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Book Sales and Marketing for Introverted Writers

Kim S. — 2010-07-17T17:09:00Z

Anyone who has read a few of my blog entries and articles (such as Authors Are Entrepreneurs and How Proactive Authors Sell More Books) will know that I am a strong proponent of self-promotion. To be a truly successful author, you have to treat book publishing, sales, and marketing as your own business. The same holds true whether you take today's supported self-publishing route or go with a traditional trade publisher.

Each time I write about this, I receive emotional comments from various writers that look something like this:

"Authors are not entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are sales people, and sales people are extroverts. Authors are introverts."

"Writers should be paid to write. Period. Promotion is the publisher's job."

"If I were a car manufacturer, I would not be expected to go on the road and promote my product after I manufactured it. I would be paid to make the car and someone else would be paid to sell it."

While I acknowledge that an introverted personality will have more difficulty getting out there and "selling themselves" than a natural extrovert, the fact remains that authors who do extra marketing on top of their publishers' efforts will see the most success. That's the reality of this business. There's no getting around it.

When I read comments like, "if I were a car manufacturer, I would not be expected to sell my product after I make it," I immediately see the mindset of an employee rather than an employer/entrepreneur. This is what writers need to understand—they need to shift their mindset from that of "employee" to "employer" so that they take the necessary steps to ensure their own success.

Sure, if you were hired as an employee to manufacture cars for someone else, you wouldn't be all that interested in selling them. Why would you care? You'd receive a salary for your labour by the company's owner regardless of the sales. (It is also worth noting that your income would be capped regardless of the sales.) But if you owned that business and you were manufacturing those cars for yourself, not only would you be concerned about the quality of cars you were manufacturing; you'd also do everything in your power to ensure you had successful sales. Otherwise, you'd be out of business. On that note, here's a rhetorical question for all the writers who believe sales and marketing is "someone else's responsibility" but their own: did you write the book with your publisher's success in mind, or did you write it with your own success in mind?

There are several ways even introverted authors can improve the sale of their books:

Book Signings

Not only is it possible to move a surprising amount of books at a signing, but it is also a great way for a new author to get used to being "on display" in public without the "pressure to perform and entertain" they may experience at a public reading.

If writers feel shy about contacting a book store to arrange a signing, they can hire a publicist or friend to do it for them.
Video Readings

Another possible substitute for a public reading is a video reading. Why not hire a film producer (or a friend) to film you reading from your book? Then post it on YouTube where it will be available to the public to enjoy.
Write a Blog and Promote it Online

A blog is not only a great place to showcase your topic and writing skills to an interested audience, but it allows you to stay in front of that audience indefinitely. Do you want to know why companies like Coke and McDonald's still continue to advertise even after all their success? They do it for "top of mind awareness" so that their brand is the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks about having a beverage or an affordable treat. If you stay in front of people, they will recall your name when they require your product or service. The more they hear your name, the more they will begin to trust it as the valued source of whatever it is you're offering (branding). And, the more they trust your brand, the more apt they are to not only buy from you once but also keep coming back in the future.

Don’t wait for your publisher to take charge and invest their time, money, and effort into selling more of your books. Take charge of yourself right now. The most successful authors are the ones with an entrepreneurial spirit. They aren’t sitting back and waiting for someone else to bring them success; they are proactively venturing out there each day to find that success for themselves.

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.

Why Canadian Authors Should Publish Through Polished Publishing Group (PPG)

Kim S. — 2010-07-07T16:18:00Z

At present, there are three primary ways for Canadians to publish a book: traditional (trade) publishing; vanity publishing; and supported self-publishing. While the trade publishing route is still a respected option for some of today's authors, many others are choosing supported self-publishing with companies like PPG—and with good reason. In order to fully appreciate the benefits of this new preference, it is important to understand the characteristics that differentiate trade publishing from vanity publishing from supported self-publishing.

TRADITIONAL (TRADE) PUBLISHING

Many writers still envision this process when they consider having a book published: seeking out a Canadian trade publisher that will consider their type of work; mailing a query letter and sample chapter or poem to that publisher with a self-addressed stamped envelop attached; and then anxiously awaiting a response, within three to six months, as to whether or not the publisher will take on the project. More often than not, the unknown author's work is declined; and he or she must move onto the next submission with the next trade publisher in the hopes the book will eventually be accepted.

Those new to the book publishing industry often view this as a personal rejection of their work. Many give up hope of ever being published at all. The truth is, writing quality is not the only determinant trade publishers use when deciding whether or not to accept a manuscript for publication. Most receive hundreds (even thousands) of manuscript submissions each and every year from which they select fewer than one dozen new authors to work with—a discriminatingly low acceptance rate. Obviously, budget and manpower play a huge role in their decisions. But one must also consider that many of the small Canadian literary presses, in particular, are funded by operating grants. These grants contain strict guidelines as to what types of work they can/cannot publish. As a result, these publishers’ hands are sometimes tied and otherwise gifted writers may be overlooked.

For the writers whose work is accepted, there is a noteworthy implication they may not be aware of straightaway. When a trade publisher agrees to pay for the publication of a manuscript, what they are purchasing is the rights to that work. In other words, the writer must now relinquish much of their creative control over to the publisher. It is the publisher who has final say on editing and design. It is the publisher who has final say on how the book is to be produced and marketed ... because it is the publisher who now owns the book.

Aside from loss of ownership, another disadvantage to this type of publishing is the timeline. It can take anywhere from three months to a year for authors to learn whether or not their manuscripts have been accepted for publication; and, if accepted, it can take another full year for their books to be published … sometimes more.

