Phooey!
Just heard back from the small press dept. at Barnes & Noble... a form letter rejection saying they won't stock the book because it's self-published POD. Boy, now I know that most self-pubbers really don't have a chance at national stocking-- if OSC and Wil Wheaton on the cover didn't do it, not to mention that it's a charity anthology and I did a bang-up job on the media kit...
Sigh. I was really proud of that media kit! I enclosed copies of every review and article I could find, plus... well, I'll show you. Pardon the formatting, which I'm sure will screw up:
Dear Ms. Smith:
I’m writing to request that you consider stocking the book Stories of Strength.
I am the author (and ghostwriter) of many books, most recently the authorized biography Celine Dion: For Keeps (just released by Andrews McMeel). I’m also the editor of the largest online magazine for writers: AbsoluteWrite.com (75,000 weekly subscribers).
This book is a charity project put together by more than 100 writers—some new, some “celebrity” authors such as bestselling science fiction author Orson Scott Card and actor/author Wil Wheaton (Stand By Me, Star Trek). All of the writers’ royalties and the printer’s profits are to be donated to disaster relief charities: the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Americares, and Operation USA.
It’s a compilation of essays, short fiction, and poetry about the various facets of strength.
Support for this book is outrageous. Before the book was even released, I began getting phone calls from reporters. Now it’s non-stop—from all over the US, Canada, and the UK so far.
I understand and recognize the reasons B&N typically does not stock print-on-demand titles, which this one is (it’s printed by Lulu). However, this isn’t your ordinary print-on-demand title. I chose to self-publish rather than go through my usual publishers (which include McGraw Hill, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Putnam, etc.) because of the timeliness of this project. This book is meant to help survivors of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita; therefore, I chose not to wait a year or more to see it in print. As you can see, with the help of nine volunteer editors, we managed to produce this book two months after the first hurricane.
Our goal is to raise at least $100,000 for disaster relief charities. Until now, the book has been available only online (today, I heard from about ten bookstore managers who will be stocking the book—Ingram just listed it), and we’ve already raised more than $2200 and sold 500 books online in two weeks. We could make such a bigger difference if Barnes & Noble would choose to stock this book.
Along with a copy of the book, I’m enclosing a press release, publicity details, pertinent book specs, and a few of our recent reviews.
I know I’m asking to be an exception to the rule. But this title is worth it.
Please help us prove what a grassroots effort can do. We won’t let you down.
Regards,
Jenna Glatzer
Publicity Details
All the following either have already run or are guaranteed to run.
Television Segments About Stories of Strength
Radio Shows
Magazine and Newspaper Articles and Reviews
Online
In addition, we have our own website, www.storiesofstrength.com, where we keep tally of how much money has been raised and our progress on the book. We also have a forum on AbsoluteWrite.com.
The Absolute Write Newsletter reaches 75,000 writers and editors every week, and the book will be continually promoted there.
Planned Publicity
Unlike most other print-on-demand projects, we do have a budget for review copies and promotional material.
We’re currently sending copies to national newspapers and television shows.
Jenna has previously appeared on Lifetime Television, NBC, News Channel 12 on Long Island, and has been featured in Parade Magazine, Woman’s World, Writer’s Digest, and several other publications. Her books have been featured on Access Hollywood, The View, Billboard.com, and elsewhere. She has also written for more than 100 magazines (such as Women’s Health & Fitness, Woman’s Own, Physical, and Prevention). She will use these contacts to pitch Stories of Strength coverage.
The writers are each doing their parts to publicize the book in their local areas.
We’ve set up a promotional material page at
www.storiesofstrength.com/how-you-can-help where writers (and readers!) can download bookmarks, posters, fliers, and graphics for websites. Some local printing companies have donated printing services for these promotional materials, as well. Writers are visiting their local libraries, supermarkets, bookstores, hotels, etc. to drop off posters, fliers, and bookmarks.
Many of the writers have their own websites, newsletters, or blogs, and will feature the book and its progress.
Legendary musician Jose Feliciano, acclaimed by critics throughout the world as “the greatest living guitarist” (see www.josefeliciano.com) has just read the book and offered to endorse it and help us “in any way we can imagine.” We will ask him to write an endorsement, put the link on his website, and possibly co-promote it with his latest album.
Actor Wil Wheaton has also offered to participate in the marketing efforts.
We will hold a large book signing/party on Long Island for a number of the authors in the spring (date and location TBA, but we’re hoping to hold it at a local Barnes & Noble store).
The Red Cross plans to hold a press conference with three of the writers in the Ohio, and will feature the book on their website.
