Category Archives: Business

Independents at what cost?

Posted on August 19, 2010 | 13 comments

Who loves Independent bookstores? I’d really like for you to take a moment after you read this note and tell the rest of what the name of your favorite Independent bookstore is and why. I’d also like you to tell us where that store is. They deserve to recognized! But before you do that, I want to share my current thoughts with you. This comes on the heels of a week of phone calls, e-mails, and one snail mail letter regarding Independent bookstores.

Okay, I’m going to speak freely and hope not to get kicked out of the industry, but I have to ask.

How are the Independent stores going to survive if many of them have taken on the attitudes of the superchains? We, authors and publishers, are constantly driving ourselves insane with ways to market, many times focusing on marketing to the Independent stores with the sole purpose of supporting them as Independents.

What the heck for?

I don’t direct this at all Independent stores, just the ones who feel the need to:

1. Forgo good customer service.

2. Refuse to do author events.

3. Treat most authors like second hand muck.

4. Refuse to think outside the box when picking books to sell.

These are just a few of the things my authors and I Have faced over the last two weeks with more than a dozen Independent stores in 4 different states.

When we call to talk to them, they are rude. We leave messages, they never return calls. We drop by with promo materials they hold them like they are infested with bacteria. (One Independent store actually dropped the materials into trashcan as author was leaving store–gosh how good that author must have felt seeing that.)

It seems to be becoming common practice to charge authors to do events? They call it co-op, but it is far worse. Two stores this week, claimed they only work with Self-published authors if–I explained we are an Independent publisher, they insist this is pretty much the same as self-publishing-um, side note: why are we consider self-pubbed (and not in a good way) because we are Independent, and yet they are Independent and are convinced they deserve to be worshipped and adored. Back to point: we pay a certain amount to be on the shelf, on consignment, they won’t order through distribution channels, we pay a higher price to be in store and mentioned in newsletter, and another twice as high price for an event. PLUS we have to give them 50% discount. Um, and this wasn’t just one store it was two in as many days. Two different states.

When did it become okay for Independent stores to look down upon other Independent businesses with total disdain. I had one author go back to a store several times. She asked who the owner was, was given a name and told she wasn’t in. Went back a few days later, asked for owner, was told by “customer service rep” wearing name badge with the same name as the owner that the owner was not in. Okay, it could have been the same name different person, but what are the chances, really?

Augie Aleksy, World's Greatest Bookseller!

And what happens to Independent stores when they refuse to bring in anything but the bestsellers and everyone already has all the best sellers? The best seller list has been known to keep the same books on it for weeks at a time.

Doesn’t this cut into potential sales when customers buy them up the first week? What do they buy the second week?

There are authors out there who are marketing their butts off to readers and doing everything right, but still can’t sell books because they want to support their Independent stores but the Independent stores won’t carry the books the readers want. Those same Independent stores get furious when we Independent pubs and authors promote the likes of Amazon. It is traitorous, they tell us and they aren’t going to support us if we do that. Problem is we do that because they won’t support us.

I ask again, why is it demanded that we support a business that refuses to support us?

And the poor readers. I often visit bookstores when I travel. I rarely tell anyone I am a publisher, I am usually visiting to buy books or just enjoy the feel of a cozy bookstore. The last ten Independent bookstores I have been in were dreadful. I was never greeted, not once in any of the ten stores. I asked for help in a couple and while the responses were varied, only ONE bookseller was willing to help me, and that wasn’t until after she finished talking to her daughter about her grandson’s upcoming birthday party—15 minutes. Glutton that I am, stayed just to see how long it would take.

Several of the stores did not have the books I was looking for and one refused to even try to get it because it was not from a real publisher. Really?

: Once Upon A Crime, Minneapolis, MN

I LOVE Independent bookstores. I used to own one, and I miss it dreadfully. But I can say with pride that even the nastiest most disgusting and rude customers were treated with respect and my staff and I did everything in our power to ensure they were satisfied, we were even nice to the creepy guy who sat in the back corner of the store reading the romance novels and making scary moaning noises. Why? Because he was a customer and after his little sit downs, he always bought books.

I beg of you Independent booksellers out there, don’t put yourselves up on pedestals and think you are better than everyone else and should be treated special. Give us the good customer service our loyalty and money earns us and let US put you up on the pedestals. If you treat us well, we will adore you.

Now, because I ask you to do it, I will tell you my favorite Independent bookstores.

First and foremost is Centuries & Sleuths in Forest Park, IL. If you’ve never met Augie Aleksy, you should make the trip. He is a delight and he loves his customers. I honestly think he is my favorite bookseller ever.

I also give huge kudos to the folks over at Olde Towne Books & Tea in Oswego, IL. These people are just plain cool.

Another store in Woodstock, IL that earns my praise is Read Between the Lynes, I’ve never been there, but have worked them repeatedly and they are nice as pie.

Ooh, and the Pat and her gang at Once Upon a Crime in Minnesota. Now, those are some nice folks who really know how to treat their customers.

Mr. Shaw who owns Books Plus in Amelia Island, FL is a doll and his store caters to their customers.

There are plenty more, but I would like to know who YOUR favorite stores are and why. Don’t they deserve your praise?

13 Comments

Posted in Blatherings, Business, Marketing, Recognition

Tagged author, authors, books, bookstores, centuries & sleuths, Echelon Press, indiebound, karen syed, Marketing, olde towne books & tea, once upon a crime, publishing, readers, reading, sales, trends, writers, Writing

Don’t be dissin’ Ellen (Hopkins)

Posted on August 18, 2010 | 4 comments

Ellen Hopkins is the latest victim in the fight to protect the young from reality. You can read the beginning of this dreadful saga at Ms. Hopkins’ blog, Censorship Bites. In a follow up post to her original, she made a request that people might contact Mr. Sconzo. I did just thats. I then decided to write my own post on this, but then I saw how many others had done that and decided to post the letter I sent Mr. Sconzo instead. So below is my response to this insanity.

