Received: from mail-3-191.rch001.net ([52.124.3.191]:57488 helo=mail-1-191.rch001.net) by stodi.digitalkingdom.org with esmtps (TLSv1.2:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:256) (Exim 4.89) (envelope-from ) id 1esssK-0007jX-Rn for Lojban@lojban.org; Mon, 05 Mar 2018 08:22:11 -0800 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha1; c=relaxed/relaxed; s=k1; d=sc02.rmdlvry001.com; h=From:To:Reply-To:Subject:Message-ID:List-Unsubscribe:MIME-Version:Content-Type:Date; bh=8VwF+niU5G7TEaxtCcUY14Lqf58=; b=KqCXx7nePU4+4SVjt3XtKrahtxas+WoHqEVr9rTJPwxYoKjb0AWmNrf90S+c2fWrZ2DC9R08cvS9 FaVNZevFvFrLNI7c8fY0XMcVOJIBvjIkL5sa1ffx17/6n+MElVA8ZWmEg4hSJ3xIy4jhGy6YYoLV EKMkEkKKvJGpNHBwHq8= From: "Martin Foner" To: "Lojban@lojban.org" Reply-To: Subject: Amazon Is NOT The Answer to Your Publishing Success X-BPS1: 6559726 Feedback-ID: 6559726:2095390:RM X-BPS2: 73291 Message-ID: <1518349d-ef49-4790-9ee3-b7d508d8c444@a.sc02.rmdlvry001.com> List-Unsubscribe: , X-Mailer: RM Mailer (v5.4.802.0) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=-C0JUwI8d71SQgws96N5aRw==" Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2018 10:22:08 -0600 X-Spam-Score: -1.6 (-) X-Spam_score: -1.6 X-Spam_score_int: -15 X-Spam_bar: - This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --=-C0JUwI8d71SQgws96N5aRw== Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Having trouble viewing this mail? Click here to view it in your browse= r. http://link.rm0004.net/v/R0WNvtp_FWs1kX4-NpTtJg2 Make sure that you always get our messages: Add mfoner@nplconsult.com = to your contacts. Click here to unsubscribe or update your email address. http://link.rm0004.net/subscription/?t=3DR0WNvtp_FWs1kX4-NpTtJg2 Martin Foner's Publishing Newsletter Because You're Serious About Success... or You're Not Volume 23, Number 4 NEWS FLASH: AMAZON IS NOT THE ANSWER TO YOUR PUBLISHING SUCCESS (JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT WAS) Hello, Everyone... Welcome to the latest edition of my publishing newsletter. Just a brie= f line or two below on each article. AMAZON IS NOT THE ANSWER TO YOUR PUBLISHING SUCCESS (JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT WAS) I have now heard the same lament from three different author-publisher= s in the month of February...and it makes me wonder if anyone really u= nderstands the role of Amazon in your publishing activities. And the a= nswers to your publishing success are far greater than Amazon or any s= ingle marketing approach. IS 2018 THE YEAR YOU DECIDE TO SELL... WHAT YOU MUST DO TO MAKE THE DE= CISION, TO GET READY, AND ACCOMPLISH A SALE. This is the fourth installment of a multi part 'series' on the process= of selling your publishing company. In this issue we will examine som= e of the choices you have to make when selling: pricing, financing, an= d staying on after, and related questions. WHY BRANDING IS SO DAMN CRITICAL TO YOUR SUCCESS... AND IT ISN'T JUST = A TAG LINE... BUT THE WAY YOU RUN YOUR COMPANY This is the second installment of a new series on why Branding is such= a critical element of a successful company, and is even more importan= t when differentiating your publishing activities from the almost 200,= 000 other 'publishers' seeking attention in the marketplace. In this p= art... your message has to be everywhere, and how you do that with cus= tomers, staff, vendors, and others. MY COMPLIMENTARY OFFER TO REVIEW YOUR TITLES FOR BULK AND CUSTOM POTEN= TIALS My offer to do a free bulk and custom analysis of one of your titles i= s still valid... because of the amazing response so far. Don't miss th= is opportunity! I can't imagine everyone hasn't already seen this offe= r, but every issue brings more and more titles to my inbox. A FEW INTERESTING LISTINGS I have a few listings way worth a second look. And some worth a third = and fourth look. I am going to highlight three of them in this issue. = If you want the complete list, just email me=C2=A0 mailto:mfoner@nplco= nsult.com . *=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0 *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0 * AMAZON IS NOT THE ANSWER TO YOUR PUBLISHING SUCCESS (JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT WAS) I have now heard the same lament from three different author-publisher= s in the month of February...and it makes me wonder if anyone really u= nderstands the role of Amazon in your publishing activities. I am posi= tive most of you do... but for those who ask these questions... here i= s a quick 'understanding'. All three have said the same thing to me. "I put my book, or books, up= on Amazon (whatever that means) and it hasn't sold. Why not?" Do you know what my next question was? Think a minute... WHAT ELSE ARE YOU DOING? And then I get the classic response: "What do you mean?" That tells me the person I am speaking to has no clue of the breadth o= f the industry, how we work, and how things get sold. The assumption, = apparently, is to put your 'stuff' up on Amazon and it will sell. Very= much like having 'stuff' you might put up on EBay to sell? What the Industry (Does and) Doesn't Do In general, the industry does NOT sell your products. Period. Assume t= his and you will be fine. Amazon, B & T, B & N, Ingram... no one actua= lly actively SELLS your products. Now, If you PAY EXTRA for specific s= ervices, you will get some 'featured' 'sponsored' and 'advertiser' spo= ts in their sites, publications, and catalogs. But as to someone actua= lly "selling" your product. No. IF you have an exclusive distributor, someone like my good friend Jed = Lyons / NBN, then you have someone out selling for you on a daily basi= s to bookstores, libraries, gift shops, and other retail/resale custom= ers. Yes, this is a pitch for NBN since I know their work and have had= clients I referred to him and they have done well with the relationsh= ip. I am equally confident there are many other solid exclusive distri= butors... I do not mean to ignore any, but see below on that advice. If you have a specific genre, topic, or subject that covers much or al= l of your titles, then you should look carefully for a distributor who= specializes in your subject area. So, to be fair, let me recommend a = few... for organics, small farming, homesteading... Chelsea Green. For= New Age, Spiritual, Wellness, and related topics... New Leaf Distribu= tors. SO, it is important before selecting a "general" distributor lik= e NBN, that you see if there is a specific one to your topic, first. Exclusive or non exclusive? Non exclusive is fine if you are out there in a hundred different dist= ribution