Publishing A Book - Tate Executive Staff's Blog

Capturing the power of eBooks

2011-05-13T15:42:00.000-05:00

The idea of an electronic book—an eBook—has been around for many years. But it seems like in the last 6-9 months, interest in eBooks has increased significantly. At Tate Publishing, our eBook sales have been the highest they've ever been.

At the risk of sounding like an Apple fan boy (which I am), I really believe the iPad helped kick start this sector of the marketspace. Many devices, including the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader have come before it, but I was never convinced that people were ready to shell out hundreds of dollars for a device that simply let them read books. At least... not yet.

But an iPad—it lets you check your email, watch a movie, log into Facebook... and it lets you read eBooks as well. A device that does all of that makes the $500+ more justifiable. And as more people have grown to enjoy eBooks, it has only helped the sales of Kindles, Nooks and everything else.

As a publisher that helps first-time authors, Tate Publishing works directly with iTunes, Amazon and Barnes & Noble to make sure our books are available for download for the major, popular devices and their respective online stores. It's not good enough to just have your eBook available for download on a website; you need to go to the places people are already looking for digital content.

Although I think we're a long way from eBooks overtaking physical copies sold, the eBook market is large enough that it must be a part of your marketing and distribution plan for your book. Just like music, having a physical CD is not enough—you need to be on iTunes, Amazon and the other major digital music distributors.

1000 books in your garage does no one any good

2011-01-14T15:21:00.001-06:00

I talk to so many people that have a good story, a good song, a good idea. There's a lot of talented people out there that no one has heard of. Many people feel their talent alone will carry the day. It's like the phrase, "If you build it, they will come." But, unfortunately, the end result of this philosophy is 1000 books sitting in your garage.

But if you're serious about publishing your book or recording a music CD and connecting it to people, you have to realize one thing: you're starting a business. And the product you're selling is—YOU!

This makes certain people uncomfortable, especially creative people. It's really easy to sit behind your computer and write a novel or hide in the studio and record an album. But when it comes time to share it with the public, it gets difficult. You have to face criticism, you have to face rejection. You have to stick yourself out there and take a risk. But marketing yourself is essential to a project's success, whether you're JK Rowling or Bob Smith. If you're not willing to market yourself, why should your publisher or record label take the risk? And with any risk, there's the opportunity to succeed.

At Tate Publishing, marketing is key. We employee some of the best editors and graphic designers in the world, because you have to have a good product to sell. But nothing can touch our marketing department's ability to partner with an author and create an impact in a over-crowded marketplace. And nothing can touch an artist that's willing to sell themselves.

Tate Publishing is beating the odds

2010-05-07T12:12:00.007-05:00

I was reading an online article on The New Yorker website called Publish or Perish: Can the iPad topple the Kindle, and save the book business? It's an excellent article about the iPad, the Kindle and the fight to save the publishing industry. But there was an interesting line towards the beginning of the piece that grabbed my attention. It says:

"Between 2002 and 2008, annual sales had grown just 1.6 per cent, and profit margins were shrinking. Like other struggling businesses, publishers had slashed expenditures, laying off editors and publicists and taking fewer chances on unknown writers."

I have been with Tate Publishing since the beginning of 2004, so I've been working in this industry for most of the time period mentioned in this quote. And what's amazing to me is that Tate Publishing is doing the exact opposite of that quote point for point.

In the last three years, Tate Publishing has seen growth in sales at almost 200 percent. Our staff has consistently grown each year from a group of six to a staff of almost 150 (and an majority of the employee interviews we do are to fill newly created positions—not fill a current position vacated because of someone else leaving). And everyday we're looking for first-time unknown authors.

It's amazing to come to work each day and know that you're beating the odds, that what you're doing is changing the industry—for the better! I'm thankful each day for the talented staff we have and the hard-working authors we partner with that make it all possible. Check out www.tatepublishing.com for more info.

What the new Apple iPad means for the future of publishing

2010-01-29T08:52:00.006-06:00

After many months of rumors, Apple finally announced their new tablet computer, called the iPad. The goal was to create a product that was in-between a laptop computer and a smart-phone. At the size of a typical sheet of paper, you can hold it in your lap to surf the web, read email, watch movies and view photos.

