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!

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.

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

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

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