Free Advice Fridays

For months, we've been talking about launching a weekly (or monthly) program designed to help our clients and friends learn more about what's going on inside the publishing industry.


For those of you who don't know, the core of our mission statement reads as follows:

The Cadence Group was founded to offer services to new and small presses. At the heart of each of our programs is a commitment to share our experience with others. We believe that knowledge should not be a commodity and the more we educate others, the better off the publishing industry will be.
 

 To that end, we're talking about setting up a weekly (or monthly) one hour conference call. We'll accept questions or inquiries via a designated email address and try to address the most popular or pressing topics each week. We're hoping that these pre-submitted questions will lead to some lively conversation and discussion during each call.


This call-in number will be open to any book lover or publishing enthusiast who wants to participate in a live discussion with passionate book people talking about the industry we all love.  

Perhaps, along the way, we might be able to provide some insight in to where the publishing industry has been, where it is today, and where, we believe, it's heading.


So let us know. Good idea? Something you would want to participate in?

Great article in Publisher's Weekly

The Cadence Group's distribution arm, New Shelves, got a fantastic mention in PW today.  Thank you Judith Rosen for your great work!

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/454267-Distributors_Stay_Upbeat.php

Will eBooks ever replace paper books?

Last week I started following a really fantastic conversation on LinkedIn about whether or not people believe that eBooks will ultimately replace paper-based books.

Opinions were varied across the board. Most of us agreed that, in the end, we can't imagine life without our over-filled dusty bookshelves.

Below was my contribution to the conversation....we'd love to hear yours:
________________________________________________________________________________

There will always be a home for printed books. I love the record analogy. Some people still love their vinyl!

However, publishers, publishing professionals and authors need to understand that eBooks are the income-generating future of the publishing business. The price of eBook readers continues to come down (anyone remember when an iPod or a PDA was overpriced?). For avid readers, the cost of a Kindle can be offset within the first several months by money saved on purchases that would traditionally include shipping (Amazon), gas (driving to the store), and paying cover price (traditional retailers).

Just to fess up, I bought my first Kindle last year. Actually, my business partner bought it for me because I was vehemently opposed to the idea of an electronic eReader. I swore up and down that my Kindle could NEVER replace the joy I felt while curling up on the couch with a cup of coffee and a good - actual - book.

I've been eating my words ever since. The convenience, the ease of bringing multiple "books" while traveling, and the accessibility of having just about any book I want to read 90 seconds away via download has made me a true convert.

Will I give up my dusty bookshelves? Never. Will I continue to by hardcover/paperback books that I want to add to those shelves - classics, favorite authors, etc. Absolutely. Has the printed book become less a part of my reading experience? One hundred percent.

But, kind of like vinyl, I'll never give them up completely.

Can a book, author or series be launched in eBook format?

Over the course of the past several months we, along with our clients and colleagues, have been paying close attention to the rapidly expanding - and changing - world of eBooks. And, today's announcement that Kindle is now available for Blackberry has one of us jumping for joy!

As launching eBooks becomes more accessible, doors are opening for small publishers around the world. Publishers that used to plan and budget so carefully for printing, warehousing, and fulfillment are now asking the question:

Can I launch my book as an eBook before - or instead of - a printed book?

We certainly have our thoughts on the matter. And, after carefully researching (read: hounding fellow Kindle owners) we've noticed as surprising trend.

eBook readers are more inclined to try new authors. Why? Because savvy publishers and authors are offering their Kindle books at very competitive prices. Sometimes, they're offering them for free!

Between the two of us, we "discovered" several new favorite authors in the past six months to a year. In a couple of cases, the first book we "purchased" was free. In other cases, titles were offered for under $2.00. Either way, the publisher succeeded in getting us to download the book and try the author.

The good news? If we liked the author, we kept purchasing. And, not every book was cheap or free!

Is it possible to launch a new book, author or series as an eBook only? Can publishers drum up interest and a following while saving money on printing, warehousing, fulfillment and distribution?

Just as recently as a few months ago, the answer might have been "no" - not enough people own eReaders, Kindles, the Nook and/or other readers. But, times are changing! It's more common to see fellow travelers with the eReader of their choice instead of the latest hardcover.

So what do you think? Should an author launch an eBook instead of printed book?

When is it a good idea?  When isn't it?

Key Online Resources for Writers and Publishers

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of speaking to a wonderful group of writers down in Florida at the Space Coast Writer's Guild. This is a group of people who are passionate about their craft and eager to soak up information. They also asked some great questions!

I promised the group that I'd address some of the things that came up last weekend here on this blog...and I'm finally getting to it. First up....a list of some of those websites I was throwing around!

Question: What are some Key Resources for Writers and Publishers?

Answer: 

Bookmarket.com - On his incredibly useful website, John Kremer provides invaluable information for authors and publishers. For you writers out there, John has compiled lists of the 101 Top Independent publishers, 161 Business Book Editors and Publishers, 318 Children's Book Editors and Publishers, 422 First Fiction and Debut Novel Editors and Publishers....just to name a few. If I was trying to get published and looking for publishers in my category, Bookmarket.com would be one of my first stops!

Publishersmarketplace.com - Publishersmarketplace.com is a great place to find out what books are being sold, who is buying what and what literary agent's are looking for. If you just want the indusry news and gossip, Publisher's Lunch is free! If you want full access to all of the information and tools that Publishersmarketplace provides, you can register for a full subscription for $20 per month.

AgentQuery.com  - A great resource for writer's searching for representation, AgentQuery.com allows you to search for a literary agent by category - fiction or nonfiction. Remember, any of these sites are very useful for finding literary agents, but please, visit any agent's website before you submit to ensure you're following their most up-to-date guidelines. AgentQuery also has a fabulous blog roll where you can find some of the best blogs in the business.

PublisherWeekly.com - If you're not a publisher, you probably don't need a subscription. But, if you're interested in what's going on in the industry, stop by Publishersweekly.com every morning to ready PW Daily. Or, sign up to have it emailed to you!

Preditors and Editors  (http://www.invirtuo.cc/prededitors/) - I believe the name says it all. Certainly a site to visit to educate yourself about the people you might be dealing with.

WritersWeekly.com - I love this ezine and have her weekly issues emailed to me. It's free to sign up and the information is great. For instance, this week's issue breaks down POD price comparisons for writers. Angela also runs a "Warning" section on her site that can be educational.

WritersDigest.com -Every writer should know about this site. Every one. If you haven't visited it, stop reading this blog and go there now! The folks at Writer's Digest are committed to providing writer's with valuable information to help them in their craft and career.

AbsoluteWrite.com - If you visit the Forums through Absolute Write, you'll find a number of writers helping writers, providing invaluable information about the good (who's buying what), the bad (who's closing, who's rejecting, who's no long accepting manuscripts) and the ugly (publishers, agents, etc. to avoid).

Shelf-Awareness.com - Publishers read it, so should you. Much of the information might not be applicable to you, but what you can learn about the publishing industry and the direction it's heading as well as new books, new stores, etc. can really build your knowledge base.

This should be a good list to get you started. If there's a website that you love and I haven't listed, feel free to add it in the comments below. Or, of course, you can email us!

What happens when the furnace blows?

Many of you got the following email from us on Monday afternoon:

Bethany and I would like to announce that we are moving our offices.  An unexpected and unfortunate situation has arisen at our office building.  A furnace exploded in the basement on Christmas Eve and the building has been closed for repairs for the foreseeable future.  As a result we quickly relocated to temporary quarters and will be moving in to new offices on Friday.

Please do not worry, all phone calls and mail are being forwarded to our temporary offices. We will update you with our new mailing address as soon as possible. Please contact Amy or Bethany directly prior to sending any shipments to our Troy address via UPS or FedEx so that we can arrange for a pick up.

Thanks for your patience as we coordinate the move!

Best,
Bethany and Amy

So what do you do when you must vacate your offices without notice? 

Temporarily panic? Yes (I'd be lying if I said no)

Temporarily shut down? No

A few years ago, a "hiccup" such as this could have been a tragedy for a business the size of ours. Imagine no access to computers, phone, fax and materials.


Thankfully, technology has come a long way. Phones can be forwarded, servers can be connected to remotely, work can get done anywhere at any time. By the the afternoon of Christmas Eve, The Cadence Group had moved in to temporary quarters. By this Friday, we will be in a permanent new home.

Our business has barely noticed the shift in address. Because of Vonage, Skype, servers, eFax and online databases, our team has continued to work hard for our clients and get results - even from some cramped quarters!

In today's electronic world, an office is a "home" for your business and your employees. It feels good to walk in to your own office space each morning. It's nice to see the sign announcing your business. We all feel good about a warm and welcoming lobby and reception area for our clients and our guests.

But in today's world, this brick and mortar home is not a necessity to keep your business going. It's just comfortable.

So what do you do when the furnace blows?

You keep working!

11 Things That Made Publishing Better This Year

This is just an initial list - more to follow in the week ahead!

1. Great designers like Gywn Kennedy Snider, Anne LoCascio and Michele DeFillipo.
2. TweetDeck, which allowed me to get my work done and follow my favorite Tweeters like @mikecane, @alicepope, @janefriedman, @amylibrarian, @ColleenLindsay
3. Experienced editors who stayed on top of the latest CMS rules so I didn't have to.
4. Book buyers at chain and independent bookstores who gave books by small presses the same inital chance they gave the bigger houses.
5. Authors who understood that getting a book published was just the ante-in. We LOVE the ones who stayed to play the whole hand through and knew they had a lot of work ahead of them if they wanted a shot at the "bestseller" pot.
6. Publicists who pitched books to print outlets.  (Readers like to read!)
7. Blu Sky Media Group and Greg Snider who showed such courage and determination to do the right thing when the bank closed in on his distribution business.
8. Printers who made their deadlines and didn't over promise just to get the job.
9. PW Daily, Shelf-Awareness, Publisher's Lunch, Media Bistro and all the other industry news providers who kept us informed.
10. Publishers who agreed with this statement:  "There is no such thing as a publishing emergency."
11. My eBook readers: Blackberry, Sony and Kindle.  (Sorry guys, that's how I am starting to roll...)

