Publishing News -- 1/28/2009

Publishing, the Economy, and You
This past Monday, companies announced a total of 75,000 layoffs in a single day. That's about the number of people who will attend this weekend's Super Bowl game. In November and December, a total of 1.5 million layoffs were announced. The publishing world is no exception. Publisher's Weekly let its editor-in-chief and three senior editors go. HarperCollins is expanding its early retirement program. The Washington Post will no longer publish its Book World as a separate publication.

These are scary times. And yet, underneath all the negative, intimidating articles, like the small spark in the corner of Pandora's Box, lies a minimal spark of hope. That spark is you. You can't control what happens to you, but you can contain your response to it. There has never been a time where initiative and creativity matter now than it does now. In a separate blog post, I deal with this matter more completely. At the bottom of the first set of links, a single article proposes the same approach.

Someone's going to overcome tremendous odds and succeed. It might as well be you.

Sara Nelson, three others laid off from Publisher's Weekly (Article 1, Article 2) -- The widely respected Nelson and three senior editors were included in a seven-percent workforce reduction.

Washington Post Book World to Cease Standalone Publication -- Content will still appear, but not in a separate section.

HarperCollins Introduces Voluntary Retirement Program -- Layoffs are a possibility down the line.

Depression or Economic Springboard? It's Up to You -- The news is intimidating, but you need to decide whether this is the time for boldness or fear.

Self-Promotion in the Publishing Recession -- Facebook, Twitter (and a favorable review) help second-time author crack the San Fransisco best-seller list.

There's other news, but it'll keep. The economy continues to be front and center, and no bailout, no stimulus package seems to be able to slow the decline. That means it's up to me and it's up to you to come up with the solution to the challenges we face. Whether it'll be easy isn't relevant. It's something that some of us are just going to have to do.

Publishing News -- 1/7/2009

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A full stack this week, like those big lumberjack pancake stacks you might be able to get at your family diner. The news isn't getting much better this week, but we're a few days closer to the end of the mess and pitchers and catchers report in about six weeks.

Publishing and the Economy
Blockbuster or Bust -- Like the guy at the races with that one tip that will change everything, publishers continue to gamble on potential big hits.

The New Austerity in Publishing -- Lavish spending is out as part of the new economic reality in publishing.

11.7 Percent Sales Drop and CEO Change at Borders -- New CEO has experience turning around retail establishments.

End Times -- The end of, or at least a drastic change in, the New York Times could be imminent.

Publishing Firm to Add Jobs -- It's only 20 jobs, but it beats another story on layoffs.

Agentry
Agent Stephen Barbara Moves to Foundry Literary + Media -- Leaves Donald Maass's agency and brings his entire slate of YA and adult authors with him.

Kicking Off the New Year--Courtney Milan's Query -- Agent deconstructs a successful query letter.

Surviving the Recession
Readiness is all in building your network -- The time to build your network is before you need it--like now.

Your Key Asset if You're Laid Off -- If you don't maintain a positive outlook, ending your unemployment is a lot harder.

Social Media
Why Executives Don't Get Social Media -- It has to do with how they view success. Fortunately, peoples' skills and viewpoints are complementary (one of the points of social media).

Why Twitter Matters -- More analysis and predictions about the newest social media fad.

How Social Media are Transforming Our Capacity to Achieve -- Our best growth opportunities may come from people we don't know well. Social media allow us to transform that number exponentially.

Publishing News -- 1/2/2009

Happy new year and wishes for a healthy and fruitful 2009!

Featured Event: Janet Evanovich Book Signing (Plum Spooky), Barnes & Noble, North Dale Mabry, Tampa

Publishing and the Economy
What's Killing Publishing? We are. -- Publishing group demands fee for sale of used books. (Editorial comment: Instead of regulating or establishing fees, they should improve their business model.)

Are Books Doomed? -- Maybe it's not as bad as it looks. Maybe e-Books can enhance sales of paper books.

