-winning children's book author, Yuyi Morales, discovers the power of writing a "gratitude letter" to the librarian who changed her life.
YUYI MORALES: I had just had a baby with my boyfriend at the time, an American citizen. I was in Mexico. When my son was 2 months old my then-boyfriend got the news that his grandfather was very ill. My future mother-in-law, she was very concerned that Grandpa Ernie, wasn’t going to be able to meet his only grandchild.
It was so unexpected.The only person I say, “Goodbye” was to my mother, because everything was so fast. And suddenly I was here in the United States, where I was told it was my new home.
And I spoke no English, really. Just a few words.I had this new baby, and I couldn’t communicate. So for a long time, I remember crying every day. I was lost.I didn’t know what I was doing here.
We moved to San Francisco. And right there, I discovered by walking with my son in his stroller, just exactly four blocks from my house was the Western Addition library. And that’s the place that really changed my life.
DACHER KELTNER: That library set Yuyi Morales on a path to becoming an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. Her work has received some of the biggest awards in children’s literature including the Caldecott Honor.
Yuyi joins us today as our happiness guinea pig.
On every episode we have a happiness guinea pig try out a practice designed to boost happiness, kindness, resilience or connection. Then we explore the science behind why it works.
Yuyi welcome to the Science of Happiness.
YUYI MORALES: Thank you. I’m really happy to be here having this conversation with you.
DACHER KELTNER: You know, Yuyi, it’s so interesting to hear people’s stories and how they get to their particular happiness practice. So your gratitude letter is to a librarian, Nancy. Tell us about it.
YUYI MORALES: Nancy was…I mean, she probably doesn’t know it, but how important she is in my life. So this is a time in which, I’m very very afraid that I’m probably going to be doing something wrong because I still don’t understand how things work there. So it was Nancy who eventually came to me and she tries to, in her very own way, make me understand that the library is much more than I had realized.
She allowed me to feel that what the library has to do, was for me too. It wasn’t only for the people who was born here in the United States. It wasn’t only for the people who spoke English. It was also for someone, who like me, who didn’t understand, who had a little boy who was curious about everything, and someone who still feared that a place like that wasn’t for someone like me. And she, like many librarians I’ve gotten to meet, who are really my heroes, the way that they do their job is to let you know that the library is for everybody.
DACHER KELTNER: Yeah, that’s incredible. And books become your friends.
YUYI MORALES: They become my everything. My everything.
Here in the United States they make books that for me, will have been images that you will only see maybe at the museum. Or a gallery? And here they are, inside of books for children, that actual children can come and grab from the shelves.
DACHER KELTNER: No, it’s a sacred thing, just and I haven’t thought so much about how beautiful the artistry is. When did you, in this experience, when did you start to think about drawing and writing yourself?
YUYI MORALES: I guess it was shortly about that because the books amazed me. Every time I open a picture book, I could recognize a few words from there. But I could not understand the story. But, this is the magic of picture books. Then you look at the illustrations, and suddenly, you know what’s going on. And because that was kind of some of my first moments of understanding something, something, it was like finding a…I don’t know, a something or someone that you really fall in love with. That finally you have a connection with.
And I realized that I had a lot to say. That I had so many stories and so many things that I miss from my family, my country, that I wanted to share. And so what I did pretty much was that I copied. I tried to emulate. And I made handmade paper and used it to create covers for the books that I started making myself. And I just put them together with ribbons or with anything I found, and suddenly I had my books.
DACHER KELTNER: We’d love to hear your letter, Yuyi. Would you read it for us?
YUYI MORALES: I would love to read the letter for you.
Hola Nancy,
Do you remember me? I could never forget you. True, at first I might have been scared of you, guardian at your desk, and too close to the basket of baby books that my son always walked towards when we entered this unbelievable place. The children’s book section of the Western Addition public library.
I remember years later, when I was already working towards publishing my first picture book, I came to visit you. You told me that my expression had changed. “How so?” I asked. “In those days, in those first days, when you and Kelly came to look at books,” you said, “You always look sad.” Nancy, I was very sad. I was heartbroken. Feeling the weight of having to raise my son in a country where I didn’t know the language. And I could not make myself understood. A place where I felt very alone.
At first I might have been afraid of you. What if I made a mistake? Or broke the library rules? would you tell us to leave the library because we didn’t belong? Instead one day, you talk to me, in English I didn’t quite understand, and before we knew, you were giving Kelly a library card. I was puzzled. Kelly was barely two years old. How could he have anything?
Today, Kelly is a 24-year-old lover of books. He also writes. And he often helps me review and correct my still imperfect English when I write the children’s books I create. Books like the ones you put in my hands. Nancy, ever since the library became my home, and books became my path for growth, you have been an amazing guardian. Thank you.
DACHER KELTNER: I mean, it’s so incredible Yuyi, that the best moments that you find in these gratitude letters, kind of bring the mind to what’s sacred, and what I feel has been a real privilege to hear how this letter has been part of this amazing narrative of your life.
I just wanted to get your thoughts on what it was like to read your gratitude letter, and to use your voice to thank Nancy.
YUYI MORALES: I always felt very emotional about the role that the library had played in my life. But because I’m back in Mexico, I also feel like that’s part of my history now. Yes, it’s someone I was, but I felt like, maybe I could have left that emotion behind already? And then I had to write this letter and realized that the emotion is still there. The feelings and the gratitude and how this amazing thing happened … it is still there. So writing this letter made me feel that this is not only a history for me. This is an essential part of how I even live now, and the things I am doing nowadays. This is still very alive.
DACHER KELTNER: A space far away, but it’s still in you.
YUYI MORALES: Yeah. Exactly.