But the most exciting feature of the new iPad is its eBook reader. With an iPad, you can download eBooks from their store—similar to how someone can download music and movies from the iTunes Store now—and read them on the device. Essentially, they've created an iPod for books.

But this idea is not new. Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Sony have been trying for years to create and market an "iPod for books," and they have been somewhat successful in doing so (most notably Amazon and their Kindle device). But the reason I think the new Apple iPad will be the device to blow it out of the water for eBooks is because the iPad's primary function is not to read eBooks.

An eBook reader dosen't fix a problem. No one is saying to themselves I have so many books I'm reading right now. I wish I had a convenient way to carry them all in my pocket (except many the college sophomore taking 18 hours). I can't see a large number of people buying a device just to read eBooks (and sales have reflected that). But I can see a large number of people buying a device that lets you check your email, surf the web, watch movies... oh, and read eBooks. I think Apple has a good product on their hands, and I think you'll see the way we publish books change in the next 2-5 years because of it.

At Tate Publishing, we've always looked for new and different ways to "publish" our books (you can read more at our website), and an eBook is just another way to deliver content. All of our current eBooks will be able to be read on the Apple iPad, and we're already working with our distributors and partners to make our eBooks available in Apple's new iTunes Store for books. It will still be another 60 days before the iPad is available to purchase, but 2010 could very well be the year of the eBook.

The future of books, eBooks and more

2010-01-18T10:37:00.004-06:00

I've been receiving several emails lately regarding eBooks, eBook readers and how authors should to respond (if at all) to these changes in the industry, so I thought I'd take a moment and share my thoughts on the subject.

An eBook is a digital version of a traditional paper-based book. Instead of selling an actual book, you sell an electronic file that someone can open and read on their computer, cell phone or other electronic device. The beauty of this format is that there are no production costs—no paper, no ink, no glue, etc.—so you can sell it for less than an actual book and still make more money.

There are many devices designed specifically for reading eBooks, including the Amazon Kindle, the Nook from Barnes & Noble, the Sony Reader and even a new device called the "Skiff." Most of these devices have their own file format they prefer, but all the devices I've seen will display a PDF file either natively or with the help of third-party software. At Tate Publishing, we've adopted the PDF as our format of choice for the release of our eBooks, which are available at our bookstore. We also submit many of our titles directly to Amazon to be released in the native Kindle format from the Amazon website.

Over the next few weeks, I want to touch on a few topics including why I feel every author should release their book as a PDF eBook, my opinion on whether or not the traditional paper-based book will ever go away, how to address concerns of piracy and how the rumored tablet computer from Apple could change the industry. But the main thing I'll say is this: people will always want content. People still want to be entertained by novels or receive self-help information. People will always want your content, but as an author, when publishing your book, be aware that the method of delivering that content can change. That's why at Tate Publishing we strive to release books in as many formats as possible (more information about that is available at our website).

Tate Music Group, viral marketing and nationwide TV exposure

2009-12-17T13:14:00.006-06:00

At Tate Music Group, we continue to look for ways to be innovative and creative to best serve our artists. We are now offering our artists a :30 second commercial to be used in a viral marketing campaign and even nationwide television exposure. But more on that in a second...

Viral marketing has become an essential component to an aggressive marketing campaign. Although it gets its name from the fact that this kind of marketing spreads quickly and far-reaching like a virus, the results are anything but sickening! Facebook alone has 70 million daily active users sharing information and connecting with one another, and viral marketing is the process of tapping into that network of people and creating awareness for what you're doing.

Just a few years ago, it used to be you had to have a website to compete. Now, many people are replacing their websites with Myspace pages, Wordpress blogs and YouTube channels. Why? Because in the addition of making your content—your message—available online for the world to see, you gain the ability to network with a group of people already formed and connecting. It's "word of mouth" marketing on steroids, because you're already mixed in with a group of people sharing their thoughts and opinions in massive amounts of small, digestible sound bites.

So, back to Tate Music Group and our viral videos. We are now creating and producing viral commercials that will help promote the artist, album and single. Our team of multimedia producers will build the :30 second video around the artist's music, using their photos and album artwork to build excitement and visibility for the music. Then our artists can post these videos to their Facebook fan page, their Myspace page, their YouTube channel and use the power of sound and video to stand out among the crowd.

