Book Industry

Book at Franfurt Book Fair

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:38:00 +0000

Malaysian Publishers See Silver Lining

FRANKFURT, Oct 18 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian book industry, represented by a dozen publishers and printing services providers, showed confidence by putting up a "business-as-usual" demeanour at the ongoing Frankfurt International Book Fair, the world's largest event for the book industry.

In fact, Malaysia's book industry was able to get what industry players described as "promising" business enquiries and orders at the fair.

"I am not sure if the recession has really ended as many experts are proclaiming, but I did spot quite a few 'silver linings' at this fair which has shown that consumer confidence is returning," said T.C. Hon, the chief marketing executive of The Phoenix Press Sdn Bhd of Prai, Penang, in an interview with Bernama at the Frankfurt exhibition ground.

Malaysian publishers faced fierce competition not only from low-cost suppliers in China but even more so, from India which has a long tradition in book publishing and English writing.

Malaysia's prowess is visible in publishing technical books and literature, as Hazmilah Hasan, the director of Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTMM), pleasantly discovered at the fair.

"Our university also focuses on engineering subjects and we publish an entire range of engineering books. This fair provides us a good platform to launch our engineering books for the export markets," Hazmilah said in an interview.

The UTMM was also, specifically, interested in identifying publishing groups for some partnerships or tie-ups in the publishing of scientific and academic books, she said.

"This show provides us with a wonderful opportunity to meet everyone under one roof," she said, adding that Matrade's Frankfurt office had done meticulous organisation of Malaysia's participation at the show.

Hazmilah said that the economic downturn had not affected business "as much as we had feared because students will have to buy books whether they like it or not."

She said UTMM was also capable of publishing and printing books on highly technical and specialised subjects in German language.

-- BERNAMA

Good event in San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:03:00 +0000

21st Century Book Marketing Event in San Diego

Join John Kremer, Jack Canfield, Arielle Ford, Mike Koenigs, Dan Poynter, Peggy McColl, Penny Sansevieri, Dan Hollings, Rick Frishman, Mari Smith, Joel Elad, Russell Bishop, Mallika Chopra, and many others at this incredible book marketing event.

I don't know how they're going to fit all the good info into 2 short days, but I know they will. Join us at the Catamaran Resort in San Diego on October 10th and October 11th. You'll be glad you did.

To sign up for the 21st Century Book Marketing Event at the beautiful Catamaran Resort in San Diego, go to http://www.mixiv.com/vp/60394/1917

(Save $200 by entering 200offspecial in the coupon code box.)

Here are 21 amazing things you will learn at this event:

1. How to use email bestseller campaigns to sell tons of books.
2. How to design a powerful social media strategy.
3. How to get others to promote you even when you are completely unknown!
4. The biggest mistakes publishers find in book proposals.
5. The types of authors publishers are currently looking for.
6. Why you MUST be on YouTube.
7. The important and vital role blogs play in book promotion.
8. How to find bloggers and contact them (and why!).
9. The most effective ways to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
10. How to plan and promote speaking events outside bookstores.
11. How to network with bloggers, publicists, and Internet marketers.
12. How to get your target market to follow you on Twitter.
13. Ways to integrate Twitter into the pages of your book.
14. How to use quotations in your tweets - and why!
15. Getting top producers and editors to take your phone calls.
16. How to use Wikipedia to market yourself.
17. How to use the Huffington Post to grow your blog audience and platform (and meet one of their key editors!).
18. How to automate lead generation with social media.
19. How to get #1 rankings in the search engines.
20. How to set up a blog in less than 5 minutes.
21. The importance of platform in marketing books.

And those points don't even count the things John Kremer will be teaching during this 21st Century Book Marketing event.

Book Industry - View from experts

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:08:00 +0000

GEARING MALAYSIAN CHILDREN'S BOOK PUBLISHERS TOWARDS EXPORT
EXCELLENCE

Sometime ago certain people were convinced that e-books or digitisation of books will one day replace traditional books. So how far is this true? Is the future of publishing shrouded in a cloud of uncertainty or will books ceased to exist?Well, it has been more than a decade since the World Wide Web came into the picture. The online bookstore, Amazon.com, too has been around for more than 10 years now and books, especially children’s books are still growing strong. J.K. Rowling’s seven Harry Potter books have sold nearly 400 million copies and have been translated into 64 languages including Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese. Of late, Asian publications like Mr. Midnight by James Lee (Jim Aitchison) are a tremendous success, outselling the Harry Potter books in Malaysia and Singapore. The series has sold more than one million copies and is doing well in China, Indonesia and Thailand, too. Its success has prompted the author to write a new series called Mr. Mystery. These are just a few of the many success stories in publishing. It seems that many readers still prefer to read in the same old way – through books.

