================================================================
This is a monthly e-mail update for subscribers only, sent from
U-Publish.com, the web site named for the revolutionary guide
to new methods for publishing and promoting books by Dan Poynter
and Danny O. Snow. Get the paperback, now available to order
from all major bookstores & online booksellers. Or order direct
at http://www.u-publish.com/order.htm with free shipping.
================================================================
Dear Subscriber,
You may have noticed that the August edition of "U-PubDATES"
was not delivered. Why? Because our e-mail was swamped with
HUNDREDS of virus-laden messages. For this reason, this edition
is dedicated to e-mail viruses and related issues.
FACT: if you received a virus with our return address, it did
NOT originate from U-Publish.com. Many modern viruses scan the
address books of infected users and "hijack" addresses of others
to hide the real source of the virus. Our address appears in
the address books of hundreds of subscribers who were infected.
FACT: most modern viruses target Microsoft Outlook. Eudora is
full-featured e-mail software that is often immune. A free
version is available. See http://www.eudora.com/download/
FACT: ask your Internet service to block *all* file attachments
with the extentions .EXE, .COM, .PIF and .SCR at a minimum.
These file types carry the overwhelming majority of e-mail
viruses.
FACT: depending on the e-mail software you use, you may be able
to change your settings to limit the size of file attachments
to less than 100k. The vast majority of viruses use attached
files with sizes of 100k or larger.
We apologize for the delay in sending out this newsletter, and
now resume our regular material, in the items below.
================================================================
*** Microsoft e-Book Giveaway
Microsoft has a promotion for MS Reader software. Over the
next five months, they'll allow users to download three free
e-books a week. The offer includes a number of new titles
including Hillary Liftin's CANDY & ME and Bill Bryson's best-
selling A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING and backlist hits
like THE JOY LUCK CLUB will be offered along the way. The
free titles are not archived though, so you if you want them
you need to visit weekly:
http://www.microsoft.com/reader/promotions/free_shop.asp
-- Courtesy of Florrie Kichler, Patria Press
-- http://www.patriapress.com
================================================================
*** PW Stats on the National Book Trade
According to Publishers Weekly (http://www.PublishersWeekly.com)
new releases from the big New York publishers declined 5% last
year, mostly in adult fiction and travel. Travel books are
still down in response to 9/11 -- and fiction is always more
risky than non-fiction, especially in a down economy.
More than 10,000 new publishing companies were established in
2002; there are now 73,000 U.S. publishers!
The big five publishers in New York accounted for 45% of total
market share. The rest of us released a total of 55%.
================================================================
*** Freebie for Subscribers
250 business cards free of charge:
Vista Print at http://www.vistaprint.com/vp/ns/bcfree.aspx
-- Courtesy of Raleigh Pinskey
-- http://www.promoteyourself.com
================================================================
*** Freebie for Journalists
Poynter's Article Bank: Articles and quotations (great fillers)
that may be used by editors of magazines, newsletters and web
sites:
http://parapub.com/articles/
================================================================
Please feel free to forward copies of this bulletin to your
fellow authors and publishers. This is a free service that is
available to anyone in the book world upon request. We don't
endorse specific products or services, and we do not accept
advertising. You may subscribe or un-subscribe at any time.
================================================================
*** POD Books in Stores ???
Rumors are circulating that major bookstores may now be stocking
"Print-on-Demand" books.
Possibly true ... but don't jump to conclusions prematurely!
Note our bias: "U-Publish.com" is a POD trade paperback, from
Unlimited Publishing LLC.
POD books must compete with traditional books in the marketplace.
Quality (editorial, book design and printing) must all be competitive,
regardless of printing method. See guidelines from Barnes & Noble,
as covered here in the December 2002 issue:
http://www.u-publish.com/dec2002.htm
Books that contain frequent errors in spelling or grammar, and
those with amateurish designs (often using "one-size-fits-all"
templates or typeset with word processors -- MS Word to PDF)
are at a distinct disadvantage, and rightly so.
Important: for books that meet the quality standards of major
bookstores, TERMS are important too. Some POD publishers
charge inflated prices, up to $15 -- or more -- for a 200 page
paperback. RETURNABILITY is also key. Few stores will stock
books on a non-returnable basis. Bookstores want books that
are fully returnable, yet few POD publishers accept returns.