Amazon Launches New Author Pages -- Stephen King, JK Rowling, and James Patterson among the first wave of featured authors.

Digital Publishing
Why e-Books will Rule -- More reasons physical books are doomed (or not).

Move Over Kindle, e-Books hit Cell Phones -- Romance novels are most popular, but users download about 40,000 books a day.

Marketing Your Work
How to Bring Your Book to Book Clubs -- Includes a link to a book club wiki, providing authors with information about book clubs.

Blogging Tips for Beginners -- A blog is an excellent way to add buzz to your book. Here's a great reference for getting started.

69 Questions to Ask to Review Your Blog -- Comprehensive list to consider in improving your blog, which can help market your work.

Surviving the Recession
15 ideas for eZine Articles -- eZine articles can add to your income and extend your reach. Here are some ideas for them.

Looking for a job? Social Media Offers Opportunities--and Obstacles -- Facebook, LinkedIn, et al, offer great tools to help in a job search.

Social Networking
Spending on Social Media and Online Content will Increase -- More than two-thirds will invest in social media initiatives in 09.

Social Media Wins in Marketers' '09 Plans -- Even in down economic times, social media should see more resources and opportunity in the new year.

Publishing News, 12/29/2008

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Publishing and the Economy
This Endangered Business Model Will Survive -- The Motley Fool weighs in on the future of publishing.

Digital Publishing
The Problem with Digital Publishing -- Some really smart writer points out that the economic equation isn't there...yet.

iPhone eBook Sales Beating Kindle Sales -- Lower prices may push your decision--if you own an iPhone.

Ad-Driven Books Latest Online Publishing Twist -- Daily Lit is seeking sponsors for the books it publishes via e-mail and RSS feeds.

Marketing Your Work
Three Powerful Strategies for Promoting Your Book -- Three common-sense methods for marketing your book.

What to Put in Your Press Kit -- Making it easy for media to cover you will help increase your coverage.

Using Craigslist as Part of Your Marketing Effort -- Craig's List has more than 9,000,000,000 page views monthly. Can it fit into your marketing effort?

Surviving the Recession
Five-step plan for work and 25 services that could be sold separately -- As writers, we have a lot of marketable skills we can use if the worst happens.

Four Ways to Use Your Writing Skills in a Down Economy -- You may already have the skills to be useful in ways you haven't considered. People pay for useful.

Publishing News -- 12/26/2008

Publishing and the Economy
May You Live in Interesting Times -- Agent Janet Reid said the doom and gloom won't bring the end of publishing, but it will bring change.

Read it and Weep -- Another take on the publishing meltdown, concentrating on how the small and nimble will survive.

Surviving the Recession
How to Secure an Advertiser for Your Blog -- If you've done the groundwork, you can make some cash for writing.

Freelance Predictions for 2009 --More advice on adjusting for the changing economy, written for freelancers, but universally applicable.

Digital Publishing
e-Books Catch on With Children -- Kids are a natural first market for the growing digital publishing movement.

Kindle Rival Coming Soon -- eSlick is cheaper and has fewer features, but has better PDF support.

More Readers are Picking Up Electronic Books -- New readers are planned for 2009 as the market continues to expand.

Marketing Your Work
The Book Bloggers -- Blog that lists review sites and criteria.

Authors Create Self-Guided Book Club Tours -- Authors speak to 150 groups to sell their book.

How to get a New York publisher -- A unique approach to getting published by first self-publishing.

Resources for You
Resources for Writers -- A useful list from Yvonne Perry.

If you find this information useful, please tell a friend and link to this page. Thanks!

Publishing News -- 12/23/2008

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

This past year has been a tough year, and 2009 also promises to be challenging. Best wishes and best hopes for a prosperous and success new year from me and my staff!

Publishing and the Economy
CEO: Simon & Schuster Fundamentally Strong -- Carolyn Reidy says 2008, in spite of struggles, had good points, and that 2009 provides the opportunity to "take chances and embrace risk."

