Received: from mail-3-191.rch001.net ([52.124.3.191]:43230 helo=mail-1-191.rch001.net) by stodi.digitalkingdom.org with esmtps (TLSv1.2:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:256) (Exim 4.92) (envelope-from ) id 1iMw7E-0007jn-SF for Lojban@lojban.org; Tue, 22 Oct 2019 08:30:36 -0700 From: "Martin Foner" To: Reply-To: Subject: Publishing Newsletter - Either You're Serious About Success...or You're Not X-BPS1: 7291505 Feedback-ID: 2369281:e3f358ff3e2f409298df36d6dac03a14:marketing:reachmail X-BPS2: 73291 Message-ID: <51c5d4c9-80e0-4b34-a9b1-b8e50c783db9@a.sc02.rmdlvry001.com> List-Unsubscribe: , List-Unsubscribe-Post: List-Unsubscribe=One-Click X-Mailer: RM Mailer (v5.4.1023.0) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=-bouXHY/8bSewP5tonE6PKA==" Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:30:32 -0500 X-Spam-Score: 0.1 (/) X-Spam_score: 0.1 X-Spam_score_int: 1 X-Spam_bar: / X-Spam-Report: Spam detection software, running on the system "stodi.digitalkingdom.org", has NOT identified this incoming email as spam. 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Click here to view it in your browse= r. http://link.rm0004.net/v/R0WNvkWbHPveV4b7yyi-Ng2 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=3DR0WNvkWbHPveV4b7yyi-Ng2 MARTIN FONER'S PUBLISHING NEWSLETTER Either You're Serious About Success in Publishing... Or You're Not Volume 24, Number 20 =C2=B7=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 Self-P= ublished Titles Reach an All Time High in 2018... Good Thing?/Bad Thin= g? =C2=B7=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 Can Yo= u "Break Even" on a Deal and Still Make Money on It? =C2=B7=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 What t= he Current State of the Industry Says About Your Publishing Future. AND A NEW COMPLETE SERVICE FOR PUBLISHERS FROM PR AND MEDIA TO TRADE A= ND NON-BOOK RETAIL, TO BULK & CUSTOM, AND ADVICE ON THE OPTIMAL OPERAT= ION OF YOUR PUBLISHING COMPANY WHETHER ONE BOOK OR A THOUSAND... And YES, You CAN Afford it... Hi, Everyone... It is late in October. Need I remind you, as I do every year, that if you haven't gotten your= act together for 2020, you are almost too late. You NEED a Master Pla= n for all aspects of marketing and sales for EVERY title you own AND a= Master Plan for keeping your company solvent, growing, and moving tow= ard your goals, both business and personal. (Yes, something like our Complete Publisher Service listed at the end = of this newsletter.) Because 2020 is going to be one of the toughest years in memory to suc= ceed. Read on as to why I believe this... and my beliefs come from wat= ching and working the industry since 1977. I have seen more than a cou= ple recessions, a crash, political and economic upheaval... Let's get right to it. *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 = * Self-Published Titles Reach an All Time High in 2018... Good Thing?/Ba= d Thing? It all depends. For those of us already in the game, it is likely a ba= d thing... a very bad thing. Let's look at the numbers: 2012-2013=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0New titles pub= lished & self-published=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0= =C2=A0 =C2=A0500,000 2018=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 JUST SELF PUBLISHED T= ITLES=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 2,= 200,000 So why is this a bad thing for you? Because it means there are roughly= , in one year, FOUR Times as many new titles to compete with than you = have seen before. And much of these 2,200,000 titles are unmitigated crap! So now your reader has 1,000 choices for your very niche subject where= s/he had 200 a year ago. And maybe less than 100 in 2012-13. And how = are they choosing? By reading the Amazon reviews, many, many of them p= aid for, fakes, self written excellent reviews of crap. Your job has gotten much, much harder. Of course, if you are one of the new authors trying to break into the = field, it is a very good thing to have the market access to sell your = title. Be aware, as I read in an ad for Book Baby last week... "List It on Am= azon" is NOT a marketing strategy. So, you have to put your big boy/girl pants on and compete. Kick ass. = Pound the competition into the pavement. Make yourself #1 in any way y= ou have to including print figures, sales figures, puffery, endorsemen= ts, advertising, bulk selling, PR, media, author work, reviews, reader= reviews, site hits, co branding and co selling... whatever it takes, = and yes it takes a lot of work to be somewhat successful and even more= work to be really successful! *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 * =C2=B7=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 Can Yo= u "Break Even" on a Deal and Still Make Money on It? Let's do our best to ignore that fearless leader offered to hold the G= -7 conference in one of his own hotel complexes and "BREAK EVEN" on th= e deal. Let's not even agree that he also said he would do it for noth= ing... that didn't come until AFTER he decided to pull back and remove= his hotel from consideration, and after both Republicans and Democrat= s rebuked this idea in droves. It got me to thinking... in publishing there are a couple ways you can= "BREAK EVEN" on a sale and still