In this issue

• President’s Message: Let Me Tell You A Story / Sam Henrie, ABPA President
• June Meeting / “May You Live in Interesting Times” How the Publishing Industry is Changing and What You Can Do to be Prepared
• Why Attending Book Expo America is a Must / Robert Rosenwald
• How to Smoke from the Ears in Three Days or Less / Kristina Grant
• Planning for Successful Book Printing / Michael L. Wentz
• Southern Arizona Chapter / Robert Casler
• New ABPA Members
• Future ABPA Meetings
• Events of Note
• Members in the Spotlight

President’s Message: Let Me Tell You A Story

by Sam Henrie

In the spring of 2005 I knew that an ABPA board member was going to nominate me to be the next president of ABPA. It was an extremely busy time for me. I felt that if I didn’t devote fifty to eighty hours a week to my business, it would be at risk. So, I made the only logical decision, I would ask not to be nominated to be president of ABPA. I told a friend and business advisor of my decision, and his response was: “Are you crazy? You need to be ABPA president for the sake of your business.” We had a long discussion, after which I changed my mind.

Once I started as president, I dreaded the extra work, worried about doing a bad job, etc. My friend’s words, however, turned out to be prophetic. Being ABPA president has done things for my business that I could not have imagined at the time. I’ll give you just one example. Because ABPA invited John Kremer to present in January 2006, I had the chance to give him a ride from Tucson to Phoenix, and have dinner with him. He and I discussed the then upcoming sixth edition of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book. He told me that the fifth edition included sponsored articles, paid one-page articles by book industry professionals he trusted, and that he planned to include new sponsor articles in the soon-to-be-released sixth edition.

Several things made these articles excellent marketing opportunities for their authors. First, the articles ended with blurbs about the authors and their businesses. Second, the fifth edition was published in 1998 and remained in print for eight years. And, third, the seven-hundred-page book contained only ten sponsored articles, by some of the most respected names in publishing.

I was able to convince John that I was a trustworthy industry source, and we agreed that Wheatmark, Inc. would submit two articles to be included in the sixth edition. Kathleen Meyer, Director of Marketing for BookFlash, a Wheatmark, Inc. owned book publicity service, wrote one article, and I wrote the other. Both articles were included in the recently released sixth edition of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book. So, for the next several years, when anyone reads the chapter “Establishing and Marketing Your Company,” they will read an article from and blurb about BookFlash; and when anyone reads the chapter “Selling Through Retail Outlets,” they will read an article from and blurb about the Wheatmark self-publishing service–AND–both Kathleen Meyer and I will be seen to be on a short list of industry professionals that includes Greg Godek, Seth Goden, and Rick Frishman. I suspect that these articles will be gifts that keep on giving to Wheatmark, Inc. for years to come. (Also, during the process of doing research for my article I learned a ton, and made many contacts that I wouldn’t otherwise have made.)

I have many other examples of the ways in which being president of ABPA has benefited me and my business; but the point is, if I had looked just at my workload, I would never have taken on the ABPA presidency, which would have been a SERIOUS mistake for me both as a publisher and businessman.

I’ve used this story frequently in my efforts to recruit talented ABPA members to chair committees that manage ABPA’s great (and improving) educational, networking, and cooperative marketing programs. I suspect that all of the ABPA members who have responded and are now chairing ABPA committees will make contacts and find opportunities that they couldn’t even have imagined before they started.

Here are the new committee chairs who have signed on in the last year, and are currently accruing the benefits of their new positions:

Southern Arizona Chapter: Robert Casler, Program Director, University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, rcasler@ag.arziona.edu (winner of ABPA’s Korwin Award for visionary leadership).

Programs Committee: Pam Swartz of Cloud Nine Press and BookStudio, author of Arizona Getaways for the Incurably Romantic, pam@cloudninepress.com (credited with the last major surge in ABPA membership due to the great programs she booked during her previous stint as Programs Committee chair, and winner of ABPA’s Korwin Award for visionary leadership).

