Received: from mail-3-165.rch001.net ([52.124.3.165]:45250) by stodi.digitalkingdom.org with esmtps (TLSv1.2:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:256) (Exim 4.89) (envelope-from ) id 1f0sCM-0004Dz-FU for Lojban@lojban.org; Tue, 27 Mar 2018 10:15:52 -0700 From: "Martin Foner" To: "Lojban@lojban.org" Reply-To: Subject: Printing or Selling Books Outside the U.S... Look Out, Trouble is Coming! X-BPS1: 6600707 Feedback-ID: 6600707:2110141:RM X-BPS2: 73291 Message-ID: <2a5cf011-608b-42d2-b42b-931af63333d3@a.sc02.rmdlvry001.com> List-Unsubscribe: , X-Mailer: RM Mailer (v5.4.811.0) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=-Xly7AeIJqwf+aSH3OWzvnw==" Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2018 12:15:50 -0500 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. --=-Xly7AeIJqwf+aSH3OWzvnw== 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/R0WNvjcVPsiB2cWnuwmUrQ2 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=3DR0WNvjcVPsiB2cWnuwmUrQ2 Martin Foner's Publishing Newsletter Because You're Serious About Success... or You're Not Volume 23, Number 5 NEWS FLASH: IF YOU PRINT OR SELL BOOKS ANYWHERE OUTSIDE THE U.S... YOU ARE ABOUT T= O HAVE PROBLEMS WITH UPCOMING TRADE WARS (JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT ISN'T YOUR PROBLEM) Hello, Everyone... Welcome to the latest edition of my publishing newsletter. Just a brie= f line or two below on each article. IF YOU PRINT OR SELL BOOKS ANYWHERE OUTSIDE THE U.S... YOU ARE ABOUT H= AVE PROBLEMS WITH UPCOMING TRADE WARS (JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT ISN'T YOUR PROBLEM) In the last few weeks I have listened to several publishers who tell m= e that politics is irrelevant to publishing, and what the government d= oes has little to do with running a publishing company. Here are two B= IG scenarios that will impact EVERY LAST publisher who prints OR SELLS= books outside the U.S. 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 fifth installment of a multi part 'series' on the process = of selling your publishing company. In this issue we will examine some= of the ways you can improve your top and bottom lines in advance of p= utting the company up for sale. Remember, the bigger the top and botto= m lines, the larger the selling price. 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 newsletter brings more and more titles to my inbox. A FEW INTERESTING LISTINGS-PUBLISHING COMPANIES FOR SALE I have many listings way worth a second look. And some worth a third a= nd fourth look. I am going to highlight some of them in this issue. If= you want the complete list, just email me=C2=A0 mailto:mfoner@nplcons= ult.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 * IF YOU PRINT OR SELL BOOKS ANYWHERE OUTSIDE THE U.S... YOU ARE ABOUT T= O HAVE PROBLEMS WITH UPCOMING TRADE WARS (JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT ISN'T YOUR PROBLEM) In the last few weeks I have listened to several publishers who tell m= e that politics is irrelevant to publishing, and what the government d= oes has little to do with running a publishing company. Here are two B= IG scenarios that will impact EVERY LAST publisher who prints OR SELLS= books outside the U.S. Let me keep this one brief since it IS altogether possible the adminis= tration currently in power will exercise some positive judgment for th= e benefit of the corporate and small business communities of the Unite= d States and look to working with other countries instead of fighting = with other countries regarding economic cooperation. Sidebar: If you think the current news reports that things will be fin= e, negotiations are taking place, blah, blah... I have, in the last ne= wsletter, advised you that this administration has already put in plac= e tariffs of 9% on Canadian paper for printing, increasing many of you= r printing bills by roughly 15-18%. Just in case you thought this is '= fake news'. Ok, so if you print books outside the U.S., as in China, Hong Kong, Vi= etnam, or even Italy, and you are a U.S. company, it already has prece= dent that you could be hit with as much as a 35% tariff on bringing yo= ur foreign made goods into the country for sale in the U.S., when you = could have manufactured them IN the U.S. And while that may not be likely from Italy... as we all know, China, = and Hong Kong which is now also a part of China, are a focus of this a= dministration's attentions. Count on some tariff for inbound goods man= ufactured outside the U.S. and particularly in this part of the world. What does this mean? Well, if implemented at, say 25%, your 40% less c= ost printing bill in the far East now becomes, a 15% better pricing in= exchange for a 6 to 8 week boat trip for your product to arrive. And let me make a point here that seems to have been lost in all the '= wow, look at the cheap printing in the far East' conversation. ** If you EVER expect to sell product (more than one copy... any quant= ity from small to larger, but for certain, large) to the US Government= , the Military, any State Government, any School District, many region= al and local Governments, and some national Non-Profit Organizations..= . then you will be asked to sign a document that all products you manu= facture... and you DO manufacture these books... are in fact manufactu= red IN the United States. ** Most of these customers won't ask for proof for orders under, say, = $25,000., but for orders over that... you may have to provide an invoi= ce from a US printer. And if you can't... ** Do you ever wonder why you don't get certain larger orders? Because= if the customer sees, Printed in China, your product is off the list.