make money. Ok, so it may not make sense on first read. But read on. It is true. I= have done it numerous times over the years. #1... Let's say you agree to sell 5,000 copies of your title for print= cost plus ship cost plus any royalty. (There shouldn't be a royalty o= n this sale since it is sold at cost.) Exact breakeven. And let's say = it costs you $2 a copy to print said book. So now you decide to order 7,500 copies of the book from the printer. = S/he agrees to do the job for $1.60 each. (Or, if you need to show you= r customer an invoice, you get one for 5,000 copies at $2 and another = for 2,500 copies 'extras' at $.80 per copy.) So, this "breakeven" deal has already made you $2,000. ($.40 per copy = times 5,000 copies). #2... Or, you can view this as a breakeven deal at $2 per copy and you= now have 2,500 copies at $.80 print cost per copy, meaning the next 2= ,500 sales yield you an additional $1.20 per copy profit or $3,000. So, either way, doing this kind of "break even" deal makes you money. #3... You have a title, as I did, that was amazing for specific compan= ies, but I couldn't get my foot in the door with any of about ten majo= r players. So, I finally decided to sell the books for absolute cost, = which brought the price of the book down from a very strong discount o= f $10 per unit to $2.50 per unit. I was able to get one of the majors to buy 1,200 books at this price. They liked the book and not only did they buy another 1,200 books, and= yes, I honored the cost pricing, but I got a great endorsement from t= hem. I used this endorsement from this major "name" to go back to the = other nine players in this field and I did manage to sell two of them = roughly 2,500 books each. And yes, at the $10 original discounted pric= ing. And yes, because of that great endorsement. So, while I made zero on two 1,200 book orders, they created two 2,500= books orders on which I made $37,500 profit combined. #4... One more and one of the most interesting. You agree to sell a ti= tle to a group to distribute for free to their members, donors, attend= ees, whomever... at cost. The people who get the book get excited and = want to know where they can buy copies of the book for their friends, = family, co workers, etc. In my years of experience, if the title is su= fficiently commercial, meaning it has a wide audience, you can figure = 20% of the units will bring you sales of roughly five units per sale. Thus, a 1,000 book give away would yield 200 customers at five books p= er customer, or another 1,000 books, but at whatever discount you are = offering if any. Those 1,000 go for almost pure profit. Oh, and knowin= g you are selling 1,000 to a group who is giving them away, you alread= y know to print an extra 1,000 to cover the future orders reducing you= r print cost and making you even more profit! So, as much as we believe our 'fearless leader' isn't very bright, at = least in this one he knew exactly what he was doing. And his numbers w= ere deep into the tens of millions... not like our small business numb= ers. *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 * =C2=B7=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 What t= he Current State of the Industry Says About Your Publishing Future. As I have mentioned many times... I am fortunate enough to read multip= le daily newsletters in the publishing, printing, media, ecommerce, an= d general business fields, as well as daily world news, weekly magazin= es, monthly magazines, and more white papers than I can count. I wish = I could say I spend 80% of my working time, like Warren Buffet, readin= g, but I don't. But I DO realize the huge benefit of reading every day as much as I ca= n fit in. Not only does it keep me informed about the world, and my in= dustry, but it keeps me on top of the situation sufficiently to be abl= e to tell you, my readers, what I think about what is going on, both i= n the industry and in our world and how it impacts us as publishers an= d small businesspeople. Whether my opinion or golden, or just brass, I= believe it is based on a lot of research and the facts. Not conspirac= y theories, not a fearless leader's bs, not political clap trap, but f= acts. So, what's going on? Three major publishers have reduced their workforces this year by 5% o= r more, all the way up to 10%. This isn't good even if they are restru= cturing, which is another word for staying afloat. The industry reports overall sales are down for 2019 so far...and hard= hit are bookstores. I cannot say if this means Amazon has taken even = a larger slice of the pie or not, but I suspect so. But, to be fair, the OTHER explanation for this is that people simply = aren't reading as many books or paying to read as many books. This bri= ngs us back to Amazon and the free reading program they sponsor. Sidebar... no matter how they promo it to you publishers, it does NOT = increase your sales of units. If someone chooses to read your book on = Kindle for free, explain to me why they would want to have an ebook co= py or a hard copy of it after reading it... You think it was really th= e great American Novel? Really? Amazon simply wants to have millions i= f not every last title available in the program to sell the program. Consolidations are taking place at a slightly faster rate