Educational Events Committee: Pam Waterman of the Discovery Box, author of The Braces Cookbook (with Brenda Waterman), The Absolute Best Play Days, and 5th Grade Summer Vacation, thediscoverybox@earthlink.net (noted for being a mover and a shaker when she served on the committee for the 2005 Glyph Awards).

Southwest Signature’s Managing Editor: Mike Wentz of Novalibre Publishing, author of Resurrection of Liberty, mike@novalibrepublishing.com (already producing some of the best newsletters ABPA’s ever had).

Hospitality Committee: Bette Dowdell of the Confident Faith Institute, author of How to Be a Christian Without Being Annoying, bette@confidentfaith.com (lovely, talented, Christian, and anything but annoying; also our June 2006 presenter).

Website Committee: Rich Hamilton of SellBetter Tools Publishing, author of Disney Magic: Business Strategy You Can Use At Work and At Home; Internet Business Magic: Using Disney’s Magic Strategy in Your Own Online Business; and Disney Magic Ideabook: Using Disney’s Magic Strategy for Your Own Business Success, abpa@sellbetter.com (2005 Glyph Award winner and, well, just take a look at the new website at http://www.azbookpub.com).

Here are the committees for which we are now recruiting chairs:

• 2007 Glyph Awards
• Membership and Benefits
• Trade Shows and Exhibits

Only three left. Email me at shenrie@wheatmark.com if you are interested–before it’s too late!

Sam Henrie is president and founder of Wheatmark http://www.wheatmark.com, a self-publishing service focused on helping authors maximize their book sales. A frequent speaker on the subjects of special market sales and self-publishing, Sam’s expertise includes new directions in production, distribution, publicity, and marketing in the world of book publishing. Sam is president of the Arizona Book Publishing Association. Sam can be contacted at Wheatmark, 610 E. Delano St. Ste. 104, Tucson, AZ 85705-5210; phone: 520-798-0888 x105; fax: 520-798-3394; email: shenrie@wheatmark.com.

“May you live in interesting times.”

How the Publishing Industry is Changing and What You Can Do to be Prepared
Bette Dowdell, Confident Faith Institute

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Please note our new location!
Arizona Small Business Association
4130 E. Van Buren St., Ste. 140
Phoenix, AZ 85008

Program (includes lunch) 11:30 a.m.– 1:30 p.m.
Early Registration (by June 21): $25 members $35 non-members
Late Registration: $35 members $45 non-members
Advance payment is required for registration; no refunds after the early registration deadline.

Fresh from PMA’s Publishing University in Washington, D.C. Bette will reveal the best of what she gleaned from three days of intensive publishing coursework. She’ll discuss how the publishing industry is, against publishers’ wishes, changing, what the changes are, and why it’s important to recognize that the changes are involuntary.

She will also address the most frequently asked question of PMA-U: What’s the difference between a wholesaler and a distributor: What do they do? When do they want to see your book? What are the differences in working arrangements? How do they fit into the change paradigm?

Michael Wentz of Novalibre Publishing will talk about his experiences while working the PMA booth at BEA this year, and Deborah Hillcove, Writer’s Ink and BelVista Publishers, will talk about PMA University from the perspective of a newbie.

Bette Dowdell is the author of How to Be A Christian without Being Annoying, the creator of Bette’s Quick Takes on Life and is the publisher at Confident Faith Institute LLC. Bette was formerly an IBM Systems Engineer, a consultant to small business, the owner of a software company and the author of several computer books and articles.

Prepayment is required for registration.
By 6/21, please register at http://www.azbookpub.com
RSVP to the ABPA hotline (602) 274-6264 or
email info@azbookpub.com.

Why Attending Book Expo America is a Must

by Robert Rosenwald

While setting up our booth at Book Expo America this year I ran into my friend, Dr. James Webb. I told Jim that I had decided not to go to BEA June 1-3, 2007 in New York at Javitts Convention Center next year because I don’t like exhibiting at Javitts–partly because of the poor transportation to the center and partly because it is so very expensive to exhibit in New York. Jim reminded me of the old saw: out of sight, out of mind, out of business.

So now let me tell you a story, which some of you have already heard.

