The Only Way Is Up By Folake Taylor » blogger http://www.theonlywayisup.net Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:25:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Getting Your Self Published Book Into Bookstores: Targeting Createspace Authors http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/12/getting-your-self-published-book-into.html http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/12/getting-your-self-published-book-into.html#comments Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:17:00 +0000 Folake Taylor, MD. tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152539571456677583.post-6486656222189818761 I am back. It's been a while, on this blog anyway!

I keep getting asked this question, "How do I get my book into Bookstores?"

Just the other day, I got this email:

Hi, Can you share any info. with me on how I can get my book in stores like-Books-A-Million, Barnes-N-Noble or Christian Stores, etc? I am searching through Createspace trying to get some info. on how to in the above area.... Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

So I decided to do a post on it. I realized that because I always refer people to Author K L Brady's blog for help with this, I have never written about my own personal experience. I will today.

I published the first edition of The Only Way is Up with no knowledge of the industry essentially. I knew enough to choose the most inexpensive Print-On-Demand (POD) Publisher out there with total control of every step of the way apparently, which I later found out was a good thing. Because Createspace (CS) is owned by amazon, that earned an automatic and fast amazon.com listing as well. But the part I missed was with the ISBN. When I started to do book signings, I realized bookstores did not want to order my book from Createspace/Amazon who they considered a competitor. They wanted to order my book from Ingram or Baker and Taylor. Therein was my first problem. Thankfully, after a difficult time for the first store, the others did let me come with my books. Then, I couldn't get my book listed with a Createspace ISBN starting with 978144---. Even though CS has this affiliation with Ingram and they have the Expanded Distribution Program (EDP), it still always came up in the computers at these stores as a POD book. That was a brick wall.

1) In interacting with other POD authors, I realized I had to get my own ISBN. Please click here for my post on the ISBN and Bowker process, links, how much it costs, etc. You do not have to buy a block of ten ISBNs but for me, since I intended to also have my book in ebook formats and some of them need a separate ISBN, paying for ten ISBNs was the same as paying for 2! With your own ISBN, it is now 978???---, in my case, it was 978098---, replacing the 144 which appears to be a POD tag. You become your own publisher instead of CS. I am now Arrabon Publishing.

2) I had to get my print ready files (interior and exterior) over to Lightning Source, a subsidiary of Ingram and publish a second edition of my book through them with some upgrades. I did this in April of 2010. For those who do not have their own full Adobe creator, there is a wonderful pdf creation service by selfpub.net for only $15. LSI does not have the same a la carte services that CS has like the editing, etc. But they will serve your purpose.

3) I sent my kit over to Barnes and Noble, Borders and Booksamillion according to the instructions on K L Brady's blog, Indie Publishing on the Cheap. I found all to be accurate except for the information for Baker and Taylor. I believe there might be an updated link in the comments section if you read all the way down.

4) Because of a hitch on LSI's part in which my book was not showing up on their iPage, I had to follow up with Barnes and Noble with a phone call. That is a good rule of thumb in any situation, except when agents or other such people say expressly, do not contact them! Remember to be sweet and unassuming when you call.

5) Barnes and Noble accepted my book and ordered a trial 25 copies to start with. They also have it listed online, probably related more to the Ingram listing. The ebook listing on Nook is through Smashwords distribution.

With Borders, it was a little tricky because I had done my signings of the first edition with another ISBN. I did send them the info but there is not a contact that I could find to follow up. However, I was involved with a Book Expo America project in which I got an interested party from a Borders stores in FL. A follow up of that contact has my book in at least that one store. I probably could work the Borders link more and set up signings with the new edition. We'll see. Busy, busy. I have realized that Borders and Barnes and Noble in different parts of the country operate differently. As of when I was actively working on this, Barnes and Noble in the Atlanta area were not doing events for Indie authors but I was able to get into many Borders stores all over town. However, it was easier to get Barnes and Noble corporate to accept my book than Borders corporate who I never heard back from. I realized in the MD or DC area, it was easier to get signings at Barnes and Noble stores.

With regards to the smaller bookstores, call each one, make an appointment and follow their lead!

Booksamillion has my book listed even though I never heard back from them. And of course, good old amazon.com  always has my back for both paperback and Kindle versions of The Only Way is Up.

I still use CS to provide my books ordered from Amazon.com or directly from me because it is the cheapest per unit cost and very convenient. But Barnes and Noble orders from Ingram. So, everybody is happy.

