Publishing Poynters
Book and Information-Marketing News and Ideas from Dan PoynterAugust 1, 2000. Copyright Para Publishing. ISSN: 1530-5694
DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com; http://ParaPub.com; 1-800-ParaPub
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. ParaNews=============================================
2. ParaTips
3. ParaResources
4. ParaThoughts
5. ParaFreebies
6. ParaCalendar
7. ParaHumor
A. Access Publishers Network files bankruptcy. On June 1,
some of Access' vendor-publishers filed Chapter 7
(dissolution) against the company. On July 7, the company
filed to convert the case the Chapter 11 (reorganization). All
claims for payment prior to July 11 are now frozen and the
Grawn, Michigan, (near Traverse City) company plans to
continue operations. In a letter to vendor-publishers,
President and CEO David Reecher, asked for understanding.
He suggested those with questions call Publisher Accounts
Coordinator, Michelle Herbert, at 231-276-5196, extension
#1030. On July 25, 26 and 27, Access hosted conference calls
with vendor-publishers, David Reecher and Denise Dell, the
bankruptcy attorney for Access. Reecher and Dell tried to
reassure the vendor-publishers.
Publishers need a strong distributor and an effective sales
force to visit the bookstores and take orders. For a list of more
than 75 distributors, see our Special Report Book Marketing
and our Document 605,Locating the Right Distributor, on our
web site at
and scroll down.
B. The eBooks are coming this fall. The hardware (readers)
are available, the software is installed and the "books" are
coming. Simon & Schuster announced they will make 2000
frontlist books available in electronic format this fall.
eBooks are all part of the New Book Model. See
Dan Poynter is speaking on the new way to write,
produce and promote books. See the ParaCalendar below.
For info on the Pocket PC, see
For a list of the eBooks currently available for the Pocket PC, see
For info on the HP Jornada, see
C. Santa Barbara: Where Books are Created. At last count,
this area on the central California coast boasted of 365 book
authors. With a population of about 160,000, that probably
means the Santa Barbara South Coast has more published
authors, per capita, than any other community. Some of the
better-known authors are Sue Grafton, Barnaby Conrad,
Jack Canfield, Bradford Dillman, Jane Russell, Jonathan
Winters, Julia Child and William Peter Blatty.
D. Visa Charges into mCommerce ("Mobile Commerce").
Visa International plans secure ordering from cell-phones
and palm-sized computers. You will be able to click on a
"buy" button and enter your PIN to activate your credit card
number that is stored on the servers at your bank. Then
your bank will securely transfer your credit card and delivery
address information to the merchant you are dealing with.
As the web becomes more important to the book business,
merchant status (being able to accept credit cards) becomes
more important to publishers. See
and scroll down.
E. eBook Adventures (a report on my new love affair with a
machine). The HP Jornada Pocket PC comes with a whopping
32 Mb of storage (and 16 Mb of RAM) but I wanted to load a
lot more books, MS-Word documents, MP3 music and some
databases. So, I added a card to bring the storage to 160 Mb.
I set up my AOL and MSN accounts and Web access. I can't
wait for fall and some new fiction from my favorite best-selling
authors. In the meantime, I will have to download their books
in audio from http://www.audible.com. Either way, I can use
my Pocket PC and do not have to carry a bunch of books.
top
A. Religious books. In the final decade of the 20th century
there was a sharp increase in the market for religious books.
The interest in the new millennium may have been one
cause of this increase. But the interest continues because
of the rising levels of education, fading commitments
to tradition, sectarian religion and a hunger for the spiritual.
Although traditional religious titles are still being published
and have a vast audience, books that reflect a
contemporary search for God or a personal spirituality
are taking up more shelf space in American bookstores.
Books that reflect religious concerns or quests are
constantly appearing on the bestseller lists.
People feel freer than ever before to investigate
many religious expressions and to adopt ideas and practices
for a range of faiths. It is often easier to take religious
questions to the bookstore than to seek out the local
priest, rabbi or minister. The bookstore is the place many
carry out their quest. Here, people can discover the
potentially life-changing power of a book.
For a list of distributors of religious books, see our Instant
Report Locating the Right Distributor, Document 605, $7.95. See
and scroll down.
For a list of 504 religious magazines, newsletters and other
religion-industry contacts, see
Religious Books; Resources for Writing, Producing and
Promoting theological books. Lists the information sources you
need to successfully publish and promote religious books.
Document 618, 4 pages, Paper: $5.95; self-service
Electronic: $1.95. See
and scroll down.
B. BIP. Have you changed the subtitle, price or page count of
your book? No worries, you may change your listing in
Book in Print at
+In+Print
C. Do you have an article or report under 50 pages?
MightyWords (formerly FatBrain/eMatter) wants digital
content too short for a book. They will sell it electronically,
handle the commerce and pay you 50-60% of the price you
decide to charge. They will accept fiction and nonfiction
but most of their offerings are business or technical. They
do not require an exclusive.
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A. Learn the inner secrets of writing news releases, sales
letters, articles and books that grab readers and hold them
with the proven copywriting methods of Joe "Mr. Fire!" Vitale.
