Inside Independent Publishing (with IBPA)

Mike Mansel is a Certified Insurance Counselor, and here he shares his decades of experience working with publishers large and small on sorting out their insurance needs.

Highlights of this podcast include:

Here’s a link to the BookBaby Blog article by Scott McCormick, on using song lyrics in your book:

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Mike Mansel is a Certified Insurance Counselor with Aegis Insurance Markets. He is a highly experienced and respected insurance and risk management professional who has been involved in providing expertise to commercial and business clients since 1977. Among his areas of expertise are Patent Insurance, Litigation Reimbursement Insurance, Representations & Warranties, Climate & Weather insurance, Claim Denial insurance and more.

Mike is well-known Nationally as a media authority. He serves as an expert witness and speaks nationally on insurance and media matters and exposures. He is a Practicing Law Institute faculty member for Intellectual Property Insurance.

Mike holds the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) designation. He is the Educational Consultant for The National Alliance for Education & Research of Austin, Texas, and is a National faculty member for Workers’ Compensation, Time Element, Business Automobile, Commercial Inland Marine, Legal & Ethical, Intellectual Property, and Aviation Exposures for the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors.

You can reach Mike at

Peter Goodman (host) is publisher of Stone Bridge Press in Berkeley, California. He began his publishing career in Tokyo, Japan, in 1976. A longtime member of IBPA, he has served on the IBPA board and as IBPA board chair.

Ebook production expert Laura Brady suggests ways you need to think about ebook design and creation to produce reliable and good-looking results

This podcast is for anyone who is thinking of creating ebooks or hiring an ebook designer, or who has seen the ads for “ebooks made easy!” and is thinking, well, how hard could it be? Topics include:

Links mentioned in the podcast

https://twitter.com/hashtag/eprdctn: a very active Twitter group where you can find professionals and experts in ebook production

https://github.com/FriendsOfEpub/Blitz: for the technically competent, ebook formatting solutions

https://fonts.google.com/: Google’s webfont repository

https://www.monotype.com/: the Monotype font foundy

https://reedsy.com/: “A full ecosystem for authors and publishing professionals”

Sorry for some of the audio quality in the early minutes of the interview!

Laura Brady is the manager of Cross-Media for the House of Anansi Press in Toronto. Until recently she ran a conversion house working with a broad range of small- and medium-sized publishers to manage their digital publishing. Laura is also on the steering committee of ebookcraft – a major conference devoted to ebook production -- and the editor-in-chief of EPUB Secrets—the world’s best resource for all things EPUB. Her Twitter handle is @LauraB7.

Peter Goodman (host) is publisher of Stone Bridge Press in Berkeley, California. He began his publishing career in Tokyo, Japan, in 1976. A longtime member of IBPA, he has served on the IBPA board and as IBPA board chair.

Andy Ross of the Andy Ross Agency discusses how agents evaluate manuscripts and how agents operate in today’s book publishing climate.

Andy Ross has been active in the publishing world for 40 years, first as a bookseller and now as an agent. In this podcast conversation, he shares his thoughts on agenting and when and how an agent can work with a small independent publisher. Highlights include:

Andy Ross is principal at the Andy Ross Agency, based in Oakland, California. Andy started his agency in 2008, and before that was the owner of Cody's Books in Berkeley for 30 years.

Cody’s was one of the best-known and best-loved bookstores in its day. It was at the epicenter of the antiwar movement in the sixties, and over the years hosted thousands of writers including: Norman Mailer, Gary Snyder, Alan Ginsberg, Kurt Vonnegut, Salman Rushdie, Joseph Heller, and Alice Walker. It also hosted events for major public and cultural figures such as: Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Mohammed Ali, Mickey Mantle, Gloria Steinem, and Buckminster Fuller.

A changing economy and buying habits forced Cody’s to close its doors in 2008, and since then Andy has transitioned into matchmaker, helping authors and publishers find each other. He focuses on authors who write books in a wide range of subjects including narrative non-fiction, science, journalism, history, current affairs, contemporary culture, religion, children's books and commercial and literary fiction. But like many agents these days, he wears multiple hats, and sometimes needs to function as editor and diplomat, too.

You can reach Andy Ross at http://www.andyrossagency.com/.

Peter Goodman (host) is publisher of Stone Bridge Press in Berkeley, California. He began his publishing career in Tokyo, Japan, in 1976. A longtime member of IBPA, he has served on the IBPA board and as IBPA board chair.

George Dick, president of Four-Colour Print Group, talks about all the reasons you might want to print your next book in Asia, especially if it’s in color or for kids

Many publishers of full-color books—coffee-table books, art books, cookbooks, children’s books – choose to print in Asia because printing costs less there. But cost may not be the only consideration.

Topics include

To reach Four-Colour Print Group, go to https://fourcolour.com/.

