Have you written a manuscript and are about to self publish?
Don't rely on the printer to organise your cover.
Despite the adage, people DO judge a book by the cover (just read this article to find out - http://blog.selfpublishing.com/?p=173). If you want to increase the chances of selling your book, your cover must be outstanding.
Warrigal Press can provide cover artists and illustrators at excellent prices. They have a list of talent on tap ready to make the cover of your book sell it for you.
Contact Bob Sheppard at Warrigal Press on 08 9295 0891, or visit their website at http://www.warrigalpress.com.au/.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
AUTHORS WANTED - NO GIMMICKS!
Have you got a manuscript of around 3000 words? Warrigal Press wants you.
Warrigal Press is seeking manuscripts from Australian writers in the following genres:
- Crime
- Mystery
- Horror
- Science Fiction
- War
- Romance
- Western
If you have an exciting new manuscript of around 3000 words and are interested in joining a growing team of writers, cover artists and illustrators at Warrigal Press, contact Bob Sheppard at bobsheppard@warrigalpress.com.au.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
VOTE NOW FOR VANITY PRESS WEBSITE!
If you like the Vanity Press Distributors website - VOTE FOR IT!
Webbie World is a website which allows people to vote for their favourite site. If they don't like a site, they can 'wonk' it.
Vanity Press Distributors has found its way onto their site. If you like our site, you can now vote for it! And if you don't like it - well that's cool too, because even a wonk site can still work!
To access their Home Page, type http://www.webbieworld.com/ into your URL address bar. Click on Search, then type the word "vanity" as the first phrase, "press" as the second. Then vote for it - that's it!
Check out a heap of other cool sites while you're there.
Webbie World is a website which allows people to vote for their favourite site. If they don't like a site, they can 'wonk' it.
Vanity Press Distributors has found its way onto their site. If you like our site, you can now vote for it! And if you don't like it - well that's cool too, because even a wonk site can still work!
To access their Home Page, type http://www.webbieworld.com/ into your URL address bar. Click on Search, then type the word "vanity" as the first phrase, "press" as the second. Then vote for it - that's it!
Check out a heap of other cool sites while you're there.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
VANITY PRESS DISTRIBUTORS GOES LIVE!
After a few delays, Australia's newest online bookshop, Vanity Press Distributors, has at last gone live.
Specialising in books by small publishers, VPD is filling a need that other bookstores are ignoring - by providing small publishers a cheaper, easier way to distribute their books, while providing its customers access to books they would be rarely able to buy in high street book chains.
Supported by authors, small publishers and book printing companies, VPD showcases some of Australia's best writing and most diverse range of books. Some of the more unusual titles now available are Ships' Figure Heads In Australia and The Mystery of the Mayanup Poltergeist. Other titles in its broad range of titles includes Gluten-Free Recipes, the ABC-publicised Voice For Peace, along with books by award-winning author Hugh Edwards.
All items are airmailed to anywhere in the world, so the customer does not have to wait long to receive their purchases. A smooth, fast and easy customer service is the standard to which Vanity Press Distributors subscribes.
Vanity Press Distributors also encourages self-publishing, and to this end will provide links, articles and news items of benefit to the self-publisher. Aware that there are rip-off merchants operating in the publishing business, VPD provides information on printers and publishers who have proven themselves with a reliable and honest track record.
For more information, or simply to buy a book, click on http://www.vanitypress.com.au/ and take your reading off the beaten track.
Specialising in books by small publishers, VPD is filling a need that other bookstores are ignoring - by providing small publishers a cheaper, easier way to distribute their books, while providing its customers access to books they would be rarely able to buy in high street book chains.
Supported by authors, small publishers and book printing companies, VPD showcases some of Australia's best writing and most diverse range of books. Some of the more unusual titles now available are Ships' Figure Heads In Australia and The Mystery of the Mayanup Poltergeist. Other titles in its broad range of titles includes Gluten-Free Recipes, the ABC-publicised Voice For Peace, along with books by award-winning author Hugh Edwards.
All items are airmailed to anywhere in the world, so the customer does not have to wait long to receive their purchases. A smooth, fast and easy customer service is the standard to which Vanity Press Distributors subscribes.
Vanity Press Distributors also encourages self-publishing, and to this end will provide links, articles and news items of benefit to the self-publisher. Aware that there are rip-off merchants operating in the publishing business, VPD provides information on printers and publishers who have proven themselves with a reliable and honest track record.
For more information, or simply to buy a book, click on http://www.vanitypress.com.au/ and take your reading off the beaten track.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
WHAT IS AN ISBN AND HOW DO I GET ONE?
An ISBN plays an important part in you being a self publisher, for whoever obtains the ISBN for a new book actually becomes the publisher. Most people know an ISBN relates to books, but a number of questions can be raised regarding it, such as: what exactly is an ISBN, what do the numbers mean, and how would I get one?
WHAT DOES ISBN STAND FOR?
The letters ISBN stand for International Standard Book Number. An ISBN is a 10-digit number unique to your book, and is used throughout the world in the same way. Agencies such as libraries and booksellers use ISBN’s for cataloguing, ordering and stock control. Since it needs to be published on your actual book, it must be obtained before its publication, although use of ISBNs is not compulsory. Bookshops, however, will rarely deal with a book without an ISBN.
WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?
