Becoming an Author The Book Climate in Jamaica & the Diaspora Kellie Magnus September 10, 2011 • • • • • • • • • About Me and BIAJ First Step Traditional vs Self Publishing Traditional Publishing Economics and Roles Publishing in Jamaica The Diaspora Market Getting Published and Self-Published Challenges Opportunities 2 About Me • • • • • Booklover Writer Publisher BIAJ Publishing Director CAPNET Council Member Coordinator, Children’s Sector 3 My Books 4 Nancy Anancy Caribbean Stories for Children of the World 5 About BIAJ • Umbrella trade association • Authors, publishers, distributors, retailers, support services • Lobby group: tax, incentives • Collective promotions/sales opportunities • Training, networking, mentoring Web: Facebook: Twitter: • • • • • • • Shanghai 2010 Biennial BIAJ Book Awards Kingston Book Festival 2012 Booksellers’ Trade Show Anancy Festival 2011 JAPEX 2011 BookJAM bookindustryja.com Book Industry Association of Jamaica; BIAJ Jamaica @bookindustryja 6 First Step: Become a Good Writer • • • • • • • • Read, read, read Write, write, write Master the language Master your genre Polish your manuscript Get feedback Repeat, repeat, repeat Then try to get published 7 Writing is an art. Publishing is a business. 8 Publishing vs Self Publishing Traditional Publishing • Low risk, variable reward • Access to required skills • Author focuses on core competence: writing Self Publishing • High risk, high reward • Author plays all roles • Resource intensive 4Rs: RISK | RESOURCES | RESPONSIBILITIES I REWARD 9 Traditional Publishing Roles WRITER • Develop concept • Research • Writing • Marketing • Promotions PUBLISHER DISTRIBUTOR • Refine concept • Place books in • Feasibility relevant retail • Illustration outlets • Book design • Manage • Editorial support inventory inc proofreading • Manage retailer and editing relationships • Legal • Administrative • Printing & Production • Marketing & Promotions MARKETER RETAILER READER • Market books to • Sell books target audiences • Interface with • Advertising customer campaigns 10 Traditional Publishing Economics Major Expenses Revenue WRITER PUBLISHER DISTRIBUTOR MARKETER RETAILER • Advance • 5% - 10% of net receipts • 50% of retail price • 50% of retail price – shared with retailer • Flat fees or commission paid by publisher • 25% - 30% of retail price • Research • Investment of time and talent • Editorial • Research • Illustration • Design • Printing • Legal • Administrative • Marketing • Inventory management • Human Resources • Overhead • HR • Overhead • Inventory management • Marketing* • Transportation of titles • Management of unsolds • HR • Overhead • Ad campaigns • Promotions • HR • Overhead • In-house/ external promotions • HR • Overhead 11 Publishing in Jamaica • Press and Literature sector: J$3.1 billion (US$49.5 million)* • Small, fragmented/concentrated at the top: <12 publishers with a catalog of more than 12 titles • Bigger publishers (e.g. Ian Randle, Carlong, UWI Press) max annual output of 25 titles) • 3-5 formal distributors; limited regional and int’l distribution • 2,500+ retail outlets for print books: bookstores, pharmacies, supermarkets • Increasing output: 150+ ISBNs per year issued by National Library of Jamaica • Rise of the self-publishers: dominate ISBN recipients; quality improving (2 self publishers beat traditional publishers in last BIAJ awards) *2008 WIPO Study 12 Publishing in Jamaica • Dominated by textbooks: >80% of book sales and industry earnings – MoE is dominant buyer; 50,000 students per age cohort • Dominated by foreign books, though Jamaican/Caribbean books gaining in popularity and are top sellers in local bookstores • Bestselling adult fiction/poetry*: top 10 are Jamaican • Bestselling adult non-fiction: 9/10 are Jamaican • Bestselling children’s paperbacks: top 10 are Caribbean (9 by Jamaican authors) • Bestselling children’s picturebooks: top 10 are Caribbean (5 by Jamaican authors) • Small market: “bestseller” – 1,000 to 2,000 copies per year • Price-sensitive market: average prices for local titles -- $500 to $2,500 (bestsellers: $1,200 - $1,500) *All quoted sales figures are Aug 2011 13 Jamaican Publishers • • • • • • • • • • • • Arawak Publishers Bala Press Carlong Publishers Great House Omnimedia Ian Randle Publishers Institute of Jamaica Jackmandora