Three Resolutions for You, and Three for Cynthia

2011 is not just the start of a new year, but a new decade. In the spirit of the season, I thought of the three most important resolutions I wish my authors – and any authors – should make for me, and then I added the three resolutions I made for you.

Your Resolution #1: Stop your Amazon addiction. I know it’s tempting to track your Amazon ranking every hour on the hour, but this will drive you (and more importantly, your loved ones) insane! Your Amazon ranking can fluctuate wildly, going from #265,789 to #10,458 in a course of a click on the refresh button, but it doesn’t reflect actual sales – never has, never will. There are various algorithms that Amazon uses to determine the ranking, some which have nothing to do with your book. Take the time instead to read about trends in the publishing world on Publishers Lunch.

Your Resolution #2: Get on Twitter. I know I sound like a broken record with this, but every author needs to make peace with one social media tool at the very least this year. Whether it’s Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn or GoodReads – it doesn’t matter as long as you’re doing it regularly. Stumped on what else there is to do? There are tons of articles out there (Mashable has some great pieces) as well as books that will teach you new tricks and help spread the word about your work.

Your Resolution #3: Visit a bookstore. Once a month, go to your favorite bookstore and marvel at all the new titles that are available. Watch how the front-of-store tables rotate their titles, which books are shelved face out, and which business book is located in the memoir section. Read the author bios in the back of the book and imagine all the publicists trying to book them on all the same shows I’m trying to book you on. That’s what you’re up against. Bowker reported that over 1 million books were printed in just 2009. I bet that number will only increase in the new decade.

But of course, I can’t just expect other people to change their ways – here are three resolutions I made for myself:

Cynthia’s Resolution #1: I will respond to your emails asap (except on weekends). It’s easy to get overlooked in the steady onslaught of correspondence -- sometimes I’m so busy responding to authors that I don’t have time to actually send emails to reporters! But I know that most of the time, the question the author has is quick and the answer needed to move ahead is equally quick. Therefore, I resolve to do my best to get back to you as quickly as humanly possible.

Cynthia’s Resolution #2: I will send you your clippings. I keep track of every little mention of your title and name – not only to share the piece with our sales reps, but also to spread the article on our social media channels. By doing so, I often forget to share it with the most important person – you, author. So, I now resolve that by the end of each campaign, I will have a comprehensive record of all your media clips for you to use however you please.

Cynthia’s Resolution #3: I will be 100% honest. I want your book to deserve all the attention it can receive, but I won’t waste time (especially yours) pitching the wrong shows. I know, you want to be on Jon Stewart, and at one time I may have humored you against my better judgment. No more. Instead, I’ll kindly but directly tell you that Jon Stewart will likely not be having you on the show regardless of how many copies I send him, and recommend we redirect our energy elsewhere. In the long run, it will be much more productive, your book will reach exactly the right audience, and everyone will be happy. Thus, I resolve to always be up-front and constructively honest with you so that your book has the best possible chance of recognition and success.

Resolutions are usually a recipe for disaster, but by sharing them with you I hope that we can keep each other in check. Do you have any resolutions you want to share with me? I would love to hear them.

A Postcard from Australia

We miss Johanna Vondeling, our ex-Editorial VP (now VP for Business Development), greatly and we're so very curious about her new life down under, and we know others in our community are, too. So she decided to write and tell us:

Dear BK Community,

Greetings from Australia! I’m happy to report that all is well in the most remote large city on the planet. Perth is a pretty, hospitable city, with beautiful beaches and plenty of riverside parks and walking trails. We’ve been enjoying exploring the local bush, where we’ve spotted kangaroos, bobtails and plenty of loud, exotic birds. The eerie, Mars-like landscape of the Pinnacles took our breath away, and the color contrasts in the former pearling town of Broome are stunning. Hopefully, we’ll find an opportunity to complete this gorgeous 135 kilometer Cape-to-Cape trek while we’re here.

Our senior dog, Jude, survived an unhappy month in quarantine and is now living a life of leisure, though the dive-bombing Willie Wagtails here pester him on walks. Things I’ve learned the hard way: u-turns are illegal, and using a cordless phone brought from the US will both disrupt the local cell phone network and draw the attention of the authorities. 30 SPF is the absolute minimum level of adequate sunscreen, even in Winter; the “slip, slop, slap” mantra is widely -- and wisely -- heeded. I have yet to try Vegemite, and I’m still recovering from sugar shock brought on by my single encounter with a Tim-tam. Grilled kangaroo, however, is quite tasty, as is the Pipsqueak Cider produced by local microbrewery Little Creatures.

