Amidst news of declining book sales, the takeover of electronic publishing, and big publishers shuttering imprints came two interesting articles last week. First, Penguin Young Readers Group is countering rumors of the death of the picture book with the Fall 2011 Penguin Portfolio: A Spotlight on Picture Books, a glossy, boxed collection of six full-color prints from six upcoming picture books. According to Publishers Weekly, about 500 of this lush promotional tool was delivered to booksellers, librarians, teachers, publishers, authors and illustrators. Penguin created a similar buzz last fall with a boxed set of five young adult Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) distributed in a similar way.

The second article appeared in Children's Bookshelf: Egmont USA Gives YA Novel Its Biggest Launch to Date, about the September 6 release of Ilsa J. Bick's Ashes, and the publisher's six-figure marketing campaign that includes two author book tours (one pre-pub, one post), and "national consumer and trade advertising, online author video interviews, promotion at Comic-Con NYC, and outreach to science fiction and fantasy media."

So my question is this: Are publishers hand-picking bestsellers and then pouring money into advertising to guarantee results? And if so, what's left for the rest of their lists? And what goes into a publisher's decision to spend marketing dollars on a particular book? Quality, of course (though I've yet to read any of the promoted books, the buzz from some advance readers sounds promising). And the more a publisher pays to acquire a manuscript, the more it will spend to hype that book to consumers. But is all this expensive promotion really necessary? Many self-published authors have sold hundreds of thousands of copies of their books using their own home-grown, inexpensive marketing efforts. So would publishers do better to spread the publicity dollars around, or perhaps discount their books for smaller book stores and other sales outlets?

These big budgets could be a bit of we're-still-here muscle flexing (I do wonder why Penguin sent the Portfolio to authors, illustrators and other publishers). Or a nostalgic throwback to the glory days of print publishing and four-star book tours. Is this a hopeful sign for old-fashioned books? Or a waste of money on titles that would sell well on their own? What do you think?

It's our latest project!  Here's the news release:

BUZZREADS.COM TO LAUNCH.  NEW SITE WILL SERVE AS THE CENTRAL HUB FOR FREE eBOOKS, APPS, STORIES & MORE FROM TOP NEW WRITERS

In publishing, the new magic price is "free".  Inspired by the success of such authors as Seth Godin and Cory Doctorow, many writers have learned that giving away free stories, chapters – even full eBooks – is a superb way to gain exposure and win over new readers.   And readers love getting free content and the chance to discover exciting new writers.

But there's one big problem….  There's no easy way for authors and readers to find one another.

Until now.

Introducing BuzzReads.com,  the one-stop source for writing that's fresh, new and free!

BuzzReads (http://buzzreads.com) is a clearinghouse — a meeting hub — for authors with something free to offer and readers with open minds to come together.  Fiction, nonfiction, adult and children’s lit, mystery, romance, sci-fi, thrillers and just about every other type of writing is supported.

Here's how it works:

An author with something free to offer readers (an ebook, app, sample chapter or standalone story or poem) fills out BuzzReads' online form.   If accepted, their offer is listed on the site and in the weekly BuzzReads Report e-mail update.  Readers who want the freebie go directly to the author’s site and download the story, poem, sample chapters or ebook.

In the spirit of "free", there's no cost for authors or readers.  It’s entirely free to list and it’s free to read the blog and receive the e-mail Report.

The site launches officially in September and is now accepting submissions from authors at http://www.buzzreads.com/?page_id=45   Readers can sign up for the free BuzzReads Report emails at http://www.buzzreads.com/?page_id=57

For more information, e-mail Jon at jon@buzzreads.com    

Visit BuzzReads Now:  http://BuzzReads.com

Submit your freebies now and, please, spread the word about this free service — tell all your writing and reading buddies to check it out!

