In the Publishing World: No National Book Fair Equality for Self-Published Authors

Span Connection, the print newsletter of www.spannet.org, runs the headline "The Almost-National Book Festival." Writer Edward Allan Faine tell us that though care was taken to represent diverse group[s from age to reading categories to ethnic and racial groups at the National Book Festival in our capital, one group was woefully neglected.

Sighhhh!

I’m sure you can guess which one. Of the 156 books of invited artists 2/3 were published by the six large conglomerates (many of them foreign owned), about 1/3 by large and mid-size independents and nine by university presses. The writer of the article notes that there was one out-print chapbook by poet Michael Lind so at least out-of print got represented.

So where does that leave what many incorrectly call POD-published authors (really self-, subsidy- or partner-published). Exactly nowhere. By the way, this is a festival sponsored by the Library of Congress (our tax dollars?) and founded by former First Lady Laura Bush.

It will be interesting to note what the mix will be at the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books this weekend. After all, LA is known for its acceptance in general. Let’s hope that extends to books. At least in Christine’s and my booth, there will be authors published every which way. All were welcome this year. All will be welcome next. Those signing in booths are not the invited guests of the fair administration but rather talented, hard-working authors of books period. They deserve readers' support. See www.sizzlingbookfairbooths.blogspot.com for more information on how we make that booth successful.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

You Are Invited to Cross-Promote at the LA Times Festival of Books

Come Join Us as a Participating Author at the LA Times Festival of Books
Booth planner Chistine Alexanians invites you to participate in our next LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books booth--the last weekend of April 2009--and/or any of the value-added programs aligned with the fair. The book-signing portion of the fair requires that you attend, the others do not.

(To see the 2008 video made by Rey Ybarra, go to Best Selling Author Television site

http://www.veoh.com/channels/BSATV)

Our group of authors will again be sponsoring a booth at the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books on April 25, and 26, 2009. We focus on making a humdrum fair into a sizzling success and from past experience, we make changes every year based on what we learned the year before and the year before that.

One hour (50 minutes to allow set up) signing segments cost $150 for the first and $100 for the second day. The fee includes display in the booth for the full two days.

For cost, participation details and benefits of a cross-promotional booth like this, please go to www.sizzlingbookfairbooths.blogspot.com.

To participate send an e-mail to Christine Alexanians at chalexwrite @ yahoo.com. She can invoice you for PayPal or give you an address to send a check. Please put "LA Times Fair" in the subject line and please let her know the programs you would like to participate in so she will know how to bill you. She will then send you details for participation and answer other questions regarding this show. The booth promotion will be handled by Christine and Carolyn Howard-Johnson.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor blog.

Invitation to Authors: Cross Promote with Tote Program

You Are Invited To Participate in Authors' Coalition's Tote Program

Tote bags are long lasting, cross-promotional tools. That means that YOUR name, book title and the URL of your choice will go out wherever participating authors choose to distribute the bags, not just in the cities where you are promoting.

All participating authors will have their name, their book title and their website printed on the totes, alongside the Author's Coalition's logo, which will be kept relatively small and will give crediblity to the authors participating for it will show they are members of a professional writers organization. There will be up to ten authors featured in this way on the bags. Printing will be in one color, royal blue.

The bags can be distributed at fairs, library reading events, and other literary occasions. The cost of 1000 bags for 10 participants (100 bags per person) will be $225.00 per participant. (Participants may choose to have the 100 bags shipped to them for their own events or to have them distributed to the readers at the LA Times/UCLA Festival of Books. Or they may choose to have a portion shipped and let us distribute the other portion.)

The price includes
the art work
the printing on canvas totes (see picture)
shipping and handling to each individual.

If we get more participants we can order higher quantities for a lower price, possibly print on both sides. This will be first come, first served. We will carry over those we can't accommodate to a second bag printing if the numbers warrant it.

Also, we are going to have a stuffing program. Anyone can supply from 25 to 100 items for stuffing in the bags for a charge of $25. We will accept only promo items or books. No fliers, bookmarks or business cards.

If you are interested, please send your checks to:

Christine Alexanians (e-mail for address)
Christine is a trusted Authors' Coalition member, memoirist and poet.

Please e-mail Christine with questions. tinooshik@yahoo.com .

The checks will not be cashed until we receive enough commitments to make cover the costs of this promotion. Checks will be returned or destroyed if there are not enough participants. There will be no refunds if it becomes a "go." Deadline for orders is March 5, 2008.

Attached is a picture of a sample tote. Ours will have blue handles to match the Authors' Coalition colors.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.