than usual. = This is a nice word for companies buying up other companies. Now there= are a few explanations for this that would be perfectly upbeat, but g= enerally, when acquisitions take place in small and medium sized publi= shers, at least over the last 40 years... it is a sign that the mature= players are running for the exits and letting new and bigger players = take over their problems. It could be that everyone is taking my advice and getting out BEFORE t= he 2020 debacle and post debacle, debacle. Or, it could be that selling prices have come down sufficiently that c= ompanies are looking more attractive. I can't vouch for that since I d= on't handle all the company sales in the country, but it would seem mo= re likely in this economy of uncertainty that prices have come down. Oh, and if you sell books into UK and/or Europe, the Brexit issue is g= oing to cause you to lose sleep. As soon as I can figure out exactly w= hat is going to be approved by the British Parliament, I will report o= n the impact in my next issue. BUT... it appears that you will now be = selling into two different markets unless everyone decides to play nic= e. You WILL need to price on BITH Pound Sterling and Euros, that much we = already know. And it would be smart if you could find both a Brit dist= ributor AND an EU distributor... since odds are your Brit books will c= ost even more when dutied across the border to the EU. But we don't kn= ow that for a fact yet... so I won't propose it yet. MY RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. NOW, this week, make a Master Plan for 2020, both operationally and= goal wise AND marketing and sales wise. 2. Plan to work like hell every single day of 2020 to survive, unless = the updated version of Harry Potter happens to fall through your trans= om (how many of you even HAVE a transom... ok, how many of you even kn= ow what a transom is?). Plan to PR, Media, promote, get endorsements, reviews, articles, marke= t, sell, Bulk Sale, co brand, co sell, use your authors, use every las= t contact you have, every last ounce of creativity and chutzpah, every= minute and every hour. This is war and if you turn your back for a da= y, someone will try to knock you out of the engagement. (Give our new Complete Publishers Service below a good read for what y= ou need to be doing to succeed.) 3. Stay aware of what is going on around you politically and economica= lly, in the country and in the industry. Sometimes a break even sale O= NLY gives you back some much needed inventory cash. Sometimes that is = enough. 4. Get all the help you can. It IS worth it. If you are ready to give = it up, then make the decision and plan to put it up for sale NOW. 5. Otherwise, have fun! *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 * Companies For Sale NOTE: We still have a few of the companies listed in the last "for sal= e" newsletter for sale. Let me know if any of them could round out you= r portfolio and plans for growth for 2020 and beyond. We still have the Apple coffee table amazing history book. We still have the wonderful Horse Magazine and frankly I am surprised = we do. But we did come close to a sale, just not over the finish line. We have a couple other magazines in Male Feminism, in Religion in the = Midwest, and events in specific cities. And a few others. I am about to take on a few new companies and title lists. Let me know= what you are looking for at present before the end of the year. Just email me at mailto:mfoner@nplconsult.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 * COMPLETE SERVICES FOR PUBLISHERS FROM PR & MEDIA TO TRADE & NON-BOOK R= ETAIL, TO BULK & CUSTOM, AND ADVICE ON THE OPTIMAL OPERATION OF YOUR P= UBLISHING COMPANY WHETHER ONE BOOK OR A THOUSAND... And YES, You CAN Afford it... So, after reading the state of the industry, the issues with the big b= oys and the EU, and doing business in the Trump US... are you convince= d you that you have to both promote and SELL every day 365 a year AND = find 50 other ways to do business? To sell your books? To be profitable?... Or get out? Use my over 40 years of publishing expertise... over $100 Million in b= ooks sold... largest bulk sale was 250,000 units to a single customer.= .. I had five, count em, five, bestsellers with OVER 250,000 unit sale= s each. I know I am not Simon & Schuster, but not half bad for a kid f= rom the slums of Pittsburgh who wasn't born into publishing. And let's not ignore my 'team'. Both in house and on contract... from = Marketing experts with 30+ years of experience, to Web Designers who s= pecialize in publisher and author sites, from Bulk Sales experts like = myself with Millions of Dollars in sales, to retired CPAs who know pub= lishing well, from warehouse to HR, operations to Exit Strategies... d= ecades of experience running publishing companies into the millions, a= nd into the thousands as start ups. Let our experience keep you profit= able and alive and thriving in 2020 and beyond! Here is the program, in general: =C2=B7=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 We wil= l provide you with complete PR & Media solicitation for a new or relau= nched title... for an entire year... minimum two promos a month per ti= tle =C2=B7=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 We