Welcome to the new and (hopefully) improved format of Ink & Paper Group’s monthly newsletter, Inside Ink. Based on your feedback from our recent survey and from other outlets, we’re going to try and keep our monthly news short but sweet. Now you’ll find brief bursts of information based on our three main areas of focus: traditional publishing, custom publishing, and classes/events. And if there are any larger articles or commentaries to share, we’ll link to them in our Misc. section. “Stet Says…” will also continue to be a regular feature.

We hope you’ll enjoy this new format, but we welcome your feedback either way. Please feel free to send your thoughts to jen.weaver-neist@inkandpapergroup.com, and thanks, as always, for your continued support of our business and its mission.

Sincerely yours,
The Ink & Paper Team

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING (a.k.a. Our Books)
We’re looking forward to the May release of three upcoming books at Ink & Paper Group, the first two being young adult fiction from Three Muses Press, and the third being a 10-year nonfiction project that’s finally come to fruition for Dame Rocket Press publisher (and editor/author), Jen Weaver-Neist. You can learn more via the following links:

• Desiderata, by Judy Ferro
  
• Morgan’s Pasture, by Wallace J. Swenson
  
• Give My Love to Everybody: Letters from a World War II Soldier, edited by Jennifer Weaver-Neist

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CUSTOM PUBLISHING (a.k.a. Your Books)
It was our sincerest pleasure to be involved with the production of two recent projects by two local authors, one being poetry and the other fiction. Keep an eye out for these self-published writers and their lovingly created pieces, which will be available for orders soon!

• Far From the Edge, by Lynn Thompson: “Thompson has chosen poems for Far from the Edge that extend the reader’s sense of his playfulness, poems that feel like friendly conversations, words meant to be shared, spoken out loud, or considered over a cup of coffee. The subject matter tweaks the seemingly mundane: daydreaming in bed, standing in line, gardening, grocery shopping, reminiscing about childhood, reflecting on growing older—the usual subjects.”
  
• Summer Snow, by Amy Warwick: “Four women. Different lives bound in ways even they cannot imagine…. There is a storm brewing in Glendale—a storm that will chill the hearts of many, a storm that will change things forever.”

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IMPORTANT NEWSFLASH: Starting in April 2009, Ink & Paper Group will be offering a $100 appreciation gift to anyone who refers a custom publishing client to us that later turns into a SIGNED contract. The gift can either be a $100 certificate to Powell’s or the cash equivalent, and it’s all yours as long as a custom book comes from the connection. Help us to help each other during these financially difficult times by passing on the word when:

• you have a freelance client who loved your editing and is now looking for a means of publishing,
• you come across a friend or colleague who works for a nonprofit that is looking for new ways of promoting its mission and/or fostering donations,
• you hear about a photography project or family story that deserves to be shared but may not have the mainstream appeal necessary to warrant a larger print run,
• you know about someone who’s given up on publishing and thinks there is no room for their book in the current economic climate,
• you know of anyone who wants to take publishing matters into their own hands but still wants a quality, professional product out of the deal.

You get the idea. We invite you to CLICK HERE to learn more about how this referral program works.

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CLASSES/EVENTS Consider signing up to benefit from these upcoming classes at the Ink & Paper Group house, and please keep our unique space in mind for your own upcoming events and/or classes. Again, we’re here to be a resource to you (and vice versa) during a time when sticking together and sharing resources couldn’t be more important.

• This Wednesday, April 8, 2009, $20 (6:30-8:00 p.m.): “Manuscript Formatting: A Quick Guide to Manuscript Preparation and Clean-up” (or “What to Know Before you Submit Your Work to a Publisher”), instructed by Linda M. Meyer
• Next Saturday, April 18, 2009, $100 (1:00-5:00 p.m.): From Write to Read: A Book Marketing and Promotion Guide for Authors, instructed by Lake Boggan
• Friday, May 1, 2009: Local Creatives Networking Event (Further details TBA)
• Saturday, May 9, 2009: Duet with Hummingbird Mother’s Day Tea (Details TBA)

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MISC. Mark your calendars for Portland’s annual Stumptown Comics Fest (April 18 & 19, 2009), where Bowler Hat Comics will have a table again this year.

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STET SAYS… This month features a quote from Morgan’s Pasture, the young adult novel due for release from Three Muses Press next month.

