Indie Author Day 2023

I was thrilled to be invited as keynote speaker and panelist at the Ponte Vedra Beach Library’s celebration of Indie Author Day.

While in St. Augustine the day before, my husband and I lunched at AlA Ale Works at the end of King St. facing the bay.

Across the wide grassy square outside was The Treasury on the Plaza, where our daughter got married five years ago. We found a cute mini donut place down the street from this location. Then we strolled down Saint George St. to window shop. The weather was windy and drizzly so we headed to our hotel to huddle in for the night.

The next morning, we drove north along Rt. A1A toward Ponte Vedra Beach. This was a half hour trip along a two-lane road with occasional glimpses of the rough surf to our right. I had been craving a view of the ocean and wished we could have lingered but we didn’t have time.

The library staff were very welcoming. The room was crowded as I gave my speech talking about my career struggles and how to conquer the doubt demons that plague all authors.

A panel followed where we answered questions about self-publishing. My fellow panelists, Melody Pendlebury and Ken Overman, write in entirely different genres, so it was interesting to hear their responses. Vic DeGenti, an eminent member of Florida Writers Association, moderated.

We sat at tables next to sell and sign our books, while the Friends of the Library supplied sandwiches for lunch.

The rest of the day included a book fair with other indie authors. As I did not partake in this, we ducked out to head home. I was glad to meet the friendly library staff and so many inquisitive writers. I hope they gained what they’d come to learn.

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win two free books at Booklovers Bench in our monthly giveaway: https://bookloversbench.com/contests/win-two-free-books-nov-2023/

Self-Publishing Made Simple – Part 10

This is Part 10 in my Self-Publishing Made Simple blog series.

The Library Market

What format do libraries prefer?

Librarians responded to one author’s query stating they preferred trade paperback in large print over hardcover books, because hardcovers were heavier, more expensive, took up more space on the shelves, and were difficult to hold for older patrons. This may not be true across the board, but it’s something to keep in mind. You might want to conduct your own survey.

E-book Pricing Suggestions for Libraries
$.99 retail – $2.99 library
$3.99 retail – $7.99 library
$4.99 retail – $9.99 library

Library of Congress Control Number
Libraries use the Library of Congress number to organize their materials. This program allows them to catalog books before they’re published and to add the digital record to their computer search program.

If you have an imprint that buys ISBNs from Bowker, you can set up an account with the LOC. You cannot, as an individual, order a number for a book. You have to buy at least 10 ISBNs. Publishers must list a U.S. city as place of publication on the title or copyright page.

Apply online through the small press option at https://www.loc.gov/publish/pcn/ about two to four weeks before you go to final formatting. You’ll need to assign your ISBN number first, because LOC will ask for the title and ISBN. They email you the LOC number and how you should put it on the copyright page.

Be aware that getting a Library of Congress Control Number does not guarantee the LOC will catalog your book. If they choose not to, when a librarian plugs your number into their system, they will pull up a blank entry.

Items that are NOT eligible include works under fifty pages unless it’s children’s literature, E-books, mass market paperbacks, books that have already been published, and more. Complete list is here: https://www.loc.gov/publish/pcn/about/scope.html

Getting Your Book Into Libraries

You can help make your print book available to librarians by offering a discount through IngramSpark and by listing your book in their new release catalog. You can also offer it through Baker & Taylor at Draft2Digital. Having an LOC number is an optional choice.

See if your county or city library system accepts books by local indie authors. Some have special programs just for this purpose. Offer to give talks and participate in panel discussions to get to know your librarians. For e-books, make sure your book is available through Overdrive. See Part 6 below.

