Sweetly put

Over at Editorial Ass (assistant), another indispensible tip in the vein of ‘How Important Is Your Book, or, Top Ten Ways to Blow a Book Deal #4’:

“Publishing is a funny industry, since there is so much (fairly artificial) prestige attached to so many facets of the business. Meanwhile, it's also a creative industry, in which everyone involved, from author to agent to editor to cover designer to marketer, has invested energy and intellectual capital. Everything is subjective and not easily quantified with dollar signs, which means we measure our successes on softer, less tangible indexes. Pride and egos, therefore, are at stake in a way they are not elsewhere. We all should tread with a light step.”

More on this later.

Phenix & Phenix interviews Raz Godelnik, Co-founder and CEO of Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris is a great green business dedicated to making the publishing industry more environmentally friendly. They are proponents of "sustainable reading" and their mission is perhaps best summed up by their tag line: "Every book you read was once a tree. Now you can plant a tree for every book you read". Raz was kind enough to let us grill him about green efforts in the publishing industry:

Q: So, what is Eco-Libris? What do you mean by “sustainable reading”?
A: Eco-Libris is a green business that works with book readers, publishers, writers, bookstores, and others in the book industry to balance out the paper used for books by planting trees. About 20 million trees are cut down annually for virgin paper to be used for the production of books sold in the U.S. alone. Eco-Libris raises awareness to the environmental impacts of using paper for the production of books and provides book lovers with a simple way to do something about it: plant a tree for every book they read.

Sustainable reading, as we see it, is when books won’t have environmental impacts and that the process of their production will be done in a manner that can be maintained indefinitely without endangering our natural resources base. This is definitely far from the state we have today, when so many trees - one of the most precious natural resources, are being cut to sustain the growth of the book industry, not to mention the energy consumed in the process and the pollution it produces. In Eco-Libris, we offer the first step to make reading more sustainable. We believe it is of the outmost importance to emphasize the direct connection between the paper consumed in the industry to the trees that are being cut down, and we offer a direct action.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the organization?
A: For me it all started when I was thinking about paper and the environmental impacts of its production. I realized that it might take a while to get to the point where eco-friendly alternatives (such as the use of recycled paper) will replace virgin paper. Then, I talked with some friends about the idea of giving people the opportunity to balance out their paper consumption by planting trees and received good feedbacks about the idea.

The decision to focus on books was made after learning that only less than 10% of the paper used for printing books is made of recycled paper and because most books don’t have yet an online eco-friendly alternative, like magazines and newspapers. So, if you want a book, you usually can’t avoid purchasing the paper-made version. You also can’t tell people to stop reading books, because books are such a wonderful thing and an important part of our life, so it seemed to me only natural to offer book lovers a new alternative to make their reading greener--planting trees for the books they read.

Q: Just how much paper is used annually to print books?
A: According to the Environmental Trends and Climate Impacts Report that was published this week by The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) and Green Press Initiative (GPI) more than 1.5 million metric tons of paper are used annually for producing books in the U.S. In terms of trees, we talk about 20 million trees, if not more, that are cut down to produce the paper.

Q: Is it enough to print books on recycled paper? What is a “certified forest” with reference to “virgin paper”?
A: Shifting to using of recycled paper is not the only step that should be taken, but it’s probably the most important one. Not only that you contribute by taking this step to cutting down less trees, you also support the fight against global warming – let’s not forget that deforestation, because of the release to the atmosphere of the carbon that is stored in trees, now accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

If any virgin paper content is still used for printing, using paper that is coming from certified forests is very much recommended. There are few certification programs and the best one is considered to be the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Using paper with FSC certification ensures that paper does not originate from trees in endangered forests, that the forests it is derived from were not converted to single-species tree farms after harvest, that the biodiversity and the resilience of ecosystems is maintained, that concerns of indigenous and local communities are integrated into the forest plans, etc.

Q: Would you say that the publishing industry has been an “un-environmentally friendly” organization in years past?
A: Let’s start with the good news - you can see a change in the publishing industry in the last couple of years, especially ever since Random House announced in May 2006 that it will raise the proportion of recycled paper it uses to at least 30% by 2010 from under 3% at the time of the announcement. We see more publishers involved in green initiatives and there are around 150 publishers that signed a treatise initiated by the Green Press Initiative, which supports more use of recycled paper and FSC-certified paper.

Yet, there is still a lot more to be done since the starting point of the industry is very far from being sustainable. The book industry (and it is the same with many other industries) didn’t deal with its environmental impacts for many years. Now it starts this process, but I really would like to see it moving faster and greener. We know many eco-conscious readers are looking forward to that.