channels, wholesalers, specialty library people, museum store= s (if that's applicable) and a dozen other ways. Exclusive is exactly that. You will have one company exclusively repre= senting you to the trade. Much less work. Much more restrictive. Bulk Selling? Is ALL YOURS alone unless you contact someone like my co= mpany who does Bulk Selling for publishers through our program. But we get ahead of ourselves. Who did the pre-publication press releases, a few hundred, media, the = same, requests for reviews from 10-20 review publications in your fiel= d, in your geographic area, in general? How many people did you solicit for endorsements, in advance? If you are doing Bulk Selling on your own, how many of your target mar= kets did you approach pre-publication? And of course, how many did you= approach once the book was published? The big question becomes: What the hell did you do to sell books? Now, if you are relying on ebook sales... that is, if you don't offer = your book in a physical form... we have little or nothing to discuss. = In my personal and professional opinion, you have made a fatal mistake= that cannot be corrected until you do a physical book and promote it = accordingly. Why? I won't go deep here...maybe an article in the next newsletter... but.= .. 1 - Minimal Bulk Selling 2 - Minimal Profitability 3 - Permitting people to read your book for free on Kindle's free prog= ram? Free? And what revenue do you expect from that? Oh, I forgot, you= get .000X cents per page read. Sure you do. 4 - Ability to copy the ebook for others or permit others into a singl= e buyer's account I won't go on now... suffice to say I did one ebook because it was a c= ontractual deal before I acquired the title, and I lost my shirt on it= because the author held the ebook rights and I was selling the physic= al book and, well, once it hit the market as free... I was cooked. So, we come back... What DID you do to sell books? Please... 50 emails to your friends. Good start. Now, send out 1,000 emails to everyone in your church.=C2=A0 200 email= s to all the employees at your company.=C2=A0 100 emails to everyone i= n your Fantasy Football program. And emails to every last person you k= now, you belong to the same whatever with... how about your high schoo= l or college graduating class? The answers to your publishing success are far greater than Amazon or = any single marketing approach. You keep working in twenty directions a= nd when 3 or 5 or 10 of them work, you do more, and more. This is a no= n-stop program from beginning to bestseller. THINK! THINK AGAIN! THEN GO DO IT! (Or hire me and I will do it for you.) *=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0 *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0 * IS 2018 THE YEAR YOU DECIDE TO SELL... WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO MAKE THE= DECISION, TO GET READY, AND TO ACCOMPLISH A SALE. This is a multi part 'series' on the process of selling your publishin= g company, from the thought process, to how to get ready in all areas = of your business, to actually being marketed for sale and closing. Part Four... Pricing, Financing, and Staying On These are all things you can discuss with your Publishing Broker... bu= t we might as well go over them now... so you are prepared when it is = time...and you can be thinking about them well in advance. Pricing... We have previously reviewed how basic pricing is established. Let us a= ssume your 'range' is $750,000 to $850,000. What should your asking pr= ice be? In this range, $100,000 over your top number is going to be the limit.= But, in this case with a fairly wide range of acceptable pricing, I w= ould price this deal at $895,000 asking. Even losing 10% of the ask in= negotiations puts us squarely in the middle of the pricing range, whi= le keeping the asking low enough to create more rather than less inter= est. I look to be about 10% over the center of a range, providing I can mak= e that range tight enough. At $100,000... other rules. If the range is $85,000 to $100,000, then = you have to decide if this type of publisher, or the conditions under = which it is being sold, warrants the deadly cross over the $100,000 pr= ice point. The next stop is really $125,000... 25% over the top. If th= e range is solid, then you CAN look at $99,000 and be firm. Only come = down 5 or 6K, and again, you are in the middle of the range. Over $1.5MM or $2MM... the rules change again. There is much more play= in the numbers at that size. 10% represents a couple hundred thousand= dollars. I had a client whose estimated value range was $2.1MM to $2.= 3MM. I listed him at $2.5MM. When all was said and done the deal went = off at $2.2MM... right in the middle of the estimated range in the fir= st place. Again, if your range is wider... say, $2.5MM to $3.0MM... th= en you have to be careful of overpricing and of going over certain pri= ce points... and at $3MM, it really IS a price point. SO, I would list= at $2.95MM and work the 10% and keep the final price within the middl= e of that range. Now, what about the other school of thought...ask a lot and even if yo= u get 70% it is still more than being right on target? Let me simplify this. No one in this business is stupid. Some might ag= ree to overpay by 10%, or demand to underpay by 20%, but the reality i= s that if you have a Broker protecting your interests, and the Buyer h= as one or some experience in acquisitions... neither of you is going t= o "get over" on the other. Really. I have brokered hundreds of publish= ing deals from tiny to very large. I know of what I speak. And when you set the price for an $800,000 company at $1.2MM... you ar= e telling the world you aren't being honest in pricing, which often tr= anslates in the minds of buyers as... this guy, or gal, ain't honest i= n anything... don't even bother to take a look. I had a potential client ask $2MM for a business worth fully $1.2MM. H= e believed that there were people out there willing to pay his price a= nd he wanted me to promote his company that way. I told him point blan= k that even if I succeeded, eventually, the buyer would know he had be= en taken for a ride and would excoriate me in the publishing marketpla= ce, and rightfully so. And my reputation wasn't worth losing it on any= one single deal, or even a dozen deals, no matter how profitable. The setting of an asking price looks a bit like art rather than scienc= e, but it isn't. Once you have a legitimate pricing range, it is prett= y simple to keep the deal within those perimeters. Financing... Should you agree or not? It depends on a number of factors. Price is one. Small deals should be= cash. If you are financing a small buyer, you are at a large risk. If= you are financing, say, 20% of a $2MM deal, you have gotten 80% of yo= ur money up front and if the buyer has solid credit, the risk is small= . No one is going to lose a $2MM company over not paying off $100K of = a half paid loan. I usually set my limits at 33% on big deals... 