DACHER KELTNER: Why do you feel it’s so important to express gratitude?
YUYI MORALES: Wow. Because one of the things that I know more and more is that we can hardly do things alone. Most of the time, we need to hold hands with someone. And also, most of the time, the results of holding hands with someone is not going to be just for me. It’s going to be bigger than whatever I can get from joining somebody.
Every time I’m making my books, even though I might not be super conscious at the moment, once I’m done, I realize that what I’ve done is usually a celebration. I like the word celebration. And this celebration is part of recognizing how, not by myself, but with all these people on my side, far away sometimes, close by, we are all able to create something. These books really aren’t made just by me.
DACHER KELTNER: I know. Well I just feel so often, in some of the Science of Happiness, we make the mistake of looking in. And your wisdom about gratitude tells us it’s a very rich part of a whole story of community that creates things.
YUYI MORALES: Yeah. I wish that Nancy knew how much impact she had on me. And at the same time that Nancy embodies the presence of some other librarians that I don’t remember their names. I guess what I’m trying to say is Nancy is the embodiment of all this hard work…
DACHER KELTNER: These gracious hands.
YUYI MORALES: …yes, that librarians do.
And I guess that’s where, this process of also thanking all the people that extended their hand to me. This is the moment in which I come to reflect of everybody who was a part of me finally feeling like I had arrived to where I was supposed to be.
I’ve been working on a picture book that talks about this process. It’s called Dreamers. And this book, it’s kind of like a letter of gratitude to Nancy. I don’t mention her by name, but I depict her in a way I remember her. Always with her glasses here, ready to be used, on her forehead.
Dreamers is about these dreams we all, immigrants, have. And there is this belief that when we come to a country like the United States, we are coming here because we lack things. And I remember feeling like I had nothing. What am I bringing here? What am I offering?
And it took me awhile to realize that in fact I had brought so many things. And in Dreamers, I think that’s what my voice is trying to say. That we immigrants carry so many things with us That we bring our stories. We bring our voices. We bring our memories. We bring our colors. And once I arrive here, like many immigrants, we do put that in the table. We bring our arms, we bring our strength, we bring our work, we bring our creativity.
Although my son was not a Dreamer in the sense of Dreamers who are these kids who are brought as infants, as children to this country, and know no other country but the United States as their own country. But we are the kind of dreamers, like all the people who come to a country, hoping that we bring the best that we can, to create a better life. Not only for us. For our children, and for the rest of the world.
DACHER KELTNER: Yuyi, your books are beautiful and sublime and changing the world. It shouldn’t surprise us that your books have won just about every award. You received the Caldecott Honor Award. What was that like?
YUYI MORALES: It was amazing! And it just really validated that our voices are important. That even a voice as imperfect as mine, you know this voice that still needs correction and help and patience and everything, that it has a place where it is heard. And I want to give a shout also to the Pura Belpre award, because a lot of people get to know about the Caldecotts. But not a lot of people get to know about all the other authors and illustrators who are doing amazing jobs. And they are not in the mainstream. They are not as visible to the rest of the readers of the country. And awards as the Pura Belpre, the Coretta Scott King award, many of these awards, what they are saying is, there are many more voices that we don’t hear. And here are they. Let’s listen.
DACHER KELTNER: You know in the scientific literature, we define gratitude as the reverence for things that are given. And I revere the words, and the voice, and the stories and the images in your books, and everything that you are giving people. We’re very lucky to have had you on our show. Thank you for teaching us so much about gratitude.
YUYI MORALES: It has been a lesson for me too. Thank you for this opportunity.
If you want to try writing a gratitude letter or other practices like it, find simple instructions on our website Greater Good in Action, that’s G-G-I-A dot Berkeley dot edu. Then email us and let us know how it went!
DACHER KELTNER: The gratitude letter had a powerful effect on Yuyi, and she’s not alone. Studies have found that writing a gratitude letter, and reading it aloud, can give a significant boost to your levels of happiness, even for several months.
Published on May 23, 2018 | In Blog, For Parents and Teachers | 0 Comment
from Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, website, Presentations
Understanding both the biology of adversity and the science of early learning is essential for building a strong foundation for reducing disparities in educational achievement. The benefits of evidence-based curricula in the early childhood years cannot be fully achieved without effective strategies for preventing the consequences of toxic stress.
Center Director Jack Shonkoff speaks at Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Askwith Forum, a series of public lectures featuring a wide range of topics, including early childhood, civic and moral engagement, and educating for human rights among others.
"We desperately need fresh thinking and new ideas in the early childhood space and that's the context for my remarks this evening.... We need to set our sights much higher about dramatically doing something about leveling the playing field for ALL children very early in life before they set foot in school."
"... I'm going to start with the War on Poverty and the great society progress of the 1960s not because it's particularly more important than any other time but it was the origin of what are really the beginnings of a lot of the policies and programs that we still have today. So the point is we have 50 years of lessons learned from policies and programs and it's time to take stock and say, "What have we learned, what do we know, and where to go next."
"Head Start began in the summer of 1965.... That program is still very much with us today.... Community Action Programs were formed at that time.... Clearly the glass is far from full.... We haven't solved this problem."
Model Programs vs. Existing Programs: yellow circles as compared to yellow line
Published on May 10, 2018 | In Blog, Independent, Hybrid and Self-Publishing | 0 Comment
May 2, 2018 - Understanding Publishing from blog.reedsy.com
When it comes to discussions around books and publishing, we all know the most exciting topic at the table: How to get an ISBN.
We know not everyone is thrilled by the idea of obtaining a serial number, but ISBNs are a critical part of self-publishing. Luckily, we’re here to answer all of your questions.