VANITY PUBLISHING

Most people have heard the term "vanity publisher" as the less respected publishing alternative. Vanity publishers have earned their notoriety by accepting and publishing 100% of the manuscripts that are rejected by trade publishers without much consideration to quality or content ... the opposite extreme of trade publishing. The best way to recognize a vanity publisher is this: their primary concern is profit so they will publish anything for anyone who has the money to pay for it; they hire unseasoned staff at reduced wages so they can charge enticingly low "publishing package" rates; and they won't actively encourage their writers to improve the quality of their work.

A vanity publisher will take what they receive and publish it as is ... no matter what it looks like. Not only does this reflect poorly on the publisher, but it also reflects poorly on the writer. Books that are haphazardly produced in this manner simply cannot expect to compete in the marketplace against a professional trade publisher's finished product. There is a noticeable difference between the two.

Another issue with today’s vanity publishers is that the majority are either located in the United States or else they cater to the American marketplace (i.e. authors must pay for their publishing services in US dollars which ends up costing them more in the long run). But perhaps the biggest problem with publishing through an American-based publisher is that most of these companies assign American ISBN numbers/barcodes to all their books. This puts Canadians in “limbo” in the sense that their books are not properly recognized by Legal Deposit at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) as they should be.

Most vanity publishers advertise that authors who work with them will retain 100% copyright ownership of their own books; however, they neglect to mention that the print-ready files for those books will be kept “under lock and key” inaccessible to the authors. This means authors must always go through the vanity publisher to have their marketing materials and books printed; and, because most of these publishers utilize only POD printing technology, authors stand to lose money on the larger print runs that really should be completed on either a digital or offset press designed specifically for larger print runs.

The upside to this type of publishing is the timeline. Manuscripts are accepted immediately upon receipt of payment and can be published in as little as two months’ time.

SUPPORTED SELF-PUBLISHING

The supported self-publishing route combines the quality of traditional (trade) publishing with the flexibility and control of vanity publishing. Writers are considered both the author and the publisher of their own books, and the supportive self-publishing house merely assists them in self-publishing their books by supplying all the tools they will need and facilitating the entire process from start to finish.

A qualified supportive self-publishing house requires its writers to have their work copy edited and proofread in the very least. (Trade publishers usually take it a step further and require each and every manuscript to go through a substantive edit.)

Supportive self-publishing houses utilize experienced talent—graphic designers, ghostwriters, editors, proofreaders, indexers, et cetera—to ensure a professional final result. They also employ modern printing techniques (POD) and modern marketing services (online presence) in much the same way today's vanity publishers do.

When writers pay for professional support in self-publishing their books, they gladly maintain their copyright ownership and creative control. It is the writer/self-publisher who has final say on everything from design to production to marketing the final product. They are also assured a quality end result that is able to compete in the marketplace ... which can make a world of difference when it comes to selling their books and earning any kind of profit down the road.

Like vanity publishing, a major advantage to this type of publishing is the timeline. Most manuscripts are accepted immediately upon receipt of payment and can be published in as little as two months’ time.

There are four additional advantages to self-publishing through PPG in particular:

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 authors see on their online store orders is the actual total they will pay, and nothing more.
Author-tailored printing options: When authors choose PPG to support them in self-publishing, not only will they retain the copyright ownership of their books, but PPG will also give the final print-ready files to the rightful owner ... the author/self-publisher. This means at any time authors decide to print larger runs (100+ physical copies) of their books to warehouse/distribute on their own, they can feel free to shop around for the best deal with all the printers in their areas. (For convenience, PPG offers a handy, ECO-friendly POD service for all small orders which allows authors to take advantage of PPG’s online distribution services.)
Modern ECO-friendly book publishing options: PPG operates in a paperless, virtual office environment. The company's publishing processes are completely electronic which boosts productivity and makes information sharing much easier from any location anywhere in the country with Internet access. PPG produces both eBooks and print-on-demand (POD) paperback books for Canadian authors—two more ways the company is helping to preserve the environment while helping aspiring authors realize the dream of publishing a book.

The introduction of supported self-publishing to Canada's book publishing landscape is definitely good news for writers. By combining the quality and expertise of trade publishing with the flexibility of vanity publishing, Canadian authors now have more control than ever before to produce a polished result they can be very proud of.

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.

Recipe for a Bestselling Novel

Kim S. — 2010-06-02T15:14:00Z

This recipe for a bestselling novel has been generously donated to you from bestselling Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif...

Wouldn't it be great if there was a recipe for making a bestselling novel and if all a writer had to do was gather the ingredients and mix them in, and voila!―a bestselling novel is created? The reality is there are combinations of ingredients that can either get your name on a bestseller's list or fall flatter than an airless cheese soufflé. However, there are some common ingredients that have helped authors achieve bestseller status.

Common Ingredients for a Bestseller:

1 cup of well written novel
1 cup of professional editing
1 cup of professional layout and interior design
2 cups of professional book cover, including gripping back cover text
1 cup of decent distribution via major online retailers
2 cups of book launch, tours and other events, plus advertising
3 cups of contests and giveaways by author, publisher or both
Countless hours of organization and time
Dash of excitement

Method:

Take the well written novel and beat in professional editing until light and readable. Add professional layout and interior design, then stir in professional cover art and back cover text until well combined. Sprinkle in decent distribution until coated and roll mixture out with book launch, tours and events. Top with contests and giveaways, and fold in countless hours of organization and time before adding the finishing touch―a huge dash of excitement. Share with everyone and enjoy!

Reality Check:

While the recipe above may seem kind of silly, these ingredients can lead to a bestselling novel. I know because I've used them all successfully. My three novels have made bestsellers lists multiple times on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. Whale Song made both lists in a single day. I've also sold over 5000 copies of Whale Song, which in Canada makes it a national bestseller.

So how did I do it? I created an exciting day-long event―a "Bestseller Day"―that had enough goodies to draw people in. It was held on my 44th birthday and I gave away 44 prizes.