Four years ago James Sallis, a longtime friend and much under-appreciated author, had presented me with the manuscript for a novella named Drive to look at. He had adapted it from a short story he had written for a Dennis Macmillan anthology, and expanded it to 30,000 words. He was rather pleased with it, but we both knew that he was going to have a hard time selling it–New York publishing doesn’t like novellas–right now it wants more in the vein of The DaVinci Diet’s Guide to Financial Freedom: Solving the Riddle of Losing 20 Pounds and Making $1,000,000 in Four Short Weeks. I told Jim that I would love to publish it if his regular publisher, Walker, declined and his agent couldn’t find someone else. Then, a little over two years ago I ran into his agent, Vicky Bijur, in Toronto and I reiterated to her that if she were unable to sell Drive I’d love to publish it. She said she hadn’t and that they’d be happy to have us do it. So, in September of last year Poisoned Pen Press published Drive. And the rave reviews started coming in. Starred reviews everywhere; a New York Times review that said, “James Sallis has written the perfect noir fiction;” Chicago Tribune and Washington Post mentions for Best Books of 2005; and it made Entertainment Weekly’s Top Ten Books of 2005. Then in mid-March the front page of Variety announced that Universal had optioned Drive for Hugh Jackman to star in. I don’t know if I’ll ever again see Poisoned Pen Press’ name mentioned in Variety, but I loved it–mostly because it validated our feelings that ultimately it’s all about the book, and not about the numbers.

Getting back to Book Expo 2006, I was standing in my booth when a gentleman walked up and said, “We sell some of your books.” I looked at his badge and it indicated that he was from Borders. We began talking and he noticed among the books I was displaying a copy of Drive, and he mentioned that he had read it and really liked it. We talked a little more and he mentioned that whenever he was in Phoenix he made a point of dropping by The Poisoned Pen to check out the store. I started to get the feeling that I was talking to someone who was not just a clerk in some Borders store, but someone higher up. So, we talked a little more and I shared with him the belief that Big Publishing had no idea what it was doing, and then related to him the story of Drive as mentioned above. I also told him that we had just heard that the L.A. Times Book Review was going to be doing a retrospective look at Jim’s work, and would have a full page photo-illustration of him on the front page of the next day’s issue (May 12, 2006). After a few more minutes of conversation about books, publishing, and business in general, we exchanged cards and he moved on. I looked to see that I had just spent ten minutes with the Chairman, President, and C.E.O. of Borders. So the question is this: what value to a small press is there to having visited with and obtained the email address and business card of the C.E.O. of Borders? What’s the probability that I could gain access to this person if I hadn’t gone? Want to know where I’ll be in 2007 the first few days of June?

Robert Rosenwald is a publisher and president of Poisoned Pen Press. He is also a past president of ABPA.

How to Smoke from the Ears in Three Days or Less

by Kristina Grant

Nothing like moving fast…

I drive the twenty-two hundred mile stretch from Michigan to Phoenix prepared to dive headfirst into a job that I know nearly nothing about. My first day at work starts the day after my arrival. I spend no more than one week as a marketing associate before I am being shipped out to Washington D.C. for this thing called Publishing University.

I am told Publishing University, presented by PMA (Publishers Marketing Association), will be a great place to start getting my feet wet, as far as acquainting myself with the publishing world. After all, prior to this, the only knowledge I have about publishers is that Ed McMahon has yet to show up at my house with my Publishers Clearinghouse check.

It was an exciting sequence of events, but I’ll admit I was nervous. I do have experience as a print and broadcast journalist, but would that be enough for marketing and publishing veterans to take me seriously? Or would I be viewed as some young, inexperienced gal with an “accent” who could be sat to the side?

I land in D.C. the evening before Publishing University kicks off, with these thoughts taking turns in my head. My nerves are hardly eased when I arrive, since the airport manages to lose all of my luggage. Day one begins, and the only outfit I have to wear is a pair of pajama pants and a black rock-n-roll T-shirt–nothing like making a good impression. Fortunately, my luggage arrives at the airport that morning, so after a delightfully expensive cab ride to retrieve it, I make myself presentable just in time for lunch at the Washington Convention Center.

