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What's Your Biggest Challenge with Your Book?

I'd be interested to learn what authors/publishers on this network think their biggest challenges are with their book. I wonder if there's any common, pervasive challenge we all face.

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Good call Amber. You are exactly right, POD is simply a printing method. To give weight to what you are saying, here is a small sample of publishing houses using POD technology: Random House, Simon and Schuster, University of California Press, Oxford University Press, University of Nebraska Press, University of Oklahoma Press, Shambhala Press, Berg Publishing, John Wiley & Sons, etc. In fact, almost every publishing house is now using this technology to keep their backlist in print.

Cheers,

Peter

_________________________________________
Director and Editor: Bauu Institute and Press
Publisher: New Great Books
Editor: Indigenous Issues Today
Hi all,
I agree the many terms in publishing right now are way too confusing. It's true that POD is just a print method and many types of publishers use this print method now. I made my answer too short I guess to be as clear as I could have been.

It's also true that because of the internet and strong marketing by some compaies, POD has come to be associated with those publishers who only use this print method. Other terms for these kinds of companies exist but are obviously being phased out because of negative connotations and a desire to be seen as more mainstream I guess. In all reality, none of the terms (self-publisher, POD, vanity, or subsidy publisher)accurately define these companies. Unfortunately, until someone comes up with something that is universally accepted, we as authors just need to make sure we understand how the terms are being used in any given circumstance.

I look at it this way, any printer or publisher can print using POD. Howeve, the term POD Publisher 90% of the time refers to the few dozen companies that represent the third method of publishing following traditional and true self-publishing.

I know, clear as mud.

In conclusion, I also agree there's too much bashing of all methods and that doesn't help anyone at all. Advising people of companies who have less than admirable business practices is fine, but no method is right or wrong 100% as a whole. It's truly up to the author and his/her project to make the call as to what is best.

Hope this helps in some way.

Cheryl
Hi Amber,

I think that there are always the good and bad with any publisher whether it be traditional, self-published or POD. My first book is with PA which is a POD. A Healing Heart is my first book, and a memoir, printed by them. They are excellent at getting your book out on time and replying every time that I have a question. They are a wonderful publisher that gives every author a chance to get their book in print.

I believe, from what I have heard that no matter who an author goes through, you are the one doing 90% of the marketing. Maybe a large and well know publisher or an agent will help set you up with book tours and scheduled book signings and speeches. I'm not sure.

There are two reasons for my thinking of looking elsewhere when my second book is completed. The first is that when a manager from B&N or Borders sees PA on the back of my book, they stop all conversations and say, "We don't work with this publisher. They will publish anything."

PA has told authors not to stop with "one" manager and they are correct. I went to another B&N store and the manager was super. She not only set me up with a first class book signing with a huge poster of myself and my book at the door and half hour announcements that I was there in the store, but also took ten autographed books to keep on their shelves.

The second discouragement is that PA would not send my book to three military distributors or Wal-Mart when they requested to see my book. Their statement to me is, "We do not find it to be in the best interest of the author or PA to work with them at this time." No other reason would be given to me. Maybe they had requested a 55% discount on top of PA giving their own distributors the same discount.

Spring Arbor, another distributor of mine and a Christian branch of Ingram, only offered a religious store, already to purchase my book, a 5% discount. They had to refuse to buy my book and shelf it. They get "all" their Christian books through them with a 40% discount but not mine. I had an instant sale with the buyer saying that she had heard of my book and had been wanting to purchase it for their store. Again, no answer from this distributor after I had emailed asking why this happened. I had traveled an hour and a half to make this sale.

In other words, I've lost a good six distributors interested in my book or at least to review it. One "huge" distributor handles 500 hotels and 64 airports and PA again would not work with them. I had travled directly to TFG Airport in RI to find the info on this distributor. They requested me to mail my book to them for a review and PA would not work with them. Same reason given.

As an author working continuously to market my book, it is discouraging to lose these leads that took me months to get their interest.

Is this how "all" publishers work? Do all of them refuse to work with other distributors if they are not theirs? Has anyone out there had the same problem. It takes the wind right out of you when you have the interest from the location to see your book.
One of my main challenges is getting in front of my book's target market. Since it is in a smaller niche, finding groups to speak in front of takes a lot of thought. This is especially true once I have exhausted the groups in my local geographical area.

Still I enjoy writing in niche markets and will continue to do so. I have also started writing ebooks for niche markets which I also very much enjoy. While the niche market is still small, I have a much larger potential audience on the internet.

Sincerely,
H. Court Young
Geologist, author & publisher
Promoting awareness through the written word
http://www.hcourtyoung.com

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Writing non-fiction for niche markets is easier than fiction in many ways. You're right, the Internet will open up new niche groups for you outside your geographic area.

One idea you may explore to find niche groups on the Internet is to go to Technorati.com to look for blogs on your subject. Technorati ranks the blogs by size and influence. Identify the top blogs in your niche and contribute to them. In your by-line, you'll be able to mention your book. You can build your exposure to your target audience by contributing to others' blogs.
Bill:

Thanks for the help. I will definitely try Technorati.com as a way to get out to a niche market.

Sincerely
H. Court Young
Promoting awareness througn the written word
http://www.hcourtyoung.com
This is a really great network and thread. I am just starting to market my books and this information is invaluable. My problem has always been disciplining myself to make the time to market and promote my books. I would rather just travel and meet people and write and just not worry about the rest of it, but then no one would get to read my stories. So thank you Bill and the rest of you for the inspiration.
Thank you for the kind comments.

Making time to market is difficult, yet necessary. If marketing isn't your thing, one way to overcome the inertia is to find distribution channels that require less marketing. Note that all distribution channels need some marketing effort, so you'll never get away from marketing completely.

Amazon is one such distribution channel. Amazon uniquely combines a distribution channel with some online marketing tools—the search engine, for example. The ranking mechanism is another marketing tool that helps you sell books on Amazon. Yes, you still have to market your book on Amazon, but having it there allows potential readers the serendipity of finding your book when they otherwise might not have. For a good book on the various marketing techniques available on Amazon, check out Brent Sampson's Sell Your Book on Amazon: The Book Marketing COACH Reveals Top-Secret "How-to" Tips Guaranteed to Increase Sales for Print-on-Demand and Self-Publishing, on Amazon."
I'm on my way February 3rd, to the Sheraton Vistana in Orlando, Florida for vacation. I've scheduled a book signing at B&N on International Drive in Orlando for February 8th. I then called the Orlando Sentinel to do an article on it.
I decided to go for it. The worse the bookstore or the newspaper could have done was say no. I'm thrilled that I took advantage of being out of state to request a signing. I'm going to do the same each time that I travel. I hope this gives others the idea when traveling. Take advantage of the time in another state to get your book out there.
Thank you for the wonderful suggestion! When you get back let us know how it went! Wishing you the best!
This is a wonderful plan. Why limit it to when you travel, however? Scheduling a book signing and developing contacts with local media will help book sales where they matter most—close to home.

Good luck and good selling.
Hi Bill,
I've only done one radio show so maybe it's time for another. I have developed a friendship with an editor for four newspapers. She has been following me. In fact, I asked her to put it into the paper about my signing in Florida. I do need to expand more with contacts.

It's so hard when I'm writing my second book trying to get it completed by this year, trying to promote the first, scheduling book signings, teaching my workshops, looking into audio tapes, and trying to get into AA Organizations to do speaking engagements. I'm tired just mentioning it. I hope in two to five years that I can say it worked.

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