There are three main ways to get prizes to offer:

1.) Pay for them (I don't recommend this.)

2.) Get others to donate them.

3.) Find someone to sponsor the event or the prizes. They pay for something you want to give away and get something in return, whether it's free advertising, a mention in your next book, or some other benefit.

Becoming a bestselling author takes persistence, creativity and good organization. Follow this recipe for success and you'll rise like a soufflé. Just don't forget that last ingredient―excitement!

Cheryl Kaye Tardif is a bestselling Canadian author whose critically acclaimed, award-winning novels are being considered by film producers. She's appeared on television and radio and in newspapers and magazines. Cheryl has also presented at writers' conferences in Canada and the US, mainly on topics of marketing and promotion. She's helped many authors achieve success and does so as a book marketing coach, with Bestseller Days, Virtual Book/Blog Tours and Sponsorships her top 3 most requested topics.

http://www.shamelessbookpromoter.com
http://www.cherylktardif.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.

PPG Interview with 660News Calgary

Kim S. — 2010-05-25T00:42:00Z

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.

PPG is Canada’s Modern ECO-Friendly Book Publisher!

Kim S. — 2010-05-24T15:25:00Z

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.

PPG Supports Diversity and Free Expression for Canadians

Kim S. — 2010-05-17T16:58:00Z

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.

I am Indigo, Deanne Adams

Kim S. — 2010-05-17T15:31:00Z

Coming soon to PPG...

I am Indigo
by Deanne Adams

Excerpt from Preface

This book is not designed to debate whether or not this phenomenon of evolution from birth exists. I live as a functioning Indigo today; every day presents new opportunities to use the gifts I am born with to better understand myself and the people and world around me. Rather, this book is written to create a sense of understanding, to better unite our families, work, and school, through recognition of how these extraordinary gifts can help us evolve together as the human race. The humans who pursue goodness, emotional healing and understanding, and the betterment of mankind would likely agree that as a quickly evolving race we must move closer towards leaving apathetic chaos and dysfunction behind. We interact the most with our families, our friends at work or school, and the people in our lives who teach us. So this is where we must begin.

There are many inherent qualities of Indigo. We feel deeply and love quickly. We root for the underdog. We cannot understand it when people hurt each other. We are open and vulnerable. We abhor cruelty to people and animals. When treated with disrespect, abuse, or dysfunction, without guidance about who we are and why we are here, we cope by shutting off our genuine flow of communication to those closest to us. We love animals and nature. Many of us are extremely creative and share talents artistically and help the world to awaken joy and feel with passion. We often have talents at a very young age that get stifled in our assimilation into society. Many of us are empathetic by nature. This means we sense others’ emotions and often confusingly take them on as our own. The coping and defense strategies that are adopted early in life often prevent the full realization and clarity of purpose that comes with being able to be oneself without fitting into a “mold” or “system”.

Indigos are here to break away from and rebuild ways of treating each other that do not serve love and peace, and our rebellious natures are often interpreted as disrespect or harm. We mean no disrespect or harm. But if what is currently in place in our evolving society for “systems and methods” was working well, there would not be more than two thirds of a world impoverished, hundreds of animal species dying every day, water shortages, air, earth and water pollution, climate caused disasters, unknown corporate and government manipulations, rampant viruses and cancers, and dying children... Indigos are born with a sense of the need to fight against the broken, dysfunctional, and unacceptable.

Quite often Indigos are labeled as troublemakers, headstrong, attention deficit, or hyperactive. The cognitive, psyche, and emotional abilities Indigo have are for specific purpose. We are here to be teachers, teaching how to think for oneself and live authentically by knowing one's own mind and emotions and realizing that as a whole. As a race we can learn by example from Indigos to listen to intuition, listen to instinct, and follow higher purpose so that we all no longer suffer. Collectively, as we treat each other with respect and acceptance we can evolve to living in happier families, schools, and homes. As humans, we are all living miracles, because so little is understood about what our brains do, and how we fit in to the bigger picture of our universe. Whatever our human race's origin is, however we came to be on this planet, no matter what religion or faith we have, or what bounded piece of dirt we come from, we are here to learn acceptance of being. We all come from our mothers; we all come in to this world the same way through birth, we will all likely leave the same way through death, and this common origin and continuance (or end, depending on one's faith, or lack thereof) creates a unique common global bond between us as people of a unique race.

As Indigos, it is very frustrating for us when our “superiors” do not stop and actually listen to what we have to say, with love in their hearts, and the willingness to try and understand us in their minds. How many of us as humans do not feel truly fulfilled, feel disconnected, feel abused or mistreated, feel unsatisfied with what we do or hold as important in our lives? As Indigos, we are here to help aid in healing as individuals, and therefore, as a race, and to assist in identifying ways of thinking and behaving that simply do not bring happiness and fulfillment. As humans, we are all individual yet basically similar. Indigos are trying to get your attention. Without attention and then change, through understanding and growth, there is the risk of repeating painful cycles and histories...

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.

Why Blog? What's The Point?

Kim S. — 2010-05-06T14:35:00Z

Last week, one of PPG's online writing experts showed us how to start a blog. As promised, this week's entry will discuss one of the primary reasons why blogging is so important: SEO. SEO stands for "search engine optimization" which means to improve your standing in the organic search results on search engines such as Google and Yahoo.

Think, for a minute, about when you do a search for something on Google. Where is the first place you look when the search results come up? The top/centre of the page? And how many links are you willing to click through in order to find what you're looking for? Maybe ten at the most? Maybe your eye will scan down that first page for something interesting; or, if you have the time, maybe you'll dig a little deeper and look through the second or third page to see what comes up there. Statistically, most people will stay on the first page. This is why it's crucial to make sure you appear on that first page for whatever product/service/topic you are trying to promote. Writing regular blog entries and online articles can help you achieve this.

