Local Publisher Launches Souls Newsletter

BlaschkoBookTom Blaschko of Pine Winds Press/Idyll Arbor (and treasurer of BPNW) is writing a book with the working title We All Have Souls and I Think I Can Prove It. It will have a model of the soul and evidence from a diverse set of areas including scientific research, reincarnation, ghosts, martial arts, energy healing, subtle activism, shamanistic practice, and more. They are all tied together and support the evidence from each other. Religion is mentioned, but it is definitely not a religious book. It’s planned to be out in 2016. Blaschko previously authored Calculating Soul Connections about human relationships.

As part of the writing, Tom is sending out a biweekly newsletter on topics related to souls and the life force. If any of the topics sound interesting, he’d like to have you sign up to receive the newsletter. You can even send in questions you would like answers to.

To sign up go to http://WeAllHaveSouls.com and fill out the newsletter form with your name and email address. You can even click the Facebook Like button for the We All Have Souls page while you’re there.

Parenting Press Uses Pinterest Boards

Parenting Press uses Pinterest boards to help parents and teachers find titles of interest. Their newest Pinterest page shows off its Spanish and bilingual books. Pinterest is a photo-bookmarking platform with a 100 million subscriber base. Among social media advertisers, it is seen as a alternative to Facebook and Twitter. Setting up Pinterest pages is free (for now) and material can be sorted by categories such as Parenting Press has created:

BPNW member Parenting Press shows off Spanish titles on Pinterest

BPNW member Parenting Press shows off Spanish titles on Pinterest

Guest Article: Typesetting. Who Needs It?

by Rosie Gaynor

If your text is long—and if you want it to be read—then chances are it’s going to need some typesetting.

How much?

An easy way to decide how much time and money to devote to typesetting is to consider your choice of printing house and paper stock. For text that is meant to be read, I’d recommend that…

  • The typesetting be as good as or slightly worse than your printer. A bad print job is going degrade your type, so it’s worth paying for good printing.
  • The typesetting be as good as or slightly better than the stock. Good stock cannot cover up bad typesetting. Good typesetting, on the other hand, can help the reader forget a lesser stock. (Bad stock can degrade the type, though, so go for stock that is at least good enough.)

It feels so heartless to do this kind of triage, to engage in lowly budget-based bargaining when books are involved. But our goal is to get the book out the door and into people’s hands without losing our shirts (or hair), so we do the very, very best we can with the resources we have at the moment.

The illustration below shows the difference typesetting can make. (To really see the difference, download the PDF and print it on a good printer.)

BPNWRosieGaynortype

Book designs differ, but usually a good typesetter’s goals look something like this:

  • Word spacing, letter spacing, and line length work together to create lines that read evenly and easily. (It is important to see a print-out of this. An onscreen PDF is not going to show you what you need to see here. Print out the PDF of the sample above and you’ll see for yourself how big a difference it makes to view type printed on paper.)
  • Hallmarks of good typography have been considered, such as curly quotes, hanging quotes, curly apostrophes instead of prime symbols, proper use of hyphens, en-dashes, em-dashes, and real small caps (instead of InDesign’s approximated small caps). Old-style numerals, lining numerals, proportional numerals, and tabular numerals have been used purposefully.

DIY? Maybe.

If you are used to looking carefully at type (say, maybe, you’re an editor?) and if you’re comfortable on the computer, you could probably pull off something like Example #1 above on your own. I did, years ago, before I took design classes.

You’ll need to know the basics of InDesign and you’ll need to have a good feeling for what typeface and type size fits your text block well. If you go this route, I’d highly recommend you take a short class in InDesign (at, say, my favorite: School of Visual Concepts in Seattle) and that you find a copy of Mitchell & Wightman’s Book Typography: A Designer’s Manual. (It’s a gem of a book, content-wise and beauty-wise. Just turning the pages—a Precision fine 130 gsm stock—is an experience!)

Example #2 above? That kind of work takes some training and a really good eye. And it takes time. And dogged patience. Generally speaking, it takes a pro.

