Welcome to another edition of the Publishing Watchdog. If you are unfamiliar with who we are and what we do, please take a look through this blog. Today we will be discussing the biggest mistakes most self-published authors make.

1) Publishing books with unprofessional covers-If you use a self-publishing company and decide to pay for them to publish your books, you will get a book cover template. Read our blog on the author who almost spent 7800 with a self-publisher and nearly got a book cover template with a picture found on the clipart section inside of Microsoft Word.
2) Printing books in large quantities without proof they could sell them-Just because you’ve written the book doesn’t mean everybody is automatically going to buy it. This is why marketing while you’re writing is important.
3) Working without an action plan, book coach or project mentor-Go get help from people that have already done it and have done it successfully. Utilize the internet, go to the library or the bookstore. Just make sure you get the tools and the help necessary to make sure your book is known.
4) Not testing your book cover or title, before it is published-This is one of my personal pet peeves. Just because you like the book cover or title and because you will pick it up doesn’t mean the majority will. Of course, you’ll pick it up because you wrote it, but book sales isn’t about you, it’s about your fans. Ask a group of people from your job, your club, your neighbors, even your enemies if they would pick up the book cover and if the majority say no, then change the book cover. Better yet, ask a bunch of children. Children are brutally honest, even when adults aren’t. If neither the title or the book cover don’t work for people, get over yourself and change it.
5) Waiting until the book is printed before marketing it-(Another pet peeve of mine! I think this is the top of the list of my pet peeves. Nobody cares that you have written a book. They don’t care because chances are they are writing one too. If you want people to care about your characters, your story, you have to make them care from the beginning. I have done so many surveys and focus groups on this, and everyone says the same thing-they don’t care that you’ve written the book after it’s out, they want to know about the book while you’re writing it. Take an example from the big publishing houses, they take 18 months to publish a book because they spend 18 months promoting it. They spend 18 months promoting it while it is going through the editing and rewrite process. Introduce people to your characters while you’re writing, get them excited. Let me say this again-NOBODY CARES THAT YOU’VE WRITTEN A BOOK! NOT EVEN YOUR MOTHER. YOU WANT PEOPLE TO CARE, YOU MAKE THEM CARE AND YOU DO THAT FROM THE BEGINNING, NOT THE END!
6) Pricing the book too high or too low based on what you think it should sell for-Do not be afraid to price the book correctly. Look at what the standard market rate for a book is in your genre and price it accordingly. Too many writers under price because they think that people won’t buy their book and they believe that the industry standard is too high. Other writers, price too high because they think they’ve written something as expensive as a pot of gold. There is a reason why books are priced the way they are: most people will buy at that price. Put your fear or your cockiness aside and be smart with the pricing of your book. If you don’t you’ll only end up hurting yourself, because the publisher or the bookseller is going to make their profit, the problem is you making yours.
7) Self-publishing and naming their publishing company after themselves-(John Doe Publishing Company) To name a company after yourself is a dumb idea. I didn’t say using initials like JD Publishing Company, but actually using a name. Names are as common as body parts and using your name does not make you stand out or make anyone remember you. How many brands do you know, can you name, that are famous with a name of an actual person? My point exactly.
Assuming you know where your book sales will come from-Just because your mother, father or aunt claim they will buy your book doesn’t guarantee that they will. Assume they won’t and get a marketing and sales plan together, ensuring that you will actually get some sales from people other than your family members.
9) Not thinking of a product line to sell in addition to your books- Most writers don’t get rich off their books. The authors who do best have product lines in addition to their books. This means workbooks, dvd’s, coloring books, etc. to sell in addition to their books. Adding product lines to your books, makes your books more valuable or at least seem that way. Also, sometimes people don’t want ot buy the book but want to buy the book products. This is still revenue for you and still helps get your name out there.
10) Solely relying on one marketing model to sell your books-Sadly, most authors aren’t versatile and don’t know how to hit the market from every angle. They either rely on just word of mouth marketing, or just online marketing. They don’t utilize different marketing sources to help market their books, which only hinders getting their name out instead of helping to market it out. Every writer needs to be marketing their books at least 5 times a day, and you can’t do that utilizing just one marketing model, several different kinds are needed.
This is it for Part 1, stay tuned for Part 2.
Until the next time!
The Publishing Watchdog