wil= l put your title up on our Bulk & Custom website with its own webpage,= for an entire year... and promote and sell your title in Bulk to our = buyers =C2=B7=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 We wil= l solicit both trade and non-book retail for your title as appropriate= ... for an entire year =C2=B7=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 We wil= l show you how to use the 50 Ways to Leave Amazon to your advantage wi= th this title and your line if applicable... for an entire year... inc= luding involving your authors, creative ways of selling... co branding= and co selling with other titles... and more. =C2=B7=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 We wil= l do a complete review of your operation and advise areas of weakness,= improvement, and ways to create more revenue as well as cut costs... = and continue advising you and following up point by point... for an en= tire year. To be specific, we will do a complete review once... and th= en update that review on a quarterly basis... for an entire year. B Basically, we will bring in Publishing expertise to your company for= an entire year FOR LESS THAN ONE MONTH OF A PUBLICIST FIRM! Even if you tried to combine Publicists, Media, Marketing, Sales, Bulk= Sales, Publishing Consulting, and Operations Consulting into one pers= on or company... you likely couldn't do it. From our research, it simp= ly doesn't exist at any level you can consider affording it. Yes, you could approach Deloitte or Accenture or McKinsey or another o= f the big boys in consulting. They would be happy to quote you roughly= $100,000 and up to both handle and contract out the necessary work to= accomplish these goals. And without getting into the details of our skill set or the specific = of the services involved... WE CAN DO ALL OF THIS because WE ALREADY D= O IT FOR OUR OWN PUBLISHING COMPANIES and for clients in various forms= . From Start-up to Exit Strategy... we have done it all; we are doing = it all NOW. The Basic price of this service for a single title for the year is $2,= 995., complete. This is a 50% discount from our regular pricing. $3,995., complete for two titles for the year. $4,995., complete for a single title for TWO YEARS of PR, Marketing, S= ales, and Consulting services. This is also a 50% discount from our re= gular pricing. Multiple title services are available for an additional $1,000 per tit= le, per year. Yes, we do offer payment plans. Ask for our Synopsis and Agreement to review the specifics. NOTE: If you were to hire a part-time publicist, marketer, and special= sales person, it would cost you over $10,000 for these three part tim= e people for three months. And a minimum of $30,000 for one year. This special offer is going to expire November 30th or when we take on= about a half dozen new clients. It is all we can comfortably handle. = If you have any plans to be around after 2020, with or without Amazon,= and after the dust settles politically and economically, then you rea= lly MUST consider this service for the welfare of your publishing futu= re. It is a small investment in possibly making ten or twenty or a hun= dred times your investment and staying in business when others are goi= ng to fall hard and off the road. Don't be one of them! Sign up TODAY! Enough discussion. It is a tiny investment in your future as a publish= er, and if you plan to stay with Amazon, you need the help. If you pla= n to leave Amazon, you need the help even more. Don't delay, email me directly at mailto:mfoner@nplconsult.com and arr= ange to sign up for the Comprehensive Complete Book Consult today! Look for a separate mailing to you in the next few days explaining the= details of the service if you want to wait for it. Otherwise, email m= e and I will send you everything you need to know. *=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0 * Ok, enough for this newsletter. Stay tuned for my next newsletter sometime around the end of October. = If I may be of service or lead your efforts to selling lots of books a= nd creating profits, please contact me confidentially at mailto:mfoner= @nplconsult.com . And remember, the Comprehensive Complete Book Consult Service is disco= unted to $2,995 (basic) until November 30th. If you want to be removed from this mailing list, simply either click = on the link in the newsletter footer, or send me an email with the wor= d DELETE, and it will be done. Thanks. Copyright Martin Foner, NPL Publishing Consultants, a division of Prof= essional Publishers Group Corporation. 2019.=C2=A0=C2=A0 mailto:mfoner= @nplconsult.com Professional Publishers Group Corporation and NPL Publishing Consultants Post Office Box 1010=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 Ventura=C2=A0 CA=C2=A0 93002 800-501-6431 x3=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 mailto:mfoner@nplconsult.com http://link.rm0004.net/go/R0WNvgsT-tM33n8H9MIJMg2/ 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=3DR0WNvkWbHPveV4b7yyi-Ng2 This message was sent by NPL PUBLISHING CONSULTANTS, a Division of Pro= fessional Publishers Group Corporation | POST OFFICE BOX 1010 | VENT= URA, CA 93002 --=-bouXHY/8bSewP5tonE6PKA== Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
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=  

