Arizona Book Publishing Association

President’s Message

The latest (big) news in the book industry is that Wal-Mart has begun selling bestselling, hardcover books for $10 on their website. Amazon.com decided to match this price, and now Target seems to be joining the fray. Things are getting heated, and the prices have dropped to $9. As a consumer, this sounds awesome; but as a publisher, this is awful. And yes, this includes those of us whose books are not on the bestseller list.

If a book by Sarah Palin, Barbara Kingsolver, or another big name can be purchased for $10, how are the rest of us going to convince the customer that our $19.95 book is worth the extra money? The answer: we can’t compete at this price. If your book is $19.95, the consumer will simply pass over your book and look for a $9.95 competitor. If your book is $9.95, that means you are selling it to the bookstore for $6 or less (probably in the $3 range). Very few of us can afford to make money selling books at this price point.

“If readers come to believe that the value of a new book is $10, publishing as we know it is over,” David Gernert, Grisham’s agent, told the New York Times. “If you can buy Stephen King’s new novel or John Grisham’s Ford County for $10, why would you buy a brilliant first novel for $25? I think we underestimate the effect to which extremely discounted bestsellers take the consumer’s attention away from emerging writers.” “But Bill,” you ask, “what can I do as a small, independent publisher, to combat this?” First of all, don’t buy these $10 books; if you really want to read them or buy them as presents, pay a reasonable price (I suggest no less than 20% off of the retail price). Second, buy them at a physical store, not online; pricing like this is designed to direct consumers to online purchasing, which ultimately leads to closed stores. Third, strongly consider buying them at an independent bookstore; Barnes & Noble and Borders have a better chance of surviving a lengthy online war between Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, and Target, but the little guys need customers in their store every day, buying books, in order to survive.

Last, start discussing this bad decision with your friends, co-workers, and neighbors; we need to break the cycle of Zombie-consumerism (basing our purchase decisions on price more than any other factor). Just like McDonalds does not make the best hamburger, Simon & Schuster does not publish the best book. But if you look at their revenue stream, one could argue they do.

There are better books out there – we know that there are better books among our publishers right here in ABPA. But until we begin to spread the word and change the buying habits of those around us, the loser will be the consumer. Don’t be a Zombie!

Bill Fessler
ABPA President
American Traveler Press (formerly Primer Publishers)

Monthly Education Meeting October 28

The Incredible Shopping Cart: How to Automate Your Business and Supercharge Your Online Sales

Is it really possible to sell your books and other products online without it becoming another job? Rich Hamilton, our local 1ShoppingCart—SellBetter ToolBox.com representative, will show us how to use a shopping cart to do more than take orders. Make note of our new location!

Radisson Hotel Phoenix Airport North
427 N. 44th Street, Phoenix
(602) 220-4400

Program (includes dinner) 5:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Early Registration (by Oct. 22): $25 members $35 non-members
Late Registration: $35 members; $45 non-members
Advance payment is required for registration; no refunds after Oct. 22.
Learn more: http://azbookpub.com/abpa-education/10-28/

Did You Miss Last Month’s Meeting? Here’s a Recap…
How to Build Your Book Platform on the Web: Grael Norton, publishing consultant for Wheatmark, Inc. in Tucson, shared the ins and outs of creating a book platform.

• Platform is the people who know you and like what you do. Your fans. It’s how people hear about you and your projects.
• Platform building in the digital age is cheap and can grow even when you’re not working on it. The beauty of the web is that it keeps a record of your activities.
• The key activity or component is follow-up. Keep in touch, test market new book ideas, collaborate with readers, and announce new titles. You can even use your blog to work on your book or ideas publicly.
• Social media should be used to network, not to hawk sales. ABPA member Marion Orem used Wheatmark’s Book Marketecture to create a platform for her new book, Women Who RV. You can read about her project at www.togivevoice.com.

ABPA News

• Call for Entries: 2010 Arizona Book Awards – The Arizona Book Publishing Association is calling for entries for the 2010 Arizona Book Awards. Submissions must be postmarked by January 30, 2010. The 2010 Arizona Book Awards help to promote and support quality work created in or about Arizona and to recognize excellence in craft and creation in the Arizona book industry. Last year’s winners were also featured in the Arizona State University Alumni newsletter (going out to more than 40,000 individuals) and on Lesa’s Book Blog. For more information and to enter, please visit http://azbookpub.com/. Questions? Contact AZBookAwards@gmail.com or call (602) 274-6264.

• ABPA Needs Volunteers to Assist with PR/Marketing for Arizona Book Awards – The Arizona Book Awards Committee needs you! Do you have your finger on the media’s pulse? Are you active with the communities who would benefit from this sort of program? We’re looking for a new committee member who can help us to better market and publicize the event. Help us spread the word and expand our outreach! The committee meets no more than once a month and conducts most business via e-mail. If you are interested or know someone who might be, please e-mail Jessica Tribble, the Arizona Book Awards Committee Chair, at jessica@poisonedpenpress.com.