Jenna will pitch articles to several women’s and general interest magazines, as well as Costco Connection (several writers are Costco members) and alumni magazines.
Reasons to Stock Stories of Strength
Just heard back from the small press dept. at Barnes & Noble... a form letter rejection saying they won't stock the book because it's self-published POD. Boy, now I know that most self-pubbers really don't have a chance at national stocking-- if OSC and Wil Wheaton on the cover didn't do it, not to mention that it's a charity anthology and I did a bang-up job on the media kit...
Sigh. I was really proud of that media kit! I enclosed copies of every review and article I could find, plus... well, I'll show you. Pardon the formatting, which I'm sure will screw up:
Dear Ms. Smith:
I’m writing to request that you consider stocking the book Stories of Strength.
I am the author (and ghostwriter) of many books, most recently the authorized biography Celine Dion: For Keeps (just released by Andrews McMeel). I’m also the editor of the largest online magazine for writers: AbsoluteWrite.com (75,000 weekly subscribers).
This book is a charity project put together by more than 100 writers—some new, some “celebrity” authors such as bestselling science fiction author Orson Scott Card and actor/author Wil Wheaton (Stand By Me, Star Trek). All of the writers’ royalties and the printer’s profits are to be donated to disaster relief charities: the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Americares, and Operation USA.
It’s a compilation of essays, short fiction, and poetry about the various facets of strength.
Support for this book is outrageous. Before the book was even released, I began getting phone calls from reporters. Now it’s non-stop—from all over the US, Canada, and the UK so far.
I understand and recognize the reasons B&N typically does not stock print-on-demand titles, which this one is (it’s printed by Lulu). However, this isn’t your ordinary print-on-demand title. I chose to self-publish rather than go through my usual publishers (which include McGraw Hill, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Putnam, etc.) because of the timeliness of this project. This book is meant to help survivors of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita; therefore, I chose not to wait a year or more to see it in print. As you can see, with the help of nine volunteer editors, we managed to produce this book two months after the first hurricane.
Our goal is to raise at least $100,000 for disaster relief charities. Until now, the book has been available only online (today, I heard from about ten bookstore managers who will be stocking the book—Ingram just listed it), and we’ve already raised more than $2200 and sold 500 books online in two weeks. We could make such a bigger difference if Barnes & Noble would choose to stock this book.
Along with a copy of the book, I’m enclosing a press release, publicity details, pertinent book specs, and a few of our recent reviews.
I know I’m asking to be an exception to the rule. But this title is worth it.
Please help us prove what a grassroots effort can do. We won’t let you down.
Regards,
Jenna Glatzer
Publicity Details
All the following either have already run or are guaranteed to run.
Television Segments About Stories of Strength
- CFCN Television, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, "News At Noon." December 8
- Rogers Daytime Television, Southwestern Ontario, December 2
- NTV News, St. John’s, NL, Canada (date TBA)
- WDBJ-7 in Roanoke, VA (date TBA)
Radio Shows
- NPR affiliate KCLU 88.3 in Ventura County & 102.3 in Santa Barbara County, CA, Nov. 12 (Beyond Books)
- 590 VOCM Radio in St. John’s, NL, Canada, November 10 (morning drive show)
- WAMD in Aberdeen, MD, Nov. 15 (morning drive show)
- WAIF-FM in Cincinnati, OH, November 18
- WBAZ 102.5 in Long Island, NY, November 15 (morning drive show)
- WOLT-FM 103.3 in Greenville, SC, November 9 and 10 ("Awake with Drake")
- Soft Rock 98.9 in Fresno, CA, November 21 (morning drive show)
- WBAL in Maryland is planning a segment on Stories of Strength
Magazine and Newspaper Articles and Reviews
- Front-page article in Plano Star Courier
- The Logan Banner, date TBA (front page article)
- Fresno Bee, date TBA (article)
- Porterville Recorder, November 16 (article)
- Banff Crag & Canyon: article will be timed to coincide with SoS availability in local stores
- Canmore Leader: article will be timed to coincide with SoS availability in local stores
- The Southeast Missourian, November 14 (article)
- The Guelph Mercury, November 12 (article)
- The Marietta Times, November 7 (article)
- The Carroll County Times, November 2 (article)
- Toronto Sun (planning a review)
- St. Louis Post Dispatch (planning an article)
- Lancashire Evening Post, November 8 (article)
- Coal Valley News (planning an article)
- Birmingham Christian Family (planning a review)
- Telegraph Forum, November 12 (article)
- Journal Community Publications: One of our writers works for this company, which owns and publishes community newspapers all over the country. He has been allowed to circulate a memo to all member newspapers, and will be instrumental in gaining coverage in potentially dozens of newspapers.