= MARTIN FONER’S PUBLISHING NEWSLETTER

= Either You’re Serious About Success in Publishing= … Or You’re Not

= Volume 2= 4, Number 20

=  

<![i= f !supportLists]>· = ;      Self-Published = Titles Reach an All Time High in 2018… Good Thing?/Bad Thing?

 

<![= if !supportLists]>·&nbs= p;      Can You &ldquo= ;Break Even” on a Deal and Still Make Money on It?

 

<![= if !supportLists]>·&nbs= p;      What the Curre= nt State of the Industry Says About Your Publishing Future.

 

 

= AND = A NEW COMPLETE SERVICE FOR PUBLISHERS FROM PR AND MEDIA TO TRADE AND N= ON-BOOK RETAIL, TO BULK & CUSTOM, AND ADVICE ON THE OPTIMAL OPERAT= ION OF YOUR PUBLISHING COMPANY WHETHER ONE BOOK OR A THOUSAND…<= /span>

= And YES, You CAN Afford it…

=  

Hi, Everyone…

It is late in October.

Need I remind you, as I do every year, that if you haven’= t gotten your act together for 2020, you are almost too late. You NEED= a Master Plan for all aspects of marketing and sales for EVERY title = you own AND a Master Plan for keeping your company solvent, growing, a= nd moving toward your goals, both business and personal.

(Yes, something like our Complete Publisher Service listed at t= he end of this newsletter.)

Because 2020 is going to be one of the toughest years in memory= to succeed. Read on as to why I believe this… and my beliefs c= ome from watching and working the industry since 1977. I have seen mor= e than a couple recessions, a crash, political and economic upheaval&h= ellip;

Let’s get right to it.

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=  

= Self-Pub= lished Titles Reach an All Time High in 2018… Good Thing?/Bad T= hing?

 

It all depends. For those of us already in the game, it is like= ly a bad thing… a very bad thing.

Let’s look at the numbers:

2012-2013     =       New titles published & self-publ= ished        &nb= sp;        500,000

2018    &= nbsp;           = ;    JUST SELF PUBLISHED TITLES         = ;               2,200,000

 

So why is this a bad thing for you? Because it means there are = roughly, in one year, FOUR Times as many new titles to compete with th= an you have seen before.

And much of these 2,200,000 titles are unmitigated crap= !

So now your reader has 1,000 choices for your very niche subjec= t where s/he had 200 a year ago. And maybe less than 100 in 2012-13. A= nd how are they choosing? By reading the Amazon reviews, many, many of= them paid for, fakes, self written excellent reviews of crap.<= /p>

Your job has gotten much, much harder.

Of course, if you are one of the new authors trying to break in= to the field, it is a very good thing to have the market access to sel= l your title.

Be aware, as I read in an ad for Book Baby last week… &l= dquo;List It on Amazon” is NOT a marketing strategy.

 

So, you have to put your big boy/girl pants on and comp= ete. Kick ass. Pound the competition into the pavement. Make yourself = #1 in any way you have to including print figures, sales figures, puff= ery, endorsements, advertising, bulk selling, PR, media, author work, = reviews, reader reviews, site hits, co branding and co selling…= whatever it takes, and yes it takes a lot of work to be somewhat succ= essful and even more work to be really successful!

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<![if !suppor= tLists]>·  &n= bsp;    Can You “Break Eve= n” on a Deal and Still Make Money on It?

 

Let’s do our best to ignore that fearless leader offered = to hold the G-7 conference in one of his own hotel complexes and &ldqu= o;BREAK EVEN” on the deal. Let’s not even agree that he al= so said he would do it for nothing… that didn’t come unti= l AFTER he decided to pull back and remove his hotel from consideratio= n, and after both Republicans and Democrats rebuked this idea in drove= s.

It got me to thinking… in publishing there are a= couple ways you can “BREAK EVEN” on a sale and still make= money.

Ok, so it may not make sense on first read. But read on. It is = true. I have done it numerous times over the years.

#1… Let’s say you agree to sell 5,000 copies of yo= ur title for print cost plus ship cost plus any royalty. (There should= n’t be a royalty on this sale since it is sold at cost.) Exact b= reakeven. And let’s say it costs you $2 a copy to print said boo= k.