Q: Where are the purchased trees planted?
A: Eco-Libris partnered with three highly respected U.S. and U.K. registered non-profit organizations (http://www.ecolibris.net/partners.asp) that work in collaboration with local communities in developing countries to plant these trees. These trees are planted in high ecological and sustainable standards in Latin America (Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Belize, and Honduras) and Africa (Malawi) where deforestation is a crucial problem. Planting trees in these places not only helps to fight climate change and conserve soil and water, but also benefits many local people, for whom these trees offer many benefits, such as improvement of crops and additional food and income, and an opportunity for a better future.

Q: What can publishers, authors and literary publicists do to participate in the cause?
A: There are many ways to collaborate with us. Here are few examples - Kedzie Press, an independent publisher out of Seattle are using the Eco-Libris logo on their new books' cover design and pledged to plant a million trees with us by the end of 2009, Process Media from LA plant a tree with us for every book they sell on their website, Authors like Mira Tweti and Mary Kearns offered our stickers at launch and signing events of their books, planting a tree for every book sold. We will be happy to speak with anyone in the industry that want to go green – to receive further information just send us an email to bd[at]ecolibris[dot]net.

Q: What results have you seen from participation in this program?
A: Within only 8 months of operations we have balanced out more than 24,000 books which results in more than 31,500 new trees being planted! This is really great and we’re very proud in that, but it’s only the beginning and we intend to keep working hard to meet our goal: balancing out 500,000 books by the end of the year.

Besides that, we managed to raise awareness to these issues within authors, bookstores, online communities of readers and many others that collaborate with us. We feel that we help to increase the understanding to the need to go green both on the demand and supply sides of the industry and even more important – drive them into action.

Q: What advancements in environmentally friendly technology are you most excited about right now in the publishing industry?
A: I am very excited from the work on producing synthetic paper in a cradle to cradle manner, just like the book ‘Cradle to Cradle’ itself. As the authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart explain in the book, it is made from plastic resins and inorganic fillers – it’s waterproof, extremely durable and recyclable by conventional means. Above all – it can be broken down and circulated infinitely in industrial cycles made and remade as paper and other products. In other words: sustainable.

Q: What other environmentally friendly suggestions do you have for readers? Do you have any tips for industry professionals like P&P?
A: For eco-conscious readers there are many steps that can be taken to go green such as:

• Joining the local library.
• Frequent more used book stores. It's cheaper and much more sustainable.
• Support book publishers who print on recycled paper.
• Check out bookmooch.com for worldwide book swapping.
  
• And support book publishers and writers who partner with Eco-Libris (you can see a list on this page: http://www.ecolibris.net/business_opp.asp)
  

Industry professionals can also take many steps to green their operations and business–starting from reducing the energy consumption and paper use in the office to greening their purchases and buying locally. When you buy recycled paper or envelopes made of recycled paper–look for local businesses that sell it and support them. From my experience, as members of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia that buy our office supplies from a local green business, not only that it’s better for the environment and supports the local economy, it’s even cheaper.

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For more information on Eco-Libris, please visit their website. To check out our thoughts on going green, please visit the Eco-Libris blog. Many thanks to Raz Godelnik and the folks at Eco-Libris!

Publicity Q&A

One of our blog readers sent us a question Friday:

Dear Ms. Andrews--

I'm enjoying your blogs. I'm trying to avoid the POD/subsidy publisher thing. What are my options?

Martin MM

Thanks for the note, Martin. This is a popular question among authors that contact our firm.

Finding the right publisher for your book is extremely important, so kudos to you for doing your research before inking a deal. I’ll start off with a little bit of industry background to get all our readers on the same page.

Print-on-Demand (POD) is a publishing method that has proliferated over the last ten years or so. Books are printed one at a time, as ordered. They are not stored in warehouses and have very limited distribution, mainly through online outlets and special order. No matter what the publisher tells you, it’s very rare to see a POD book sitting on the shelves of Barnes & Noble or Borders stores outside of an author’s local area.

When you’re deciding on a publisher, it’s important to determine your goals first. If you’d just like to have your book available through online outlets and “back of the room” sales or if you just want to sell a few copies to family and friends, POD might actually be a good option for you. In those cases, having solid distribution really doesn’t matter and POD publishing allows you to keep your up-front expenses low. Plus, you’ll be able save yourself the time and energy of trying to find an agent and you’ll be able to see your name in print more quickly. But, beware! Typically the overall quality of POD books leaves a lot to be desired (I have talked to many, many POD authors that were very unsatisfied with the final design of their book) and there are many POD publishers that do not have the best interests of their authors at heart. As a publicity firm, we tend to shy away from publicizing most POD books because of the lack of quality.

