A-Z Publishing - Top Ten Tips for Online Publishing Success

Microsoft Great Plains in Advertising & Publishing - implementation highlights

2007-11-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Dynamics is excellent fit for service oriented business and in this small article we'll give you magazine publisher and advertiser implementation and reporting scenarios. The system we describe is not real, we are putting together industry specifics, based on our consulting practice. In the case if you do not see some unique features of your publishing business - this just means that publishing industry is diversified and say, regional newspaper publishing is quite different from magazine with narrow specialization.

• Advertisement Selling. This is the blood of every publishing company/house. In Great Plains you usually deploy Sales Order Processing module without Inventory control and all your SOP lines are advertisement services.

• Multiple Magazines. Publishing house has very turbulent life and it is industry norm when you do frequent acquisitions and spin-offs. There is time lag between acquisition and incorporation new magazine into your main company. In Great Plains you typically create new company for your newly acquired magazine, transfer chart of accounts, modules settings, enter beginning balances and you are ready to go. There are SQL scripts that you can deploy for new company initiation

• Collection Department. Advertisement sales require very strong collection and follow up. In Microsoft Great Plains you deploy Collection Management module. This module integrates with AR and SOP modules and allows you create collection query, where you select customers for your collections calls batch. For example, if you are in Houston - you may create your East Coast clients batch for your morning calls and then by the end of the day - another batch for California. And the most productive hours you can use for day of the week specifics - say - on Monday your call large collection accounts, on Tuesday - to who is almost hopeless and should be sold to specializing collection agency, etc.

• Complex Financial Reporting. Assuming different size and data format of financial data, belonging to variety of magazines - you need advanced FRx reporting technique: Reporting Trees for consolidation and even combining Great Plains GL data with Excel spreadsheets. Also turbulent publishing environment requires you to have reliable cash flow report.
Tip! You're in total control of how your book is marketed, which can be a distinct advantage. If you're not a well-known author and you're lucky enough to sign with a major publishing company, you can't expect them to promote your book.

• Data Import. Some magazines may give you their daily batches in text logs and you need Microsoft Great Plains Integration Manager customization to handle various data format import automatically with minimal user intervention.

• Customizations. You probably need several industry specific Crystal Reports, we saw advanced requirements coming from collection management department. Alternative way is to do this in Great Plains Dexterity. If you have authors, writing articles for honorary - you might need advanced 1099 filing scenarios and reporting - this is Great Plains Dexterity customization candidate.

We encourage you to analyze your alternatives. You can always appeal to our help, give us a call: 1-866-528-0577 or 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), serving Microsoft Great Plains, CRM, Navision to mid-size and large clients in California, Illinois, New York, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan

Desktop Publishing - A Great Home Business Opportunity

2007-11-23T13:56:00.006-08:00

In my nine years of operating my own small business, I have had to design and print my own business cards, invoices and letterheads.

Any desktop publisher who wanted to call me, could have had that business!

Desktop publishing is an ideal way to begin a business from home. Most small business operators do not have time to create their own business stationery or marketing materials, and this represents an opportunity for a home-based desktop publisher.

Using software such as Microsoft Publisher, you can quickly and easily create professional flyers, business cards, letterheads, envelopes, and other such materials. These are quick to produce once you have learned the software, and you can have good profit margins on these items. $75 per hour is easily achievable.

If you wanted to move into the consumer market, the wedding market is huge, and many desktop publishers are fully booked with high-ticket "wedding packs" composed of wedding invitations and name placers.

Microsoft Publisher has excellent ready-made templates for all the above. There is also some good information on my site at http://www.small-business-resource-centre.com.au/dtp.html

Once you have become competent at one of the DTP (DeskTop Publishing) packages, you need to know how to market your services. You will need a portfolio to show prospective customers. You can make up samples until you have your own work. Network with other businesses and let everyone know you are open for trading.

Don't worry about cold-calling other small or home businesses with your services. I'll bet most will welcome your call. I know I would have!