So now you decide to order 7,500 copies of the book from the pr= inter. S/he agrees to do the job for $1.60 each. (Or, if you need to s= how your customer an invoice, you get one for 5,000 copies at $2 and a= nother for 2,500 copies ‘extras’ at $.80 per copy.)=

So, this “breakeven” deal has already made you $2,0= 00. ($.40 per copy times 5,000 copies).

#2… Or, you can view this as a breakeven deal at $2 per = copy and you now have 2,500 copies at $.80 print cost per copy, meanin= g the next 2,500 sales yield you an additional $1.20 per copy profit o= r $3,000.

So, either way, doing this kind of “break even” dea= l makes you money.

#3… You have a title, as I did, that was amazing for spe= cific companies, but I couldn’t get my foot in the door with any= of about ten major players. So, I finally decided to sell the books f= or absolute cost, which brought the price of the book down from a very= strong discount of $10 per unit to $2.50 per unit.

I was able to get one of the majors to buy 1,200 books at this = price.

They liked the book and not only did they buy another 1,200 boo= ks, and yes, I honored the cost pricing, but I got a great endorsement= from them. I used this endorsement from this major “name”= to go back to the other nine players in this field and I did manage t= o sell two of them roughly 2,500 books each. And yes, at the $10 origi= nal discounted pricing. And yes, because of that great endorsement.

So, while I made zero on two 1,200 book orders, they created tw= o 2,500 books orders on which I made $37,500 profit combined. <= /p>

#4… One more and one of the most interesting. You agree = to sell a title to a group to distribute for free to their members, do= nors, attendees, whomever… at cost. The people who get the book= get excited and want to know where they can buy copies of the book fo= r their friends, family, co workers, etc. In my years of experience, i= f the title is sufficiently commercial, meaning it has a wide audience= , you can figure 20% of the units will bring you sales of roughly five= units per sale.

Thus, a 1,000 book give away would yield 200 customers at five = books per customer, or another 1,000 books, but at whatever discount y= ou are offering if any. Those 1,000 go for almost pure profit. Oh, and= knowing you are selling 1,000 to a group who is giving them away, you= already know to print an extra 1,000 to cover the future orders reduc= ing your print cost and making you even more profit!

 

So, as much as we believe our ‘fearless leader’ isn= ’t very bright, at least in this one he knew exactly what he was= doing. And his numbers were deep into the tens of millions… no= t like our small business numbers.

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<![if !suppor= tLists]>·  &n= bsp;    What the Current State o= f the Industry Says About Your Publishing Future.

=  

As I have mentioned many times… I am fortunate enough to= read multiple daily newsletters in the publishing, printing, media, e= commerce, and general business fields, as well as daily world news, we= ekly magazines, monthly magazines, and more white papers than I can co= unt. I wish I could say I spend 80% of my working time, like Warren Bu= ffet, reading, but I don’t.

But I DO realize the huge benefit of reading every day as much = as I can fit in. Not only does it keep me informed about the world, an= d my industry, but it keeps me on top of the situation sufficiently to= be able to tell you, my readers, what I think about what is going on,= both in the industry and in our world and how it impacts us as publis= hers and small businesspeople. Whether my opinion or golden, or just b= rass, I believe it is based on a lot of research and the facts. Not co= nspiracy theories, not a fearless leader’s bs, not political cla= p trap, but facts.

So, what’s going on?

Three major publishers have reduced their workforces this year = by 5% or more, all the way up to 10%. This isn’t good even if th= ey are restructuring, which is another word for staying afloat.=

The industry reports overall sales are down for 2019 so far&hel= lip;and hard hit are bookstores. I cannot say if this means Amazon has= taken even a larger slice of the pie or not, but I suspect so.=

But, to be fair, the OTHER explanation for this is that people = simply aren’t reading as many books or paying to read as many bo= oks. This brings us back to Amazon and the free reading program they s= ponsor.

Sidebar… no matter how they promo it to you publ= ishers, it does NOT increase your sales of units. If someone chooses t= o read your book on Kindle for free, explain to me why they would want= to have an ebook copy or a hard copy of it after reading it… Y= ou think it was really the great American Novel? Really? Amazon simply= wants to have millions if not every last title available in the progr= am to sell the program.

Consolidations are taking place at a slightly faster rate than = usual. This is a nice word for companies buying up other companies. No= w there are a few explanations for this that would be perfectly upbeat= , but generally, when acquisitions take place in small and medium size= d publishers, at least over the last 40 years… it is a sign tha= t the mature players are running for the exits and letting new and big= ger players take over their problems.

