Print Me Up

What Your Printer Isn't Telling You...

2009-04-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

(Cost Saving Strategies, Hints and Tips)

Recently a well-known client of mine contacted me to tell me they were going to a publishers conference in NY. They were responsible for moderating a discussion that revolved around cutting manufacturing and production costs while DOING MORE with LESS...(isn't that the tune of the season!") To help them out I delivered a document they could take with them to remind their colleagues of some key printing areas where time spent truly equals money earned.

Although this is not a comprehensive list, below you will find an excerpt from the document I shared with the client (and now with you) to help get the most VALUE out of your printing dollars.

Design Phase

• Working with an experienced designer who is familiar with the printing process can substantially save you time and money. An experienced designer will know how to properly create your files (i.e. embed fonts, make sure linked artwork is linked, clear instructions, etc.) to save time in EPP thus saving you prepress dollars. Unfortunately, many publishers incur superfluous costs due to excessive EPP charges involved in poorly created artwork. So make sure your designer knows your printer’s file prep guidelines before sending your files.
Note: We live in a .pdf world and many EPP departments are setup to process .pdf’s more quickly than working with specific applications for your files. Processing “clean” and properly exported .pdf’s will translate into cost savings as well.
• Tell your designer what paper and stock you plan to print on. Paper is an organic material and reacts differently to ink densities and colors. As such, sharing the stock specifications with your designer will help him or her design your art in ways that will print more consistent with your original vision. I guarantee this will save you headaches and money down the road.

Paper and Stock

• Know what paper stock your printer has on their floor and readily available. Requesting stocks other than these will cost you time and will generally require the publisher to make a minimum purchase commitment (often 5000lbs or more) which may be too excessive for your project’s run length. Additionally, knowing that ordering special/vanity stocks may require more lead time, make sure you plan accordingly so you do not jeopardize your deadlines.
• Consider decreasing the weight of your paper stock. (i.e. 100lb. opaque to 80lb. opaque) Not only will you save on stock pricing, but you will save on freight as well.
• Know the signature count of your printer. Every printer is unique and will often print a certain signature count more efficiently than another printer, thereby saving you money. For example, Printer 1 might print in 16’s and 32’s, so if you have a 24 page book, it will likely cost more than an even 32 page book (even though less paper is being used).

Cover Finishes

• Know your cover finishes. Just as there are breaking points between digital and offset printing, there are also breaking points in cover finishes. A good thing to keep in mind is that Laminates are generally the most expensive, then UV’s and Varnishes. However, you may find specialty cover finishes like Acqueous coatings costing less at higher quantities than UV, therefore making your product stand out as well as keep more money in your pocket.

Prepress and EPP

• Consider using Black Inks and 1 PMS instead of using 2 PMS colors for your text. Keeping your PMS count down is a good rule of thumb in keeping your costs down.
• If you want to print text pages in full color, consider using 4 color equivalents (or 4c Process Inks) of your intended PMS colors. Specific PMS colors are often more costly and may cause delays in the proofing stage and production.
• Take advantage of printer provided Online Proofing tools. Although once regarded as inferior to the traditional "blueline" proof, many current Online Proofing solutions have highly sophisticated tools in which a designer can double check ink densities, upload changes and instantly approve pages without any charges.
Note: If you print a large volume of products, you will see SIGNIFICANT savings with not having to mail proofs back and forth.

Distribution and Freight

• Want to save on freight? Ask your printer if they have warehousing space and fulfillment/distribution services. Some printers often distribute products for their clients and are able to drop-ship directly to your accounts. This saves the publisher having to pay for freight twice: once, from the printer to the publisher’s warehouse and once again from the printers distributor to their retail accounts.

Digital Printing

• Go Digital. A lot of publishers may still be hesitant about utilizing digital presses for their work, but digital printing has quickly become a standard in the printing industry. In fact, black inks on a digital press often look much sharper than offset with far more consistency. Consider the numbers. 6 years ago there was very little digital (meaning digitally printed) book volume. Today, those same printers are printing millions of page impressions per month. As the offset world continues to see a decline the digital printing market is continuing to rise at a sharp increase.
• Confused on how digital printing can help with your bottom line? Digital printing makes sense when you can accurately forecast your sales. For example, if you know you will sell through 1800 books in the next 9 months, consider printing 3 runs of 600 digitally. Not only will the publisher be seeing increased savings in not having to pay for offset plate making, but they will also find significant savings in relation to their warehousing/inventory dollars.
• Additionally, when publishers order in shorter more frequent quantities, they will less likely have to pay for destruction and remaindering thus keeping their dollars down while providing more accurate sales data for their sales cycles. More accurate sales forecasting means more liquidity for their publisher. This excess cash flow then can be used in other areas of the organization or to re-release back catalog in short quantities (which has quickly become the trend for many publishers).