= And lately, because buyers are getting more sophisticated, they are a= sking for the print invoice and quantity to prove the inventory you ar= e selling them was indeed "Made in the USA". ** Since the companies I work with who expect to make sales of 1,000 u= nits or more and have any of the above list as potential customers... = I HAVE to recommend they print at least a portion of their orders in t= he U.S., and be prepared to defend any questions of provenance. Ok, now quickly, let's flip to the sell side. You are selling a few books to international distributors for $20 US e= ach. Because the receiving country has imposed a tariff in response to= a US tariff, on books, of say 25%, your $20 book at wholesale now cos= ts the distributor $25 US. SO, if she/he is to double out on your prod= uct, it has to now be sold at retail for the equivalent of $50 US, ins= tead of $40 US. While that may not make a big difference in some count= ries, and on some titles, this extra 25% on the price might make the d= ifference between more sales and ZERO sales in the future. Your new pr= ice might have exceeded the price point for titles in your genre. In my experience selling abroad when duties and tariffs were involved,= I found WE had to absorb the duties and tariffs JUST TO GET THE BOOKS= IN THE DOOR, so to speak. Now, if that becomes your situation, then y= our $20 wholesale books will now earn you $15 wholesale, in order to b= oth keep your titles in the distribution flow AND to keep them competi= tive. Assuming a $4 print cost, you have just kissed off 30% of your p= rofits!! (And you tell me politics has nothing to do with running a pu= blishing company?) And now imagine the impact of an 'in and out' situation, where you get= hit for bringing the books into the US and then get hit again for sen= ding them to a country with duties and tariffs unfavorable to US compa= nies. In our examples above this could come to $6 per book. And it wou= ld then become nothing more than a donation to the administration's ec= onomic policies... you know, those policies that promised the streets = would be paved in gold and you, as a business owner, would be swimming= in money??? You MUST stay informed. Your Government does things that affect you ev= ery day... make sure you respond accordingly. *=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 the fifth installment of a multi part 'series' on the process = of selling your publishing company. In this issue we will examine some= of the ways you can improve your top and bottom lines in advance of p= utting the company up for sale. Remember, the bigger the top and botto= m lines, the larger the selling price. Part Five... How to Increase Your Top and Bottom Lines Obviously, you know the basic ways to increase your top and bottom lin= es, or you need more help than this newsletter can provide right now (= call me...let's talk!). So, I must be talking about more creative ways= to pump up your top and bottom lines in the periods before a sale. Caveat... these are ALL perfectly legal, accounting acceptable, and mo= ral ways of pumping your numbers. I have used all of these techniques = and many more to help my client publishers get sold, so I know what I = am talking about. Remember... the goal in all of this work is to create legitimate numbe= rs that show your company in as positive a light as legally possible. = I will highlight in this article three strategies I use to achieve thi= s goal. Thus, some of the ideas here may help more or less in one way = and then help in other ways, also benefitting your price... If you hav= e questions or need additional detail as to how these idea work in pra= ctice, email me. * Review your inventory. Remember, we have said in prior articles that= when a buyer buys inventory, he/she will only pay 100% of print cost = for the first one year of sales inventory. After that it quickly falls= to 50% for the second and 10% for inventory that won't leave the ware= house for more than two years under current selling activities. This is often my first strategy for clients to enhance their selling p= rice. And this one may seem to be obvious, but often, I find it hasn't been = factored into statements and calculations for the benefit of the selle= r very often... so I still wonder if and how it is getting done. * Personal business expenses. You know, using your credit card for per= sonal dinners, personal travel, vehicles not directly involved in the = company, personal health and life insurance benefits, phones, office e= xpenses for home use, postage, name it. Believe it or not, for a small= company, under $500K in revenues, this often comes to about 10% of re= venues. So, you can understand why this is also one of my first choices for ad= justments to the financials. And then there is what I call the "printer's adjustment". This comes i= nto play in two specific cases. First, if you can conceive of selling = your company to a printer, and second, when you can sell a smaller com= pany to a much larger one. * The issues here are, how can the buyer absorb your company and save = money, thus protecting the selling price with a higher net profit. A p= rinter earns more profit from owning a publisher than anyone else othe= r than a publisher. In the other case, when a larger company takes over a very small one, = there is the economy of scale of not needing duplicate receptionists, = phone numbers, insurance, warehouse and office space, vehicles, and th= e like. Be aware, neither buyer would actually pay MORE... but it protects you= from them attempting to get a discount. You know they are going to ma= ke more money than most buyers, and roughly how much, so you can prote= ct your full price. *=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. This has become, over m= any years, an area of specialty for me... something I do exceptionally= 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 30th of April. 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-PUBLISHING COMPANIES FOR SALE 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/R0WNvnukVkjBq5xgCjWiqQ2/ 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=3DR0WNvjcVPsiB2cWnuwmUrQ2 This message was sent by NPL PUBLISHING CONSULTANTS, a Division of Pro= fessional Publishers Group Corporation | POST OFFICE BOX 1010 | VENT= URA, CA 93002 --=-Xly7AeIJqwf+aSH3OWzvnw== Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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Make sure that you always get our messages:= Add mfoner@nplconsult.com to your contacts.

