Bill Frank's Blog (29)

My thanks to the blog Personanondata for this blog post. The post reads:



Happily I don't have to do this myself because the nice people at Follow The Reader have done this for us. They note some interesting stats from Bowker's book reader panel and link to the other presentations (… Continue

Do you know what the least expensive form of marketing and advertising is for a book publisher? According to Dan Poynter, self-publishing guru, it’s review copies. It makes sense, when you think about it. To send a review copy to a key publication costs the price of a book, some marketing materials, a cover letter, an envelope and postage. The effect on sales from one good review is immense.



To get the maximum effect, a publisher must “cast a wide net” by sending as many review… Continue

This is an inspiring and exciting video about the future of publishing. It is a keynote speech by Tim O'Reilly at the Tools of Change 2009 Conference.



http://blip.tv/file/1893388



Tim O'Reilly, in case you don't know, is the president of O'Reilly Media, a leading publisher of technical computer books. He is also a visionary within the publishing industry.



I'm still not convinced about the place of e-books in the world,… Continue

I've returned from Day One of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I am representing an Hawaiian publisher of SAT Preparation books at this year's show. I'm sharing space in Booth 143, the Book Publicists of Southern California booth. It was an interesting first day. Here are some of my observations.



First, the Day One crowd in 2009 appears to be at least as big as the 2008 crowd. That's remarkable considering people's perception of the economy. It really shouldn't… Continue

Consider this antidote to the slew of negative economic news.



Recognize the names of these companies?



Hewlett-Packard

General Electric

Sports Illustrated

MTV

CNN

Federal Express

Burger King

IHOP



What do these companies have in common? Each was started during a recession.



A downturn in the economy isn't the end of prosperity. It doesn't mean that one can't be successful during a recession. These companies are proof… Continue

David Streitfeld writes in the Sunday, December 28, 2008 NEW YORK TIMES, about the death of the book industry. In an article titled, Bargain Hunting, and Feeling Sheepish About it, Streitfeld notes the effect of online web sites on profit margin erosion for bookstores, publishers and authors. He writes of his experience buying ROOM FOR DOUBT for 25¢ on the Internet. He claims the book retails for $13.95 plus tax in a conventional bookstore.



While the article may be hyperbole (see Tom… Continue

1) Start with the end in mind.

Understand how you will sell your book before you sell it. Have a sales plan and stick to it. Selling will be the number one problem in 2009. Clearly identify why anyone should buy your book. Distribution channel expansion is your number one job.



2) Know how to keep score.

What criteria will determine success or failure for your book? Focus more on profitability than sales growth.



3) Analyze your Balance Sheet.

The balance… Continue

THE ECONOMIST reports in the June 7, 2008 edition that 411,000 new titles were published in America in 2007. The adult trade segment of the book publishing market grew at 4.3%. Since 1985, books' share of entertainment spending has fallen by seven percentage points. Books have changed little in the past half millennium, but they may be on the verge of going digital. Unlike digital music or video, however, digital books require consumers to change their consumption habits. Another new technology… Continue

The average print-on-demand book sells 75 copies, according to Penny Sansevieri, CEO of A Marketing Expert (www.amarketingexpert.com).



Print-on-Demand is a manufacturing process. There are circumstances when Print-on-Demand makes sense as a publishing strategy—at the beginning or end of a book's life cycle or as a bridge between print runs when a book's demand exceeds expectations. For most, however, selling 75, or fewer, copies of a book is unacceptable because most authors want… Continue