Participants

George Dick is the President and CEO of Four-Colour Print Group in Louisville, KY, a print broker and the exclusive USA representative of Everbest Printing Co. in China. George began his printing career in 1980, and has since visited printing plants in a dozen different countries in Asia, Europe, Central and South America. He's always searching for new business partners, new technology, and new ideas to help manage the relationships between customers, sales/service personnel, and manufacturers. He's had articles published in trade magazines, and spoken at industry conferences.

Peter Goodman (host) is publisher of Stone Bridge Press in Berkeley, California. He began his publishing career in Tokyo, Japan, in 1976. A longtime member of IBPA, he has served on the IBPA board and as IBPA board chair.

Tami Dever, co-owner and founder of TLC Book Design, discusses key elements of book design that signal professionalism, readability, excellence, and permanence

What are the elements a book designer needs to consider when designing an interior? A cover? Tami Dever discusses how she works with clients and notes the factors that make a book look good against the competition.

Topics include

things to keep in mind when designing a book: audience, competition, tone, readability

the importance of interior design in sealing the deal and drawing customers to the cash register

favoring longevity over trendiness

using Word to prepare text for a designer (hint: avoid overformatting!)

key elements of cover design that must work together (and it’s not easy!):

avoiding Photoshop gimmickry

Typefaces mentioned in this podcast:

To reach TLC Book Design, go to http://www.tlcbookdesign.com/.

Notes to the Q&A segment

The article in the IBPA Independent on Authors.me can be found at http://articles.ibpa-online.org/article/finding-real-creativity-with-artificial-intelligence/.

Participants

Tami Dever is the co-owner and founder of TLC Book Design in Austin, Texas. The business has grown from a design studio to a complete publishing development firm, with a wonderful reputation for providing outstanding design and caring customer service.

Peter Goodman (host) is publisher of Stone Bridge Press in Berkeley, California. He began his publishing career in Tokyo, Japan, in 1976. A longtime member of IBPA, he has served on the IBPA board and as IBPA board chair.

Cynthia Frank, publisher of Cypress House, shares some of the hard-won insights from more than 30 years as an independent publisher

Listening to this wide-ranging interview you get a sense of what issues come up and what life is like as an independent publisher in a small town on the northern coast of California. Cynthia Frank has been publishing for as many years as there has been an IBPA and before that PMA, and has seen technology go from a phone and fax to high-speed internet and the digital revolution. Lots of things have changed, but much is still the same, like Cynthia’s belief that the publisher must emphasize editorial content and quality of expression more than anything else.

And she’s also outspoken on subjects like, is it worth going to BEA? Can you publish successfully without Amazon? Why has there been a resurgence in indie bookstores (hint: Amazon’s success may ironically have had something to do with it!)? Do special sales pay off?

Mentioned in the podcast are:

Cypress House is at https://www.cypresshouse.com/.

Participants

Cynthia Frank is publisher of Cypress House, QED Press, and Lost Coast Press in Fort Bragg, northern California. In addition to being a royalty house that has won national and international awards and grants, Cypress House is a full-service book production and promotion company. It provides manuscript evaluation, editorial services, typesetting, cover design, forms filing, marketing and promotion, subsidiary rights assistance, e-book account setup and liaison, and comprehensive consultation services. It specializes in helping new publishers launch their own companies and in helping authors find the right publisher.

Peter Goodman (host) is publisher of Stone Bridge Press in Berkeley, California. He began his publishing career in Tokyo, Japan, in 1976. A longtime member of IBPA, he has served on the IBPA board and as IBPA board chair.

Lisa London, CPA, author, and publisher, discusses many of the specialized points of accounting that every publisher needs to know

This podcast looks at many of the things publishers need to know when setting up and using accounting packages to manage revenue, expenses, and taxes. Among the subjects mentioned are:

Some of the goods and services mentioned in the podcast include:

Lisa’s book Banish Your Bookkeeping Nightmares is here: https://goo.gl/LWSGHa

Lisa’s publishing company Deep River Press is here: https://deepriver.press/

Follow Lisa on Twitter at @LisaLondon3

or on Facebook at AccountantBesideYou

and also see http://AccountantBesideYou.com

Notes on the Q&A segment

Here is a list of attorneys IBPA has worked with in the past. They all know the world of publishing. This list is not an endorsement but is provided for informational purposes only.

Participants

Lisa London is a CPA and the primary author of The Accountant Beside You series. Her experience as an auditor, a director of finance of a Fortune 500 company, and a consultant for small businesses and nonprofits has given her the skills to explain complex items in an easy-to-understand manner. She also recently released her first work of historical fiction, Darker the Night. Follow Lisa at https://accountantbesideyou.com/

Peter Goodman (host) is publisher of Stone Bridge Press in Berkeley, California. He began his publishing career in Tokyo, Japan, in 1976. A longtime member of IBPA, he has served on the IBPA board and as IBPA board chair.