Contents
An International Standard Book Number, or ISBN is a 13-digit code used as an unique identifier for publications.They allow publishers, bookstores, libraries, or readers to easily find your book.
All standard ISBNs comprise of five parts that tell us the following:
ISBNs are fixed and non-transferable, which basically means that if you publish both a paperback and ebook version of the same book, you will need separate numbers for each format. If you then decide to publish the ebook in a different language, you’ll need a new ID for that version as well — so on and so forth.*
*Almost all publishers accept ePubs. Some of them do convert the ePub into an alternative format after the fact (for instance, Amazon will convert it to a MOBI file). But it’s the source format that counts — so if you upload an ePub to various retailers who then convert it to different formats, you can retain the same numbers for each digital version.
Is it the same as a barcode?
While you might find the ISBN and barcode in the same spot on the back of a book cover, they fulfill different purposes.
Just to throw more fun acronyms into the mix, a standard barcode is known as a European Article Number (EAN). A barcode is also a unique series of digits that uniquely identifies a book — however, it provides information such as the price of a publication and the currency in which it’s being sold. Unlike ISBNs, a barcode can change based on the cost of the book.
As they are used by retailers for inventory reasons, only authors who are planning to print and distribute hard copies of their titles need to obtain a barcode.
How to get an ISBN
In many places, such as Canada, the government provides ISBNs for free. To find out if this is the case in your country (and for instructions on requesting a number), look up your local agency here.
In the US, ISBNs are administered through Bowker and can be bought via myidentifiers.com. In the United Kingdom, authors can buy a number through Nielsen.
Regardless of where you live, once you have received your ISBN, you should register it at Bowkerlink. This will automatically add your title to Bowker’s Books In Print: a bibliographic database that libraries around the world consult to source titles. It currently hosts about 7.5 million US book, audiobook, and movie titles, as well as 12 million international titles.
Additional options for how to get an ISBN
Even in the US and UK, there are other means — free ones, at that — for securing a book number. Many on-demand publishing companies will assign indie authors an ID at a discounted rate or for free, such as:
But — you probably knew there was a “but” coming — here’s the catch: when you register for a free or discounted ISBN through an aggregator such as the ones listed above, you are limited to the retail channels of that publisher alone. This is due to regulations enforced by Bowker.
Not all authors will take issue with this. For instance, you might be selling your ebook through KDP, and then decide to also sell through Draft2Digital. The former will provide you with a free ASIN and the latter with a free ISBN. Piece of cake.
But then let’s say that sales aren’t what you want them to be and you decide you’d like to access the distribution channels of BookBaby or Smashwords. You’ll need to register for separate numbers from each of those publishers as well.
This can snowball into you having several ISBNs and several different publishers all listed for the same book. This looks unprofessional and can harm your chances to get stocked in libraries and brick-and-mortar bookstores.
This brings us to our next point: whether or not you need an ISBN depends on what kind of book you intend to publish. And whether or not you should buy one depends on your publishing goals. Let’s elaborate...
Do all self-publishing authors need an ISBN?
No. Authors must obtain an ISBN to...
Authors are not required to obtain an ISBN if they only…
Those are the basics, but there’s much more for authors to consider than just whether or not they technically need an ISBN.
The case against getting an ISBN
Authors who only plan to publish and sell an e-book don’t need an ISBN, and there isn’t a shortage of reasons for them to avoid buying one. Here are a few. They aren’t cheap (more on that later). Indie authors don’t typically have overflowing publishing budgets. There is no proof that it increases or sales. If you’re using an online retailer, your goal is to be as visible as possible to potential readers, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a reader who searches using ISBNs. It doesn’t affect your chances of hitting a bestsellers list. If landing a spot on one of those is part of the dream, a glorified serial number won’t help you get there. Regardless of what identifier is attached to your book, sales are reported based on the title and the author’s name. So even if your book has 25 different IDs, it won’t affect the way your overall sales are collected. The largest ebook retailers don’t require you to have one. The most popular online book retailers are Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo — all of which assign you their own identifier when you upload your book to their store. Some vendors impose restrictions when you “bring your own ISBN.” For example, CreateSpace prohibits books that already have an ISBN from accessing some of their expanded distribution channels, such as their Libraries and Academic Institutions channel. The current system is often quoted as being outdated. An ISBN is a great tool for tracking the sales of a book. But the rise of self-publishing and (as we mentioned above) ebook retailers' own inventory systems have made ISBNs a fairly inaccurate data collector.
The case for getting an ISBN
But before you make up your mind, let’s quickly cover why there might be value in the 13-digit ID.
Your long-term publishing goals should contribute to your decision to/not to buy an ISBN. If your plan is to publish multiple novels and to brand yourself as a legitimate publisher, buying your own identifiers is a good idea for administrative and professional purposes — when you own your own ISBN, you get to choose what name appears as the publisher.
It will also allow you to keep your sales options open. While indie authors should absolutely offer their publications as ebooks, and listing your book on the top 4 retailers is a no-brainer, there are many other avenues to consider — such as brick-and-mortar bookstores, and libraries. Without an ISBN, you rope yourself off from those avenues and their valuable potential for sales.
A quick word about libraries: They may not be the first thing that jumps to an indie author’s mind when they think of viable places for their book, but in the United States, libraries spend over $3 billion annually on reading materials. So you shouldn’t discount them. Their biggest supplier is OverDrive, who circulated more than 105 million e-books to libraries in 2015. They also supply to retailers. But to get in on this action, your book requires an ISBN. Lastly, you’ve probably never thought of buying a book and then changed your mind because you noticed it didn’t have an ISBN. Readers don’t care about them. However, to just get your book in front of readers means competing with traditional publishers — and in this competitive arena, we generally adhere to the notion that every bit helps. If you want your book to look as professional as possible, you might want to consider getting an ISBN so you have the power to determine who is listed as the publisher of record.