It could be that everyone is taking my advice and getting out B= EFORE the 2020 debacle and post debacle, debacle.

Or, it could be that selling prices have come down sufficiently= that companies are looking more attractive. I can’t vouch for t= hat since I don’t handle all the company sales in the country, b= ut it would seem more likely in this economy of uncertainty that price= s have come down.

Oh, and if you sell books into UK and/or Europe, the Brexit iss= ue is going to cause you to lose sleep. As soon as I can figure out ex= actly what is going to be approved by the British Parliament, I will r= eport on the impact in my next issue. BUT… it appears that you = will now be selling into two different markets unless everyone decides= to play nice.

You WILL need to price on BITH Pound Sterling and Euros, that m= uch we already know. And it would be smart if you could find both a Br= it distributor AND an EU distributor… since odds are your Brit = books will cost even more when dutied across the border to the EU. But= we don’t know that for a fact yet… so I won’t prop= ose it yet.

 

MY RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. NOW, this week, make a Master Plan for 2020, both operationa= lly and goal wise AND marketing and sales wise.

2. Plan to work like hell every single day of 2020 to survive, = unless the updated version of Harry Potter happens to fall through you= r transom (how many of you even HAVE a transom… ok, how many of= you even know what a transom is?).

Plan to PR, Media, promote, get endorsements, reviews, articles= , market, sell, Bulk Sale, co brand, co sell, use your authors, use ev= ery last contact you have, every last ounce of creativity and chutzpah= , every minute and every hour. This is war and if you turn your back f= or a day, someone will try to knock you out of the engagement.<= /p>

(Give our new Complete Publishers Service below a good read for= what you need to be doing to succeed.)

3. Stay aware of what is going on around you politically and ec= onomically, in the country and in the industry. Sometimes a break even= sale ONLY gives you back some much needed inventory cash. Sometimes t= hat is enough.

4. Get all the help you can. It IS worth it. If you are ready t= o give it up, then make the decision and plan to put it up for sale NO= W.

5. Otherwise, have fun!

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= Companie= s For Sale

NOTE: We still have a few of the companies listed in the last &= ldquo;for sale” newsletter for sale. Let me know if any of them = could round out your portfolio and plans for growth for 2020 and beyon= d.

We still have the Apple coffee table amazing history book.

We still have the wonderful Horse Magazine and frankly I am sur= prised we do. But we did come close to a sale, just not over the finis= h line.

We have a couple other magazines in Male Feminism, in Religion = in the Midwest, and events in specific cities.

And a few others.

I am about to take on a few new companies and title lists. Let = me know what you are looking for at present before the end of the year= .

Just email me at mfoner@nplcons= ult.com        &= nbsp;                   &= nbsp;                   &= nbsp;     * &n= bsp;           =            &nbs= p;  *

 

= COMPLETE SERVICES FOR PUBLISHERS FROM PR & MEDIA TO TRADE &= ; NON-BOOK RETAIL, TO BULK & CUSTOM, AND ADVICE ON THE OPTIMAL OPE= RATION OF YOUR PUBLISHING COMPANY WHETHER ONE BOOK OR A THOUSAND&helli= p;

= And YES, You CAN Afford it…

=  

= So, afte= r reading the state of the industry, the issues with the big boys and = the EU, and doing business in the Trump US… are you convinced y= ou that you have to both promote and SELL every day 365 a year AND fin= d 50 other ways to do business?

= To sell = your books? To be profitable?… Or get out?

= Use my over 40 y= ears of publishing expertise… over $100 Million in books sold&h= ellip; largest bulk sale was 250,000 units to a single customer&hellip= ; I had five, count em, five, bestsellers with OVER 250,000 unit sales= each. I know I am not Simon & Schuster, but not half bad for a ki= d from the slums of Pittsburgh who wasn’t born into publishing.<= /span>

= And let’s = not ignore my ‘team’. Both in house and on contract&hellip= ; from Marketing experts with 30+ years of experience, to Web Designer= s who specialize in publisher and author sites, from Bulk Sales expert= s like myself with Millions of Dollars in sales, to retired CPAs who k= now publishing well, from warehouse to HR, operations to Exit Strategi= es… decades of experience running publishing companies into the= millions, and into the thousands as start ups. Let our experience kee= p you profitable and alive and thriving in 2020 and beyond!