Other Ways to Save

• To more accurately project your printing costs, work with well-established printers. Vicks, located in NY, is one I highly recommend as they have been said to, "Have more integrity in their word than most people have in their signatures." They have been printing for over 90 years and continue to base their business model on their clients' needs. For other printers it is imperative to MATCH their quotes with their invoices. Unfortunately, in today's world, many printers will offer “below cost/bankrupt” pricing to get you in their door. However, when the actual invoice arrives you may see additional “AA” charges that you didn’t commit to and other administrative costs making the actual invoice reflect a much HIGHER figure than the original estimate.
• Be careful of where you send your projects to be printed. If a price looks too good to be true just remember, "You get what you pay for." This statement is especially true with printing.

Above all, don’t be afraid to ask your printer for cost-effective suggestions. Printers see a lot of different products from many different publishers and if they are truly working for you…they will be happy to make recommendations that are more cost effective while still achieving your product’s marketability, quality and integrity.

If you have any further ideas on this topic, please feel free to leave a comment. Additionally, you can contact me at my website with any questions about the printing process and I will respond as quickly as I can.
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How to Make a Book Series - Deciding Upon Agents

2009-02-28T07:27:00.001-08:00

So you've proofed your project and you are now pursuing agent representation. At this point, your 64 million dollar question is probably "How do I find an Agent and get published?" Before you blindly walk into an agent's office let us look at a few of the finer things you should know to avoid hearing "You've got something here, I'm just not quite sure what it is." In other words, "No."

There are many things you should consider before calling up an agent and conducting an interview. In fact, if you cold call an agent you've already taken a step back and could very well be running in reverse. Many agents don't accept phone calls, let alone emails. Rise above the rest and educate yourself about various agents to make your very best first impression.

Know your genre.
If you've done your homework by reading targeting your audience, you have already identified your customers and genre. This is an important key to finding an agent with integrity and qualified connections. For example, the world between nonfiction agents and fiction agents is vast and chances are your children's book agent is not going to have much to offer in finding you a publisher in the nonfiction market. If you have identified your genre then you have already saved yourself countless hours in prospecting the wrong market and have a much better chance in making the right contacts.

Evaluate your options.
I intentionally say "evaluate" as there are many agents who make a profitable living off your ignorance. This is bad business conduct and you do not want to be associated with these type of agents and their moral and ethical pitfalls. To avoid being scammed, simply type in the phrase "writers beware" into your search engine and educate yourself on what to avoid. This will help you survey the land so you can navigate and direct yourself to agents and firms of quality and integrity.

Researching 'Legit' Agents.
After you have educated yourself on what type of agents to avoid, you are now ready begin your agent search. There are a number of resources on the web that can help you find a reputable agent and/or firm. Try typing in "agent query" in your search engine or "[your genre] agents" and make a list of names to further research. Also, "The Association of Authors' Representatives" (aka AAR) offers resources on how to find legit agents as well as gives helpful suggestions for submitting your material.

All of these resources can help bring your project to the marketplace, but first make sure you have something to manage. If you don't have a winning script, an "offer" or any credentials, the ability of your manuscript finding itself in major retail chains are slim. If your name or product does not have demand, publishers will most likely go on to something that does. Be in the know and learn how to market yourself to have a solid platform to speak from.

Also, it is my belief that there is no substitute for networking yourself and having conversations IN person. Meeting literary agents, going to publishing conferences and getting referrals are for more valuable then writing any query letter or email. Above all, exude confidence in your work and your great idea and passion will help sell itself.

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Feel free to contact me with any questions about this process. Additionally, I am in the process of sorting through some of the most common questions and will post these on the FAQ section of my website and I will answer them appropriately. I look forward to hearing from you!

How to Make a Book Series - Proofing the Project

2008-09-27T17:38:00.001-07:00

By now you have established your target market, set production goals, conceptualized your layout, written the content of your book, created your artwork and have decided upon choosing media components. Now comes the fun part...polishing your work.

As any quality chef would say, "food tastes only as good as the time it takes to make it." The same is true with your project. The time which you invest into this critical step will well be worth the effort and your success in the long run. Let's take a look at some of the common areas you should be aware of when polishing your manuscript.

First off, there are endless agencies and firms you can work with to help you proof your work. Typically, these fall under the term "Copy Editing Services." A simple Google search for this term will provide you with a number of resources that offer professional editing services. Alternatively, most states have what they call a "Writer (or Author) Association" for local writers that exist to provide valuable resources for their authors. To get started on editing your own work, I have included some helpful hints below.