20% on small deals. Term is important. If it will be paid off in a year, then you can rais= e the percentage a bit. If the buyer needs more than three years, you = need to lower the percentage. This is simple, rational, common sense. What about not financing at all? Cash deals often take a 5% discount from the final price and financed = deals often get a 5-10% premium over the final price, even if the fina= nce is for 20-33%. It is the mental thing of having some wiggle room o= r being put to the fire of paying cash. Staying On After... This one is really simple. You HAVE to stay on for thirty days if only to show the buyer what has= to be done, records, computers, vendors, and the like. After that, it depends solely on what YOU want to do. DO you want to g= et out of town and retire FAST and never see the place again...then sa= y so. DO you plan to stay in town, happy to help out, don't know what = you will be doing with yourself after, and still have fun in the busin= ess? Then consider staying on for 3 to 6 months but you must be paid f= or your time. And depending on what role you will play... it will be a= t your current salary or some reduced figure based on duties and hours= . I had a client who stayed on to train a new management team...he recei= ved a full salary and package for this time. I had another client who,= after the 30 days, hung around to help pack orders, edit books, and d= o whatever was needed at the time while he decided what to do with his= life... about six months also. The new owners paid him for half time,= about a quarter of his prior salary. It all works out. But the key decision is whether you want to stay on or not. Of course, even if YOU do, the new owners may not want you after the 3= 0 days. When I sold my big company, the new owners wanted me available= , on the phone only, for three months. After that, they paid me my non= -compete monies and I was happy to continue to answer questions, thoug= h they were few and far between. Conclusion... think about these points and resolve them in your mind u= p front so when the discussions begin, you will already have a positio= n and the buyer will understand where he/she is starting. *=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0 *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0 * WHY BRANDING IS SO DAMN CRITICAL TO YOUR SUCCESS... AND IT ISN'T JUST = A TAG LINE... BUT THE WAY YOU RUN YOUR COMPANY This is the second installment of a new series on why Branding is such= a critical element of a successful company and is even more important= to publishers... one book or a thousand... when differentiating your = publishing activities from the almost 200,000 other 'publishers' seeki= ng attention in the marketplace. Your message has to be everywhere, and how you do that with customers,= staff, vendors, and others... What does this mean? It means exactly what it says. Everywhere! Start with it being your Mission Statement, your reason for being, you= r mantra... to be repeated so many times every day it becomes ingraine= d, embedded and eventually, the life breath of every member of the com= pany, every customer, and every vendor. It goes on your business cards, letterheads, website in big letters, c= atalogs, ad sheets, for publishers, on the front of every book you cre= ate, every PR message, everything. When you send out an email...it is = in the signature if not in the line above your actual email as well. You really want to make everyone sick at some point of seeing your Bra= nding. But for customers who only see it occasionally, when you are pr= omoting, they see it as a repetitive message of your ability, your wil= lingness to do business, and the customer's reason for doing business = with you. "California's headquarters for every kind of model train." "Answers to every renovation question from Victorian to Modern" You get the idea. Eventually, customers, and potential customers, have= it drummed into them that you are the expert, or you are the complete= source, or you know more than the Internet, whatever makes your compa= ny different AND BETTER than anyone else. In all advertising... all broadsides put into shipments... literally e= very thing, every where, all the time. YOU may get bored but the impac= t on customers and others... will be quite amazing after a while. We used to put our tag line on our custom built and printed boxes. "an= other shipment of the very best materials for the very best profession= als, worldwide". We never let the customer forget who we were, and why= they purchased from us, so they knew they really needed to purchase f= rom us again. And why involve vendors, suppliers, and others even peripherally relat= ed to your company? Every one of these people will repeat and crow abo= ut your company once they become inundated with your message. It is hu= man nature. Boy, I am stumped on this renovation question... Oh, I know just the people you need to talk to... I'll find them onlin= e. I have this model train in a box in the attic...wonder what it is wort= h? Hey, I know this company...they know EVERYTHING about model trains. Go= ask them! It should be on your 'on hold' message. And speaking of your 'on hold' message... we used to change it monthly= and put all of our monthly specials on the message. Hundreds of custo= mers a month would not only hear about extra specials...but many of th= em asked to be put BACK on hold so they could hear the rest of the spe= cials! Now THAT is getting the message across. I think I have made my point. *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0* MY COMPLIMENTARY OFFER TO REVIEW YOUR TITLES FOR BULK AND CUSTOM POTEN= TIAL *** HERE IS MY SPECIAL OFFER TO YOU. I am offering ALL publishers an o= pportunity to have ONE BOOK analyzed by me for its Bulk and/or Custom = Sales potential, and even give you a report of a couple primary target= markets to approach... AT NO CHARGE... COMPLIMENTARY... just so you w= ill begin to have the idea of why Bulk and Custom Sales are so importa= nt to your survival. I have done this once before eight years ago. It was very strongly rec= eived with 500+/- books submitted to me to analyze. Yes, it took about= six weeks to get to everyone, but