BOOK PUBLISHING 2020 SINCLAIR LEWIS WRITERS CONFERENCE OCTOBER 6, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

BOOK PUBLISHING 2020

SINCLAIR LEWIS WRITER’S CONFERENCE

OCTOBER 6, 2018

TOPICS

• BOOK PUBLISHING INDUSTRY UPDATES
• SELF-PUBLISHING OPTIONS
• COMPELLING PROPOSALS
• Q&A

FUN BOOK FACTS

• WHAT IS THE BESTSELLING BOOK OF ALL TIME?
• WHAT IS THE BESTSELLING SERIES OF ALL TIME?
• WHAT IS THE LARGEST PUBLISHER IN THE WORLD?
• HOW MANY BOOKS ARE PUBLISHED EACH YEAR?
• WHICH COUNTRY PRODUCES THE MOST BOOKS EACH YEAR?
• HOW MANY BOOKS DOES THE AVERAGE READER READ IN A YEAR?
• HOW MANY INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES ARE THERE IN THE US? WHAT IS YOUR

FAVORITE?

BUSINESS OF BOOK PUBLISHING

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com /the-top-10-most-read-books- in-the-world-infographic-2012- 12

BUSINESS OF BOOK PUBLISHING

• PUBLISHING IS A GREAT BUSINESS … BUT AN INCREASINGLY

CHALLENGING BUSINESS

• FEWER TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS DUE TO CONSOLIDATION
• FEWER SALES OUTLETS (BORDERS GONE, B&N SHRINKING)
• LOWER UNITS SOLD PER TITLE
• FEWER OPPORTUNITIES WITH TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS
• CONCERN ABOUT GENERAL TRENDS IN LITERACY/READING
• BUT, HANG IN THERE, BECAUSE THERE IS GOOD NEWS …

BOOK PUBLISHING TRENDS

Year Trade Higher Ed PreK-12

Professional University

Other Total 2013 $15.13 $4.81 $3.84 $2.97 $0.30 $0.02 $27.07 2014 $15.43 $4.85 $4.27 $3.09 $0.30 $0.00 $27.96 2015 $15.82 $4.53 $4.11 $3.05 $0.29 $0.00 $27.80 2016 $15.90 $3.96 $3.73 $2.37 $0.28 $0.04 $26.27 2017 $15.95 $3.98 $3.62 $2.35 $0.29 $0.04 $26.23

US Publisher Revenue in Billions, 2013 to 2017 From: 2018 StatShot Annual Report, Association of American Publishers

RECENT POSITIVE TRENDS

• OVERALL MARKET IS STABILIZING; POCKETS OF STRENGTH (KIDS UP)
• MORE OPTIONS (EBOOKS, PRINT, LIBRARY, NEW FORMATS)
• AUDIOBOOKS FASTEST GROWING FORMAT (+30%)
• GREAT BOOKS INSPIRE READING – AS ALWAYS
• AMAZON (I KNOW, I KNOW)
• RESURGENCE OF INDEPENDENTS, BOTH PUBLISHERS AND STORES
• SELF-PUBLISHING EXPLODING AND TOOLS ARE IMPRESSIVE

SELF PUBLISHING

• EXPLOSIVE GROWTH:
• UP 218% FROM 2011 TO 2016
• SELF-PUBLISHED TITLES REACHED 786,935 IN 2016!
• PUBLISHING TOOLS/PLATFORMS ARE REALLY IMPRESSIVE
• AMAZON CREATESPACE: 500,000 TITLES IN 2016
• LULU: 42,000 TITLES
• AUTHOR SOLUTIONS: 19,000
• INGRAM SPARK: NEWER
• SMASHWORDS: E-BOOK PLATFORM, 89,000 TITLES

SOURCE: HTTPS://WWW.PUBLISHERSWEEKLY.COM/PW/BY-TOPIC/INDUSTRY-NEWS/MANUFACTURING/ARTICLE/75139-SELF- PUBLISHED-ISBNS-HIT-786-935-IN-2016.HTML

SELF PUBLISHING

• TOOLS DO IT ALL -- SOUP TO NUTS
• EASY-TO-USE AND IMPROVING
• WHAT DOES IT COST?
• SELLING PARTNER TAKES 40% TO 60%
• COST TO PRINT 300 PAGE B/W BOOK IS APPROX. $4 TO $5
• DOES NOT INCLUDE WRITING, EDITING OR COMPOSITION (DESIGN AND LAYOUT) OR COVER DESIGN
• SEE REEDSY BLOG BELOW FOR COSTS FOR THOSE

HTTPS://BLOG.REEDSY.COM/COST-TO-SELF-PUBLISH-A-BOOK/

• EXAMPLE – JUST A GENERAL ONE:

Book Price Print Cost Partner Distribution Share – 40% (can be higher) Your Profit per Unit Sold $15 $4.50 $6 $4.50

SELF PUBLISHING

• BUT CAN I MAKE MONEY?!
• MOST MAKE AROUND $3,000 BUT MORE AND MORE ARE MAKING A LIVING
• SEE WRITER’S DIGEST AND DIGITAL BOOK WORLD STUDY (IN RESOURCES)
• CONSIDER BOOK(S) PART OF YOUR OVERALL PORTFOLIO
• FREE COURSE:

HTTPS://BLOG.REEDSY.COM/LEARNING/COURSES/PUBLISHING/SELF-PUBLISHING-101/

• GOOD REVIEW OF SELF-PUBLISHING SERVICES:

HTTPS://SELFPUBLISHINGADVICE.ORG/ALLIS-SELF-PUBLISHING-SERVICE-DIRECTORY/SELF- PUBLISHING-SERVICE-REVIEWS/

HOW TO MAKE A WINNING PROPOSAL

• 1. IT’S A BUSINESS
• 2. DO YOUR HOMEWORK
• REVIEW COMPARATIVE TITLES IN TARGET CATEGORY
• FIND BEST PUBLISHER FIT, OR THE BEST 4-6 OPTIONS
• NETWORK – ONLINE OR IN PERSON – AND FIND A DIRECT CONTACT
• FASTEST GROWING INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS

HTTPS://WWW.PUBLISHERSWEEKLY.COM/PW/BY-TOPIC/INDUSTRY-NEWS/PUBLISHER-NEWS/ARTICLE/76544- FAST-GROWING-INDEPENDENT-PUBLISHERS-2018.HTML

3. DON’T BURY THE LEAD

• CREATE A COMPELLING *WHY TO BUY*
• MARKET NEED – WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR THIS BOOK IN THE MARKET
• UNIQUE ANGLE– HOW WILL THIS BOOK BE DIFFERENT OR SPECIAL

HOW TO MAKE A WINNING PROPOSAL

• 4. MARKETING & SALES
• WHY ARE YOU THE BEST PERSON TO WRITE THIS BOOK
• EXPERTISE
• SOCIAL MEDIA REACH
• EVENTS, CONFERENCES
• HOW MANY BOOKS CAN YOU SELL DIRECTLY? INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT
• 5. HAVE A POV (POINT OF VIEW)
• 6. FOLLOW THE FORMAT … AND SPELLING COUNTS
• IF PUBLISHER HAS PREFERRED FORMAT, USE THAT
• RE-WRITE AND EDIT AND PROOF
• SUCCINCT, CLEAR, IMPACTFUL

HOW TO MAKE A WINNING PROPOSAL

• 7. SHOW YOU CAN DELIVER
• TRACK RECORD OF HITTING DEADLINES
• TESTIMONIALS
• FOLLOW UP PROMPTLY ON ANY QUESTIONS/RESPONSES
• 8. FOR KIDS – EMPHASIZE JOY OF READING (A.K.A., LITERACY)
• TOO MANY PROPOSALS SOUND ACADEMIC, BORING
• 9. BE CREATIVE … MAYBE
• 10. FINALLY, STAY POSITIVE, PASSIONATE, AND PERSISTENT!

HOW TO MAKE A WINNING PROPOSAL

GENERAL PROPOSAL OUTLINE

• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – A.K.A., THE ELEVATOR PITCH
• TARGET AUDIENCE
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR – WHY YOU ARE THE BEST PERSON ONE TO WRITE

THIS BOOK

• MARKETING PLAN – HOW WILL WE MAKE MONEY TOGETHER
• COMPETITIVE TITLES – DON’T NEED ALL BUT CANNOT MISS KEY TITLES
• CHAPTER OUTLINE – ALSO CALLED A TOC AT A GLANCE
• SAMPLE CHAPTER

RESOURCES

• WRITER’S DIGEST

HTTP://WWW.WRITERSDIGEST.COM/

• PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY

WWW.PUBLISHERSWEEKLY.COM

• ALLIANCE OF INDEPENDENT AUTHORS

HTTPS://SELFPUBLISHINGADVICE.ORG/

• REEDSY, INCLUDES COURSE ON SELF PUBLISHING

HTTPS://BLOG.REEDSY.COM/COST-TO-SELF-PUBLISH-A-BOOK/

MORE RESOURCES

• RESOURCE – HOW TO WRITE A BOOK PROPOSAL

HTTPS://BLOG.REEDSY.COM/HOW-TO-WRITE-A-BOOK-PROPOSAL/

• ADVICE IF INTERESTED IN WRITING FOR CHILDREN OR YOUNG ADULT
• SPEND TIME READING CHILDREN’S BOOKS PUBLISHED IN THE LAST 3-5 YEARS AND BECOME FAMILIAR

WITH THE TYPE OF WORK PUBLISHERS ARE CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON

• CONSIDER TAKING A CLASS FOCUSED ON WRITING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH AN ORGANIZATION

SUCH AS THE LOFT

• CHECK OUT THIS BLOG POST FROM CAROL HINZ – ONE OF EDITORIAL DIRECTORS -- FOR ADVICE.

HTTPS://LERNERBOOKS.BLOG/2014/10/GREETINGS-FROM-PICTUREBOOKLAND.HTML

• SHOULD I FIND/USE AN AGENT?

HTTPS://WRITERSEDIT.COM/FICTION-WRITING/NEED-LITERARY-AGENT-DEFINITIVE-PROS-CONS-LIST/

• UNDERSTANDING WORK-FOR-HIRE VERSUS ROYALTY

HTTPS://AWAYWITHWORDSWRITING.WORDPRESS.COM/2010/05/24/WORK-FOR-HIRE-VS-ROYALTY-WRITING/