This information is by no means exhaustive authors and do remember that Google is your best friend. There is nothing you cannot find somewhere online if you search hard enough. When I had no author friends or acquaintances, the internet was my sole source.

For more information, please visit the writer resource section of my website. Of course, you can always contact me with any questions.

PEACE.
]]> http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/12/getting-your-self-published-book-into.html/feed/ 0 Success With Borders and Barnes & Noble… http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/07/success-with-borders-and-barnes-noble.html http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/07/success-with-borders-and-barnes-noble.html#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 21:59:00 +0000 Folake Taylor, MD. tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152539571456677583.post-6196010296249521679 YES! Finally I can say I have the major bookstore chains carrying my debut book The Only Way is Up: The Journey of an Immigrant. I can safely say I am screaming on the inside!

The journey has not been without hitches and it is far from over. You were all here with me when my first edition was published in November of 2009 in it's rawest form. Then I learnt a little more about the industry and released a revised edition in April of 2010 with some updates and improvements, this time making sure to have Ingram distribution on board. Of course the devil was at work as usual and there was nothing straightforward for me about this process. I thought everything was straight but to my amazement, it was actually Barnes and Noble that alerted me to the fact that The Only Way is Up was not live on Ingram IPage as it should have been. It took another month or so to rectify that.

Finally however, today I can say The Only Way is Up is available in at least one Borders store: BORDERS # 254, 9441 West Colonial Avenue, Ocoee, FL 34761. 407-532-2269. It has also been approved by the Barnes and Noble Small Business Department. At this point, I have no information about what stores will carry my title but will update this information as soon it is available to me. If it is not available in your local Barnes and Noble or Borders, it can be ordered quite easily since it is in their system.

I am just thankful to God that even with my full time job and without a book deal, and being a first time author self publishing, I am able to achieve much progress and it just keeps getting better and better.

Of course it does not end there. It is really just the beginning and I rely on your support as always to get the message out there about The Only Way is Up, my motivational book which targets women, African Americans & immigrants and focuses on self-esteem, self-worth, success, relationships, being single, single parenthood, teenage pregnancies, diet, health, weight, nutrition, spirituality, life outside of the United States, gender roles and so much more. It focuses on many societal issues in this age which we need to address and there is no sugar-coating here. I tell it like it is. It draws a comparison between my upbringing in the UK and Nigeria and life in the United states and offers solutions that are much needed in these times.

Please visit my website http://www.theonlywayisup.net/ for more information, how to purchase etc. If you have read the book already, please do leave an amazon.com review. The electronic version on amazon Kindle as well as in different electronic formats on Smashwords is only $2.99 at present and is part of the July site-wide sale on Smashwords as well. The print version is only $11.69 on amazon.com as well currently. Links to these may be found on the Buy page of my website if you do not wish to do a search on amazon.com.

I am work in progress but I have no doubt in my mind that truly, The Only Way is Up! To find out more about the process of getting these stores to carry your self published book, please read this exhaustive blog post on Indie Publishing on the Cheap by K L Brady, an initial self published author who in one year has gone as far as selling her book to Simon and Schuster and having a two-book deal.

Hard work pays off,
Consistency pays off,
Believing in yourself definitely pays off!

For all that have supported me and continue to show love, I say thank you and God bless you. For those who didn't and who could not bring themselves to believe in me, God bless you also. God is definitely perfecting his purpose in my life and I look forward to bigger and better things as we all strive to be better humans.

PEACE.
]]> http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/07/success-with-borders-and-barnes-noble.html/feed/ 0 One Year Anniversary of the Dream of Becoming An Author http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/05/one-year-anniversary-of-dream-of.html http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/05/one-year-anniversary-of-dream-of.html#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 19:23:00 +0000 Folake Taylor, MD. tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152539571456677583.post-1543440656088552559 The Only Way is Up. It is amazing taking stock and seeing how far I have come and how much I have been blessed to be a blessing.

He took me from being a mom, a wife and an MD to being all that and also an Author. For the first time in my life, I created something, a book. (I may be an MD but I didn't create that. I just studied it...)

He took me from having influence only in my immediate vicinity to being able to reach far and wide with the message in my book.

He took me from initially formatting my whole book in word and using a very basic Createspace tool for a book cover to using Book Cover Pro and Book Wizard for my second edition.