But Tate Music Group goes even one step further. Not only do we hand over the video to our artists in order for them to use as they see fit, but we will also use the video for national and regional TV exposure on major music TV networks (MTV, MTV2, VH1, CMT, BET, FUSE, etc.). Tate Music Group is running national and regional commercial spots based around album release date, events or for a blanket period of time.

There are many new and exciting ways all the time to create awareness for what you're doing, and its in your best interest to make sure you make use of all of them!

Kenny Rogers and Neal McCoy visit Tate Publishing

2009-12-06T15:15:00.000-06:00

In the past few weeks, I've had the chance to meet not one, but two legends in the music industry. And it's so refreshing to meet artists who are at that level in their careers and yet are still gracious and humble. I can say that about both Kenny Rogers and Neal McCoy.

Kenny came to our Tate Publishing offices a few weeks ago. Many are already familiar with his songs like "Lady," "The Gambler" and "Islands In The Stream," but who knew he was a photographer—and an exceptional one at that! He has a beautiful book of photography that is breathtaking. We're currently working on the possibility of publishing his photography book as well as other projects he's involved with.

Neal McCoy has released ten studio albums over the past ten years and has released almost 35 singles to radio. Besides the possibility of Neal working with Tate Music Group in some fashion with his music, Neal is also interested in sharing his story as a book.

Both of these men are a joy to be around. They graciously signed autographs and took pictures with our staff, though you know they've been asked to do that sort of thing literally thousands of times before. Kenny shared stories about his sons, and Neal made it a point to ask people their names wherever he was. Their humility is contagious and their passion for their art is evident.

I'm excited to work with people like Kenny Rogers and Neal McCoy. Both are looking for a partner in the process, and I believe Tate Publishing and Tate Music Group will come through now and through 2010 like no one else can.

Regie Hamm talks with Tate Publising & Tate Music Group

2009-08-24T21:08:00.007-05:00

Regie Hamm is one of those famous people that most people haven't heard of. What I mean is that you may not recognize his name, but his role within the music industry cannot be denied. The first track on MercyMe's original CD called "I Worship You"—Reggie wrote that. "Gather At The River" by Point of Grace—Reggie wrote that. "I Surrender All" by Clay Cross, "I Want To Do It For You" by Lonestar, "I Have Been There" by Mark Schultz... yup. Those too. He also wrote a little song called "Time Of My Life" currently being played on radio nationwide by American Idol winner David Cook.

Regie Hamm has gained it all and lost it all in the music industry more times than most people dream of. He knows what it's like to be on top of the charts with a calendar full of upcoming concerts, only to see it all disappear before his eyes within a matter of days. And yet, the man of today is a very humble individual with his priorities straight.

I had the great privilege of meeting Regie Hamm last week as we met to talk about the possibility of both a record deal with Tate Music Group and a book deal with Tate Publishing about his story.

But the one thing that struck me during our meetings was that we all have the same problems with the industry. He and his managers even used terms we use everyday like "partner in the process." We all know the current model is broken (both within the music industry and book industry), but very few seemed to be interested in fixing it. That's why it excites me that everything that someone like Regie seems to be looking for in a music label and a publisher, we do everyday for all our artists and authors.

The industry is changing—Tate Publishing and Tate Music Group is committed to changing with it and serving the artists and authors we work with on a daily basis.

Effective communication

2009-07-25T12:38:00.001-05:00

I am constantly amazed at how many problems can be solved by simply making sure there's good communication between all parties. When the left hand knows what the right hand is doing, each can be the most effective at their task. Time doesn't get wasted because tasks are being duplicate or having to be redone, and the ball doesn't get dropped because everyone just assumed that someone else would do it.

At Tate Publishing, we focus a lot of attention on making sure good, effective communication is always happening. On a daily basis, one of my primary responsibilities is to make sure that all departments are pointing towards the same target—that editors are aware of what graphic designers are doing, that graphic designers are aware of what the print facility is doing and that marketing is aware of what's going on within production.

The most important communication happens between our staff and our authors. When you partner with your authors like we do, it's a daily responsibility to make sure everyone's on the same page. Sometimes I feel like our authors are afraid to ask questions, at the risk of saying the wrong things or looking foolish. But for many of our authors, this is their first trip around the block in the publishing industry, and it's vital that everyone know their role and their responsibility to the goal.

