It's time to break into the new and quickly growing e-Book market!

- What: Create a digital form of your content for use on computers and e-book reading devices. E-books are gaining popularity as yet another area in which digitalization has greatly enhanced reproducibility, transmission, and promotion. Readers can now search for the literature and expertise they want with greater ease. E-books may augment printed books of the same content or may exist only in a digital format. E-books are primarily text delivered as a whole book in Adobe PDF or some other cross-platform electronic format.

- Why: E-books are a wonderful representation of our digital transition, they speed distribution and help the earth keep green in the process. E-books can be “reprinted” at no cost by make a copy of the file. In a digital and physical sense, they take up minimal space, and, if allowed by the publisher, can be transferred to any digital storage device—Kindle, Sony Reader, iPod, flash drive, Palm Pilot, and the list keeps growing. That means that after purchase, a reader no longer has to wait days or weeks for delivery; the average e-book download time ranges from seconds to minutes. Nor must the reader visit a local bookstore to pick up an ordered copy if the product is not in stock. In fact, with the advent of e-books, books need never go out of print in the traditional sense.

- How: Creating your e-book and distributing it requires much less effort than physical printing and distribution. Berrett-Koehler is making a major push in 2008 to launch more than 100 e-books on www.bkconnection.com. However, you'll have to promote just as hard if not harder, because most paper-based readers are not yet ready to relinquish their bound copies.

For books that Berrett-Koehler has published or is preparing to publish, we assume the responsibility and cost of production and distribution. But you may want to create PDF-oriented workbooks to accompany your BK book, or an update of your BK book; maybe it’s not ready for the 2nd edition yet, but the e-book provides the new information for several years before he next edition is released.

-Choose the right format for your e-book. PDF and EXE files are most common, and seeing that compatibility will always be an issue with electronic files, make sure you have file type popularity in mind.

-Using programs like Nuance from Omnipage or e-book Pro can help you convert all of your text files or you can find some PDF converting software at Planet PDF ((link to www.planetpdf.com)), where much free and inexpensive software can be found.

-On the website you may have already created, start posting teaser chapters. This helps to build anticipation for future books and incentive for current ones.

-Don't be shy! Link your emails to your uploaded e-book. Allow for some free access by encouraging your readers to help in the distribution. Try putting it in literary databases and directories. Let your publishers know--distribution can go further than you would expect with the internet's ease of access.

- How Much: Converting your e-book to .pdf files can be free with the software available online. Armed simple with an email address and a simple website, you can begin your e-book marketing campaign for free. 

Here are prices examples for products that offer more organized conversion and distribution: 

(1) OmniPage 16 - $149.99

(2) Readiris Pro 11 Upgrade - $129.99

(3) Adobe Digital Editions – Free add on to Adobe Acrobat

Help: These sites provide background and guidance on e-books and their markets: 

(1) "Giving It Away" - an article on Forbes.com by Cory Doctorow  

(2) Guide to E-book Marketing

Topic #11 – E-MAIL MARKETING 

Want to make use of those contact lists, but still in need of a way to execute email marketing with impact and efficiency? Take some time to explore the solutions offered by these competing list management services! 

What: Create a way to connect with your readership and potential customers through this comprehensive and affordable online program. If you're looking to send an email newsletter, a high-impact email promotion, an event email invitation, an online survey, or built you own email list, an email marketing application can help you produce and distribute a professional product. 

Why: These solutions offer features that, in the past, needed to be pieced together across other applications. With Constant Contact, we can utilize these features with ease within one convenient, web-accessible program: 

-Get started fast with customizable HTML email templates

-Create email campaigns in a snap with their easy-to-use Email Wizard

-Build, manage, and secure your email marketing contacts

-Send email marketing communications and be confident they'll get delivered

-Get results fast with instant tracking and reporting

-Extend the life of your email marketing when you add Email Archive

-Get help every step of the way with free coaching & support  

Other email marketing solutions, such as iBuilder, Email Publisher (from Topica), and Campaigner, offer similar features and usability, with differences mainly in price and interface operation. 

How: Pick the program that fits your needs and personal work style. 