Do your ISBN research ahead of time: Something important to note is that while you absolutely can obtain an ISBN for a book after it’s been published, updating an existing title with an ISBN will impact your sales ranking and the reviews you’ve already received on your vendor book page. Major retailers view an ISBN as a book — so if you replace the identifier they provided with one purchased from Bowker, it’s basically like you are uploading an entirely new book — one with zero sales or reviews.
Another large point of consideration for indie authors is the cost. And on that note…
How much does an ISBN cost?
Of course, this depends on where you live.
In the US, here are the costs of purchasing ISBNs from Bowker. So, it’s not an addition to the cost of self-publishing to laugh at. In both cases, the most economical option is to purchase ISBNs in bulk if you are planning to publish more than one format of one book.
For more information regarding the topics covered, here are some links to check out:
There’s no wrong or right answer provided that you think ahead. If you have a lightbulb moment one day and decide to write and publish a book as a passion project, you can probably eschew the price tag of an ISBN and rest easy. If you’re looking to start your own publishing business, then carefully weigh your options. Investing in an ISBN might be the smart bet or an unnecessary one, depending on your goals.
Published on May 8, 2018 | In Blog, News | 0 Comment
Gina Gagliano to Head New RHCB Graphic Novel Imprint, by Calvin Reid, for Publishers Weekly, May 08, 2018
Random House Children’s Books announced plans to launch Random House Graphic, a dedicated graphic novel imprint under the direction of Gina Gagliano, who will join the new imprint as its publishing director. Random House Graphic will release its first books in fall 2019. We spoke with Gagliano about her plans for the new imprint.
Gagliano will report to Judith Haut, senior v-p, associate publisher of Random House Children’s Books. Haut said, “It is a truly exciting and important time of growth for comics and graphic novels within the kids' market, and we see a distinct opportunity to reach even more readers. We are thrilled to have Gina, with her creativity, expertise and passion for the medium, at the helm of our new venture.”
Gagliano is a longtime member of the staff of First Second Books, which is the graphic novel imprint of Macmillan Publishing. She is well known throughout the comics publishing community, and has designed programming for many comics festivals. Gagliano was most recently associate director, marketing and publicity at First Second and was among the imprint's original employees, joining the house in 2005 at its launch.
Random House Graphic will specialize in titles for children and young adults with a list focused on both commercial and literary graphic works. The new imprint will assemble its own dedicated staff to produce and market the imprint’s titles.
The new Random House Graphic publishing program will look to extend a growing list of graphic works already being published by Random House Children’s Books, including such popular works as Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm and Matt Holm, Rickety Stitch and the Gelantinous Goo by Ben Costa and James Parks, and 5 Worlds by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel, with art by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun.
Haut told PW, “The time was right for us to launch a graphic imprint. We’ve had success in the category and it’s time for us to have people who are here thinking about how to publish graphic novels every day.”
Asked about the relationship between Random House Graphic and the RHCB graphic novel backlist, Haut said, “There’s still a lot to figure out about the backlist. But no changes are planned right away. Backlist graphic novels will remain with their current editors. We have a number of editors at RHCB who are passionate about graphic novels and we want them to continue. We want to encourage collaboration and Gina is looking forward to working with all the editors at RHCB.”
Random House also publishes kids' and YA licenses such as the DC Superhero Girls line of graphic novels and chapter books. Haut said those titles are handled separately by the Random House licensing division, “and those titles and arrangements will continue.”
In a phone conversation with PW, Gagliano called it “too early” to specify the ultimate size of the list or the size of the staff she will assemble. But she emphasized that the imprint will hire "editors, designers, and publicists," and will focus on “all genres and all age categories. Kids need to grow up with graphic novels and publishers need to provide a complete reading experience. We need to add to the breadth of the comics medium in order to transform the U.S graphic novel market.”
Gagliano will attend TCAF, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, a highly regarded indie comics festival to be held this weekend, May 12-13. She said the new imprint will begin “ramping up our show presence at book, indie, small press and pop culture conventions and festivals. These shows let you reach readers, so you’ll see us on all fronts at these shows.”
Gagliano is also known for designing programming for comics festivals and library events, not to mention working behind the scenes on numerous comics initiatives. She said she will continue with “all the stuff I’ve been working on,” including Graphic Novel TK, a new podcast (with cohost Alison Wilgus) that educates the public about the publishing process for graphic novels and books in general. She also organizes events for New York City’s Women in Comics collective in addition to her work on the graphic novel programming committee of the Brooklyn Book Festival and as a co-organizer of graphic novel panels for BookExpo.
She said she’s “super excited” about the RHCB graphic novel backlist (including working with her now-former boss, First Second editorial director Mark Siegel, who is a noted cartoonist and RHCB graphic novel author). And Gagliano will also acquire books for the new imprint.
“We’re excited to be acquiring new authors and developing talent in the category," she said. "There’s an explosion of books and new authors around the U.S. There are so many new artists who deserve to be published. We’re happy to be able to bring this diverse group of creators to Random House Graphic.”
Update: new comments from interviews with Haut and Gagliano have been added to this story.
Published on May 7, 2018 | In Blog, How To Begin Writing For Children | 0 Comment
by Chazda Albright | Jun 26, 2017 This entry is part 20 of 23 in the series Publishing Biz
Who are the publishers accepting submissions3 directly from authors and illustrators these days - but who are still SOLID and reliable? Here’s my list. (I’ll be updating this every so often.)
Just added SIX new publishers to this list, and updated an older link from Peachtree.