=  

Here is the program, in general:

<![if !supportLists]>·=        We will provide yo= u with complete PR & Media solicitation for a new or relaunched ti= tle… for an entire year… minimum two promos a month per = title

 

<![if !supportLists]>·       <= span style=3D"font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We will put your = title up on our Bulk & Custom website with its own webpage, for an= entire year… and promote and sell your title in Bulk to our bu= yers

 

<![if !supportLists]>·       <= span style=3D"font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We will solicit b= oth trade and non-book retail for your title as appropriate… fo= r an entire year

 

<![if !supportLists]>·       <= span style=3D"font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We will show you = how to use the 50 Ways to Leave Amazon to your advantage with this tit= le and your line if applicable… for an entire year… incl= uding involving your authors, creative ways of selling… co bran= ding and co selling with other titles… and more.

 

<![if !supportLists]>·&= nbsp;      We will do a comple= te review of your operation and advise areas of weakness, improvement,= and ways to create more revenue as well as cut costs… and cont= inue advising you and following up point by point… for an entir= e year. To be specific, we will do a complete review once… and = then update that review on a quarterly basis… for an entire yea= r.

B Basically, we will bring in Publishing expertise to your co= mpany for an entire year FOR LESS THAN ONE MONTH OF A PUBLICIS= T FIRM!

 

Even if you tried to combine Publicists, Media, Marketi= ng, Sales, Bulk Sales, Publishing Consulting, and Operations Consultin= g into one person or company… you likely couldn’t do it. = From our research, it simply doesn’t exist at any level you can = consider affording it.

 

Yes, you could approach Deloitte or Accenture or McKinsey or an= other of the big boys in consulting. They would be happy to quote you = roughly $100,000 and up to both handle and contract out the necessary = work to accomplish these goals.

And without getting into the details of our skill set or the sp= ecific of the services involved… WE CAN DO ALL OF THIS because = WE ALREADY DO IT FOR OUR OWN PUBLISHING COMPANIES and for clients in v= arious forms. From Start-up to Exit Strategy… we have done it a= ll; we are doing it all NOW.

 

The Basic price of this service for a s= ingle title for the year is $2,995., complete. This is a 50% discount = from our regular pricing.

$3,995., complete for two titles for th= e year.

$4,995., complete for a single title fo= r TWO YEARS of PR, Marketing, Sales, and Consulting services. This is = also a 50% discount from our regular pricing.

Multiple title services are available f= or an additional $1,000 per title, per year.

Yes, we do offer payment plans.

Ask for our Synopsis and Agreement to revie= w the specifics.

 

NOTE: If you were to hire a part-time publicist, mar= keter, and special sales person, it would cost you over $10,000 for th= ese three part time people for three months. And a minimum of $30,000 = for one year.

 

This special offer is going to expire November 30t= h or when we take on about a half dozen new clients. It is all w= e can comfortably handle. If you have any plans to be around after 202= 0, with or without Amazon, and after the dust settles politically and = economically, then you really MUST consider this service for the welfa= re of your publishing future. It is a small investment in possibly mak= ing ten or twenty or a hundred times your investment and staying in bu= siness when others are going to fall hard and off the road. Don’= t be one of them! Sign up TODAY!

 

Enough discussion. It is a tiny investment in your future as a = publisher, and if you plan to stay with Amazon, you need the help. If = you plan to leave Amazon, you need the help even more.

Don’t delay, email me directly at mfoner@nplconsult.com and arrange to sign up for the Comprehensive= Complete Book Consult today!

 

Look for a separate mailing to you in the n= ext few days explaining the details of the service if you want to wait= for it. Otherwise, email me and I will send you everything you need t= o know.

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Ok, enough for this newsletter.

Stay tuned for my next newsletter sometime around the end of Oc= tober. If I may be of service or lead your efforts to selling lots of = books and creating profits, please contact me confidentially at mfoner@nplconsult.com.

 

And remember, the Comprehensive Complete Book Consult S= ervice is discounted to $2,995 (basic) until November 30th.=

 

If you want to be removed from this mailing list, simply = either click on the link in the newsletter footer, or send me an email= with the word DELETE, and it will be done. Thanks.

 

© Martin Foner, NPL Publishing Cons= ultants, a division of Professional Publishers Group Corporation. 2019= .   mfoner@nplconsult.com<= /a>

 

Professional Publishers Group Corporation

and NPL Publishing Consultants

Post Office Box 1010 &n= bsp;  Ventura  CA  93002

800-501-6431 x3  &= nbsp; mfoner@nplconsult.com  

= www.ppgcpublishers.com   = www.nplc= onsult.com  <= span style=3D"font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">        


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