For example, Polished Publishing Group (PPG) is a Canadian book publisher that publishes all kinds of books for Canadians from fiction to poetry to non-fiction history books. We know our clientele often "Googles" phrases like "how to publish a book in Canada" and "business history books" in order to find our types of services, so we make sure to write blog entries and online articles with these key words in them and link them all to our website. Here are the results of doing so:

Of course, writing the blog entry or article is not enough. As we discussed last week, it is equally important to promote links to those blog entries and articles on social media sites such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn, to name a few. This can increase one's online traffic by up to 10X in one month which will help to improve one's SEO.

Whether you're an author promoting a book or a business promoting a product or service, blogging is an effective online marketing tool that can help your desired clientele find you—fast. And the more traffic you attract, the more sales you will make.

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 Social Media Can Increase Online Traffic to Your Site by Ten Times in Only One Month!

Kim S. — 2010-04-27T20:13:00Z

Don't believe it's possible to increase your online traffic by TEN TIMES in one short month using social media, blogging, and online articles? Let's start with the visual proof first. Then we'll talk about how you can emulate the same results for your own website.

Remember the YouTube video I posted on this blog a few weeks back? At the same time I posted that video on PPG's YouTube Channel, the company that helped me to produce the video also posted it on their own YouTube Channel. I took it a step further by promoting my YouTube link on various social media sites, this blog, and a couple online articles. The other company didn't. Here are the results:

Webpage that was posted and promoted: 229 views in one month

Webpage that was posted but not promoted: 23 views in one month

That's the indisputable power of blogging, online article writing, and social media marketing at work.

Each and every time I post a new blog entry, video, or online article for my book business, the very next thing I do is share that link on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn (including various groups on LinkedIn), Reddit, Digg, StumbleUpon, Mixx, and Multiply (to name a few). The entire process takes about half an hour of my time. And the results? Well ... they speak for themselves.

In the coming weeks, I'll be posting more details about the importance of key words, back-linking, and various other online marketing tricks that authors can use to their advantage. In the mean time, if you start with these basics, you should still see a pretty amazing increase in your online traffic.

(P.S. The same technique that works for authors works just as well for businesses! And PPG has a group of strong, talented SEO writers who are ready and willing to write 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.

How to Start Your First Blog ... The "Why" Will Follow Later

Kim S. — 2010-04-27T16:42:39Z

In the recent weeks, a few authors have contacted PPG to ask how and why they should start their own blogs in order to promote themselves and their books. They've also asked how YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, and Booktour ties into the success of their blogs ... which can ultimately increase their book sales. This article will address the "how" part of this very valid question first. In subsequent blog entries, we'll discuss various reasons why.

In order to answer this very important question, PPG sought out the expertise and guidance of one of our leading SEO (search engine optimization) writers, Rachaelle Lynn:

How to Start Your First Blog

Many people who know my writing and/or subscribe to one or more of my blogs have asked me how to start their own blog. I’m happy to help; googling “blogs” or “blogging” can make the process seem overwhelming. If you aren’t ready to start a freestanding blog, you might be interested in starting a blog or submitting articles on a website that has been developed for this purpose; I’ll cover some of those options in future articles. For now, here are some simple steps to starting a blog using blogger.com.

You need a Gmail account to start a blog on blogger.com, so if you don't have one, sign up for one here first. Then go to www.blogger.com/start and follow the steps indicated there.

You will need to think of a name for your blog. If you have a theme for your blog, such as quilting, saltwater fishing, or stamp collecting, incorporate the theme into the name. The name of your blog will eventually be its web address, i.e. www.marthasquiltingtips.com; you can check to see whether or not your preferred web address is available at godaddy.com.

If you want to use your blog to market your business, choose a name that helps brand you (creates an identity for you). For example, a personal trainer might select www.robspersonaltraining.com as the name of his blog; the blog itself will link back to his business website (more on that in a future article). Don’t include the name of the business itself in your blog; that way you can transfer the blog if you change companies or the name of the company or want to use the blog for a variety of marketing avenues.

Don’t worry about making your blog perfect at first. Once you have the bare bones of the blog created, write an article. Otherwise, you could get bogged down in the minutiae of blog creation and neglect to enter content. Your first job is to get your writing out on the web, and the blog is a vehicle for doing that. Your readers will forgive a simple blog structure if you have interesting content, and you can expand the blog as you go along.

Your first article should be a simple treatment of your chosen topic. If your blog isn’t going to have a particular theme (I use mine to showcase the diversity of my writing projects), use an existing piece, which many aspiring writers have lying around, or simply introduce yourself and the purpose of your blog. (For an example of this, visit: Welcome To My Blog! )

If you are using your blog to market your business, it is best to start with basic topics in your field. This will help you use keywords that are best for search engine optimization (ranking higher in search engine results) without having to do much analysis. For example, the first few articles for robspersonaltraining.com might be:

• Achieving Your Fitness Goals with One-on-One Personal Training
• Achieving Your Fitness Goals with Group Personal Training
• How to Become a Personal Trainer
• Preventing Injuries while Achieving Your Fitness Goals

Each article should be between 400 and 600 words. Try to write two or three articles per week (if you want to optimize your site for search engines, hire a ghostwriter; two to three articles per week is the minimum for this type of marketing).

Three items to consider before publishing each article are:

• proofreading
• keyword optimization (making sure you have the right keywords, in the right places, to optimize your search engine rankings)
• two or three relevant links

Articles on the latter two items are coming soon!

The second part of blogging is publicizing each article, and it is just as important as creating quality content. There will be more on this in a future article, but to get started, set up profiles for yourself at:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Then send me [and PPG] a friend invite/invite to connect at each. This will allow you to piggyback off the SEO work I've done for myself and others and ensure that you don’t miss any of my blogging articles.