I got a great deal of positive feed= back... and we all need that. Currently, I have received over 500 requ= ests this year and am continuing to review titles. It is fun... not to= mention it is super important to keep this industry, as we know it, a= live and well for the future. And one of the best ways of doing that i= s to keep the publishers in it alive and well. Feel free to submit your book now. Send me an email with your book inf= ormation, a link to it on your website, a copy of the Table of Content= s, full size front and back covers, and your email and contact informa= tion. If you prefer to send me an eBook of your book, that is ok also,= with the other information... to mailto:mfoner@nplconsult.com . Subject line: Bulk-Custom Book Analysis Remember, fiction, children's fiction, romance, sci-fi, etc., anything= of a fiction nature really doesn't lend itself to this process, and I= will likely reply with a blank page to those requests. Non-fiction wo= rks for the most part, informational, business, self-help, technical, = are good. I will analyze ALL the books I receive, other than those mentioned abo= ve, one per publisher, for now, through the 31st of March. I will be a= way part of April, so don't delay or you won't hear from me until May = or June. And, if you would like to speak confidentially about the potentials of= success with your titles and bulk, customized, and special sales... c= ontact me at mailto:mfoner@nplconsult.com .=C2=A0 I have over thirty y= ears of experience in Bulk and Custom sales... tens of Millions of Dol= lars in revenues... my largest individual unit sale was 250,000 units = of one title, on one order. We should talk if you want to succeed in B= ulk and Custom selling. Many dozens of publishers have done well from = using the expert help I can offer. *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 * A FEW INTERESTING LISTINGS I have a few listings way worth a second look. And some worth a third = and fourth look. I am going to highlight three of them in this issue. = If you want the complete list, just email me=C2=A0 mailto:mfoner@nplco= nsult.com . ART REFERENCE PUBLISHER... Maybe the best known series brand of art re= ference books in the world. Company is almost 60 years old and hasn't = done any marketing in the last 27 years and is still doing nicely on i= ts name alone. New editions come out once or twice a year. Profitable = even on a very part time basis. This publisher won't be on the market = very long now that we are promoting it. We originally had a buyer and = that took the company off the market for months. Now, it is on the mar= ket again and will sell quickly. If you are in the art world, you know= the brand and it would improve your stature to own this worldwide kno= wn brand. Asking $249,000 (3.5X net) PLUS some arrangement on cost bas= is $500,000 inventory. COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE... Midwest US city... in business almost = 20 years, part time activity, full time net income. Was monthly for ma= ny years and when owner became ill, went to bi monthly. Profit is stro= ng but going back to monthly will increase the net by 50% based on his= tory. Netting now $80K, could be easily up to $120K. Long ad history, = strong community, and even stronger mass community appeal of the mater= ial. Would only be 2X net if back to monthly. This one will go quickly= as we are promoting heavily in the geographic area to all kinds of ma= gazine and newspaper publishers. Asking 3X net/1x ad revenues at $249,= 000. AMINAL PUBLISHER, DOG & HORSE... One title has sold over 400,000 copie= s in five editions over the years! Other backlist has sold 20,000 to 6= 0,000 copies historically, and others less, but makes for solid backli= st revenue. Profits have been (last four years) average $65K a year...= the Seller, not realizing the great opportunity to sell the company, = decided to close the company in July of 2017, and started to liquidate= inventory and not do marketing. I recently came on board to help salv= age a solid, long-term, talented publisher from the ashes of closing. Revenue for fiscal year July '17 to June '18 is estimated at $100K... = net profit is estimated at $30K. 4X profits, even reduced profits, is = reasonable for a 40 year track record and a number of solid backlists = and one amazing backlist title. Asking $125,000., negotiable. Ok, a couple one liners... CIVIL WAR REFERENCE PUBLISHER, 1,500 TITLES INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL GUIDE PUBLISHER, 30 TITLES NON FICTION BUSINESS, HEALTH, DIY PUBLISHER, 450 TITLES *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 * If you believe your publishing business, or any commercial business yo= u own, isn't up to what it should be creating or earning... then you s= hould contact me at mailto:mfoner@nplconsult.com . I can help you grow= your company to your goals and then help you exit profitably. If you want to acquire another publisher, or line, or even a few title= s, then you should contact me. If you want to sell your company, or lines, or a few titles, contact m= e. If you want to succeed as a self-publisher... contact me. If you finally get the idea how critical it is to have a Strategic Pla= n, then for certain and right now, you should contact me at mailto:mfo= ner@nplconsult.com . Copyright Martin Foner, 2018. =C2=A0=C2=A0 mailto:mfoner@nplconsult.co= m There should be an unsubscribe button somewhere at the footer of this = email, but if there is not, simply email me directly at mailto:mfoner@= nplconsult.com , and I will have you removed from future emailings. While it is considered opt out instead of opt in, if you don't unsubsc= ribe, we will consider you as approving us to continue to send you new= sletters and related publishing information. If you do not approve, yo= u need to unsubscribe, not mark this spam or do other untoward things.= .. just unsubscribe is enough. NPL Publishing Consultants, a division of Professional Publishers Grou= p Corporation, Post Office Box 1010, Ventura CA 93002.=C2=A0 http://li= nk.rm0004.net/go/R0WNvjQGYmQMOPAjI3oIEg2/ This email is being sent to Lojban@lojban.org. Use this link to be deleted or to update your email address http://link.rm0004.net/subscription/?t=3DR0WNvtp_FWs1kX4-NpTtJg2 This message was sent by NPL PUBLISHING CONSULTANTS, a Division of Pro= fessional Publishers Group Corporation | POST OFFICE BOX 1010 | VENT= URA, CA 93002 --=-C0JUwI8d71SQgws96N5aRw== Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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Martin Foner’s Publishing Newslette= r

