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Using QR Codes to Promote Your Book

2012-04-16T16:02:53Z

What is a QR code?

A QR code, such as the one to the left of this paragraph, is a two-dimensional barcode. Where traditional linear, one-dimensional barcodes (like the ones on the back of books) are used to store small bits of information about the object they are on (such as the price of that book), a QR code has a larger storage capacity and can re-direct scanners to websites for much more detailed information.

How are QR codes used?

It's as simple as downloading a free QR reader on your SmartPhone and you're ready to go. Anyone with a QR reader on their phone can now scan these barcodes from magazine ads, books, signs on the side of a road, computer screens, you name it. (I even saw a large QR code on the side of a city bus last week!)

Why pay QReady Media (QReady.ca) to create a QR code for you?

The best way to explain why you should pay for a QR code rather than just create one for yourself online is to show you the difference in the landing pages when you scan the two different types of codes. Here is a free QR code that PPG created for ourselves a while back:

If you scan this free QR code, you will see it takes you straight to Polished Publishing Group's primary website. This is wonderful ... except for one thing. That website is intended to be read on a large computer screen. When it is viewed on a SmartPhone, the text and graphics all appear very tiny, and it is difficult to navigate.

Now scan the code at the top of the page that was created for PPG by QReady Media. Do you see the difference? Not only did QReady Media create a much more attractive QR code for PPG, but they also created a much more SmartPhone-friendly landing page for us that still redirects to our main site. They also added one of our promotional YouTube videos onto this landing page which we were thrilled to see!

How can authors best utilize this new technology?

Now authors can place a page at the back of each of their books that contains a QR code that redirects readers to their blog or website. Here, authors can keep readers abreast of any upcoming book launches, tours, or even new books that are coming out soon. It's a real-time update for readers even five years after that particular book was published. How convenient is that?

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

Canadian Book Publishers: Time for a Change!

2012-01-18T03:05:02Z

If there's one thing I'm passionate about, it's the Canadian book publishing industry! After reading an article in The Globe and Mail tonight by Anna Porter titled Time to Lead: The shaky state of Canadian book publishing, I was compelled to express my own opinions in this regard...

RE: "What kind of government policies do we need to keep our vital publishing houses functioning? The old model no longer works."

I agree that the old model of book publishing no longer works. When restrictive government grants are involved, the potential growth of any publishing company will be stunted.

Around 15 years ago, I worked for a small Canadian literary publisher. As much as I loved the work, I had to leave after three years as I was only earning $1,000 per month in full-time wages (yes, that figure is correct ... only $12,000 per year for full-time work). Obviously, it became increasingly difficult to support myself and my son on this menial income. In order to improve my standard of living, my only choice was to change industries, never mind jobs.

I worked in the fulfillment area for that company, and my marketing counterparts and I would often discuss ways we could generate more income for the press. I once approached my directors and recommended we start charging fees for certain things, and I was immediately shut down. "We can't do that. We'll lose our grant money if we do." I even recall a conversation with a colleague about how we could significantly increase our book sales ... only to learn that there was a fine line we didn't want to cross in this regard, too ... too many book sales may equate to too much profit which may also jeopardize our ability to qualify for the next grant.

Ridiculous! When government tries to control the way you earn your money and how much money you're entitled to earn, it stunts your growth potential exponentially! It is killing the industry.

The publishing industry is thriving in the United States for reasons other than population as the author of this article mentions. It is thriving there because they are a "forward thinking" society that is open to all kinds of different book publishing business models and all kinds of different books. In Canada, our publishers are severely limited by genre ("literary" prejudice) and this antiquated notion that the grant operated “traditional” business model is the only way to go. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Here is another thing that is killing the industry: book returns. This is another antiquated business practice. How many other industries would survive if they did business this way, allowing their wholesalers/retailers to return their goods to them damaged and for a full refund at their sole discretion? This is senseless! Perhaps, it made sense at one point in time. But that time has passed. It is long gone.

Years later, rather than waiting around for the government to change their policies, I started my own for-profit Canadian book publishing company. Yes, authors pay for the publication of their books through our "supported self-publishing" business model; however, in return, they retain 100% copyright ownership of their books AND their artwork. We mark all our books NON-returnable. We utilize the Internet and social media to sell our eBooks and paperbacks online. And, most importantly, our income potential (along with our authors’) is uncapped by anyone but ourselves and our own efforts ... unlike it is in the "traditional" grant-operated trade/literary book publishing sector. This allows for GROWTH! And this is the type of choice Canada's book publishing industry needs! This is the kind of choice our authors deserve!

RE: "Fortunately, there are people in this country who value what they contribute to our lives above what they take out of the economy. (That, I hope, answers the question a distinguished lawyer once asked me: If that’s all you make in a year, why don’t you change professions?)"

This always makes me chuckle. Why is it considered so noble to be a “starving artist” in Canada's literary world? Why can’t Canadian authors have that valued sense of contribution coupled with significant profit potential? I say THEY CAN! THEY SHOULD! That’s why I started my company. And I hope to have a strong influence on changing the way this country views book publishing in the years to come. The author of this article and I definitely agree on one thing—it’s time for a change.

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

Advertise Your Book For Free on Kijiji!

2012-01-07T21:07:52Z

Here's a cost-effective idea to help authors sell a couple more books while driving additional traffic to their websites and blogs...

Did you know you can advertise/sell your book(s) for free on Kijiji in the location of your choice?

For only $4, you can add a link to your website—whether it's your own business website, blog, or the Amazon.com page where your book will appear for sale upon publication—to drive more online traffic wherever you'd like.

Here's how two sample PPG books currently appear online:
A Letter to My Daughter
11:11

Give it a try. Let us know how it works for you!


PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

Sell More Books Using Eventbrite!

2012-01-07T20:48:23Z

Here's a great idea for authors...