So that's your first blogging lesson! There is quite a bit more, but this will be a great start. The most important thing to do is to do it. People put it off because they don't see the value or due to simple procrastination, but once you get some momentum going, blogging will pay off in ways you can't imagine right now.

Rachaelle Lynn
PPG's SEO Writing Expert

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.

Be Sure to Tweet Your Author Events on Twitter!

Kim S. — 2010-04-20T19:31:00Z

Follow PPG's Tweets on Twitter!

Consider Twitter the abridged version of Facebook. It is a great place to post brief comments or links to your online events and blog entries. (Each post you make is known as a "tweet" on Twitter.) This is all the rage in online marketing these days. Everyone is tweeting! You should be, too! Never before has it been easier to reach a global audience so quickly ... not to mention free of charge. Your only investment is your time. The idea is to get as many people following you as possible, and you do this by following others. Visit PPG's Twitter page for more ideas and inspiration!

I also highly recommend reading a blog entry by USA Today bestselling author Julie Ortolon titled What's The Point of Using Twitter? Julie is a strong advocate of Twitter, and this blog entry is filled with all kinds of great tips on how she makes it work for her.

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.

Create a Facebook Author Page to Promote Yourself and Your Books!

Kim S. — 2010-04-20T19:20:00Z

Become a Fan of PPG on Facebook!

Facebook is not only a great place for a company like PPG to promote itself. Writers can also create their very own author pages to promote themselves, their books, and their upcoming events. Creating a page is free of charge, but writers can also set up a Facebook pay-per-click ad campaign from their pages if they choose. Visit PPG's page for more ideas and inspiration! Become our fan on Facebook 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.

Lebrary.com: A Dedicated Online eBook Portal for Aspiring Writers

Kim S. — 2010-04-19T19:06:00Z

Lebrary.com is a dedicated online e-book portal for ‘Aspiring Writers’ and was formed by David Nicholls who was frustrated at the traditional business model which treated new writers as second class citizens. Realizing that most agents and traditional publishers were unprepared to take a chance on a new writer unless you were a celebrity chef or appeared in a soap!

With the emergence of online publishing, the opportunity to enable authors to empower themselves and take charge of their own destiny was becoming a reality.

Understandably, people still opt for traditional books, plus authors have the mindset of write-agent-publish-book in shop. However, with the inevitability of e-books in the ascendency. It’s not so much a matter of ‘will’ e-books happen’ but ‘when’.

The growth of online publishing has been astonishing and the industry is learning as it goes along, so with these thoughts and a growing desire for writers passionate about wanting to get their work published, Nicholls came up with the idea of developing an online portal for aspiring writers, giving them the opportunity of publishing their work whilst earning money for the work and time they put in. Unique? Certainly not, what is unique these days, but learning from the sites that had already been developed, he set about bringing his ideas to fruition.

They say that naivety can be a good thing and in this case he would certainly go along with that sentiment. He considers himself an entrepreneur not a ‘Techi’ so with an idea he started to look for people that he knew who could share his vision. With a small team which included a web developer and a creative director, he put together Lebrary.com. Although they only launched in February 2010, they quickly attracted in excess of 30 authors with approaching 50 books to their name. They even have a US Ambassador who put his work on the site.

With some excellent promotional tools available for the author and the ability to choose between a free author’s package or a VIP Package with some excellent add-ons, Lebrary is quickly making a name for itself. They have recently been named in the top ten of online e-book sites and have already had three authors signed up by agents who are registered on their site. You may also want to take a look at a Facebook game they have just launched using authors book covers: http://apps.facebook.com/bookpileup/?ref=mf Plus the revolving book cover they can use on the authors own website, which can be seen in the Lebrary site.

Some people have said that online publishing is a flash in the pan, someone once said that about the Internet! So if you feel you want to be part of this exciting revolution – then have a look at lebrary.com – you’ll be more than welcome.

David Nicholls
http://www.lebrary.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.

eBooks On Sale Now!

Kim S. — 2010-04-08T14:11:00Z

Click here to be redirected to the PPG Online Bookstore now.

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.

Modern Marketing for Authors: Promote Your Author Events on BookTour.com

Kim S. — 2010-04-02T21:00:00Z

You're doing all the right things to sell more copies of your latest book: you've set up a book launch party at a nearby restaurant; you've arranged a couple of book signings at local bookstores; you've reserved a table at a community craft sale; you've contacted your local media to make them aware of these events; you've contacted all your friends, family members, and business associates on Facebook and LinkedIn to invite them to attend; and you're posting regular entries on your author blog to increase your online exposure.

What else can you do to generate even more buzz around your latest release and drive additional traffic to your website and author engagements? Create an author account on BookTour.com where you can post links to your author blog and your book(s) on Amazon.com, plus you can advertise all your upcoming events to a targeted audience that is specifically looking for this type of information online!

According to the "About BookTour.com" portion of their website, they are the largest FREE online directory of author events throughout the world: "BookTour.com makes finding when a favorite author is coming to your town as easy as checking the weather. In just a few minutes any author can create a page showcasing their biography, books, and upcoming engagements. Listing new events is as easy as answering a few questions. Publishers, booksellers, events managers, and even just well-informed readers can add tour dates by simply filling in a few blanks."

I highly recommend this site to my fellow writers out there. Click on any of the above links to browse it and see for yourself. Much like YouTube, it is an effective form of marketing for today's authors—an absolute must for anyone who wants to succeed in selling more books.

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.

Modern Marketing for Authors: Post a Video Reading on YouTube

Kim S. — 2010-03-09T23:09:00Z

A few blog entries ago, I suggested an idea for my fellow writers: how about filming an alfresco reading to promote all the wonderful things about your book and your Canadian province at the same time? Then how about posting that reading on YouTube for others to enjoy?

