Another Look Inside A Dawn Run Hot with Morning (The Poetry III)

Welcome back! I have just one more poem in this series of glimpses on to the pages of A Dawn Run Hot with Morning. (Click here to see other poems in this series.) Thanks for tuning in. Enjoy!

 

Laughter

You arrive

Carrying a single flower

A daisy

The sun-kissed kind

It had been your decision

You knew that this was right

And I am happy to see you

Then before I could turn to leave

There was a flutter inside

A feeling of elation

An eruption of happiness

A smile across your lips

An utterance, a cry

There is laughter

There is rejoicing

Publishing Your Work in a Literary Magazine

There are many advantages to submitting your work to a literary magazine or journal for possible publication. Although your entire manuscript may not be published, perhaps your best work will be represented in the pages of a major publication. Submitting your work to a literary journal is less arduous and less time consuming than publishing with a traditional publisher. Typically, you can have news concerning the status of your work within a few months of initial submission. While the competition is as stiff as it is in traditional publishing, there are many, many publications to choose from. New Pages compiles a listing of literary magazines, each with annual deadlines for poetry, short fiction, essays, etc. Take a look at the list and consider submitting some of your work.

The benefits of being published in a literary magazine are many. First, publication means that your work is being acknowledged by a notable literary community of writers & editors. It also means that your work is being selected among many other talented writers. Literary magazines and their literary reputations vary, but you can be sure that, whatever the publication, being published is a milestone. It can also be an important marketing element if you plan to self-publish. Along with reviews, noting that you received honorable mention in a writing competition in your latest book can be beneficial in demonstrating just how your work stacks up.

Finding the right fit for your work is important. In order to get a sense of the style of work published and the tastes of judges, do your research. Compare online and subscribe to a magazine. Often a magazine’s editors will allow you to submit your work, for a small reading fee, and obtain the magazine at a discount, this is a valuable arrangement. Take advantage of it where you can.

Last year, I submitted my poetry to three literary magazines for the first time in years. My poem, “The Return” (which you can read in an earlier blog post), made it to the semi-final round of the 2010 New Millennium Writings annual poetry competition. This detail is listed on the cover of my latest book A Dawn Run Hot with Morning. I posted the information in a previous blog (as detailed here), as well as on my Facebook Fan page. I plan to tweet the information soon. Finally, I have communicated the information to key customers & reviewers. Being nearly published in a major literary magazine is as much news as being published, in this case!

In addition to making news, I received an annual subscription to New Millennium Writings literary magazine, as well as a host of others. It has been a great pleasure and a tremendous boon reading the work of my peers. Interviews with competition judges, as well as excerpts of their poetry are also included within the pages of the magazine. Better armed with greater knowledge about the competition, I can make more informed selections when I submit my poetry next year.

Another Look Inside A Dawn Run Hot with Morning (The Poetry II)

In two recent blog posts in the last few weeks, you got a look inside A Dawn Run Hot with Morning first at the Introduction and later at some of the Poetry. As promised, here is a third blog post that takes yet another look inside the book. Get a look at more of the Poetry that will appear on the book's pages. Enjoy!

Compassion


So moved,
you reached for my hand.
Although startled, I remain here
disarmed
by the gesture,
as I give you mine.
And your face is the picture of sincerity.
I see so plainly the mirror, the reflection to my anguish in your eyes.
Your daring empowers my resolve and leads me to smile.

Meditation


I journey within to the confines
of emotion, of memory, of consciousness
I have found a stillness here
I have quieted my mind only to
Navigate the topography of inner peace
I am here, I am present

As I chant my mantra with every breath:
―Ham-sa
I hold on tightly to moments of solitude
The past and the future drop away
A unified consciousness emerges
Soundless reverberating unity
Inwardly, I howl of freedom

The Power of Now


We are hopelessly nostalgic
Gently caressing the finest moments of
Yesterday.
Like a musician harbors the soaring high note
We bend time for the expressed
purpose of being.
But like pending judgment,
the future awaits us.
Embrace the supreme power of now.
Hear it beckon your every impulse.
Know that the present is yours to define.
Expand it.
Multiply it.
Deliver it.

I hope that you enjoyed your third look inside A Dawn Run Hot with Morning. Please join me for future blog posts featuring the Poetry inside the book and new chronicles in self-publishing and book promotion.

Understanding & Selecting a Price Point

There are a few crucial points to take into account when pricing a self-published book. First, keep in mind your target audience. Who is your target audience? How much can your target audience afford to spend on your book? What are they willing to pay? Second, decide on a strategy that is appropriate given the attributes of your book. Will you aim for high volume sales? Or do you have a high-quality/specialty book produced at a higher cost? Third, what sort of royalty should you expect? Have you done some research to find out the average royalty an author at a big publishing house can expect? How about a self-published author? Fourth, do a price comparison. Go to a bookstore and look at books of the same genre and of similar page length and quality. Determine an upper limit and a lower limit for your book price. Finally, to the extent that you can control the price of your book, try not to alienate readers with your price point.  A price that is too high can put your book out of reach for some consumers. These are a few of the factors you should consider before arriving at a price.  I learned these lessons in pricing my first book.

I wrote Contemplating Eve expecting it to reach a mixed audience, ages 18-45. Surprisingly, 75% of all sales were to women ages 40-85! Here’s what happened:

I noticed that in sales to friends and family on Facebook, the youngest market segment described was distinctly absent as buyers. At my book launch, there were four people who declined to buy a book noting that the price was too high. (3 out of the 4 were notably under 40.) Overall, whereas the youngest market segment purchased a very small portion of total books sold, women ages 40+ purchased anywhere from 1 to 9 books for themselves, friends and family. Based on this data, I believe that the price was too high for young people.

So what is the price? It is currently selling on Amazon for a discounted price of $27 but is listed at $35. How did I arrive at that price? Well, the book is manufactured for $13. From there, a listing on Createspace (the book printer/manufacturer) requires a book price of at least $20, but a listing on Amazon requires a price of at least $25, and to take advantage of Expanded Distribution (which places the book in libraries, bookstores and online outlets) requires that the book be priced at $34. I faced a dilemma, on the one hand, I wanted my target audience to have the chance to purchase online, on the other hand, I wanted the price to be affordable. But because I choose to sign up for all three sales channels, I was forced to select the highest price or lose money on each book sold. Ultimately, I priced the book at $35 for a $1 royalty for books sold through Expanded Distribution sales channel. As you will note, I had limited control over pricing.

My sense is that the reason Contemplating Eve was priced this way is evidence of economies of scope. The book was priced as such not for high-volume sales, but differently because it was of a differing quality. Contemplating Eve  is a 176 page full color poetry anthology complete with 70 poems and 30 pieces of artwork. It could not be priced like the high sales volume books because it is made at a higher cost. That said, I should note, that even the highest priced poetry anthologies were priced at $20 at Borders. Sure enough, initially, when I approached a smaller book retailer with the book at this price, she assumed the book would not move and refused to shelve Contemplating Eve.

 

So here is what I discovered, Createspace may not be the most economical color book printer for self-published authors. I have been advised that Author House, Xlibris and Lightning Source may be cheaper printers. While the quality of printing is extremely high with Createspace, the cost to manufacture and distribute the book makes the price prohibitive to some. Createspace does low-cost high volume sales best. In this case, the self-published author has more control over price.

My next book, A Dawn Run Hot with Morning, will be a book of poetry composed of drawings and photography in black and white. There will be 40% fewer pages.  The book will be manufactured at $2 each. As a result, I can access Expanded Distribution and net better than $1.00 in royalties from this sales channel and sell the book for just $10. I plan to make it up to the younger market segment with this new price. In fact, I plan to give away at least 7 free books! Check back for details.

In closing, price selection may or may not be in your control, but, to the extent that it is, consider your audience. If the price is not in your control, use my guidance to shape your expectations in terms of sales.