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Feature
The Publishing Times, They Are A-Changin’
iUniverse and Barnes & Noble Make Changes to Meet the Future
Since its founding in 1996, print on demand (POD) publisher iUniverse has quietly become one of the largest publishers in the United States, with a 12,000-title backlist and currently publishing approximately 400 books per month. The company utilizes print on demand technology to lower the costs and risks associated with traditional book publishing, originally offering “the $99 publishing solution.” You want it published, they’ll do it.From the beginning, POD subsidy publishers have battled the reputation of adding to the “slush pile” of ill-conceived, poorly edited and designed books. iUniverse has now begun to say that “they help individuals publish, market, and sell fiction and non-fiction books,” hoping to improve their image with reviewers and booksellers.
“It’s interesting to compare traditional and POD publishing,” says new iUniverse President and CEO Kimra Hawley. “There’s a huge gap between the two, and we’ve begun filling it in. The question, of course, is how to do that without bringing on financial ruin.”
Hawley explains her mission of addressing industry criticism that POD vendors offer no editorial filtering, and little sales and marketing support, and in January 2003 unveiled the new “Star Program,” that will provide top-performing iUniverse authors with the four key services previously obtainable only through “traditional” publishing firms:
(1) editorial review and filtering
(2) book design and printing (including offset printing)
(3) book distribution through Barnes & Noble stores
(4) sales and marketing investments
“In the past, POD publishers really only addressed design, printing and distribution,” says Hawley. “iUniverse is establishing itself as a new breed of publisher –- the first to combine the full range of traditional publishing services with the time-to-market advantages of POD. I’m all for ‘democracy in publishing,’ but with any good democracy there has to be some rules.”
“The term ‘POD publisher’ really doesn’t apply to iUniverse anymore. We happen to utilize POD technology for most of our books, but also produce books using standard off-set print runs when we know there is a strong market for the book.”
“We want to be an extension of the traditional publishing business. Our goal for the books that become most successful, those that achieve 5-10K in sales, is to turn them over to a traditional publisher. What’s been missing in all this before was a process to make that happen.”
“When a book sells over 500 copies, and at least 40% of that is through traditional channels, the first flag goes up, and we’ll take a close look at that title for the Star Program. It’s good business to make sales and marketing investments in books that demonstrate strong initial sales. We’re putting real dollars into marketing our Star authors – securing book reviews, direct marketing initiatives, advertising and more,” says Hawley.
This new attitude and approach may have something to do with the “Editors’ Choice” designation from PC Magazine in a comparison of six POD companies published in the May 27, 2003, issue. The magazine published the same manuscript with each of the companies and judged them according to cover design quality, marketing services provided, and overall value. In each category, iUniverse received top marks (five out of possible five) and earned the overall award.
Much of iUniverse’s success to date has come from helping authors remove much of the “chance” from the publishing process. By providing an alternative to endlessly sending manuscripts to traditional publishers, only to have them languish in piles of other submissions, the company actually got authors published and in print. Now, says Hawley, iUniverse also has the tools, methodology and relationships in place to help serious authors move to the next level. Already, iUniverse authors have gone on to major publishers such as Kensington, Random House, and McGraw-Hill. The best of the Star Program books will be in line to take that step, and also be prime candidates for in-store placement with Barnes & Noble, the world’s largest bookseller. B&N will now review books that have achieved success within the Star Program, and the best of these are being printed via off-set process, then inventoried and sold in Barnes & Noble stores.
The Star Program is designed to provide value to the publishing industry by serving as a “farm team” for traditional publishers. Authors that succeed in the Star Program are essentially “pre-tested” for broader market success. Hawley is striving to achieve what she calls a “symbiotic relationship” with traditional publishers.
“The program is designed to allow authors to show that they have the talent and drive to succeed in a tough business,” says Hawley. “In effect, we’re removing much of the risk publishers face in signing new authors to costly publishing agreements.”
iUniverse regularly presents titles from promising Star Program authors to publishing industry partners such as Kensington Publishing Corp., which publishes 7 percent of the mass market books sold in the United States. iUniverse authors that have moved on to success with Kensington include Ruby Ann Boxcar, author of Ruby Ann’s Down Home Trailer Park Cookbook, and Brandon Masey, author of Thunderland. Other iUniverse authors that have recently signed traditional publishing agreements:
* Marky Stein, author of Fearless Interviewing: What to Do Before, During and After an Interview. McGraw-Hill Trade has assumed publication of the book, now titled Fearless Interviewing: How to Win the Job by Communicating With Confidence.