Eventbrite is a fantastic website you can use to promote upcoming events and manage your mailing lists and ticket sales for that event! It's the perfect tool to help you organize an upcoming book launch or signing!

One of the best things about Eventbrite is the Event Affiliate Programme that allows you to "...increase your ticket sales by offering an incentive for your affiliates to promote your event. Each affiliate will get a unique link at sign-up that will allow both you and them to track the ticket sales and revenue they're generating." What better way to encourage other people to spread the word about your event and help you sell more tickets?

Click here to set up your own Eventbrite page and start selling tickets for your event today. Give it a try. Let us know how it works for you! (It works well for Polished Publishing Group. We use it all the time. See below for a sample.)

I also recommend reading this helpful link: The Top 10 Ways to Start Selling Tickets in Bunches

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

HOW TO PUBLISH AND $ELL A PROFESSIONAL QUALITY BOOK (2012 Webinars)

2012-01-05T04:39:00Z

HOW TO PUBLISH AND $ELL A PROFESSIONAL QUALITY BOOK
Half-day Webinars Hosted By:

KIM STAFLUND
Author, Speaker, and Publisher at PPG
www.PolishedPublishingGroup.com

BIOGRAPHY

Kim has firsthand experience working with a traditional (trade) book publisher, various printers, vanity publishers, and a modern supportive self-publishing house. Her exposure to each business model has allowed her to view this industry from numerous vantage points and provided a well-rounded understanding of their respective pros and cons. This, combined with over fifteen years' experience in various advertising, sales, and marketing roles, plus three published books of her own, puts Kim in a unique position to provide others with valuable insight into the world of book publishing. As the founder and Publisher of Polished Publishing Group (PPG), she now helps aspiring Canadian authors to realize their dreams.

PUBLISH Your Book This Year!

P - Primary Types of Book Publishing (A Comparison)
U - Understanding The Modern Submission Process
B - Book Publishing's Most Critical Elements (For Professional Results)
L - Legal Deposit at Library and Archives Canada
I - It's Time to Print Your Book
S - Sales & Marketing (Traditional)
H - Hashtags: Today's Online Marketing

TESTIMONIALS

"Your knowledge base is vast, awesome!"
~Joanie Lamond
"The updated information was eye opening. On-line promotion looks scary at first. Thanks for making it easy to understand—and totally doable!"
~Wendy Flemons
"Constructive & interesting! Provided information on publishing that was missing from my library of knowledge!"
~Stephanie Robinson
"I loved the information about using the Internet to promote your book."
~Chantal Plowman
"... every bit of information that makes it 'easy' is welcome by me. Kim delivered these sorts of things."
~Peter Vodak
"Informal/informative/experienced. Kim is a great presenter, knowledgeable & personable!"
~Lorraine Fuchs

WE PAY FOR REFERRALS!

Do you know anyone who would like to learn how to publish and sell a professional quality book in Canada? Sign up to become an affiliate marketer for this webinar, and you’ll earn 20% of each ticket sale for each person you refer to us who attends! To qualify, tickets must be prepaid through our EventBrite webpage using a special affiliate tracking code. To obtain your affiliate tracking code, or for more information, please contact us through this EventBrite page or our primary website: www.PolishedPublishingGroup.com.

If you've ever seriously considered publishing a book, then this information session is perfect for you! Buy your tickets today. You’ll be glad you did.

Saturday AM Webinars

Sunday PM Webinars

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

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You could win $100,000 in 2012!

2011-12-08T17:05:28Z

Presents the
Ultimate Visible Vault Challenge™

Who has a chance to win?

1. Anyone who refers another person to the Polished Publishing Group (PPG) Facebook Page, which results in that person “liking” the page and purchasing one of PPG’s preset or customized book publishing packages between January 1st and December 1st, 2012, will qualify for three chances to win! *

2. Anyone who “likes” the PPG Facebook Page and purchases one of PPG’s preset or customized book publishing packages between January 1st and December 1st, 2012, will qualify for five chances to win!

3. Any published PPG author who “likes” the PPG Facebook Page and sells 50 (fifty) or more consignment copies of his or her PPG paperback book at a bookstore signing held between January 1st and December 1st, 2012, will qualify for two chances to win! Û 

Contest Rules:

Ultimate Visible Vault Challenge™, presented by PPG, will take place on Sunday, December 16th, 2012, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The exact time and location will be announced on PPG’s Facebook page closer to the date. Keep watching the page!

Contestants must be 18+ years old in order to participate in this challenge. All PPG employees (contract, part-time, full-time) and their family members are excluded from participating.

Qualified contestants need not be present on the challenge date in order to input their own random five-digit code(s) into the visible vault terminal for a chance to win. PPG can input their codes on their behalves. The first correct five-digit code to be input into the visible vault will win the insured prize of $100,000. (Only one person can win. Odds of winning are one in 100,000.)

The correct secret five-digit code will be revealed on PPG’s Facebook Page on Monday, December 17th, 2012, in the event that no winner is announced on Sunday, December 16th, 2012.

All authors who wish to publish their book(s) with PPG must meet all the criteria as set out on PPG’s Publishing Agreement webpage on the main website (i.e. must have a Canadian street address in order to qualify for a Canadian ISBN number; must agree to have the book professionally copy edited, graphically designed, proofread, etc, by a PPG-designated professional). For more details on PPG’s preset and customizable book publishing packages, please refer to PPG’s Services webpage on the main website.

* Limit one referral per publishing package purchased. The author purchasing the publishing package must provide the referrer’s name and email address at the time of purchase in order for the referral to qualify. Authors/purchasers can refer themselves.

A cancellation of the publishing package at any time in 2012 automatically negates all chances to win by the referrer and the author/purchaser.