Warwick Foster Small Business and Home Business Opportunities http://www.small-business-resource-centre.com.au http://www.small-business-resource-centre.com.au/dtp.htm

Custom Reasons for Custom Publishing

2007-11-23T13:56:00.005-08:00

Once considered the stepchild of the publishing industry, custom publishing now claims a legitimate slice of the B-to-B MarCom pie.

Custom magazines, newsletters and sponsored supplements are becoming an increasingly integral part of the overall marketing program. Recent studies by the Custom Publishing Council and Publications Management show leading U.S. companies spending about 25% of their marketing budgets on custom publishing endeavors, compared with 13% just three years ago.

Smart companies employ custom publishing tactics in their B-to-B marketing programs to enable them to reach highly targeted buying audiences. A major software developer, for example, developed a sponsored supplement (or "advertorial") featuring articles about data management challenges faced by hospitals as a means of raising its profile with an important marketplace. The 32- page advertorial, which also contained house ads for the company's new data processing software, was inserted into a magazine read by major hospital data managers nationwide. In this case, it was more cost-effective than buying a series of ads in the publication because the developer's exact message was delivered exactly where the company wanted it delivered.

But strategic custom publishing efforts are not limited to magazines. One leading foodservice equipment and supplies distributor has a staff of 12 dedicated to producing internal newsletters for suppliers and employees. These publications let suppliers know what's going on with the company's business and make employees aware of changes in human resources policies. They also serve as an internal promotional tool.

Other successful B-to-B custom publishing initiatives include: Priority, a bi-monthly magazine from Pitney Bowes that targets 750,000 small business owners; Cano Energy Pipeline magazine, which targets investors in domestic oil and gas limited partnerships; and Tellabs Emerge, Tellabs Inc.'s quarterly magazine reaching 15,000 telecom engineers in North America who make purchasing decisions for their companies.
Tip! Choose your publishing company name. Remember to research to see if it has already been used.

Another trend noted by the CPC is that a majority of companies still handle production chores for their custom publishing efforts in-house, spending the bulk of the $29 billion that goes toward such efforts on internal staff. But that may be changing, given bottom-line pressures. According to Publications Management, a trade newsletter, 40% of U.S. companies that pursue custom publishing strategies currently avoid the hassle and expense of adding staff by outsourcing production of their publications. It may also change as varying types of electronic B-to-B marketing efforts, such as websites, e-postcards and e-newsletters, are further integrated into marketing strategies.
Tip! Treat publishing as a business. You are passing beyond the realm of author into the exciting world of publishing.

Whatever the goal, launching a custom publication as part of a B-to-B marketing campaign needs to be handled within the context of a medium and long-term strategy in support of overall business objectives. And placing a company's message and brand before the target audience should always be the goal of any custom publication as questions about the concept's legitimacy continue to wane.
Tip! Educate yourself. Self-publishing is a business.

Chris Scott heads Hodge Media Group, the custom publishing arm of Hodge Communications, Inc. Hodge specializes in strategic public relations and marketing communications for businesses, entrepreneurs and professional associations. Formerly an award-winning journalist, he brings over 20 years of experience to client engagements. Subscribe today to Communic@te! our free bimonthly e- newsletter and get a free special report: "Using Buzz To Create a Groundswell For Your Business."

Visit http://www.hodgecommunications.com

Successful Newsletter Publishing: Keep Your Focus on What Matters

2007-11-23T13:56:00.004-08:00

The other day, I was having an email conversation with a friend about business goals.

She mentioned that she'd started a book only to realize she didn't want to write one *right now* after all.

She had mixed feelings about the decision, though. After all, *everyone* says a good consultant *must* write a book. And she was feeling the pressure.

In a reply email, I offered her a piece of advice that, as soon as I'd typed it, I knew was really advice for *me* and not her.

Have you ever had that happen? You're talking with someone and you hear yourself making a suggestion that you realize (on the spot or later on) is exactly what *you* needed to hear?