Many times I tell authors I want them asking questions—I need them asking questions, as an educated author will be more effective at their task if they know what the overall goal looks like. That's why our authors work directly with the production staff members that are working on their book, so they know what's happening at every step.

Good communication doesn't mean that you always tell the person what they want to hear. Sometimes the news is bad, but it's at these times when communication is even more important, so that everyone is aware of the situation and can work together to create a solution.

I've watched many companies crumble because in their success of getting larger, they lose their grip on good communication. As you get larger, it becomes more and more difficult to maintain good communication between everybody involved, and that can ruin a successful business. Tate Publishing has seen unprecedented growth in the last few years, so I work hard everyday to make sure we continue to work fluidly and effortlessly.

I encourage you to take a look within your own life. Good communication typically doesn't come naturally—it's something you have to make a consistent and conscious effort to do. But if everyone knows how their piece of the puzzle fits, the sum is always greater than its parts.

Tate Music Group to launch iPhone apps this summer

2009-06-18T14:55:00.012-05:00

Okay, I'm a horrible blogger, I know. I have the best of intentions to blog, but somewhere along the way I can't seem to carve out the time to make it happen. I actually get a lot of flack from my colleagues about this (you know who you are!), and I promise I'm making an effort to do better. But I do have good reason for my absence in the blogging world...

Over the past few weeks, I have been leading a team to create iPhone apps for our Tate Music Group artists. Since the initial introduction of this revolutionary device, more and more people are discovering that the iPhone is more than just a phone. The App Store provides downloadable applications that do everything from managing your son's tee-ball scores to telling you what song is playing at the restuarant you're eating at.

So why not create an app that allows fans to connect with their favorite artist? Coming this summer, Tate Music Group will provide their artists with an iPhone app that their fans can download to get the lastest news, events, photos and more about them. Fans can even listen to songs exclusive to the app and read stories about the songs themselves from their latest release.

These apps will be branded under the name "GottaKnow," as in "GottaKnow Jeff Chandler" and "GottaKnow The Cliftones." The artists that are seeing the most success today understand the importance of connecting with their fans. Marketing tools like websites, Myspace, Facebook and Twitter allow artists to constantly be in their fans' lives, and the "GottaKnow" apps will only enhance the power a Tate Music Group artist has to succeed in an sink-or-swim industry.

In my opinion, this is revolutionary, and although a few major-label artists are starting to see the power of the iPhone as a great marketing tool, I'm still amazed how many people still don't seem to "get it." This isn't 1955 anymore (or even 1992), and the music industry needs to realize that the rules have completely changed (for the better in regards to the artist, in my opinion).

And authors are obviously our next target for iPhone apps. Tate Publishing authors need to connect with fans just as much as artists, and plans are already underway to create an app for our published authors.

What's your definition of success?

2009-04-29T13:59:00.006-05:00

If there's one thing I've noticed about both the publishing industry and the music industry is that the perception of industry is rarely the reality. A lot of people see a "best selling" author on the Today Show or listen to the latest sensation on pop radio and think those people are making millions of dollars and/or letting the publisher or label do all the work. But in more cases than not, the perception and the truth don't line up.

Our founder Dr. Richard Tate recently shared on his blog about a "best selling" author and her earnings (published by Penguin). This author shared her recent royalty statement. She had sold close to 65,000 units, which is nothing to laugh at, but she still hasn't seen a dime besides her $50,000 advance. And once you break down the advance (how much goes towards taxes, how much goes to her agent, how much goes to business expenses), she only netted about $26,000. Not a small amount of money, I know. But if she considers the book her "full-time" job, then the guy picking up her trash is making more money than her per year.

As our authors move through the production process, many times I get to talk with them regarding their goals and aspirations for the project—or in so many terms—what is you definition of success. Some authors have told me that if their book doesn't sell 500,000 copies, they will consider it a failure. Others tell me they want to see their book on the shelf at Barnes & Noble.

There's nothing wrong with lofty goals and shooting for the moon, but my definition of success is simple—did I generate more income than outcome? If I make money in the long-run, I call that a success. And when I see artists and authors succeeding (based on my definition), how they get there rarely looks like what you'd expect.

