David Cole has been in book publishing for almost 30 years. He has been involved in every aspect of the industry including stints in editing, production, publicity, marketing and management. In this interview, learn what David looks for before signing an author to a book deal.

How long have you been in the publishing industry?

Since the mid-1970s.

What is the name of your company?

Bay Tree Publishing

What genres do you publish?

We focus on nonfiction in the areas of business, psychology, health, and the environment. We also work with memoirs and recently published our first work of fiction.

What does a manuscript have to contain to be considered?

We look for intelligent writing that gets beneath the surface of a topic. We are also attracted to works that make difficult subjects more understandable for readers without a specialized background.

Do you work with first time authors?

Yes. For most of our authors, we are publishing a first book, though many have already published other kinds of works such as newspaper and magazine or journal articles.

Do the authors you publish have to meet a certain criteria?

Authors must be committed to marketing their work. A good book proposal should contain a solid, realistic marketing plan. Beyond that, we would like to see evidence that an author is truly committed to following through on that plan. Do you write regularly for a periodical? Do you blog? Do you have an established audience online or in print? These are all indications that you are serious, not just about a particular book, but about communicating with readers.

Do you work with authors directly or must they have an agent?

Since we don’t offer advances, we rarely work with agents.

Do you evaluate the competition to ensure that the manuscript can be marketed and advertised as a unique stand alone title?

Evaluating the competition is an essential component of every publishing decision. If there are already ten or a hundred books established in the market that address an issue or need, bringing out another will only be successful if it is twice as good as those already available. If it is only ten percent better, it is unlikely to gain market share unless the author is either famous or engaged in very aggressive self-promotion.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Good writing is essential, but passion sells. From a publisher’s point of view, the best author is already famous. Since Bay Tree is too small to attract famous authors, we look for those who are on fire to reach an audience and who are already actively pursuing that goal. These are the authors who will most benefit from our expertise and who will be of the greatest value to us.

For more information on David Cole and Bay Tree Publishing visit http://www.baytreepublish.com/

…

Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

Copyright © 2010 Julie Barnes and One Who Writes

Elaine Bliss is best known for her feminine graphics, illustrations and brand identities; Elaine has been using her artistic ability to create feminine and French inspired designs since she graduated from Lancaster Tech in Pennsylvania, with a certificate in commercial art. In this interview, learn how Elaine utilizes Etsy as an artist to generate more revenue into her business.

What brought you to become an Etsy shop owner?

Probably the same reason I used eBay for a while, the traffic. Their SEO (search engine optimization) is phenomenal. They also cater to artists which very few places do. I love that. I purposely avoid any place that calls artist and designers “Artisans”. It`s just not that same.

How do you market your business?

I mainly twitter and blog. Facebook had just become one of those indispensable tools and I have a fan page. Even though I have my family as friends, I keep it 99% professional. I try not to rant or post my opinions. But I share lots of tidbits to my “art” and home life. It helps humanize you and make sales.

How has social networking helped your business? What have you found works best for your store?

It`s had to “socialize” in order to make the sale. Takes time away from designing at my studio. So I automate my “socializing” with services like Ping.FM, Tweetdeck and Twaitter. Social networking does have the advantage of making your brand so personal; your clients will always know the owner of your store. There is no middle man or any degree of separation. The connections are deeper; therefore you stride harder to make your client happy. They in return, come back and buy. It`s a win-win.

What is your favorite part of being an Etsy store owner?

I would have to say that sense of “small community” even though they are huge. You can always get an email from their support team. It is very organized, so everyone feels like they have a special place.

What are some of the ways that you find Etsy helps in your success as a store owner?

I like how they showcase other artist that have quit their day job and made it on Etsy. They share their tips and motivate you to keep going. Secondly, their seller newsletters are full of information. They even have a manual of Etsy`s best practices and the best ways to sell.

What advice would you give new Etsians just starting out?

Be YOU. Having a unique vision and an unique product makes you money and it`s rewarded. You have no idea how many times I have seen the marketplace get crowded with the same things over and over. Tight competition helps no one. Originality is always the best marketing strategy there is. Also, don`t give up! It took me a few months to get a sale. However, if you are thinking about opening a store, do it just before a holiday. You are almost guaranteed a sale and it gets you motivated to do more.