He took me from only having contact on facebook with people I know to being facebook friends with great authors, reviewers, promoters and marketers and a whole new world of great individuals as well as a facebook fan page with close to 500 fans that is still growing and getting close to 400 hits per week. I'm even getting the hang of twitter finally!!!

He took me from talking to patients one on one in exam rooms to radio interviews that reach far and wide.

He took me from dreaming of impacting the world to starting to impact the world.

He took me from not having an avenue to physically sell my books to starting to get into bookstores.

He took me from being afraid to sell and thinking I would literally suck at selling to having great sales numbers at Book Signings.

He took me from fear of public speaking to standing in front of a store at Book Signings and pitching my book effectively.

He took me from not knowing how my work would be received to getting good reviews from the Midwest Book Review, RAWSISTAZ, APEX Reviews to name a few.

Lord, I thank you for expanding my coast. Truly, The Only Way is Up. Book deal around the corner maybe? Yes, he who has done all these is able to take me from being self published to so much more. It is only a matter of time. I am not there yet but I sure am on my way.


Folake.
]]> http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/05/one-year-anniversary-of-dream-of.html/feed/ 0 Another Successful Book Signing! http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/02/another-successful-book-signing.html http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/02/another-successful-book-signing.html#comments Sun, 07 Feb 2010 03:35:00 +0000 Folake Taylor, MD. tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152539571456677583.post-2402897754268164379 I had a wonderful day today @ Stonecrest Mall, Borders yet again. I am so thankful for my friends who showed up and all the people who were interested in my book and those who purchased it. I met so many people who are associated with one Book Club or the other and after purchasing the book, they wanted to know if I was available for discussion with their Book Club if they liked the book! It was of course another tiring day. After four hours of standing, I was not only tired but cold!!! But it was well worth it.
Thanks y'all. For more pics, please check the event portion of my website or facebook.

Folake.
]]> http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/02/another-successful-book-signing.html/feed/ 0 Book Signing Success http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/01/book-signing-success.html http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/01/book-signing-success.html#comments Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:04:00 +0000 Folake Taylor, MD. tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152539571456677583.post-51396711757811058 I am so thankful for the turn out at the book signing today. Thanks y'all! It went well and the Borders store staff said and I quote: "You blew it out the water..." Trying to arrange for a second one at another Borders and working the system till they carry my book!

I am tired though. Selling is hard work. I had to do the same spill over and over and stand for 4 hours straight. It was no joke. But the success of it made it all worth while.
To see more pictures of the event, please click here and scroll down to archived events.
Have a blessed week y'all.

Folake.
]]> http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/01/book-signing-success.html/feed/ 0 Marketing, marketing, MARKETING! http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/01/marketing-marketing-marketing_05.html http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/01/marketing-marketing-marketing_05.html#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:40:00 +0000 Folake Taylor, MD. tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152539571456677583.post-3776742708525789941 But I love this process and I feel like I am learning a new trade.
On Sunday January 10th @ 12 noon, I will have my first Book Signing Event @ BORDERS in the East Cobb area of Atlanta. (Really Marietta but still the Atlanta metro area!)
I am so pumped. God is good. If all goes well, Borders will carry my book "The Only Way is Up: The Journey of an Immigrant" eventually.
The door may not be held wide open for you but you can always find a crack in the window. I found mine and I will work it.
There is always a way!
Peace...

Folake.
]]> http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/01/marketing-marketing-marketing_05.html/feed/ 0 WELCOME! http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/01/wecome-to-my-blog-im-debut-author-so.html http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/01/wecome-to-my-blog-im-debut-author-so.html#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:38:00 +0000 Folake Taylor, MD. tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2152539571456677583.post-2483806647422057092
Folake.
FT@theonlywayisup.net
http://twitter.com/folaketaylor
http://www.theonlywayisup.net/
http://ctbradio.ning.com/profile/folaketaylor
http://www.iseecolor.com/profile/FolakeTaylor
http://www.booktour.com/author/folake_taylor
http://essenceonline.ning.com/profile/folaketaylor
http://www.bookexposure.net/profile/folaketaylor
http://motownwriters.ning.com/profile/folaketaylor
http://www.facebook.com/pages/F-Taylor/238094610556
]]> http://folaketaylor.blogspot.com/2010/01/wecome-to-my-blog-im-debut-author-so.html/feed/ 0