Digital Publishing
App Developer Strikes E-Book Deals With Major Publishers -- Random House, Houghton-Mifflin, Simon and Schuster, and Penguin among publishers signed up for e-book app to work with iTunes.

S&S, Random House Announce Large Gains in Digital Book Sales -- In a tough economy, each announce 400% gains in digital sales.

Marketing Your Work
Free Press Release Sites -- From Dana Willhoit, who really knows her stuff about PR and social media.

How Effective is Your Author Website? -- Website grader measures the marketing effectiveness of your website...for FREE!

Getting Published
The unvarnished truth about self-publishing -- You need to take care to spend your money wisely; the publishers have one goal: make money (not sell your book).

Undiscovered? Post your book in Harper Collins new site -- "If you’re a writer, authonomy is the place to show your face – and show off your work on the web. Whether you’re unpublished, self-published or just getting started, all you need is a few chapters to start building your profile online, and start connecting with the authonomy community."

Agent's Rules for E-mails -- Janet Reid, a literary agent, says that e-mail management is a challenge for her and has strict rules for which e-mails she'll read and which ones she'll never see. (See her query guidelines.)

Surviving the Recession
Out of work? It's time to get connected -- Includes seven tips for making the most of your job search.

Publishing News, 12/20/2008

Publishing and the Economy
The Sky is Falling...Not! -- Maybe it's not worse this time around. Maybe we're just finding out faster.

Predictions for 2009 -- The writer sees declines in general fiction sales and increases for digital media.

Digital Publishing
Calculating a fair price for e-books -- Given the lack of logistics required for e-books to get from the publisher to you, what's a fair price?

Downloading e-books from a Computer to a Kindle -- It's actually easy, if you should feel the need to shell out the bucks for the Kindle in the first place.

Our Craft
Finding Ideas in Classified Ads -- Some good Poynters for finding color--or even a plotline for your stories.

Queries: An Inside Scoop -- An agent deconstructs a successful query letter.

Freelance Writers Mentoring Program -- Teleseminars designed to bring new writers into the freelance writing business.

Surviving the Recession
ProBlogger Jobs Board -- Where Bloggers Looking for Jobs and Companies Looking for Bloggers Meet.

Social Media and Marketing Your Work
Social Media for Authors and Publishers -- The first rule: bring wine to the picnic, not a bullhorn.

Twenty Things You Can Do to Make Your Website Google Friendly -- If you're marketing your book online, you need to get people to read your marketing to read your book.

Twitter IDs for the 100 Most Influential Online Marketers -- If you want to get smart about online marketing, these are good people to follow.

Publishing News -- 12/11/2008

Publishing and the Economy
Book Sales Lag at the Beginning of the Holiday Season -- Sales drop 6.6 percent from last year.

Bail out the Writers -- And if that doesn't work, let us profit from the sale of Senate seats.

Suriving the Recession
How to Find a Job Online -- Tips and websites, including mediabistro.com for writers.

Digital Publishing
Re-Mixing the Publishing Model -- Two publishers bank on a digital plunge to help them through the tough times.

Pricing Digital Books for Nintendo -- In Europe, Nintendo, Harper-Collins, combine on $30 game cartridge with 100 classic books in digital format.

Magazines come to Google book search -- Some mags now available. Google hopes others to follow.

Social Networking/Marketing Your Work
How to start Speaking at Events -- Speaking can help you sell your work. Here are some tips for getting started.

The Five Biggest Mistakes Bloggers Make -- Florida Writers Association Conference faculty member Penny Sansevieri's guidance on making your blog an asset in selling your book.

A Reality Check About Blogging for Money -- Tips on integrating your blog into your revenue streams.

YouTube Videos Pull in Real Money -- YouTube's partners program has some pulling in the money, but there's talent, luck, and work required.

What is this Twitter Thing -- Penny strikes again with a primer about the Twitter microblogging service and how to make it a useful part of your online marketing effort.