Mr. Sconzo,

My name is Karen Syed and I am the president of Echelon Press Publishing based in Laurel, MD. It has recently been brought to my attention as well as the attention of the industry that you played a key role in having Ellen Hopkins removed from the appearance roster of the Teen Lit Fest. How sad I find this.

While I do not live in your area, I do not have children in your school, and I will not be attending the Lit Fest, I still feel it important that you know the possible impact your actions may have on the lives of many young readers. We live in such a peculiar society. We complain incessantly about the decreasing test scores, the rise of adult illiteracy, and the overall rise in crimes and suicides being committed by young adults. Why do you think this is? Young adults are talked down to, they are sheltered from anything that might actually help them make important decisions in their lives, and they are discouraged from thinking for themselves.

One important factor is the lack of intelligent reading materials available to engage young readers and make them want to increase their skills and allow them to become intelligent and productive adults.

Then, there is the overwhelming amount of gratuitous violence made available in the media outlets (videos, video games, even music). By disengaging young people from the opportunity to meet and be inspired by an author of Ms. Hopkins’ caliber, you have made it even more probable that they will spend the time—which might be better spent at the Lit Fest meeting Ms. Hopkins—at home glued to a televisions with a movie or a video game teaching them how to kill more effectively.

Ms. Hopkins has become an extremely sought after author with regard to speaking to and communicating with young readers. The potential positive influence a woman of this character could have on young people is invaluable to society as a whole. Ms. Hopkins takes the time to explore issues that many think are taboo for young readers. She does not glorify these issues, she puts them into perspective and allows the readers to embrace the positive potential of making better decisions. Her works are not dark and morbid, they enlighten, and more than anything they engage young readers. Isn’t this what we want for our future generations? To be engaged enough to care about something other than violence.

I have had the honor of being a co-presenter at an event with Ms. Hopkins that took place at a high school. She is not only intelligent, she is committed to the idea that her books help young readers while entertaining them. She is exactly what an event like the Lit Fest deserves to have. She is exactly who the attendees of the Lit Fest deserve to come in contact with.

It is a shame that you have chosen to censor her and her works on behalf of those you claim to be committed to. You have, in turn, probably done more harm than Ms. Hopkins and her work ever could and you have infringed on the rights of those young readers who would have benefitted from knowing her.

I sincerely hope that in the future you will actually consider the needs of your charges as opposed to the importance of your own personal opinions.

Karen Syed, President, Echelon Press LLC
Great Books. Great Price!
http://www.echelonpress.com
http://www.klsyed.com

4 Comments

Posted in Blatherings, Business, Writing

Tagged author, authors, books, burned, Echelon Press, ellen hopkins, Glass, Humble, Identical, Impulse, publishing, readers, reading, Teen Lit Fest, teen readers, teens, trends, tricks, TX Crank, young adult readers

A Word to the Wise

Posted on May 26, 2010 | 4 comments

Okay, for those of you who have recently had some kind of interaction with me or one of my staff at Echelon Press, please read this in the spirit it is intended. How is it intended? It is a gripe, not a rant. I am not angry, I am just frustrated. I don’t dislike you, but I did experience moments of annoyance with regard to you if you did what I am about to discuss.

Free editorial service. Yup, there I said it. When you submit your work to a publisher it it supposed to be the very best that it can be.

It should not need to be reformatted to fit our guidelines.
It should not need to be spell checked by our editors.
It should not need to be grammar checked by our editors.
It should not need to be rewritten to resolve major issues.
It should not need to be rewritten to resolve minor issues.
It should not need to be rainbowed (some of my auuthors call that the great was, were, that hunt)

Seriously. This is how MOST of the manuscripts we are getting have to be addressed. I understand and will accept some flaws, you are after all human. But let’s be serious folks. It is NOT an unwritten rule that you must send a fully edited manuscript to a publisher for consideration. It is written all over the place. 90% of our submissions need to be 50% overhauled.

Now, the free part. My editors are very considerate. I have always had a policy that if your work is rejected, you know exactly why. This means notes, suggestions, advice. You can take it or leave it. But I feel that it only serves to help the author better his craft. It is a courtesy.

Well, it seems that Echelon has gotten a reputation for being really easy! We have had an influx of authors who submit to us, I should say submit work that needs serious work, with the notion that we will edit it. Okay, we will HELP.

But those same authors are getting all kinds of input and help with revision suggestions, notes on grammatical and spelling errors, stuff like that BEFORE they have a contract. Okay, that stops here! Right now. From this point on, Echelon will only give editorial comments and the like on contracted materials. Why?

In the last month, we have had about a dozen submissions where a pending offer was made, the editor began working with the author, time was spent, MONEY was spent, and then when it came time to actually sign and mail the contract, the author decided to go with another publisher or in the case of five different authors, they decided to self-publish.

For pete’s sake people, you can’t make this decision BEFORE you submit and get a gander at our contract which is not for public viewing? You wanna self-publish, good for you. And I don’t mean that in a snarky way. If you are willing to make that commitment and follow through, then I applaud you. Sincerely. But do I have to pay the price?

I am, after all, a publisher, not a FREE editorial service. I have to pay my editors and when you get their work and then don’t sign the damn contract, I still have to pay them, or they quit. Are you following what I’m saying?

For those of you who fit this bill, I’m really not mad, but I am disappointed because we do put a lot of work into what we do, and when it is for nothing, that means you have taken the time we could have been devoting to someone who really did want to be published by us.

Be courteous. Is that too much to ask?