I’ve been delighted to find that the publishing community in Australia rivals America’s in overall friendliness. Many booksellers and publishers have generously and patiently answered my questions about the marketplace here, which is facing its share of challenges. While the Australian economy overall is currently much healthier than the US’s, industry revenue is nonetheless estimated to be down 5-10% for the year. To the consternation of local booksellers, many customers are turning to overseas online retailers, while others are simply purchasing fewer books. Cookbooks, children’s books, and coffee table books are uniquely recession-proof. The boom in digital publishing has yet to sweep Australia (e-book sales were recently estimated to be around 1% of total book sales), but many are excited that Kobo and the iBookstore both launched here earlier this year.

Perth itself has a lively scene of independent booksellers, such as Boffins, Bookcaffé, and Planet Books. Each store hosts creative events that make the shop a destination site for the local community, and the foot-traffic is impressive. Karen Kotze, owner of the Bodhi Tree, is cultivating a community very much aligned with Berrett-Koehler’s mission; her book café serves authors and customers by “promoting conscious development in all areas of life -- at work, at home and at play and through inspiring and cultivating wisdom that draws on both western and eastern philosophies.” We’re excited to be exploring ways Bodhi’s author community can hold hands across the pond with the Berrett-Koehler Authors Cooperative.

All in all, a great adventure so far! Please feel free to connect with me through social networks, including www.bkcommunity.com, for more updates and news. In the meantime, here are some photos from our life down under, and an authentic recording of those really loud birds known as Kukaburras.

Johanna Vondeling
Vice President, Business Development

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Five Things Cynthia Wants You to Know

I love the authors I work with, but sometimes, the process can be a bit trying. Since the same things come up with every title, I thought it might be best to list the five things that I want my authors to know up front:

1. I want you to be on the Daily Show just as much as you do. I have a crush on Jon Stewart and getting you on the show would get me one step closer to having him notice me. Seriously though, you need to have a really solid book that is smart enough for Stewart, or you need to be a celebrity of some sort. Stewart’s producers know the power of their reach and look for really compelling topics that would make good interviews. I know, all authors feel that their topic is really compelling, which is why you should approach your teenage kids or nieces or nephews about the subject and see their reaction. That reaction will be Jon's producers' reaction.

2. I cannot send you the contact information for my media contacts. Sorry, but too many over-zealous authors before you abused that privilege by calling my contacts and harassing them incessantly, which only ruined the contacts’ trust in me. A big part of my job is cultivating relationships with media, and protecting them from authors who don’t understand when to move on. Trust that I follow up with them appropriately, and I know how to speak their language.

3. Your media contacts are just as good as my media contacts. If you have a friend who has a sister who works at Time Magazine, it’s perfectly fine to send her a copy of your book, asking her to pass it along. But please share that information with me so that we can decide who has the better relationship.

4. Many authors think that their books "are for everyone." Not so. Please don’t make me pitch media that has little to do with your book. If a magazine only covers recipes and food, an article about building social networks isn’t going to fly -- even if you pitch it as "the recipe for social networking success!" Instead, familiarize yourself with the outlet, and then explain to me exactly where and how you’ll fit in. If it’s too far of a stretch, I'll let you know. Trust me.

5. Use email instead of the phone whenever possible. Phone calls are reserved for discussions that take too long to write, or when you’re needed immediately for a last minute interview. Calling me often is not going to give you priority, and calling me to tell me that you just emailed me is just redundant.

Now I feel better for getting that off my chest. Thank you!

Saving Your Sanity (and Privacy) on Facebook

It’s normal to feel anxious about sharing all your personal information on Facebook, but there are some basic precautions you can take to protect yourself from hackers and stalkers. BK's publicist Cynthia Shannon has five recommendations for maintaining your privacy and sanity on Facebook.

1. Avoid easy passwords: Having your Facebook account hacked is a lot more common – and frustrating – when your password is easy to crack. Make your password really hard – a mix of random numbers and letters that only make sense to you. Example: The area code of the first phone number you remember, the initials of your favorite two cousins, and an ampersand. Heck, make it two ampersands.

2. Get instant notification in case of a security breach: Go to Account > Privacy Settings > Account Security (second from bottom). Click Yes to receive notifications when your account has been accessed from another computer that wasn’t your own. You’ll have to register each computer you’re accessing Facebook on, but it’s worth knowing when someone else is too (hackers will use your account to spam your friends and download viruses to their machines. Not fun.

3. Control who can find you on Facebook: Go to Account > Privacy Settings > Basic Directory Information. Select Only Friends under Search for Me on Facebook. The same goes for Message Me. Let's face it, you really aren't too keen on being found by certain people.