How to Reach the Library Market for Indie Authors #indiepub #indieauthors Share on X

Coming Next: Final Thoughts on Indie Publishing

Did you miss the earlier posts on my Self-Publishing Made Simple blog series? Go here to catch up:
Part 9 – How to Use IngramSpark, https://wp.me/paLXP7-4qn
Part 8 – Why Choose IngramSpark, https://wp.me/paLXP7-4qk
Part 7 – Print Book Distributors, https://wp.me/paLXP7-4qh
Part 6 – E-book Distributors, https://wp.me/paLXP7-4qf
Part 5 – Book Production for the Indie Author, https://wp.me/paLXP7-4q6
Part 4 – Buying and Assigning ISBNs, https://wp.me/paLXP7-4pO
Part 3 – Adding Front & Back Material, https://wp.me/paLXP7-4pz
Part 2 – Manuscript Preparation for the Indie Author, https://wp.me/paLXP7-4oX
Part 1 – Getting Started as an Indie Publisher, https://wp.me/paLXP7-4oQ

Librarians and Authors

Contests

Enter to win 1 of 4 signed ARCs of Hanging By A Hair in my Goodreads Giveaway: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/81598

Win a $25 gift card or 1 of 6 books, including an ARC for Hanging By A Hair, at Booklover’s Bench: http://bookloversbench.com/

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We continue with my recap of panels and workshops at SleuthFest. These are my interpretations and notes, and any misstatement is my error. Photos are viewable from my Facebook Page. Like my page, then click on Photos, Albums, and SleuthFest 2014.

Librarian/Author Mash-Up

Authors Nancy J. Cohen and Elaine Viets, Librarians Judy Buckland and Jo-Ann Glendinning; Moderated by Julie Compton

Nancy J. Cohen, Judy Buckland, Elaine Viets

Note: We will be appearing at the Lake County BookFest this week. Go here for the schedule and more information: http://www.mylakelibrary.org/festival_of_reading/default.aspx

Who do we contact at a library if authors want to set up an event? Contact the program coordinator or director of library systems. Make your desire known as an author that you want to participate.

What works well for the librarians? Connecting writers with readers. Librarians can find out what circulates where, and then match authors to those audiences. They can make sure to have a visiting author’s book in circulation. For new acquisitions, they’ll read reviews and research Baker and Taylor and Booklist.

The Lake County library system has a local authors’ day twice a year for their local and self-published authors. This may include multiple authors plus one special guest.

In schools, look for the curriculum research or media specialist. It’s tough to get in the school libraries. Or check the school volunteer programs and offer to speak.

If you want to sign at the American Library Association event, a requirement is that your publisher donates one hundred copies of your book. You can have bookmarks with your backlist titles.

What draws people in? Writing workshops. Libraries can target groups, not only aspiring writers but also historians, for example, and invite Downton Abbey fans for tea. Targeting niche audiences works well this way. The Red Hat Ladies is another group they’ve approached for an author event.

What types of promotion work for the library? Having a website, putting a magnet on their courier van, newsletters, listserves among librarians. E-books are bought from Overdrive. Problems they encounter may be publishers who limit circulation or publishers who won’t license e-books to the library.

Audio books have grown. People check them out for trips, including truck drivers. Vision-impaired patrons like them. They are downloadable through Overdrive. Large print books are a good business, too.

What do the librarians require from an author? A website, media page, short and long biography, high resolution photo with permission from the photographer, and a bibliography of their books. Authors should show up on time for programs and have a contact number to call.

If you’re an author, how do you approach a library to do an event? Has this been successful for you?

Florida Library Association

I was happy to participate in a panel discussion at the Florida Library Association Convention in Orlando recently. The evening before, local MWA members met for dinner at Hot Olives in Winter Park. Located on New England Avenue, this trendy restaurant sat us outside on their shady patio amid bamboo, lit torches, and tropical trees. I tried their famous chopped olive appetizer and ordered pecan crusted salmon while chatting with fellow MWAers. We all had a great time in a relaxed atmosphere.

MWA1 — Neil Plakcy, James Born, Julie Compton

MWA2 — Dean Murphy, Joan Bond, Gerry Wolfson-Grande, Frances Palmingiano

Early the following morning, six of us appeared at an MWA sponsored breakfast at the FLA convention. Over 150 librarians ate the sit-down meal while we introduced ourselves and answered questions from the guests. James Born, Neil Plakcy, Julie Compton, Deborah Sharp, Sharon Potts, and Moi then spoke on a panel about Florida mysteries and why we like living and writing about this vast state. We all agreed Florida has such a diverse population, ecology, and climate, not to mention kooky characters, that it’s the perfect setting for our stories.

Tag: libraries

Indie Author Day 2023

Self-Publishing Made Simple – Part 10

Librarians and Authors

Florida Library Association

Contests:

Where To Find My Books: