BOOK TITLES

I loved Debbie's blog of yesterday - it was actually Deb, not Joni who wrote it.

Anyway, today I was listening to a discussion of names on the radio. The host was discussing her family's decision to change their names to a western version when they moved to North America from China, although they did also keep their Chinese names. She mentioned how the change of names altered their self perceptions and their feelings of belonging to their heritage. She mentioned that a name is vital to one's identity.

That led me to thinking of book titles and how important they are. Do people judge a book by its cover? You bet, they do. They also need to identify with the title, which must illicit a positive reaction from the reader. A book's title brands the book, giving it an image in the reader's mind. Imagine how different you feel about a book titled "How to Groom Your Dog" than a book titled "Doggie Do's." The book is about the same thing but the second title makes you smile and implies that the author enjoys dogs and that taking care of a dog is fun, while the first title just makes you yawn and feel that the book is just going to make taking care of your dog a chore.

Just be sure to think long and hard about your book's title. Be creative and use the title to brand your expertise.

Densie

"E-book or not E-book - That is the Question"?

So, there I was, sitting in the walk-in clinic waiting for my turn. I knew from past experience that whenever you go the walk-in route it could be hours before you get seen so I came prepared - I brought a really good book with me, smart thinking.

After a while I decided to do that "people watching" thing which I love to do and noticed sitting to my left was a lady with the new electronic book...an "E-book Reader" (could also known as a Kindle). I found myself watching her as she sat there with this compact device doing the same thing as me..."reading her book". As I watched her I realized something about myself, even though I had heard about this and knew of its benefits I knew I would never be able to give up the "feel of the book" and the page turning which for me, added to the enjoyment of reading a book!

So there we sat, her and I, both enjoying a good book in a very different way and I started thinking to myself, this whole "E-book versus Real Book" is a lot like "Cilantro", I think you are going to either love it or hate it.

My husband thinks that the "E-book Reader" is just awesome and cannot wait for Fathers Day, his Birthday or Christmas to receive one of these. He loves the concept, the ease it provides to have as many books as you want right at your finger tips and just how compact it is and can fit so nicely and easily to take just about anywhere. Even though I completely agree with him, we as husband and wife are definitely a divided camp. I see the advantages but will never be able to give up the feel, the look and the page turning of the traditional book that I so love. Yes, shelf space throughout my house is getting less and less for my collection but there's something warm and inviting about those two shelves in my bedroom filled with colorful and special books that I am either about to read or have done so and just love having them around.

So, I guess the moral of this story is that is really doesn't matter which way you go with books, all that matters is that you continue to read for whatever reasons you have and depending on your lifestyle and preference - I guess you are covered!

Now, from a business side of things I would say it is a MUST to cover all areas and when publishing and it makes good sense that your book is available both traditionally and electronic so you can cover all those "divided camps" and not lose a very important and lucrative stream of income! Knowing whats going on and keeping up with the ever changing world of publishing is one of the differences between success and failure. Oh and a sideline....perhaps I may in the future find myself using an "E-book Reader" or at the very least "sharing with my husband" so that I do not run out of books when I am sitting on the beach in Mexico!!

...and YET THEY REMAIN THE SAME

Whew, we're avoiding the blizzard that is raging to the south of us. There is always something to be grateful for.

So, yes, changes are coming in the book world with the growing prevalance and popularity of electronic products. Change is something to be aware of and to be prepared for.

It seems, though, that hard copy printed books are in no danger of a complete demise in the near future. Amazon.com has just announced the building of a large distribution centre in Canada to expedite the shipping of books throughout the country. When a huge corporation makes a large financial investment you know that considerable research is behind the decision. I take this move by Amazon to indicate that they still believe that a large part of their business remains and will remain in the printed book.

Time will tell whether I am right or wrong. I suggest that you hedge your bets: market your books in more than one format.

Denise

CHANGES IN THE BOOK WORLD

Yesterday we talked about needing ISBN's for all versions of your book. From what I have read, the ebook version of your book will soon account for 50% of your sales. That will create massive changes in the publishing and book selling industry, from how many books to print, to the reduced importance of book distributors, to the greater need for a good website and so on.

World markets will open up to you. After all, what will it matter if the publisher is in the U.S. or in the Antarctic? No physical books will need to be shipped. Publicity can be managed anywhere in the world and sales can be achieved in any country.

There will always be a market for physical books, but their role will be only part of your publishing plan. Be sure to plan for an ebook version of your book right from the beginning or you stand to be left out of the digital world.

Denise

ISBN numbers

It's the middle of April and here we are in the snow again. The poor tulips are up, poking through the white stuff on the ground. I guess that's one of the conditions of life at 3,500 feet above sea level. Never mind, we will just wait for one of our famous Chinook winds to breeze through and raise the temperature by 20 degrees in an hour - like magic it will be Spring again.

So anyway, some people wonder if they should buy blocks of ISBN numbers. There is no correct answer for everyone, but if you plan to publish more than one book, or more than one edition of each book, or more than one style of book (ebook, CD version, etc.) you should buy a block of at least 10 numbers. Use a different number each time you produce your book in a different format, and use a different number for each new book you publish.

Some people purchase in blocks of 100 numbers, but that can be costly. If you have room in your budget and you have plans to publish many books this is a cost saver. However, if your budget is limited as you launch your publishing business, it might be wise to wait until you have acquired some profits before you make such a large financial commitment. Canadians have the advantage in the ISBN number issue. The Canadian government supplies the numbers at no cost as a supportive measure for the publishing industry - not only health care is free. :-)

Denise

GREAT BOOKS cont'd

So, as I was saying when I so rudely interrupted myself with life and work, writing great books is a skill that can be learned. There are many ways to do so. For instance, read many good books in your genre of interest. I suggest that you avoid the "bestseller" list if the author is repeatedly on the list. Not that bestselling authors are necessarily not the greatest of writers, but they do seem to develop a "formula" that sells to the masses which causes each book to be more of the same. Go to the library and browse through books of interest to you. Read selections from many books. Find books that grab your interest. Examine the writing style. Really good authors don't write in simple narrative using simple sentence structure. There is definitely something special about good writing, and the more you read the more you will recognize the difference between mediocre and great. As Oprah Winfrey has said in the past, the first sentence of a book has to grab her or she puts the book down. Good writers can set the location, the time period, the mood and the character in one sentence without writing something as simple as: It was a snowy day in 1792 when Prince Zorga made his way through the dark forest on horseback.

There are writers' groups in most cities that host writing skills workshops. Do some research in your area to find some of those groups. There is also usually a Writer in Residence who mentors other authors. Most basically, though, before you do that, take a first year university English class to brush up on the basics of good grammar.

So, I challenge you to be the best that you can be. Don't rush the writing process. Create something great.

Denise