This final newsletter ingredient continues to be the hardest for me--I grapple with it in nearly every issue. See, persistence, and staying the course with your newsletter, is all about keeping your focus on the things that matter. Not letting yourself get distracted by all those *other* great ideas. The sections you *could* add to your newsletter. The design changes you *could* make. The requests and reviews and ... that *might* be good to include.

I find myself going around in circles some weeks--not wanting to start the newsletter, and yet being on a deadline and *needing* to start the newsletter. And, each time I get caught in this circle, the solution is consistently the same. Yet, it often takes me several hours to *realize* that I know how to resolve my procrastination.
Tip! Printing in larger quantities then they have proven they will be able to sell. The book business is more a marketing and promotion business than it is a publishing business.

For me, what works most often is to STOP what I'm doing (surfing the Internet for ideas, reading someone else's book or newsletter, asking someone else what they think I should write about, reviewing back issues) and to simply SIT for a few minutes.

I know that's the solution. And I know it works 9 times out of 10. And yet, I still find myself unwilling to apply it at the first sign of distress.

Then again, I'm the same way about taking medicine ;-). I have to get really, really, really sick before I even think of taking something.
Tip! Treat publishing as a business. You are passing beyond the realm of author into the exciting world of publishing.

So often, we think of persistence as working harder, as pushing through it, as forcing ourselves to buckle down and "get it done." And there's value to that.

But, in this case, I'm speaking of persistence as more of a willingness to repeat those actions you already *know* work for you. So, if you know that a plain text newsletter format works best for you, don't let yourself wonder if you should publish in HTML every few months. If you know your readers respond best when you talk about your dog, don't listen to that consultant who tells you to be more buttoned up.

By persistence, I'm asking you to commit to blazing your own trail--doing things your own way. Persist in that. And don't worry about what everyone says, or what works for everyone else.

P.S. If you find a magical formula for this kind of persistence, I'm all ears ;-).

Your challenge: Today apply that piece of advice you find yourself repeating, but *never* applying in your own newsletter.
Tip! Control. When you enter into a contract with a major publishing house, you're signing an exclusive agreement that prevents your having input into most of the important decisions that will affect your book's perception by the public, and its sales.

Celebrate your fabulous business with a compelling newsletter. Explore free advice on starting and running a newsletter at http://www.designdoodles.com

Letterhead Design and Desktop Publishing

2007-11-23T13:56:00.003-08:00

If you are starting up a business, or trying to upgrade your look and feel, one of the things you have probably considered, or should have considered, is business stationary. There comes a point where sending out letters, bills, and advertisements on blank paper out of your fancy printer just doesn't cut the cake.

One easy solution is to go to a professional. There, for just an arm and a leg, you can, if you're lucky, get something really fine. If you're lucky, and get a pro who also knows how to listen, you'll actually get something that fits you, and not just their idea of what looks hot or in fashion. But in the computer-heavy world, there is another option.

Desktop publishing is a fancy phrase meaning, You Have The Power. No matter what computer you work with, you can find an easy-to-learn, easy-to-use program that will enable you to design your own headings, stationary, invitations, and general design.

When you start out, you'll find yourself pushing every button, adding every frill, and generally making some of the ugliest things you can imagine. Calm down. It goes away. Once you have learned what you CAN do, you can start working towards what you can do. Remember that once you've bought the software, it's free, not $500-a-shot, so you can really, and usually quickly, make something that suits your needs and maintains the character of your business.

A couple of tips will, if not make you a professional, at least put you out of the rank amateur category, and feel competent at what you're doing.

You're trying to create a feel. Take an idea, and repeat it. The consistency of any one idea will bring everything together. Figure out what is the main idea, and make sure that this remains the focus. Either it should be bigger, or central, or in some way clearly the dominant idea on the page. Other wording should NOT be similar. Your design takes shape by having contrast. Think of how many ways you can contrast the different items on the page. Use size, color, and style of font to focus where you want the focus, and keep the minor information as background.