Bookstore chains are growing strong, too. One good example would be Popular Book Stores and they have expanded to more than 50 outlets compare to 20 odd stores a decade ago. All these are indications that books still have a good demand and even Popular has gone into publishing children’s books themselves. This lucrative market supported by a low entry barrier in children’s book publishing has attracted a lot of new players from other sectors like stationers, printers, not to mention the ex-employees of various publishers. Together they are shaping the industry in a not so favourable manner with low prices, high discounts, long credit periods for booksellers as it has become increasingly competitive as these new publishers jostle for market share thus spoiling the market in return. So we know now the children’s book market is very attractive but it seems that it is not easy for local publishers to succeed. Too many publishers are churning out a lot of ‘me too’ or copycat products and most of them are not investing enough in research, training, marketing, good writers, producing quality and innovative publications to add value in order to stand out from others. Publishers need to do well locally in order to excel abroad and too few Malaysian publishers are actually selling successfully overseas. To sell abroad means to compete with publishers from all over the world and the challenge is up a hundred fold and the odds are unimaginable. So far there are less than five Malaysian companies who are actually progressing in children’s book export. What do Malaysian publishers need to do in order to sell abroad successfully? In reality there are no surefire ways or absolute formulas that would ensure success. Publishers need to understand their strengths and weaknesses, the market, where to focus and it varies from company to company. The management and their staff play a key role as they must be committed to changes and improvements if they want to succeed. At present most local publishers are focusing on academic publishing as Malaysian parents tend to strive for their children’s academic excellence rather than an all-rounded education. However, these are the publishers most likely to succeed in children’s publishing if they plan to divert or expand to children’s book publishing as they have the necessary means and resources compare to new players.

In my opinion, the following are some of the initial steps local children’s book publishers should take if they intend to venture abroad:
1) Participate in international book fairs as visitors or exhibitors like Frankfurt, Bologna, London and regional fairs like Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila to gain exposure and experience as well as to network. Companies should send and entrust their relevant staff like editors, writers, sales managers and set objectives and assign missions before and after the book fairs.

2) Focus – Publishers should stay focus on a specific category or genre they intend to publish depending on their strengths and the resources at their disposal. Some of the areas worth exploring would be:
(a) ELT – Readers and activity books with teachers’ guides and these can be packaged as a set or programme to give additional value. Publishers can also focus on books on grammar, vocabulary, reading and comprehension etc.
(b) Preschool text and activity books – The main focus should be on English, mathematics and science. Private preschools are booming in SE Asia and so is the consumers’ perception on quality English based preschool education. There are many publishers in this category so there is a need to focus on quality.
(c) Comics and graphic novels – Comics should be projected as an alternative language learning tool to instill reading habits as the visuals are both engaging and entertaining and they are perfect too for reluctant and slow readers. Publishers can stay focus on classic stories or popular characters by using the manga or cool Japanese comic style to illustrate since this is the current craze.
(d) Novelty books and dictionaries – Novelty and gift books are still contributing to a big chunk of the children’s book market but many local publishers are not venturing into this as sales in the local market is slow mainly due to the higher selling prices as the print quantities are low. Furthermore, not many printers and binders in Malaysia can provide the service. Board books, bath books, puzzle books, gift sets are all examples of novelty publications. Children’s picture dictionary takes time to produce as it involves multiple illustrations and pictures. It is time consuming and can be a big investment depending on the number of pages but once published it has a longer lifespan. Publishers should allow some additional spacing for bilingual foreign editions later.
(e) Novels – the most crucial factor would be the writer and the marketing budget. Many foreign publishers like those in the US and UK have huge promotion budgets for a successful launch. It would help tremendously if regional media is able to give a good coverage or write-up for a good book. Invest on a good cover design is also vital. Not all writers can be good children’s book writers and novels should be graded in terms of difficulty or reading levels and the number of words if they are written for a specific age group.
(f) Illustrated story or picture books – They are the main focus of publishers so it is crucial focus should be given to the illustrations, storyline and cover design as this is a highly competitive field.