Starting in April 2009, Ink & Paper Group will be offering a $100 appreciation gift to anyone who refers a custom publishing client to us that later turns into a SIGNED contract. The gift can either be a $100 certificate to Powell’s or the cash equivalent, and it’s all yours as long as a custom book comes from the connection. Help us to help each other during these financially difficult times by passing on the word when:

• you have a freelance client who loved your editing and is now looking for a means of publishing,
• you come across a friend or colleague who works for a nonprofit that is looking for new ways of promoting its mission and/or fostering donations,
• you hear about a photography project or family story that deserves to be shared but may not have the mainstream appeal necessary to warrant a larger print run,
• you know about someone who’s given up on publishing and thinks there is no room for their book in the current economic climate,
• you know of anyone who wants to take publishing matters into their own hands but still wants a quality, professional product out of the deal.

There are two ways to proceed if you have someone in mind that you’d like to recommend:

1. Connect us to this person/project with a personal introduction. That way we’ll know who to thank when a project comes from the collaboration.
2. Just recommend that the potential client contacts us directly, and then make sure to remind them to mention your name as a reference. We’ll be asking how they heard about us regardless, but this provides a foot in the door for them as well.

That’s all there is to it! Once we have a signed contract and the project is successfully underway, we will happily send along our appreciation via the gift of your choice.

Please direct any questions or contacts to any one of the following:

• Cameron Marschall, Custom Book Rep: cameron.marschall@inkandpapergroup.com
• Jen Weaver-Neist, Custom Book Rep: jen.weaver-neist@inkandpapergroup.com
• Linda M. Meyer, Editor in Chief: linda.meyer@inkandpapergroup.com

Thanks so much—as always—for your support of Ink & Paper Group and its mission. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for all our friends, which makes this as much YOUR company as it is ours.

Take care and all best,
~Ink & Paper Group

So, the economy is nuts right now (though our industry is no stranger to making a dollar stretch!), and we are again reminded of how important it is to stick with our friends, joining forces and supporting one another.

Ink & Paper Group is HERE TO HELP! But we need to hear from you in order to do our best with this endeavor.

Remember, there are three main areas to our mission:

1. TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING
2. CUSTOM PUBLISHING
3. INDUSTRY CLASSES & SERVICES

Please take a moment in the next week to provide your input via this SHORT BUT SWEET eight-question survey. We’ll report the results (along with our plan) in next month’s newsletter.

Thanks so much, and take care of yourself. We’ll be in touch!
~Your Friends at Ink & Paper Group

BUZZAROONIE.COM: Now there’s a place for our people (a.k.a. “booklovers”) to gather and share the latest information from our industry (especially if you’re in Portland). Yes, it’s the hip new way to stay connected via our own cool site (move over Facebook!), and we have our friends at KenArnoldBooks to thank for this brainchild. Check it out and get involved! We are our own best fans and supporters.

MOLALLA WRITER’S FAIRE: In January, our editor-in-chief, Linda Meyer, participated again in this annual event, teaching a workshop on preparing your manuscript for an editor, which also included some helpful pre-publication tips. Read more here: http://inkandpapergroup.com/2009/02/after-the-faire/.

BIBILOTHERAPY: An article about books as healing tools: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/jan/05/fiction.scienceandnature

MOCKUMENTARY ON HOW BOOKS ARE MADE: http://isbw.murlafferty.com/2009/01/13/how-a-book-is-made-totally-true/

PUBLISHER BO BJÖRN JOHNSON GETS PUBLISHED IN FOUR AND TWENTY: Last month, our very own Bowler Hat Comics publisher was published himself in this fabulous short form poetry journal. Check out this issue and others here: http://4and20poetry.com/past-issues/.

By guest writer/editor Rosie McKinlay

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for book lovers. With only a few days between the Publisher’s Association of the West (PubWest) conference last week and Wordstock Festival the previous weekend, our city has been a frenzy of reading material since the month began, even more so than usual.

“What are you doing this weekend?”

“Oh, I’m going to be a panelist at the PubWest Conference.”

2008’s PubWest conference was held at the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel, which was temporary home for publishers from all over the country. For the last session of this year’s conference, publisher Gibbs Smith hosted a question and answer session with college and high school–aged students about our reading habits, our likes and dislikes, and our thoughts on new wordy technological advances (the Kindle™ reading device was a hot topic.) How special did I feel to have this honor? Extremely. With a name tag and a microphone, I felt at one with the publishing world. And though the sound of my own voice magnified across the Pacific Northwest Ballroom was alarming, I felt surprisingly comfortable. The audience was welcoming, and it was fun to offer my/our brains for the picking. And then they fed us!