Grammar and Spelling
This goes without saying. If you are like most of us, you know what you wanted to write, but thought twice about the way it read. If you don't have a major in English, I highly recommend finding someone who does that will kindly take a look at your manuscript and make grammatical suggestions. Not only will you reap the benefits, but now you can say that someone, other than yourself, has read your book! Congratulations on your first reader!

Layout
Your book is written and you have made grammatical corrections, now you can take a step back and look at your project from a different height. I was once told by a famous musician that he believes there is more music between the notes than there is written on the page. Take this same philosophy and learn to train your eyes to discover the spacing between your words, the alignment of your chapter titles (are they supposed to be centered?) and the layout of your artwork (are the edges of your artwork being cutoff?). These are areas that are often overlooked and can be critical to the readability and flow of your book.

Widow and Orphan Lines
A widow line is generally the last line of your paragraph that is by itself at the top of a page. Similarly, an orphan line is a line of text that is by itself at the bottom of a page, most commonly at the beginning of a paragraph. These usually appear during the process of correcting your grammar or adjusting artwork that has been placed within your text. Some effective ways for getting around the appearance of widow/orphan lines are rewriting your paragraph, adding subject matter, adjusting your spacing and/or page margins or fine tuning your font parameters. Although it is not necessary to eliminate all widow/orphan lines, it is generally recommended that your manuscript contains at least 2 lines of text at the top and bottom of all of your pages.

Unclear Content
It is very easy for the author to understand the ideas of their manuscript as, well...they wrote it! However, while the ideas may be clear to you, they may come across differently to someone reading your book for the first time. Reread the main points of your book as if you have never read them before. Perhaps you'll find you need to elaborate on certain ideas or you may find you can delete some of the content and still have the idea communicated effectively. Emplore a friend a two to read your proof and ask whether or not your ideas are clearly presented. The advice of others can be a valuable asset when you are genuine about making a memorable impact.

Proofreaders' Marks
Lastly, I recommend familiarizing yourself with the Chicago Manual of Style Proofreaders' marks. This set of editing marks is basically a way of editing your work and making corrections with shorthand, which will save you valuable time during the editing process.

The basic idea of proofing, or editing, your project can be summed up with the five universal "C's:" clear, correct, concise, consistent and comprehensible. If you can succeed in all five of these areas, then you can confidently move forward knowing your manuscript has the polish and integrity it needs to rise to the top.

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How to Make a Book Series - Choosing Media Components

2008-09-06T16:58:00.000-07:00

Watch any classic movie and you will see character development, profound yet simple backdrop imagery, drops of blanketed humor and the timeless struggle between good vs. evil. These are the stories that have gone down in history, written with true craft and respect. However the classics are buried deep within the racks of our memory, so much so that the word "movie" itself has come to mean the current blockbuster hit. Why is this? We are in an age where a crafty script and a few talented actors are not enough. Nowadays we need the whole package: extreme cinematography, expert special effects, famous names, a shock factor and of course, merchandise and clothing brands. (wink!)

Simple is too simple for today's audiences. Books on the New York Times Bestseller list are also known to capitalize on these packaged elements to capture our attention. Realizing this, how can you effectively reach today's audience with your book? One way to do this is to include media components or "companion products" with your project.

Whether you are thinking of creating a promotional piece or an add-on component to your book, media products have quickly become a standard in the book industry. DVD's, CD-Rom's, websites, blogs, newsletters and audiobooks are all ways publishers are effectively engaging their audiences. Media components are especially effective for how-to books, resource books, history books, novels and curriculum. Just look in the back pages of the book you last read and chances are that you will find a website address pointing your curiosity to online resources where you can learn more about the subject matter.

Content Developer and Owner of Creative Blue Media, Matt Hunt, gives us an effective way to identify what to look for in creating media products. Mr. Hunt says, "Many clients of mine come to me for creative direction and guidance for promotional and complimentary media pieces. My advice for aspiring authors and publishers is to go out into the market place and research what other people are doing. Take what you like and leave the rest and make it your own...this is where some truly creative and effective marketing can shine."

One creative way Mr. Hunt suggests promoting your book with media is by the use of Flash/Thumb drives. With the prices of thumb drives steadily decreasing, he suggests putting a few sample chapters of your book on the drive in addition to an interview with the author or perhaps utilizing a video diary to help readers connect with the author. This idea takes care of two things: (1) It drives people to emotionally engage themselves with your product and (2) It is a cost effective means of promotion. Why is "emotionally engaging" your audience important? It may surprise you to hear this, but economics usually has nothing to do with money…it has everything to do with emotion (a good thing to keep in mind on your road to stardom!).

The key to creating media components is to capitalize on your available resources to effectively reach and engage your audience. When thinking about what you would like to include with your project don't forget the use of your web space on the internet. This is a very cost effective way to share your ideas, content, newsletters, videos and other resources with your readers.

Lastly, be reminded that you don't need extreme cinematography or special effects to appeal to the emotions of your readers. All you need is a well written script, a little PR and the dedication to give your project the legs it needs to run on its own. Even Martin Scorsese comments on this by saying, "The reality is, if I don't do PR, I'm hurting the picture. And as many things as I did, that's as many things as I turned down."

So you may or may not have a blockbuster hit, but one thing is for sure, with the right combination of effective media components and creativity, your book could well be on its way to being a timeless and much sought after classic for ages to come.

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To explore further information about media components, feel free to contact Mr. Matt Hunt at www.CreativeBlueMedia.biz or by email at creativebluemedia@gmail.com.

How to Make a Book Series - Creating the Artwork

2008-08-12T18:11:00.001-07:00

Say you were a vegetarian and you recently purchased a book on friendly vegetarian recipes. When you get home, you crack open the book for the first time and a handful of postcards and marketing material fall out of the pages advertising meat packer associations and where to find the best steak. Although good for your iron intake, these kind of pictures and campaigns would be poorly received by the reader, potentially damaging the loyalty the reader has to that particular author and/or publisher.

This is an extreme example, however you would be surprised to find out how much time many authors and publishers spend on considering the right artwork for their publications. Let's take a look at understanding matching concept with content.

Most of the time, the artwork chosen for a particular project is left to the designer and he or she is given a brief outline of the content of the book. The designer can then utilize their resources to choose or create their own artwork that matches the particular content. However, what the designer sees as "fresh" and "edgy" may not be effective for a book that is targeting a more traditional and conservative audience. When choosing artwork for your book or publication it is important to keep in mind the ideas discussed in the Targeting Your Audience post. Zero in on the culture that you plan to target and learn to see past your opinions on what kind of pictures can most effectively reach your audience.

Walt Disney once said, "Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language." Often, ideas can be communicated in one picture that words struggle to describe in an entire paragraph. It is vital to choose artwork that digs into your ideas that wraps itself around the essentials of what you are trying to communicate. The better your artwork describes your thoughts, the better impact you can have on your readers (and the more memorable your project becomes).

Now all of this may seem abstract and lofty, but the good news is that you already have access to the people that can handle this for you. "Sure..." you say, "for a fee!" Not necessarily. That is one option and below I have included some links of some very well established and trusted designers and firms that have proven their success within the publishing marketplace. However, you can also utilize royalty-free image galleries such as iStockPhoto.com or GettyImages.com among others. Here you will find a myriad of illustrations, images and photographs of practically any idea you have to communicate. (Tip: if you find yourself searching hours on end to find the "perfect" photograph, consider using more specific search terminology. For example, to find a photo of a beach, be more specific and use terms like "white sand," "footprints," or "coastal sunset" to hone in on your idea.)

For the more technical user, many professional designers use desktop publishing software such as InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop as their creative platform. These programs are not cheap and have a steep learning curve, however they are incredibly useful in creating high-end customized artwork.

While we have discussed artwork that is found within the body of your book, pay special attention to any artwork you choose for the cover. There is a concept among book publishers that states the 3 points of sale. #1 The customer first sees the title and cover. #2 If the customer grabs the book they turn it over to read the back, and #3 they look at the price. By this reasoning you have 3 chances to engage the potential reader and the FIRST chance you get is by the cover title and artwork so be sure to make a great impression.

Lastly, I highly recommend doing your homework and being thoughtful about the ways you consider matching your concept with your content because in the end, you can either choose a steak on a vegetarian cookbook or a mouth-watering french dish in front of the Eiffel Tower. Although you may not receive any free tickets to France, you will end up with a much better chance of laying the foundation for a truly engaged and loyal audience.

Recommended Professional Designers:

Mike Deitsch - The Vine Collective
Linda Bourdeaux - The Design Desk
Susanna Parrish - Texasus Design
Chase Carter - Revelation Interactive

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How to Make a Book Series - Writing the Book

2008-07-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

As the famous French writer and Nobel Prize winner, Anatole France once said, "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." Writing a book is by no means an easy task, but with your dedication and belief in your ideas, you can accomplish not only good things, but great things.