This is a rare list of reputable publishers who are currently accepting submissions - without requiring an agent be involved.
artwork by Ivan Tamas
If you’ve finally decided to stop worrying about the best way to get published and are now ready to simply start submitting your work to some publishers, this is for you.
I’m a big advocate of Hybrid Authoring, essentially getting published via any and all ways. Self publishing will enrich your scope of knowledge and give you a greater appreciation for all the work that goes into getting a book on the market, and traditional publishing gives you other opportunities that will simply blow your mind (money, connections, clout).
The traditional publishing business is slow. If you’ve ever worked with someone in the publishing world, you know this well. Time and patience are required - for many reasons, and all of them are valid.
What’s known as The Big Four publishing companies (Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Hachette Livre), we know, all have serious weight. Getting published by one of these monster businesses means you’ve stepped up to seriously deal. Oh yah!
The big publishing houses (and most of their imprints) will not look at your manuscript if it doesn’t come from a literary agent (seriously, they’ll just toss it in the bin or hit “delete”). If you’re working on getting an agent - great. But finding and winning over the right agent takes time too. (Naturally.)
That doesn’t mean your only option is to self publish like mad until a savvy-agent-with-heart notices your brilliance and plops a fabulous offer to represent you - right into your lap. Ahem. Self publish, sure - but don’t stop there.
You can get published traditionally while waiting to hear back from an agent (and while self publishing your more niche stories). So how do you get your work published if you don’t yet have an agent?
While you’re busy looking for the right literary agent, there’s no reason to put your writing career on hold. You can submit one of your manuscripts to publishers who don’t require agents - while waiting to hear back from those literary agents.
WARNING: Do not submit the same manuscript. Choose one manuscript to send to your prospective agent(s) and another, completely different, manuscript for publisher(s) to consider.
Don’t worry - you’ve got to start somewhere, after all! But if you want to pursue all your publishing options, you need to treat those options exclusively. It’s extremely rare that any publisher or agent would consider publishing a book you’ve already published yourself. WHY? Because it means First Rights are off the table.
What this means is that you’ll want to have one manuscript to self publish, another manuscript to submit to agents, and a third manuscript to submit to publishers directly.
If you currently have one title, you could submit it to publishers as a first step. While you’re waiting to hear back from the publishers, you’ll be busy working on another book, which you can self publish.
NOTE: Don’t self publish the first manuscript unless it’s been 4-6 months since your last submission - yes, it can take that long to get a response. (I once got an offer 11 months after I submitted.) So send out your submissions and just let it ride - in fact, forget about it so you can get on with the next project.
Once your self published book is selling and your first manuscript is either still waiting with publishers or getting a deal, you can start writing another story. It being your third book, you’ll be ready to seriously contact literary agents about it.
Finding publishers - professional, For Real Publishers who know what they’re doing - is an entity all writers need to hunt down. It’s tough work, so I thought I’d help you out.
Here is my list of reputable publishers (and whose names you should get to know) who publish kid’s books (baby books up through young adult) each year and who (currently) accept submissions directly from writers and illustrators.
My one gripe: publishers who accept submissions very often require snail mail submissions. For me, living in Germany, this is a deal breaker because I cannot afford to send full-color manuscripts across the sea (and it’s a waste of paper). Still, I’ll leave it to you to decide what works for you and what doesn’t.
Some of the publishers listed here do accept email submissions, and for that I’m grateful. I’ve provided direct links to each of the publisher’s Submissions Guidelines. Be sure to follow them to the letter (if you don’t, that’s reason enough for a rejection).
Unsolicited manuscripts are manuscripts submitted directly from a writer rather than through an agent.
The following publishers range greatly in size and also in the types of books they publish for kids. Some are independent, some are imprints. Each one has its own style, and even if their philosophies sometimes sound similar, the books each publisher brings to the market vary quite a bit.
What all of these publishers have in common is that they
If you should find that any of these publishers have changed their policy on one of these four points, please let me know so that I can update the list.
Albert Whitman & Company “All Albert Whitman & Company books treat their readers in a caring and respectful manner, helping them to grow intellectually and emotionally. We are dedicated to continuing our tradition of creating award-worthy books for children.” -from the publisher website.
Bancroft Press “The most interesting thing about Bancroft Press is that, as of 2014, the company has survived for twenty-three years without a niche.” -from the publisher website.
Barron’s is most known for their textbooks and educational materials. But they also publish coloring books and children’s books that have a storyline that teach an important lesson or interesting topic.
Bebop Books (imprint of Lee and Low Books) “Lee and Low is a quality children’s book publisher that specializes in multicultural themes.” -from the publisher website.
Bess Press “Our goal is to regularly provide customers with new, creative, informative, educational, and entertaining publications that are directly connected to or flowing from Hawaiʻi and other islands within the Pacific Region.” -from the publisher website.
Boyd Mills Press Highly respected publisher of all kinds of wonderful books. Follow this link to read about the company’s different divisions. Great stuff.
Capstone “Helping children develop a love of reading and learning, no matter their ability level, is at the heart of what we do at Capstone. Our passion for creating inspired learning has made us the most trusted publisher of children’s books and digital solutions for libraries, classrooms, and consumers for 25 years.” -from the publisher website.
Charlesbridge “Charlesbridge publishes high-quality books for children, with a goal of creating lifelong readers and lifelong learners. Our books encourage reading and discovery in the classroom, library, and home.” -from the publisher website.
Chronicle Books This San Francisco based publisher produces high quality books and novelty items designed for gift-giving (all ages). Very beautiful books.
Creston Books has only been around since 2013, but they’ve quickly established a strong reputation. In just four years they’ve won over 20 awards. Fully a third of their list is by first-time authors, so this is your chance!