Because You’re Serious = About Success… or You’re Not

Volume 23, Number 4

NEWS FLASH:

AMAZON IS NOT THE ANSWER TO Y= OUR PUBLISHING SUCCESS

(JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT = WAS)

Hello, Everyone&he= llip;

Welcome to the latest edit= ion of my publishing newsletter. Just a brief line or two below on eac= h article.

AMAZON IS NOT THE ANSWER TO Y= OUR PUBLISHING SUCCESS

(JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT = WAS)

I have now heard the same = lament from three different author-publishers in the month of February= …and it makes me wonder if anyone really understands the role o= f Amazon in your publishing activities. And the answers to your publis= hing success are far greater than Amazon or any single marketing appro= ach.

IS 2018 THE YEAR YOU DECIDE T= O SELL… WHAT YOU MUST DO TO MAKE THE DECISION, TO GET READY, AN= D ACCOMPLISH A SALE.

This is the fourth install= ment of a multi part ‘series’ on the process of selling yo= ur publishing company. In this issue we will examine some of the choic= es you have to make when selling: pricing, financing, and staying on a= fter, and related questions.

WHY BRANDING IS SO DAMN CRITI= CAL TO YOUR SUCCESS… AND IT ISN’T JUST A TAG LINE…= BUT THE WAY YOU RUN YOUR COMPANY

This is the second install= ment of a new series on why Branding is such a critical element of a s= uccessful company, and is even more important when differentiating you= r publishing activities from the almost 200,000 other ‘publisher= s’ seeking attention in the marketplace. In this part… yo= ur message has to be everywhere, and how you do that with customers, s= taff, vendors, and others.

MY COMPLIMENTARY OFFER TO REV= IEW YOUR TITLES FOR BULK AND CUSTOM POTENTIALS

My offer to do a free bulk= and custom analysis of one of your titles is still valid… beca= use of the amazing response so far. Don’t miss this opportunity!= I can’t imagine everyone hasn’t already seen this offer, = but every issue brings more and more titles to my inbox.

      

A FEW INTERESTING LISTINGS

I have a few listings way = worth a second look. And some worth a third and fourth look. I am goin= g to highlight three of them in this issue. If you want the complete l= ist, just email me  mfoner@nplconsult.com .

*        &= nbsp;           = ;       *     &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;         * <= /p>

AMAZON IS NOT THE ANSWER TO Y= OUR PUBLISHING SUCCESS

(JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT = WAS)

I have now heard the same = lament from three different author-publishers in the month of February= …and it makes me wonder if anyone really understands the role o= f Amazon in your publishing activities. I am positive most of you do&h= ellip; but for those who ask these questions… here is a quick &= lsquo;understanding’.

All three have said the sa= me thing to me. “I put my book, or books, up on Amazon (whatever= that means) and it hasn’t sold. Why not?”

Do you know what my next q= uestion was? Think a minute…

WHAT ELSE ARE YOU = DOING?

And then I get the classic= response: “What do you mean?”

That tells me the person I= am speaking to has no clue of the breadth of the industry, how we wor= k, and how things get sold. The assumption, apparently, is to put your= ‘stuff’ up on Amazon and it will sell. Very much like hav= ing ‘stuff’ you might put up on EBay to sell?

What the Industry (Does and) Doesn’= t Do

In general, the industry d= oes NOT sell your products. Period. Assume this and you will be fine. = Amazon, B & T, B & N, Ingram… no one actually actively = SELLS your products. Now, If you PAY EXTRA for specific services, you = will get some ‘featured’ ‘sponsored’ and &lsqu= o;advertiser’ spots in their sites, publications, and catalogs. = But as to someone actually “selling” your product. No.

IF you have an exclusive d= istributor, someone like my good friend Jed Lyons / NBN, then you have= someone out selling for you on a daily basis to bookstores, libraries= , gift shops, and other retail/resale customers. Yes, this is a pitch = for NBN since I know their work and have had clients I referred to him= and they have done well with the relationship. I am equally confident= there are many other solid exclusive distributors… I do not me= an to ignore any, but see below on that advice.

If you have a specific gen= re, topic, or subject that covers much or all of your titles, then you= should look carefully for a distributor who specializes in your subje= ct area. So, to be fair, let me recommend a few… for organics, = small farming, homesteading… Chelsea Green. For New Age, Spirit= ual, Wellness, and related topics… New Leaf Distributors. SO, i= t is important before selecting a “general” distributor li= ke NBN, that you see if there is a specific one to your topic, first.<= /span>

Exclusive or non exclusive= ?

Non exclusive is fine if y= ou are out there in a hundred different distribution channels, wholesa= lers, specialty library people, museum stores (if that’s applica= ble) and a dozen other ways.

Exclusive is exactly that.= You will have one company exclusively representing you to the trade. = Much less work. Much more restrictive.