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3D""

Martin Foner’s Publishing Newslette= r

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

Volume 23, Number 5

 

NEWS FLASH:

IF YOU PRINT OR SELL BOOKS AN= YWHERE OUTSIDE THE U.S… YOU ARE ABOUT TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH UPC= OMING TRADE WARS

(JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT = ISN’T YOUR PROBLEM)

 

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.

 

IF YOU PRINT OR SELL BOOKS AN= YWHERE OUTSIDE THE U.S… YOU ARE ABOUT HAVE PROBLEMS WITH UPCOMI= NG TRADE WARS

(JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT = ISN’T YOUR PROBLEM)

In the last few weeks I ha= ve listened to several publishers who tell me that politics is irrelev= ant to publishing, and what the government does has little to do with = running a publishing company. Here are two BIG scenarios that will imp= act EVERY LAST publisher who prints OR SELLS books outside the U.S.

 

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 fifth installm= ent of a multi part ‘series’ on the process of selling you= r publishing company. In this issue we will examine some of the ways y= ou can improve your top and bottom lines in advance of putting the com= pany up for sale. Remember, the bigger the top and bottom lines, the l= arger the selling price.

 

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 newsletter brings more and more titles to my inbox.

 

A FEW INTERESTING LISTINGS-PU= BLISHING COMPANIES FOR SALE

I have many listings way w= orth a second look. And some worth a third and fourth look. I am going= to highlight some of them in this issue. If you want the complete lis= t, just email me  mfoner@nplconsult.com .