It is almost instantaneous that I understand what “networking” means. I pass someone in the hallway and am asked where I am from. I stand in line for some nachos and chicken quesadillas and am asked if I am an author or publisher, and what kind of books I deal with. I enter my first seminar and the curious questions continue. Relieved that I am considered part of the pack, I start my own surge of questions, being open about the fact that I am in foreign territory. Instead of getting funny looks, I get advice and words of encouragement. I quickly realize that although publishing runs rampant with competition, there is a refreshing sense of camaraderie in the air.

My notebook becomes my sidekick. I write down as much as I can, as fast as my hand can chicken scratch, including: contact information for speakers/professionals, websites, marketing tips from Diane Rehm, PMA panel recommendations for our award-winning book Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults, how to create a media kit, how to capture the interest of Dan Raviv, how sex and humor sell … and the chicken scratch continues.

It was a great feeling to be surrounded by so many people who do what I would be doing, and being on a first-name basis with many of them by the end of the first day. I never had to worry about who I might sit by at lunch, but instead, who I might get to talk to next. I made the acquaintance of several delightful people who are from Arizona, too, one of which I have already had dinner with upon my return. PMA’s Publishing University helped me make these connections, and it made it easy.

By the end of the three days, my once empty notebook was full from front to back, with additional notes and comments jotted down throughout the hefty stack of handouts I received from each speaker. As a result, I found myself mildly overwhelmed with the information flow that kept coming at me, hour after hour, seminar after seminar. When my boss told me that smoke would be coming out of my ears by the end of my week in D.C., he wasn’t lying.

My eventful week was rounded out with Book Expo America, which wrapped up on Sunday afternoon. I returned to Arizona at 1:00 a.m., where my airline luck lived on. One of my tightly packed suitcases lost a wheel, and of course it was the one packed with papers, catalogs, and piles of free books from BEA. So, I managed to squeeze in quite the workout before bed in an attempt to transport all of my belongings. On another note, my ears eventually did stop smoking, and I showed up Monday morning to work motivated and ready to go.

Publishing University undoubtedly served its purpose for me, and has the potential to do so for anyone who gets involved. Whether someone is a long-time veteran to the industry or brand spanking new like myself, I learned that everyone has a story to tell. And it’s at PMA’s Publishing University where those stories can be shared and additional chapters are created. PMA helped me start my story, and my work in progress is underway.

Meantime, I will continue to wait for my visit from Ed McMahon.

Kristina Grant journeyed from southeast Michigan to Tempe, AZ, to accept a job as a marketing associate for Great Potential Press, Inc., in Scottsdale. She brings with her a BA in journalism, experience writing for newspapers and magazines, an open-mind, and plenty of bathing suits to survive the desert heat. She is slowly acquiring a feel for marketing, and welcomes any advice that people may have to offer. She can be reached at Kristina@giftedbooks.com.

Planning for Successful Book Printing

by Michael L. Wentz

Deciding on a print run, including how many and in what format, is the biggest and most costly decision a publisher makes in the steps leading up to the release of a book. The costs are high and the risks of printing too many or too few can have far reaching consequences for your business. At May’s meeting, we were able to hear from three experts in the field to help give us all some perspective on what is required to make the right choice.

Lisa Liddy, from The Printed Page, is a book designer with years of experience working with printers and publishers. She noted that with the advent of short run printing technology, publishers can now produce books much faster than even just a few years ago. When preparing for a big trade show like Book Expo America, many publishers had to send books to the printer by January or February to be ready for the May show. Now, they can order up short runs of advance galleys and have them ready in just a few weeks. Lisa wanted to be clear that the time it takes to edit, layout, and design a book takes just as much time as in the past, but the printing can now be done much faster, in many cases.

Lisa recommended that your book designer be clear on the file requirements for the printer. These requirements vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and sometimes depend on pre-press requirements for a specific machine. Ensuring that your designer understands the requirements will alleviate any problems later down the road.