Believe it or not, some of your biggest obstacles in actually writing, or drafting, your book is yourself. You have probably heard the expression, "A relationship is only as strong as the weakest person in it." This can also be true with your creativity. Your book and ideas can take on their own identity and you enter into a relationship with your creativity. This "relationship" can have it's ups and downs and its important to identify this so that (1) you can learn to adjust to these times and (2) help ease your frustration levels along the way.

Julia Cameron, author of The Artists Way, is an expert on the foundations of creativity and explores some common beliefs about how we have been conditioned to allow ourselves the freedom to be creative. She states that many of the greatest artists are looked upon as having no self doubt. She goes deeper and says that we need to learn to move through self doubt, not avoid it. The Artists Way has a great way of explaining the concept of self doubt and provides excellent resources to improve your overall creative freedom. If you haven't read the book already, stop reading this blog post and go out and get it!

Another common frustration creative individuals experience is the weight of their vision. You probably have many great ideas but you may feel so overwhelmed with the weight of the process that you have a hard time getting started. This is very common and you should remind yourself that great things have never been accomplished overnight. There are a couple of ways to get around "writer's block." One way is to refuel your creative muscle. Julia Cameron calls this "taking yourself on an Artist Date." This will help refill your bucket of creativity and encourage you to be more productive. Another way is to schedule your writing time in your weekly calendar. You could schedule 15min in the morning or 1 hour, 3 times a week. It's up to you. The point is that if you plan your creative time, it is more likely you will stay focused, and you will feel more accomplished then if you just "wait" for your creativity to strike.

Lastly, be careful of getting into the habit of constantly editing your work before it needs to be edited. Many creative individuals are perfectionists and while perfectionism can assist your dedication, it can also inhibit your creative flow and keep you stuck in the process. Learn to resist the urge to "edit" your work at the beginning stages to allow your ideas to breath and capture the entire world around them. If you can turn off your "internal editor" at the beginning, you will begin to experience the freedom your creativity needs to better communicate your ideas later.

I hope this helps you during your creative process and remember, "In order to live an extraordinary life, one must be able to overcome extra-ordinary challenges." So when you find yourself getting stuck while writing your book, just say to yourself, "I'm just living to be extraordinary," and allow yourself the freedom to refill your creativity and pick up your pencil and start again.

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How to Make a Book Series - Conceptualizing the Layout

2008-07-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Why would anybody go shopping for furniture without first knowing how big the room is? You have to know how large your fence is before you can start filling your corral and this is exactly what we will explore together in this post.

Conceptualizing the layout of your book BEFORE writing the content may seem like a step backwards to some, but it actually acts in the opposite direction. Drawing your fence line, so to speak, can help shape the content of your book and even inspire further creative elements. The reason is because planning helps to capture the future and bring it into the present so your ideas can become tangible.

Let's look at planning a layout for a book directed towards parenting.

First, you probably already have the content, or the text, written or at least a good idea of what you would like to communicate to your readers. Upon utilizing the Targeting Your Audience exercise, you have established that although this book is for children, it is the parents that will eventually buy your book. As such, you may want to put some 'tips' about parenting in the margins of your book, or you might start your chapters with a quote or two, or you might have pictures you want to include. These are all parts of your layout that you will need to account for when writing the book.

Other layout concerns include the size of your book, graphics, text flow, inserts, companion media product, marketing material, and much more. The sky is endless when it comes to "value ads" or elements of your book that give additional value to your consumer.

Try making a wish list of elements you would like to include in your book. Write them down and start to visualize how they would look in your book. Then, make a rough outline of how you would like to include them in each chapter. By doing this exercise you will have a foundation for your ideas to breath within.

As Winston Churchill said, "Let our advance worrying be our advance thinking and planning," and you will have far less emergencies to resolve down the line. They say 1 minute planned saves 10 minutes of wasted time, so you can be sure your planning efforts will not go to waste. Have fun while making your wish list and remember just because you wrote your outline down doesn't mean it is set in stone. It is okay to revise and adjust your outline because in the end, you are only building a stronger foundation for your creativity to come to life.

► TIP: You may consider taking a trip to your local bookstore and flipping through the pages of books similar to yours to see how other authors have creatively structured their work. This is very valuable research when it comes to creatively thinking about your own book!

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How to Make a Book Series - Setting Realistic Goals

2008-07-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

Goal setting is a powerful tool that, when used effectively, becomes an extraordinary way to increase your self confidence and help turn your ideas into reality. Setting realistic goals gives you a sense of accomplishment of which, in turn, motivates you to achieve more goals. Carelessly creating unrealistic goals is like saying, "My goal is to travel to the moon for dinner tonight." Although a beautiful thought, it may serve you well to set a goal to first, research which airline has flights departing to the moon. Tip: make sure you have an extra $25 to pay for your checked baggage!

