In late December, our publisher was informed that a major portion of the shipment that was en route to our distributor was lost. She acted fast, looping in the Design Manager, Operations Manager, and me, the Project Manager, and we did some major troubleshooting. FedEx was attempting to locate the shipment, hopeful that it would be found after the holiday backlog cleared. The publisher reached out to Ingram, our distributor, to see if it was feasible to use their print-on-demand service to ensure we would have books in time to meet the industry deadline for new titles. Because of many factors (timing, holiday closures, and staffing numbers), the success of this option was not guaranteed. Ultimately, moving the publishing date forward a month was the best solution.
publicity
Best Practices for Writing Blurb Requests
By Sarah Moffatt
What’s a blurb, you might ask? Cue the booming announcer voice: “Emotionally moving, socially poignant, and expertly crafted . . . a gem of contemporary literature.” Were you picturing the front or back of a book jacket just now? Good. That’s a blurb: the pithy quote on a book’s jacket that praises it and makes you want to pick it up.
How to Write an Effective Press Release
By Emma St. John @emmacathryyn
The purpose of a press release is to make news and generate publicity, and they’re an incredibly effective way to get that attention, but not if they aren’t written effectively.
SHORT, VIGOROUS ROOTS: A Brief Account of a Project Team’s Blurb Journey
By Stephanie Johnson Lawson
The process of requesting blurbs begins with a massive contact sheet—a focused list of people who may be interested in writing a blurb for the book. It involves reaching out to a lot of people: “the more names, the more likely you are to get a yes,” Tucker says, adding that we want to ask people who have a “strong connection with both [the] audience and the material…because the more focused the blurb list is on your audience, the better.” In our case, this all proved true.
The Beginning of Our New YA Title
By Luis Ramos @luissoto805
Everyone likes Filipino food, and we are shamelessly capitalizing on that love. After all, when else will we get to work on a book with the words “egg rolls” in the title?
Morality Clauses in Book Publishing
By Alexandria Gonzales
Publicity plays a crucial role in any publishing house. Authors who accrue bad publicity are often subjected to the morality clause in their contract so that the reputation of the publishing house is not tarnished by the actions of the author. Recent developments in the entertainment industry, especially in regards to the #MeToo movement, have led to an increased focus on ethics and morality in professional, educational, and media settings. Publishing houses and agents have faced similar problems, which is where the morality clause comes into play; an increasing number of publishing houses and agents are now including these clauses in their contracts, requiring authors to comply with acceptable professional standards and providing for the possible termination of the contractual relationship if the author fails to conduct themselves appropriately.