The choice to print a short or long run depends on many factors. Most manufacturers use digital printing technology (sometimes referred to as POD or Print On Demand) for short runs, while longer runs use traditional offset technology. With digital printing the resolution of pictures and text will not be as crisp as with traditional offset. Also, digital printing can limit paper choices, bindings, and may not reproduce color as well as a four-color offset machine. Her best solution is to get samples in advance of committing to a short run, so that you can see how the final book will turn out.

As for E-Books, Lisa recommended getting your requirements to the designer, as the format will depend largely on how the book will be read (online, device, print-out, etc.).

Mike Daniels, from Sheridan Books, echoed Lisa’s recommendation that the printing solution will depend on how the publisher wants the final product to appear. He explained to us that digital short run machines are like big copy machines, and produce books directly from digital files, while offset printing is more complicated with plates, films, inks, and different ways to feed the paper. A Web-Fed Press pulls paper from a big roll, while Sheet-Fed is just that–sheets of paper are fed into the machine and printed upon.

Mike recommended digital printing as a good solution for Advance Galleys (Advance Reading Copies) and runs of less than three hundred books. Like Lisa, he mentioned that pictures do not come out as crisp on digital machines and the unit costs are higher, but when getting copies of books to reviewers prior to a release, it’s a good solution.

Mike also told us to ask any potential book manufacturer if they do all printing and binding under one roof. Some do and some do not, but he noted that not all manufacturers do everything equally well, and to be diligent about getting samples and asking questions.

Mike Bercaw, from Sir Speedy Scottsdale and Archangel Press, shared with us that his company has produced short runs since the late 60s. They used traditional offset machines, but now have both digital and offset, although they choose the machine based upon the job, paper, binding, etcetera. Like Mike Daniels, Mike Bercaw recommended looking at digital short run printing for small quantities–anything less than one to two thousand books. Over two thousand, the cost for offset begins to get competitive. Still, it’s best to get samples and quotes, as all three had mentioned.

Mike strongly advocated all publishers develop a business plan for each book. Planning is the key to success, and will keep many new publishers from spending too much money on too many books. A comprehensive business plan will help decide which printing solution will be best for the bottom line.

Lisa Liddy, Mike Daniels, and Mike Bercaw left us with a lot to consider, but one theme was clear throughout: planning and communication with your designer and printer are the two keys for being successful, and avoiding costly delays and mistakes. Remember to ask questions, get samples, and most importantly, have a plan.

Michael L. Wentz is the managing editor for Southwest Signature. He’s a writer, blogger, publisher, and founder of Novalibre Publishing, LLC. His debut novel Resurrection of Liberty has been nominated for numerous awards, including the 2006 Prometheus Award for Best Novel. Visit his website at http://www.MichaelLWentz.com.

About the panelists:

Lisa Liddy has been the power behind The Printed Page since 1990. Her background in book design is extensive, having worked with large and small publishers alike over the years. Lisa has designed books from 32 pages to 1400 pages, worked with printers at local printshops, POD, and traditional book printers across the U.S., as well as several printers in China and Korea. Her clients have printed their books in quantities of 4 million all the way down to 100.

Mike Daniels is the Southwest Sales Representative for Sheridan Books, a full service book manufacturer in Michigan, and has worked with big and small publishers nationwide for more than a decade. To better appreciate the needs of publishers, he authored and self-published Living, Loving and Loathing: Modern Rhymes and Limericks for the Romantically Inclined and Humorously Correct. Mike regularly writes book reviews and articles about authors and publishers for the Mountain Connection newspaper in addition to the “Mikey Likes It!” book manufacturing tips column he’s written for the CIPA newsletter. He is the President of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. In his spare time, he is a major in the Civil Air Patrol, USAF Auxiliary and is currently a candidate for the Colorado legislature. Contact him at 303 838-8990 or mdaniels@sheridanbooks.com.

Mike Bercaw has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance from Loyola Marymount University. His marriage to Sheri Statt in 2001, brought him into her family’s then 32-year-old printing business, Sir Speedy Scottsdale. In 2002 all the necessary equipment for producing manuscripts digitally was installed then certified by Dan Poynter to include in his 14th edition of The Self-Publishing Manual. 2004 saw the expansion at Sir Speedy Scottsdale to a separate division within the company for the small press book production into Archangel Press. Today Sir Speedy Scottsdale / Archangel Press has produced thousands of manuscripts from hundreds of authors and publishers.