It seems that reports of the death of books have been greatly exaggerated (with apologies to Mark Twain). As the numbers continue to roll in, it's clear that people still read, more titles are being published than ever, and e-books are taking their place alongside print books, not replacing them. As reported in "Is the Book Dead? Let That Myth Rest in Peace" from The Atlantic, 288,355 new and reissued titles were published in 2009, and Bowker (the data agency for publishing) speculates that the numbers will be higher in 2010 and 2011. And — here's a really astounding statistic — an additional 764,448 titles fell into the self-published, micro-niche and print-on-demand categories.

Think about that for a moment. For the first time in publishing history, authors are self-publishing more books than publishing houses are producing. Considering that these numbers are over a year old, and advances in e-publishing are happening faster than you can download an app from the iStore, 2011 could potentially near the one million mark in self-published titles.

Upon hearing this, many seasoned authors (read: those with several traditionally-published books under their belts) worry about the lack of gate-keepers. If so many people are self-publishing (and publishers are paying attention to successful self-published efforts, as described in this Publishers Weekly article), who's going to decide what's good? Who's going to create the buzz, tell us what to buy? Without the taste-makers, how will we know what to read?

It's a seismic change, to be sure. And like all changes, it feels a bit scary. But the answer boils down to one word: you.

You, as the consumer, get to decide with your dollars what constitutes a good book. Sure, book buyers always voted with their purchases, but the pool of choices was limited by what publishers presented. And publishers often make decisions based on non-artistic criteria: Does this book cash in on a current trend? Is the market broad enough to make a substantial profit? Will it stay on the shelves of Barnes & Noble for more than three months? Is the author a celebrity? Many great books get published each year, but just as many great books get rejected because they don't quite fit the corporate plan. Readers have never had the opportunity to decide for themselves if those books deserve to exist. Now they can.

You, as the author, still have to put in the work, learning how to write, learning how to revise, and learning how to communicate with your audience. That age-old truth won't change. But now, after you've workshopped the manuscript, had it professionally edited and gotten the go-ahead from your writers' group, you have the power to see your words in print. Since self-publishing is rapidly losing its stigma as the last resort for rejected authors, you have a real choice of submitting to publishers or producing the book yourself. You also now have a choice of paper or electronic formats. Low-cost and no-cost options for e-books mean you can make your dream a reality without a trust fund.

You, as the publicist for your book, can generate reviews, create a buzz, connect with readers and set up personal appearances in direct proportion to the amount of time you're willing to devote to marketing. You're not limited by the publisher's marketing dollars going to the big authors, or the New York Times' limited space in their book review section. The internet is the great equalizer, giving authors the same access to their audience as publishers have had. The more you reach out, the more sales you'll see. It's that simple.

The book is far from dead, and the opportunities for authors are more plentiful than ever. The only difference is that now both authors and consumers have more choices, which means they're responsible for deciding what constitutes a worthy book. As an author, you now have options: you can go the time-honored route of submitting to agents and publishers, waiting months for a reply, and hoping you're one of the lucky ones who gets a book contract. Then you can hope your book sells enough to get contract #2. Many authors still find success and fulfillment this way, and if you're one of those, then I'm looking forward to seeing your book on the shelves. But if you're tired of waiting, you believe in your book and you're not afraid to do the work necessary to get it out there, then for the first time you have equal (or very close) access to book production and marketing as the big publishers. And it's only going to get easier.

So make your choice. Your readers are waiting.

Book Bloggers Are a Fantastic Resource

Back in the old days (circa anything before about 2003), authors wrote the book, publishers published it, and the publisher's publicity department send out review copies and scheduled author interviews. While publicity departments still send review copies to primary print reviewers and a few high-profile online sources, the bulk of the marketing is now the author's responsibility. Since most authors don't have an in with the book reviewers at the New York Times, they've come to appreciate their new best friends: the book bloggers.

Book bloggers love to review books. They also love to interview authors. Many bloggers specialize in a genre or age group of book, making them go-to sources for parents or kids who are hungry for a particular type of read. And because savvy bloggers link to each other and to writing- and reading-related websites, their reviews spread quickly through cyberspace. The best part is that authors can contact book bloggers directly, send them review copies, and even set up "blog tours" of interviews around their book's pub date.