Daniel Lerner, inspirational speaker and teacher at NYU, discusses how publishers can invigorate their work with passion and find happiness by serving themselves in a way that serves others

Following his enthusiastically received keynote at IBPA’s Publishing University 2018, Daniel agreed to this interview to further reflect on what makes people happy. So many accomplished people—doctors, lawyers, even publishers-- are stressed out, despite making lots of money and leading a “comfortable” life. What are they missing or not understanding?

There’s no easy answer to human satisfaction. But there are some things we can all do that can alleviate our stress levels and connect us better to what we’re doing and to other people. We need to relax, for one thing. To not obsess so much over our jobs. To find additional outlets for our energies. And above all, we need to work in areas that both satisfy us and enable us to serve others, whether it’s making time for our family or our larger communities.

Humans are not so distant from a time when our prime motives were strong emotions like fear, disgust, and anger. These were essential to our survival. But our world is safer now, and we have to work hard to evolve to the next stage, to discover that friendships with others are more than just safety in numbers but enormously satisfying to our own sense of well-being.

Publishers, this is a great message to reflect upon. Are you working with passion? Does your work serve the world?

To learn more about Daniel Lerner, go to http://daniellerner.com/.

Participants

Daniel Lerner is the author of U Thrive: How to Succeed in College (and Life). He is a clinical instructor at NYU, and he serves on the instructional staff at the University of Pennsylvania.

Transformative, forward-thinking and always striving to help others realize their full potential, Dan Lerner has become known for his exploration of how positive psychology can affect the pursuit of world-class development, particularly how to leverage the advantage that a healthy psychological state can bring to performance excellence both at work and at home.

Employing cutting-edge research into positive psychology and peak performance, Dan works with students, established and high-potential performing artists, athletes and numerous Fortune 500 companies and executives around the world helping them manage stress and anxiety, achieve well-being, uncover their core strengths and define and realize their own brand of success.

Peter Goodman (host) is publisher of Stone Bridge Press in Berkeley, California. He began his publishing career in Tokyo, Japan, in 1976. A longtime member of IBPA, he has served on the IBPA board and as IBPA board chair.

Judy Baker of Book Marketing Mentor discusses how branding your book can help you grow your readership and establish yourself as an expert in your field

This podcast looks at branding your book and the benefits it brings. Books, especially nonfiction, are where experts can showcase their expertise. The book becomes a starting place for building a business, and can lead to follow-up series, workshops, podcasts, and other related activities.

By engaging your readers you build your community and become familiar to them, and this enhances your credibility as an author and makes your books even more desirable.

Judy is also active in BAIPA, the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association, based in Marin County north of San Francisco. Judy talks about how BAIPA has grown and what is offered at its monthly meetings. BAIPA is also an IBPA affiliate: Judy notes the many benefits that affiliate publishing associations get from IBPA, such as discounts, speakers, and access to information and expertise.

Find out more about Book Marketing Mentor at https://bookmarketingmentor.com/.

Find out more about BAIPA at https://www.baipa.org.

Notes on the Q&A segment

For information on song lyrics and fair use in general, see

Participants

Judy Baker, with Judy Reyes, operates Book Marketing Mentor, whose mission “combines strategic marketing, branding and admin expertise into a unique service offering.”

Judy is a native Californian who makes her home in Sonoma. She serves on the board of the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association (she is past President of BAIPA); is on the Board of the Bay Area Consultants Network (BACN); is a co-chair of the 2017 Redwood Writers Academy (Redwood Writers); and is working on her book and course about building connections.

Judy specializes in branding and marketing. Her expertise as a graphic designer, book designer, marketing strategist, performer, and being a profoundly curious individual is why authors love working with her.

You can reach Judy at https://bookmarketingmentor.com/.

Peter Goodman (host) is publisher of Stone Bridge Press in Berkeley, California. He began his publishing career in Tokyo, Japan, in 1976. A longtime member of IBPA, he has served on the IBPA board and as IBPA board chair.

Jonnie A Bryant, Executive Director of Sales/Marketing at book printer McNaughton & Gunn, talks paper, cost, and schedules, and offers her take on challenges facing the industry

If you are wondering what’s happening in the world of book manufacturing, and how that might impact your ability to produce a book economically and on time, you’ll definitely want to listen to what Jonnie Bryant of McNaughton & Gunn has to say.

Topics include

And more!

To reach McNaughton & Gunn, go to http://www.mcnaughton-gunn.com/

Participants

Jonnie A. Bryant is Executive Director of Sales/Marketing, McNaughton & Gunn. She serves on the M&G Leadership Team, providing direction and support at the woman-owned book manufacturer’s headquarters and production facility in Saline, MI. In 2015, M&G proudly celebrated 40 years of creating books and making history for its customers.

Peter Goodman (host) is publisher of Stone Bridge Press in Berkeley, California. He began his publishing career in Tokyo, Japan, in 1976. A longtime member of IBPA, he has served on the IBPA board and as IBPA board chair.