A large number of our clients are published through large houses like Thomas Nelson, St. Martin’s Press, Zondervan and others. We enjoy working with these books because they are well-designed, well-distributed and are written by authors with impressive credentials. The first step toward getting your book placed with a top publisher like these is finding a quality agent. I always point writers who are searching for tips on finding an agent to Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware , who blogs frequently about how new authors can find a top-notch agent. Searching for an agent requires the same type of research and precision that a publicist uses when targeting media outlets for a book.

Things to remember when looking for a good agent include:

• Don’t query agents that don’t rep books from your genre

• Pay close attention to the agency’s submission guidelines

• Be patient…finding a good agent can take time (i.e. don’t hound them!)

• Be wary of any agent that asks for $ up front or recommends paid editing services as a precursor to signing with them.

• If you have a personal connection or met them at a conference where they requested more information, make that clear in the subject line of your email.

Two good places to start looking for an agent are: agentquery.com and agentresearch.com.

If you decide to pursue self or independent publishing, there are a few quality companies to look at. Our sister company, BookPros, has established relationships with quality distributors like Biblio, Ingram, Baker & Taylor and even National Book Network. Going this direction is going to be much more expensive than POD, but as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Although there are no guarantees that you’ll sell thousands of copies, if you want a quality book with solid distribution and a national publicity campaign (provided by P&P), they are going to be your best bet. They also sport a proven track record of success, several awards for design and many satisfied clients.

Thanks again for the great question, Martin! If any of you other readers have publishing or publicity queries, please feel free to send us an e-mail or leave us a comment.

Get the stars to shine for your book; hats off to Madeleine L'Engle

Get the stars to shine for your book
There’s been some rumbling in the news this week about Oprah’s not-so-clandestine endorsement of Democratic candidate Barack Obama for president in ’08. This endorsement has made headlines because a) Oprah’s never endorsed a political candidate before and b) everything Oprah touches turns to gold. Pundits and political talking heads are speculating how this endorsement is going to enhance Obama’s campaign. In the past, political endorsements from Hollywood have failed to make any measurable impact at the polls. However, Oprah typically is not seen by the public as a member of the ultra-liberal Hollywood set. She’s less radical than Sean Penn or Susan Sarandon, and therefore connects with a broader range of people.

Having Oprah in his corner just might be exactly what Obama needs to court at least some of the women’s vote from Hilary Clinton. In an interview with CNN, USC communications professor Marty Kaplan stated, “People buy books when she tells them to. They will watch her shows, and buy her magazines when she asks them to. So the question is: are enough of them willing to follow her lead not with a consumer good, but with a ballot cast?”

Obama hit a homerun with this endorsement because it boosted his credibility with a segment of the market that trusts Oprah’s insight. The same principle applies when searching for endorsements for your book. As you think about potential endorsements for your book, think about the demographic and market segments to which you want to appeal. This is especially true for first-time or unknown authors.

As an example, NavPress just released Ian Cron’s debut novel, Chasing Francis. The book has already generated much discussion and buzz in the emergent community. Author and postmodern leader Brian McLaren called Chasing Francis “a unique and meaningful contribution to the emerging conversation about faith and life in today's world.” Makoto Fujimura, world renowned contemporary artist and founder of the International Arts Movement, says he now finds himself “chasing Francis” in his life and art. Other well-known authors endorsing the book include Brennan Manning, Dr. Tony Campolo and Father Richard Rohr—all leaders in the emerging church community, a market where Chasing Francis is sure to have the most resonance.

Not every author or politician will be lucky enough to get backing from Oprah’s empire or a praise-worthy quote from a well-established author. But remember, the media take quality endorsements very seriously (as does the buying public), so it’s well worth it to spend the time seeking endorsements before your book hits the market.

Hats off to Madeleine L’Engle
I’m a day or two late in mentioning this, but novelist Madeleine L’Engle passed away this weekend at the age of 88. She was best known for her novel for young adults, A Wrinkle in Time, which was first published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in 1962 after being rejected, in the words of L’Engle, “at least 26 times.” The novel subsequently became a Newberry Medal winner and a source of entertainment for generations. A Wrinkle in Time was one of the first “big kid” books I ever read. My mom bought it for me for Christmas one year, as it was one of her personal favorites growing up. The book’s beloved protagonist, Meg Murry, instantly became one of my heroes (possibly because we both wore dorky glasses), and the novel remains one of my all-time favorites. L’Engle’s work paved the way for many sci-fi and fantasy authors, including J.K. Rowling and Katherine Patterson – whose careers in young adult literature wouldn’t be what it is today without A Wrinkle in Time.