Let's look at a few key things to get you started.

"Realistic" Goal Setting
It is good to be ambitious, but keep your goals realistic. Being realistic means to find a way to practically measure your progress. Think of something you would like to accomplish. Then apply a practical way or unit of measure to gauge your success. Ex: "Complete the Targeting Your Audience exercise by this Friday." Now you have an actual DAY to keep yourself accountable to. Including these practical elements are an effective way to not only see your progress but also lower your frustration levels along the way.

Learn to Love Revision
I know "change" might be a scary word, but in this context, changing or revising your goals can be an asset and work to your own advantage. Talk to any hit songwriter and they'll say, "You have to learn to love to rewrite." That is because when you initially start down the path of achieving a goal, you may find other things you may need to do before you can check it off. Additionally, if you think your goals are set in stone, they are not. Just because you wrote them down once doesn't mean you have to stick to your initial way of achieving them. Keep the long term goal in mind and don't worry about how you initially thought you would get there. Be patient with yourself and keep on revising until you hit your goal. Your sense of accomplishment will be well worth your time!

The next two things I will discuss are the hidden secrets behind creating powerful goals.

Accountability
Accountability simply means being willing to accept the responsibility for your actions. In regard to goal setting, you could tell a trusted friend about your goals and ask them to hold you accountable to accomplish them. They in turn could call or email you about how your progress is coming along. This does two things: (1) having a friend keep you accountable informs them of your idea/direction and demonstrates your commitment to them and (2) promotes the motivation within you to achieve more goals. There is a reason why health/fitness personal training is a multi-million dollar industry. People want to be held accountable to help keep themselves on target.

WRITE OUT YOUR GOALS
Did you get that...in all CAPITAL letters? If you don't get anything else from this posting, get this...WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS. It may seem silly at first, but once you start seeing your progress you will soon realize the hidden gems within this exercise. Write down your goals anywhere, on a notepad, a napkin, a post-it note and...here's the second piece of this powerful technique...place it somewhere you will look everyday (preferably multiple times a day). Places you could post these notes are on your bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator door, on the dash of your car, or my favorite-type your goals into your computer's screensaver. By doing this, you will be subliminally saying to your brain "accomplish this task" and it will start directing your thoughts and your actions towards accomplishing your goals. This is a powerful technique and I guarantee you will see results.

Keep the goal setting process in mind throughout your entire project. Again, goals are not set in stone and if you should start out too ambitious, don't worry, learn to love to revise and adjust accordingly. Soon you will experience the joy of accomplishing your goals and you will have a created a strong foundation for your book to become a reality!

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Tom Sabella has graciously contributed many of the ideas found in this post. For information on speaking engagements, consultations, podcasts, and/or other media inquiries, visit www.page2radio.com or contact Tom at: tom@page2management.com.

Tom Sabella has been a performer, agent, manager, and recording studio owner. In fact, his vocal group, the Acts, was together for over 20 years - they performed around the country and recorded six albums. Tom designed and taught an Entertainment Marketing/Internship Program and is currently working with Dove and Grammy award winning artists like Phil Keaggy, Terry Blackwood, and other music professionals in Nashville, TN. Tom is reaching beyond the classroom with Music Business and Goal Setting Seminars. His book, “Don’t Get Taken, Take Control; Twelve Things Musicians Need to Know” and now the Page 2 Radio Network of Internet Radio programs are designed to help talented people, wherever they are, employ practical steps toward success.

How to Make a Book Series - Targeting Your Audience

2008-07-01T15:40:00.001-07:00

If you have ever purchased a house or wanted to start a restaurant, undoubtedly you have heard the timeless wisdom of "Location, location, location." Although this adage may be cliche, it still has a lot of weight when it comes to convenience and marketing to your customer.

James Montgomery Bailey jokes, "A blunderer is a man who starts a meat market during Lent." This rings true for the countless ideas that maintain their place on their dusty shelves due to poor marketing. Bailey hints to a similar philosophy which states, "You can't hit a target that you can't see." Although cliche, it is good to keep this in mind to avoid aimlessly casting your nets and waiting to see what you catch.

Targeting your audience is vitally important in enjoying the success of your idea or product. I'm not speaking of targeting your audience in terms of finding potential victims of pushy high-dollar sales campaigns. Instead, I'm talking about tried-and-true effective marketing efforts where you can create the best possible product for your readers, or simply stated, "Get the most bang for your buck!" How's that for cliche!

So what is marketing and what does it entail? Marketing, simply put, is the technique of promoting and distributing your idea or work. It is important to know who you are targeting your product to during the beginning of the process so that, by the completion of your product, you are not basing your success on luck. Let's run through a general list of things to think about when exploring the characteristics of your audience/readers and how to market to them.