See his "Hypnotic Writing" e-book online at
B. Magazines. Looking for the address and/or background
information on a particular magazine, journal or newsletter?
Look it up at http://www.PubList.com
C. To find some 14,000 newspapers all over the world, see
The listings include links to the newspaper's web sites.
D. Contracts. The person who drafts the contract has
control over the agreement. We can supply you with
Contracts on Disk (so you do not have to keyboard
them), books to explain book contracts and a list of
book-publishing attorneys. Be smart and supply your own
contract.
Publishing Contracts on Disk, Sample Agreements for Book
Publishers is a collection of the 22 most-needed legal
documents covering every facet of the book publishing
business including: An author-publisher contract for a trade
book, a publisher-illustrator agreement, a foreign rights
agreement and 19 more. Just slip the disk into your
computer, bring the appropriate contract to the screen, fill in
the names and check the suggested percentages. Then print
out these lengthy contracts. You do not have to draft the
agreements, you do not even have to type them. One of our
most popular publishing tools.
ISBN 978-0-915516-46-9 Computer
disk $29.95
Some of our Special Reports are available on computer disk
to save you all the keyboarding. Available for the PC with
word processing programs such as MS Word, WordPerfect
nd ASCII-DOS and the Macintosh with MacWrite or Microsoft
Word. 3.5 inch disk.
Call Para Publishing at 800-ParaPub to order and see
and scroll down
For a list of book attorneys, see
userid=10021274
***Please forward this newsletter to other writers and
publishers***
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A. Give Books Away
Plant a book and grow much fruit.
Give free copies of your book to anyone who influences people
such as book reviewers and opinion molders.
Harvey Mackay sent free copies of his new book Pushing the
Envelope, All the Way to the Top to each of the 3,800 members
of the National Speakers Association. These opinion molders
address millions of people annually. http://www.mackay.com
Review copies are the least expensive and most effective way
to promote books. A book costs $1 or $2 to print, just over a
dollar to ship and maybe 30 cents for the shipping bag.
Space advertising in a magazine may cost $1,500/page or more.
That ad would have to bring in a lot of orders to pay its
way-experience says it won't.
It costs far less to send books to reviewers and other opinion
molders than to buy advertising space. When in doubt, ship
it out.
"A book reviewer is usually a barker before the door of a
publisher's circus." -Austin O'Malley
(Excerpted from Successful Nonfiction by Dan Poynter. For
108 more inspirational tips, See
nonfiction)
For lists of magazines and newsletters for sending out review
copies, see
top
A. Professional Speaking Course. How to Succeed in the
Speaking Business with Sandra Schrift, 13-year owner of
a national speakers bureau. Speak for fee instead of free.
Discover how to be booked by meeting planners. Become
attractive to speakers bureaus. September 4 and October
2: 7-8 PM eastern time. To register for this free teleclass,
contact Sandra@Schrift.com
B. For Free eBook Downloads for the Pocket PC, including
Michael Crichton's new book Timeline, see
C. Unleashing the Idea Virus: Stop Marketing AT People:
Turn Your Ideas into Epidemics by Helping Your Customers
do the Marketing for you by Seth Godin. A free book download.
Log on to http://www.IdeaVirus.com
top
A. Dan Poynter is criss-crossing North America to spread
the word on eBooks, pBooks and The New Book Publishing
Model.
The New Book Writing, Producing, Promoting Model. Dan
Poynter reveals a faster, easier, cheaper way to get your
nonfiction book into print. New technology and new
techniques enable you to make more money, get to press
sooner and keep control of your work. Test the market,
attract agents and publishers and get reviews with just 3-500
copies in hardcover or soft. Examples, handouts and
resources.
1. The New Book Model: Writing. How to set up and build
your book rather than just write it. Discover how to qualify
the project, research on the Net, organize the project, draft
the content and convert it into a PDF file for printing.
2. The New Book Model: Producing print and electronic
editions. Typesetting, layout, book design, PDF files and
POD/PQN (pBooks) printing. eBooks: Downloads, CDs and
handheld readers.
3. The New Book Model: Promoting. Getting your books into
bookstores, book clubs and making nontraditional sales
(catalogs, premiums, fundraisers, specialty stores). Using
broadcast email. Radio/TV interviews, autographings,
review copies and other promotion.
Come to meet Dan and hear his vital book writing-publishing-
promoting message. See the props and get the handout.
August 10: The New Book Model with Dan Poynter.
Screenwriters Association of Santa Barbara. Fmi: Chuck
Kent: 805-965-4561.
August 15: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by Dan
Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM.
fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
September 1-4: The New Book Writing Model. Maui Writers
Conference. Fmi: http://www.MauiWriters.com
September 13: The New Book Model: production, sales and
promotion. San Diego Publishers Alliance. 6:30-9:30 PM. Fmi:
Judy Cullin, cullinsbks@aol.com, 619-466-0622.