* Gary Wassner, author of GemQuest, The Twins. Windstorm Creative has signed Wassner to a three-book publishing contract.
In April 2003, iUniverse also made its Editorial Review service available to all authors who want to improve the quality – and saleability – of their books. Time will tell whether or not authors take advantage of this valuable and critical part of the publishing process -- and help to shrink the proverbial slush pile.
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New iUniverse Chief Kimra Hawley – Background, Philosophy
Kimra Hawley brings 20 years of business background to her role as president and CEO of iUniverse, including 5 years as the founding CEO of public software firm that now generates $50 million per year in revenue. She says that in working with the iUniverse team to re-tool the company’s vision and direction, she encouraged them to ask some very basic questions common to all businesses:
* What do our customers (in this case, aspiring authors) need that they aren’t getting?
* How can we meet those needs in a unique and important way?
* How does iUniverse “fit” within the rest of the industry (in this case, publishing)?
To find the answers, Hawley and her team conducted exhaustive research to determine what authors need from a publisher. But they also consulted with experts from all areas of the publishing industry – book sellers, agents, other publishers, and more – to find out where iUniverse could provide more value to the publishing industry. From all of this input, the concept of a “new breed of publisher” emerged, combining (a) the four key publishing services for authors, (b) the technological and speed-to-market advantages of print on demand, and (c) the “farm team” concept of bringing talented, undiscovered authors into the publishing industry – and even to other publishers.
“We looked at the whole picture, not just how to bring in more authors to iUniverse,” says Hawley. “We think we’ve come up with a model that combines the best aspects of traditional publishing and POD, as well as providing value to the industry as a whole. We’re excited – and so are our authors.”
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Barnes & Noble expands publishing program
iUniverse isn’t the only one bringing about change. During a sluggish time for the book industry, one new publisher -- Barnes & Noble -- keeps growing. The superstore chain is upgrading and expanding its line of Barnes & Noble Classics, such as "Moby-Dick" and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," and expects to release 100 different titles by June 2004.
"These books are consistent with our plan to publish books of high editorial quality and exceptional value, books that sell year after year," said B&N CEO Steve Riggio in a statement.
B&N recently acquired Sterling Publishing, a specialist in gardening, cooking and other "how-to" books, and has been steadily expanding the publishing end of its business. Riggio says that about 4 percent of current sales come from books they publish, and expects an increase to 10 percent within five years.
The superstore has taken some flak for the new programs, as displays of new titles by various publishers in the front of the store get replaced by Sterling and B&N Classics titles. “Am I the only one thinking it's as if Barnes & Noble isn't that interested in selling books anymore?” asks Dennis Loy Johnson on his MobyLives.com website, referring to the merchandising shift. Johnson complains that B&N has reneged on its promise “to be good for all the bookstores and book lovers around.” “Meanwhile, they sell books at a drastic discount until all the local competition has gone under,” he says. Independent publishers, already fighting for shelf space at B&N, have been getting the message from buyers that they're looking for lower retail prices and better discounts.
But, business is business, and as Mark Twain said, “Let your sympathies and your compassion be always with the underdog in the fight -- this is magnanimity; but bet on the other one -- this is business.” Easy for him to say, having already reached “classic” status…
The timing for publishing The Classics may also increase greatly later this year, when Oprah Winfrey brings back her book club with its new focus on classic authors like Hemingway, Faulkner, and Steinbeck. In addition, community reading programs around the country often choose classic titles for their “group reads,” reviving further interest and big sales numbers.
B&N's new strategy also sets up an interesting confrontation with other publishers of older works such as Penguin Classics, the Modern Library and Oxford University Press, who sell large quantities of their books at B&N stores. How will it all play out? Time will tell. Let’s hope the real winner is the reading public, and that the priority is on getting good books into their hands.