Û Open to all PPG authors regardless of what year they published their book(s) with PPG. Each author must sell all 50 (fifty) or more consignment copies of his or her paperback book in one single day at a Canadian bookstore of his or her choice. A scanned copy of the paid consignment invoice and receipt must be forwarded to publishingservices@polishedpublishinggroup.com before Friday, December 14, 2012, as proof of the sale to qualify.

To “like” the PPG Facebook Page, click on the button and become a fan of PPG on Facebook!

Download a printable PDF of these contest rules here.



PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

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100 Years of Memories: Celebrating Strathmore’s Centennial

2011-11-16T03:21:21Z

An exciting new book coming soon to PPG...

100 Years of Memories: Celebrating Strathmore’s Centennial

Coming soon in eBook, paperback, and limited edition hard cover versions! Watch for it here!

Excerpts from the book...

1882

Americans R. B. Langdon and D. C. Shepard (both from Minnesota) had been awarded a rail contract from present day Oak Lake, Manitoba to Fort Calgary. Both men would meet with such success that their names would be given to towns along the way. The site they numbered 17 would become the present-day Strathmore.

1883

The original 5,600-foot siding of Strathmore was actually on Eagle Lake, 3.5 miles south of the town’s present location.

28 July—In a single day, 6.38 miles of track were laid at what is now the Town of Strathmore. Although it proved to be a short-lived record, it gave the siding some note for years to come.

1 December—The name “Strathmore” first appeared on the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Timetable. It was likely given the name by CPR Superintendant James Ross.

Strathmore’s Scottish Heritage

Today, if one were to do a quick accounting of the cultures that have had the most to do with Strathmore’s make-up, a similar list would appear as with all prairie towns: the British Isles, much of the Western European continents, smatterings of Eastern and Northern Europe, a few unique groups such as the Chinese, the odd Greek or Italian, and there’s no underestimating the impact of the nearby Native reservation’s culture on Strathmore then and now. However, there is no ignoring that the name Strathmore comes from the highlands of Scotland.

In 1883, CPR Superintendant James Ross was giving Western European (especially British) names to many of the new railway sidings across Western Canada. This system of using familiar names had two effects: (1) it helped in the expediency of naming, using pre-existing rather than newly-created names, and (2) it attracted settlers to locations that bore familiar names. Ross had a particular affinity for Scottish names, being himself a Scotsman, and it was almost certainly he who named Strathmore.

In Scotland, Strathmore is the name of a valley of the Isla branch of the Tay River, north of Dundee. The valley is home to Glamis Castle, famously the residence of Macbeth, and the traditional home of the Earl of Strathmore, a relative of the British Royal Family. In Scotland, the name is pronounced “StrithMORE,” with heavy emphasis on the second syllable. Translated from Gaelic, strath means “valley” and mohr means “big.” The original location of Strathmore on Eagle Lake would have been enough like a Scottish valley to warrant the comparison.



PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

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How to Price a Paperback Book

2011-09-12T03:20:19Z

A little while ago, I posted a blog entry titled How to Price an eBook. That was followed by two related articles titled Sell the Benefits of Your Book–Not the Features and How to Sell Based on Value, Not Price. I highly recommend re-reading these three articles along with this one because, although this particular entry talks about the logistics behind figuring out your cost per copy (which is one factor in determining your final retail price), there is a lot more to consider when pricing out a paperback book. Understanding your audience and properly marketing your product to them is the key. It can make or break a sale no matter what it is that you're selling.

All that said, here are two major cost factors to consider when pricing out your paperback book...

Who's printing it?

Any books that are printed using print-on-demand (POD) technology, which allows you to purchase between one and 99 copies of your book at any given time, will cost a bit more (per copy) to produce than the books printed with traditional printers in larger quantities. As a result, you'll have a smaller profit margin on these books.

That said, it's important (critical) to take advantage of POD in this day and age as it allows your customers to buy your books one at a time on sites like Amazon.com. It also allows you, as a self-publisher, to buy small quantities of your book at reasonable prices if you need just a few at any given time.

This is one of POD printing's greatest strengths. Let's say it costs $10 to print one copy of your book on a special POD press. It would probably cost you in excess of $85 to print that same one copy on a regular digital press (just because it's different technology that isn't set up for such small quantities); and an offset press wouldn't be able to print it, period.

On the other hand, traditional (digital/offset) printers are set up to print larger quantities of books at a lower cost per copy. This is great for authors who wish to print large quantities of books and sell them at a lower retail price. The strength here is that the same book that costs $10/copy to produce on a POD press may only cost around $5/copy to produce, say, 300 copies on a digital press and around $2/copy to produce 2,000 copies on an offset press. The downside to printing this many copies of a book at one time is that it requires a large upfront investment and the added cost/hassle of warehousing all those books.

There's a time and a place to use each type of printer, which is why PPG returns all working files and finished files to our authors once they've approved the final version of their books. This allows them to choose where they're going to print based on how many books they think they're going to be able to sell:

Traditional offset printing: best price for 1000+ copies
Modern digital printing: best price for 100 to 999 copies
Print-on-demand (POD): best price for one to 99 copies

It's always wise for self-publishers to contact several printers to obtain quotes for 50, 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 copies. The unit price quoted per each quantity requested will be a good indicator of what type of press is being used and where the printer can be competitive.

Who's buying it?

Self publishers who wish to sell copies of their books through local retailers, such as book stores, will also have to factor that retailer's profit share into their final retail price. Retailers/wholesalers buy publishers' books at steep discounts in order to turn their own profit on the resale. Here are the industry standards self-publishers should budget for:

Book Wholesalers (i.e. Ingram, Baker & Taylor, libraries): 50-55% discount
Book Retailers (i.e. Chapters, McNally Robinson): 40-45% discount

Once your book has been designed and the final trim size, page count, picture count, and interior (black and white/colour) has been determined, printers will be able to provide you with the cost per copy to print your book. It is best to factor in the highest possible cost per copy (POD) along with the highest possible discount (wholesaler) when determining your book's retail price. For example, if your POD cost per copy is $5, then your retail price should be set at around $20/copy in order for you to turn a profit on it:


Again, these hard costs are only a small part of the equation when determining the price of a paperback book. They should be used to calculate the lowest possible retail price only. From there, authors should do a thorough examination of who their audience is and what that audience values most (quality or price) before deciding upon the final retail price as part of the book's overall marketing campaign.



PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

A Medical Intuitive Reveals The Wonders of Purslane

2011-08-28T23:17:04Z

An informative natural health guide coming soon to PPG...

A Medical Intuitive Reveals The Wonders of Purslane
by Elsie Belcheff of Natural Plantation Inc.

Why do people wear glasses, especially little children?
Why do people lose their hearing and how it can be restored?
How can diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol be prevented?
How can cancer be prevented?

The key to all disease is PREVENTION. Listen to your body. Whenever it starts deteriorating, getting sluggish or fatigued, the body is overwhelmed from fighting parasites, chemicals, bacteria, and blockages—the four culprits to all our illnesses. Start detoxing with the suggestions in this book today!

It took Elsie Belcheff—a medical intuitive, certified herbologist and certified lymphologist—thirteen years of studying and working with thousands of individuals, documenting their progress while they followed her recommended protocol, to come up with this valuable health guide. Now she'd like to help you.

Recommended related reading: Medical Intuitive Identifies Illnesses by Reading Photographs



PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

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Professional Book Publishing With PPG

2011-06-29T23:56:00Z

PROFESSIONAL BOOK PUBLISHING FOR CANADIAN AUTHORS

The Polished Publishing Group (PPG) supports Canadian authors in self-publishing professional-quality books by guiding them through the entire process from conception to publication. We assist authors in producing both eBook and paperback versions of their titles plus offer online POD (print-on-demand) distribution opportunities throughout the world. We will publish books for our authors at any time of the year they choose.

THE PPG MISSION

Our mission is to make the book publishing process run as smoothly as possible for all our authors by employing professional editors, ghostwriters, and graphic designers, et cetera, with at least five years experience in their respective roles.

We aim to exceed our authors' service expectations by respecting their needs, wants, and creative vision throughout the entire process while freely sharing our expertise with them.

The end result? A professional quality book we can both be very proud of!

THE PPG ADVANTAGE

Canadian ISBN numbers:

PPG will put the author/self-publisher's primary contact information on each book's Canadian ISBN application form to ensure the ISBN number is linked to the true copyright owner of the book—the author/self-publisher.

Canadian-tailored payment options:

All transactions completed through the PPG Online Store are done in Canadian funds thereby removing the hassles and extra fees associated with exchange rates. The total price you see on your online store order is the actual total you will pay, and nothing more.

Author-tailored printing options:

When you choose PPG to support you in self-publishing, not only will you retain the copyright ownership of your book, but we will also give the final print-ready files to their rightful owner ... you. This means at any time you decide to print larger runs (100+ physical copies) of your books to warehouse/distribute on your own, you can feel free to shop around for the best deal with all the printers in your area. For your convenience, PPG also offers a handy print-on-demand service for all your small orders.

PPG IS CANADA'S MODERN ECO-FRIENDLY BOOK PUBLISHER

PPG operates in a paperless, virtual office environment. Our publishing processes are completely electronic which boosts productivity and makes information sharing much easier from any location anywhere in the country with Internet access. It's our way of helping the environment while we help our clients. Contact us today!



PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

Self-Publishing versus Supported Self-Publishing

2011-06-22T18:56:00Z

So, you're looking at taking the self-publishing route. This is a wise decision in terms of maintaining copyright ownership of your book. Here at PPG, we agree with your choice wholeheartedly.

One suggestion, if you do decide to go this alone, is that you have a detailed conversation with whichever graphic designer you choose to work with to ensure you're maintaining copyright ownership of your book cover in addition to the story itself. Many times, graphic designers assume they will keep the copyright ownership of whatever artwork they create on your behalf, and authors unwittingly agree to this simply because they didn't know to have the conversation upfront, and/or they didn't put a proper contract in place with that designer. I already talked about this a bit in an earlier blog entry titled Who Owns The Artwork? In the comments section of this blog entry, you'll see many replies from graphic designers who believe they should be paid significant amounts of money if they are expected to give up their rights. This is more common than you may think and can cause problems for authors. By working with PPG, you will eliminate this problem altogether because we only hire artists who agree with our stance on copyright ownership: it belongs to the paying author.

One of the biggest benefits of allowing a company like PPG to be your personal project manager throughout the self-publishing process is that we already have all of these types of contracts in place—with experienced professional copy editors, designers, proofreaders, and indexers—and these contracts have all been written to protect the copyright ownership of the self-publishing author. Another benefit is that we have already pre-screened all these people on your behalf. We make sure they all have at least five years' experience in their respective fields. Because of this, you can be assured that you will end up with trade publisher quality at the end of this publishing process. And that's what you want—you want professional quality if you expect to compete in the marketplace against other trade quality books.


Another benefit to working with PPG is that we've been through this publishing process several times over, so we've fine-tuned the process to ensure it runs as quickly and seamlessly for you as possible—to get your book out to the public sooner than you can on your own. We negotiate all the contracts and take care of the administrative aspect of everything on your behalf so you can focus on the writing and marketing. This is a huge advantage as there is so much to do, and the task can become quite overwhelming and daunting along the way when doing it alone.

Whatever you decide, we wish you all the success in the world. And, if you do decide to work with PPG, we will be honoured to support you in self-publishing your professional-quality book.



PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

Tide Cracks and Sastrugi: An Antarctic Summer in 1968-69 by Graeme Connell

2011-05-24T00:40:57Z

A memorable historical non-fiction book coming soon to PPG...

Tide Cracks and Sastrugi: An Antarctic Summer in 1968-69
by Graeme Connell

What makes a person pack a bag and head off into the vast white, frozen, inhospitable desert of Antarctica? Is it adventure, tales of heroism and sacrifice, science or simply because it is there? In a mix of nerve-tingling drama, history, anecdote, and the physical and emotional unknown, Graeme Connell talks about his odyssey on the continent at the bottom of the world. Tide Cracks and Sastrugi: An Antarctic Summer in 1968-69 is a glimpse of a small country’s Antarctic activity at the tail end of the first decade of modern exploration. It is also a snapshot of a young, disillusioned small town newspaper journalist who seeks change to embrace all that life has to offer for himself, his wife and family.



PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

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Copyright Simplified

2011-05-15T22:24:00Z

First and foremost, let's recap what we discussed in an earlier blog entry titled Protecting Your Copyright by explaining exactly what copyright is. Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary describes copyright as:

Noun
The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (as a literary, musical, or artistic work)

As the original creator of your manuscript, you own 100% of all the rights to reproduce, publish, sell, and/or distribute your words in whatever manner you see fit. Your manuscript belongs to you and you only from the moment you write it.

Now you've decided you want to publish that manuscript into book format with the hopes you'll earn some money (or educate people, or entertain people, or whatever your personal reasoning for publishing it). There are a few different routes you might take toward having your book published, and each of these book publishing methods affects your copyright ownership a little differently.

Some authors will submit their manuscripts to a traditional (trade) publisher for consideration in the hopes it will be published free of charge to them. What they may not realize is that whoever is paying for the publication of a book is the one who owns the primary rights to that book. Trade book publishers don't agree to pick up the bill simply out of the kindness of their hearts. They are business people who are buying a product to try to turn a profit for themselves, and that "product" is the primary copyright ownership of your manuscript. In this business model, writers retain only basic "publishing rights" that recognize them as the author of the book and pay them a small percentage of the retail price in royalties (usually only up to 10% per copy sold). The trade publisher keeps the rest because the trade publisher owns the book. And, as the owner of the book, that trade publisher also reserves the right to sell off additional rights for additional profit down the road.

Authors who choose the vanity publishing route usually retain 100% ownership of their written words; however, if the vanity publisher has produced the cover artwork for them, the vanity publisher usually (nine times out of 10) retains the rights to that artwork. This means authors must always go through the vanity publisher to have their marketing materials and books printed.

A contract with a vanity publisher will usually also give that publisher "non-exclusive online distribution rights" throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and possibly even Asia. All this means is that the publisher reserves the right to sell/distribute copies of the book through their online channels (i.e. Amazon.com) for the duration of the contract; however, because it is a "non-exclusive" contract, the author (and any other distributor designated by the author) is also free to sell copies of the book within those regions, too. If it was an "exclusive" contract, then that publisher would be the only one allowed to sell the book online within those regions.

Last but not least, authors can also choose to publish through a supportive self-publishing house like PPG where they will retain 100% copyright ownership of both their words and their artwork. That said, much like the contracts with vanity publishers, a contract with a supportive self-publishing house will also include "non-exclusive online distribution rights" throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and possibly even Asia for a specified term. This gives authors much greater exposure worldwide without limiting their ability to sell wholesale author copies on their own.

For a more detailed comparison of these three book publishing models, click here.

Eventually, once you're selling lots of books and making a name for yourself with the general population, you'll begin to see the true value of retaining majority copyright ownership ... because this is when more business people will come knocking and asking to buy additional rights to your book. Maybe someone in Europe will want to purchase the "exclusive French language rights" to your title so he or she can be the only one to reproduce, print, and distribute it in French to the Francophone population for a profit. Maybe others will want to buy the "exclusive North American film rights" so they can adapt the book for film in this region. You can divvy up the rights to a book in so many different ways, it would be impossible to list them all here. But this gives you a very basic idea.

What are all these rights worth? In any industry, a thing is worth what someone will pay for it. It could be worth millions to the primary owner of the book, so it's a good idea to retain as much of that ownership as you can right from the start. And then, when the movie producers and foreign publishers start calling, hire a copyright lawyer to help you determine the best price for each sale of rights.

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

Book Sales & Marketing: Setting Realistic Expectations for New Authors

2011-05-11T00:57:00Z

Some time ago, I worked for a small Canadian literary publisher. It was an eye-opening experience for an aspiring author with no prior concept of how book publishing, sales, and marketing all worked. Beforehand, I had romanticized about my future life as a "discovered" author whose only job was to spend time leisurely creating my next masterpiece, in whichever exotic locations I found most inspiring, while my publisher bustled about in the background, managing all the logistics—sales, marketing, distribution—on my behalf. Of course, my books would be flying off the shelves with very little effort on my part, earning me millions of dollars in royalties in the process. My biggest concern would be somehow answering all those fan letters and selecting the perfect attire for each upcoming sold-out book signing.

Wouldn’t that be nice? Come on … even you men out there who grinned at my feminine reference to finding the perfect outfit. Wouldn’t it be nice if that’s all there was to it? (And, yes, there's still a part of me that says, "Some day!" with a glimmer of hope in my eyes ... I'll admit it. Lol.)

Back to Reality

My first real eye-opener came that spring when I was asked to mail out the annual royalty payments to our authors. One look at those statements and I was shocked, to say the least. Even our top authors—the ones with two or three titles already in print—were only earning up to $3,000 in royalties for the year. The new, unknown authors were receiving up to $500 for their frontlist titles. For the year. It makes you wonder how on earth anyone can earn a living at this, doesn't it?