For an aspiring editor, the networking opportunities were bountiful, and I hope to attend the conference next year.

If you went to Wordstock Festival 2008, there’s a good chance you left in a state of literary bliss with a bag full of McSweeney’s magazines, small press business cards, and clever bookmarks (book dart, anyone?). The great thing about Wordstock is the sheer volume you are exposed to. Plop down at any stage at any time and you can’t avoid enlightenment. Wander the rows of booths and become a publication expert in a matter of hours. I volunteered on the Author Team this year and was blessed with the opportunity to escort the likes of John Hodgeman and Jonathan Coulton from the VIP room to the Powell’s Stage.

Volunteering is a fantastic way to really feel the festival, to understand how much work goes into it and how important an event like this is. I recommend it for Wordstock 2009. There is a variety of jobs that get you inside all aspects of Wordstock—from the information booth to the sound booth. Whether you wish to hobnob with the authors themselves or just to discover one who will become a favorite, Wordstock has something for everyone. A good time for all or your (mere) five dollars back.

The bookworms of Portland have gone home to read for now, but isn’t it lovely to live in a city that houses events like Wordstock and the PubWest conference? And isn’t it nice to know that the book, in whatever form, is alive and well?

As much as we believe in exploring new ways to spread the written/published word, we still believe in the effectiveness of some good, old-fashioned, voluntary feedback. A little communication can go a long way toward achieving desirable results for all, and we intend to offer just that to the hard-working planners of Wordstock. In fact, we want to get a direct response from them in our next newsletter in a few weeks.

In the meantime, we invite you to do your part by participating in this short, 8-question survey about your Wordstock experience. Consider it the first step in getting to know each other while contributing to a good cause—the spread of book love and peace and maybe even dibs on those cool lil’ Wordstock buttons next year! Just click on the link below, and follow the directions.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228JU2X8NRX

Thanks for your extra efforts (in advance), and please stay tuned for the results in our next newsletter.

By Jen Weaver-Neist

So, you’re down to the wire with getting your Wordstock booth and/or networking materials in order, but you’ve been so darn busy, right? There’s always something that requires our attention in this business, and many of us are quite familiar with wearing a variety of publishing hats. Yes, I could start my local shopping plug with area chiropractors and massage therapists, who’d make a sweet living on treating us for the pain and strain of these hats on our spines—maybe even as much as costume companies made on Governor Palin costumes this Halloween!

There’s no need to fear or to feel badly, as now is the perfect opportunity for you to branch out into the local neighborhood to tap those friendly resources just down the street. (We’ve talked about the benefits of this before!) With the economy being what it is, and with many of our jobs employing laborers overseas, you can consider this a bailout package that actually supports the local marketplace while spreading the goodwill of days gone by. After all, Portland’s Joe the Printer needs to eat, too!

Just last week, I connected with a digital printing company that is literally 300 steps away from our offices (150 if chased). Precision Digital Printing offers a quick turnaround and a witty staff (just ask for Derek), in addition to affordable, quality printing. You can get 250 (4 over 4) business cards very reasonably priced, and 200 (4 over 1) postcards are just as cost effective (you have to call them directly if you wish to end the suspense with actual prices: 503.542.4433). If you want proofs, it’s a little extra, but that’s not too shabby! Derek just asks that you kindly remember that there are some limitations with digital versus offset. For instance, with the machines being fed single sheets of paper instead of being fed from a roll, there can be some shifting during printing and trimming. Slight shift or not, for a turnaround of 24 to 48 hours on a dime, how can you go wrong?

And here’s another deal we just learned about. Phoenix Media, also in SE Portland, is running a November special that will make your day. For five nonperishable food items (to be donated to Oregon Food Bank), they will print 250 full-color, one-sided business cards FREE! If you can live with one side of info, this is both a winning deal as well as a worthwhile cause.

Banners and foam core signs are two large-scale perks that can draw booth traffic like a new Krispy Kreme location on opening day, and you still have time for getting one of these through local companies like Signs By Tomorrow (yet another neighborhood resource near Ink & Paper Group). Again, the turnaround is 24 to 48 hours, and the price is right (prices vary with size). As long as you allow at least 24 hours for adequate drying, you’re set!