- The Kemptville Advance, November 23 (article)
- Bookmarks Magazine will run a free 1/6th-page ad for Stories of Strength in their next issue.
Online
- Blogcritics.org will review the book
- POD-dy Mouth (girlondemand.blogspot.com) has reviewed and endorsed the book
- IVillage.com will review the book
- Scalzi.com (immensely popular blog) will review the book
- Alibris.com has promised to promote the book
- CompulsiveReader.com has reviewed the book
- Beyond Understanding (www.sustenancescout.blogspot.com) has endorsed the book
- The Internet Writing Journal has endorsed the book
- Ebook-Reviews.net will review the book
- Rosannecatalano.net has run our press release
- Huntress Reviews will review the book
- SahmIAm.com will review the book
- Apollos Lyre will review the book
- CurledUp.com will review the book
- MyShelf.com will review the book
- TheWritersLife.net will review the book
- Lulu.com will feature the book on their main page
- Diaryofamother.blogs.com has run an announcement about the book
- North Texas E-News has run an article about the book (November 5)
- Eyesofasecret.com has run an announcement about the book
- Writing Wide has run an announcement about the book
- Along the River has run an announcement about the book
- Planet SARK has run an announcement about the book
- BradyMagazine.com has run an announcement about the book
- Bethkujawski.blogspot.com has reviewed the book
- Sandstormauthor.blogspot.com has run our press release
- Dawnonowyouseeit.blogspot.com has run an announcement about the book
- Blogher.com has run an announcement and plans to run a review of the book
- DotComWomen has run an announcement about the book in their newsletter (4200 subscribers), November 14
- The Society of Professional Journalists included an announcement about the book in their newsletter (10,000 subscribers), November 17
- Canada Authors Association will feature an article about the book
In addition, we have our own website, www.storiesofstrength.com, where we keep tally of how much money has been raised and our progress on the book. We also have a forum on AbsoluteWrite.com.
The Absolute Write Newsletter reaches 75,000 writers and editors every week, and the book will be continually promoted there.
Planned Publicity
Unlike most other print-on-demand projects, we do have a budget for review copies and promotional material.
We’re currently sending copies to national newspapers and television shows.
Jenna has previously appeared on Lifetime Television, NBC, News Channel 12 on Long Island, and has been featured in Parade Magazine, Woman’s World, Writer’s Digest, and several other publications. Her books have been featured on Access Hollywood, The View, Billboard.com, and elsewhere. She has also written for more than 100 magazines (such as Women’s Health & Fitness, Woman’s Own, Physical, and Prevention). She will use these contacts to pitch Stories of Strength coverage.
The writers are each doing their parts to publicize the book in their local areas.
We’ve set up a promotional material page at
www.storiesofstrength.com/how-you-can-help where writers (and readers!) can download bookmarks, posters, fliers, and graphics for websites. Some local printing companies have donated printing services for these promotional materials, as well. Writers are visiting their local libraries, supermarkets, bookstores, hotels, etc. to drop off posters, fliers, and bookmarks.
Many of the writers have their own websites, newsletters, or blogs, and will feature the book and its progress.
Legendary musician Jose Feliciano, acclaimed by critics throughout the world as “the greatest living guitarist” (see www.josefeliciano.com) has just read the book and offered to endorse it and help us “in any way we can imagine.” We will ask him to write an endorsement, put the link on his website, and possibly co-promote it with his latest album.
Actor Wil Wheaton has also offered to participate in the marketing efforts.
We will hold a large book signing/party on Long Island for a number of the authors in the spring (date and location TBA, but we’re hoping to hold it at a local Barnes & Noble store).
The Red Cross plans to hold a press conference with three of the writers in the Ohio, and will feature the book on their website.
Jenna will pitch articles to several women’s and general interest magazines, as well as Costco Connection (several writers are Costco members) and alumni magazines.
Reasons to Stock Stories of Strength
- It’s for an excellent cause.
- It’s professionally edited.
- Reviews are fantastic.
- We’re already receiving coverage all over the US, Canada, and the UK, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of our marketing efforts.
- It has the appeal of a Chicken Soup for the Soul book, but is “grittier” (not all simple, happy endings), and contains fiction and poetry as well as essays.
- Many well-known authors contributed to the book.
- At least one celebrity is endorsing the book.
- We’ll praise Barnes & Noble to the sky and include you in our press releases.
- Numerous authors are happy to do local signings and talks.
- It has a reasonable price point and well-designed cover.
- It has the marketing power of 100+ writers behind it.
- Have we mentioned it’s for an excellent cause?