3) Securing rights from foreign publishers for a collective regional market – It’s a good way to start if publishers lack in-house talent, time and a good publishing agenda. Publishers can select a good series and buyin first not only for the Malaysian market but for a number of South-East Asian markets as well provided if the original licensor is willing to grant regional rights. Look up the main distributors or booksellers in the assigned territories and start selling abroad. Publishers can also sell their existing titles along the way.

4) Form strategic alliances with foreign partners – One recent example would be Singapore Asian Publications(SAP) teaming up with Gramedia Bookstore who took up a 20 per cent minority stake in the company. Gramedia bookstores is part of the Kompas Gramedia Group and they are the biggest media company in Indonesia. Through this tie-up SAP’s entry into Indonesia is assured or at least in Gramedia’s chain of bookstores.

5) Training – Publishers should also invest by giving their key personnel regular training. Not many institutions of higher learning offer publishing courses though. Stanford University in California, US, offers Professional Publishing Courses and workshops to working professionals. It is also worth noting that focus is given to business management including marketing strategies, strategic partnerships, industry overview etc rather than technical book publishing matters to give an insight to the courses’ contents.

6) Identifying foreign bases as gateways or launch pads to expand globally – Some Greek publishers like Express Publishing, MM Publishing have done it by setting up their offices in the UK to sell ELT titles thus projecting themselves as British publishers and sell English books. Some Koreans are doing it too by registering their publishing office in the US as the East Asian markets like Korea, Japan and Taiwan have a penchant for American English books. It is a good tactical decision to set up a foreign office or use a foreign address depending on the intended market. This would serve as a confidence booster for local publishers as this will help project a certain level of image or perceived value for their publications.

7) Appointing agents to handle overseas markets – This is not new as many foreign publishers engage agents for selected markets where they do not have a presence or a foreign sales office. Agents usually have a good knowledge or relationships with their clients and they know their market well. Agents can link or introduce the best possible working partner be it ex-works, co-edition or rights. This would save the publisher a lot of time and they should consider agents as their freelance sales person and they can pay them a fee or a percentage of sales. The steps or suggestions mentioned above are based on some of the issues publishers face currently and are being tackled from a macro point of view. So publishers would still have to address and manage the micro issues like business management, resources like manpower, finance etc. The government aspect has not been taken into consideration as there is still much for the Malaysia National Book Council (MBKM) and Matrade can do to assist the industry to excel abroad besides organising and subsidising one or two book fairs abroad annually. A lot of emphasis or initiatives are given to promote reading and education through the latest technologies on the domestic front but a lot more needs to be done to support and boost the local publishing industry especially children’s book publishing as this is the category most likely to succeed abroad. Malaysian children’s book publishers need to gear up now as globalisation is making ours as well as overseas markets easily accessible to others. Chinese and Indian publishers too are catching up fast and they will soon learn to master the trade and take over. There is no stopping them from operating their publishing offices in this region and there is no doubt in their ability as well. It can be observed that Chinese and Indian publishers are getting more aggressive at the book fairs. They are expected to advance at a faster pace and be equally good in producing English and foreign language books and their prices will be lower as they have the economy of scale thanks to their large domestic market base and huge pools of talent. Digitisation will not be expected to pose a major threat for the next decade as it currently takes up only 1% of major publishers’ sales but certain level of digitisation is necessary as technologies evolve. The more obvious threat would be from regional publishers so Malaysian children’s book publishers need to shape up now or they will become irrelevant at the onslaught of competition.

Book industry in Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:47:00 +0000

MALAYSIAN NATIONAL BOOK COUNCIL - KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR

Introduction

The socio-economic development of the country has been the priority of the Malaysian Government since independence. After succeeding in improving the standard of living, every achievement is more meaningful if Malaysians progress, not just economically but intellectually. In other words, social engineering that is aimed at human resource development needs to be established for those who think creatively, those with a vision and mission to increase their knowledge.

