Over the years I’ve been asked a lot of questions by reporters covering book fairs or heritage events, but yesterday a reporter from the St. Catharines Standard came up with a really good one.
She asked about the importance of selling books at events like book fairs, rather than through large chain stores. Yes, it was important, I told her, and explained why.
One of the reasons the question impressed me was that I’d recently gone through an attempt to get the books Bob and I self-publish into a large chain. The chain already carries several of my books from trade publishers, including the Hamilton Book of Everything, which I co-authored with Kim Arnott and Marvin Ross. It was selling quite briskly before Christmas and was known to my contact at the chain.
Well, I sent off a package of books with high hopes, but it turns out they’re not going to be carrying them. In some cases it’s because the books don’t meet industry standards, as they lack scannable barcodes, These are older books – I do put barcodes on everything now.
Other criticisms were that some of the newer books weren’t big enough, more like booklets. They’re all about 6 x 9 inches and a minimum of 100 pages. (Those 100 pages was more than adequate to cover the subject matter, and, having written for newspapers and magazines for years, I’m really reluctant to pad a manuscript just to meet some particular word length or page count.)
There were also issues about some of the fonts used in the text, the selection of photographs, the cover art and the price.
You’ll note that there was no discussion about the content, and if that shocks you, welcome to the wonderful world of book publishing.
I’ve thought about the comments and don’t have a problem with some of them. The font issue is a matter of personal preference, and in this case it was somewhat large and unconventional – Bookman TC, 12 point with 16 point leading. But I’ve learned from experience as a writer of historical non-fiction that many of my readers are “of a certain age” and often appreciate somewhat larger font.
The cover issue was very specific – my contact thought the cover art on ONE book looked a little pixellated. And yes, on very close examination it does. But customer reaction to the cover (and I’m talking about independent book store owners, as well as buyers) has been excellent.
Then there was the price point. My contact felt the books were too expensive. Keep in mind that the chains ask for 45% commission, and if you get a distributor as well, you’re paying out 60%. On a $15 book, this means the chain and the distributor get $9, leaving just $6 to cover design, printing and marketing expenses.
Now, a book like this (about 100 pages) can be printed for as little as $2 or so, if you’re willing to print a couple of thousand, have the money to pay for them and some place to store them. Go the print-on-demand (POD) route and you pay closer to $5, especially if you’re only ordering smaller quantities.
In this case, the author makes a whopping profit of $1 per book!
What this means is that, while POD is a great option for self-publishing, it has its drawbacks. Especially since it appears the chains are set up to handle books that can be published by traditional publishers, who can take advantage of economies of scale and print several thousand copies at a time. And they are apparently not willing to carry “product” that veers too far away from the industry standard
So, for the foreseeable future, getting our self-published books into chains does not seem to be an option. But there are plenty of others, and I’ll talk about them next time.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Great Niagara Heritage Book Fair at Grimsby
Yesterday, (Saturday, February 21), was the date of the First Niagara Book Fair, sponsored by the Grimsby Archives.
Bob Blakeley and I attended in our War of 1812 outfits and had a wonderful time. The venue was very nice. Exhibitors were set up in two locations, Carnegie Commons, originally built in 1917 as a Carnegie library and now the home of the Grimsby Archives, and the adjacent library and art gallery.
The exhibitors included local authors and historical societies, including Lundy’s Lane Historical Society and the Point Abino preservation project. Tim Warnick was there in Civil War uniform, along with an interesting array of Civil and Fenian material and artifacts. So were Trudi and George Down of the Hamilton-based Book Band, which represents a number of small Canadian publishers.
There was a steady stream of visitors through much of the day – in fact some of them arrived before the official opening. The volunteers were very friendly and helpful, at least two reporters showed up to cover the event, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. For Bob and me it was also a profitable event, not just in terms of sales, but also in terms of contacts.
The organizers should be extremely proud – first time events often start shakily, but this one definitely did not. All indications are that it’s going to be a repeat event, another great way to promote writing and heritage as well as a charming Niagara community.
Read the St. Catharines Standard report on the event at
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1446606
Bob Blakeley and I attended in our War of 1812 outfits and had a wonderful time. The venue was very nice. Exhibitors were set up in two locations, Carnegie Commons, originally built in 1917 as a Carnegie library and now the home of the Grimsby Archives, and the adjacent library and art gallery.
The exhibitors included local authors and historical societies, including Lundy’s Lane Historical Society and the Point Abino preservation project. Tim Warnick was there in Civil War uniform, along with an interesting array of Civil and Fenian material and artifacts. So were Trudi and George Down of the Hamilton-based Book Band, which represents a number of small Canadian publishers.
There was a steady stream of visitors through much of the day – in fact some of them arrived before the official opening. The volunteers were very friendly and helpful, at least two reporters showed up to cover the event, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. For Bob and me it was also a profitable event, not just in terms of sales, but also in terms of contacts.
The organizers should be extremely proud – first time events often start shakily, but this one definitely did not. All indications are that it’s going to be a repeat event, another great way to promote writing and heritage as well as a charming Niagara community.
Read the St. Catharines Standard report on the event at
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1446606
Friday, February 20, 2009
Robert Nichol Plaque Official
It's official!
The news was broadcast on CD 98.9 FM, Simcoe this morning. Approval has come through for an Ontario provincial plaque in memory of Robert Nichol.
My partner Bob Blakeley and I are celebrating, even though we've known this was coming for weeks. (We actually heard just before New Year.) Appropriately this is Heritage Week, and on Monday Bob and I participated in North Erie Shore Historical Society's 28th annual Heritage Day in Selkirk.
Despite the cold, the weather was pretty good and the crowds seemed larger than ever. Which means probably 1000 people turned out.
As usual at events like this, Bob and I were in our War of 1812 outfits and, along with selling books, told everyone who seemed interested about Robert Nichol.
You can learn more about him at www.heronwoodent.ca -- just click on the Col. Robert Nichol button on the left side of the home page. For now, what's important is that he was a prosperous merchant-miller who took on the duties of Quartermaster-General of Militia during the War of 1812. Although he was at first reluctant, his good friend Isaac Brock insisted that no one else could do the job as well. Nichol had all kinds of business connections across the province, a proven record for negotiating delicate international business, and the kind of organized mind and determined attitude that would not let him give up anything he decided to do. Not only did he fulfill his duties as Quartermaster-General, supplying the militia with food, clothing, shelter and equipment, he also participated in a number of battles. At Fort George, he was nearly killed when his horse was shot from under him.
Nichol paid dearly for his war-time service. His extensive estate was destroyed by American invaders in May 1814 and compensation was so slow in coming that he had to struggle for many years. Eventually he moved back to the Niagara area, settling in Stamford (now part of Niagara Falls) and took on numerous duties as a judge, commissioner and advisor, all the while serving as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Norfolk County. Always outspoken, he emerged as leader of the opposition by 1817, at a time when criticizing the government was often viewed as treason. Although Nichol's war record made it impossible to question his loyalty, he did have many enemies.
Which is why there was suspicion of foul play when his horse and wagon plunged into the Niagara gorge in early May 1824. Although Nichol was found with his neck-cloth stuffed in his mouth, a coroner's jury under William Lyon Mackenzie ruled the death accidental and Nichol was buried in an unmarked grave in the Hamilton family cemetery at Queenston.
Within a relatively short time, he was almost completely forgotten, even though he had been one of the most important figures in Upper Canadian politics and business for more than a dozen years.
In the 1920s, eminent War of 1812 historian E.A. Cruikshank wrote a series of scholarly articles on Nichol and his life, and in one of them wondered why he had been so completely forgotten. Writing in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography more than half a century later, historian Robert L. Fraser wondered the same thing.
Although there had been some effort in the Niagara area to mark his grave after Cruikshank's articles appeared, nothing materialized. Nichol remained a footnote character, mentioned in passing in many books on the War of 1812, but never really familiar to most readers of Canadian history.
Bob and I have been separately fascinated by Nichol's story for a long time and decided to join forces to promote his story. One of the results was "Conversations with Colonel Robert Nichol" a presentation we developed for historical societies and other groups. Our long term plan is write a full-length biography on Nichol, and we've just brought out a small booklet on his life, Robert Nichol: Forgotten Hero.
In the meantime, Harry B. Barrett, a well known Port Dover historian decided the time had come to get serious about getting a plaque in his memory. Harry has been the driving force behind a number of historic plaques during his long and productive life and knew just exactly how to go about it.
Bob and I heard about his plans in Port Dover late this summer and provided the historical background for the grant application. Ian Bell, curator at the Port Dover Harbour Museum took care of the application -- and the result is that the plaque will be unveiled in Dover on September 24, 2009.
FINALLY, more than 185 years after his death, Robert Nichol is getting some of the recognition he so richly deserves.
Before the plaque goes up some fund-raising will have to be done, and Bob and I plan to be involved. As plans are developed, I'll post them here, as well as on my website.
So please stay tuned!
The news was broadcast on CD 98.9 FM, Simcoe this morning. Approval has come through for an Ontario provincial plaque in memory of Robert Nichol.
My partner Bob Blakeley and I are celebrating, even though we've known this was coming for weeks. (We actually heard just before New Year.) Appropriately this is Heritage Week, and on Monday Bob and I participated in North Erie Shore Historical Society's 28th annual Heritage Day in Selkirk.
Despite the cold, the weather was pretty good and the crowds seemed larger than ever. Which means probably 1000 people turned out.
As usual at events like this, Bob and I were in our War of 1812 outfits and, along with selling books, told everyone who seemed interested about Robert Nichol.
You can learn more about him at www.heronwoodent.ca -- just click on the Col. Robert Nichol button on the left side of the home page. For now, what's important is that he was a prosperous merchant-miller who took on the duties of Quartermaster-General of Militia during the War of 1812. Although he was at first reluctant, his good friend Isaac Brock insisted that no one else could do the job as well. Nichol had all kinds of business connections across the province, a proven record for negotiating delicate international business, and the kind of organized mind and determined attitude that would not let him give up anything he decided to do. Not only did he fulfill his duties as Quartermaster-General, supplying the militia with food, clothing, shelter and equipment, he also participated in a number of battles. At Fort George, he was nearly killed when his horse was shot from under him.
Nichol paid dearly for his war-time service. His extensive estate was destroyed by American invaders in May 1814 and compensation was so slow in coming that he had to struggle for many years. Eventually he moved back to the Niagara area, settling in Stamford (now part of Niagara Falls) and took on numerous duties as a judge, commissioner and advisor, all the while serving as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Norfolk County. Always outspoken, he emerged as leader of the opposition by 1817, at a time when criticizing the government was often viewed as treason. Although Nichol's war record made it impossible to question his loyalty, he did have many enemies.
Which is why there was suspicion of foul play when his horse and wagon plunged into the Niagara gorge in early May 1824. Although Nichol was found with his neck-cloth stuffed in his mouth, a coroner's jury under William Lyon Mackenzie ruled the death accidental and Nichol was buried in an unmarked grave in the Hamilton family cemetery at Queenston.
Within a relatively short time, he was almost completely forgotten, even though he had been one of the most important figures in Upper Canadian politics and business for more than a dozen years.
In the 1920s, eminent War of 1812 historian E.A. Cruikshank wrote a series of scholarly articles on Nichol and his life, and in one of them wondered why he had been so completely forgotten. Writing in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography more than half a century later, historian Robert L. Fraser wondered the same thing.
Although there had been some effort in the Niagara area to mark his grave after Cruikshank's articles appeared, nothing materialized. Nichol remained a footnote character, mentioned in passing in many books on the War of 1812, but never really familiar to most readers of Canadian history.
Bob and I have been separately fascinated by Nichol's story for a long time and decided to join forces to promote his story. One of the results was "Conversations with Colonel Robert Nichol" a presentation we developed for historical societies and other groups. Our long term plan is write a full-length biography on Nichol, and we've just brought out a small booklet on his life, Robert Nichol: Forgotten Hero.
In the meantime, Harry B. Barrett, a well known Port Dover historian decided the time had come to get serious about getting a plaque in his memory. Harry has been the driving force behind a number of historic plaques during his long and productive life and knew just exactly how to go about it.
Bob and I heard about his plans in Port Dover late this summer and provided the historical background for the grant application. Ian Bell, curator at the Port Dover Harbour Museum took care of the application -- and the result is that the plaque will be unveiled in Dover on September 24, 2009.
FINALLY, more than 185 years after his death, Robert Nichol is getting some of the recognition he so richly deserves.
Before the plaque goes up some fund-raising will have to be done, and Bob and I plan to be involved. As plans are developed, I'll post them here, as well as on my website.
So please stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)