Dawn Publications “Dawn Publications is dedicated to inspiring in children a deeper understanding and appreciation for all life on Earth. We aim to help parents and teachers encourage children to bond with the Earth in a relationship of love, respect, and intelligent cooperation, through the books we publish and the educational materials we offer online.” -from the publisher website.
Dial Books for Young Readers “Dial Books for Young Readers is a hardcover division publishing approximately seventy titles per year for children of all ages, from preschool through young adult.” -from the publisher website.
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers “These children’s books tell delightful stories about adventure, family, and friendship, but they also help children wrestle with special issues, such as grief, divorce, racism, poverty, and war.” -from the publisher website.
Flashlight Press is an indie publisher with international distribution and they publish “books (that) explore and illuminate the touching and humorous moments of family situations and social interactions through captivating writing and outstanding illustrations.”
Flux “Flux is an imprint of North Star Editions, Inc., a privately owned publishing company dedicated to guiding readers toward a lifetime love of reading. NSE publishes fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults that inspires, informs, and entertains.” -from the publisher website.
Gibbs Smith This is a large publisher who does all sorts of hardback full-color books. All their titles are visual, nonfiction or fiction.
Hachai Publishing “Children’s books play a vital role in every Jewish home, classroom and library. Hachai Publishing is dedicated to producing high quality children’s literature with Jewish themes.” -from the publisher website.
Holiday House Books for Young People was founded in 1935 and publishes everything from picture books to young adult.
Immedium publishes childrens books that are quirky, innovative and appealing to boys and girls. Their catalogue is international, both in style and themes.
Lerner Books “Lerner Publishing Group is one of the nation’s [the US’s] largest independently owned children’s publishers with more than 5,000 books in print.” -from the publisher website.
Lerner doesn’t generally accept unsolicited manuscripts, but it will open their doors at specific times to writers without agents. Follow the company blog for announcements (pay particular attention around October-November).
Ken Bar Publishing (an imprint) accepts unsolicited submissions.
Magination Press This is a seriously cool imprint of the APA (American Psychological Association), which is “the world’s largest association of psychologists, with more than 117,500 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students as its members.”
What they publish are books for kids (from pre-readers to teens) about really tough topics. For example, a book about how a toddler deals with death, or ADHD.
Mighty Media Press is a multi-media publisher (including books) of childrens books and they have a positive mission behind their choices. “Our mission is to deliver captivating books and media that ignite a child’s curiosity, imagination, social awareness, and sense of adventure. And we take our mission seriously.”
Milkweed Editions is probably best known for their successful Kickstarter campaign (you can check it out here). This publisher’s motto is: “Bookshelves should never be boring.” This is a nonprofit indie publisher of fiction, nonfiction and poetry, and they also publish Middle Grade and Young Adult titles.
Peachtree Publishers “Peachtree Publishers is an independently owned trade book publisher, specializing in quality children’s books, from picture books to young adult fiction and nonfiction.” -from the publisher website.
Submissions Guidelines (The Peachtree website has been updated and this is the new link. Check it out!)
Persea Books “is an independent, literary publishing house founded in 1975 by Michael Braziller and Karen Braziller, who still own and direct the company.” Recently, the publisher has decided to branch-out into YA novels.
Sleeping Bear Press “Since our first success with The Legend of Sleeping Bear in 1998, Sleeping Bear Press has impressed young readers, parents, teachers, and booksellers with high-quality, beautifully illustrated picture books.” -from the publisher website.
Stripes Publishing (an imprint of Little Tiger) “Please note, Stripes publishes fiction for children aged 6–12 years and teenagers. We do not accept books for adults, educational books, poetry, graphic novels, comics, multimedia, scripts, screenplays, short stories, non-fiction or picture books for babies and toddlers.” -from the publisher website.
Top That Publishing “Top That Publishing Ltd is an award-winning, book publisher and app developer located beside the river Deben in Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK.” -from the publisher website.
Turner Publishing “Turner Publishing Company is an award-winning, independent publisher of books. The company is in the top 101 independent publishing companies in the U.S.” -from the publisher website.
Workman Publishing “The Workman imprint publishes exclusively nonfiction books for children and adults, as well as calendars.” -from the publisher website.
Don’t be shy about submitting your work. Not if you’re certain it’s well edited and really ready to go. If you’re not quite sure about THAT - I highly recommend asking someone for help. Here’s howto give and get helpful critiques so that your manuscript will really shine.
What about you? Are you submitting or planning to submit one of your manuscripts somewhere? Write below, let me know - or, as ever, send me an email. I’d love to know what you’re doing.
Keep creating, no matter what.
Published on May 5, 2018 | In Blog, Independent, Hybrid and Self-Publishing | 0 Comment
Posted on by Jane Friedman
If you don’t want to read the entire post, I talk you through the highlights in this video.
For most of publishing’s history, if an author wanted to self-publish, they had to invest thousands of dollars with a so-called “vanity” press, or otherwise learn how to become an independent, small publisher.
That all changed in the late 1990s, with the advent of print-on-demand (POD) technology, which allows books to be printed one at a time. As a result, many POD publishing services arose that provided authors with low-cost self-publishing packages. They could be low cost because—without print runs, inventory, and warehousing—the only expense left was in creating and designing the product itself: the book. Outfits like iUniverse, Xlibris, and AuthorHouse (which have merged and been consolidated under AuthorSolutions) offered a range of packages to help authors get their books in print, though most books never sat on a bookstore shelf and sold a few dozen copies at best.
Just as traditional publishing has transformed due to the rise of ebooks, today’s self-publishing market has transformed as well. Most self-published authors earn the bulk of their money from ebook sales. Furthermore, 85% or more of all US ebook sales happen through a single online retailer, Amazon. Anyone can make their ebook and print book available for sale in the most important market—Amazon—without paying a cent upfront.