One of the strategies in achieving the above aim is to channel all the related resources so that Malaysians will always love reading. According to Tyler, Ennis, Hess and Dewey, the reading world is related closely to the writing and publishing world. Every book published should be complete with interesting and current content and supported by good publication technology. The book industry in Malaysia should be sensitive to the needs of the various levels of society in Malaysia.

The National Book Policy was approved by the Cabinet in 1985 and was drafted to ensure that

1.	books in the Malay language play an effective role as as a tool for the development of the social and cultural mind in line with the country's needs and ambition;
2.	books are enjoyed by all levels of society in this country;
3.	people in this country have a strong interest in reading;
4.	books published in this country achieve a high standard both in content as well as in its physical form.

The Malaysian National Book Council (MBKM - Majlis Buku Kebangsaan Malaysia) as a professional body and a national book consultant has been entrusted to implement the policy and suggestions contained in 'Dasar Buku Negara'. The Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair is one of the most important annual programmes for the Malaysian National Book Council. Its aim is to achieve the main objective of 'Dasar Buku Negara'. Among the objectives of MBKIM organising the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair are:

1.	Raising awareness on the importance of books in our daily life as a knowledge provider.
2.	Developing good reading habits at all levels of society.
3.	Advancing the publication of books and encouraging the book industry in this country.
4.	Creating a meeting point for professional groups that are related to the publication and development of books.

Malaysia Book of Records

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:45:00 +0000

Malaysian Book of Records

The Malaysian Book of Records (or MBR) is a Malaysian project to publish records set or broken by Malaysians. The project complements former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamad's 'Malaysia Boleh!' (Malaysia Can! in English) campaign. As with the Guinness World Records, there is an annually published book listing the records.

Aims

The MBR is a project formed in line with the peoples Vision 2020.

Realising that feats and record attempts were not recorded, Datuk Danny Ooi, (founder of The Malaysia Book of Records) felt that recognition should be given to record achievement by Malaysians. As the National Record-Keeper, MBR is an official body that recognises record-holders, record-breakers, and record creators in the country. Upon confirmation of record, the MBR will issue certificates to them, as a recognition for their efforts.

Origin and history

The idea was conceived in 1990 when Danny Ooi stumbled upon questions regarding extraordinary feats by Malaysians. He recalled seeing a man cycling for days at the Merdeka Stadium, trying to set a world record, and another individual, who travelled from state to state by walking. The latter was hoping his attempt could be entered in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Realising that none of these feats would be recorded, Mr Ooi felt that recognition should be given to such determination exhibited by Malaysians.

Striving for excellence

Achievements were compiled for publication into the MBR and were also included in its production shown in a TV series called The Malaysia Book of Records' weekly TV series, which debuted on October 6, 1996 on RTM TV2The MBR will serve as a medium with which to acknowledge Malaysians who have promoted their country by creating records.

The first record book entitled "The Malaysia Book of Records' First Edition" was launched on December 9, 1998, unveiling the Malaysian records in one book for the first time.

Award ceremony

MBR Awards Night at National and State Level started in December 1998, when the Malaysia Book of Records organised a national level and two states' level, Sabah and Melaka respectively at MBR Awards Night.

Book industry in china

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:53:00 +0000

China's Electronics Industry is a comprehensive and current report on the technologies, manufacturing capabilities, and infrastructure that have made China a major player in the electronics industry. Not only does it cover the past, present, and future of important electronic technologies, but also the pros and cons of conducting business in China. This book will be an important reference for any company planning a venture in China as well as those who have already taken their first steps. It will also be of great interest to researchers and policy makers who need to know more about the role of central government in promoting strategic industries and assisting national science and technology development. Much of the data contained in the report is from 2006.

No country has burst onto the economic scene as dramatically as China has in the past decade. It is the world's largest producer of many electronic products and has a leading edge semiconductor industry. This timely and comprehensive book by America's leading authority is a critical read for anyone who is interested in working with China in the electronics field including business managers, academics, government institutes, foreign investors, and readers interested in the past, present and future growth of China's Electronics Industry.

China's Electronics Industry provides current data (including 2006) on:

Science and technology development and infrastructure.
Industries such as: semiconductors; electronic manufacturing service; connectors, cable assemblies, and backplanes; computers; telecommunications; software; automotive, avionics, and military electronics.
The pros and cons of conducting business in China.

