Getting Reviewed in Publisher's Weekly - NOT

Doh!

One of the reasons I was aiming for an April publication date for Publishing Gems was to give my review copy enough time to get into the hands of Publisher's Weekly editors.

We'll I just received the galley copy back in the mail. Apparently I used the wrong address. I'll have to confirm that the information we're providing in the Author's Center is accurate and then resend it, although now there isn't enough time before it's published. Nevertheless, there's an old saying that I like to quote from time to time: "If at first you don't succeed, yell profanities until someone gives you your way!"

FYI - the address I used was 245 W. 17th St, New York, NY 10011. When I investigate the new one (a quick jaunt onto their website should do it), I'll post it. I have a few blogs going, though, so no promises on which one I post it too. In fact, these multiple blogs every have ME confused.

Publishing Gems and Adventures in Publishing

Publishing Gems is going to be completely done in the next week. I think I'm going to have to write the foreword after all, which kind of sucks, but I wasn't able to secure anyone else to do in with enough time to spare to ensure availability of the published book by the middle of March, which is when I'm unveiling it during the CIPA college. That's the last day for Evvy award submissions, and I think I may submit it this year after all. I was thinking of waiting until next year, but by next year I'll probably have a number of new reference guides to submit, so might as well submit this one when I'm not competing with myself. I may submit Adventures in Publishing, too, but we'll see how I'm feeling about that.

Adventures in Publishing: An Interactive Guide to Publishing Your Book is finished, and the main editing is complete. We're going to format the interior in the next couple of days and make last minute adjustments, in necessary. I think I've decided not to mention our color Pearl package at all -- it's just so different from the other four packages we offer, kind of messes up the whole symmetry of the book. But I haven't decided for sure.

I got my professional portrait back from the photographers for the back of the books. It'll be on the back of the Publishing Gems, but not Adventures (since that book back is FULL with all the cover choice thumbnails.).

I also have it clear in my mind how the ebook version of Adventures is going to work -- now implementing it, that's a different matter. It has to translate to web and CD, since it will be a foundation of the software CD we'll start to make in the coming months.

Final Cover for Publishing Gems

A long night designing the cover of Publishing Gems. You can visit the webpage by clicking here.

A household name

I'm usually so wrapped up in reporting the day to day minutia within these blogs that I don't step back and report on the strategic steps we're taking every day to not only grow Outskirts Press but help custom publishing become a household concept. I have nearly conceptualized the strategic goals for this year along with (and this is the hard part) the tactical milestones necessary to accomplish those goals. A lot of hinges on the completion and publication of both Publishing Gem: Insider Information for the Self-Publishing Writer and Adventures in Publishing: An Interactive Guide to Publishing Your Book.

Another step hinges on the completion of a project I'll simply call PKRD. Some of the pieces are falling into place; I just have to put them in the correct order.

The interior of Publishing Gems is complete. Our designer did a wonderful job -- it's beautiful. A very fun, inviting inside that's packed with information in an aesthetic manner. Not always easy in just around 70 pages.

Another step begins and grows and adapts OutskirtsPress.net.

POD Trim Sizes

Outskirts Press is adding two new trim sizes to our offerings. A 7 x 10 size and a 6.7 x 9 size. It's still TBD about which packages will get access to the new sizes, although certainly the Diamond Package will, bringing its total format offerings to a whopping 16!

I've registered OutskirtsPress.net and will begin aggressive SEO tactics in the coming months. This is not a process that fulfills immediate gratification. It's long and arduous (i.e. painful), so I'm setting my sites on 365 days for now -- that's when I'll expect to see the fruits of this labor pan out.

Oh, by the way, Colleen and Kristin both said no to the Publishing Gems blurb ;-( but perhaps we'll see some excerpts of the book in future issues of Writer's Digest. I'll finalize the editing and layout in the next two weeks, and the hopefully we'll have some blurbs from Dan and Judith by then.