Jamaica Publishing House Jamrite LMH Publishing Mid-Island Publishers* Miller Publishing • • • • • • • • • The Mill Press Pelican Publishers Planning Institute of Jamaica Polar Bear Reggae Pickney SALISES SunZone Twin Guinep University of the West Indies Press 14 The Diaspora Market • • • • • US publishing industry: $30 billion: 2,500+ pubs UK publishing industry: £3 billion, 2,500+ pubs Size of diaspora market (>1m Jamaicans in US alone) Trends: consolidation, retail failure, rise of e-books Handful of publishers with Caribbean focus: – MacMillan Caribbean (UK) – Pearson (UK) [Heinemann, Longman Caribbean Writers Series] – Peepal Tree Press (UK) – Akashic Books(US) • Limited distribution: e.g. A&B (US), IPG (US), Promoting Our Heritage (UK), Caribbean Book Distributors (US), Novelty Trading (US) 15 The Diaspora Market • Network of specialty retail outlets: – Caribbean/African American bookstores – Other retail Caribbean stores • Specialty promotional/marketing/sales opportunities: – Consular, community, alumni and diaspora association events – Targeted Caribbean media: radio, TV, print, internet • Cross-over to mainstream market: – Academic market (e.g. materials for diversity curricula) – Libraries – Interest in Jamaican/Caribbean fiction and non-fiction 16 Getting Published • • • • Answer calls for submissions No blind submissions Study the industry Study the publisher to which you submit – Catalog, genres, representative titles, price point, marketing patterns, submission process, writer’s guidelines, payment policies • Write a book proposal • Make contact • Submit a carefully vetted manuscript (on invitation); NOT your first draft 17 The Book Proposal • Define the value you bring to the reader • Define the value you bring to the publisher • Do the math • • • • • • • • • Cover Page (title, contact info, genre) Summary The Market (Who? Why? How many?) Competing Books Synopsis and Sample Chapter (chapter breakdown and special features) Prod Details (word count, illustrations, timeline) Marketing and Promotions (your ideas) Author’s Qualifications (bio, other books, reasons) Appendices and Supporting Material 18 Getting Self-Published • Evaluate your production options and costs • Develop a business plan • Check interest from potential customers, distributors and retailers before proceeding • Analyze similar/competing books for design, pricing and sales history • Secure professional help: writing, editing, proofreading, illustration/photography, book design, cover design, legal advice, printing • Reader/customer should not be able to tell that the book is self-published 19 Challenges • Small market • Lack of capital • Quality issues in self-pub, small-pub books – ISBN, front matter, book design, cover design, illustration, paper quality, binding, copyright infringement, libel • Lack of industry knowledge: limited understanding of publishing value chain and economics; marketing/sales skills • Narrow editorial focus 20 Opportunities • Under-served genres: general interest; children’s; fiction; humour, how-to • Custom, sponsored publishing • Digital publishing, marketing and book selling • Regional, diaspora marketing/distribution • Non-traditional book marketing and selling • Collective publishing, marketing and book selling • International rights sales and co-publishing 21 Opportunities: Think Digital WRITER • • • • • PUBLISHER DISTRIBUTOR New business models New content New formats New delivery models New price points MARKETER RETAILER READER Respect for the reader and commitment to quality should remain paramount. 22 Opportunities: Think Digital • • • • • Jamaicans on Facebook: ~700k Jamaicans on Twitter: ~300k JLS internet usage sessions: ~700k per year Kindle book sales stats: ebooks outsell pbooks 105:100 Amanda Hocking (USA): – – – – 27yo writer of YA paranormal novels Kindle novels priced: $0.99 - $2.99; 70/30 split with Amazon From first novel April 2010 to March 2011, net rev: US$2m. Now signed to major US publishing house • Amanda Hanna (JA): – 3 self-published novels on Kindle – Price: $1.99; sales in low hundreds • Jamaican books on Kindle: The Runnings, LMH titles • Smartphone penetration: >55k 23 Kellie Magnus Jackmandora Web: jackmandora.com Email: [email protected], [email protected] Facebook: Kellie Magnus Twitter: @kelliemagnus 24