• Showcase Your Books to Libraries in Arizona in a Special ABPA Cooperative Mailing – Participate in ABPA’s cooperative mailing to libraries, and reach more than 300 acquisition librarians in the state with marketing information about your book(s). Members are invited to include a book flyer describing their title(s) in the packet that will be mailed to a special list of librarians. Librarians look for the packet of flyers from ABPA and take note of the books that are featured. For details visit http://azbookpub.com/benefits/coop-mail/.

• Member Benefits for Companies—Did you know the Arizona Book Publishing Association is a company-based membership, not a person-based membership? That means you can bring everyone on your staff to our programs and you can register each one at the member rate. So include your staff the next time you register for a meeting. What you’ll all learn is that it’s a great way to get everyone on the same page.

News from ABPA Members

• Submit Your News to Southwest Signature – Keep the ABPA informed about recent happenings with your company and books. Members can submit their news to Gwen Henson for inclusion in the newsletter: info@azbookpub.com or (480) 777-9250.

Industry News

• ABPA Members Can Take Advantage of Discounts for Annual PubWest Conference – “Pressing Forward” is the 2009 theme for the National Publishing Conference and Book Industry Trade Show of the Publishers Association of the West (PubWest). It’s slated for November 11 – 14. The conference is held in different states each year, and this time, it’s coming to Tucson.
  All ABPA members can receive the PubWest member rate. See details in your newsletter or email info@azbookpub.com for the code.
  The conference will cover everything from the nuts and bolts of editing and designing to the best ways to reach media-savvy readers and to stretch your marketing dollars for maximum profit. Plus, there will be the chance to meet with many publishing vendors (printers, designers, freelance editors, etc.) under one roof. Visit PubWest http://www.pubwest.org/index.php?page_id=222 to learn more and register.

• Call for Entries: William Saroyan International Prize for Writing – Nominations are now being accepted for the fourth William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. This award, given by Stanford University Libraries in partnership with the William Saroyan Foundation, recognizes newly published works of fiction and non-fiction with a $5,000 award for the winner in each category. The prize is designed to encourage new or emerging writers and honor the Saroyan literary legacy of originality, vitality and stylistic innovation. For official entry forms, contest rules, and other information on the prize, visit the Saroyan Prize website: http://library.stanford.edu/saroyan/. Entries must be received on or before January 31, 2010.

Welcome ABPA New Members

Deb Rinard
Deb Rinard Editorial Services

Andrew Pinch
Snowfall Press

ABPA’s “Meet the Members”

Who: Mike Roswell, President of Roswell Bookbinding (www.roswellbookbinding.com). I’ve been working with my family full time since 1975, but started working weekends and after school in my early teens.

Elevator Pitch: We’ve been holding great ideas together since 1960.

What makes Roswell Bookbinding unique? We are the only bookbindery in the United States that can handle runs from one to one million. We incorporate the latest technology available with centuries old, hand bookbinding techniques, in the same building, often on the same job. We are one of very few binderies that produce high-quality soft and hardcovers, and over and under-sized books.

What do you consider to be one of the biggest issues affecting publishers today? There are many challenging issues affecting publishers today: the Internet, new technology (ex: Kindle), younger generations being raised and educated electronically, guided to a world of immediate gratification where entertainment is viewed solely on a screen instead of exercising their brain to visually interpret words in their minds. It is also a future where discretionary income and time are both in short supply, and a few hours to sit and enjoy a book will become less available and attractive.

Any recession advice? Be flexible, don’t spend what you don’t have, keep punching. Favorite Book: Every title that we bind here. Second favorite: anything by Hemingway. Contact: mikeroswell@roswellbookbinding.com, (602)272-9338.

Upcoming Events & Conferences for Authors & Publishers

Nov. 5 – 8: CIROBE, Chicago, IL

CIROBE, the Chicago International Remainder and Overstock Book Exposition, is a trade show open only to attendees and exhibitors within the bargain book trade. This annual trade show takes place in Chicago every fall. Booksellers and other retailers from around the world come to CIROBE to buy bargain books for their stores. Publishers and remainder companies come to CIROBE to sell bargain books directly to bookstores for resale.
Details: http://www.cirobe.com/

Nov. 11 – 14: PubWest’s National Publishing Conference and Book Industry Trade Show, Tucson, AZ

“Pressing Forward” is the 2009 theme for the National Publishing Conference and Book Industry Trade Show of the Publishers Association of the West (PubWest). It will cover everything from the nuts and bolts of editing and designing to the best ways to reach media-savvy readers and to stretch your marketing dollars for maximum profit. Plus there will be the chance to meet with many publishing vendors (printers, designers, freelance editors, etc.) under one roof.
Details: http://www.pubwest.org/index.php?page_id=222

Reach Your Audience Through Southwest Signature

Advertising opportunities in Southwest Signature are now available for 2010. You can reach out to the state’s leading publishers, authors, designers and industry professionals – at a very affordable price. To find out more, contact Gwen Henson at (480) 777-9250 or email info@azbookpub.com.

About Southwest Signature

Southwest Signature is the monthly e-newsletter of the Arizona Book Publishing Association, a non-profit professional association. Entire contents copyright 2008 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 info@azbookpub.com.