Growing up in a small town, I learned the benefits of local business in comparison to those of chain stores and convenient Internet resources. I’ve also witnessed the loss of local character and the boarding up of downtown stores as residents flocked to the “low, low prices” of the new superstore in what was Joe the Farmer’s cornfield. And while I support a global economy, I still believe in the ripple effect of a strong local economy. (OK. Using that Krispy Kreme reference earlier was hypocritical, and even though I admit to enjoying the southern-born Krispy Kreme doughnut on occasion, I refuse to savor more than 90 percent of it on principle.)

In conclusion, whether it’s Wordstock or any other occasion that requires outside resources, I invite you to first consider the old-fashioned investment of shopping locally. It’s convenient, environmentally friendly, neighborly, and probably more hygienic (results may vary). If nothing else, it’s yet another chance for you to “accidentally” leave one of your books in a public (nonreturnable sales) place, and for that, I’ll head for the reliable shop next door anytime!

We look forward to seeing you this weekend at PDX’s annual book festival! Wordstock hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both Saturday (11/8) and Sunday (11/9) at the Portland Convention Center, and you can find us at booth #353. The entrance fee is only $5, and there will be plenty to do once you arrive. Go to the Wordstock website for a complete listing of events. In the meantime, here are the top five reasons for stopping by to see us!

1. BIKE GIVEAWAY: For those already on our newsletter mailing list and for those yet to sign up, we invite you to come by to drop off your business card and enter to win a *NEW* step-through, 20″ Trek 7100 ($300+ value), which is no longer available in this size or in these colors. There are only two items to note: (1) you must stop by to enter the drawing, even if you’re already on our mailing list, and (2) you will have to pay a local bicycle shop to properly adjust the bike before it is ready to ride. We will announce the winner in the next issue of Inside Ink.

2. PREMIERE OF I&PG CUSTOM BOOKS: It’s official! We’re ready to properly introduce our custom publishing program for nonprofits, businesses, and individuals. Our Partnership Books division for nonprofits is of particular importance to us, as we wish to share our publishing knowledge for the betterment of the community in the form of a classic, 24/7 advocate—a book!

3. HATE MAIL IS BURSTING ITS EFFIN’ COVERS: The ever-popular Jean Luc the Cat has been on the prowl for more places to leave his signature mark, landing one more insult just in time for Wordstock. Come to see him and his new American Apparel t-shirts, which will be selling at a festival special of $15 (normally priced $16.95).

4. COOL BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS: Our diverse family of books will be present and available for sale at friendly festival discounts. You’ve heard about all of them before, but here are a few links to familiarize yourself again: Kid Beowulf and the Blood-Bound Oath, Visibility, Keeper of Secrets, nothing but squares, and Hate Mail. We’ll also be offering a sneak peak at what’s coming in December.

5. WE’RE A UNIQUE & FUN CROWD: Distinctive imprints + varied personalities (much like those of the Spice Girls [you can decide who's who]) + a captive audience = a booth worth visiting. Come experience the Ink & Paper phenomenon for yourself! We promise not to disappoint.

By guest writer/editor Rosie McKinlay

We’ve all been waiting for November 4. This year’s campaign has been a stressful one, regardless of who your choice presidential hopeful is. And as the tension rises, there seems to be an unspoken sense of exhausting tedium. Now that the end result is mostly out of our hands (but if you haven’t mailed your ballot yet, get it to the closest drop box this instant!) and the politician-endorsed TV ads are really starting to grate, why not take a deep breath and get a literary perspective on the matter? There are several biographies in the works and already on the market, among them a few of the independent persuasion.

To start, let’s talk Palin. Despite how you may feel about her policies and views, I think everyone can admit she’s intriguing. To keep up with her sudden appearance on the campaign trail, Zondervan, a division of Harper Collins, published a book written in just three weeks, Sarah Palin: A New Kind of Leader. Portland’s own KenArnold Books recently released a satirical e-book called The Palin Prophecies: Apolcalypstic Now!, written by fictional author Brent Mooseburger. Also on the local front, the Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company managed to get an additional 40,000 copies of Kaylene Johnson’s Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned the Political Establishment Upside Down on the market. The book was originally published last spring, before Palin was announced as McCain’s vice presidential candidate.