 

*            &nb= sp;           &= nbsp;  *          &n= bsp;           =      *

IF YOU PRINT OR SELL BOOKS AN= YWHERE OUTSIDE THE U.S… YOU ARE ABOUT TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH UPC= OMING TRADE WARS

(JUST IN CASE YOU THOUGHT IT = ISN’T YOUR PROBLEM)

In the last few weeks I ha= ve listened to several publishers who tell me that politics is irrelev= ant to publishing, and what the government does has little to do with = running a publishing company. Here are two BIG scenarios that will imp= act EVERY LAST publisher who prints OR SELLS books outside the U.S.

Let me keep this one brief= since it IS altogether possible the administration currently in power= will exercise some positive judgment for the benefit of the corporate= and small business communities of the United States and look to worki= ng with other countries instead of fighting with other countries regar= ding economic cooperation.

Sidebar: If you think the = current news reports that things will be fine, negotiations are taking= place, blah, blah… I have, in the last newsletter, advised you= that this administration has already put in place tariffs of 9% on Ca= nadian paper for printing, increasing many of your printing bills by r= oughly 15-18%. Just in case you thought this is ‘fake news&rsquo= ;.

Ok, so if you print books = outside the U.S., as in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, or even Italy, and = you are a U.S. company, it already has precedent that you could be hit= with as much as a 35% tariff on bringing your foreign made goods into= the country for sale in the U.S., when you could have manufactured th= em IN the U.S.

And while that may not be = likely from Italy… as we all know, China, and Hong Kong which i= s now also a part of China, are a focus of this administration’s= attentions. Count on some tariff for inbound goods manufactured outsi= de the U.S. and particularly in this part of the world.

What does this mean? Well,= if implemented at, say 25%, your 40% less cost printing bill in the f= ar East now becomes, a 15% better pricing in exchange for a 6 to 8 wee= k boat trip for your product to arrive.

And let me make a point he= re that seems to have been lost in all the ‘wow, look at the che= ap printing in the far East’ conversation.

** If you EVER expect to s= ell product (more than one copy… any quantity from small to lar= ger, but for certain, large) to the US Government, the Military, any S= tate Government, any School District, many regional and local Governme= nts, and some national Non-Profit Organizations… then you will = be asked to sign a document that all products you manufacture… = and you DO manufacture these books… are in fact manufactured IN= the United States.

** Most of these customers= won’t ask for proof for orders under, say, $25,000., but for or= ders over that… you may have to provide an invoice from a US pr= inter. And if you can’t…

** Do you ever wonder why = you don’t get certain larger orders? Because if the customer see= s, Printed in China, your product is off the list. And lately, because= buyers are getting more sophisticated, they are asking for the print = invoice and quantity to prove the inventory you are selling them was i= ndeed “Made in the USA”.

** Since the companies I w= ork with who expect to make sales of 1,000 units or more and have any = of the above list as potential customers… I HAVE to recommend t= hey print at least a portion of their orders in the U.S., and be prepa= red to defend any questions of provenance.

Ok, now quickly, let&rsquo= ;s flip to the sell side.

You are selling a few book= s to international distributors for $20 US each. Because the receiving= country has imposed a tariff in response to a US tariff, on books, of= say 25%, your $20 book at wholesale now costs the distributor $25 US.= SO, if she/he is to double out on your product, it has to now be sold= at retail for the equivalent of $50 US, instead of $40 US. While that= may not make a big difference in some countries, and on some titles, = this extra 25% on the price might make the difference between more sal= es and ZERO sales in the future. Your new price might have exceeded th= e price point for titles in your genre.