If you do hire a typesetter, ask to see a hard copy of a book that s/he has typeset. One page is not enough, as you’ll want to see how s/he managed the awkward paragraphs. (There are always paragraphs that refuse to cooperate.) With that book in hand, you’ll also be able to tell whether s/he had the stamina to make the type look even throughout the entire piece. If you go with a printing company’s in-house typesetter, ask to see a sample book done by the person who will be working on your book. They might fuss a bit, but I’d ask anyway.

How Much Do Typesetters Charge?

Typesetting fees are all over the place. But, like olive oil, cheese, chocolate, and shoes, the cheapest ones are generally not the best. The 2013 Graphic Artists Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines suggests $6–$12 per page for a simply formatted book, like a novel. Figure $900–$1,800 for a 150-page novel.

It’s daunting. I think it helps to consider the printing–stock–typesetting balance. And to go back to the very basics: What makes the most sense for your goals, for your budget, for your preferences, and for your timeline? What’s your gut telling you?

Why bother? Because good typography will set you apart.

Scribes of old knew: Well-drawn pages paid respect to the words and to the author. Eventually, we figured out that well-set pages allowed for easier reading, greater comprehension, and better sales. And we book lovers today still know: When we hold a well-set book in our hands, we are holding a treasure.

We live in a world of typographical atrocities. Alas. But it’s also true that we live in a world of near-perfect typographic masterpieces. Your book will be somewhere on that typographical spectrum. The nice thing is that you get to choose where.

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Rosie Gaynor owns Seattle Scriptorium—the business of beautiful communication. She has worked in the design departments at Tiger Oak Media, Puget Sound Business Journal, and TCS World Travel. She has typeset three books and would love to work with you on yours. She can be reached at rosie[at]seattlescriptorium.com.

Are you a publishing professional or a service for publishers? Would you like to submit an article to Book Publishers Northwest? Email bpnwnews[at]aol.com.

Several Ways To Avoid Formatting Headaches

blankbook_freeimagesOne of the most frequently heard questions at BPNW meetings boils down to “is there an easier way to do all the formats that we need?”  Here’s some suggestions that have popped up recently during meetings or online discussions. We welcome comments about user experience (please keep them polite as well as forthright) and suggestions from those reading the blog.

Smashwords
In Internet years, this site for creating and distributing ebooks to a variety of vendors is practically ancient. Everything is based upon having a manuscript in Microsoft Word and there is no fee for using their “meat grinder” to reformat for various vendors. Instead, Smashwords retains a percentage of the list price for every book sold through their site.

Draft2Digital
This service is used by LostLoves Books and mentioned by a couple of other members as less cumbersome than Smashwords. There are no fees for formatting or distributing an ebook. Draft2Digital handles the conversion from a Word doc and listing on ebook sales sites. They keep about 10% of the retail price whenever a book is sold.

Bookalope
A newer service promising “interactive and smart software tools that help you with the style analysis and the extraction of structured content from your book’s manuscript, with cleaning up and checking the text for many different punctuation and spelling problems, and with generating e-books for different devices and for print.” Fees vary based on quantity. Not currently used by any BPNW members (that we know of) but they have reached out to the group to alert us to their service.

Book Design Templates
For those who like to keep everything in Microsoft Word, this site has a number of templates for purchase that are suitable for creating manuscripts for print-on-demand services like Create Space or Lightning Source. Templates run around $37 for most styles and members who have used this site report that queries about issues receive a quick response.

Canva
This graphic design site has basic templates for ebook covers. Users can upload their own images or purchase stock images for $1.

Lynda.com
This educational service is available for free through the Seattle Public Library and many other institutions or by subscription for as low as $20 per month. Lynda.com provides video tutorials on how to create both print and ebooks by using such popular software as Adobe’s InDesign or Apple’s IBook Author.