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Welcome to another edition of the Publishing Watchdog. If you aren’t sure what we do, please take a look through our blog as well as visit our website: www.zlspublishing.com

It is often said that the book publishing business is often like the music business. If that is the case, then writers need to think like Independent music artist and market at a minimum 10 times a day and take their books everywhere they go. If you look closely at the history of some of the Independent music rap artist such as Chamillionaire, No Limit Soldiers, etc. These individuals and groups believed they had viable music that could do well and so they carried their music with them everywhere they went and sold it everywhere they went. If they went to the grocery store, they had music with them. Even if they walked to the corner store, they had a few cd’s in their pocket. This tenacity allowed them to become known and to do well in sells. They got such a buzz in the streets that they were either picked up by a major label or sold enough records to get them some space, in which they could start their own Independent record labels.

The same tenacity needs to be done with writers. Everywhere you go you need to have your books with you. Books, customized book bags and maybe even pens. Carrying your books with packaged items such as pens and customized book bags serve dual purposes: 1) you can pull out the customized pen (which people always need) to autograph or write down important information; 2) You can put your book in a bag customized with your book cover information on it. You always want to make sure you have a bag for someone because you never know when they’ll need another bag.

As a writer, it is your responsibility to plan for the unplanned opportunities. Whether you’re shopping, paying a bill, or just taking a walk, you must have a few copies of your book on hand along with your bags and pens. If you go out 10 times a day, you are to carry a book with you all 10 times of the day. Carrying these items allows you to present a visual to impress upon someone that you are an author. Talking about being an author is impressive to most people because it looks as if you’re famous and even accomplished. If you take a look at how local people react to local musicians and how they drool over them, it’s mainly because they seem famous. You’ll be surprised how many people will go “Wow” when you hand them your book package. They may even ask to buy two or three, ask more information about you, or even ask you to come and speak. You never know who you’ll meet, but you have to be prepared. Musicians aren’t scared to walk up to someone and tell them about their music or sell them out the trunk of their cars, and neither should a writer. If you don’t tell them, you can’t expect them to know.

10 times a day isn’t a lot when you think about it. You do more than 10 activities in a day, so trying to reach at least 10 people a day is minute. It’s easy to start off with, “What do you do for a living?” You’ll be surprised how many conversations start off and continue with this very easy question. For those of you who are shy out there, you don’t have to think of anything complicated. Just asking this simple questions can encourage a conversation about you without sounding like a saleperson.

People are fascinated with talking to a real life author with a real book in their hands. Having a book in your hand gets the potential buyer excited. It’s fun for them and should be fun for you, as you get to talk about yourself and your book. Marketing is getting people to know you, but more importantly remember you. You have to be ready to have people know you at least 10 times a day and you have to be remembered. Carrying customized book products in addition to your book ensures that you are remembered, and that is important when trying to market your books.

Until the next time!
The Publishing Watchdog

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Welcome back to another edition of-What You Should Get For Your Self-Publishing Dollars-Part 3. Today we are discussing the number of books that the writer should receive when using a self-publishing company. If you’ve been following this series so far, then you know about thecli ent that I had in here recently who was considering publishing with another publishing house. For almost $8,000, they were about to get the following services:
1) The service that allowed them to give up all rights to their book
2) Template designed book covers
and now….
3) They want to only provide them with 25 books

