NetGalley is a website for people who read and recommend books. Publishers can invite contacts to view their print or digital galleys, and readers can request galleys they want to review.

Benefits for reviewers

Reviewers, bloggers, journalists, librarians, booksellers, educators, or media experts can use NetGalley for free to read and request titles before they are published. Plus, you can choose the books you want to read instead of having to wade through an unsolicited stack on your desk. You have the ease to upload the content to your ereading platform of choice.

Benefits for publishers

NetGalley links you to some very influential people as they deliver secure, digital galleys to professional readers. Plus with egalleys, you won’t have the cost of printing and mailing books to people that may or may not want your book. These readers request your book, meaning they are definitely showing an interest in your content.

Bookmasters is a proud partner of NetGalley.  If you are a reviewer, come join the other 45,000 members already on NetGalley.com and check out Bookmasters’ titles. If you are a publisher, check out our special promotion running now through the end of February.

$350
Today is the last day!
Only four spots available.
For more information regarding this unique advertising opportunity
please contact your Account Executive at 1.800.537.6727

*Note: Pricing includes 4% cash discount. Discount not available for other forms of payment.

DEADLINE: April 20, 2012

THE PRIZES:

ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER will be awarded $3,000 cash and a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City. The editors of Writer’sDigest will endorse and submit 10 copies of the Grand Prize-Winning book to major review houses. Brian Jud & Book Marketing Works, LLC will provide a one-year membership in Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), guaranteed acceptance in a special-sales catalog giving you national representation through 1800 salespeople selling to non-bookstore markets, guaranteed acceptance by AtlasBooks, a top distributor to wholesalers, chains, independents, and online retailers, A copy of Show Me About Book Publishing and consultation with Book Shepherd Judith Briles—valued at $500, and a guaranteed review in Midwest Book Review.

10 FIRST-PLACE WINNERS will receive $1000 cash and promotion in Writer’s Digest. In addition, Brian Jud & Book Marketing Works, LLC will provide a one-year membership in Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN), a guaranteed review in Midwest Book Review, a one-year membership to Book Central Station where you can find lists of suppliers rated by previous clients, and ebook  Beyond the Bookstore by Brian Jud (with CD).

Plus, all Grand Prize and First Place winners will receive promotion on the Writer’s Digest Web site at writersdigest.com, a copy of The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, 4th Edition by Tom and Marilyn Ross, $100 worth of Writer’s Digest Books and a Notable Award Certificate.

HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS will receive promotion at www.writersdigest.com, $50 worth of Writer’s Digest Books and a Notable Award Certificate.

All other entrants will receive a brief judge’s commentary and a listing with a link on the Writer’s Digest Web site, provided an accurate URL is provided.

THE CATEGORIES:

• Mainstream/Literary Fiction
• Genre Fiction
• Nonfiction
• Inspirational (Spiritual, New Age)
• Life Stories (Biographies, Autobiographies, Family Histories, Memoirs)
• Children’s/Picture books
• Middle-Grade/Young Adult books
• Reference Books (Directories, Encyclopedias, Guide Books)
• Poetry

THE RULES:

1. The competition is open to all English-language self-published books for which the authors have paid the full cost of publication, or the cost of printing has been paid for by a grant or as part of a prize.

2. You may register and pay online for faster service.

3. Entrants must send a printed and bound book. Entries will be evaluated on content, writing quality and overall quality of production and appearance. No handwritten books are accepted.

4. All books published or revised and reprinted between 2007 and 2012 are eligible. (Writer’s Digest may demand proof of eligibility of semifinalists.)

5. All books not registered online must be accompanied by an Official Entry Form. Photocopies of the Official Entry Form are acceptable. You may enter more than one book and/or more than one category; however, you must include a separate book, entry form and the additional fee for each entry.

6. Check, money order or credit card payment for the required judging fee of $100 for the first entry, $75 for each additional entry must accompany submissions.

7. All entries must be postmarked no later than April 20, 2012. All winners will be notified by October 14, 2012. If you wish to receive confirmation that your entry was received before the deadline, we recommend using certified mail or some other tracking method to send your entry.

8. Judges reserve the right to withhold prizes in any category. Judges reserve the right to recategorize entries.

9. Books which have previously won awards from Writers Digest are not eligible.

10. Employees of F+W Media, Inc. and Book Marketing Works, LLC and their immediate families are not eligible. Books published by Abbott Press are not eligible to participate.

11. Writer’s Digest is not responsible for the loss, damage or return of any books submitted to the competition.

ENTRY FEES:

First entry: $100
Additional entries: $75 each

SEND books, entry forms and fees (if applicable) TO:

Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards
8469 Blue Ash Road, Suite 100, Cincinnati, OH 45236

DEADLINE:  April 20, 2012

But this morning I watched a video of Michael Hyatt (Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers) and Jane Friedman (professor of e-media and writing at the University of Cincinnati and contributing editor at Writer’s Digest), and I really like what Jane said about the whole wearing of many hats thing.