Guest Article: Resources for Publishing Success

Posy150headshotby Posy Gering

What resources do you need to overcome the barriers to publishing success? Perhaps, you might identify with one of these:

  • I hate asking people for things
  • I’m not being successful unless I’m being published by a NY publisher
  • I can’t publish because I don’t have reviews or blurbs
  • It seems like none of my pitches are landing … I’m frustrated
  • I write and write and write, but nothing is finished
  • I have piles of ideas about how to market my book, but I never get around to it

April’s meeting was a unique approach to our community – we focused the wisdom of our group to help one another and build community. What we did was talk about some of our current challenges, then, each person had an opportunity to get feedback on one of them. Here is some feedback from attendees about the exercise I offered:

“The Board of Advisers activity allowed me to receive valuable, constructive feedback as a writer in a warm environment with likeminded people,” reflected Dara Bramson. “The activity was especially useful because it encouraged both a dialogue with the writer and board, as well as an opportunity for all participants to listen, process, and express themselves.”

“This exercise went beyond the standard writer critique. It’s interesting to see how the group dynamic is used and how a simple thing, like having the person face away from the people giving advice, helps focus the process.” commented Rosemary Jones.

Dara also commented, “This was my third BPNW meeting, which was especially enriching on a personal level because of Posy’s leadership. Past meetings have been very useful as well and I find BPNW to be an excellent resource for writers and publishers alike.”

I find this exercise particularly useful because it taps into perspectives you might never hear. Those who stepped up with a challenge walked away with fresh, relevant, actionable strategies.

About my approach

I design experiences to include and engage everyone in the room and help them work at the top of their intelligence, together. I help people work more creatively and productively, so they can uncover the unexpected sources of great ideas or to solve seemingly intractable issues.

If you, your team or organization needs new ways to solve persistent challenges, please contact me.

Of course, I’d be happy to do a presentation or brown bag about The Leadership Moment, which I define as how you respond when “stuff” happens. My book, The Next You, Discovering Confidence, Calm and Courage, Now, outlines fifty ways to do it differently.

 

Jusino Heads To Pyrenees

Jusion_digitalcovIndependent publishing consultant and editor Beth Jusino announced in her newsletter that her March 9 “Guide to Getting Published” at UW’s Experimental College will be her last workshop for a few months. In April, she’s off to hike the Camino de Santiago, the ancient pilgrimage trails that run from France to Spain. “It’s taken a long time to work out all the details, but the tickets are finally bought and it’s official,” wrote Jusino, who plans to walk with leave in early April for a three-month, 1,000-mile walk.

While she’s certain that there will be a book after this trip, probably about this trip, she’s taking a break after her March session to prepare for her upcoming hike across the Pyrenees. Jusino will return to Seattle in July, just in time for the Pacific Northwest Writer Association’s annual convention.

Until then, if you can’t make one of her workshops,The Author’s Guide to Marketing (Kindle version) is just 99 cents this week (February 16-23).

Talking About A Career In Words

Book Publishers Northwest member Beth Jusino recently spoke at GeekGirlCon along with Rebecca Brinson and Amanda Vail from the Northwest Independent Editors Guild. In this discussion at a convention for women interested in the future and jobs in technology, their publishing discussion veered toward how Seattle could  change the business model and “blow New York out of the water” in the 21st century:

Jusino Releases The Author’s Guide to Marketing

Like it or not, marketing has become part of every author’s job. But believe it or not, marketing doesn’t have to make you miserable.

That’s the premise behind The Author’s Guide to Marketing recently released by publishing insider and BPNW member Beth Jusino. The Author’s Guide shows ways to move past the one-size-fits-all formulas and over-hyped fads, and concentrates on how to build a strategy that works with an author’s unique time, talents, and resources.