4. Stop Google from finding you on Facebook: Take your privacy to the next level by going to Privacy Settings > Applications and Websites (bottom left) > Public Search. Unclick the box that catalogs you in public searches. You will now have to be the instigator of all friend requests -- which is fine because Google knows a bit too much about us already. This only works if you’re already limited under Basic Directory Information (see above).

5. Don’t let Facebook follow you where you go: Facebook partners with certain sites such as Pandora and Yelp, instantly showing your Facebook profile picture and likes when on their sites. If you think this is creepy, turn it off by going to Privacy Settings > Application Settings (bottom left) > Instant Personalization. Uncheck the box, and no one will know of your secret crush on Justin Bieber.

Though these tips are drastic, they can save you unnecessary headache from spammers, hackers, and stalkers. On the other hand, if people can’t find you on Google, you might miss out on reconnecting with a former flame – or potential business partner. Tread wisely, my dears, and do let me know your thoughts, reactions, and suggestions below.

Bonnie's Love Letter to the Internet

Dear Internet,

We have a tumultuous relationship, you and I. To the outside world, all seems well between us, we appear thick as thieves and happy with our loot, but really there is trouble in paradise. After careful consideration, I’ve come to the conclusion that our problems all stem from one sore spot: an imbalance in our relationship’s power dynamic. You don’t need me, Internet, but I feel that I need you. I needed you to find work, and now I need you to do it. I need you to most easily keep in touch with friends and family, to stay on top of finances, and to pay my bills. Increasingly, I rely on you to fill me in on the day’s events and to verify facts and figures. You grant me access to the television shows I’m never home in time to watch, and always point me towards my next favorite band. Without you, how would I have gone about planning and preparing Wednesday’s dinner party or purchased tickets to last night’s symphony performance? As you can see, I am relentlessly reliant on you and your abilities, a situation that the strong and independent woman I was raised to be really resents! On top of everything else, I hold you solely responsible for the rapid decline in my eyesight. I clearly need a new prescription, but since I used all of my 2009 Health Savings Account money on 300 dollars worth of contact lenses, I have to make my way through 2 years of blurry vision all because of you!

And yet...this is a love letter, is it not? It is. And, dear Internet, I do love you so. Never have my affections been more obvious to me than they are right now. As you may or may not know, I have recently returned from a much-anticipated two-week vacation to New York and Italy. As planned, I used this time away to truly be “away” -- from you, Internet. While I admit to brief but necessary encounters (flight confirmation, European weather reports, Google Alerts set up in my name, etc.), I spent the rest of my time doing things without you: talking to people in person, walking around in the world, and even reading books! I wasn’t tied to my Facebook newsfeed, or the latest news on Gawker, or even the arrival of Jeevan’s bi-weekly masterpiece, The BK Communiqué. And you know what? It felt good! I was able to really enjoy face time with friends and family, and to see the beautiful buildings of Florence and the ancient ruins of Rome with my very own eyes.

The trip was incredible, just what I needed. However, as often happens at the end of a vacation, I found myself more than ready to be going back home. I missed my friends; I missed the comfort of my very own bed and shower; I missed the cooling breezes of San Francisco...and I missed you, my beloved Internet. After some time apart, I realized that I was ready to reassess and reevaluate the relationship. And, my darling, I’m glad that I did.

Upon my return, I realized that our love is not a matter of power and need. Instead, ours is a relationship based on help and support. With you, I am able to share my travel experiences, stories, and photos with people all over the world. Were it not for you, Internet, when I said goodbye to my friends in Italy, it really would have been ‘goodbye.’ Together, with you, we have continued the conversations we started in Tuscany — from our respective living rooms! Thanks to you, my sweet Internet, I was able to attend the Berrett-Koehler Shareholder’s Meeting — from an airplane! More than that, I’ve happily spent the last few hours both watching and reading about everything presented at said meeting, using a social networking site that I even helped to build! With your guidance, beautiful Internet, I have grown as a person and —more importantly— as a publishing professional.

But seriously Internet, all kidding aside, I will no longer take our relationship for granted. You keep me connected, informed, authoritative and – always! - entertained. My dependence on you is my own issue, not yours, and something I will continue to work on. For now, I am delighted to be back in your embrace — posting pictures, watching adorable animal videos, working on the weekend and, yes, catching up on my celebrity gossip.

I wish nothing but the best for us and, of course, for Lindsay Lohan.

I Love you, Internet.

Yours truly,
Bonnie

The Intern Discovers Five Truths About Publishing

Feeling strangely uncomfortable in my business clothes and missing my scruffy college student sweatshirt, I walked into a gleaming lobby where a smiling man in a suit ushered me towards golden elevators.  I zoomed upward, landing in a richly carpeted hallway lined with mahogany doors. Berrett-Koehler had the biggest door and the biggest sign.  I crept in with appropriate feelings of awe.  There I was, on my first day, ready to learn.  