Items above are just a few of the factors that stores consider
in deciding whether to stock a book, whether it is printed with
POD, PQN or traditional methods.
================================================================
*** Writers Workshop Fiction Contest
Deadline: Postmark by midnight, September 15, 2003. Submit an
unpublished short story or chapter of a novel, with 5,000 word
limit (typed and double-spaced). Multiple entries are accepted.
Entry fee is $18 per story. Attach a cover sheet with your name,
address, story title and phone number. Use 12 point font size;
paper-clip your work; and enclose legal-size SASE with self-
adhesive flap for judge's comments and winner's list. Make
check or money order payable to The Writers' Workshop, and send
to: Fiction Contest, 387 Beaucatcher Road, Asheville, NC 28805.
The Writers' Workshop is a non-profit literary center, founded
in 1985: http://ash_works.tripod.com
================================================================
*** More Contests for Writers
*** Courtesy of Rita Mills, The Book Connection
BRAZOS WRITERS & BARBARA BUSH LITERACY CONTEST -- Submission
guidelines for the 2003 essay and poetry contest co-sponsored by
the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum and Brazos
Writers in partnership with the Barbara Bush Literacy Corps are
available at: http://www.brazoswriters.org
WOMEN WRITERES WHO ARE BOOMERS -- a.k.a. Dotsie Bregel is
passionate about giving baby boomer women a voice and is looking
for stories to be included in her next book. For more info:
http://www.boomerwomenspeak.com
ANTHOLOGY SEEKING SUBMISSIONS -- Kate Hymes (African American)
and Pat Schneider, (Caucasian) are writers who are compiling an
anthology to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks refusal
to get up from her seat on a segregated bus. The book will be
titled "All That I Remember," from a poem by Countee Cullen, a
black American writer. It will be a collection of pieces by black
and white women who remember how race was lived before 1955.
Kate and Pat have been working on this project for more than two
years, and have received more than 250 manuscripts. The call for
manuscripts will be closed on September 1, 2003. For details,
e-mail: pat@amherstwriters.com or kate@amherstwriters.com
================================================================
Please feel free to forward copies of this bulletin to your
fellow authors and publishers. This is a free service that is
available to anyone in the book world upon request. We don't
endorse specific products or services, and we do not accept
advertising. You may subscribe or un-subscribe at any time.
================================================================
*** Important Note for Subscribers
If you receive our bulletins at an Internet service like Hotmail,
AOL, Yahoo or Earthlink, PLEASE be sure to put our reply address
(newsdesk@u-publish.com) in your "address book." If not, future
issues could be accidentally filtered by your service provider
in their efforts to block spam. As you know, our bulletins are
100% subscription-only, but unfortunately some services will not
deliver them unless our reply address is included in your
address book. We apologize for any inconvenience, and appreciate
your help. Please tell others! For more info, see:
http://www.u-publish.com/e-mail.htm
================================================================
Inside tip from Poynter & Snow:
ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT!
Here's ours:
This is a free e-mail bulletin from U-Publish.com, the web site
named for the book by Dan Poynter and Danny O. Snow.
Bulletins are sent by subscription only. You may subscribe or
unsubscribe at any time. Simply contact us by e-mail at:
subscribe@u-publish.com
We do not endorse specific products or services, and we do not
accept advertising. We will not sell your name, address or
other personal information to others for any reason at any time.
Our goal is to serve as advocates for the self-publisher or
independent publisher, large or small. We welcome your
participation, feedback, criticism, and suggestions. We learn
a lot from our readers, and value your input.
Please visit http://www.u-publish.com at least once each month,
for periodic updates of interest to writers and publishers.
Please feel free to forward copies of this message to fellow
writers and publishers. This is a free service, available to
to anyone in the book world upon request.
================================================================
If this text appears large and red, please check your e-mail
settings to see if you need to disable "HTML" output, and use
"Text Only" instead. Some e-mail software such as Microsoft
Outlook may send e-mail messages in the same format (HTML)
as a web page, which can cause problems for recipients who
use other e-mail software.
File attachments (especially large ones) also cause problems
for some recipients and should be avoided unless they are
specifically requested by the recipient.
If you are sending e-mail to the public, you want your e-mail
messages to arrive simple and problem-free. The suggestions
above will make your e-mail easier for everyone to read.