-Starting with Constant Contact will help to give you perspective on which program fulfills your marketing needs

-Use the tours for a clean overview of capabilities and functionality

-Almost all email marketing services offer a 30-60 day trial period--make full use of them before delving into your wallet 

How Much: The fee for service greatly ranges depending on your list size. As an example, Constant Contact offers a service bundle on a monthly basis $22.50 for a list size of 0-500 members. The larger your list, the higher the fee.  For example, Berrett-Koehler pays Constant Contact $75 per month for our list of slightly less than 10,000 names. 

Help: The service sites offer the greatest source of assistance and support: 

(1) Constant Contact - www.constantcontact.com

(2) Campaigner - www.campaigner.com

(3) iBuilder - www.ibuilder.com

(4) Email Publisher - www.topica.com

Topic #12 – E-COMMERCE

 
Join the revolution and learn how to handle the electronic edge of the book trade! 

What: Assist potential buyers in purchasing your books with e-commerce software. Electronic commerce for bookselling flows mostly through retail book listing sites and larger, more general shopping sites. Shopping sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble operate with applications that facilitate the shopping experience. This software, available for the personal and professional, is a necessity for keeping business flowing smoothly. Affiliate programs encourage this kind of growth, using links or ads from other pages to direct readers right to purchase pages. 

Why: Book sales are quickly becoming an online affair and the ease of browsing for relevant books gets easier with each improvement in the catalog and search capabilities of each program. Authors can now cooperate or compete with the larger publication companies simply because the barriers to reaching and selling to audiences have been opened up to include everyone who has a product to promote. Affiliate programs allow for a professional accomplishment of this task in that the control of sales stays in the hands of the author, with the larger site reaping a percentage and continued business. The customers find exactly what they're looking for because you've been marketing your books up to this point and they don't have to pay a horrible mark-up since you're still in control of your profits. Everyone wins.  
 
How: Hop on Alibris or Amazon Books to start--working through these sites can serve to familiarize you with what's required to make an online sell. Obviously, having your book published already helps with the logistics.

 
-Each site will have its own percentage charged as an affiliate if you choose to sell through the site instead of on it. If you already have your own site and purchasing application, this may help you direct traffic directly to your site.

 
-Using an online store management system like Zen Cart or Magento can streamline your personal operation and contain advertising, informing, and selling in a single site. 

How Much: Application downloads to be installed within your website usually are released as freeware, so if you have an IT manager, leave it up to him/her to implement the system. Otherwise, these applications are usually accompanied by knowledgeable support databases and forums. Selling through larger book-specific sites leaves most of the messy work up to them, but they usually want to charge a percentage of the sale that falls somewhere under 15%.

 
Google Docs

Help: The most knowledge bases for guidance are within the sites themselves. There are a lot out there, so find one fitting comfort and budget: 

(1) Alibris, well-known and indie seller-friendly

(2) Amazon Books, reliable and secure

(3) Biblio, largest commission-free site

(4) Froogle, no fees (listing or joining)
 
Also, an article on ecommerce-guide.com  may help steer you in selecting the right listing site

Topic #13 - WIDGETS

 
Still looking for more ways to bring your readers straight to your book? Promote using Widgets! 
 
What: Utilize software service created to facilitate the access to information from the user's desktop. Widgets can serve unlimited purposes--clocks, calendars, comic strips, notepads, etc.--and thousands exist for free use by users. For authors, this means directly linking your readers to all of the most important information about your works. Widget code is created by the software used and is immediately ready for embedding into you website. 

Why: The drawing factor--and in a way, the purpose--of widgets is their convenience. Widgets are thus invaluable to the author, as they can speak quickly to the potential buyer without demanding much attention. With the linking capabilities of widgets, it's no surprise that many authors use the widget to link their readers to a purchase site that has been set up on some affiliate program or their own website. Likewise, the widget can offer a short synopsis, but end with a link to the author's site, where the reader can continue to explore if initially intrigued. The code created for your widget will be small and easily implanted into any website, blog, social profile, etc. What's almost as awesome is the ability for anyone to grab the widget code and place it on their desktop or spread it elsewhere on the web. It's a great promotional tool simply because of its "copy and paste" nature, which is convenient to the author and the readership. 

How: Creating a widget will take much less time to setup than almost any other widespread promotional tool you'll use:

 
-Start with a widget creating service like AdaptiveBlue or Good Widgets. Others include Google Gadgets and WigetBox. The ease of creation allows for lots of experimentation, so feel free to browse around and create a couple different versions.