The New York Times sums it up best here. (Registration may be required.)

Oprah Winfrey & Barack Obama photo courtesy National Ledger

Securing print coverage beyond book reviewers

When many authors think of print coverage they think of book reviews. While it’s true book reviews provide great visibility for your book (especially trade reviews), it’s important to remember that opportunities for print coverage go far beyond the Sunday review section.

This week Nancy Rue (www.nancyrue.com) was used as a source in a Chicago Tribune article titled, “The right way to talk about fallen stars,” on July 29. Rue has authored many books for tweens and teens, including upcoming FaithGirlz! releases Body Talk and Girl Politics: Friends, Cliques and Really Mean Chicks (Zonderkidz/HarperCollins, September 2007). Rue’s mention in the Chicago Tribune is a great example of how an author can rely on their professional credentials to secure media opportunities beyond book reviews.

It’s no secret that space for book reviews is slowly disappearing in major print outlets around the country. Some papers are getting rid of their book reviewers entirely (such as the Atlanta Journal Constitution) while others are increasingly relying on wire services for their reviews. Though many within the book industry are understandably upset with this trend, as publicists it just means that we have to get more creative with our pitch angles. We do this by thinking of ways to tie an author’s area of expertise to the stories that newspapers and magazines are looking to cover. Instead of focusing solely on the book, our publicity team will be pitching Rue as an expert source to comment on issues related to tween and teen girls – in this case, the lack of young female role models in Hollywood.

How can you apply these principles to your release? Have you thought about promoting your expertise on topics related to your book in addition to promoting the book itself? If not, you should. Sometimes being quoted as a source in an article can be just as visible as a book review. What’s more, if a reporter feels you’re a source they can trust, they will often keep you in their “expert file” of contacts for future stories. A number of clients we worked with years ago still get calls to comment on stories related to their expertise.

When major print outlets use you as a source they establish credibility, build your platform and encourage readers to find out more about you and your latest projects. If a media opportunity arises that doesn’t seem directly related to your book, don’t say “no, thanks” right away. It’s a way to get your foot in the door and presents an opportunity to plug your book.

Think outside the box:

•What are your credentials?
As literary publicists, we have to try to think beyond the book. It’s just the nature of this business. In fact, any good publicity firm will use author credentials as a major factor in their decision to represent a book. So, what academic degrees do you have? What companies have you consulted in the past? Are you a CPA? Worked with high-risk kids for 20 years? Do you have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do? Involved in any charitable organizations? How do these different experiences relate back to your book?

•What’s everyone talking about?
Lindsay Lohan’s latest fumble opened up an opportunity for Nancy Rue to be used as a source in the Chicago Tribune article. Have you heard anything going on the news lately that relates to your book or professional credentials? Do you feel confident that you could say something pertinent about it? What comments and ideas can you bring to the debate that differs from competing expert sources? If you are currently writing your book, practice connecting your message to breaking news over the next few months—it will pay off once your book releases.

•What news cycles are coming up?
The media operates according to editorial calendars that are used year after year. Though breaking news trumps seasonal stories, you can bet certain topics will be covered by print outlets around the country this fall. Think about ways that you can plug your message into these seasonal news cycles. A few of the seasonal stories that will be covered over the next several months include back-to-school preparation (August), Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October) and the most sought-after news cycle for authors: Holiday Season, which includes a wide variety of potential hooks, from weight-loss to family-focused/human-interest opportunities.

It's a great week not to be a celebrity publicist.

It’s a great week not to be a celebrity publicist. A really great week. In fact, our staff breathed a collective sigh of relief that we don’t work with celebrities—at least not unless they’ve written a book. In case you didn’t hear, actress Lindsay Lohan was arrested Monday for the second time in a month, suspected of drunken driving and cocaine possession. It’s safe to say that Lohan’s publicist and damage-control extraordinaire, Leslie Sloane Zelnick, has her work cut out for her. We’re just glad that we’re not the ones answering the phones.

Thankfully as literary publicists we get to carefully review books before we make the decision to take them on. We have two sets of clients: the authors and publishers we represent and the media contacts that we have built relationships with over the past 13 years. Each month we review books submitted to us and select those titles that have the best opportunity to reach major media. In addition to evaluating the book’s media potential, we have to make sure we’re comfortable with the credentials, expectations and personality of the author. The bottom line is that we have to be confident attaching our name to someone we will eventually offer to the media as an expert source or guest opportunity. Each time our authors go on the air, we put our reputation on the line. If the author blows an interview or doesn’t live up to our pitch, the media outlet might think twice before booking with us again.