I encourage you to watch the whole interview, but around 8:00 minutes, Hyatt asks what writers sometimes do to sabotage their careers. Jane replied that a lot of authors seem to think that they have to put on that other hat or switch gears when it comes to marketing based-activities. They feel they have to use their marketing or sales voice.

They miss the point that they are still themselves. As an author, you have to do things that match your audience and your own skills and strengths. You don’t have to turn into a marketer or a sales person, you just be you and talk about your book.

Hyatt then uses the words authenticity and transparency. I love this concept because I think a lot of people have the fear being annoying or coming across as spam, yet they feel they have to do it to promote the book.

I think back to papers I had to write in college. Coming from a small high school, where I had the same handful of teachers throughout my four years, one of the first things I had to learn to do in college was learn how to figure out what the professors wanted in the papers. I often had to change my voice to fit their expectations. But I felt that the classes that I really excelled in were the ones were I could write in my same voice. Of course I still had to follow the rules of proper grammar and good structure, but then I could freely explore my topic within those bounds.

I think it is the same way with marketing. There are some rules out there that you can follow. We often cover them in this blog or the articles we recommend on Facebook or Twitter. But you are most effective when you are still yourself within those bounds.

Remember that the hat can change, but the person under the hat stays the same. People are quick to pick up the sales pitch when it is contrived. Be yourself, and let the marketing follow.

Photo: Beto Ruiz Alonso, Creative Commons; Faith Goble, Creative Commons; brainy_bee (busy moving the hive), Creative Commons; mrbill, Creative Commons

Yet at the same time, I can’t completely ignore my natural summertime response, which is to kick back and relax, preferably with a good book. The sad truth is that as we head into the dog days of summer (what does that mean, anyway? If anyone knowns, please leave a note in the comments!), my attention span is waning.

The good news is that I’ve had some interesting projects to work on, which makes it way more fun to stay on task. We are working on some resources and promotional programs for you that I think you are really going to enjoy and find extremely useful.

So though the temperature is high, Bookmasters has been hard at work, and you will soon see the fruits of our labor (how about that for a nice teaser?)

What about you? Do you feel a bit of a summer slump coming on? What do you do to stay motivated to keep writing and/or promote your book(s)?

Photo: Schjelderup, Creative Commons

Working to get published sometimes feels like a shell game. After editing and polishing a book to get it close to perfection, an editor or agent may request that you change plot elements, character traits, even the theme of the book. Once that’s done, there’s no guarantee that your work will find a home.

For those of us whose work fits less-than-mainstream genres, it could be even harder to find a publisher who will give you a chance. The good news is that with the rise of specialty publishers and e-publishing, making your way in the book world is becoming somewhat easier. Taking the time to research publishing companies and perhaps even tailoring your work could give you a leg up on the competition.

Consider niche houses. Don’t be afraid to consider a small publisher whose focus isn’t terribly close to your own. A copy of The Writer’s Market (or a subscription to their website) can be invaluable when you’re searching for a small publishing house with a niche market. Your children’s book about Sunday school lessons might not get a second look at a larger company, but Christian and other faith-based publishing houses could make a place for you.

Get to know your target house. Small houses are often run by just a few people, so there’s a chance the editors will be open to direct contact. Look for an e-mail address and introduce yourself. Treat your e-mail like a traditional query, but there’s nothing wrong with making your message personal.

Look out for scams. It’s a hard reality to face, but not every outfit that calls itself a publishing house has your best interests at heart. Publishing houses that ask for money upfront or if they have a small/invisible editorial staff, you might want to reconsider an offer to publish your work. Researching a publishing company should help weed out most scammy-looking companies, but you still might run into a fly-by-night setup here and there.

Many of us think that once a book is written, the hard work is over. I wish that were true! Stay persistent, stay alert, and stay hopeful—all that hard work will pay off once you find the right place to publish your work.

Minni Collins is a Midwest freelance writer and copyeditor currently working on her first children’s novel. In her spare time, she enjoys reading obscure science fiction, exploring local cuisine, and connecting with other Midwest writers. 

Photo: doortoriver, Creative Commons

May is Get Caught Reading Month, a campaign promoted by the Association of American Publishers (AAP). Their website features posters of celebrities, Congresspeople, and even fictional characters reading books. Here is a bit about their mission:

“Because of research indicating that early language experience actually stimulates a child’s brain to grow and that reading to children gives them a huge advantage when they start school, we hope to encourage people of all ages to enjoy books and magazines and to share that pleasure with the young children in their lives.”

Join us this month as we celebrate how much fun reading can be. I’ll be the first to post with this picture of me reading with my son. Send pictures to blog@bookmasters.com, or post on our page on Facebook.

This is a reminder to our publishers that the deadline for the Fall selling season through AtlasBooks Distribution is February 1, 2011. New titles that have not yet been submitted to AtlasBooks must be received by February 1, 2011, or they will carry over to the Spring 2012 catalog.

Please contact your account executive at your earliest convenience to ensure that your titles will be inclu

ded in this season’s catalog.