Publishing Newsletter for Independent Authors


April, 2015 - Vol 5, Issue 2
In This Issue
Book Cover Design
Book Publicity and Markting Conference
New Books
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Classes
Author News and Awards
Join Our Mailing List!
Contact Information
Happy New Year 2014

Our Spring 2015 Catalog is just hitting the streets. Be sure to take a look at all the new books for this season. You can download a pdf from our website.


 

While you're at it, take a look at the beautiful artwork courtesy of David Scriven Crowley.

 

 

Retirement of Cheryl McKeary

 

It is with personal sadness but warmest of wishes that I announce the retirement of our managing editor, Cheryl McKeary, effective April 1st. She has essentially been a "co-inventor" with me since she came on the staff over five years ago near the beginning of the formation of MAP--helping to envision and create an entirely new company and a concept we now call, "cooperative-style" publishing.

 

Cheryl's leaving marks the end of an exciting, daring and early formative era for Maine Authors Publishing. We will all miss our managing editor for both professional as well as personal reasons. Cheryl McKeary holds a rare combination of talents that fit perfectly with the kind of company we have become--she is both creative and practical; she can see the big picture and the small details; she is a visionary yet uses her years of practical experience to balance the vision; she is an optimist with good critical thinking skills; she is artistic and highly technical. Cheryl has also helped establish a healthy culture of kindness, accountability, excellence and shared leadership among our staff. She has mentored and trained a number of bright young employees over the years and is held in high regard by all. Cheryl's work has assured our success into the many new changes and goals we are poised to achieve in the coming years.

 

Cheryl will be in the office as an occasional consultant throughout 2015. She has no other immediate plans other than to delve more deeply into her passion for experiencing, photographing and exploring the natural world in Maine, and beyond, with her husband John and her dog Shelby.

 

Pura Vida, Cheryl! We will all miss you.

 

Jane Daugherty Karker, President

 

 

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover -- Why not?

 

Is your book cover design really important in selling your book?


 

In one word YES! How many times have you picked up a book, looked at the cover and decided you wouldn't read the book? Just because you love what your son, daughter, friend has created for a cover image doesn't always mean that your readers will embrace it.

 

Designers David Allen and Lindy Gifford

We have two great designers (David Allen and Lindy Gifford) in our office working with authors to create the best possible cover. Here are some of the things they may ask you (or your own designer may ask) when designing your cover and back cover:

  • Does the title of your book coordinate well with the image on the cover and the book content itself? If the image you use is an apple, the title of your book is Oranges, Grapes and My Dog and the book is about giraffes what kind of message is this sending to your audience? Not only are they confused but it may prevent them from even picking up the book to read it.
  • Do you have permission to use the image you want on the cover? If you copied the image from the Internet or took a painting you purchased for the cover, you may need permission from the artist to use the image unless it is in the public domain. Also the image will need to be high enough resolution for print.
  • What do you want on the back cover? Typically a back cover can have:
    • Synopsis - Be brief but get your ideas across so your readers can determine if this book is of interest to them.
    • Endorsements - Consider contacting experts, colleagues or even well-known authors for endorsements. Contact them well in advance and provide at least a word document so they can read your book and provide a testimonial for your book.
    • Bio - This should be written in the third person and be fairly brief. If you have written other books include those as well. Don't put in when and where you were born unless it is pertinent to your story.
    • Author picture - Get a professional picture taken for the author picture. Not everyone wants their picture included on their book. That is a personal preference.
    • ISBN (Bar Code) - You will want an ISBN and Bar Code on the back cover if you plan on selling your book. This is free for our coop members or you can get one through your designer or from Bowker.com if you are publishing on our own for $150.
    • Book price - While the book price is usually part of the bar code, it is still a good idea to include the price either above or below the bar code.
    • Web address - If you don't have a website, at least secure the domain name so you can include this on the cover as it is being designed. The website should be finished before your book is in print. It is not necessary to include an email address as that will be on your website.
  • Do you need a professional designer to create the cover?
    The easy answer is no, you (or your friend/relative) can always do it. The more important question is: do you (or they) have the expertise to design a cover that will POP and give you not just an okay cover but a GREAT cover (also known as MORE sales)? Our designers have years of experience designing book covers specifically and they know both what sells books and how to set the files up right to avoid problems at the printer.