Getting Fed by Twitter

This weekend I went looking for Eddie Izzard on Twitter.  I like his world and political ideas and thought his tweets would be a good addition to my feed.  I found that Mr. Izzard has over a million followers and yet only follows 71 people. 

I have had WAY too many conversations with authors and publishers about their "Twitter marketing work" and how they are "putting it out there" on Twitter and Facebook.  I have never thought of Twitter as a way to push myself out there.  I have always seen it as an amazing learning bank. 

There are agents, publishers and industry insiders who generously share their wisdom, pass on news and tidbits and forward fantastic articles that I never would have seen otherwise.  Because of them (and Twitter), I am a more educated, informed person. I would not have ever have gotten the benefit of their wisdom without twitter and I am grateful for their generousity.

There are also a number of industry folks who use my twitter page as a place to promote (read: spew) their latest review, minor triumph or self-serving mention. For them, Twitter is a marketplace, not a place of learning and community.  Okay, I can see that; I can let Twitter be a marketplace on THEIR computer, but not mine.

For me, Twitter is an exchange of information, not a place to sell yourself.  It is a forum where I get to give and take with no expectations.  It is like any other relationship... Those who enter into it wondering what they can get out of it are not good relationship prospects.  The next time an author asks me about the return on my Twitter time investment, I am going to hit him/her over the head with a piece of Church of England cake.

So that leads me to my post next time...  Should I be more selective about who I follow?  Shall I unfollow those who have not turned out to be good relationship prospects?

Kindle and eBook Formatting Services Now Offered by Cadence

The Cadence Group is thrilled to announce that we have hired an eBook designer to format book files and manuscripts into the “big three” eBook formats.

We here at The Cadence Group are reading all the same things you are about eBooks.  We know that they are important. We know that eBook sales are growing at an amazing rate.  We know that new authors are faring better on Kindle than on bookshelves.  We also know that books will almost assuredly follow music into the digital age and those who get on board early will reap early rewards.

We know that if we do not have our books on Kindle (Amazon), Nook (B&N), and the other eBook reader sites, we will be missing out.

So, with that in mind, we can now turn any pdf or word document into the Kindle, Nook, and ePub formats.  At that point, we can either help you set up your own eBook accounts or you can use accounts you may already have to distribute your new eBooks.

We are offering to format your book files into all three of the major formats and deliver them to you in upload-ready files.

Contact us today at 518.391.2300 or services@thecadencegrp.com to learn more.

A look inside TCG

Many of you know Amy and I as business partners, colleagues and the women behind The Cadence Group (and this blog!). What you may or may not know is that Amy and I are also friends.

Last week, a friend of mine wrote and asked for my advice on starting a business partnership.  Most importantly, she wanted to know about a business partnership between friends.

The Cadence Group is a joint ownership between Amy and I and she wanted to know how it was going. A 50/50% joint partnership is not easy, but after I wrote the letter below, I thought it might be an interesting look inside TCG and how we work:

***

Hi!

The NUMBER ONE thing that can help you and your partner is open and honest communication. The good, the bad and the ugly. Also, open access to all accounting (this helps!). You really have to have the same long-term goals in mind for your business or it will never work.

For example, Amy and I got together recently to work out our partnership papers and our Business Plan. The partnership papers were actually the easy part. We spent three straight days at her dining room table putting together our business plan. Trust me, it wasn't easy. But the ground rules for our friendship also apply in our partnership - don't pull any punches, be honest, and talk it out. We push back on each other all the time regarding all manner of things. But because we started out with a business plan, it's also "easier" for us because we can also remind the other person to go back to our business plan and see if something makes sense.

Our goals from day one have been aligned in how we want to build our business, how long we want to own our business and our core commitments to customer service, free advice and helping people figure out what makes the most sense for their publishing program - even if it means they don't hire us. If our goals were different, I could get pissed that we "give away" 5-6 hours of consulting time a week. But I'm not because that's part of who we are and who WE want to be.

My suggestion would be to sit down separately and outline the following (this worked for us last year when we started down this path).

Personal 5 year plan (top 5 goals)
Professional 5 year plan (top 5 goals)
The business itself - where do you want it to be in 5 years (top 5 goals)
How do you want to extricate yourself from the business (sell, close, etc.) when you're ready to retire
5 Strengths and weaknesses I bring to the business and the duties related to those
5 Strengths and weaknesses my partner brings to the business and the duties related to those

This is something you should spend some time working on individually and then plan to spend several hours going through together. They won't match up perfectly, but if they're completely different, it might not make sense for you to be in business together.

Business can ruin a relationship but Amy and I have always had an open and honest friendship and been willing to have the difficult conversations with each other which makes us work well together. To be honest, we spent the first 6 months kind of walking on eggshells together but our business - and our friendship - has been better for us getting over the honeymoon stage and being ourselves and working together.

If the plan is solid and if both parties are committed to the same vision, it can work.