First off, identify the Who, What, When, Where, How and Action points. (Action points are the "actions" that encourage the buyer to buy).

Below is a list of other questions to think about:

Identify the Content
-What is your idea or product about?
Identify the Buyer
-Who would buy this product? What age group? What gender?
What activities does the Buyer participate in?
-Does the Buyer enjoy the outdoors? Does the Buyer play indoor/outdoor sports? An activity could also be cooking, handywork, taking care of the home, health/fitness, etc.
Does the Buyer shop at retail or online stores?
-Does the Buyer shop at specialty stores or all-in-one stores?
What purchasing habits do they have?
-Does the Buyer purchase based on convenience, service, brand name, quality, etc.?
What other books does the Buyer read?
-If there are similar books to yours on the market, go out and do some in-store market research. Take note of their use of artwork on the cover, fonts, words on the back cover, etc. If you can't find a product that exists like yours...congratulations, you may have stumbled upon a goldmine. (and if you do, call me...ha!)

The more you zero in on your audience the better you can tailor your product to meet their needs. Take a moment to write down your own list of questions and answers. The more creative your questions are, the better chances you have at successfully launching your efforts in the right direction.

Remember that although you are trying to reach as many people as you can, you do not want to target your audience so specifically that the only person you end up developing your product for is your neighbor Joe. Have fun with this exercise and find someone you can show your list to that believes in your idea as much as you do. Often times, the saying, "Two heads are better than one," is a cliche you can count on benefiting from!

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How to Make a Book Series - Overview

2008-06-21T17:02:00.001-07:00

So you have decided to tell the world your story but don't know where to begin. This weekly series of blog posts will explore the "real-world" information you need to get your story or information in print today.

As with most creative endeavors, it starts with a vision. You have a dream and a 60,000 ft. view of what your vision entails, but where do you start? In the words of T.S. Eliot, "What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." Let's take a look at what you will have accomplished by breaking the process down to begin with the end in mind.

You will have accomplished:

Targeting Your Audience
Setting Realistic Goals
Conceptualizing the Layout
Writing the Book
Creating the Artwork
Choosing Media Components
Proofing the Project
Deciding upon Agents
Marketing and Promotion
Printing the Book
Distributing Your Work

Seem overwhelming? You're right. The process can be very overwhelming...if you attack the process alone. Walt Disney has stated, "It takes people to make the dream a reality." That is why you need to be confident about your vision so you can mobilize the people you need to produce it.

Remember, creativity rides with patience and patience can be an asset or a stumbling block. So be sensitive to your creative process but maintain the determination required to accomplish your goals. The best thing you can do is believe in your idea and start doing it, instead of talking about it.

Feel free to contact me with any questions about these articles. I truly hope you find this "How To Make A Book Series" helpful and I look forward to hearing about your success!

Collin is a former print buyer and has worked for such notable entertainment companies as Broadcast Music Inc., EMI Music, Carnival Cruise Lines and Experience Music Project. He has consulted and developed products for numerous artists, music/trade publishers and record labels including Hal Leonard, EMI Music, Word Music, Provident Music Group, Tooth & Nail Records, Kingsway Music and Oregon Catholic Press among others. For media inquiries or consultations please contact Collin Peterson at ctpsongs@gmail.com.

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Value, Savings and Digital Printing

2008-04-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

While it may be a leap of faith for some, many companies have rapidly begun to realize the value digital printing can provide. Whether you need to personalize your individual printed pieces or find a way to save money on warehousing costs, digital printing can be a very attractive alternative to printing your job.

As the digital printing market continues to gain speed, Vicks is one printer that has made sure to maintain its edge by expanding its digital capabilities. Recently Vicks moved its digital print facilities to its headquarters. This increased many efficiencies and although the move required a mass effort by many in the plant (and I imagine sleepless nights for some) Vicks is delighted to report the transition was smooth and all units are up and running.

Along with the recent transition, Vicks brought another member into the family, a digital printer that is, called the Nuvera288. The Nuvera288 is the most impressive perfecting system on the market today and delivers exceptional offset-level image quality with the cost and time efficiencies associated with digital printing. Additionally, it can RIP multiple projects simultaneously, prints at a resolution of 4800 x 600 dpi and is coupled with an inline booklet maker and square-back spine master. Indeed, a true workhorse for the digital market.