Still not convinced? Read author Miriam Gershow's account of why book bloggers became the best marketing outlet for her first book, even after receiving good print reviews. Then start following bloggers who review the types of books that you write. To locate bloggers, go to places like KidLitosphere Central, the children's literature blogs on JacketFlap, and About.com's list of children's books blogs. Or simply type "Children's Book Review Blogs" into your search engine and start following the links. Post comments, research each book blog's review policies, and get your list ready for your own market blitz when your book comes out.

Interested in learning how to write a book and send it to children’s book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!

The Association of American Publishers just released sales figures for February of this year, revealing that e-book sales have surged over 200% since February 2010. In fact, e-books were the highest selling category of adult and children's trade books. In the children's/young adult market, print sales were down over 16%. While the AAP attributes the high e-book numbers to post-holiday sales (people loading up their e-readers they got as gifts), the numbers are still staggering. And since e-books are cheaper to buy than than print, I think it's safe to assume those e-readers will continue to be replenished at a rate that surpasses last year.

In a related article, the American Library Association announced that two-thirds of all US public libraries now lend e-books, and a third of school libraries lend e-readers to their students. Since school budgets are being cut and school library spending is down, look for more cost-effective e-book options in schools.

So, what do you think? Are you on board with these trends? And, more importantly, is your work e-book ready? Let us know your thoughts.

If you still think you can successfully sell your book without any kind of online presence, it's time to face reality. Even the big publishers, who have historically been slow to embrace technological change, are relying more and more on online marketing that goes far beyond throwing a book trailer on YouTube. The good news: most electronic marketing is inexpensive or free, and anyone can do it. So if you're a self-published author or a small press, first read what the big guys are doing, then adapt their ideas into what works for you. With some creativity and vision, your online platform can go head-to-head with the corporate giants.

Writers know the importance of outlining. A good book starts with a strong outline or plan. But do you know the importance of outlining your social media marketing?

Of course you have a website. You’re on Facebook, you tweet, you blog. You’re familiar with MySpace, YouTube, Tumblr, Linked In, and other social network sites. Do you have a plan to make your efforts work together toward your goal?

Unless you are one of those rare creatures who have never procrastinated or even been tempted to procrastinate important tasks, you’ll want to have specific time to reach the goals. Just as you break down writing a book into small steps, so you should break down your social media marketing plan into small steps.

A reasonable time frame to get a basic plan up and running is two to three months, depending upon how many elements you plan to implement. As you grow more familiar with the use of a marketing plan and develop a comprehensive career plan, you may want to take a more long-range view and create a plan for six months to a year or even more. Clearly, this is something you should start while you're writing your manuscript, in order to establish a social media presence. Once you've sold your book, you can instantly plug book promotion into your existing online platform. The following outline pertains to promoting a newly-published book, but many of the elements (such as creating a website and blog) can be started when the book is still a work-in-progress.

You’ll first want to identify your target audience. That’s obvious, you may say. I write for children so children are my audience. That’s great, as far as it goes. What about reaching your readers’ parents and/or teachers as well?

The number of social media outlets continues to grow. Use those with which you are most familiar and comfortable. As your skill and comfort level with these grow, you may want to add more.

Some of the most common social networks are:

LinkedIn

Tumblr

YouTube

Yahoo Groups

Twitter

MySpace

Blog Talk Radio

Facebook

Start with the basics. Is this your first foray into social media marketing? If so, you will probably want to begin with the basics to lay a strong foundation for future growth. Goals should define what your efforts will yield at the end of your chosen time frame.

Break them down. You know the goal-reaching routine. Break each goal down into a series of specific tasks. Have you ever watched the Bill Murray comedy What About Bob? Richard Dreyfuss, Bob’s psychiatrist, counsels him to break his goals down into baby steps. Apply this same advice to your social media marketing program. For example, if you want to increase your blog's presence by both offering to write guest posts for other blogs, and by scheduling guest writers on your blog (all in exchange for linking to each other's blog and promoting each other's books), you'll need to contact at least two to four other bloggers per week to meet your goal. Let’s look at how a sample eight-week plan would come together. If this seems like too much, spread it out over 12 weeks.