Well, I decided to "practice what I preach" and create a video of me reading the introduction to my third book, titled 11:11, with Canmore's renown Three Sisters Mountain Range behind me. Mother Nature seemed to approve of the idea by gifting us with mild temperatures—it was a balmy +2 degrees Celsius on March 8, 2010, even up in Alberta's mountaintops!—which allowed me to be filmed without a coat, gloves, or even a hat on. (You can imagine how much easier it is to turn the pages of a book without gloves on!) I couldn't have asked for a nicer winter day.

In addition to agreeable winter weather conditions, I had the honour of working with two consummate professionals—David Joseph of David Joseph Photography and Patricia M. Gallagher of PMG Creative—who added their creative ideas to mine to help make this video come together. This is yet another testament to the fact that two or more brains are better than one. A combined mastermind can create wonderful results.

Here is a link to my YouTube video reading:

I sincerely hope you enjoy this alfresco video reading. I hope it stirs your personal inspiration to come up with a great video reading of your own. (Click here for more details on what you will need to post your own video on YouTube.)

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.

The Entrepreneurial Author

Kim S. — 2010-02-21T23:18:00Z

The following guest blog post is by Stuart Smith, CEO of The Entrepreneur's Advisor.

Writing and then having your book published can be very challenging unless you approach the task as an entrepreneur would. The key to success is breaking down the steps to success into their basic components.

The Entrepreneurial Author

An author must pick their subject, think through a plot, write the content, review for quality and format, and finally promote the book for sale. Viewing this as a business you see many similarities:

Choose the business (selling books).
Think through your idea: who will buy, why will they buy, how will they buy, where will they buy, when will they buy?
Create a plan of action. This is the content portion of a business plan. Here you will also identify how you will market and sell your book.
Have your business plan reviewed. This is the same as having a Canadian publishing company examine your work.
Start your business. For Canadian authors this is all about marketing your work.

Authors are, by nature, creative individuals just as many scientists and visionaries are. It is unlikely that a new author is aware of all the intricacies of publishing a book in Canada or worldwide. It is ok to ask for help.

Choosing the Right Partner

When seeking assistance, be prepared and do your research. Can the Canadian book publishing company you are engaging:

Guide you through the entire process from conception to publication?
Employ truly experienced ghostwriters, editors, indexers, proofreaders, and graphic designers?
Answer Copyright questions?
Help you with paperback and ebook preparation?
Do they make use of the latest digital (POD) technology?

Most importantly, you want to make sure the staff of the publishing company puts you at ease so you can have more time to focus on the book to avoid writer's block as well as other distractions. Contact us today to see how easy it is to publish a book in Canada. We will help you sell more books.

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 Ghostwriter's Job: CHANNELLING HOUDINI

Kim S. — 2010-02-03T00:15:00Z

Every Halloween for 10 years, Bess Houdini held a séance to call Harry back from death. Finally, after all that time, she reportedly said, “Ten years is long enough to wait for any man!” The séances stopped.

Popular culture has many individuals still waiting for comedian Andy Kaufman to return from his travels to the other side. Jim Carrey was a devoted fan and channelled Andy when he starred in the movie “Man On The Moon” in 1999.

I have discovered that ghostwriting is also a channelling of sorts. While the words I write are mine, they belong to someone else. In much the same way as an actor imbues the spirit of the character they are tasked to portray, so too must the writer capture the spirit and essence of the original story-teller.

It is a humbling task, one that must be handled with great care and tact. Most people have great stories to tell, but not everyone has the skills with which to tell them. Such is the gift of the ghostwriter.

Much is written about the writer’s “voice” and, unlike Houdini’s magic, it is not smoke and mirrors and slight of hand. It is the fundamental truth from which we all speak. It is as unique as the singing voice of Neil Young or Taylor Swift. You’d recognize it in a heartbeat. It is this heartbeat the ghostwriter must understand and connect with.

STORY ARC

Stories that resonate are those steeped in real human emotion, regardless of the genre or nature of the tale. Even a technical paper will have a central emotional hook at its core. A journal, autobiography or biography is more than the sum of its parts, more than an endless string of events connected only by the fact they actually happened. Perhaps these events have been rewritten by time, or in the space between then and now, reinvented in the author’s mind: separating fact from fiction, perception from reality, revisionist retelling from a total fabrication of truth. Regardless of the motivation, it is the task of the ghostwriter to channel that space and time, and not get lost in it. The story must flow from one memory or sequence to the next, with logic, clarity and purpose. Well-crafted books are not mere collections of singular events, thinly held together by chapter titles. A book must have a story arc that, like Houdini, intrigues and captivates us as we move from one act of magic to another until it culminates in a magnificent and breath-taking grand finale. “How did he do that?” we ask in wonder.

THE WRITERS TOOLKIT

There are many tools available in the writer’s kit, and it is important for authors to review them with their ghostwriters at the start of your journey together. Poetic license and freedom, chapter content and design, timelines, the use of creative devices such as foreshadowing, quotations, background and context information, chronology, historical reference; these are all concepts the ghostwriter may need to explain, particularly if the author is new to writing or written communication of any kind.

DETACHMENT

The greatest challenge in the ghostwriting process is detachment. Companion to detachment is trust. Writing is intensely personal, even if the end result is a sales proposal! Preparation is an essential and key component of any author/ghostwriter relationship. The author must accept the fact that they have hired a ghostwriter for the express purpose of making the material they provide into an enjoyable and infinitely readable document.

In return, the ghostwriter has a responsibility to channel the author in as true and honest a manner as possible.

And so, as it is with many of the creative arts, I am me, and I am not me. Dim the lights. May the séance begin.

If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon.
If you believe there's nothing up my sleeve, then nothing is cool.
“Man On The Moon”
R.E.M.