How do all the improvements at Vicks potentially affect you? For starters, digital printing is an extraordinary asset when it comes to added savings and decreased production time. There is hardly a company that exists that wouldn’t benefit from its advantages. Below are a few ways you can capitalize on the added value digital printing can provide:

Digital printing is great for:

Meeting tight deadlines – with once took days can now take hours.
Personalizing projects - by supplying a database of unique information for each piece you can more effectively target your audience and customers.
Short-runs – by printing smaller quantities more quickly and cost effectively without losing quality.
Reducing storage space and inventory - by printing only what you need thus saving you rising warehousing costs.
Re-releasing slower moving titles and back catalog - by printing small quantities you can print lower quantity runs and give your market exactly what they are asking for.
Easy Updates – because of the digital file, it is extraordinarily easy to update digital jobs.
Low waste and Minimal setup – no plates or film to process.

…and the best part about it is the quality. In fact, I know some people that have reported they can hardly tell a difference in color quality when they’ve compared their digital work to an offset job. Now that’s impressive!

The digital workflow that Vicks has implemented is guaranteed to offer you flexibility and quick turnaround while producing a cost effective way to print your short run projects. I would highly recommend this digital print house.

For more information about Vicks, follow the link below:

Vicks Lithograph and Printing Corporation

http://www.vicks.biz

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Is Recycled Paper a Competitive Alternative?

2008-04-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

More and more publishers are switching to recycled stock for their products. Not only could this be a strategic branding technique, but using recycled stock also has many global benefits. To help you better understand this evolving sector in the paper industry, I have included a quick list of benefits and myths of using recycled paper below.

Paper made from 100% recycled content reduces:

Wood use by 100%
Wastewater by 50%
Solid waste by 49%
Total energy consumption by 44%
Net greenhouse gas emissions by 38%

The process for making paper out of recycled material is generally more clean and requires less energy than making paper from virgin fibers. Additionally, many publishers are using recycled stock to more effectively target their products to their young adult audiences. For example, the latest hardcover edition and U.S. Deluxe Edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was produced on a 100% recycled stock. Additionally, higher education institutions such as Princeton are also requiring all of their academic departments to use 100% recycled paper.

Common myths about recycled paper

Recycled paper is too expensive.

Take the long view. With the rise and fall of paper prices, sometimes all paper is expensive and sometimes it is low. The experienced paper buyer realizes that paper markets fluctuate and one should recognize that recycled paper’s benefits are far greater than simply dollars.

Quality is uneven and sometimes spotted.

Many of these issues were confined to the developmental phase of creating recycled paper in the 1980’s but the technology being used by recycled manufactures today have significantly increased. Many studies have proven that recycled paper today meets the highest technical standards, sometimes even exceeding familiar virgin papers.

Belief that recycled paper has too much curl.

Curl is a complex issue and mostly related to fiber orientation, moisture content and the drying strategy. Many paper manufacturers have refined their processes to significantly limit paper curl and it is important that customers are basing their opinions on high quality recycled grades now available and not on experiences gathered years ago.

There are many resources available today to determine if using recycled stock is right for you and your company. One thing is for sure, using environmentally and socially responsible paper is an opportunity for publishers to make a significant impact on a global level.

For further research on recycled paper organizations and initiatives, please visit:

Forest Stewardship Council
http://www.fsc.org/en/
Green Press Initiative
http://www.greenpressinitiative.org/index.htm
Cascades Fine Papers
http://www.ecologiquedenature.com/en/
Vicks Lithograph and Printing Corporation
http://www.vicks.biz

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Print Me Up

2007-05-16T23:13:00.000-07:00

Digital music downloads are indeed changing the way we think, listen and consume music. But is that all that is changing?

E-Commerce, Retail and Print Music are just some of the other areas in which this digital phenomenon has taken it's toll. Take for instance the private music instructor, where are they supposed to get their music books as they become increasingly limited. Tower Records is no more. Mom-and-Pop music shops are being erased as quickly as the $2 per gallon price of gas. In addition, songwriter's are finding it harder to publish their own sheet music as the record industry struggles to keep it's head above water. It would seem that the print music publishing industry is quickly going downhill. Interestingly, the time is ripe however for those individuals in the music industry to become more creative and innovative with how they get their music to the consumer.

One such innovative idea is Books For Bands (www.booksforbands.net), an online music print publisher whom has found a way for musicians to sell their unpublished sheet music online while also growing their fanbase, online presence and putting some change in their pockets. How do you turn music from a listening experience into a personal experience?...play the song yourself! Although this sheet music company is a startup business, rumor has it that the company is well connected in the music industry which would provide many musicians the groundfloor knowledge of how to get their songs heard by major labels and publishers. A hefty idea, but for the well connected entrepreneur, a possible gold mine for finding new talent while also increasing the awareness of print music publishing.

Has printed music found a new niche?

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