Week One:

- Create a series (three to five is reasonable) of 30-second videos previewing upcoming releases.

- If you haven’t joined Yahoo Groups allowing author promotion, do so. Search Yahoo Groups (http://groups.yahoo.com/) for keywords like author promotion, book reviews, children, author promo, novel excerpts, etc. Many Yahoo Groups have been established for readers to read excerpts, interviews, book reviews, and news of giveaways or contests hosted by authors for children.

- Look at your website.

o Determine if your website encourages reader participation. Does it need updating or to make it more easily navigable?

o If you have determined that it needs updating, design a new site, making certain you have included links to your other social media efforts.

- Blogging.

o Schedule guest blogs by other authors for your blog and link it to your updated website

o Blog on your own and other authors’ websites. Read more

In the latest chapter of big publishers' efforts to capitalize on e-book profits, HarperCollins started a new policy this week of limiting libraries' ability to loan out their e-books to 26 loans per title. At that point, libraries will have to re-license the Harper e-books for the next 26 loans. Librarians are outraged, saying the new policy will strain budgets and stifle the promotion of literacy. Two librarians have organized a Boycott HarperCollins website. Read all about the controversy here.

My initial reactions to the announcement, in no particular order, were:

• I understand Harper's desire to make money (it is a business, after all), and their rationale that hard copy library books wear out and need to be replaced — whereas e-books don't — could, I suppose, be argued. So why not a compromise? Why not let libraries license the e-book for 7 or 10 years, and then renew? When the license expires, librarians gauge how popular the e-book has been, and renew if there's still a demand for the title. Just like hardcover books.
• If I were a Harper author, I'd be incensed that my publisher was making it more difficult for libraries to carry a version of my book. (And if I were a Macmillan or Simon & Schuster author, I'd be really peeved, because according to the Publishers Weekly article, they don't license e-books to libraries at all.)
• Libraries are already forced to loan each e-book to only one patron at a time, just like hard copy books, and those e-books automatically expire after one set period. I learned this the hard way when I went to renew an e-book I was halfway through reading, and it had disappeared from my e-reader. I never got around to finishing the book.
• Isn't the goal of every publisher to build an audience for each book? Doesn't limiting access to certain editions of books limit the audience for all the books by that author? In other words, if I can easily check out the e-book version of Book One in a series and I like it, I'm more likely to check out (or buy!!) the hard copy version of Book 2 when it comes out.
• On a closely-related point, isn't the goal of every publisher to spread literacy and promote the written word? Shouldn't libraries be free to offer access to the written word to all their patrons, even those who are housebound and need to borrow books online? How about college students, who prefer to carry their research books on an e-reader instead of in a 50-pound backpack? Or the mother with three young children who just can't make it to the library on a snowy day, but wants new books to read to her kids?
• And finally, remember that libraries aren't asking for the e-books for free. They're paying for the license. And I'm willing to bet that they don't license an e-book unless they also have the hard copy of the same title on the shelves. So the author still gets royalties, and the publisher still makes money.

Publishing is changing, and the old way of doing business needs to change as well. As big publishers become less relevant in today's market, and authors are finding it easier to self-publish, I think it's unwise for publishers to limit the public's access to their authors' books. But that's my opinion. I'd like to know what you think.

Do you believe that your job as a writer is to write a great book? If so, you’re half right. Do you believe that your job as a writer is to write a great book AND to market it to the best of your ability?

Congratulations! You’re on the right path.

Publishing has some dirty secrets. One of them is that nobody cares about you. A second is that nobody cares about your book.

Does this leave you depressed? It shouldn’t, because you can make people care. How?

At a recent writers’ conference, I was fortunate enough to meet Randy Ingermanson. Randy, a master of marketing and the author of Writing Fiction for Dummies, listed the false impressions or pipe dreams that sometimes keep writers from achieving their dreams:

False impression number one: My publisher will do it all.