Maybe it’s just me! Maybe i’m the crazy one, but if I’m about to spend nearly $8,000, I better get more than 25 books, I better get at least 100 books. The other kicker for me though is that if they want to buy more books, they can at half the cover price.
What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You just got nearly $8,000 of my money and you still want me to spend more money! That’s crazy! Let’s look at it another way:
I know that when I go shopping at Walmart that $78 gets me a whole shopping cart full of stuff. I can only imagine how many carts I could fill for $7800. It absolutely boggles my mind how writers just accept this and spend money with publishing companies who have these standards. These publishing companies provide so little books for so much money. They do it because they know that most writers accept this as the standard and are so desperate to publish their books, that they will take any amount of books offered to them, regardless of how small or large the quantity.
Let’s do a little math:
312*25=$7800
an average book is $15 paperback, $20 hardcover
100 books*$15=$1500
200 books *$15=$3000
300 books*15=$4500
So on average, if you’re going to spend over $3000 to get a book published, you should get at a minimum 100 books and that’s if the publisher is charging you full price for those 100 books. Sadly, there are so many greedy self-publishers that only want to give you so few books because they are afraid that if they give you more and you sell them, that they won’t make a profit. If they give you 100 books and you sell those 100 books, not give them away but sell them, then that’s all money in your pocket and less in theirs. They figure if they give you a few books, then you’ll come back for more. They also figure that you’re not going to sell those 25 books, that your only going to give them away, so they think that they are doing you a favor in providing you with 25 books to give away. 25 books that you already paid for, so it’s not a favor, but you also paid for those 100 as well, but you’re not getting those.
The other issue is that some of these publishing companies also don’t believe in what the author has written. They publish for the sake of publishing and don’t publish the books because they think they are going to do well. In addition, because most writers don’t have marketing plans, these publishers highly doubt that an author has the capabilities of selling 100 books, let along the 25 they are being given. Thankfully, there are some self-publishing companies out there who are more honest than others and will truly give you your moneys worth. They may or may not care if you sell 25 books or 100 books but they will give you what you deserve for the money you paid, and have faith that you will selll all your books, regardless of the number.
As is always-Author Beware! Do your research and stay away from those publishing companies who are only out to get your money and provide you with 1) few books, 2) book templates, and 3) keep your rights. As I always so-Your baby deserves better than that!
Until the next one!

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If you are author, how would your customer define your brand?

What words would customers use to describe you as an author?

Steven King’s brand is horror.

Danielle Steel’s is romance.

Suze Orman’s is finance.

Joel Olsteen’s is religion.

It is important to remember that as an author, the key to your success is to have a brand for yourself. You must have  a brand for yourself before you can market your work.  Branding first, marketing second, that is the golden rule.  Branding is what the customer thinks about you, not what you think about yourself.  Creating a brand is hard for new authors because they don’t know how to brand, what to brand, or are too close to their story.

If you were too pass away today or tomorrow and you are an author, what would you like to be said about your work? This month, we will discuss branding for authors and hope, like everything else we do, will help you become a better author, but more importantly, a better brand!

ZLS Publishing

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ZLS’s had it’s 1st of the year Poetry Event on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at the Downbeat Jazz Cafe, located downtown Albany, NY. Our many thanks to the poets, observers as well as a few of the following businesses for making this event a great event:

Kaybond Enterprises

Downbeat Jazz Cafe

Hollywood Hustle TV

Citizens Bank

Hudson Valley Community College

AJEMM Brothers Greeting Card Company

College of Saint Rose

Urban Guerilla Theatre

DJ Dillon DJ Services

Cash Central

just to name a few of the companies there who helped us out by donating their time, money and services….

We could go on and on naming all the companies that donated and participated in making this event a great success but instead we’ll say-Thank You.

We look forward to the next event, February 20, 2010-7pm-9pm at Larks Tavern.

We look forward to seeing you all there and thanks again!

ZLS Publishing

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So You Think You’re A Poet? Show It!

ZLS Publishing will be hosting it’s 1st of the year Poetry Slam/Fundraiser to help Habitat for Humanities so that they may help those in Haiti. The fundraiser/poetry slam will be at the Downbeat Jazz Cafe on Madison Avenue. The cost will be $20 but performers get in free and are asked to donate to Habitat for Humanities. Those looking to perform must sign up early as space is limited. Performers may sign up at 7:30pm and the show starts at 8pm. The slam will go from 8pm-10pm. There will be cash prizes and a raffle. For more information call Lishone’ Bowsky, CEO of ZLS Publishing-www.zlspublishing.com-518-265-5926. The show will be this upcoming Saturday, January 23, 2010.