Patricia M. Gallagher is currently ghostwriting two books with an option for a third. She is a published writer, poet and musician. She can be reached through her website by clicking on her name above.

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.

The Index as a Roadmap

Kim S. — 2010-01-20T16:51:00Z

What is an index, and why would you want one in your non-fiction book? A good index is a road map to information. It leads readers to all the information on a particular subject, and it also leads readers to related information that might interest them. A good index allows readers to find what they are looking for no matter where in the index they start.

You might wonder if a computer program could produce the index for your book. It can’t. It can produce a concordance, an alphabetical listing of most of the words in the text with their page numbers, but that is not an index.

The index in a non-fiction book has two audiences:

The first is people who are considering buying the book. Let’s say you’re in the bookstore browsing the sports section. You see a book about coaching soccer and wonder if it discusses sports psychology, particularly the mental imaging technique. You turn to the back of the book to check the index. No index. There is a chapter on sports psychology, but you don’t have time to skim the entire chapter to see if it covers mental imaging. Maybe the book next to it will have something. You turn to the back of this one, and it has an index. You find psychology right away, but you don’t see anything about mental imaging. You put the book back on the shelf. What you don’t realize is that the book does have lots of information about mental imaging, but the index only contains the words the author uses in the book. In this case, the author always uses the term “inner soccer” when he describes mental imaging. A good indexer would have entries under both terms or would use a see reference to direct the reader from mental imaging to inner soccer.
The other audience for an index is made up of people who have already read the book. Let’s say you remember reading about something in a book and want to find it again. Maybe you want to quote something, or use some bit of information in an argument you’re having with someone. Maybe you saw a recipe you want to try. You will probably try to use the language of the book to look it up, but you might not remember the exact term the author used. Again, a good indexer will think of other words the reader might use to look something up and provide entries for those words.

The whole point of an index is to guide people to the information in the book. If they can’t find that information, it might as well not be there. A good index will make most non-fiction books more usable to their readers and more likely to be purchased. A professionally written index is a worthwhile investment for any author who lacks the skills and training to write a good one.

Tia Leschke

Professional Indexer

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.

The Difference Between Ghostwriting and Developmental Editing

Kim S. — 2010-01-15T17:33:00Z

Since developmental editors work so closely with authors to help them create great books, it’s not unusual that some authors wonder how a developmental editor is different from a ghostwriter. Both are heavily involved with a book’s content, and in terms of the teamwork, coaching, and feedback that goes on between ghostwriter and author, or equally between developmental editor and author, it requires some clarification to distinguish between these two major ways of working with writing and editing professionals.

Let’s tackle the ghostwriter first. Basically with ghostwriting, if you are a person with an idea for a book, and you possess the expertise in your field but are not particularly good at writing—or don’t have time for writing (for example, you might be a busy corporate executive, a coach with a full coaching practice, or a speaker with a full roster of speaking gigs)—you might consider hiring a writer to turn your ideas and knowledge into words. You would give the writer as much information as possible, and then the writer would get to work creating a draft manuscript for you. So, the process of creating a book with a ghostwriter is that you supply the information; the writer does the writing, attempting as much as possible to create the content with the flavor of your voice. Sometimes ghostwriters will do recorded interviews with the author in order to get a sense of the author’s voice and style.

In contrast, developmental editors do not write the book for the author. Instead, a developmental editor works with the author to develop the book’s concept, and often coaches the author through the writing process, always with an eye to the book’s purpose, its audience, and it content map (structure). Working with a developmental editor from the very beginning concept stage often makes it easier for the author to do the writing with confidence and the comfort of knowing that there is always someone there to give feedback and helpful suggestions.

To use an old analogy often applied to human endeavors—the ghostwriter catches the fish for you (writes your book); the developmental editor teaches you how to fish for yourself (helps you write your book).

Many times, however, the developmental editor gets involved after an author has created a first draft. In that situation, the developmental editor evaluates the manuscript and considers many of the same issues involved in early stage developmental editing—for example, what is the book’s purpose, who is the audience, how well does the narrative arc of the book move the content forward, etc. If the draft manuscript needs work in clarifying or emphasizing its purpose and its narrative power, the developmental editor helps the author make the structural and thematic changes to hone the book into a compelling written work.

What is best for you as an author desiring to have a book published—hiring a ghostwriter or hiring a developmental editor? If you want it done for you, then the ghostwriter would be your choice. If you want to have the experience of creating your own words, but need someone to guide you through the process, hold your hand, and keep you on track, then you would choose a developmental editor. If you want to do your own first draft writing, a good developmental editor can also help you speed up the process of writing your book, and give you good guidance not only about the content, but also about the publishing process itself.

Ghostwriters tend to be more expensive than developmental editors, because the process of writing a book from scratch is very labor-intensive. With developmental editing, since you as the author would be doing your own writing, your developmental editor will be checking in with you all along the way, and helping you with your content mapping. So it’s somewhat less labor intensive than ghostwriting, and therefore can be less expensive.

Either path is viable and valid. It all depends on your own inclinations (do you want to experience yourself as a writer or delegate the writing to someone else?), your budget, your timeline, and your goals for your book.

Working with a professional ghostwriter or with a professional developmental editor can be a very worthwhile and positive experience. Both paths involve collaboration and a sense of teamwork. The author-ghostwriter experience is a dynamic relationship, and so is the author-developmental editor relationship. The important thing is that you, as an author, are comfortable with your choice and feel good about the end result—your book.

Sharon Lindenburger
Professional Writer
Professional Developmental Editor
Consultant and Supplier of all forms of editing

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.

The Components of a Book's Interior

Kim S. — 2010-01-05T07:06:00Z

A book's interior is comprised of three basic elements: front matter, the body, and back matter. Each element may differ slightly depending on the type of book being published. For example, a non-fiction book will contain an index in its back matter where a fictional novel will not. This article will briefly touch on each component while focusing on the interior design of a fictional novel.