  • Where should you start in coming up with cover ideas? 
    • Go into your local bookstore or go to the Internet and find book covers you like (and don't like.) 
    • Determine what works and what doesn't and be sure to convey your likes and dislikes to your designer.

 

A bad cover design can hinder the sale of your book and stop the media from publicizing it. Don't let that happen to you. Work with a designer, get feedback from others, and get the best possible cover you can. Then the feedback on your book will be about the writing and content not because of a bad design. 

 

If you need design services or have additional questions about the design process, please contact David Allen at design@custommuseumpublishing.com.

 

 

Publicity and Marketing Conference Sunday, May 31st


 


 


Maine Authors Publishing presents Publicity and Marketing for Independent Authors at the Sebasco Harbor Resort on Sunday, May 31st. The conference is open to the public and will focus on teaching authors how to market their book successfully. Keynote speaker, Crystal King will talk about the best social media practices, and panelists Bob Newman and Emily LaBeaume will discuss what exactly a publicist does and how to work with one. Breakout sessions throughout the day will give authors the opportunity to learn about everything from social media to having a successful book signing to how to write an effective grant!  Registration deadline is May 15th.


The cost for the conference is $75 per person (which includes a nice meal overlooking the ocean). For more information or to register, visit: www.maineauthorspublishing.com/conference. email: coop@maineauthorspublishing.com,  or call 207-594-0091.

 

New Book Arrivals February - March 2015 by Authors in our  MAP Cooperative Plan
All books in the cooperative plan are available for purchase on our website or from your local bookstore.



2016 Coastal Maine Calendar, Kathleen A. Fox. Beautifully illustrated calendar depicting the lives of working lobstermen and their families in coastal Maine.

 

The Art of Life, Charles J. Hamm, nonfiction. A combination of short essays and observations and modern art with a unique perspective on politics, culture and attitudes of American life.

 

Delusion: A Drug of Choice, Irene Greene Murphy, nonfiction. The silent struggles people deal with in their lives including case studies for mental health practitioners.

 

 

 


 

 

Evelyn and the Peacocks, Jayne Rowe Jones, children's. A little girl missing her brothers who are at school finds two peacocks to spend her time with.

 

Finding a Way, Alisha Goldblatt, nonfiction children's. A story of a boy who was born with a rare chromosomal disorder and how one family finds that being unique is beautiful.

 

Lily of the North, Jane Parker and Patricia Flint, children's. The true story of Lillian Nordica, a Maine diva who became a a famous opera star.

 

 


 

 

Margel's Madness, Darcy Scott, fiction. A powerful tale of secrets, betrayal and death when a single mother settles in Mosquito Harbor, Maine.

 

Parker at the Beach, Martha Couture, children's. The fourth book in the "Parker the Pig" series about a fun-filled day at the beach.

 

The Place We Become, Carolyn Locke, poetry. Invites the reader on a journey of transformation, detailing places from Maine to Morocco to China.

 

Sailing for Home, Alice M. Gifford, poetry. Follow the seasons of the year and of a long-life event ashore and afloat.

 

 

 

New Book Arrivals by Authors in Indie Author Warehouse Plan

 

Available on Amazon or on Indie Author Warehouse website.

 

The Colony: Stories from a Down East Island, Lowell P. Beveridge, Jr., memoir. Exploring the author's grandfather and the history of New England through the lens of a small plot of land on the northeast end of North Haven Island in Penobscot Bay.

 

Conflicted Legacy, Oliver Hanson Woshinsky, memoir.  How a missionary's daughter and a young Jewish man from Odessa met in Minneapolis, married in China, and raised an American family.

 

A Letter from the Snow, Ellen Bryan Obed, children's. New edition, 2015. Six-year-old Emily receives many winter letters--from her mitten lost in the snow, marshmallows "in a dark corner of the top cupboard," a gray crayon that feels "very left out," and more.

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

Page from the Doodle-ography Journal [Lindy Gifford], doodles by Natasha, U. S. Veteran.


 

  • April 4, Carolyn Locke, The Place We Become, Poets/Speak reading, 11:00 am-12:45 pm., University of Maine Art Museum, 40 Harlow Street, Bangor.

  • April 4, David Estey, "Whoop and Drive 'er!" - Growing Up in Aroostook County, art talk and discussion of his memoir, 11 am, Books-A-Million, 116 Mall Blvd, Bangor.
  • April 4, 13th Annual Poets/Speak!, Bangor Library/Univ. of Maine Art Museum, 11 am- 4 pm.
  • April 8, Karen Dacey, A Season of Locusts, author event, Newtonville Books, Newton, MA, 7 pm.

  • April 8, Carolyn Locke, Not One Thing, slide show and reading, 5:30-6:30 pm at the Winslow Public Library.

  • April 11, MWPA's "Maine Crime Wave" University of Southern Maine.

  • April 16, LIndy Gifford, Doodle-ography workshop in focused doodling, sponsored by the Midcoast Outreach and Peace Center, 6:30-8:30 pm, Midcoast Meeting of Friends, 77 Belvedere Road, Damariscotta.

  • April 16, Carolyn Locke, Not One Thing, slide show and reading, 6:30-7:30 pm at the Orono Public Library.

  • April 20, Alice Gifford, Sailing for Home, reading, 3 pm, The Lincoln Home, 22 River Road, Newcastle.

  • April 24, Alice Gifford, Sailing for Home, reading, 7 pm, Harlow Gallery, 160 Water Street, Hallowell.

  • April 30-May 3, MWPA's 2015 Black Fly Writers Retreat, Shoreline Camps in Grand Lake Stream.

  • May 28, The Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, "Maine Literary Awards" SPACE Gallery, Portland.

  • May 31, Maine Authors Publishing presents, "Publicity & Marketing for Independent Authors", Sebasco Resort.

Upcoming Classes

 

Independent Publishing for Maine Writers classes by Jane Karker being offered for the Spring-Summer seasons of 2015 include:

  • April 16, 6:00-7:30, Rockland Public Library, Tel. 594-0310
  • May 14, 6:00-8:15, Portland Arts and Technology High School, Tel. 775-0432
  • August 5, 6:00-8:00, Belgrade Library, Tel. 495-3508

To sign up for classes, contact the individual schools or library.

 

Introduction to Book Marketing - Classes held at Maine Authors Publishing, 558 Main Street, Rockland. Cost is $20. Reservations required by calling 207-594-0090.

  • Tuesday, April 14, 3:00 pm-5:30 pm
  • Wednesday, April 15, 6:00 pm-8:30 pm
  • Saturday, May 9, 11:00 am-1:30 pm
 

 

Author News and Awards

 

 

 

 

Sherry Bunin, Becoming Hallie, was reviewed in Working Waterfront, April 2015.  She was quoted as saying "They're [Maine Authors Publishing] amazing. They're good and thoughtful. They're unusual in how they back you up. Not like the big [publishing houses.]" Thanks for the praise, Sherry!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betsey Anderson, Maggie Goes to Maine was interviewed on TWC News in Charlotte, NC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betsey Anderson, Maggie Goes to Maine won first place in the children's category of the 2014 Writing Competition sponsored by the Dog Writers Association of America.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gay Grant has a review of Destination Unknown in the Portland Phoenix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anne Gass, Voting Down the Rose, "offers a fascinating peek at the fight for women's suffrage in Maine," featured in Portland Press Herald

 

 


 

 

 

 

For MAP/BWP Members Only 

AUTHOR FORUM and PRIVATE FACEBOOK PAGE

 

For MAP and BWP Authors that are currently in the Cooperative or Indie Author Warehouse plans, we offer two private author forums. We have recently set up a new PRIVATE Facebook page available by invitation only. The other author forum is also a private forum but is for authors who may or may not use Facebook. It includes information on upcoming awards you can apply for and book sales for the previous month along with questions you can ask other authors.

 

If you haven't joined the forum or the private Facebook page, email Nikki at  nikki@maineauthorspublishing.com for information on how to join.     

 

Maine Authors Publishing, located in Rockland, ME produces and markets books for independent authors. Maine Authors Cooperative is a program within the company that offers catalog and fulfillment services to get independently published books into Maine bookstores.  

 

Boston Writers Publishing, located in Waltham, MA offers the same services as Maine Authors Publishing for authors and bookstores in Massachusetts. 


Please contact me today if you'd like to learn more about independently publishing your own book.

  
Jane Karker, President
Maine Authors Publishing
Boston Writers Publishing