 
-Set up the interface you want to create by working with the widget templates available. They are heavily customizable, so find a style that you're happy with and go for it.

 
-Most widgets offer the option to show links to your website, purchase sites, social network profiles, etc., so have in mind what links you want to provide to your readers.

 
-You'll end up putting information into the widget, but it's most likely on hand. Information such s book marketing copy and author blurbs go here. 
-Load it on your website or through the website that your widget application was created on.

 
-Spread it around! Put it on your profiles and websites and allow others to link to it from your emails. 

How Much: Mostly free, if not cheap. Services like AdaptiveBlue offer awesome building services that seem like they would cost, but with a website to host on and some time to spend, you can build your widgets for free. 

Help: The most informative sites are usually the widget application sites themselves, but here are also some site to help emphasize the value of widgets: 

(1) Wiki article on Web Widgets, brief and informative

(2) Good Widgets are Great for Business, an article that touches on creation and promotion

(3) AdaptiveBlue's site, gives an idea about what Book widgets have to offer

Topic #14 – BUZZ MARKEING

 
Noticing the buzz around viral marketing? Get viral marketing to work for you!  

What: Utilize the curious and sharing natural of the online community to create buzz around your books. Popular Buzz marketing services like StumbleUpon, del.icio.us, Digg.com and Furl.net make use of the highly valued Word-of-Mouth Marketing (WOMM) element. These sites allow users to bookmark and share interesting links to web pages everywhere on the web. Each community has its own ranking/rating system and general web-surfing flow, but encourage users to find interest groups or topics that appeal to their online curiosity. Other offline and online hybrids such as BzzAgent allow you to sign up scores of people in your targeted customer demographic to test your product and provide reviews. 

Why: The beauty of the internet is evident in both the ease and speed at which interesting information spreads. Most of the time, viral communities create a healthy relationship with their users--including you--in cultivating a share-and-discover component of the online experience. Becoming a user of these sites serves a dual purpose: you, as an author, market your sites, blogs and interests, and simultaneously, you are a member of the community, discovering sites that may serve to inspire you to market in different arenas, broaden your own interests, and seek out similar communities in other sites. In a general sense, buzz marketing services will help you easily generate traffic and get feedback on anything you post, be they author videos, blogs, or podcasts. 

How: Each site has its own feel, so the best method to get started is jumping right into a service of your choice. We mentioned some earlier, but based on popularity and ease of use, Digg.com is a great place to begin your buzz marketing excursion.

 
-At the homepage of most services, find the option to join and create a user profile. This shouldn't take to much time, so keep your profile simple. After all, you can provide you website for further information.

 
-Discover sites and posts that you like and create a personality for yourself by rating them. This will allow others with similar interests to start linking you and your submissions will become more visibile.

 
-Start posting and submitting links. Generating some link heat isn't too hard, especially if you're participating in community forums, posting submissions, and performing your own searches.

 
-"Linkroll" (collaborative web bookmarks) on your profiles, blogs, and websites. Be tasteful about it, because it will attract more hits to your site and help you plug your voice into the online community. 

How Much: Completely free. Although these services can quickly eat up your time, joining the communities is free of any charge.  

Help: Each site has comprehensive FAQs and "Getting Started" guides full of all kinds of buzz-building wisdom: 

(1) Digg.com, "How Digg Works"

 
(2) del.icio.us, "What is del.icio.us"

 
(3) StumbleUpon, Product Demo Video

 
(4) Furl.com, FAQs 

Topic #15 – MEDIA-RICH BOOKS

 
Looking to keep readers' attention? Try simultaneous innovation at multiple levels! 

What: Create media-rich books that utilize different forms of media design. Multimedia design typically exists with a combination of text, audio, video, animation, interactivity and sharing. Books essentially become programs, capable of interacting with readers in ways any single use of media is limited. Multimedia applications have become widespread and can be found in many other areas, such as performance art interacting with its audience, computer-based training courses that present and demonstrate topics, or company PowerPoint slides that use other forms of media in addition to text. For books, this can expand into an audio-CD series to follow along with, pictures to accompany pages, selection of choices that influence the flow of the book or measure comprehension, or even sharing capabilities that link other readers together. 
 
Why: Media-rich books are an important frontier for the future of literature and education. Readerships are demanding presentation information that offers more than simple text. With all forms and combinations of media available, the creation of unique programs becomes largely exciting by creating a greater, more memorable impact on your audience.  

How: Creating your own multimedia presentation may be a daunting tasking purely because of the limitless nature of media combinations. Starting with an organized program to guide your initial creation process will prove very helpful. One recommendation is Tay Vaughan's Multimedia: Making It Work (7th Edition)

From an Amazon Editorial Review: 
 
"Learn the fundamental concepts and essential skills required for a successful career in multimedia from this bestselling guide. Multimedia: Making It Work, Seventh Edition shows you how to use text, images, sound, and video to deliver compelling messages and content in meaningful ways. You will learn to design, organize, and produce multimedia projects such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and professional web sites." 
 
Also, check out this novel and content-focused approach to creating interactive media, Timothy Garrand's Writing for Multimedia and the Web, Third Edition: A Practical Guide to Content Development for Interactive Media

"Writing for Multimedia and the Web is the most comprehensive guide available for interactive writing. It covers web sites, computer games, e-learning courses, training programs, immersive exhibits, and much more. Earlier editions have garnered rave reviews as a writing handbook for multimedia and web professionals, as well as a classroom text for interactive writing and design." 
 
How Much: Creating everything from scratch is free if you already have the software you may have use to create earlier marketing projects, such as video/audio editing software, web design software and the photo editing applications therein, or text-editing programs. Purchasing a multimedia creation guide may get pricey, but usually falls in the range of 30-60$. 

Help: To read up on the surge of interactive media interest and how to approach multimedia creation, check these sites: 

(1) Excerpt from Multimedia: Making It Work

 
(2) Excerpt from Writing For Multimedia and the Web

 
(3) Wiki Entry on Multimedia, for context

Topic #16 - "Audience as Authors: Creating, Managing, and Sustaining a Community of Contributors."  

Searching for an unconventional fountain of creativity? Try "crowdsourcing" some development!  
 
What: Utilize your "audience as authors" and invite your readership to develop your story. Utilizing this avant-garde method definitely has a wide variety of approaches and mixed results. A current and presently-developing example is the "LiveBook", which is written entirely by its community. After signing in through either FaceBook or Bebo, each user has the liberty to submit an idea for the course of events in the plot. The Community votes "for" or "against" the proposal, and if enough votes are garnered, a sentence is written and the process repeats for the next sentence. Tedious, huh? Maybe, but other collaborative writing applications are springing up in cyberspace. Penguin Publishing and De Montfort University teamed up to allow the crowd to write a novel through a wiki. The results were oddly interesting and may encourage greater endeavors in future. 

Why: Projects like these will not only help you find or maintain an interested readership, but also provide--most of the time--insight into what types of stories your customers are interested in. You may find that you can branch off into other ideas or storylines that you previously thought would not fly. Collaborative efforts may also lead you to befriend intriguing personalities, broadening your network and exposure.  Think of BK Business books whereby the key concept such as appreciative inquiry is expressed by the subject-matter expert, and then your readers build and test a workshop engine to hone their skills in your subject.  

How: A crowdsourcing project can take many shapes, so a bit of investigation and creative thought could lead to something noteworthy. Look at Penguin--all they did was allow a wiki entry to be edited freely, with each author holding the ability to edit, alter or remove parts of the collabo-novel. You could very well do the exact same thing with a self-created wiki article or open up a blog and build it with blog posts. You could also have your IT guy build a post application within your website, allowing people to post sentences and have a community vote on its placement--the methods are limitless. Just make sure you build the buzz on your own sites, pages and profiles. 

How Much: Using wiki articles or blogs are free, and so is access to most social networks. Building code like LiveBook could take some time--or money if you hire someone to build the application for you. If you’re just getting started, go the cost-free route and use the networking sites. It's easy to find a crowd and use their applications. 

Help: Check out some of these sites for some background on "Crowdsourcing", and you may find some inspiration, too: 

(1) Wiki Crowdsourcing article

 
(2) Peguin Publishing's blurb about Crowdsourcing

 
(3) Small bit from Derek Powazek about "Audience as Authors"

That's it for this half of the month. We'll see you again in two weeks. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email them to David Marshall at dmarshall@bkpub.com