In my experience selling a= broad when duties and tariffs were involved, I found WE had to absorb = the duties and tariffs JUST TO GET THE BOOKS IN THE DOOR, so to speak.= Now, if that becomes your situation, then your $20 wholesale books wi= ll now earn you $15 wholesale, in order to both keep your titles in th= e distribution flow AND to keep them competitive. Assuming a $4 print = cost, you have just kissed off 30% of your profits!! (And you tell me = politics has nothing to do with running a publishing company?)<= /p>

And now imagine the impact= of an ‘in and out’ situation, where you get hit for bring= ing the books into the US and then get hit again for sending them to a= country with duties and tariffs unfavorable to US companies. In our e= xamples above this could come to $6 per book. And it would then become= nothing more than a donation to the administration’s economic p= olicies… you know, those policies that promised the streets wou= ld be paved in gold and you, as a business owner, would be swimming in= money???

You MUST stay informed. Yo= ur Government does things that affect you every day… make sure = you respond accordingly.

 

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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 the fifth installm= ent of a multi part ‘series’ on the process of selling you= r publishing company. In this issue we will examine some of the ways y= ou can improve your top and bottom lines in advance of putting the com= pany up for sale. Remember, the bigger the top and bottom lines, the l= arger the selling price.

Part Five… How to Increase Your To= p and Bottom Lines

Obviously, you know the ba= sic ways to increase your top and bottom lines, or you need more help = than this newsletter can provide right now (call me…let’s= talk!). So, I must be talking about more creative ways to pump up you= r top and bottom lines in the periods before a sale.

Caveat… these are A= LL perfectly legal, accounting acceptable, and moral ways of pumping y= our numbers. I have used all of these techniques and many more to help= my client publishers get sold, so I know what I am talking about.

Remember… the goal = in all of this work is to create legitimate numbers that show your com= pany in as positive a light as legally possible. I will highlight in t= his article three strategies I use to achieve this goal. Thus, some of= the ideas here may help more or less in one way and then help in othe= r ways, also benefitting your price… If you have questions or n= eed additional detail as to how these idea work in practice, email me.=

  • Review your inventory. Remember, we have said in prior= articles that when a buyer buys inventory, he/she will only pay 100% = of print cost for the first one year of sales inventory. After that it= quickly falls to 50% for the second and 10% for inventory that won&rs= quo;t leave the warehouse for more than two years under current sellin= g activities.

 

This is often my first str= ategy for clients to enhance their selling price.

And this one may seem to b= e obvious, but often, I find it hasn’t been factored into statem= ents and calculations for the benefit of the seller very often…= so I still wonder if and how it is getting done.

  • Personal business expenses. You know, using your credi= t card for personal dinners, personal travel, vehicles not directly in= volved in the company, personal health and life insurance benefits, ph= ones, office expenses for home use, postage, name it. Believe it or no= t, for a small company, under $500K in revenues, this often comes to a= bout 10% of revenues.

 

So, you can understand why= this is also one of my first choices for adjustments to the financial= s.

And then there is what I c= all the “printer’s adjustment”. This comes into play= in two specific cases. First, if you can conceive of selling your com= pany to a printer, and second, when you can sell a smaller company to = a much larger one.

  • The issues here are, how can the buyer absorb your com= pany and save money, thus protecting the selling price with a higher n= et profit. A printer earns more profit from owning a publisher than an= yone else other than a publisher.

 

In the other case, when a = larger company takes over a very small one, there is the economy of sc= ale of not needing duplicate receptionists, phone numbers, insurance, = warehouse and office space, vehicles, and the like.

Be aware, neither buyer would actually pay MORE… but it pro= tects you from them attempting to get a discount. You know they are go= ing to make more money than most buyers, and roughly how much, so you = can protect your full price.

 

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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. This has become, over many years, an ar= ea of specialty for me… something I do exceptionally 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 30th of April. 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.

 

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 A FEW INTERESTING LISTING= S-PUBLISHING COMPANIES FOR SALE

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

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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.

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NPL Publishing Consultants, a division of Professional Publishers= Group Corporation, Post Office Box 1010, Ventura CA 93002.  = www.nplconsult.com =20

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