Publishing News -- 12/8/2008

Publishing and the Economy
Tribune files for Chapter 11 -- Filing includes Chicago Tribune, LA Times, Baltimore Sun, but not the Cubs or Wrigley Field, which have been on the market for months.

Ad losses send newspaper industry into a tailspin -- More than 30 papers are up for sale, and buyers are scarce.

Agent Predicts More Celeb Books -- In a world of austerity and risk-averse publishers, celebs are a known commodity.

Author Tools
Blog Book Tours Yahoo Group --Planning a release in Spring 2009? Check in here to plan a blog book tour.

The Radio Show for Authors -- Not sure how big the value proposition is, but if nothing else, you can get used to being interviewed.

Digital Publishing
Sony Sells 300K Digital Readers -- iPhone also has a digital reader. Both compete with Kindle.

e-Book Romancers Set Out to Capture New Mass Market -- Ravenous Romance, a venture partially owned by Florida Writers Association friend Lori Perkins, has online offering with prices ranging from 99 cents (short stories) to $4.99 (novels) to $12.99 for MP3 audio books.

The Death of Print Magazines and Other Fairy Tales -- Pro and Con about the future of print and digital media.

Social Networking
Regulation for Social Networking? -- Recent online suicide, MySpace suicide lead some to call for oversight.

How Photographers Use Twitter for Fun and Profit -- Except for the specific photogs named, the model could also apply to writers.

Top Social Networking Sites -- More sites (and types of sites) than you can shake a stick at.

Surviving the Recession
Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn -- LinkedIn is a business social networking site. It's a useful tool for reaching out to others in your industry.

Searching your network for jobs

If you're a writer, accountant, or practically anything else, the best way to find a job is through people you know. LinkedIn is a professional networking site that allows you to electronically link to people you know and meet. It's sort of like Facebook for work.

I started working Linked in earlier this year, and after a hiatus, I'm up to more than 60 connections. However, my connections also have connections, which expands my network exponentially.

Where this expanded network can pay off is using LinkedIn's job search function. After establishing your profile, you can list job searches based on the same criteria (job title, location, etc.) found in many other job search engines.

With each job listed, LinkedIn includes a link allowing you to list who you know at that business. This link gives you an inside track. Most companies pay employees referral bonuses, which gives you a company insider powerfully incented to assist you in landing the job. Your contact may also provide insider information about the job, the hiring manager, and the corporate culture. In this job market, a bad job is better than none, but in any job market a good job is better than a bad job.

Publishing News -- 12/7/2008

We're entering what promises to be a long, difficult period. The Internet provides an excellent opportunity to market and touch people who might need help or be in the position to help you. It seems more important than even to develop both traditional and online networking skills.

As a result, I intend to devote a portion of this blog to social networking and the opportunities it provides beoth for publishing and for building a network in case a job goes away.

Publishing and the Economy
All the Bad News in One Spot -- The midweek layoffs, salary freezes, and general bad news in the publishing industry.

Wall Street Walks Away from Newspapers -- Most major newspapers trade at less than $10 per share.

The Death of the Middle -- It's not the big books or little books that doom publishers; it's the books in the middle.

Behind Publishing's Wednesday of the Long Knives -- Publishing's business model simply doesn't work.

Wall Street Journal Says Advertising Recovery Has Begun -- AAlthough there are no numbers to substantiate this claim, it's good news...or a mirage.

Content and the Business
Patricia Cornwell on the Future of Crime Fiction -- Although she considers her part of the cause of the problem, she doesn't like what she sees.

Gender Bias in Fiction? -- Author Michelle Gagnon ponders whether there's more encouragement for male writers.

CNN Launches Site with User-Produced Content -- Outside monitoring for inappropriate content, CNN keeps its hands off ireport.com.

Coping in a Down Economy
Ten Essential Steps to Take before You're Laid Off -- Anyone who's been laid off knows how hopeless it feels. These steps might make the process easier if it happens to you, and might help you avoid it.

Five Ways Web Professionals Should be Proactive in a Recession -- Timely advice for anyone, not just web pros.