An ISBN is usually divided into a group of four numbers, usually by hyphens, like this:
1-86252-140-9
The first group of numbers represents the country, such as 0 or 1 for English-speaking countries, 2 for French-speaking countries, 3 for German-speaking countries etc.
The second group of numbers, issued by the national ISBN agency, identifies the publisher.
The third group is the book number describing the specific title and edition.
The last digit, which will be either a single number or the letter X, is a check digit – the result of an algorithm designed to ensure the previous 9 numbers are correct.
THE HISTORY (AND FUTURE) OF ISBNs
The first book-identifying system was used by UK book and stationery chain WH Smith in 1966, and was called SBN or Standard Book Numbering. The current ISBN numbering system commenced in 1970 and has remained to date in this form. However, from 1st January 2007 ISBN’s will transition to 13 digit numbers. This is due to a dwindling supply of 10-digit numbers. Publishers will be required to recalculate all their ISBNs to accommodate the new number format in their systems, while libraries and booksellers will need to make changes in the software to support the conversion.
HOW DO I GET AN ISBN?
Each country has its own agency providing ISBNs. Usually an application and accompanying fee are submitted to obtain one. In Australia, ISBNs are available through Thorpe-Bowker for AUD69.50 for a block of 10, or AUD33.00 for a single ISBN. The process takes about five days. In New Zealand they are available from the National Library of New Zealand. I was unable to determine the price from their website. The National Library of Canada houses the Canadian ISBN Agency, while in the United States R.R. Bowker issues ISBNs for books published there. Nielsen BookData operates as the UK and Republic of Ireland ISBN Agency for those countries. For other countries, a list of ISBN Agencies is provided through the following website: www.isbn-international.org/index.html .
Ironically, a self publisher will not need all ten ISBNs issued as a block, although a single ISBN, if obtainable, is hardly cost-effective. It has been this ‘generous’ allocation of ISBNs in the past that has resulted in the current shortage, thus necessitating the introduction of the new 13-digit system. As a result, ISBN Agencies in the future will seek to issue smaller blocks of numbers. This will hopefully reduce the cost for self-publishers.
WHERE ON MY BOOK DO I PUT THE ISBN?
WHAT DOES ISBN STAND FOR?
The letters ISBN stand for International Standard Book Number. An ISBN is a 10-digit number unique to your book, and is used throughout the world in the same way. Agencies such as libraries and booksellers use ISBN’s for cataloguing, ordering and stock control. Since it needs to be published on your actual book, it must be obtained before its publication, although use of ISBNs is not compulsory. Bookshops, however, will rarely deal with a book without an ISBN.
WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?
An ISBN is usually divided into a group of four numbers, usually by hyphens, like this:
1-86252-140-9
The first group of numbers represents the country, such as 0 or 1 for English-speaking countries, 2 for French-speaking countries, 3 for German-speaking countries etc.
The second group of numbers, issued by the national ISBN agency, identifies the publisher.
The third group is the book number describing the specific title and edition.
The last digit, which will be either a single number or the letter X, is a check digit – the result of an algorithm designed to ensure the previous 9 numbers are correct.
THE HISTORY (AND FUTURE) OF ISBNs
The first book-identifying system was used by UK book and stationery chain WH Smith in 1966, and was called SBN or Standard Book Numbering. The current ISBN numbering system commenced in 1970 and has remained to date in this form. However, from 1st January 2007 ISBN’s will transition to 13 digit numbers. This is due to a dwindling supply of 10-digit numbers. Publishers will be required to recalculate all their ISBNs to accommodate the new number format in their systems, while libraries and booksellers will need to make changes in the software to support the conversion.
HOW DO I GET AN ISBN?
Each country has its own agency providing ISBNs. Usually an application and accompanying fee are submitted to obtain one. In Australia, ISBNs are available through Thorpe-Bowker for AUD69.50 for a block of 10, or AUD33.00 for a single ISBN. The process takes about five days. In New Zealand they are available from the National Library of New Zealand. I was unable to determine the price from their website. The National Library of Canada houses the Canadian ISBN Agency, while in the United States R.R. Bowker issues ISBNs for books published there. Nielsen BookData operates as the UK and Republic of Ireland ISBN Agency for those countries. For other countries, a list of ISBN Agencies is provided through the following website: www.isbn-international.org/index.html .
Ironically, a self publisher will not need all ten ISBNs issued as a block, although a single ISBN, if obtainable, is hardly cost-effective. It has been this ‘generous’ allocation of ISBNs in the past that has resulted in the current shortage, thus necessitating the introduction of the new 13-digit system. As a result, ISBN Agencies in the future will seek to issue smaller blocks of numbers. This will hopefully reduce the cost for self-publishers.
WHERE ON MY BOOK DO I PUT THE ISBN?
According to Bowker Thorpe, an ISBN “should be printed on the reverse of the title page of a book, along with copyright and publisher information. It must be printed exactly as given (with the letters ‘ISBN’ preceding it) somewhere in the publication for it to be valid.”
(http://www.thorpe.com.au/isbn/isbn_faqs.htm%20at%2010/12.05).
CONCLUSION
This article answers some basic questions surround the use of ISBNs. Many other questions about this subject can be answered by visiting the website of the ISBN Agency in your own country, particularly with regard to price, and allocations of blocks of 10.
CONCLUSION
This article answers some basic questions surround the use of ISBNs. Many other questions about this subject can be answered by visiting the website of the ISBN Agency in your own country, particularly with regard to price, and allocations of blocks of 10.
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