First Issue

Spencer Johnson will soon have a new book on the market. The mega-bestselling author of Who Moved My Cheese? and The Present is set to publish a new title called Peaks and Valleys: Getting What You Need in Both Good and Bad Times.

World rights have already been sold and the English-language version will be published simultaneously in the U.S., Canada, UK and Australia, though no release date has been announced.

Who Moved My Cheese? has sold over 21 million copies since its release 10 years ago. Some interesting facts about Spencer Johnson and his publishing success, from his website:

• Amazon says that in its first 10 years of operation, Who Moved My Cheese? was its #1 selling title
• Who Moved My Cheese? is China’s all-time best selling translated work (2 million+ copies sold)
• In Japan, Who Moved My Cheese? is the #1 bestselling book of all time by a non-Japanese author (4.5 milion+ copies sold)

What do you think is the secret to the phenomenal success of this mouse-y parable on change?

Rate My Book Cover is a simple website that lets you view and rate cover designs on a scale from 1 to 10. I’d guess that most, if not all, of the covers are from self-published authors. You can even submit your own cover design if you’re interested in what others think.

I can’t say I agree with many of the rankings. Some downright hideous covers rank above 5 and some quite good ones are down in the 3s and 4s. I wouldn’t trust the feedback as market research into whether your design is any good or not — but the site is an interesting way to while away some time. Have a bit of fun with it.

Dean Hua of Sachi Studio recently posted a great article on how authors can use Facebook to promote their books. A shortened version of his 8-point tip list appears below. For the full article, visit Dean’s blog.

1. Create a “page” for your book. A page is a mini-site on Facebook that is dedicated to the product or service you are selling. You can post videos, messages, pictures, and links. Other Facebook users can click a button to become a “fan” of the page, and your page then shows up in their profiles.
2. Create a group around the topic of your book. For example, if your book is about wealth management, create a group that discusses wealth management tips and strategies.
3. Import your blog entries into your Facebook notes. This helps you capture a new readership base and adds more interactivity to your Facebook presence.
4. Keep your profile dynamic. Don’t just create a Facebook account, add 5 friends, and then wither away. Update your status regularly with news about your book or business. Post photos – think networking events, book signings, talks, conventions, and more. Answer wall messages and emails to be sociable (it is social media, after all) and stoke the fires of conversation.
5. Incentivize your outreach strategies. A few suggested prizes include a free, signed copy of your book, a special edition of your book, a free consultation, or anything that may be appropriate. Offering prizes and incentives helps expedite word of mouth.
6. Befriend members who read your book. Do a search for members who list your book as one of their favorites. This is one of the more time-consuming outreach initiatives that you’ll develop. If you have a lot of members listed, look for ways to filter down the list and add only those who are most important. Look for influencers.
7. Create events. Facebook allows you to create events that you may be hosting such as a book tour or speaking engagement. Create these events and invite your friends. But don’t just stop there. Encourage your friends to spread the word by inviting their friends to the event on Facebook as well.
8. Add a badge to your website and blog. Facebook allows you to create a badge (a mini-banner) that lets your website visitors know you have a Facebook profile. This makes it easy for visitors to find you and encourages them to connect with you.

Example of a Facebook badge

There’s a new e-book reader on the market … and it will wrap itself around your little finger. Literally.

The new Readius is made with a screen that folds up into a tidy package for carrying and is flexible enough to wrap around your finger.

The resolution and screen quality are comparable to the Amazon Kindle since both devices use E Ink technology. The Readius display is a little smaller than the Kindle — 5″ diagonal versus the Kindle’s 6″ — but the Kindle doesn’t fold up to the size of a cell phone. The Readius also lets you download email, which the Kindle doesn’t do.

Many e-book readers have launched and failed. Can the Readius put a dent in the growing Kindle market? While the Readius has a “cool” factor with the bendy screen, the Kindle has a big headstart and the Amazon infrastructure behind it.

The big downside of the Kindle and the new Readius is that they are essentially single-purpose devices. They read e-books. OK, they can both read newspapers too.

But where is the flexible screen that can do it all and won’t tie us down to proprietary file formats?

Years ago I read a prediction that said one day we would all carry a single, rollable screen that served as newspaper, book, web browser, e-mail reader and computer desktop. That’s the device I’d like to see.

So to the Readius, I say, “Good start.” Let’s see what you do next.

Have you been scratching your head over how to generate some online word of mouth about your book? Head on over to Mini Book Expo and scratch no more.

The site’s tagline of Claim It – Read It – Blog It says it all: MiniBookExpo showcases free copies of books. Anyone can claim a copy in return for a blog post or review.

The site has been around since 2006 but seems to taking off in a huge way over the last few weeks. More publishers are signing up and more books are being offered every day.

The great news is that Mini Book Expo welcomes self-publishers with open arms and it’s free to get your book into the lineup. Fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books are all eligible. According to the site, business books get snapped up quickly.

Books are shipped out to bloggers for free within Canada, thanks to sponsors who are covering the mailing costs. Bloggers outside of Canada can also request your book, but it sounds like you will have to subsidize the mailing cost yourself or make the bloggers pay it.

Donate a few copies of your book, get exposure on the site, get connected with bloggers, and get online reviews circulating – you can’t beat it.

Check the site’s FAQ for instructions on how to submit your book.

Canada Post has recently announced upcoming mail classification changes that will make it twice as expensive for publishers and media sellers to ship books, CDs and DVDs.

Effective January 1, 2009, the oversize letter mail category will split into two categories: Regular and Irregular items.

The Irregular category is to include any envelope that is:

• 1-2 cm thick
• Rigid
• And/or that has box-like edges

By these definitions, any envelopes containing CDs, DVDs, or slim books—whether soft cover or hard cover—would be charged at new Irregular rates, which are to be twice the rates of Regular oversized letter mail. For example, a 150g Irregular package will cost $3.92 to mail versus $1.96 for a Regular package.

Canada Post also snuck into a “background document” the announcement that Irregular letter mail items will be transitioned to Parcel rates over the next three years. With current book-sized parcels averaging a cost of $8 to $11 to ship within the country, Canadian media publishers can expect huge cost jumps to mail their items in the next few years.

Publishers whose books already ship at Parcel rates (those over 500g or thicker than 2cm) are not affected by the new rules.