I want to chew on this idea during the month of May with you guys, but for the moment take away this—the perception of success is not always the reality.

Finding time to write a book

2009-04-01T09:43:00.005-05:00

Over 80 percent of people say they have a book inside of them. Whether that book is a novel, a self-help instructional piece or a children's book, I'm amazed how many people talk about writing a book or getting a book published but never do it. The biggest excuse I hear: time.

I'm a parent of three small children, so I understand how precious time is. But just like anything worthwhile, you have to make an effort and maybe make a change to your habits to accomplish the goal in front of you. The same could be said about dieting, about learning a language, even about reading your Bible on a consistent basis. There are so many things vying for our time, but with a little extra effort and forethought you can make it happen.

What if you got up an hour earlier before the kids got up? What if once or twice a week you turned off the TV? What about using your lunch hour at work? What about your commute to work (use a voice recorder if you're the one driving)?

The hardest part is to get started. But I encourage you to try it for a week. See if you can write a introduction. See if you can write a chapter. Once the momentum gets started, it only gets easier.

Is there a book inside YOU?

2009-03-04T23:49:00.002-06:00

So if you're a frequent visitor to the website Facebook, you might have noticed the mass-trend to post 25 random about yourself. The concept is pretty simple. Someone posts 25 trivia facts about themselves and tags 25 friends in that note. Those 25 friends are supposed to create their own 25 random facts and tag their friend back, and the cycle repeats and repeats itself. When all is said and done, you'll find yourself learning all kinds of things about your friends, like how your college roommate got driving directions from Alec Baldwin or that the high school quarterback enjoys interior decorating.

But I've noticed one thing that keeps popping up on these 25 random facts list over and over: the desire to write a book someday. The subject matter is all over the map, but the common thread is a desire to share their voice on a topic they're passionate about.

I read somewhere that over 80 percent of people think they have a book inside of them, but few actually do something about it. In the coming weeks, we're going to talk about how to put the excuses aside and start writing your first book.

Using someone else's copyrighted work in your published manuscript

2009-01-12T09:12:00.004-06:00

When dealing with the issues of published authors and copyright, the street runs both ways. In a previous post, we talked about how copyright law protects an author and his written work. In this post, we shift our focus to how copyright law allows for an author to incorporate another work in their own writings.

The concept of "Fair Use" actually originated in Great Britain in the 1700's. In the process of protecting someone created work, there initially wasn't a way to allow for authorized reproduction of copyrighted content. So the courts over time created a doctrine that helped to create a balance between protecting one's work and protecting the exchange of thoughts and ideas. This initially was called "Fair Abridgment."

That was the intent of the United States government as well when including "Fair Use" in the copyright law—to make sure the free flow of comments and criticisms of another's work was not stifled by the protection provided. For example, you have the right to criticize someone else's ideas and opinions. It's obvious that obtaining permission to include those comments in your own work for the purpose of arguing against them would be difficult at best, so the government provided a way that this exchange of thought could still exist without the original author strong-holding his copyright ownership.

"Fair Use" allows for a portion of the protected work to be included in another work without permission. The question, however, can be "how much is a portion." And it's within that question that the answer lies under several shades of gray. There are no specific percentages or specific word counts given (the "300 word limit" is a myth, not part of the law). But a good rule of thumb is to look at the impact the included work would have on your own work. If what you're wanting to include would only stand be to be a supporting pillar to your own thoughts and ideas, you're probably okay. But if the included work becomes the main stage, then that's not "Fair Use;" that' plagiarism.

Being that I work for a Christian publisher and we publish a substantial amount of religious writings, I should mention here that many Bible translations do have a specified amount of how much you can include of that translation in your own work. For example, the NIV translation allows for up to 500 verses, providing those verses don't make up one complete book of the Bible and that the included verses do not make up 25 percent or more of your work. Check the copyright page of other Bible translations for their specific requirements.

For more information on copyright law, check out www.copyright.gov (to get your info straight from the horse's mouth). Also, believe it or not, a search for "Fair Use" at Wikipedia actually yields some good information and several examples of court cases.

Don't miss the forest for the Christmas trees

2008-12-23T14:59:00.004-06:00

I still plan on continuing my discussion on book publishing and copyright laws, but I wanted to switch gears for a moment and share my thoughts on this upcoming holiday season.

