Ethics, Integrity and an Honest Day's Work

I recently joined the Business Ethics Alliance (BEA) founded here in Omaha. It's an amazing amalgamation of industries, business models, diversity, and energy. It's a thought-provoking exercise just milling through their printed materials, so I'm looking forward to their workshops, too.

A headline jumps out today in one of their pieces of literature:

What is our "Ethical Legacy?"  

Now that's a question for us all.  The answer lies in our Core Business Values as business leaders and members of a community. The pamphlet silently instructs what "Ethical Legacy" means and it begs us to figure out what our core business values are and when/where they apply in our lives. The organization has formed The Ethical Legacy Project, whose goal is to identify, articulate and communicate core values of the Omaha business community. Sounds pretty good.

For me, the relative importance of the task I am completing at any given moment put the values in slightly different places on the scale, but it certainly is good to have a strong base of equally important compasses. Whether I am estimating a job, ordering supplies for a client, creating a marketing plan, reporting the results of a campaign, inspecting delivered materials, entering an award contest or sending out a press release, I strive to remember and adhere to these values, which I have adapted for my company from the Legacy Project:

CORE BUSINESS VALUES

• Accountability: Hold myself and others answerable; communicate expectations, provide feedback and ask for and implement fair corrective actions when appropriate.
• Community Responsibility: Realize that my actions and the actions of my company carry a responsibility not just to me, but to my employees and vendors, clients and their customers, their families, my neighborhood, my different "communities," and my organization.
• Financial Vitality: Strive to achieve sustainable financial success, driven by ethical management and systems. When the systems don't work, strive to improve them.
• Integrity: Be genuinely respectful, honest, fair and trustworthy in all and to all. Do the ethical thing even when no one is looking. Hold others to the same standard of integrity and do business with others who share your values.
• Moral Courage: Behave consistently, even when it is difficult, unpopular and comes at a cost. Don't look the other way when someone shows poor judgment or character against their community.

It's a good start for a Monday.

If you haven't heard of this organization, you should look them up: www.businessethicsalliance.org.

Don't Buy a Pet Fish and Expect it to Act Like a Dog

Chew on This...

The publishing industry changes pretty much on a daily basis. The opportunities for independent authors have never been greater, and the barriers to entry have virtually disappeared. It's just not that hard to publish a book these days -- however, if you plan on being successful, you have to think of it as a business. The good news is that it's easy to get your book out there; the bad news is that a lot of poorly conceived, poorly funded, and poorly edited books also make their way "out there" in droves. The really good news here is that there are people to help you understand the business and your options and what you are getting into. (Hey, btw, we can help you with all that stuff!)  Do your research (check behind their ears, look at their teeth, do a sniff test on Google).

Lots of Publishing Species From Which to Choose...
The new terms in publishing are coming fast and hard, and it's important to understand what they mean to you. I'm not going to give you a glossary of terms here, but suffice it to say, you need to understand the pros and cons of each publishing option.  Don't sign anything until you really, really understand what everything means. Several publishing options are explained and expanded upon throughout this blog.

Who Let the Dogs Out?
Once you choose your publishing breed, don't change your mind and decide it should be doing something instead because some friend told you "You should do ______." Unless they are truly an expert, this is bad advice 99% of the time. Use the best features available from the method you choose and don't expect your method to do new tricks for which it is not set up.

Every day, I hear people who have chosen to publish through a print-on-demand company wonder why their book is not on the shelves of the bookstore. It can be a wise choice for many authors, but knowing your realistic objectives will be your guide. Without clear-cut, realistic, educated objectives, you could be caught chasing your tail.
On the other hand, every month, I meet at least one author who published their book with the fabulous intention of selling it in the back of the room after a speaking engagement. Good plan. A few weeks into the book's life, a friend walks up to the author and says "I went to the bookstore and they said they don't have the book. I want to buy it there." Of course the unspoken message the author hears is "What, isn't your book good enough for bookstores to carry it?" I tell those authors to say "No, bookstores aren't right for my book; however, I take cash, checks and all major credit cards. I'll run out to the car and get you one. I'll even sign it for you!" 