Sure, authors slip up. They’re only human. But the flub-level of recent A-list celebrities is on a much grander scale. As literary publicists, we’re happy to know that when we come into work each morning, there’s nothing that will require us to go on heavy-duty, Lohan-fueled spin control. Good luck Zelnick, you’re going to need it.

P&P Attends ICRS in Atlanta

Stephanie Mayabb (P&P's media relations manager) and I returned from the International Christian Retail Show in Atlanta a few weeks ago and I'm finally getting around to posting a recap. We complement Book Expo America every summer by heading to ICRS to meet with current clients, sit down with media contacts and take a pulse of fall titles from the country's largest Christian publishers.

Though we handle both CBA and ABA titles, we have worked very hard to establish relationships within the CBA that I truly value. As publicists, we spend most of our time building relationships with media contacts and clients over the phone and via email. Thus, we only get the chance to connect in person a few times each year. The key publishers within this segment of the book industry have some of the most gifted PR professionals around and we're fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely with them.

We kicked off the weekend with the "Power Media Meet & Greet" on Sunday afternoon. This panel discussion is always well-organized (thanks Nancy!) and this year featured CNN Newsroom's Sonya Houston and Gayle White of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The panelists discussed packaging religious authors for secular coverage along with changes in religion coverage over the past year. Gayle discussed how her role at the AJC has recently changed, as her beat is no longer solely devoted to religion coverage. Unfortunately, it's a trend we're seeing with newspapers around the country.

This shift from unique, localized religion coverage is hammering home our belief that CBA titles need to relate to those "evergreen" general market media topics. We're excited to be working with a number of those books this fall.

Several of our authors had their new titles heavily promoted at ICRS and I thought I'd include some info about them:


Illuminated by Matt Bronleewe (Thomas Nelson, Aug. 2007) - This is one of the most impressive debut novels I've seen from the CBA in several years. I'm not alone in expecting big things from Bronleewe who, in addition to being a founding member of Jars of Clay is now a highly sought after music producer. Mark Parolini from CBA Retailers + Resources (formerly Aspiring Retail) proclaimed,"On a scale of 1 to 10, this goes to 11."


Logged On and Tuned Out by Vicki Courtney (B&H Publishing Group, Sept. 2007) - With apologies to several other clients, Vicki Courtney may be the hardest working author in the CBA. Only a few months after releasing the latest installment of her bestselling TeenVirtue series, TeenVirtue Confidential, parents of teens and tweens now have a resource to learn more about their tech-savvy children. CNN and Fox News have both looked to Vicki to provide a credentialed perspective on social networking sites in the past and we are eager to hit the ground running with this campaign.


FaithGirlz! Body Talk by Nancy Rue (Zonderkidz, Sept. 2007) - There's no doubt that today's girls are growing up faster than ever before. The FaithGirlz! series is a great resource for tween girls to get advice and help on issues that they're facing.


FaithGirlz! Girls of 622 Harbor View by Melody Carlson (Zonderkidz, Sept. 2007) - On Tuesday we attended the FaithGirlz! event at the Omni Hotel and I was quite impressed with the turnout. Local tweens were lined up for the opportunity to drink smoothies, decorate bracelets, play games and listen to a presentation from current FaithGirlz! authors Melody Carlson, Dandi Daley Mackall and Nancy Rue. Zonderkidz certainly knows how to throw a party!


Life's Healing Choices by John Baker (Howard Publishing, Aug. 2007) - This book is getting quite a bit of buzz, thanks in large part to endorsements from fellow Saddleback Pastor Rick Warren (who also wrote the foreword), Dr. Henry Cloud, Dr. John Townsend and several others. Publishers Weekly has already reviewed the book, saying it will "galvinize Christians into action." We're very excited about this book because it addresses a number of great secular topics. I enjoyed sitting down with Baker, who has tremendous energy and passion. He's someone you can expect to see much more of in the coming years.


Could It Be This Simple? by Dr. Tim Jennings (Autumn House Publishing, 2nd Edition Sept. 2007) - This book is quietly heading to its second print run, thanks in large part to the tremendous word of mouth success. It's the first book from Dr. Tim Jennings, a practicing psychiatrist that also speaks and lectures widely on a variety of mental health issues. His publisher, Autumn House Publishing, is an imprint of the Review and Herald Publilshing Association.

We have several other fall titles that were promoted at ICRS and I apologize if I missed anyone, but these are fresh in my mind thanks to a number of great meetings. Look for these authors on the air this fall!

For more information about CBA or ICRS, please visit http://www.cbaonline.org/