It's ironic, I think, that a season that is all about peace and hope seems to get pushed aside by the pressure and stress that always seems to accompany this time of year. Between the countless Christmas parties to the crowded stores to the extra money being spent to even the current state of the economy, I've noticed a surge of stressed out individuals taking out their frustrations on innocent bystanders.

And I can't say that I can fault them. In this day of a commercialized version of Christmas, it's very easy to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas and miss the forest for the trees. So I wanted to take a moment and encourage you to step back for a moment. Push aside the pressure of spending money and gift-giving. Push aside the stress of visiting family you don't necessarily get along with. Take time to put everything into perspective—that we're about to celebrate the birth of a Saviour who saved us from eternal separation from God. Had the Saviour not come, we'd have much more to worry about than whether or not we can find a Nintendo Wii for the kids this year.

How does copyright work when publishing a book?

2008-12-03T09:40:00.006-06:00

Out of the many questions I receive from authors on a daily basis, a majority of them have to do with copyright—both in regards to copyrighting their own work and what you can and cannot do with someone else's work. In the next blog, we'll explore the answers of the latter part of the question, but first now let's discuss what it takes to copyright your work and what part does the Library of Congress play.

According to the copyright law, your work is completed copyrighted and protected the moment it's in a tangible form. The moment you save a manuscript to a disk, write a poem down on paper or sing a song into a tape recorder, it is 100% protected with you as its owner. Take this post you're reading. If I did nothing more than just press the "publish post" button so that it's saved to my blog, it's still completely protected by the definition of the copyright law.

I think one of the biggest misconceptions regarding filing your work with the Library of Congress is that authors think they have to file with the government for protection or that filing entitles you to more protection. But the truth is a work is completely copyrighted and protected the moment you put it in a tangible form. Period.

However, filing with the Library of Congress does make it easier to prove your ownership if the need arrises. It's difficult to prove the date you wrote something down on paper, but filing with the Library of Congress gives your work a government-issued date, making it much easier to collect royalties or damages.

Many times recently-signed authors to Tate Publishing ask me if they should file their manuscript during the production process of their book, but I just see that as a waste of time and money. The book will need to be submitted in its final, published form anyway, and if someone does steal your work, you have an entire publishing staff that could testify in court to your ownership of the work.

In a later blog, we'll talk more about how much room you have to use someone else's work in your own work, and what the Fair Use clause of the copyright law says. Copyright law is a tricky subject for someone who doesn't deal with it on a daily basis, so always feel free to give me a shout if you have a specific question about how copyright law affects you and your published book.

Should I self publish my book?

2008-11-10T15:40:00.006-06:00

Over the past fifteen years, the book publishing industry has gone through some rather significant changes. I doubt anyone in 1992 would think that the internet, Amazon and digital printing would make such an impact on publishing as we know it today.

Back then, to get your book published, you basically had two options: hope and pray for a contract with a large mainline publisher or go to Kinko's and get a few copies printed and bound with a plastic comb.

The idea of self publishing was unheard of 20 years ago. But, again, due to the miracle of modern technology, there are several companies that offer this service. Amazon shows around 158,000 books published in 1988 in its database. Compare that to over 613,000 books published in 2008 (and we still have two months to go!). It's obvious from the numbers that publishing a book became easier in the last few decades, as more people are doing it. But the question you should ask yourself is should you self publish your next book?

Just as the name implies, self publishing means you publish the book yourself. Different companies offer different tools to help you along the way, but the main idea behind self publishing is that you do the work. From editing to cover design to distribution to marketing, you're the one that makes it happen for your book—whether you have experience in those areas or not.

At Tate Publishing, we're a mainline traditional publisher trying to create a balance between giving the author control and creating a marketable book. Our authors communicate directly with the people working on their book with the main goals in mind of serving the author and serving the book. Nothing moves to the next stage without the author's approval. But sometimes serving an author means telling them their idea for a cover could limit sales or that a certain section of the text is confusing and could turn off readers. Just like the story of the emperor's new clothes (where the emperor basically paraded down the street naked because everyone was afraid to tell the emperor the truth), don't you want experts in the industry giving you advice that could significantly increase your chances of a successful book?