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ZLS Publishing is proud to announce that they have been named-Business of the Month by the writers magazine-From A Writers Point of View. To read the article and find out more about this writers magazine click here:
http://http://fromawriterspovmagazine.com/issue/january-2010/article/business-owner-of-the-month

Yes!

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Have you had a book published? If yes, that means you have a book cover. How about having that book cover laminated on a wooden plaque with engraving options that say things like:

(Option 1)-Bestselling Author – 5,000+ Books Sold + your name

(Option 2)-Bestselling Author – 2,500+ Books Sold + your name

(Option 3)-Superb Bookselling – 1,000+ Books Sold+ your name

(Option 4)-Gold Book Status – 500+ Books Sold + your name

(Option 5)-Author Extrordinnaire-100+ Books Sold + your name

(Option 6)-Award Winning Author-(Insert the name of the award) + name

Wooden plaques coming in the following colors:

Walnut

White

Blue

Black

Red

Green

Burl

Oak

Mahogany

Wooden plaques come in the following sizes:

8*10, 10*13, 12*14, 16*20, 18 *24.

Why would you order a plaque with your book cover on it?

1) To be used and shown during your book signings.

2) Picture of your plaque to be placed on your website.

3) To give as Holiday gifts to authors or family members you know.

4) To be used and shown during your speaking engagements.

5) Use as part of your overall book marketing package.

Book Cover Plaques come with Free Lamination and can be delivered within 7-10 days after order is placed and payment is cleared.

Show off the hard work that you’ve done. Treat yourself to an Customized Author Plaque, you deserve it!

All payments are made secure, and we even accept paypal.

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Being a publisher is not an easy task, for so many reasons: choosing the right manuscript; hoping the right one didn’t get away, dealing with printers, author personalities, employee personalities, book publishing politics, etc., etc. So many people talk and write about publishing being a business and publishers being in it just to make a dollar and not for the love of books.
That may indeed be the case for many publishers, and maybe because I’m small, I’m nieve, but for me and my company, it is first the love, then the money. I have two Masters Degrees, I could be doing anything, but I choose to do this or maybe it choose me. Publishing books is stressful and definitely not easy to get rich with, and as far as I’m concerned, if you’re not doing it for the love first, you shouldn’t be doing it at all. I love books. I love where they take you. I love what they do for you and to you. Books saved me as a kid.
I grew up in foster care and to get away from the daily madness going on in my life, I read and I wrote. There are plenty of things I could be doing, but this is what I’m meant to do. Publishing for me is giving some child or some adult the opportunity to get away from it all, even for a few minutes. It’s for me, providing someone the ability to have a book teach you, take you away, make you feel special even when other people don’t believe it, and feel as if you are a part of the story you are reading. It allows me to publish a book that will save that one child, that one adult from their own fears and maybe, even their reality.
Being a publisher is a powerful thing, that one should never take lightly. The books one chooses has a profound effect on the individual/s that read the books, chosen by the publisher. Sadly, so many publishers have lost touch with this reality and are publishing for the sake of publishing, not thinking of the effect that the books they choose will have on the readers who buy these books.
If there is ever a day, a moment, a time, where I question if this is what I’m meant to do, I meet with clients like the one I had today. I’m working with a local school to publish a book written by the kids. The principal and the coordinator I’m working with, both said to me, “Lishone’ we believe in you. We believe in your company. We believe in what you can do.” I can’t speak for any other publisher, but for me, those words are powerful. I grew up in a foster care enviornment where I didn’t trust anyone, and they probably didn’t trust me. I often heard that I’d be nothing or I’d be a drug addict like my mother, an alcoholic like my father or a teenage mother stuck on welfare. Trust and belief are big deals for me and things I don’t take likely.
2010 is going to be the year of trust and belief, as all of my writers have books coming out in 2010. They trust me. They trust my company. I’m glad. I’m proud of that, because I believe they should. I love and believe in what I do everyday. I wouldn’t change it for anything, despite any of the stress. I believe in the power of a book, I believe in what books can do for each and every individual. I have a daughter who willl one day own this company and who loves to read like I do. I want every book chosen by me, to be something that she and others would love to read, not just today, but yesterday, and in the months and years ahead.
Publishing is not something I take lightly. I’m meant to do this and I’m glad. My authors trust me and I’m glad. My goal is to ensure that the readers trust me. Publishing has lost that somewhat. Readers are trusting publishers less. They are no longer trusting the quality that comes out of these companies. It is time for that to change. I am far from nieve: I don’t believe I can change an industry, but I do believe I can place a dent in it, even if it’s a small one. As the old proverb says, “little things have big impacts.” We believe in making impacts, because that’s what books do, that’s what we do.