September 14: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by
Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, San Diego. The New Book
Model: writing and production. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. fmi
619-544-9700. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
September 19: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by
Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30
PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
September 29: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, (mostly writing
and production) a seminar by Dan Poynter at the Learning
Annex, Toronto. 6:30 to 9:30 PM. Fmi: 877-277-1240 or
416-964-0011.
September 30: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, (mostly
production and promotion) a seminar by Dan Poynter at the
Learning Annex, Toronto. 10:00 to 4:00 PM. Fmi:
877-277-1240 or 416-964-0011.
October 14-15: Book marketing/promotion/distribution
seminar in Santa Barbara with Dan Poynter. For details,
ontact Para Publishing, PO Box 8206-896, Santa Barbara, CA
93118-8206. Tel: (805) 968-7277, Fax: (805) 968-1379.
Workshop@ParaPublishing.com
November 15: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by
Dan Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30
PM. fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
January 9: Writing & Publishing Nonfiction, a seminar by Dan
Poynter at the Learning Annex, Los Angeles. 6:30 to 9:30 PM.
fmi (310) 478-6677. http://www.LearningAnnex.com
January 20-21: Book marketing/promotion/distribution
seminar in Santa Barbara with Dan Poynter. For details,
contact Para Publishing, PO Box 8206-896, Santa Barbara, CA
93118-8206. Tel: (805) 968-7277, Fax: (805) 968-1379.
Workshop@ParaPublishing.com
B. Chicken Soup for the WRITER'S Soul signings
Writer's Soul is a departure from the other Soup books.
Co-author/editor Bud Gardner solicited stories from
well-known contemporary authors. The result is a collection
of (often autobiographical) stories from the bestsellers: Sue
Grafton, Ernest J. Gaines, Terry McMillan, Ray Bradbury,
Barbara Cartland, Art Linkletter, Clive Cussler, Howard Fast,
Garry Marshall, Hal Zina Bennett, Lawrence Block, Dan
Millman, George Plimpton, Irving Wallace, and 65 others. This
Chicken Soup book not only has great stories of writers, it has
great writing.
For more information on the book, see
808
Here is the signing schedule:
August 2: B&N, Chicago, IL 60614. 7:00 PM.
August 3: B&N, Minnetonka, MN 55305. 7:00 PM.
August 15: Borders, Plano, TX 75093. 7:00 PM.
August 22: Borders, Seattle, WA 98101. 7:00 PM.
August 23: Borders, Salem, OR 97305. 7:00 PM.
August 24: B&N, SLC, UT 84102. 7:00 PM.
August 28: Borders, San Francisco, CA 94132. 7:00 PM
FMI on the signing schedule: Bud Gardner
bgardner@calweb.com
top
A. A creative writing class was asked to write a concise essay
incorporating the following elements:
1. Religion 2. Royalty 3. Sex 4. Mystery
The prize-winning essay read:
"My God," said the Princess, "I'm pregnant. I wonder who
did it!"
B. Top 20 Bad Romance Novel Metaphors
(From Shel Horowitz)
1. His body was hard... not like Milosevic, the Serbian
strongman, but hard like the marble on your shower floor,
when you fall and bang your knee.
2. Her shoulders heaved like the tiny sobs of Snuggles the cat
being run through with a roasting spit.
3. Her embrace made his manhood swell like week-old road
kill on hot asphalt in the Georgia sun.
4. Her petticoats dropped to the ground, rustling like a
cockroach in a sugar bowl.
5. As she kissed her way down his manly chest, she felt his
Amalgamated Crane Company stock rising.
6. Beatrice was on him like a piranha on a corn dog.
7. ...then he kissed her, like a butterfly kisses the
windshield
of a Porsche on the autobahn.
8. Her breasts heaved like a stormy ocean, and her pointed
nipples were like hypodermics washed up on the shore.
9. With his broad shoulders and slim waist, he was a yield
sign - yet she could NOT!!
10. He tore open her blouse like a Publisher's Clearing House
letter in which he, and some guy named Steven Bouber from
Stockton, California, were potential finalists for the ten million
dollar prize.
11. His manhood stood at full attention, stiff and stony like
the vice president.
12. Sleekly malevolent, driven by a violent hunger, Donavan
glided through the chum filled waters of the singles bar,
oblivious to the remora of Annabelle's adoring gaze.
13. Like the wind, she ran, her breasts lurching like a
motorboat over a wake, and then as fluid as a fine import
transmission, she whipped out her man-organ and pissed
away his dreams.
14. Her sun-glazed back formed a golden arch as he moved his
face toward her happy meal.
15. With each breath, her chest heaved like a bulimic after
Thanksgiving Dinner.
16. He Beatty-ed her shamelessly, making her squeal like Ned
and hallucinate like Warren.
17. He awoke my slumbering womanhood with his double tall
loin latte. "Starbuck!" I cried.
18. His chest was her pillow, and oh, did she drool.
19. Claire felt swept away by this dark stranger, a helpless dust
bunny in the roaring cacophony of his gas-powered leaf blower.
20. His finger, weathered and rough from years on the ranch,
danced in and out of his nose like a slimy ballerina.
:)
***Please forward this newsletter to other writers and
publishers***
top
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