How to read latest edition

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:53:00 +0000

If you love getting your hands on all the latest best-selling books then you have probably found it can become quite a costly experience. However, it doesn’t have to be this way; with a little ingenuity you can get your hands on all your favorite reads for next to nothing. Whatever you’re
budgetary requirements there are ways to make sure you never miss a favorite new release again.

Some great ways to acquire best selling books for less then the cover price are as follows:

Embrace technology

E-book downloads are one of the latest emerging markets in the book industry. You can download the latest best seller to your pda or a portable electronic reading device for typically $5-$15 cheaper then buying a physical copy of the book.

Okay this format might not be great for in the bath or at the beach, but there are many times when it comes in handy, for example whilst travelling. You can store hundreds of books on a portable electronic device. You would have great difficulty hauling around hundreds of books.

Some popular e-book suppliers include:

Great ways to get best selling books for less

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:33:00 +0000

Some great ways to acquire best selling books for less then the cover price are as follows:

Embrace technology

Some popular e-book suppliers include:

http://ebooks.palm.com

http://www.mobipocket.com

http://www.ebooks.com

*Keep an eye out for free downloads-some file sharing sites have books to download for no charge, just be careful of legalities.

Don’t discount your humble library

Most libraries get their share of the latest best selling books. If possible put your name down on request forms to make sure you get to read the latest as soon as possible. Some libraries will even take requests for new purchases in deciding how to spend their book funding.

Make use of reward schemes

Gift vouchers to websites which sell books are a common reward option offered by credit card rewards programs, online survey companies, online shopping networks and other loyalty schemes. For example, a recent credit card offer was sign up for a Barnes & Noble Mastercard and you get a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card. Why not get a voucher to put towards your book obsession.

Ask for books as gifts

People often ask what you’d like for your birthday or Christmas and books make for great gifts because they are readily available and affordable. Why not ask for a new best seller on each of these occasions.

Check out book exchanges and second hand stores

These stores don’t just get 20 year old books; bookworms love these joints and sell their books to them. Avid readers read quickly which means that new books end up in second hand stores quite promptly. If you befriend the staff they might be happy to let you know when they get anything
in you like, or tuck it away under the counter for your visit.

Organize a book swap club

Get together with friends and family who have similar reading tastes and take turns to buy the latest books. If four of you got together you would only have to spend a quarter of what you would have had to alone.

Resell your books

Resell your books when your done, whether it’s on auction sites like eBay or to local book exchange if you buy and read your copy early then you can often get a good price for your book. You can put this money towards your next new best seller, meaning you will always pay less overall and still get the latest reads.

Join a book club program

Book club programs generally require the club member to purchase a minimum quantity of books each month, but the cost of each book is significantly cheaper then the recommended retail price. Look for trial offers to these clubs where you get to choose your first four or so books for only a dollar or two. Just make sure you read the fine print which usually requires you to continue purchasing books for a period of time. If you fully intend to keep purchasing books why not take up one of these offers.

Look for second hand books online

Amazon and eBay always have second hand books listed for sale. Amongst the troves of books that get listed are copies of new best sellers. Books often get listed at very low start prices like 0.99 cents.

Shop around online

Online book stores generally sell books for less then the cover price, but how much less varies from store to store. Make sure you always comparison shop before making a purchase.

Price comparison sites for books include:

http://www.myshopping.com.au (Australian site)

http://www.xpert4u.co.uk/books/bestsellers/bestsellers.html (U.K site)

http://www.booksprice.com (U.S site)

In general Barnes & Noble sells books at a discount of 30-35%. Amazon offers some hot new releases and bestsellers at 45% off and if you can hold out a little while has a former bestsellers list which is typically at least 50% off.

If you like to buy from a real bookstore make sure you sign up to be a member of their incentive scheme. Most stores offer rewards for customer loyalty; some offer up front discounts, newsletters with monthly discounts or gift vouchers once you have accumulated so many points.

There you have it 12 great ways to reduce the cost of your reading bill!

Strategy to sell book at store

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 06:42:00 +0000

If you are actively promoting your book off-line as well as on-line, you will find that it is possible to break into bookstores, even if you have to do it one store at a time.

The key is local events. Start in your local community when your book is launched. Send out press releases to local daily and weekly papers. Contact local radio and TV stations. Offer to do readings at local libraries, and then hit the bookstores.