How did you come up with your shop name?

Well I have three shops, one after my name, which I have to be honest; I was shy about doing the blatant self promotion. 8thLove.etsy.com is the store where I sell the fun stuff I find in my treasure hunts and the name came from the 8 things I love the most, the last or 8th love is paper. Rouge Press is my latest shop and I create letterpress stationery. Rouge is red in French. I am a Francophile and this store paid homage to that. Plus red is a great feng shui color for business!

How do you brand yourself to make your shop unique?

Fortunately, I am my own graphic designer and my own worst client. I change my mind about every six months. I print all my own collateral, so I get to personalize every single detail of my operations. From my twitter account to Etsy avatar, to me it`s important to make sure everything is consistent.

Do you feel a sense of community among the Etsy shop owners?

Yes, many shop owners a willing to share tips and secrets on how they got started. Not just on the forums but by simply asking them.

How do you connect with your buyers?

Besides pretty packaging, I like to add a sample card or some letterpress hang tags. A free something is always appreciated. I also like to write a note by hand in the package or print a Merci Beau Coup note, later mailed to their home with a discount code. The latter is so cute that they always come back.

For more information about Elaine Bliss and her Esty shops visit www.ElaineBiss.Etsy.com, or www.RougePress.Etsy.com. You can also visit her main website at www.ElaineBiss.com, follow her blog at www.ElaineBiss.Blogspot.com, or for more information about her stationary visit www.FashionableStationery.com.

…

Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

Copyright © 2010 Julie Barnes and One Who Writes

Joel Gotler  is a literary manager in Los Angeles who has been instrumental in numerous publishing, book to film, and TV deals. Joel has worked with James Ellroy, Dennis Lahane, Michael Connelly, and Sue Grafton. Many of his clients have won a National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize, and Academy Awards. In this interview, learn what Joel looks for when deciding to work with an author.

How long have you been in the publishing industry?

I have been a literary agent since 1976 and sold my first book to Rodale Press. Then it was called ‘Circadian Rhythms’ a non-fiction book about how the body changes during air flight.

What is the name of your company?

Intellectual Property Group.

What genres do you publish?

We agent fiction and non-fiction.

What does a manuscript have to contain to be considered?

The manuscript has to be formatted professionally and must have a real voice and must be commercial in our opinion, so that we can also market the book to film.

Do you work with first time authors?

Yes, but we get too many queries to deal with everyone who asks.

Do the authors you publish have to meet a certain criteria?

No criteria, but that their covering letter should grab our attention if it is not a writer who has been recommended.

Do you work with authors directly or must they have an agent?

We work directly with authors as the agent or literary manager.

Do you evaluate the competition to ensure that the manuscript can be marketed and advertised as a unique stand alone title?

Yes, we are on top of the market place on a daily basis here and abroad (We get the reports of what is being developed and at what stage the project is at), and in terms of what the Hollywood studios are looking for. For instance, at lunch today three executives from a major Hollywood studio said to me in unison, “No dramas!”

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Hollywood and publishing are hard, tough nuts to crack these days as there are fewer slots for new movies although there is still film development; and, the publishers don’t accept slush pile material, and they have a real economic problem dealing with first timers as well as bucking the electronic publishing trend at the same time, so how do you break in? Get your stuff read by the right person. I am a frequent guest at USC and UCLA to discuss this issue.

Some of our film clients include James Ellroy, Dennis Lahane, Michael Connelly, Sue Grafton, The Estates of John O’ Hara, James Cain, and so on. We have about 150 clients all of a status and many having won National Book Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, Nobel Prizes, Academy Awards, etc.

For more information about Joel Gotler and Intellectual Property Group visit http://www.stonevillagepictures.com/ipg/

…

Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009.  Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

Copyright © 2010 Julie Barnes and One Who Writes

Jay Adelson is the man in charge of number 98 on Alexa.com, Digg. Continue Reading

This interview with Rita Arens, author of “Sleep is for the Weak”, was conducted by Julie Barnes.