• Publishers only market the winners.
• Your book won’t be a winner unless it gets marketed.
• That means you need to market your book yourself.
• Marketing your book means marketing YOU!
• To quote from the television show Monk, “It’s a jungle out there.”

False impression number two: My publicist will do it all.

• A publicist can only help you if you are publicizable. A publicist can help you become publicizable by asking:

1. How can you connect your novel to the news?
2. What’s your platform?
3. Who cares about what your novel is about? 

• Many authors face these questions only when it’s too late (after their book is published), so hiring a publicist turns out to be a waste of money.

False impression number three: Great writing will do it all.

• Best marketing is a great story.
• In some cases, that’s all it takes, but not always.
• Don’t depend on the brilliance of your prose to take care of your marketing needs.
• Be proactive.

False impression number four: Word of mouth will do it all.

• Word of mouth is best, but it doesn’t start on its own.
• You, the author, have to start a brush fire or a buzz.

False impression number five: My brand will do it all.

• Your brand is “what people think when they hear your name.
• Your brand is not your tagline or logo or picture.

Okay, we’ve talked about the pipe dreams or false impressions under which writers operate. What can we do to work in the real world?

My mother comes from Tennessee. Those from Tennessee don’t have ancestors, they have “people.” Upon meeting others, someone from Tennessee will ask, “Who are your people?”

So what does this have to do with writing?

Every writer needs people. Or a tribe. A tribe is a set of people who know who you are and who love your work. Your tribe is the people who know your brand and will work hard to spread the word about it.

Randy listed four channels of communication necessary if your tribe is to help you grow your brand:

• You must have a way to talk to your tribe.
• Your tribe must have a way to talk back to you.
• Your tribe wants to talk to other tribe members.
• Your tribe needs a way to talk to outsiders.

Tribe-based marketing is all about opening up these four channels of communication wider and wider. This does not happen all at once. It takes time and effort. Fortunately for today’s writers, technology makes it easier and quicker.

Now that we’ve discussed why having a tribe is so important, let’s talk about how to build a tribe.

• Post an article on your web site.
• Join an online community and post on the loop.
• Launch an e-zine.
• Create a podcast.
• Start a blog and post on other writers’ blogs.
• Build a set of lectures on the organization, craft, and marketing of writing.

Obviously you won’t be able to do all of these things at once. Start small, then build upon that beginning. Keep adding to your marketing efforts until you reach the level at which you feel comfortable and can keep up.

Jane McBride Choate is a Contributing Editor to Children's Book Insider, and an author. Her newest books include Bride Price and Eden's Garden from Avalon Romance.

Writers always complain that they need an agent to get a publisher to read their work, but agents won't look at them until they've got a book or two to their credit. Instead of wasting time griping about the unfairness of the industry, first-timer Colleen Houck took matters into her own hands. After getting a pile of rejections for her queries about her young adult fantasy series, Tiger's Curse, Colleen realized she needed to offer an agent more than a manuscript–she needed a platform. So she self-published the first book through Amazon, then turned it into a Kindle e-book. Her creative pricing helped the word spread and the book appeared on several must-read lists. One thing led rather quickly to another, and she was contacted by an agent.

"…He said he’d found me on Amazon and was impressed with my reviews. Two days later I had representation at one of the top if not the best agency in the country—Trident Media Group. My new agent, Alex Glass, went to work immediately. 

"Within a few weeks, I had a book deal. The self-published versions of my book were taken offline to prepare for the very aggressive marketing of my new publisher, Sterling, and in less than six months the new version of my debut novel, Tiger’s Curse, was headed to bookstores all over the country."

Sound too good to be true? It's not, and here's why. Before she wrote word one of her books, Colleen read and studied lots of other successful books in the same genre, and knew that, as a newbie, she'd have to write a book that was so good people couldn't help but talk about it. Her insistence at writing a quality book, plus her grassroots marketing strategies, led to her success.

There's nothing Colleen did that you can't do as well. Read her story here and get inspired