Start with a chain bookstore. I love independent bookstores, but if you want to make a big push to get your books into stores nation-wide, you're going to have to aim for the chains.

Go to the manager or buyer at your store, and explain that you're doing a local media push. Let her know what speaking engagements and interviews you've already lined up, and the press you're expecting to receive.

Explain that you want to point all those readers to one particular store to buy the book, and ask if she can help you out by ordering a quantity of books.

If she says no, move on to the next largest chain, or if there's only one chain in your local area, the largest independent store.

Keep going until a bookstore says yes. Usually your largest independent bookstore will agree to stock the book, and host a reading.

But don't be discouraged if all of them refuse you. It's not likely, but it can happen.

In that instance, push the book through your own website. You want to be able to track sales through your promotions, so set up a page where people can enter their Amazon receipt number to get a bonus directly from you.

Do your media blitz in your city, and document the sales it generated.

Now you can begin a blitz in a neighboring city, following the exact same steps, but this time when you approach bookstores, you've got documented information about how many books are likely to sell. Use that information to try to get into a chain this time.

Once you do get your book accepted, even if it's on a limited basis, into a chain. Do a big, big push. Use everyone you know, and every contact you have to sell as many copies of that book as possible.

Once your book has a sales history in a chain, it's easier to get restocked, and to get your books into other stores in your state.

The more you sell, the more likely it is that someone at head office will see a 'trend' and give you a call, as the publisher of record, to find out what the appeal is, and get your books throughout the region, or even the country.

Most importantly, never give up on off-line promotion. Seek out radio interviews, send out press releases, and market your book for all it's worth.

You'll sell more books, and realize that dream of seeing your book, face out, at a brick and mortar store.

Sell book through gift

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 06:35:00 +0000

Today's gift market is experiencing dynamic growth as consumers buy more gifts and home decorating products. These products are gaining more exposure to consumers through a wide-range of shopping venues including the national retail chains, such as Pottery Barn, Yankee Candle, Bath and Body Works, Bombay Company, Pier One, Crate and Barrel, and Kirklands, department stores, mass merchants and the Internet.

In the face of these new outlets, gift shops offer an excellent opportunity to sell more of your books. This category includes major accounts such as Hallmark Stores and Spencer Gifts. It also includes regional chains, local card and gift stores as well as hotel and hospital gift shops.

One of the major benefits to selling to gift shops is that books are sold on a non-returnable basis. Perhaps a less tangible benefit is that you are broadening your markets, reaching people where they would not normally look for books. In addition, one company can offer many opportunities for its subsidiaries. You can spend a great deal of time selling diverse products to one company. For example, if you target Hallmark as your central prospect, there are several opportunities to be found among its subsidiary companies:

Hallmark Stories sells photo storage and memory-keeping products. If your book is related to this product line, you could sell them here. Or, if your title is related to commemorating special occasions, people, and memories, contact Keepsake Ornaments, another Hallmark subsidiary.

Gift Books from Hallmark. In 1999, Hallmark began expanding from cards to books that help celebrate, commemorate, and communicate. If you have a title that warms the heart and enriches the soul, your opportunity may well lie here. You can find Gift Books from Hallmark at Hallmark Gold Crown® Stores and other selected retailers as well as on www.Hallmark.com. Gift Books from Hallmark categories also include:

Children's Classics, beautifully packaged editions of beloved children's books.

Just For Fun books, lighthearted titles such as Yelling It Like It Is by Maxine.

Comfort and Encouragement, Words to Live By, and Family and Friends, all featuring inspirational and motivational titles such as A Promise in Every Color, God Always Has a Plan B, Dear Mom: Thank You for Everything, and The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People.

Party Express from Hallmark. One of Hallmark's most important missions is to help people celebrate and honor all the special days in their lives. Therefore, Hallmark offers party ware and accessories for birthdays, holidays, and other important occasions as well as everyday and seasonal entertaining. Party Express from Hallmark could be an excellent outlet for your title on partying, since they sell their products in party, toy, discount, grocery, drug, military, and specialty card stores.

But in most cases, the gift market is highly decentralized and there are many small shops that place small orders. This increases the administrative burden, requiring you to ship and bill for many small shops.