The Tail End of It All...
Making your book available through as many options as possible certainly helps your customer make the decision to purchase your book. Don't buy into claims that your book will be on the shelves of every bookstore, because it won't. (And you don't want it there!) Being available to order at those places is good, however! There are 100,000 books in a pretty big bookstore these days. There are a million new books published each year, and some 30,000,000 titles currently in print, maybe bazillions more. Those aren't very good odds. My final thought is to help you remember that bookstores aren't your target end consumer -- readers are!

Know your plan and stick with it for success!

Publishing is Marketing 401

What's Your Marketing Perspective?

From a marketing standpoint, how a business is "oriented" sets the course for how they run their whole operation. Not only is it one of the most definitive marketing opportunities of virtually any industry, the publishing business has had a very defined evolution. Companies and their owners have philosophies, and those philosophies are in general categories of orientation: Product, Production, Customer/Market, or Sales. We are going to talk about the first three, and each term is linked to an expanded definition from another source on the web.

Product Orientation - (The product itself is the focus of the business) Simply put, in traditional publishing, the author hands over 100% of the editorial and creative control to the publisher (because they are spending the money). The publisher says to the author "Rewrite this or that. Here's your cover, ain't it grand. Oh, and here's how we are positioning your book. Have a nice day Mr. Author." Then he moves on to say to the consumer, "Here's this book. Buy it like this."

Production Orientation - (The way it is produced is primary focus) Along came the POD/Subsidy/Vanity and "so called" self-publishing companies (iUniverse, AuthorHouse, Xlibris, and the like), and the tables were turned. The editorial and creative control for publishing a book went right into the author's grasp...only problem is, the author doesn't often know what they are doing and more often doesn't want to spend the money to hire professionals. Author says to "publisher": "Print my book and put it on your wholesale listings." And then moves on to say to the consumer, "Hey I wrote a book. Buy it like this."

Customer Orientation - (Finally, the consumer enters the mix, and the market drives products by demanding high quality, pricing control, availability, formatting and even creative -- by voting with their credit card.) Now, in the most exciting time ever for publishers and readers alike, the consumer says "I want to read a good book, with a good story line that has been thoughtfully edited, and creatively packaged and is available in the formats I want to read it. I want this book as a Kindle, this book for my iPad, that book as a paperback, that book as a PDF, and so on. Don't have those formats, Mr. Author? I'll move on to another book, thank you."  

It's your time. It's the reader's time. Go on. Write your dream!

You are NOT saving the economy by buying that...

If something is not right for you, learn how to say "No thank you." and mean it.

I dislike salespeople that sell, sell, sell, sell, sell.  How about solving a problem I might have.  I've learned that there are few things in life that a salesperson cannot overstate. Everything is always "The Best", "The Strongest", "Most User-Friendly".

In college marketing classes, they call that "Puffery"; in my office, I call it "Blah, Blah, Blah."

Personally, the more superlatives, adjectives and other fancy language a salesperson uses on me, the less I believe him. I'm cynical and skeptical, it's true; but it's only because I've been bitten here (and there) in my career. So how do I make sure I'm not being duped or oversold? I question. I object. I suspect... But more actively and objectively, I test.

Salespeople beware.  There is a new consumer out there that cares what they buy, from whom they buy it, and what "its" impact is on the world.  Make sure you are solving a problem, rather than just trying to make a buck.

Don't Let the Ship Hit the Fan...

Shipping materials need love too...

When we are doing ANY shipping on ANY book, we test the packaging that we want to use with that book. 

Is it... (Not what the manufacturer says, but what it actually is.)

Durable?  We'll throw it off a couple of buildings and drive over it ourselves, thank you.  Lightweight?  We'll weigh that out ourselves with all the parts.  Ecofriendly?  Specifications please!

Bottom line...

Yes, it does impact your bottom line.  Make sure your books arrive to your customer's doorstep in good shape and looking professional.  And make sure your shipping materials aren't adding more to the cost of your shipping than you are collecting for shipping.  Remember, you may have to pay for an extra pound of shipping for even a fraction of an ounce. 

It matters.

Dating (in Publishing, that is)

Clients often wonder why we want to wait to release their book. It's sitting there all ready to go, and yet we insist on waiting.  "UGH!" they say -- "But people are already in line outside the bookstores waiting for it to go on sale!" 