Bulk Selling? Is ALL YOURS= alone unless you contact someone like my company who does Bulk Sellin= g for publishers through our program.

But we get ahead of oursel= ves.

Who did the pre-publicatio= n press releases, a few hundred, media, the same, requests for reviews= from 10-20 review publications in your field, in your geographic area= , in general?

How many people did you so= licit for endorsements, in advance?

If you are doing Bulk Sell= ing on your own, how many of your target markets did you approach pre-= publication? And of course, how many did you approach once the book wa= s published?

The big question becomes: = What the hell did you do to sell books?

Now, if you are relying on= ebook sales… that is, if you don’t offer your book in a = physical form… we have little or nothing to discuss. In my pers= onal and professional opinion, you have made a fatal mistake that cann= ot be corrected until you do a physical book and promote it accordingl= y.

Why?

I won’t go deep here= …maybe an article in the next newsletter… but…

1 – Minimal Bulk Sel= ling

2 – Minimal Profitab= ility

3 – Permitting peopl= e to read your book for free on Kindle’s free program? Free? And= what revenue do you expect from that? Oh, I forgot, you get .000X cen= ts per page read. Sure you do.

4 – Ability to copy = the ebook for others or permit others into a single buyer’s acco= unt

I won’t go on now&he= llip; suffice to say I did one ebook because it was a contractual deal= before I acquired the title, and I lost my shirt on it because the au= thor held the ebook rights and I was selling the physical book and, we= ll, once it hit the market as free… I was cooked.

So, we come back… W= hat DID you do to sell books?

Please… 50 emails t= o your friends. Good start.

Now, send out 1,000 emails= to everyone in your church.  200 emails to all the employees at = your company.  100 emails to everyone in your Fantasy Football pr= ogram. And emails to every last person you know, you belong to the sam= e whatever with… how about your high school or college graduati= ng class?

The answers to your publis= hing success are far greater than Amazon or any single marketing appro= ach. You keep working in twenty directions and when 3 or 5 or 10 of th= em work, you do more, and more. This is a non-stop program from beginn= ing to bestseller.

THINK! THINK AGAIN! THEN G= O DO IT!

(Or hire me and I will do = it for you.)

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IS 2018 THE YEAR YOU DECIDE T= O SELL… WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO MAKE THE DECISION, TO GET READY,= AND TO ACCOMPLISH A SALE.

This is a multi part &lsqu= o;series’ on the process of selling your publishing company, fro= m the thought process, to how to get ready in all areas of your busine= ss, to actually being marketed for sale and closing.

Part Four… Pricing, Financing, and= Staying On

These are all things you c= an discuss with your Publishing Broker… but we might as well go= over them now… so you are prepared when it is time…and = you can be thinking about them well in advance.

Pricing…

We have previously reviewe= d how basic pricing is established. Let us assume your ‘range&rs= quo; is $750,000 to $850,000. What should your asking price be?=

In this range, $100,000 ov= er your top number is going to be the limit. But, in this case with a = fairly wide range of acceptable pricing, I would price this deal at $8= 95,000 asking. Even losing 10% of the ask in negotiations puts us squa= rely in the middle of the pricing range, while keeping the asking low = enough to create more rather than less interest.

I look to be about 10% ove= r the center of a range, providing I can make that range tight enough.=

At $100,000… other = rules. If the range is $85,000 to $100,000, then you have to decide if= this type of publisher, or the conditions under which it is being sol= d, warrants the deadly cross over the $100,000 price point. The next s= top is really $125,000… 25% over the top. If the range is solid= , then you CAN look at $99,000 and be firm. Only come down 5 or 6K, an= d again, you are in the middle of the range.

Over $1.5MM or $2MM&hellip= ; the rules change again. There is much more play in the numbers at th= at size. 10% represents a couple hundred thousand dollars. I had a cli= ent whose estimated value range was $2.1MM to $2.3MM. I listed him at = $2.5MM. When all was said and done the deal went off at $2.2MM…= right in the middle of the estimated range in the first place. Again,= if your range is wider… say, $2.5MM to $3.0MM… then you= have to be careful of overpricing and of going over certain price poi= nts… and at $3MM, it really IS a price point. SO, I would list = at $2.95MM and work the 10% and keep the final price within the middle= of that range.

Now, what about the other = school of thought…ask a lot and even if you get 70% it is still= more than being right on target?

Let me simplify this. No o= ne in this business is stupid. Some might agree to overpay by 10%, or = demand to underpay by 20%, but the reality is that if you have a Broke= r protecting your interests, and the Buyer has one or some experience = in acquisitions… neither of you is going to “get over&rdq= uo; on the other. Really. I have brokered hundreds of publishing deals= from tiny to very large. I know of what I speak.

And when you set the price= for an $800,000 company at $1.2MM… you are telling the world y= ou aren’t being honest in pricing, which often translates in the= minds of buyers as… this guy, or gal, ain’t honest in an= ything… don’t even bother to take a look.

I had a potential client a= sk $2MM for a business worth fully $1.2MM. He believed that there were= people out there willing to pay his price and he wanted me to promote= his company that way. I told him point blank that even if I succeeded= , eventually, the buyer would know he had been taken for a ride and wo= uld excoriate me in the publishing marketplace, and rightfully so. And= my reputation wasn’t worth losing it on any one single deal, or= even a dozen deals, no matter how profitable.

The setting of an asking p= rice looks a bit like art rather than science, but it isn’t. Onc= e you have a legitimate pricing range, it is pretty simple to keep the= deal within those perimeters.

Financing…

Should you agree or not?