This also represents an opportunity because you can reach the decision makers readily. A good strategy is to start locally, calling on the gift-store owners and buyers locally. Go to the hospital gift stores and talk with the volunteers there. Most are very willing to spend time with you, describing their buying practices.

A major decision criterion is the fit your title has with the store’s image and customer base, and the types of books that sell well vary by the chain’s image. For example, Hallmark generally deals in sentiment, Spencer Gifts in humor and Urban Outfitters in “hip” products for men and women. Titles that generally do not do well in gift stores are scholarly, text-driven and fiction titles.

John Hanny has been a food consultant for two presidential administrations. His title, Secrets from the White House Kitchens (Rutledge Books, Danbury, CT) offers recipes favored by the incumbents of the Oval Office from Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. It was a natural selection by the White House Gift Shop as well as hotel gift shops in Washington, DC.

It is not appropriate to send galleys to gift-shop buyers since they make their decisions on the finished product. They want to see your book’s cover design, size, text and its general overall quality. People buying products in gift shops typically purchase on impulse. Therefore, price is important. Your book should be priced under $10 to penetrate the gift market. Although there is no standard size that sells best, hardcover is generally more acceptable.

Gift-store sales are seasonal in nature, and if your title is appropriate to one of the major holiday periods you stand a better chance of acceptance. Buyers at key accounts will begin looking at seasonal titles six months before the holiday. Purchasing agents at local stores may purchase your books up to one month before the event. In most cases, distributors will accept submissions at all times. Send them a sample of the finished book with a marketing plan and a summary of your sales to date.

Gift-stores also want to carry items of current interest, and can purchase quickly under the right circumstances. Checkerbee Books capitalized on this desire after the tragic death of racecar driver Dale Earnhardt. Says Checkerbee President Len Liebenhaut, “Ten days after the accident, we had a book about him on the (gift store) shelves, and sold over 400,000 copies in three months.”

The gift industry is divided into sub-segments. In 2002, the top-selling segment in the giftware industry was Home Decorative Accessories, with $14.9 billion in sales, a 13 percent increase over the previous year. During 2002 – 2003, consumers spent more money on home furnishings than they did on clothes. With this new emphasis on home decorating, consumers are not just striving to make their homes more beautiful; rather they are seeking decorative items that can positively impact the mood and emotional climate of their home. Books that have a personal, emotional link to the consumer, such as collectibles or gifts, are in demand as consumers seek to make their homes more comfortable and comforting.

Stationery, Greeting Cards, and Paper Products, the second largest segment of the giftware market, reached $13.3 billion in sales, up 10 percent over the previous year. Collectibles -- figurines and dolls – is one of the slowest growing gift segments. Seasonal Decorations is the smallest category in the giftware industry. While Christmas Decor still dominates the category, Halloween Decor was the fastest-growing segment.

Strategy to sell book

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 06:25:00 +0000

If you've been following the fortunes of Borders as closely as we have (full disclosure: Vulture editor Mark worked in the marketing department of their corporate headquarters from 1996 to 2000), you'll recognize that they've been going through some dire straits of late. Not only did they endure a management shakeup in January (their CEO, George Jones, was unceremoniously shown the door), but they came perilously close to having their stock delisted from the NYSE before it rebounded in April. However, after taking their eye off the ball for most of the aughts with ill-advised decisions like outsourcing their online sales to dreaded rival Amazon.com and attempting to branch out into stationery sales, it seems that the new management team, led by CEO Ron Marshall, has come up with a novel approach to goosing their bottom line: They're actually going to focus on — *gasp* — selling books!

Specifically, they're going to focus on trying to "make" hits out of paperbacks that weren't necessarily huge hits during their hardcover runs. Rather than having their booksellers just point customers toward the YA section where all the Twilight and Harry Potter books reside, they're planning to push a small selection of books that their buyers feel have the potential to be breakout best-sellers. Books like Jeffrey Zaslow's nonfiction chronicle of the lifelong bond between eleven Iowa women, The Girls From Ames and the paperback for Kelly Corrigan's The Middle Place, a memoir about enduring breast cancer. Consider the publishing industry saved!

Cooperation between publishers and marketing

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:30:00 +0000

The book industry and the value placed on books in Malaysia have also improved with the roll out of various book campaigns, exhibitions and festivals throughout Malaysia. Not to mention the existence of publishers from various backgrounds and capabilities, as well as the emergence of many new authors with calibre and established authors who are more prolific.

