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Sisg
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Sisg
Post Number: 233
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 03:04 pm: | 
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Well fellow authors and scribes, here's one more thing to be concerned about....YOUR COVER! I just received a letter from Barnes and Noble that they will not be stocking my book, because "the cover is unattractive" and "there is very little market" for my book. Hummmmm? Is it because there is a black man on the cover? I guess B&N does judge a book by its cover...but get this, they will watch keep track of my sales, and maybe at a later date will add my book to there stock. SOOOOOOOOOO Book sales can make an unattractive book appear more attractive. Just one more thing to think about, when you are publishing your book, but hey, if you are being published by someone else, most times you have no say so about the cover...so how do you know???How do you know if your cover is attractive enuf to fit into B&N's plans...I'll tell you how...when there is lots of money involved. |
Prettybabygirl
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Prettybabygirl
Post Number: 110
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 03:26 pm: |
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Two things Sisgal.
B&N does that to all black self published books.
When they say they will watch the sales, what they mean is that if enough people walk into B&N and order your book over the counter, then they will start carrying it.
You simply target one store and get people to order about three copies a month. If one store picks it up, then other B&N will pick up.
They're not going to carry your book now because it's self published and there's no demand. You have to create that demand and they will carry it.
They tell everybody there's something wrong with the cover, "too thick" to stock, not enough pages, etc. You have to get walk ins.
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Sisg
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Sisg
Post Number: 235
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 03:37 pm: |
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I hear ya PBG, but i'm not self-published..published by a Small Press...anyways in the eyes of B&N i guess they are one and the same. Several folks around the country have inquired about the book, emailed me that they couldn't get it and soooooooo, thats when i contacted B&N...the wheel goes round and round. Anyhow...will do and thanks again for the advice.
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Emanuel
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 141
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 05:05 pm: |
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Hey Sisg,
Sisg, can you share your cover with us? I seriously doubt that B & N's decision has anything to do with the cover.
I know what you're going through. I just got similar news from Borders Corporate HQ. I was told that they won't order the book to stock in all stores, but local stores can special order the book if they desire because they will add it to their computer systems. So if I wanted I could approach the GMs at local stores to have a signing or tell people to walk into stores and order it to create a demand. They didn't give me a reason but I know it's because I'm a new name, independently published and have not proven myself to the industry yet. It's just business. Bookstores want a sure thing.
It ain't over yet though. I plan on approaching the Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million as well.
There's a few things you can do to try to combat this:
1. Get Friendly with Independent Bookstores
I've also approached all of the Essence Bestseller reporting bookstores and a few independents in Cleveland by sending them compelling letters. My book release party will be at one of the supportive indies in town.
2. Get Media Buy In
Send press releases to all of your media contacts, especially the local ones. Get interviewed in print and get photos of your book featured in the story. Also, send your book with your press release and a package of food to TV producers. They work long hours, have little time to eat and will show their appreciation by booking you on a show.
3. Advertise Wisely
Advertising is tricky and can be expensive so you'll have to place your ads where your most likely readers will see it and hopefully spring into action to buy your book. A well placed banner ad on sites like AALBC.com may be money better spent than, say, a billboard or an ad in the newspaper.
4. Approach Bookclubs
Find bookclubs that read the kind of books you write and convince them to choose your book as the book of the month. They'll either go into bookstores to create a demand, go online to buy books, or go to the library to borrow it. Which brings me to this...
5. Contact Libraries
Libraries buy books in bulk and may decide to carry your book.
6. Do Signings Where It Doesn't Cost or Costs Little
Since most bookstores want up to 40% of the proceeds for a signing if you bring your own books, you should seek to have signings at other locations like libraries and coffee houses because they usually don't charge. Even paying a small vendor fee at a conference may be better than doing a bookstore signing, unless of course they bookstore gets the books directly from your publisher or distributor and it doesn't cost you.
7. Get Corporate Sponsors For Your Signings
Make every signing a book signing "party" and get businesses to donate food and give-a-ways to make it exciting for readers. I managed to attract 5 corporate sponsors for my upcoming release party to do just that. Check out my media page on www.emanuelcarpenter.com .
When you're published independently or by a small press, it can be costly to get your name out there because it seems like ALL the bookstores want a copy of your book before they decide to stock it or have you do a signing and lots of media contacts want a copy of the book before they'll interview you. That adds up to lots of author copy costs and postage. It's almost impossible to get out there without spending dollars. And with this crowded industry, even spending dollars won't necessarily guarantee success. Plus everyone has their hand out these days, including Internet radio that wants to charge you to be interviewed and magazines like Kirkus that charge unknowns for reviews.
It's sad but a lot of us just gotta get our hustle on. I cringe at the thought of walking into barbershops and beauty salons like the boosters to sell my book but the approach has worked for lots of authors like Valencia Williams who wrote "The Hottest Summer Even Known" and ended up on the Essence Bestseller List. Sometimes you gotta do what it takes and just be a fearless salesperson. Plus, the fact that a lot of poor black people (not all of us though) can only pay cash because of credit issues, the online option is not doable unless you set up a Paypal account and accept online checks.