How did you come up with your book idea?

I was planning to attend BlogHer (a blogging conference for women) in 2006. I thought it would be cool to print out my favorite blog posts and see if I could get the bloggers to sign them at the conference. Then it occurred to me what a great idea a print blogger parenting anthology would be, and I just went with it.

Are you self published or did you obtain an agent?

I had a fancy NYC agent for a few months. We parted ways after she pitched the book to the biggest publishers as a parenting book, and they thought nobody would want to read bloggers. (I think their opinions have probably changed at this point.) I felt it was more of an edgy humor book, so I took it back on and pitched it to several smaller publishers whose catalogs fit better with my book. That’s how I connected with Chicago Review Press, which published Sleep Is for the Weak in September 2008.

How did you find the publishing process?

I found the publishing process easy and the marketing process hard.

How are you promoting the release of your new book?

I promoted Sleep Is for the Weak on my blog, Surrender, Dorothy, on BlogHer (it’s a BlogHer book) and via blog book tours, a real-life book tour, e-mail — you name it, I’ve tried it, and I continue to try it a year and a half later. The book is very evergreen and still relevant — there have been a lot of babies born since it came out. Even though I’m working on a new book, I haven’t forgotten about the first one.

How do you market yourself in general as an author?

I use my blog as a round-up for all the writing I’ve been doing. I have a section for books and Kindle (I release poems and short stories to Kindle periodically for $1 for a short story or a micro collection of five poems). I have a section for online and periodicals, in which I link to writing I’ve done for magazines and online magazines. I also do a monthly round-up of all the pieces I’ve written on the Web that month on my blog.

Finally, I’m doing more speaking these days. I’ve spoken at the BlogHer conference twice, at the Kansas City Literary Festival, at Chicks Who Click and this year at the Alt Summit design conference in Salt Lake City. Publishers are interested in author platforms, and I do everything I can to use social media tools — mostly my blog, Facebook and Twitter — to help people get to know me in the hopes they’ll be interested in what I write enough to visit my blog and buy my books.

Did you send out copies of your books for review?

I sure did! Sleep Is for the Weak was featured in Redbook,Scholastic Parent & Child, Pregnancy & Newborn and a bunch of others I can’t remember right now. It even made theReader’s Digest list of unique titles. It won a National Parenting Publications gold NAPPA award in 2009.

Are you listed on Amazon?

Yes, here. Sleep Is for the Weak is a collection of stories from 24 women and one man on subjects ranging from diapers, potties and upholstery to rules made by toddlers to adult eating disorders to personal identity crises. And of course, there’s a lot about sleeping.

What is an average writing day like?

I work full-time now for BlogHer as their assignment and syndication editor, so finding time for creative writing is difficult. I squeeze working on my new novel into lunch hours, car rides and late evenings, and I try to post to my blog before noon each weekday. Right now I’m in the first round of revisions for my novel, and I try to revise a chapter each time I sit down. Sometimes I only get three pages before I’m interrupted — but my goal is a chapter each time I sit down, because I don’t know when I’ll be able to sit down again. Hands down, you have to schedule your writing time. There are very few professional authors who don’t do other paid work.

Anything else you would like to add?

Writing is hard. Finding a publisher is hard. Marketing a book is hard. But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.

Learn more about Rita Arens and her book at http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com/

• • •

Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passions of entrepreneurship, women’s issues, and holistic health and wellness. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009.  Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

Copyright © 2010 Julie Barnes and One Who Writes

Every week you get to read about someone whose doing ‘it’. ‘It’, being something they love, their business. Here is something new.   Continue Reading

This interview with Ian Swanson, the founder and C.E.O. of Sometrics, was conducted and condensed by Alex Monroe. Continue Reading

One phone, two phones, three phones, four, and on it goes. The list of phones the average cellular user goes through is Continue Reading

The GetYourBizSavvy logo is courtesy of Sue Heap.  She won our Logo Contest.  Her logo stood out as Continue Reading

“Immerz is going to change the world of entertainment,” said Shahriar S. Afshar, the inventor of Immerz’s Kor-FX.  He is positive it will happen. Afshar described the device, Continue Reading