Of the candidates and their running mates, Joe Biden has spent the least time in the spotlight. This appears to be the case for published works by and about him as well, despite his long career in politics. His book, Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics (Random House) is worth having a look at. There is also a biography available through Amazon Digital Services called, Joseph Biden: From Scranton to Wilmington.

John McCain’s autobiography, Faith From My Fathers: A Family Memoir (Harper) is said to be chock full of well-written tales of the republican’s life—you may know some of them already if you watched the debates. If you’re into graphic novels, Badger Comics has released one about McCain called Presidential Material: John McCain by Andy Helfer.

As you may know, Barack Obama is no stranger to the written word. Some of his published works include Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (Crown), The Audacity of Hope (Vintage), and Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama’s Plan to Renew America’s Promise (Three Rivers Press). Author Bob Kuttner recently wrote a book, Obama’s Challenge: America’s Economic Crisis and the Power of Transformative Policy, which was picked up by Chelsea Green Publishing, an independent company. It is available on Amazon as a print-on-demand book. In a recent online article for The American Prospect: Liberal Intelligence, Kuttner explains his reasoning for going indie: “As an independent, [Chelsea Green] is lighter on its feet, and could turn this book around very fast.”

So turn off the news, get away from the negative slanderous muck, and get to know the candidates and their running mates by way of one of these titles. After all, they’re just people too. And perhaps, on Tuesday evening, as the ballots are counted, you can accept the results with a sense of knowing calm.

By guest writer Mary Artz

Noah Brockman, a business advisor at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted by Portland Community College, stopped by Inside Ink this week to lend his virtual shoulder to cry on, to spread his wealth of wisdom, and to toss a proverbial life preserver to you and your indie publishing business during these unpredictable times.

He cites these Top 5 (recent) Concerns of Small Businesses:

1. Decreased revenues compared to last year at this time. Solution: Increase sales, lower operating expenses, or increase gross profit margins. Suggestion: Ask yourself, “How can I make my company more efficient?” Cut costs on book shipping and warehousing—scrutinize your operation logistics. Work with authors who have a budget, start-up $$$, and/or their own marketing and promotional plans. Often, authors already have relationships within their book’s niche. Research and develop this market to enhance your product’s worth.
2. How do I drive sales? You may feel as though your product has tapped the market domestically, so develop a foreign rights plan. Consider cross promotion; it’s a great way to split the bill. Send your book (but not yourself) to valuable trade shows via the Independent Book Publisher’s Association.
3. As existing sales slow, people start considering, “What else can I sell or produce?” Before choosing new products or services, perfect what you already have and leverage existing products. Perhaps you could convert some of your titles into audio books or e-books. Hone in on your specific market; concentrate your energy and monies there. Consider marketing to libraries or marketing your book as a textbook. Get creative about reaching professors and the academic market. Look for ways to differentiate your book from the competition. Apply for awards! They’re a great addition to any press release. Optimize meta-data (tags), and visit bowkerlink.com and booksinprint.com. Do an audit of what your books look like and enhance them. This will allow book buyers to find your product more easily. Consider Seth Godin’s book Purple Cow, where he advises small business owners to put their marketing budget into product development; push yourself to make an exceptional product.
4. Access to capital (bank loans, lines of credit). See #1 and tighten those bootstraps. Cut excess costs, and work with what you have.
5. Fear: don’t let it overrule you. Prevent yourself from being consumed by the fear of global economic crisis. Right now, information about our tumbling economic crisis is proliferating across the media. Fear sells newspapers and makes ominous sound bites for the evening news. Focus on managing a responsible business within its means and, as Tim Ferriss suggests in his book 4-Hour Work Week, “practice a low-information diet and unplug from CNN.” Shift spending from wants to needs. Perhaps consider less hardcover copies and more paperbacks.

You can survive this! Just remember to stay focused and to stay the course. And if you need further assistance or information, please call or visit one of Oregon’s nineteen Small Business Development Centers. The SBDC provides many pro bono services, including one-on-one business counseling. You can contact the PCC branch at 503.978.5000.

Noah Brockman holds an MBA from the University of Portland’s Pamplin School of Business, and, in addition to being an SBDC Business Advisor, he owns and operates PointMan Consulting, LLC.

© 2008 Mary Artz