It's a tough and crowded business. Just do what you gotta do. I hope this helps.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 3509
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 06:51 pm: |
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The life of a writer is sooooo hard. I commend all you for hangin in there. |
Emanuel
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 142
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 09:56 pm: |
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Cynique,
Like you said, it behooves writers to keep their day jobs these days, especially if they didn't get that big advance. This biz is a truuuiiip! Small presses and independent publishers get shunned by corporate bookstores and major media. Editors have turned down classic books disguised as manuscripts. Major publishers require agents. Lots (but not all) agents ain't trying to hear from many new authors. Vanity and print on demand publishers publish just about anything so quality and editing gets tossed out the window and the marketplace gets flooded with more garbage than masterpieces. Celebrities from the music and acting worlds are writing more books, which leaves less room for new writers to be published traditionally. And now, everybody wants to be an author, and hardly nobody wants to be a book buyer. Don't get me wrong. An author CAN make it with great or at least entertaining writing, intelligence, industry knowledge, continuous improvement of the craft, an agent and a publisher or with the tenacity to keep self-publishing book after book and do whatever it takes to sell (which means spending a lot of your own money) until readers and traditional publishers discover you. But it is by no means easy or cheap.
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Sisg
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Sisg
Post Number: 236
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 10:03 pm: |
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Cynique....heyyyyyyy lady! you and Emanuel are both on point...i guess ima have to keep that day job a while longer...you know...i ain't mad though, just disappointed. I'm learning more and more everyday out here in this rat race of publishing...frankly i like writing a whole lot better than marketing...etc. But hey, i do what it takes. There are of course some things i would do differently with my next book, but i don't think it will make a difference whether big name bookstores will order the book or not. I will however concentrate on improving my craft, putting out what i feel is a quality product and pretty much just living my dream of being an author...hey my day jobs pays the bills, but writing fulfills.... |
Schakspir
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Schakspir
Post Number: 148
Registered: 12-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 10:05 pm: |
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Like you said, it behooves writers to keep their day jobs these days, especially if they didn't get that big advance. This biz is a truuuiiip! Small presses and independent publishers get shunned by corporate bookstores and major media. Editors have turned down classic books disguised as manuscripts. Major publishers require agents. Lots (but not all) agents ain't trying to hear from many new authors. Vanity and print on demand publishers publish just about anything so quality and editing gets tossed out the window and the marketplace gets flooded with more garbage than masterpieces. Celebrities from the music and acting worlds are writing more books, which leaves less room for new writers to be published traditionally. And now, everybody wants to be an author, and hardly nobody wants to be a book buyer. Don't get me wrong. An author CAN make it with great or at least entertaining writing, intelligence, industry knowledge, continuous improvement of the craft, an agent and a publisher or with the tenacity to keep self-publishing book after book and do whatever it takes to sell (which means spending a lot of your own money) until readers and traditional publishers discover you. But it is by no means easy or cheap."
Emanuel,
I've been in this business since 1985 and NOTHING has changed, except just slightly for the worse. When my first book was pub'd in '93 by a small press, all the major newspapers ignored it, even though the editor tried in vain to get the New York Times to review it. They wouldn't budge. It wound up being reviewed in Village Voice, Small Press Review, American Book Review, and(later) African-American Review. (I'm actually not so sure about the ABR review--I know a friend of mine wrote a review for it, but whether or not it was actually pub'd, I can't say.)Things are disgustingly horrible nowadays, worse than they ever were, but remember things were horrible in th eighties, and even in the seventies.
The only way around this is to use the POD services to produce books that are superior in quality and writing to the stuff being put out by the majors, and then push the books the same way the pulp writers do--on the street. Beat them at their own damned game....
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Emanuel
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 143
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 10:33 pm: |
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Schakspir,
POD printers (like Lightning Source) can be a cheap alternative to printing presses because they have the ability to print one book at a time, which means you don't have to come up with all that money for a large print run. But if you have the money, a large print run will end up being cheaper than printing small amounts at a time. I wouldn't recommend subsidy publishers like IUniverse or PublishAmerica though because you end up paying a lot more when you buy copies of your own book and lots of bookstores and media outlets will ignore you and the books are overpriced without the author's control.
I found it interesting though that a book published by POD publisher Authorhouse (High Rise) made the Essence Bestseller list last month. I had never seen a POD book on any bestseller list prior to that. It seems like their website would be boasting about that on their homepage but it was nowhere to been mentioned when I visited last. It's gotta be good news for those types of publishers.
Selling on the streets works but it takes a lot of courage to do it. Not all writers are hard wired to be salespeople. |
Sisg
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Sisg
Post Number: 237
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2006 - 09:33 am: |
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Hi Emanuel,
About the Essence Bestseller list....many independent an often AA owned bookstores are the ones reporting for the EBS. I do know you have to contact these bookstores directly and get them to shelve your book...some if not most work on consignment. I have been successful in getting my book into some of these stores and will continue working the independent route. I hear ya on the streetseller tip...but i'm like you said, "not hard wired for" such. Another good thing is to join an org like PMA (publisher marketing association) and get listed in some their catalogs mailed out to libraries, bookstores, schools and the like...it costs, but i believe it is worth it. Also, list your book with BookSense, i got several request for review copies since i listed with this org...hopefully it will result in booksales. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 1764
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 11:52 am: |
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Sisgal:
Thanx for the info! |
Litgrrl
Newbie Poster
Username: Litgrrl
Post Number: 3
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 01, 2006 - 05:32 pm: |
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I work for a major publisher and even our buys are affected if b&n doesn't like the cover. It's not a black thing, it's not a small press thing -- it's a b&n thing. But other retailers can affect the jacket as well. |
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