The good news is that it is possible to earn a living at this ... over time. The reality check is that there are much better ways to do it than sitting back and waiting to collect royalties from a publisher—particularly a traditional (trade) publisher. Authors can expect a much higher rate of return when publishing through a supportive self-publishing house like Polished Publishing Group than they can expect from a trade publisher. (For a better understanding as to why this is, please read this comparison of the book publishing business models.)

A Realistic View of Success

If you are able to sell 5,000 copies of your book and it becomes a Canadian bestseller straight out of the starting gates, I applaud you! (And I'm damn jealous of you! I don't mind you knowing that.) If you don't, that's okay. Don't fret. The fact is, very few authors do. It takes an investment of your time and money. It takes preparation. It takes a well-thought-out plan of action. It takes work. And it takes realistic expectations about how many books you can expect to sell in certain situations.

The most successful authors are the ones who buy wholesale copies of their books and go out there and sell them on their own rather than relying on royalty payments for income. (Authors always earn more money per unit for the wholesale books they sell on their own. It's a fact.) Here are a few examples of how and where new, unknown authors can sell their books and what results they can expect in each case:

* A book signing is a great way to celebrate your new book and announce it to the public. Make sure to send out invitations to all your friends and family members as these are the first people who will come out to support your new book. If you do this, and you have a big enough crowd at your signing, you can also expect to attract some additional buyers to your table. If you sell from 25 to 30 copies of your book at a book signing, the event was a success. Give yourself a pat on the back!

* A book launch party is another type of celebration that can yield similar, if not better, results than a signing. With the right amount of preparation—invitations sent out to friends and family coupled with advertising and door prizes—a new author might even sell from 30 to 40 copies of a book in this environment.

* New authors who wish to sell a few books here and there, throughout the year, might also consider renting a table at a community craft fair. If you sell from 5 to 10 copies of your book at a craft sale, consider yourself successful.

* Consistent and persistent online advertising is an easy way to attract extra book sales with very little effort. Keyword-rich online articles are one effective way to promote a book. Another excellent online advertising tool is Twitter. By creating a hashtag-rich tweet (a keyword-rich phrase of 140 characters or less) that directs traffic to your book on an online store, and by "tweeting" it daily on Twitter's newsfeed, authors can realistically expect to sell one or two extra books per month to people who did a search for those particular key words. It stands to reason that you'll sell more books as you publish more books. Advertising has a cumulative effect for those who are consistent and persistent in their pursuit of sales.

* More and more, professional business people are recognizing the value of publishing a book to highlight their expertise in their given fields. These authors can earn supplementary income by selling books alongside their other products and services. Many also set up speaking engagements and/or workshops and sell their books at the back of the room.

The Value of Print-on-Demand

The above five examples will hopefully provide some realistic expectations for new authors who are trying to gauge how many books they should print the first time around. Depending on your audience and the type of book being sold, it might be wise to start out conservatively and print only 100 copies to begin with. Once those have sold, print another 100 copies. And so on, and so forth. That's the benefit of today's print-on-demand technology. It's definitely author-friendly because it eliminates having to store large quantities of books in a garage that may or may not sell down the road.

Eventually, the authors who are out there selling their books might also be able to sell off the rights to their work for additional income. That's where the real money comes in: film rights, foreign language rights, etc. (We'll touch on that in another blog entry on copyright another night.)

In the mean time, I'm working on the sure-fire way for new, unknown authors to sell 5,000 books immediately—and at a great enough profit to quit their day jobs! Once I figure it out, I'll blog about it immediately. I promise you. Until then, I hope this article has provided you with some realistic expectations. Please also feel free to browse our sales and marketing section for all kinds of "real life" ideas to help you sell more books. Good luck to you!

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

Author Photos are Important

2011-03-02T23:09:00Z

Put Your Best Face Forward With an Attractive Author Photo

When it comes to author photos, "attractive" can come in all kinds of forms. Writers can even dress things up to depict a character or scene inside their books.

* * *

Author photos make as powerful a statement about a writer as a book cover makes about the story inside. As such, an author photo should always be given as much care and consideration as the rest of the book.

Where the writer's picture once appeared on only the back cover of a book and a publisher's press release; nowadays, Internet-savvy authors can take full advantage of social networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook to promote themselves and their books. They may also choose to write a personal blog or create a video of themselves for YouTube.

There are many ways for people to promote themselves these days. And there are just as many types of professional photographers and videographers to help them put their best faces forward.

Author Photos on Book Covers

The back cover of a book is a great place to put an author photo. It can be a simple headshot or full-length portrait, depending on the writer's preference; and this is a great place to get creative. A professional photographer knows how to use either colour or black and white to depict the mood of the story within the author photo. To make the picture even more attractive to readers, writers can dress themselves up as a character from inside their books or create the setting of the book within the background of the picture.

Author Photos on Social Networking Sites

Facebook is a social networking site that helps people keep in touch with personal friends and family members, but it can also be used as a business networking tool much like LinkedIn. (Think of LinkedIn as "Facebook for professionals.") Both are great places to post an author photo as one's profile picture. This can help to promote one as a published writer to the public.

That said, everyone should be careful about the type of photographs they are posting on these public sites. If the author photo on the back of one's book is provocative or risqué in any way, it is wise to keep that one to the back of the book or one's personal blog and have a second, more conservative photo done specifically for the social networking sites. Many authors only write part-time and have other full-time careers, and some may be looking for work in a professional office setting. It is important to remember that today's employers often "Google" prospective employees before deciding whether or not to hire them. This makes it all the more important to ensure that employer will find an appropriate photo online.

Author Photos on Personal Blogs

Blogging is all the rage these days. What is blogging? The word "blog" is an abbreviated term for "web log," and a web log can be thought of as an online diary of sorts. The public has taken the noun "blog" and turned it into the verb "blogging" when referring to writing entries within these online diaries.