That means the full-service POD publishers that used to make a killing are now largely irrelevant to most self-publishing success, even though you’ll find them advertising against Google search results for “self-publishing.” Don’t be immediately lured in; first understand your options, explained below.
There are several ways to self-publish in today’s market.
This post will expand on how to self-publish completely on your own. Before I explore that process in detail, here’s an explanation of the other choices you have.
This is what I call the “write a check and make the headache go away” method of self-publishing. If you have more money than time, and have no interest in being a full-time career author, this may best serve your needs.
Service packages and publishing arrangements tremendously vary, but the best services charge an upfront fee, take absolutely no rights to your work, and pass on 100% net sales to the author. They make money on charging authors for the services provided (editorial, design, marketing, and so on), not on copies sold. Such books will almost never be stocked in physical retail bookstores, although in some rare cases, it may happen. Most assisted publishing services have different packages or tiers of service, while others offer customized quotes based on the particular needs of your project.
The benefit is that you get a published book without having to figure out the details of the publishing industry or finding freelance professionals you can trust. The best and most expensive services (which can easily exceed $20,000) offer a quality experience that is comparable to working with a traditional publisher. You should avoid companies that take advantage of author inexperience and use high-pressure sales tactics, such as AuthorSolutions imprints (AuthorHouse, iUniverse, WestBow, Archway).
Examples of good assisted services include Matador, Mill City Press, DogEar, Radius Book Group, Book in a Box, and Girl Friday Productions. To check the reputation of a service, visit Mick Rooney’s Independent Publishing Magazine.
Some self-publishing (or assisted publishing) services have started calling themselves “hybrid publishers” because it sounds more fashionable and savvy, but such companies may be nothing more than a fancy self-publishing service. Fees dramatically vary and quality dramatically varies. You have to do your research carefully. I discuss hybrid publishing in more detail here. As with self-publishing service companies, you will fund book publication in exchange for expertise and assistance of the publisher; cost is often in the thousands of dollars. You may receive better royalties than a traditional publishing contract, but you’ll earn less than if self-publishing on your own. Each hybrid publisher has its own distinctive costs and business model; always secure a clear contract with all fees explained.
Increasingly, agents are starting to help existing clients as well as new ones digitally publish their work. Help might consist of fee-based services, royalty-based services, and hybrid models.
Such practices are controversial because agents’ traditional role is to serve as an advocate for their clients’ interests and negotiate the best possible deals. When agents start publishing their clients’ work and taking their 15% cut of sales, a conflict of interest develops.
In their defense, agents are changing their roles in response to industry change, as well as client demand. Regardless of how you proceed, look for flexibility in any agreements you sign. Given the pace of change in the market, it’s not a good idea to enter into an exclusive, long-term contract that locks you into a low royalty rate or into a distribution deal that may fall behind in best practices.
Today, anyone can get access to the same level of online retail distribution as a traditional publisher, for both print and ebook editions, through services such as Amazon KDP, Draft2Digital, CreateSpace, and IngramSpark. I will explain how and when to use these services throughout this post.
You don’t “pay” these services until your books start to sell. Every time a copy of your book is sold, the retailer takes a cut, and if you use a distributor, they’ll take a cut, too.
You, the author, manage the publishing process and hire the right people or services to edit, design, publish, and distribute your book. Every step of the way, you decide which distributors or retailers you prefer to deal with. You retain complete and total control of all artistic and business decisions; you keep all profits and rights.
Self-publishing on your own means making decisions about your book’s editorial, design, and production quality. I offer a checklist for the book publication process here.
What follows is an explanation of how to self-publish once you have a final, polished manuscript and/or printer-ready files.
Some of the services I reference, particularly CreateSpace, offer fee-based services related to editing, design, and marketing. These package services may work OK for your needs, but I think it’s better to hire your own freelancers and always know who you’re working with. Also, you can take a look at Joel Friedlander’s book template system, which offers a way for total beginners to prepare ebook and print book files that are ready to be distributed and sold.
You don’t have to set up a formal business (e.g., in the United States, you can use your Social Security number for tax purposes), but serious self-publishers will typically set up an LLC at minimum.
For the basic information on how to establish your own imprint or publishing company, read Joel Friedlander’s post, How to Create, Register, and List Your New Publishing Company.
The first and most important thing to understand about ebook retailers and distributors is that they are not publishers. That means they take no responsibility for the quality of your work, but neither do they take any rights to your work. Here are the characteristics of major services:
Again, it’s important to emphasize: By using these services, you do not forfeit any of your rights to the work. If a traditional publisher or agent were to approach you after your ebook has gone on sale, you are free to sell rights without any obligation to the services you’ve used.
Most e-publishing services fall into one of these categories:
One popular approach for independent authors is to sell and distribute directly through Amazon KDP, then use a distributor like Draft2Digital to reach everyone else. Because none of these services demand exclusivity, that’s possible.
A note about ISBNs: While an ISBN is not required for basic ebook distribution through most retailers, some distributors and services require one. Therefore, to maximize distribution, you’ll need an ISBN for your ebook. Some self-publishing services will provide you with an ISBN, or you can obtain your own ISBN. (If you’re US-based, you can buy through MyIdentifiers.com.)
Nearly every service asks you to upload a final ebook file that is appropriately formatted. Services vary widely in the types of files they accept. Because standards are still developing in the ebook world, you may find yourself converting and formatting your book multiple times to satisfy the requirements of different services.