In fact, a career in writing is becoming more attractive to many and is regarded as a career which can generate good returns in the long run if undertaken properly and earnestly. No doubt there has yet to be a writer who is able to generate the kind of income commanded by writers abroad, but this is not an impossible feat seeing as how society’s perception of the world of books has changed.

Publishers and marketers have also become more aggressive in finding new ways to expand their book marketing and distribution network internationally through good cooperation with publishers abroad.

As such, it is not appropriate for us to still use old statistics that claim Malaysians loathe to read. These untrue claims and denunciations must be stopped so that the book industry in Malaysia can grow and benefit everyone.

Elevating the value of books and placing a high worth on the documentation of an author’s thoughts is not easy and easy task and should not be taken lightly. All parties must cooperate, from the authors themselves to the editors, publishers, printers, marketers, and especially the readers as the evaluators, as well as the government as champions for this cause.

For readers, the worth of a book does not lay in its price. Allocating a portion of one’s daily spending budget to buy books is a highly commendable and beneficial decision. Choosing books that are beneficial and can impact our character and morals is a must. In this case, teachers and parents play an important role in introducing children and students to good books.

Writers play a big role in the Malaysian book industry. The excuse that the local book market has to compete with books from abroad is baseless. Publishers themselves admit they always give priority to local authors and books for publication. Producing works in various genres gives writers a lot of opportunities to share ideas with readers. Writers should also put their egos aside and meet their reader’s needs by producing books that are universal and not focused only on one genre or one type of readership.

Interesting about book industries

noreply@blogger.com (zamrijut) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:19:00 +0000

In London, British author, J K Rowling who is famous for her Harry Potter books, emerged as the highest income grossing individual according to Forbes financial magazine, generating roughly £150 million (RM1.05 billion) last year. The Harry Potter books, a series focusing on the experiences of a boy with magic powers, sold around 375 copies all over the world. Her newest book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sold 44 million copies since it hit the market last July.

Not to mention the author of Man From Mars, Women From Venus, Dr. John Gray, novels by Dan Brown, John Grisham, Stephen King, Ian Fleming and many more.

They are able to gain high incomes just by documenting their thoughts and ideas in writing. Considering the situation in Malaysia, what would be the value of our thoughts if they were documented?

This question involves our dignity and credibility as humans, especially as Muslims who are commanded to pursue and spread knowledge not only through observation, but also through reading. Considering the situation abroad where writing is a celebrated occupation, several excuses usually arise.

Firstly, we will certainly talk about the scope of writing abroad, which is not restricted or controlled. Authors have the freedom to write whatever they wish. They are also unafraid to step out of the box to produce great novels. There is healthy competition among them and there is good communication between the world of writing, publishing and marketing.

Secondly, we are discouraged with the excuse that the readership abroad is much larger, encompassing the whole world. With the spread of the English language throughout the world, they are able to capture readers from all over the globe. Thus, seeing as how the number of Malay books is comparable to the number of English books in Malaysia, we are too quick to label that the book industry in Malaysia is lagging behind.

Development in the world of writing in Malaysia changes with the times and the situation of the community that upholds it. During the era of the Malay Sultanate and under the monarchy system in the past, writing is regarded as a thing of high value. This is because the transition from oral communication to written communication was handled by the intellectuals and scholars. Not everyone can recount an event through their verbal creativity, and not many can write except for the people of the court and high officials.

Stories that are relayed include aspects of entertainment, morality, and educate the community about decent social values, in addition to a focus on religious aspects with the advent of Islam in the region. That was when people were introduced to all manners of legends, animal tales, story-tellers’ narratives, Javanese literatures, literatures on the country’s governance, and many more. Letters and writings of old were further enriched by tales of Amir Hamzah, Stories of the Prophets, the Legend of Panji Semirang, the Legend of Raja Parsi and the Malay Annals, the Legend of Hang Tuah, Pak Kadok, Si Luncai, Sulalatus Salatin and so on.

That era illustrated the role of writing and letters in traditional Malay communities back then. What they needed was a form of letters and writings which can be a source of entertainment for them, aside from musical instruments and traditional games.