It doesn't really matter whether you are trying for a classic look or a creative feel. These principles cross all boundaries. Balance them on one hand, with the image you're trying to convey on the other, and you can design yourself right onto the map.

For more information on this subject and many others, please visit Stationary Place. Sam Jordan
Tip! You aren't having any luck getting accepted by traditional publishing houses. Or the entire process of seeking an agent or publisher seems too frustrating to even consider: thousands of writers submitting work to the same overburdened editors, for the same limited publishing space.

Sam Jordan is a creative webmaster / content publisher with many interests. He is the webmaster of Stationery-Place.com in addition to many other sites.

Could a Book About Your Company be Worth $1.7 Billion? Building Value Through Publishing

2007-11-23T13:56:00.002-08:00

"Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) to purchase Clayton Homes for $12.50 in cash per share. Deal worth $1.7 Billion."

From an article in the Knoxville News Sentinel -- a University of Tennessee professor sent Warren Buffett the self-published autobiography of James Clayton as a gift. Less than 14 days after receiving the self-published book, Buffett contacted CEO Kevin Clayton, (James's son). After only three conversations, Buffett was expressing his interest in purchasing Clayton Homes. Another short two weeks later, the deal was in place.

--- The Ultimate Calling Card ---

How do you get the word out about your company -- in a way that someone will listen? How do you let your clients and investors know that you and your company are truly experts at what you do? Believe me when I say the correct answer has nothing to do with traditional sales and marketing techniques. The real answer? Self-publish a book showing off your greatest skill sets, distribute it for free your core clients and trade associations, use it as a sales tool in all your prospecting efforts, and sell it anywhere you can -- and in the process, hopefully, create an awareness that you and your company are truly the experts to contact when information is needed about a topic in your industry.
Tip! Choose your publishing company name. Remember to research to see if it has already been used.

Your book becomes the ultimate calling card for you and your sales staff. A self published book cuts through all the clutter that your clients receive from dozens of companies just like yours. Cold calls are are a timeless way of creating sales - but wouldn't they be much more effective if you could have created a lasting impression of your credibility and value before your salesperson ever picked up the phone? Maybe you'd rather keep sending that "full-color flyer" or tired logo coffee mug.

Your book is far more than just a basic marketing tool or replacement for other marketing strategies -- but you might find it easier to focus on getting it done if you schedule and budget it in as part of your existing campaigns. The ultimate cost of producing your book can vary widely, but it will typically be based on the number of pages in the book, its trim size and format (for example paperback or hardcover) and how much assistance you need in publishing a book.
Tip! Printing in larger quantities then they have proven they will be able to sell. The book business is more a marketing and promotion business than it is a publishing business.

Most often the cost for publishing a book breaks down into two categories -- Publishing Services and Printing Services.

Publishing Services are the services involved in creating the files that go to the printer -- including the design of your interior and cover, any editing or proofreading, the actual composition of the pages, and more. Costs are almost always regardless of page count and depend heavily on the level of editorial assistance needed and the degree of "retail" marketing support you want for your book. Most self-publishing companies include some number of books in their packages.

Printing Services involve the costs you assume when printing additional copies of your book. These costs are completely based upon page count and book format (paperback, hardcover, trim size, and whether or not you have color pages -- most every book comes with a color cover) -- and they can vary considerably from publisher to publisher. Printing Services for a typical 150 page paperback book can cost from approximately $3.98 per unit at one company to as high as $13.10 at another. Other companies will charge $12,000 to $30,000 to produce your book traditionally (meaning you need to purchase thousands of books from them upfront).
Tip! Write a business plan. Being aware of the business aspect of publishing is not an end in itself – you need to formally write your plan.

Thousands of successful self-published authors have proven that a strong case can be built for deciding to self publish a book. The argument can be made that publishing should be a cornerstone of your campaign to build your company's credibility in the market (and thereby increase overall revenues or revenue-per-sale) or, it might just be that you'd like to add a high-return product to your overall marketing strategy.
Tip! Educate yourself. Self-publishing is a business.