Writers can use blogs to promote themselves, their work, and their books. One example is the PPG Publisher's Blog. This is where the author of this article does her blogging and answers industry FAQs (frequently asked questions) for writers about the Canadian book publishing industry. (You're reading that blog right now.)

Author Video Readings on YouTube

YouTube is a website where people can watch and/or upload videos completely free of charge. It is a great place to post a modern video reading as this video will be available to a worldwide audience within a matter of minutes. It is also possible to share a link to this video with one's personal and professional networks via email, social networking sites, or a personal blog.

The possibilities are endless for modern authors with the introduction of all these Internet tools. Never before has it been easier to reach such a broad audience so quickly—and at such an affordable cost! This makes it all the more important for authors to put their best faces forward with professional-quality author photos.

This article was originally published at Suite101 in March 2010

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

Blogging for SEO: A Cost Effective, Unintrusive Form of Advertising

2011-02-27T17:58:00Z

There are two forms of online writing for SEO (also known as “blogging”) that can be used to promote a product, service, or company: online articles that are posted on high-ranking online publications; blog entries that are posted to one’s own website. While both forms of promotion can help to improve your search engine ranking for major key words, each has its own unique advantage.

Online Articles (Also Known as "Online Advertorials")

Online articles should have an "editorial" appeal to them that matches the criteria set up by the online publication they are being posted to. Their primary purpose is to educate people about a certain industry or topic. Here are a few examples:

- Click here to see a sample "Company/Owner Profile" article written for Smith Bros. Floors Ltd. in Examiner.com
- Click here to see a sample "How To" article written for Natural Plantation in eHow.com
- Click here to read a sample "Industry Awareness" article written for Polished Publishing Group in Suite101.com

Search engine ranking is based on a complex point system. The higher your points, the higher you land in the search results. Each online advertorial is like a webpage in itself and can garner higher points for your website with two of the major criteria search engines are looking for: backlinks and traffic. Backlinks are “clickable” referrals from one relevant webpage (an online advertorial) to another (your website). The more backlinks to your website, the higher its point value will be in the eyes of a search engine—especially if those backlinks are coming from relevant, high-ranking online publications like Examiner.com. It also stands to reason that more backlinks equate to more traffic over time.

Blog Entries

Blog entries are a wee bit different from online articles in that you can say pretty much whatever you want, however you want to say it, because you are posting them to your own set of websites. Blog entries can be an obvious advertisement for your products, services, events, etc, if you choose. You aren’t limited by anyone else’s content criteria.

A company’s blog site should be an extension of their primary website. For example, PPG's primary website is: http://www.polishedpublishinggroup.com/. This is where our customers go to buy book publishing packages from us. The PPG Publisher’s Blog is an extension of our primary website: http://blog.polishedpublishinggroup.com/. This is where PPG's founder and Publisher does her "blogging" and answers industry FAQs (frequently asked questions) about the book publishing industry. Upcoming PPG webinars and workshops are also promoted here.

Blog entries improve your search engine ranking based on another of the major criteria search engines are looking for: quantity of posts. Google’s algorithm rewards more points to websites that post new and relevant content on a regular basis. As it stands today, three to four new blog posts per week is optimal in the eyes of a search engine.

A Cost Effective, Unintrusive Form of Advertising

The greatest benefit to online writing for SEO (search engine optimization) is that it is unintrusive and cost effective. Where traditional advertising methods such as newspaper, television, radio, and billboards try their best to "interrupt" customers into noticing them, blogging appeals to the audience that is already in the market for your products/services. No need to try to interrupt anyone to gain their interest; if they are typing in those key words to try to find you, it's because they are already interested in what you have to offer. All you have to do is be there in the top organic search results and "voila" ... you've got their attention and hopefully some new business to go with it.

Related article: Online Articles Are “Word of Mouth Advertising” on Steroids!

Sample online article promoting an author's book: Calgary Olympian Cheryl Bernard Publishes Inspirational Sports Psychology Book

Not enough time in the day to do your own blogging? Polished Publishing Group (PPG) has a team of qualified online SEO writers who can help. Just provide us with a topic (i.e. Blogging for SEO: A Cost Effective, Unintrusive Form of Advertising) and a few related key words for that topic (i.e. improve your search engine ranking, blogging, SEO) and we’ll do the rest for you. Contact us today!

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

How Online Writing for SEO Can Improve Your Search Engine Ranking

2011-02-26T20:46:00Z

Whether you’re an author trying to sell a book or a business trying to sell some other type of product or service, online writing for SEO (also known as “blogging”) is a fantastic way to improve your search engine ranking for all your major key words. By doing so, more potential buyers will be able to find you online when they do a search for those key words.

You may have a fairly high search engine ranking for some of your key words (i.e. your business name). Blogging can help to improve your ranking for all of them. The idea is to write several “keyword-rich” articles—500-word essays that contain the phrases your customers type into a search engine when they are looking for your products and/or services—and then “share” those articles with others via email and social media websites. The ultimate goal is for your articles (and, eventually, your website) to show up in the top five search results on page one of a search engine as this will dramatically improve the chances of someone “clicking” on them.

Blogging has a cumulative effect meaning that it will drive more traffic to your business over time. The more articles that are posted online on a regular basis, the more momentum is built, and the better it works. Here are three major reasons why:

How Search Engines Rank WebPages

Search engine ranking is based on a “point system” of sorts. The higher your points, the higher you land in the search results. For all intents and purposes, each article is a webpage in itself and can garner higher points for your website with two of the major criteria search engines are looking for: backlinks and traffic. Backlinks are “clickable” referrals from one relevant webpage (an article, perhaps) to another (your website's home page). The more backlinks to your website, the higher its point value will be in the eyes of a search engine. It also stands to reason that more backlinks will equate to more traffic over time.