Southern Arizona Chapter

by Robert Casler, Correspondent for the Southern Arizona Chapter

The Southern Arizona Chapter of ABPA is holding monthly meetings again in 2006. These meetings are scheduled for the third Thursday of each month from 5:30 to 7:00. Join us if you can.

Robert Casler is Publications Coordinator, Educational Communications and Technologies, College of Agriculture, University of Arizona. Reach him at rcasler@ag.arizona.edu.

New ABPA Members

Please welcome these new ABPA members:

Moonlight Mesa Associates
Becky and Tom Coffield
928-684-5231
BLCoffield@hughes.net
http://www.moonlightmesaassociates.com

Tickled Pink Press
Kathy Warfel
602-524-5780
kathyw@tickledpinkpress.com
http://www.tickledpinkpress.com

Future ABPA Programs

July–No program

August 30–11:30 a.m.
Field trip to printer Courier Graphics

September 28–5:30 p.m.
Publicity, speaker to be confirmed

October 30–5:30 p.m.
Website Optimization; Kathy Heasley founder of IMS Breakthrough, will discuss how publishers and authors can use their website, with the latest technologies to promote and build their brand and increase sales; blogs, podcasting, video casting, etc.; http://www.imsbreakthrough.com

December 9–Holiday Event

Events of Note

Saturday, July 8th 10AM - 2PM at Changing Hands Bookstore

Laura Holka, PR consultant and media coach, producer of the Pat McMahon show on KAZ-TV (also founder and 20-year producer of Good Morning Arizona) will be presenting half-hour PR consulting/coaching sessions at Changing Hands bookstore on July 8. This is one-on-one consulting, $25 for half an hour; you sign up for a session between 10am and 2pm. The goal is to help you determine your publicity needs, in print, radio or TV, and whether you need a professional’s services or can do some or all of the tasks yourself. Contact Changing Hands for more information at 480-730-0205 or visit their website at http://www.ChangingHands.com.

SSA forms Phoenix chapter

A new Metro-Phoenix Chapter of the Society of Southwestern Authors is forming. Programs of interest to accomplished and aspiring authors will be held on the first Saturday of each month for nine months of the year, October through June, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Poisoned Pen Central bookstore, 215 E. Grant Street, Phoenix. The first meeting is October 7, 2006. For more information, contact Marilyn Haight, Metro-Phoenix Chapter President via e-mail: marilynhaight@cox.net, or visit http://www.ssa-az.org

Members in the Spotlight

ABPA member Pamela Waterman appeared on Ch3-TV, on Good Morning Arizona, on Monday, June 12. She and her daughter Brenda did a cooking spot revolving around The Braces Cookbook.

ABPA publisher meets Oprah

Oprah is driving across the country with her best friend, Gayle King, and her filming crew and producers. Susan Broude of Purple People happened to “run into them” in Sedona. Susan relates this story:

“As luck would have it, we had just gotten a new order of our t-shirts with inspirational sayings from my books, so I went to talk to Oprah and give her one. I was also wearing one. Of course they’re purple and the front says, “I’m a Purple Person, Are You?” As I approached Oprah, she said, “I’m a Purple Person.” She just produced The Color Purple on Broadway, among other purple beliefs we share. We spoke for about five minutes and it was great because … it was just the Big O and me!”

If you have a company success story to share, email info@azbookpub.com. You might see yourself in the next issue of Southwest Signature!

About This Newsletter

Southwest Signature is the monthly e-newsletter of the Arizona Book Publishing Association, a non-profit professional association. Entire contents copyright 2006 Arizona Book Publishing Association unless otherwise noted. Permission is granted to forward this e-newsletter but only in its entirety. For information, email info@azbookpub.com or call (602) 274-6264.

We welcome submissions and reserve editing rights. Email your Southwest Signature submissions to editor Michael Wentz at mike@novalibrepublishing.com

Print|Email

Share this: