Tag: publishing

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Publishing

Why did this graphic designer get his MBA?

baby in a cap and gown

Spear 3785

I just graduated with my MBA! I am thankful for all the help and encouragement I received from Anderson University the last two years. It’s been a great journey!

I know much more about business than I did when I began this journey over two years ago, yet there is so much more I need to know. I probably felt like the baby I drew in my illustration above. You hear it all the time: the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.

So why did a designer and illustrator decide to go back to school?There were a few reasons that came to mind when I began this venture.
  1. I have seen my father and the fathers of my friends go through early retirements and lay-off’s in the middle of their career. I knew it was too risky to just stay put and hope it never happened to me.
  2. If I had to compete with younger designers half my age, I knew I would need a competitive advantage. There are many good designers and then there are good business people. Rarely do the two groups merge.
  3. The publishing industry continued to go through seismic changes.
    1. Few people know what to do with this new publishing revolution.
    2. I wanted to be part of the solution instead of waiting for someone else to figure it out.
I am glad I made this journey. When I graduated with my bachelors, I had wished I had another extra years to take in some business, theology and psychology classes. I have had the privilege to get the business know-how for the last two years. We’ll see when I can fit in the other subjects.
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Publishing

Report From the Frankfurt Book Fair: Digital is Growing Up! | Digital Book World

Report From the Frankfurt Book Fair: Digital is Growing Up! | Digital Book World.

It appears from this article that the hype is over. E-books are here to stay, but they aren’t the be all, end all they were considered just a year ago.

I like being in a generation where I have got to be in both genres. Print is still the king when it comes to portability, durability and in some cases, economy.

But digital publishing is king when you want the best potential to reach the world, be searchable and flexible. It’s good to see signs digital publishing is maturing. I’m looking forward to see what the coming years will bring to print AND digital publishing.

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Publishing writing

What authors can gain from trade shows

Cartoon of a guy at a bookstore. He says to a clerk, "I'll take the economy sized bookmark."

At the end of this week, I’ll be heading to the International Christian Retail Show in Saint Louis, Missouri.

I am looking forward to this event because it has been several years since I have been to this show and mingled with customers that use my products every day. While you may not be in my industry, there are several trade shows throughout the book industry that you would find interesting. There are events such as Book Expo America, SCBWI sponsored children’s book conferences, and  various writers’ conferences and Comic-cons.

Now I am as introverted as the next guy, but I’ve always found these events to benefit me. Here are a few of the reasons I would encourage authors and illustrators to go to a conference.

  • You can see what the current trends are in an industry.
    • That doesn’t mean you should copy them. After all, by the time you bring that “trendy” book to a publisher, the market will be tired of that topic. Still, it is good to see what the market is focused on now.
    • It may give you some insight on what is popular now and could lend itself to future topics. If you’re good at predicting the future, who knows, you may introduce the next big trend.
    • You will be able to see the technical innovations that are going on. The markets are changing and even expanding. You may discover your idea will work as well, or even better as an app, or e-book.
  • You meet people who know what it’s like to write and illustrate.
    • This is a solitary business. The Internet has made it easier to connect with others that share your interest, but there is nothing like talking one-on-one with someone who shares your passions and struggles with the same issues you face.
    • You can learn from your peers. It continues to amaze me how authors and illustrators are willing to share some of their tricks. A little suggestion here and a tip there can do wonders to keep you motivated.
  • You can see there is still a great market for great books.
    • The doomsayers may say print is dead, and it may be a different publishing world than the one that existed even five years ago. But print isn’t dead. There is a market for print and digital publishing.
    • You can get a feel for the direction publishers are going. Perhaps that will lead you to connect with a publisher that shares your passion and love the way you tell a story.

I’ll be writing on what I’ve learned at ICRS. One thing I am sure of, it will be a ton of information. I’m sharpening my pencil and ensuring I have plenty of blank pages in my sketchbook!

 

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books webcomic

Why have a book without pictures?

Cartoon of a boy with a book and some popcorn. He says, A book without pictures is like popcorn without salt.

What can I say? Pictures make a book more interesting. And I bet you agree with me too. It’s sad that society reasons you must have nothing but text on a page. Don’t get me wrong. Book design is an art unto itself and takes a lot of work to make it look perfect. But still, books without pictures have always looked boring and inaccessible.

Continue reading “Why have a book without pictures?”
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books

Pricing in an Ebook age

I read an article from Digital Book World this morning about recent price reductions in Harper Collins ebooks and the seemingly little effect it had on sales. Thanks to the Department of Justice ruling (United States), Amazon and other ebook sellers were able to discount ebook prices. The article by Jeremy Greenfield had this interesting quote:

If an ebook’s price is lowered from $10 to $8, for example, it needs to sell about 25% more copies to maintain the same level of revenue. I didn’t observe any sales rank bumps that would indicate a 25% bump in sales.

My conclusion from the article is that it doesn’t appear price is a major factor in a buyer’s decision. Of course, there will always be readers that will gravitate towards the free ebooks. But a two dollar difference in an ebook doesn’t seem to encourage or discourage sales.

So the question I have is this: Why discount ebooks if you are not going to make up the amount in increased sales?

Are we witnessing a paradigm shift in book discounting?