Here are the most commonly used formats for ebooks:
Most major ebook retailers and distributors accept a Word document and automatically convert it to the appropriate format, but you still must go through an “unformatting” process for best results. All major services offer step-by-step guidelines for formatting your Word documents before you upload them for conversion.
Important to note: There is a difference between formatting and converting your book files. Conversion refers to an automated process of converting files from one format into another, without editing or styling. It’s often easy to convert files, but the resulting file may look unprofessional—or even appear unreadable—if not formatted appropriately.
Useful tools for formatting and converting ebooks include:
If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the idea of converting and formatting your own ebook files, then you may want to use a distributor or service that’s customer-service oriented in this regard, such as Draft2Digital. If your ebook has special layout requirements, heavy illustration, or multimedia components, you should probably hire an independent company to help you (eBookPartnership is one option).
But if your book is mostly straight text—such as novels and narrative works—then you might be able to handle the conversion and formatting process without much difficulty if you’re starting with a Word document or text file.
There are a number of special considerations for ebook cover design. People may see your cover in black and white, grayscale, color, high-resolution, low-resolution, thumbnail size, or full size. It needs to be readable at all sizes and look good on low-quality or mobile devices. For these reasons (and many more), it’s best to hire a professional to create an ebook cover for you. One designer I frequently recommend is Damon Za.
Even though ebooks are the best-selling format for self-publishing authors (especially fiction), ask these questions before you begin:
There are two primary ways to publish and make a print edition available for sale:
Print-on-demand technology allows for books to be printed one at a time. This is by far the most popular way to produce print copies of your book because it reduces financial risk.
Pros of print-on-demand
Cons of print-on-demand
Most books printed by U.S. traditional publishers are produced through offset printing. To use a traditional printer, you usually need to commit to 1,000 copies minimum.
Pros of offset printing
Cons of offset printing
While it can be fairly straightforward and inexpensive to get a print book in your hands via print-on-demand services, virtually no one can get your book physically ordered or stocked in bookstores. Self-publishing services may claim to distribute your book to stores or make your book available to stores. But this is very different from actually selling your book into bookstores. Bookstores almost never accept or stock titles from any self-publishing service or POD company, although they can special order for customers when asked, assuming the book appears in their system.
Also, think through the paradox: Print-on-demand services or technology should be used for books that are printed only when there’s demand. Your book is not going to be nationally distributed and sitting on store shelves unless or until a real order is placed.
The 3 key factors are:
You also need to anticipate your appetite for handling the warehousing, fulfillment, and shipping of 1,000+ books, unless a third party is handling it for you, which will reduce your profit. When the truck pulls up to your house with several pallets piled high with 30-pound boxes, it will be a significant reality check if you haven’t thought through your decision.
If you choose print-on-demand for your print edition, then I recommend the following:
I recommend using both Ingram Spark and CreateSpace to maximize your profits and ensure that no one is discouraged from ordering or stocking the print edition of your book. As you might imagine, independent bookstores aren’t crazy about ordering books provided by CreateSpace/Amazon, their key competitor. However, if you use Ingram Spark to fulfill orders through Amazon, you will reduce your profits because Amazon offers more favorable terms when selling books generated through CreateSpace. So it’s much more advantageous financially to use CreateSpace—but limit the scope of that agreement to just Amazon orders.
As soon as your printer-ready files are uploaded, POD books are generally available for order at Amazon within 48 hours. With Ingram Spark, it generally takes 2 weeks for the book to be available through all their channels.
This is for a $14.99 standard 6×9 paperback, about 240 pages.
With print books, your success is typically driven by the quality of your book, your visibility or reach to your readership, and your cover. With ebooks, the same factors are in play, plus the following:
This is but a scratch on the surface of the world of ebook marketing. Author Nicholas Erik maintains an excellent beginner’s guide.
You can read more about self-publishing at the following posts:
Here are high-quality, full-service publishing providers that I trust.
Published on May 5, 2018 | In Blog, How To Begin Writing For Children, Independent, Hybrid and Self-Publishing | 0 Comment
Posted on by Jane Friedman This post was first published in 2011 and is regularly updated.
If you have a book idea or a manuscript, one of your first questions is probably:
How do I find a publisher?
Or, if you’re more advanced in your knowledge of book publishing, you may ask:
How do I find a literary agent?
The good news: there’s no shortage of resources for researching publishers and agents. The bad news: you can really get lost going down the rabbit hole of available information!
In the United States, the most comprehensive resource (published since 1920) is the annual Writer’s Market directory, which is also available and searchable online at WritersMarket.com. It features more than 8,000 listings of where you can get published and includes literary agents. While it does cost to purchase the guide (or subscribe online), you can often find it at your local library or bookstore.
Alternatively, you can find a range of free and paid resources online. Some of the sites and tools listed below offer submission trackers, community message boards, and interesting statistics gathered from official site members.
Here’s a summary of the most well-known and popular places to find publishers and agents.
Be aware that most New York book publishers do not accept unagented submissions, so sometimes “searching for a publisher” really means finding an agent (see next list).
Before you begin a search in earnest, be sure to read my post: How to Find a Literary Agent
Some writers really dislike conducting this research. While I think writers should undertake this task for themselves, if you prefer to hire someone to find appropriate agents and publishers for you to submit to, try Grad Student Freelancers.
Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman) has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry, with expertise in digital media strategy for authors and publishers. She is the co-founder and editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors.
In addition to being a columnist for Publishers Weekly, Jane is a professor with The Great Courses, which released her 24-lecture series, How to Publish Your Book. Her book for creative writers, The Business of Being a Writer(University of Chicago Press), received a starred review from Library Journal.
Jane speaks regularly at conferences and industry events such as BookExpo America, Digital Book World, and the AWP Conference, and has served on panels with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund. Find out more.