An example of this process at work is cited in an issue of FastCompany -- a New Jersey market research firm spends its time developing all the data it can regarding the purchasing habits of those folks who buy at the ultra high end of the market. These consumers inhabit the most wealthy zip codes, send their children to the ultimate in private schools, and spend $50,000-plus on their cars. You would be quite right in thinking that the market for a book on how to successfully conduct focus group for these people and identify their purchasing habits is extraordinarily narrow. But, what if your company provided these types of services to the companies who needed it? Tiffany's, other high end retailers, and ad agencies that cater to these retail establishments. The customers who can profit from the sort of information in this book are willing to spend quite a bit to get to it... The owner of this research firm self-published a 150 page book that sold primarily through their Web site -- at $275 per book! Average sales were reported to be less than 250 copies a year -- yet that's around $70,000 in book sales - what piece of marketing material do you have that actually more than pays for itself?
Tip! Control. When you enter into a contract with a major publishing house, you're signing an exclusive agreement that prevents your having input into most of the important decisions that will affect your book's perception by the public, and its sales.

There are of course no guarantees that your book will work (as with any marketing piece -- but you'll have a great book on your bookshelf that separates your and your company from the competition.

Ray Robinson is a partner in Dog Ear Publishing http://www.dogearpublishing.net a self publishing company specializing in delivering "high touch" services to the author community. His company provides a full range of services to authors, from editorial to page layout to marketing and fulfillment.

Publishing Your Poetry

2007-11-23T13:56:00.001-08:00

If you are serious about seeing your work published by reputable publishers, there are a few points you should consider. Firstly and most obviously, you need to determine if you have poetry worth publishing. This assessment can be done by doing something that will not only help you gauge the competitiveness of your poetry, but will give you some viable options for publishing it. Subscribe to literary journals and buy books of poetry. If you do this, what you are doing is searching out the market place. Read the types of poetry that many publishers are publishing and see if the quality of these poems surpasses or is on par with the quality of your own poems.

Read Literary Journals and Poetry Books

Not all literary journals are going to publish the same type of poetry. Some journals will only publish poetry that rhymes, most will not publish poetry that rhymes, and some journals will focus on specific themes such as humanity, nature, or locality. After having perused your bookstores and the many available literary journals, you will more than likely find a publisher who publishes poetry that your very own poetry would compliment. You can find reputable literary publishers by doing a search online, by reading the biographies of respected poets, and by checking out your local universities and colleges. When you find these publishers, write down the name, the address and keep a log, because these are going to be your potential publishers.
Tip! Printing in larger quantities then they have proven they will be able to sell. The book business is more a marketing and promotion business than it is a publishing business.

Improve Your Chances

The next vital aspect of publishing that you will need to consider is the actual process of getting your works accepted by the publishers. Each publisher will have very specific guidelines for submissions. Read these guidelines carefully and be sure to follow them precisely. Some online publishers will accept submissions via attachments while others frown upon attachments. Following the guidelines is crucial because whether your poetry is Pulitzer Prize quality or not, if you do not follow these guidelines, there is a good chance that your submissions will never even get read.

Be Savvy

Also, do a little research before submitting your work to a publisher. Invest in resource materials for poets such as The Poet's Market. The better educated you are with regard to the publishing industry, the better your chances of avoiding the hassle of fighting scams and vanity presses. Because poetry is a hard market to sell, most publishers are struggling to stay afoot. Since there is such a small market for those seeking to buy poetry, vanity presses capitalize on the overwhelming desire of the public to become published.

Cover Letters

Aside from researching the market, you should sharpen your skills at writing cover letters with the same intensity that you sharpen your skills at writing poetry. You can search online workshops and information sites about poetry, or you can refer to The Poet's Market for more information on writing cover letters. Not all publishers will necessitate cover letters, but a good cover letter will improve the chances of the editors actually reading your poetry.
Tip! You must be willing to pay your POD publisher a fee to get an ISBN number and to have your book listed with online bookstores such as Amazon.com If you are not willing to pay at least a small amount for these services then POD publishing may not be for you.