Top of Mind Awareness (Brand Awareness)

Why do highly successful corporations like Pepsi and McDonalds still advertise after all these years? Because it works! They know the value of consistent branding and how it creates top of mind awareness in their respective industries. They remain at the top of their games because they remain in front of their customers—always reminding them of their brands week after week, and always calling people to action to buy from them.

Long-term Sustainable Competitive Advantage

No matter what industry you’re in, your market is dynamic. It’s always changing. Potential customers are moving into and out of your trading area all the time whether it’s due to relocations, deaths, other major life changes, or simply because their needs have been met or have changed. Consistent promotion of your business provides a long-term advantage over competitors who cut back or cancel their advertising programs altogether by catching the attention of new clients as they arrive. Understanding and accepting this natural churn of the marketplace can help you to counteract the loss of old customers with new while steadily building a sustainable business over time.

Related article: Online Articles Are “Word of Mouth Advertising” on Steroids!

Sample online article promoting an author's books: New Age Books Offer a Thought-Provoking Read

Not enough time in the day to write your own articles? Polished Publishing Group (PPG) has a team of qualified online SEO writers who can help. Just provide us with a topic (i.e. How Online Writing for SEO Can Improve Your Search Engine Ranking) and a few related key words for that topic (i.e. improve your search engine ranking, blogging, search engine optimization SEO) and we’ll do the rest for you. Contact us today!

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

How to Publish a Book in Canada (Saskatoon Sessions)

2011-02-16T00:05:00Z

HOW TO PUBLISH AND $ELL A PROFESSIONAL QUALITY BOOK
Half-day Information Session Hosted By:

KIM STAFLUND
Author, Speaker, and Publisher at PPG
www.PolishedPublishingGroup.com

BIOGRAPHY
Kim has firsthand experience working with a traditional (trade) book publisher, various printers, vanity publishers, and a modern supportive self-publishing house. Her exposure to each business model has allowed her to view this industry from numerous vantage points and provided a well-rounded understanding of their respective pros and cons. This, combined with over fifteen years' experience in various advertising, sales, and marketing roles, plus three published books of her own, puts Kim in a unique position to provide others with valuable insight into the world of book publishing. As the founder and Publisher of Polished Publishing Group (PPG), she now helps aspiring Canadian authors to realize their dreams.

PUBLISH Your Book This Year!
P - Primary Types of Book Publishing (A Comparison)
U - Understanding The Modern Submission Process
B - Book Publishing's Most Critical Elements (For Professional Results)
L - Legal Deposit at Library and Archives Canada
I - It's Time to Print Your Book
S - Sales & Marketing (Traditional)
H - Hashtags: Today's Online Marketing

TESTIMONIALS
"Your knowledge base is vast, awesome!"
~Joanie Lamond
"The updated information was eye opening. On-line promotion looks scary at first. Thanks for making it easy to understand—and totally doable!"
~Wendy Flemons
"Constructive & interesting! Provided information on publishing that was missing from my library of knowledge!"
~Stephanie Robinson
"I loved the information about using the Internet to promote your book."
~Chantal Plowman
"... every bit of information that makes it 'easy' is welcome by me. Kim delivered these sorts of things."
~Peter Vodak
"Informal/informative/experienced. Kim is a great presenter, knowledgeable & personable!"
~Lorraine Fuchs

FUNDRAISING
Looking for a unique fundraising opportunity for your group or charitable organization? Host this book publishing information session at your place of business and earn $50 per each person you invite who attends!
Individuals can earn money, too! Do you know anyone who would like to learn how to publish and sell a professional quality book? Sign up to become an affiliate marketer for PPG’s next scheduled book publishing information session, and you’ll earn $50 per each person you refer to us who attends!
The $50 affiliate payout is based on PPG’s regular ticket price of $199 per attendee plus an additional modest EventBrite fee. To qualify, tickets must be prepaid through our EventBrite webpage using a special affiliate tracking code. To obtain your affiliate tracking code, or for more information, please contact us through this EventBrite page or our primary website: www.PolishedPublishingGroup.com.

If you've ever seriously considered publishing a book, then this information session is perfect for you! Buy your tickets today. You’ll be glad you did.

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

How to Publish a Book in Canada (Canmore/Banff Sessions)

2011-02-15T23:53:00Z

HOW TO PUBLISH AND $ELL A PROFESSIONAL QUALITY BOOK
Half-day Information Session Hosted By:

KIM STAFLUND
Author, Speaker, and Publisher at PPG
www.PolishedPublishingGroup.com

FUNDRAISING
Looking for a unique fundraising opportunity for your group or charitable organization? Host this book publishing information session at your place of business and earn $50 per each person you invite who attends!
Individuals can earn money, too! Do you know anyone who would like to learn how to publish and sell a professional quality book? Sign up to become an affiliate marketer for PPG’s next scheduled book publishing information session, and you’ll earn $50 per each person you refer to us who attends!
The $50 affiliate payout is based on PPG’s regular ticket price of $199 per attendee plus an additional modest EventBrite fee. To qualify, tickets must be prepaid through our EventBrite webpage using a special affiliate tracking code. To obtain your affiliate tracking code, or for more information, please contact us through this EventBrite page or our primary website: www.PolishedPublishingGroup.com.

If you've ever seriously considered publishing a book, then this information session is perfect for you! Buy your tickets today. You’ll be glad you did.

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.

How to Publish a Book in Canada (Lethbridge Sessions)

2011-02-15T23:39:00Z

HOW TO PUBLISH AND $ELL A PROFESSIONAL QUALITY BOOK
Half-day Information Session Hosted By:

KIM STAFLUND
Author, Speaker, and Publisher at PPG
www.PolishedPublishingGroup.com

PPG is a Canadian book publisher dedicated to serving Canadian authors. Visit our book publishing website to learn how you can publish your book today.