Available in paperback to bookstores everywhere (distributed via Ingram), and in all ebook channels. More information: bethjusino.com/the-authors-guide-to-marketing/

Jusion_digitalcovEarly endorsements from Pacific Northwest authors and professionals provided by the publisher:

“This is a book that will help authors succeed. I love it.” Chip MacGregor, President, MacGregor Literary Agency

“Beth provides a refreshingly candid resource. If you want your new book to do more than simply sit on a shelf (real or digital), The Author’s Guide to Marketing should be required reading.” M.D. Grayson, author of The Danny Logan Mysteries

“”If you’re looking to learn about the reality of marketing your own book, this is the gold standard.” –Paul Jarvis, bestselling author of five books, including The Good Creative

“The Author’s Guide to Marketing cuts through the clanging cymbals of today’s one-size-fits-all marketing advice and points the writer toward a strategy crafted around the author’s own strong suits.” –J.L. Spohr, author of Heirs & Spares: A Novel

Guest Article: Book Cover in a Week, Guaranteed

After hearing about Kelly A. Harmon’s experience with 99Designs, we asked her to tell how the process worked for her book. Here’s her article on the website that lets publishers and independent authors put out bids for a cover design via a “contest” structure.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000039_00001]Where can you go to get dozens–or hundreds–of artists competing for the opportunity to design your book cover? 99Designs. Using 99Designs is safe and guaranteed, and you can have your design in about a week.

I highly recommend it. I interacted with many fantastic artists when I held a design contest for my latest novel. And while I could only pick one to illustrate this work, there are several others I feel I could call upon later to make covers for other books I’m writing. Those introductions are priceless.

The process is simple, you choose from a tiered structure how much money you’re willing to pay for a book cover. Then, you complete a “design brief” which gives the artists some idea of what you’re looking for. You start with a description, but can add links to covers your like or even upload a sketch.

Then, the fun begins: you wait for artists to create your vision, and post them to your design contest web page.
You log in to view the entries, and then you rate them based on your vision of the cover design. Here you have the opportunity to rate the artwork from one to five, leave a written comment, toss a design out of the contest immediately, or choose the winner.

This stage is important, and the feedback you leave is crucial. Don’t just eliminate without a comment. Explain what about the image doesn’t work for you. (And don’t say things like, “This is terrible!” Remember, tastes vary. Instead try a comment like, “Your cover is terrific, but it’s not what I’m looking for. I want a realistic cover rather than a manga style.”)

During my design contest, I eliminated quite a few entries up front. The designs were beautiful, but they didn’t match my vision. In some cases, I just didn’t like the artist’s style. In one instance, the cover art was entirely a woman’s face. It was beautifully done, just not what I wanted.

Once you leave feedback for an artist, he or she will update the cover based on your comments–or drop out. You may find that one cover grabs you right from the beginning. Use your comments to request the artist change little details: the lighting, add a necklace to the woman on the cover, change the color of someone’s clothes, etc.

After three days of back and forth, you must choose finalists. I don’t recommend more than three. Designs will flood in at a rapid pace and you’ll need to take time to rate and comment. This is a really exciting time. You’ll have a pretty good approximation of what your final cover will look like. Do the small tweaking now.

When you’re satisfied, declare a winner. I recommend writing a note on the page to thank all the artists who contributed.

But what if you don’t like any of the designs? I was worried about this, too. Since you’re running the contest, you can decide to run it guaranteed or not guaranteed. If you run it guaranteed, you are promising to choose a finalist and accept the artwork. Or, you can choose to run an unguaranteed contest, and walk away from it at the end if you don’t like any of the art–at no cost to you.

I recommend guaranteeing from the very beginning. You will attract artists who would not otherwise join the contest. I waited two days to guarantee because I didn’t like many of the designs offered and got very few entries. I was really worried. Then, one brave, and extremely talented artist, stepped forward with an awesome design. I guaranteed the project then, and within hours I had over fifty designs to choose from.

In the end, I looked at nearly a hundred different designs. It was exhausting to keep up with, but it was only a week.

Once the artist delivers the files in the format you want them in, you notify 99Designs and the artist is paid. Whew! You have a cover.

And 99Designs is so much more than book covers. Do you need a web site? A Logo? They even do T-Shirt designs.

Will I use the service again? Absolutely.

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Kelly A. Harmon switched from newspaper reporting to writing fiction, which she says is much more exciting but lacks the convenience of doorstep delivery, especially on rainy days. You can find her latest projects at kellyaharmon.com.