Until the next time!
ZLS Publishing, LLC
CEO, Lishone’ Bowsky
www.zlspublishing.com
www.zlspublishing.com/shop

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Showing off your book covers is vital.

1) Studies show that customers who get customized products from companies or individuals go back to that company or individuals several times.
2) They build author awareness as well as author royalty.
3) No other author will have the same book cover on their product. When a customer sees your book cover and your name your book is improved in their mind.
4) Customized products are very easy to create, so they can be simply integrated into your book marketing plan. They can also be easily distributed to your customers, which makes it almost effortless to spread your brand image.
5) For every person who sees your book cover on that product, you receive plenty of free advertising. Just think how many people walk past your customer. Your book covered product could be advertising your book theme. Your customized book cover product is your persisistent, silent salesman.
6) By giving your customer a free product with their purchase of your book, you are adding an extra benefit to their purchase. The perceived value of the book is much highter than its actual cost. This increases customer loyalty.
7) The more people that have your customized book cover product, the better.
You can display your author website and other book information on that product.
9) With a customer author product you can place your book cover or words to give customers more info about you.
10) We are the only company providing customized author products for authors looking to expand their book market.
11) It’s a great addition or solution to your book marketing plan.

To find out how to get customized book products and get your book cover placed on your products. Go to: www.zlspublishing.com/shop

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Welcome to another edition of the Publishing Watchdog. If you aren’t familiar with what we do, please take a look through our blog. Now onto the topic of the day…..

Why You Should Have Customized Book Products

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. Why is that? Because the ability to quickly visualize the details in a graphic way is a much more efficient way to process what’s being communicated. Today’s writer takes lots of time to write, edit and find the right publishing solution to get their book out there. The smart writer wants to ensure they have all the tools necessary to ensure book sales success.

Everyday, thousands of books are publisherd, the lucky ones make the bookstore shelves. The advantage of customized book products is that you have a customized product that speaks visually to your dream. It shows not once, twice, three times, but continously. Everytime that customer goes to the grocer store with your book cover on that bag, or write with your book covered pen, they’ll think, remember and tell their friends about you.

Being a new writer, it is your responsibility to market your book. Marketing is about growing a fan base and keeping that fan base. You keep that fan base by staying rememberd. Yes, they’ll buy your book, but that book will go on the shelves, and until your next book comes out you may not be remembered. You can ensure you are remembered and stay remembered by giving your customers products that they will remember you by. These customized products include products with your book logo on it as well as products they use on a regular basis such as: pens, pencils, totebags, etc. If they have children-crayons, pencils, pens, notebook.

There are hundreds of authors out there, but thousands more customers. Give those customers somethin to remember you buy in addition to your book. Doing nothing makes you look like every other author, but it doesn’t separate you from the others, and being a new writer trying to get your name out requires you to stand out from the crowd.

Find out how to submit your book cover with the leading and #1 Customized Author Customizing Store and get the products that not only get you remembered, but keep you remembered by visiting: www.zlspublishing.com/shop.

Until next time!

The Publishing Watchdog!

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