It depends on a number of = factors. Price is one. Small deals should be cash. If you are financin= g a small buyer, you are at a large risk. If you are financing, say, 2= 0% of a $2MM deal, you have gotten 80% of your money up front and if t= he buyer has solid credit, the risk is small. No one is going to lose = a $2MM company over not paying off $100K of a half paid loan.

I usually set my limits at= 33% on big deals… 20% on small deals.

Term is important. If it w= ill be paid off in a year, then you can raise the percentage a bit. If= the buyer needs more than three years, you need to lower the percenta= ge. This is simple, rational, common sense.

What about not financing a= t all?

Cash deals often take a 5%= discount from the final price and financed deals often get a 5-10% pr= emium over the final price, even if the finance is for 20-33%. It is t= he mental thing of having some wiggle room or being put to the fire of= paying cash.

Staying On After…

This one is really simple.=

You HAVE to stay on for th= irty days if only to show the buyer what has to be done, records, comp= uters, vendors, and the like.

After that, it depends sol= ely on what YOU want to do. DO you want to get out of town and retire = FAST and never see the place again…then say so. DO you plan to = stay in town, happy to help out, don’t know what you will be doi= ng with yourself after, and still have fun in the business? Then consi= der staying on for 3 to 6 months but you must be paid for your time. A= nd depending on what role you will play… it will be at your cur= rent salary or some reduced figure based on duties and hours. <= /p>

I had a client who stayed = on to train a new management team…he received a full salary and= package for this time. I had another client who, after the 30 days, h= ung around to help pack orders, edit books, and do whatever was needed= at the time while he decided what to do with his life… about s= ix months also. The new owners paid him for half time, about a quarter= of his prior salary. It all works out.

But the key decision is wh= ether you want to stay on or not.

Of course, even if YOU do,= the new owners may not want you after the 30 days. When I sold my big= company, the new owners wanted me available, on the phone only, for t= hree months. After that, they paid me my non-compete monies and I was = happy to continue to answer questions, though they were few and far be= tween.

Conclusion… think a= bout these points and resolve them in your mind up front so when the d= iscussions begin, you will already have a position and the buyer will = understand where he/she is starting.

*        &= nbsp;           = ;       *     &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;         * <= /p>

WHY BRANDING IS SO DAMN CRITI= CAL TO YOUR SUCCESS… AND IT ISN’T JUST A TAG LINE…= BUT THE WAY YOU RUN YOUR COMPANY

This is the second install= ment of a new series on why Branding is such a critical element of a s= uccessful company and is even more important to publishers… one= book or a thousand… when differentiating your publishing activ= ities from the almost 200,000 other ‘publishers’ seeking a= ttention in the marketplace.

Your message has t= o be everywhere, and how you do that with customers, staff, vendors, a= nd others…

What does this mean?

It means exactly what it s= ays. Everywhere!

Start with it being your M= ission Statement, your reason for being, your mantra… to be rep= eated so many times every day it becomes ingrained, embedded and event= ually, the life breath of every member of the company, every customer,= and every vendor.

It goes on your business c= ards, letterheads, website in big letters, catalogs, ad sheets, for pu= blishers, on the front of every book you create, every PR message, eve= rything. When you send out an email…it is in the signature if n= ot in the line above your actual email as well.

You really want to make ev= eryone sick at some point of seeing your Branding. But for customers w= ho only see it occasionally, when you are promoting, they see it as a = repetitive message of your ability, your willingness to do business, a= nd the customer’s reason for doing business with you.

“California’s = headquarters for every kind of model train.”

“Answers to every re= novation question from Victorian to Modern”

You get the idea. Eventual= ly, customers, and potential customers, have it drummed into them that= you are the expert, or you are the complete source, or you know more = than the Internet, whatever makes your company different AND BETTER th= an anyone else.

In all advertising…= all broadsides put into shipments… literally every thing, ever= y where, all the time. YOU may get bored but the impact on customers a= nd others… will be quite amazing after a while.

We used to put our tag lin= e on our custom built and printed boxes. “another shipment of th= e very best materials for the very best professionals, worldwide&rdquo= ;. We never let the customer forget who we were, and why they purchase= d from us, so they knew they really needed to purchase from us again.<= /span>

And why involve vendors, s= uppliers, and others even peripherally related to your company? Every = one of these people will repeat and crow about your company once they = become inundated with your message. It is human nature.

Boy, I am stumped on this = renovation question…

Oh, I know just the people= you need to talk to… I’ll find them online.

I have this model train in= a box in the attic…wonder what it is worth?

Hey, I know this company&h= ellip;they know EVERYTHING about model trains. Go ask them!

It should be on your &lsqu= o;on hold’ message.

And speaking of your &lsqu= o;on hold’ message… we used to change it monthly and put = all of our monthly specials on the message. Hundreds of customers a mo= nth would not only hear about extra specials…but many of them a= sked to be put BACK on hold so they could hear the rest of the special= s! Now THAT is getting the message across.

I think I have made my poi= nt.

    &n= bsp;           =        *     &n= bsp;           =           *  &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;  *

MY COMPLIMENTARY OFFER TO REV= IEW YOUR TITLES FOR BULK AND CUSTOM POTENTIAL

*** HERE IS MY SPE= CIAL OFFER TO YOU. I am offering ALL publishers an opportunity to have= ONE BOOK analyzed by me for its Bulk and/or Custom Sales potential, a= nd even give you a report of a couple primary target markets to approa= ch… AT NO CHARGE… COMPLIMENTARY… just so you will= begin to have the idea of why Bulk and Custom Sales are so important = to your survival.