Self publishers and independent authors are often caught in the trap of their own false impressions of how a book is published. Take the time to publicize your book properly.  You'll need a minimum of four months to get a review from a professional reviewer, or a possible feature in a magazine or any other type of publicity. 

There are several dates you need to know

• Advance Review Deadline:  4 months ahead of your Publication Date
• Street Date:  When you have actual books in hand and you can sell them privately
• Pub Date/Publication Date/Release Date: The date when the industry can start selling you book

Another important date
Copyright Date:  The date when you officially send your book to the Library of Congress.  Make sure you are not sending it ahead of having your book published.  Libraries and other buyers look at that date to determine the book's age.  So if you finished writing your book in December of 2011, finished your editing and layout in June, and set your publication date for November 2012 -- you would set your copyright year as 2013 and NOT 2011.  Why?  Buyers look at the book's copyright year when deciding one title over another.  In January of 2013 with a copyright year of 2011, your book would appear two years old if you set your copyright as the date you finished writing.

Your Writing has Style - So Use a Style Sheet!

If you are a computer programmer, you have probably used style sheets in your day-to-day work. If you are an editor, no doubt you use style sheets on a daily basis (if you don’t prepare these for your clients, you should). However, as a writer, you may not have even heard of a style sheet until an editor or publisher has made you use one. It’s a good thing to know before you start your book – it will save you many headaches later.

A style sheet is your list of style standards and practices for your book, article or even your entire vision of your own image. It is composed of your grammar and punctuation rules, your protocol for capitalization, numbers, italics, proper names and nicknames, character sketches and profiles, details of the settings you use, timelines. Most book publishers use Chicago Manual of Style, so look things up if you are accustomed to writing with another stylebook (MLA for medical articles, AP for newspapers, ALA for college for example).

In addition to your own style sheets, you may be asked to adhere to a publisher’s own rules and recommendations, so make sure you inquire early on. The Chicago Manual of Style may have special rules for specific things that go against what you or your publisher may want  – most of the time, there are good reasons, but sometimes there are just “taste” things that the author wants to convey, or cultural things that add to the flavor of the book. DO NOT allow yourself to misspell things or to use incorrect grammar for cultural reasons except in those instances where it adds flavor to dialog or verse.

The purpose of a style sheet is to keep the writer on track throughout the writing process, and to inform the editor about spelling, punctuation, numerical practices and other items so a manuscript can be consistent throughout. This is particularly important for a writer who takes breaks between writing sessions – or for one who is writing several items at once.

If you are a novelist, you should have a detailed spreadsheet listing out scenes, plot lines, and timelines—and one for character traits (physical descriptions, language habits, and their history). I also suggest producing these same detailed spreadsheets if you are writing non-fiction—particularly a memoir or family history. Take the time to do this and you will have an easier time ensuring consistency and you will reduce your chance for error.

Use a style sheet as your rule book

• List names: first, last and nicknames used. Verify those names to make sure you are spelling them correctly in the manuscript, because your style sheet is the rule of law!
• List your punctuation rules, including serial comma or no serial comma, em dash or en dash, other rules special to your manuscript.
• List your rules for using numerals and words for numbers. Are you following Chicago Manual of Style for your number handling or does it make sense for you to have rules specific to your manuscript? Don’t decide this arbitrarily—ask your editor what might be the best way to handle them, and always treat them consistently.
• List abbreviations and their extended meanings. Also note why they are abbreviated and when they should be spelled out.
• List words that are always capped, and those that have unconventional capitalization specific to your manuscript.
• List words that you make up, along with their meanings, capitalization rules, and spellings.
• Note anything unusual that the writer or copy editor should know about. For example, any oddities that would not appear in standard language. Keep in mind that the reader may not have previous knowledge of certain phrases—and your job as writer is to guide the reader through your journey or story.
• If you have author notes or footnotes, spell out your rules for those ahead of time so you know when you should be using them.
• Last, but not least, make a comprehensive spreadsheet of characters, including the spelling of their full names, descriptions, timelines and special characteristics in mannerisms, gait, language, etc.  If you have people in your book, you should always use this, no matter if it is fiction or non-fiction.

You don’t have to start your style sheet as you put the first word on paper, but it will help you in the long run if you do. If you have already written your first draft, sit down now and prepare a style sheet as you reread your manuscript.