Your local Home Depot might offer weekend classes in how to build a deck or how to lay tile in the kitchen, as the idea of saving a bit of money by doing it yourself is enticing. However, I've yet to see a class at Home Depot on how to build a house or how to install central heat and air. Why? Because some things are important enough to bring in the experts.

With Amazon cataloging over 613,000 titles for the year, it makes sense to pull from every resource you can find. If you just want to print a few copies of your book for friends and family, then self publishing might be a good option for you. But if you really believe in your book and want to give it the best chance for success, I would recommend a publisher that has a history of experience you can tap into without losing control in the process.

Is your publisher "print-on-demand?"

2008-10-14T13:52:00.004-05:00

The term "print-on-demand" gets used quite a bit in this industry, and many times I'm asked if Tate Publishing is a print-on-demand publisher. The short answer is, "No, we are not a POD publisher." Here's the long answer:

In the printing industry, the term "print-on-demand" refers to the ability to print only the books you need to meet the immediate demand. Instead of printing 1000's of copies using traditional offset presses, you use modern digital technology that allows you to cost-effectively produce just what you need—even if all you need is one book. All mainline publishers use print-on-demand technology to some degree to print their books.

However, in the book distribution world, "print-on-demand" refers to something completely different. There are many companies that provide this service, but the one I'm most familiar with is Lightning Source. LS is a sister company of Ingram, and they provide a way to sell books before they're printed—or "print-on-demand." When using LS, all books are printed after they are purchased. Someone orders a book from barnesandnoble.com, that one book is manufactured in the evening and shipped. A bookstore orders books for their store, those books are manufactured after the order is placed.

The LS model is an excellent model on paper, and we've even looked at using them a few times. The problem is bookstores do not like print-on-demand books and are very hesitant do any anything with a POD book. Bookstores like to order books that are returnable. If, for whatever reason, the books don't sell, they want to be able to return them—which reduces the risk for them. But when product is manufactured after it's purchased and there's no traditional warehouse to return books back to, returning the books proves to be very difficult. (Just ask anyone behind the counter of any bookstore what they think of POD books.) LS claims you can set up their titles to be returnable, but bookstores have been burned too many times that many of them have issued store-wide (or even chain-wide) policies against doing anything with LS or POD books.

We use a wide array of technology to produce our books. We work with offset vendors, overseas vendors and own our own digital printing facility. But even though we do utilize digital technology, again as nearly all mainline publishers do, allowing us to print books as we need them, we still put actual product in real warehouse space—something the industry likes very much and is used to. We may only print enough books to meet the immediate demand, instead of a single, large print-run, but we supply actual books to wholesalers and distributors, ready for bookstores to purchase. When a bookstore clerk checks the availability of one of our titles, a number comes up—not "POD," which is a red-flag for the clerk. And if they want to return it, there's no problem. It just goes back to the warehouse it came from.

When it comes to the term "print-on-demand," it doesn't matter how it's printed, it matters how it's distributed. Tate Publishing works very hard to give our authors the best market penetration it can and making sure our books are available anywhere books are sold. We don't just upload a spreadsheet to a website or two. We work directly with Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Hastings, Amazon, CBD and others to make sure anyone can get our books anywhere they're used to buying books.

Customer service?

2008-10-12T22:45:00.009-05:00

Has anyone else noticed that good customer service seems to be harder and harder to find these days? A few months ago I had several isolated run-in's with less-than-exceptional customer service that finally caused me to snap and go on a customer service rampage with my own staff.

It all started with a familiar department store in the mall. Not to mention any names, but let's just say this store claims to have a "softer side" selling clothes, but this purchase was for a washer and dryer. After owning these appliances for less than three months, the washer ceased to work properly. Both my wife and I placed several phone calls to their customer service line (with each call requiring us to talk to no less than three operators and spend countless minutes on hold!), but it still took a week for someone to look at our washer and it was going to take 2-3 more weeks for the part to finally show up. It was at that point that I called the store to demand a complete refund on both the washer and the dryer. (Even though the dryer still worked like a champ, I told the guy "Heaven forbid that the dryer breaks next month and I have to deal with your horrible customer service again!")

That same week I had a run-in at my beloved Apple store. One of our company's new MacBooks actually shorted out and began releasing smoke from the keyboard. Even so, getting a replacement computer from the store seemed difficult. I could tell that the store manager was doing everything she could to take care of me, but there seemed to be a lot of red tape she had to go through issued by corporate.