I have done this once befo= re eight years ago. It was very strongly received with 500+/- books su= bmitted to me to analyze. Yes, it took about six weeks to get to every= one, but I got a great deal of positive feedback… and we all ne= ed that. Currently, I have received over 500 requests this year and am= continuing to review titles. It is fun… not to mention it is s= uper important to keep this industry, as we know it, alive and well fo= r the future. And one of the best ways of doing that is to keep the pu= blishers in it alive and well.

Feel free to submi= t your book now. Send me an email with your book information, a link t= o it on your website, a copy of the Table of Contents, full size front= and back covers, and your email and contact information. If you p= refer to send me an eBook of your book, that is ok also, with the othe= r information… to .

Subject line: Bulk= -Custom Book Analysis

Remember, fiction, childre= n’s fiction, romance, sci-fi, etc., anything of a fiction nature= really doesn’t lend itself to this process, and I will likely r= eply with a blank page to those requests. Non-fiction works for the mo= st part, informational, business, self-help, technical, are good.

I will analyze ALL= the books I receive, other than those mentioned above, one per publis= her, for now, through the 31st of March. I will be away par= t of April, so don’t delay or you won’t hear from me until= May or June.

And, if you would like to = speak confidentially about the potentials of success with your titles = and bulk, customized, and special sales… contact me at <= a href=3D"mailto:mfoner@nplconsult.com">mfoner@nplconsult.com .=   I have over thirty years of experience in Bulk and Custom sales= … tens of Millions of Dollars in revenues… my la= rgest individual unit sale was 250,000 units of one title, on one orde= r. We should talk if you want to succeed in Bulk and Custom s= elling. Many dozens of publishers have done well from using the expert= help I can offer.

    &n= bsp;           =            &nbs= p; *           =            &nbs= p;    *         = ;            &n= bsp;     *

 A FEW INTERESTING LISTING= S

I have a few listings way = worth a second look. And some worth a third and fourth look. I am goin= g to highlight three of them in this issue. If you want the complete l= ist, just email me  mfoner@nplconsult.com .

ART REFERENCE PUBL= ISHER… Maybe t= he best known series brand of art reference books in the world. Compan= y is almost 60 years old and hasn’t done any marketing in the la= st 27 years and is still doing nicely on its name alone. New editions = come out once or twice a year. Profitable even on a very part time bas= is. This publisher won’t be on the market very long now that we = are promoting it. We originally had a buyer and that took the company = off the market for months. Now, it is on the market again and will sel= l quickly. If you are in the art world, you know the brand and it woul= d improve your stature to own this worldwide known brand. Aski= ng $249,000 (3.5X net) PLUS some arrangement on cost basis $500,000 in= ventory.

COMMUNITY CHRISTIA= N MAGAZINE… Mi= dwest US city… in business almost 20 years, part time activity,= full time net income. Was monthly for many years and when owner becam= e ill, went to bi monthly. Profit is strong but going back to monthly = will increase the net by 50% based on history. Netting now $80K, could= be easily up to $120K. Long ad history, strong community, and even st= ronger mass community appeal of the material. Would only be 2X net if = back to monthly. This one will go quickly as we are promoting heavily = in the geographic area to all kinds of magazine and newspaper publishe= rs. Asking 3X net/1x ad revenues at $249,000.<= /p>

AMINAL PUBLISHER, = DOG & HORSE… One title has sold over 400,000 copies in five editions over the ye= ars! Other backlist has sold 20,000 to 60,000 copies historically, and= others less, but makes for solid backlist revenue. Profits have been = (last four years) average $65K a year… the Seller, not realizin= g the great opportunity to sell the company, decided to close the comp= any in July of 2017, and started to liquidate inventory and not do mar= keting. I recently came on board to help salvage a solid, long-term, t= alented publisher from the ashes of closing.

Revenue for fiscal year Ju= ly ‘17 to June ‘18 is estimated at $100K… net profi= t is estimated at $30K. 4X profits, even reduced profits, is reasonabl= e for a 40 year track record and a number of solid backlists and one a= mazing backlist title. Asking $125,000., negotiable.<= /span>

Ok, a couple one l= iners…

CIVIL WAR REFERENC= E PUBLISHER, 1,500 TITLES

INTERNATIONAL TRAV= EL GUIDE PUBLISHER, 30 TITLES

NON FICTION BUSINE= SS, HEALTH, DIY PUBLISHER, 450 TITLES

    &n= bsp;           =            &nbs= p; *           =            &nbs= p;    *        =            &nbs= p;       *

If you believe your publis= hing business, or any commercial business you own, isn’t up to w= hat it should be creating or earning… then you should contact m= e at mfoner@nplconsult.com. I can help you grow your company to your goals and then h= elp you exit profitably.

If you want to acquire ano= ther publisher, or line, or even a few titles, then you should contact= me.

If you want to sell your c= ompany, or lines, or a few titles, contact me.

If you want to succeed as = a self-publisher… contact me.

If you finally get the ide= a how critical it is to have a Strategic Plan, then for certain and ri= ght now, you should contact me at mfoner@nplconsult.com.

© Martin Foner, 2018.=   mfoner@nplconsult.com

There should be an unsubsc= ribe button somewhere at the footer of this email, but if there is not= , simply email me directly at mfoner@nplconsult.com<= /a>, and I will have you removed from= future emailings.

While it is considered opt= out instead of opt in, if you don’t unsubscribe, we will consid= er you as approving us to continue to send you newsletters and related= publishing information. If you do not approve, you need to un= subscribe, not mark this spam or do other untoward things… just= unsubscribe is enough.

NPL Publishing Consultants= , a division of Professional Publishers Group Corporation, Post Office= Box 1010, Ventura CA 93002.  ww= w.nplconsult.com

=20

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