That was a month ago.  Here are five interesting things I've learned since then:

1. Leadership doesn't need to mean hierarchy.  "I want to discuss ways that I can mentor you, and you can mentor me," our publisher recently said to a new employee.  I thought this was a wonderful approach.  Another leader would simply have said, "I need to train you. We have to show you how things are done around here."  But this wasn't an order, this was an invitation, "We'll teach each other how to do our jobs."  If I ever become a leader, I hope I can model this quality and be the kind of person who is always willing to learn something new and never shuts himself off in a fortress of authority.   

2. The world is awash in good intentions, but intentions aren't enough.  Since Berrett-Koehler's mission is "creating a world that works for all," the slush pile is crammed with idealistic manifestos and blueprints for better tomorrows. Horrible things or injustices happen to people and they deal with it by writing a book to "help other people in my situation." Or professors sit in their offices and draw these complex bubble charts about how to save the world from evil. All morning I sit reading these books into which people have poured their heart and soul. One by one I decide which ones won't sell (about 95% of them). One by one I call the authors to deliver the bad news. One by one the manuscripts fall between my fingers into the recycling bin. Yet, I am left feeling strangely happy. Maybe the bubble charts don't actually show how to deliver the world from evil, but they do prove that apathy is very far from ruling supreme.  

3. Books don't launch movements, movements launch books.  Whenever a book proposal comes in, I have to look at the author bio and evaluate his degree of fame. Does he speak often to groups? Does he give workshops? Does he publish in magazines? Does he belong to professional societies and tightly-knit communities? Does he have good connections?  Simply put: is he out there stoking the furnace of his movement, or is he simply sitting in his basement scribbling down theories for the book which he will use to supposedly launch his movement? The key to any kind of change, after all, is connecting with other people. A book is a way of connecting with large numbers of people, but it won't work unless you've been connecting with smaller numbers on the personal level first.

4. Employees of this publishing house get to take home free books!  This was by far the happiest discovery.  In fact, I was so ridiculously delighted by this perk that my boss joked they should hire me permanently by paying my wages in books. I giggled and pointed out, "You don't see homeless people standing around with cardboard signs that say, WILL WORK FOR BOOKS."  My boss replied, "No, you don't. On the other hand, if I did see a homeless person with that sign, I would surely respect that man." 

5. People look up to publishers as enlightened souls, but they're just business people like everyone else.  When I turn down authors, I always give them feedback and constructive criticism of some kind (it's the BK way -- no form rejections). At first I was really nervous and startled when I noticed how the authors I was calling hung on to my every word -- as if I was a sagely being imbued with higher knowledge. I kept thinking, "I'm only twenty-one years old, yet here I am telling these experts and these professors that their work just isn't good enough. Life is so strange sometimes...." I think often, in our respect for institutions, we forget that all institutions are made up of people just like ourselves.

Johanna Says Farewell But Not Goodbye

Johanna's last day with Berrett-Koehler as the VP of Editorial and Digital will be June 11, 2010. After moving to Australia, Johanna will continue to work for BK as the VP for Business Development on a part-time basis. And now, a few parting words from the lady:

Dear BK Community,

Thank you for the opportunity to share some news about my changing role at Berrett-Koehler. My husband’s employer has offered him a 2-4 year assignment in Perth, Australia. It’s a great professional opportunity for him, and hopefully an exciting adventure for us both, so we have decided to take the plunge and move there. My last day as editor and Vice President of Editorial and Digital will be Friday, June 11th. My actual move to Australia is set for early August.

Happily, the organization has approved a plan under which I will work part-time from Perth as Vice President for Business Development. I will be providing leadership for a few, special cross-departmental projects--such as steering the company’s transition to an XML-based workflow -- and with maintaining primary responsibility for a limited number of key partnerships. BK is in the process of hiring a new acquisitions editor (you’ll read more about our exciting new hire in a future newsletter), and David Marshall will be assuming my current responsibilities for leading the editorial and digital functions at the company.

It has been a great privilege meeting so many dedicated members of the BK community over the past several years; I’m endlessly inspired by your collective dedication to creating a world that works for all. Note that this week marks “onward!” rather than good-bye, as I’m looking forward to serving in my new role and remaining active in the community. Thanks to the wonders of technology, my BK contact information will remain unchanged. Feel free to connect with me through LinkedIn, friend me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter -- and, of course, let’s stay in touch via BK Community, announced elsewhere in this issue. I promise to post plenty of photos and accounts of life in what the guidebooks all call (gulp!) “the most remote large city on the planet.” Have a wonderful summer, all!

Sincerely,

Johanna