Finally, that Sunday, it happened. I snapped. My family went through the drive-thru of a popular fast food chain where a red-headed girl greets you from the sign above. It was very obvious to me that the guy taking our order wanted to be anywhere but there, but I was surprised when we pulled up and discovered that he was the manager! They forgot the drinks for my kids' meals and the fries were only half-filled. It was at that moment that I decided I was going on a customer service rampage. I may not be able to control others, but I could certainly do something about the customer service our Tate Publishing authors receive.

Good communication and excellent service are two things we pride ourselves on at Tate Publishing. We constantly train and reward our staff to recognize and meet out authors' needs, so my rampage didn't require a lot of effort. I merely met with each of my production departments, shared my stories and encouraged them to continue to go above and beyond for our authors. Our situation is a bit different in that we don't really have "customers" that purchase a product from us but rather authors who partner with us in the process, but the desire to not take that person and our relationship for granted is the same.

Both within the traditional mainline publisher industry and the self-publishing industry, many organizations seem to keep their author in the dark or left to survive on their own, but I think those companies miss out on the joy and the blessing of working with an author and meeting their needs above and beyond their expectations.

Good customer service isn't that difficult. Just a bit of extra effort to fully understand a person's situation and to work together to find a solution that works for all parties involved can make all the difference in the world. I'm not saying always give the customer what they want. Sometimes what they want is not what they need or is not something you can provide. But if you take the extra time to explain the situation and to help offer creative solutions to the problem, you'll win the loyalty of your customer nearly every time!

BlackBerry vs. iPhone

2008-10-10T10:15:00.002-05:00

Those that know me well know that I'm a huge Mac fan. I have nothing against Microsoft PCs... they're just stupid.

But those that know me well are also a bit perplexed when I tell them that I don't have an iPhone—that I have (and prefer) my BlackBerry. How can such a huge Apple advocate not have an iPhone?!?

I admit, the iPhone has many, many cool features. The Safari browser is very useful, the camera is better than the BlackBerry's and the Maps application (with the "current location" finder) is super cool. But there are a few key features that are missing on the iPhone that are deal-killers for me.

First, there's no way to copy something and paste it somewhere else. If someone emails me an address, I can copy and paste it into my address book. If I find a website I want to share with a friend, I can copy the URL and paste it into an email. Such an elementary feature seems to be missing from the iPhone.

Second, I can't figure out how to send attachments via email on the iPhone. The Photos app allows you to share photos in an email, but you have to start the process from the Photos app. You can't be in the middle of sending an email and decide to send a photo halfway through. And that's just photos only. On my BlackBerry, I can have a Word doc, a PDF or whatever stored on my SD card and easily send it as an attachment in an email.

Third, deleting multiple emails on the iPhone seems unnecessarily difficult. Like others, I use the email feature on my BlackBerry to stay on top of what's happening at the office. Urgent matters get a response from my phone. However, most emails I just read with the notion that I'll respond to them when I'm on my Mac next. Non-urgent emails get deleted to keep things clean. On my BlackBerry, I can just go to the top of the list and select "delete prior." In one single command, all the emails below are deleted. On the iPhone, you have to swipe each one to remove the email. With v2.0 at least you can press "edit," select the emails and press "delete," but you still have to select each one first. I can't be the only one that uses his mobile email this way!

On the subject of email (which apparently seems to be my main source of frustration with the iPhone), I use the filters feature on my BlackBerry to only let certain emails come to my phone. For example, I maintain a series of servers at work and each one scans its primary drives and syncs with backup drives every evening. With each scan (and there are about 30-35 separate scans these servers perform), I receive an email report. My BlackBerry is programmed to filter out all of these email logs by checking the subject line of the email, but I can't seem to duplicate this feature on the iPhone.

In Apple's defense, I do think they're on to something and that the iPhone will be a force to be reckon with for years to come. I have an iPod Touch (which is basically an iPhone without the phone), and I find myself pulling it out quite a bit to surf the web or check my Facebook account instead of getting my MacBook out. But when it comes to the mobile device that I carry with me no matter where I go, the BlackBerry is still my device of choice...

...that is, until v3.0 comes out for the iPhone.

-d