Expect Rejections

Finally, expect a few rejections. As I previously mentioned, there is an overwhelming imbalance between the number of people who are looking to buy literary journals and books as compared to those who wish to publish it. Do not be discouraged if your work is rejected. Try revising it and sending it out to another publisher. Also, despite the fact that a rejection can make you want to send out your piece to several different publishers at once, you should never send your work to multiple publishers.

When a publisher accepts your work, enjoy the pride that comes along with such esteem. You will be on your way to building a portfolio. Getting your poetry published by various publishers is sometimes a slow and arduous adventure, but it is well worth the time and work.
Tip! Write a business plan. Being aware of the business aspect of publishing is not an end in itself – you need to formally write your plan.

Devrie Paradowski has been published by several literary journals such as Adagio Verse Quarterly, Eclips e-zine and Meeting of the Minds Journal. She has also published articles with Poetry Renewal Magazine. She is the editor of LE Quarterly: http://www.literaryescape.com/journal/

Publishing Poetry in Newspapers: Where to Submit

2007-11-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

According to Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, "Daily newspapers no longer review poetry. There is, in fact, little coverage of poetry or poets in the general press". (Can Poetry Matter, Dana Gioia, 1991).

John Timpane, Philadelphia Inquirer Commentary page editor, adds: "Today, in my opinion, most newspaper people are afraid of poetry. They're afraid readers won't understand it, especially poetry they (these newspaper people) find "hard" or "experimental." It amounts to a fear of the verbal. (Kelly Writers House, 1999).

One could argue Gioia and Timpane's claims today, as print media seemingly loses ground, with technological advancements in communications, and as the art of poetry and its society becomes increasingly associated with academia, thereby making it less user-friendly to the general public.

However, there is, even today, life in the press. This article addresses the newspapers that currently accept poetry from the people; listed below are the following newspapers in the United States, (compiled by Melanie Simms) that presently accept poetry submissions.

(If anyone has information on additional listings, please e-mail them to Melanie Simms at moonspinner@pa.net or contact her at her website at www.poetmelaniesimms.net).

Current List of Newspapers that Publish Poetry:

Philadelphia Inquirer: Contact: John Timpane at jt@phillynews.com

The York Daily Record: Contact: Bill Diskin: bill@billdiskin.com

The Oregonian: Ask for the Poetry Editor or call: 503-221-8100

The Santa Cruz Sentinel: Contact: 831-423-4242 and ask for the Poetry Editor

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Contact: 412-263-1100 and ask for the Poetry Editor

The Christian Science Monitor: Contact: 617-450-2000 and ask for the Poetry Editor

Clearly this current list is small (albeit still in development) which only forwards the concerns of the American public that "poetry in the newspapers" is a dying breed, but thanks to the "die-hard" efforts of these remaining voices in today's newspapers, America still has hope to see the art rekindled.

Every poet and citizen who appreciates the art has an opportunity and obligation as well to assist. The newspapers depend upon its readers. Share your voices of concern so that the press realizes that Dana Gioia, John Timpane and your humble author are not alone in their desire to see poetry in the news again. You can do so by contacting your local poetry editor and requesting a poetry article be developed, or, if you're creatively (and financially inclined) start a poetry column of your own from your own small newspaper press.
Tip! You aren't having any luck getting accepted by traditional publishing houses. Or the entire process of seeking an agent or publisher seems too frustrating to even consider: thousands of writers submitting work to the same overburdened editors, for the same limited publishing space.

Let the voice of the people be heard in the art of poetry and thrive once again in the newspapers!

Poet Melanie Simms has been published in over 100 newspapers, ezines and literary journals including The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, The Santa Cruz Sentinel and The York Times. Learn more about Melanie Simms or contact her for information on newspapers that publish poetry at http://www.poetmelaniesimms.net or moonspinner@pa.net