Front Matter

The front matter of a book contains some or all of the following components:

Primary title page

This is usually the very first page of the book in which the title appears on an otherwise blank right-hand page.
Secondary title page

The secondary title page repeats the book title along with the author and/or publisher's name on the next right-hand page.
Copyright page

The copyright page will contain the book's ISBN number(s), publication date, copyright owner's name, and a copyright notice such as: No portion of this book may be duplicated or used in any form, by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval), for any profit-driven enterprise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. If the author/publisher wishes to credit any of the book's contributors (such as photographers and designers), that can also be done on this page.
Quote page

Sometimes a quote will be placed in the front matter if it sums up the essence of the story quite well.
Dedication page

Oftentimes, authors will dedicate their books to their loved ones. That dedication is placed in the beginning of the book.
Acknowledgments page

An acknowledgments page allows an author to provide more detail when crediting the book's various contributors rather than just listing their names on the copyright page. Here, a heartfelt thank you can be expressed in a much more meaningful way.
Foreword

Usually, a foreword is written by someone other than the author. Its purpose is to provide a history leading up to the story being told or explain what inspired the publication of the book.
Preface

Where a foreword is an introduction to the book written by someone other than the author, a preface is an introduction written by the author for the same purpose. An author may also use a preface to explain what methods of research were used during the creation of the work.
Contents

A table of contents lists the various sections (chapters, articles, poems, etc) within the book and what page numbers they each begin at.

Below is a group of visuals to show how the front matter might be arranged in a fictional novel. This is but one example of how it can be done:

The Body

The body of a book usually contains at least the following two components:

Title Pages

A title page is used at the beginning of each section within the body of a book. The purpose of the title page is simply to differentiate between the sections, to help organize the flow of the work.
Sections

Sections of a book's body can be divided up as chapters, poems, articles, etc. It all depends on the type of book being published.

Below are two visuals showing how the body of a novel might be formatted. The second visual contains recommended measurements for your book's margins. Again, this is but one example of how a book can be formatted and is meant as a guideline only:

Back Matter

The back matter of a book contains some or all of the following components:

Appendix

An appendix contains supplementary details that help to further clarify any legal, technical, and/or scientific information within the book.
Glossary

A glossary of terms contains a list of specialized words that can be found throughout the book along with their definitions.
Index

An alphabetized index is used to help readers pinpoint the exact page(s) where they can find an important name, place, and/or subject throughout the book. Most non-fiction books will have an index.
Promotional Content

A great way to sell your backlist titles is to promote them in the back matter of each new release. It is best if you can provide a graphic of each book's front cover along with the corresponding ISBN number.
Author Biography

An updated author biography helps personalize your book for readers by giving them a bit more information about the storyteller. It is also a great way to promote past titles thereby increasing the chance of more sales.

Below are two visuals showing how the back matter of a novel could appear:

It is a good idea to use this article as a guideline when deciding how to lay out your book's interior. Better yet, why not pay your local bookstore a visit and take a look at how some of your favourite titles are formatted? The more information (visuals) you can provide to your graphic designer ahead of time, the better. This will help the process run much more smoothly for both of 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.

The Components of a Paperback Book Cover

Kim S. — 2010-01-04T23:30:00Z

No matter how engaging your story may be, the public is going to "judge your book by its cover" before they ever pick it up to read the contents. As such, the exterior should always receive the same professional care and consideration as the interior.

A complete paperback book cover is made up of the following components:

Back Cover

As shown in the following visual aid, the back cover portion of your complete book cover begins on the left-hand side. The dimension of the back cover must match whatever trim size you've chosen your book to be (i.e. 5.5" width x 8.5" height) with a minimum 1/4" bleed around the outside edges for trimming. It will also contain:

- an author photo (optional)
- back cover copy (to summarize the contents of the book in a compelling way)
- room for the book's barcode/ISBN number on the lower right-hand corner
- room for PPG's logo on the lower left-hand corner
- a short author biography (optional)
Spine

The spine portion of your complete book cover sits in between your back and front cover. Its height will match your chosen trim size (in this case 8.5") while the width is determined by factors such as the final page count of your designed interior and chosen paper weight. (PPG will provide you with these specs once your interior has been designed by one of our professional graphic designers.) The spine also contains:

- the book title at the top
- author name (pseudonym) in the centre
- room for PPG's logo to be placed at the bottom
Front Cover

The front cover portion of your complete book cover sits on the right-hand side. The dimension of the front cover must match whatever trim size you've chosen your book to be (i.e. 5.5" width x 8.5" height) with a minimum 1/4" bleed around the outside edges for trimming. It will also contain:

- the book title (and subtitle, if applicable)
- author name (pseudonym)
Artwork

Your cover artwork can wrap around the spine of your book and span the entire height/width of the complete cover (as shown in the first visual below), or it can appear on the front cover only (as shown in the second visual below). Both examples are correct. If going with the first example, make sure the artwork itself contains a minimum 1/4" bleed all around the edges so the outside edges of the picture aren't trimmed unnecessarily at the printer.

When deciding how you would like your book cover to appear, it is best to pay a visit to your local bookstore and view the many different examples there. What designs, colours, and fonts draw your attention the best? Write down the book title(s) and author name(s) so you can use this as a handy reference when it comes time to provide a description to your assigned graphic designer. This will help the process run much more smoothly for both of 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.

Happy Holidays from PPG!

Kim S. — 2009-12-23T17:16:00Z

Like many others, PPG will be signing off for the holiday season toward the end of this week. I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. For those who are traveling to visit with friends and family members, I hope you arrive and return safely.

Here's to a brilliant new year in 2010! I'm really looking forward to it. I hope you are, too.

Warm regards,
Kim S.

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.