Showing posts with label About Cumberland House. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About Cumberland House. Show all posts

Friday, October 31, 2008

October Wrap-Up

October has been a tough and interesting (to say the least) month. I think there was only one day in October where the change in the Dow was not in triple digits. We had to tighten our belt and make some difficult and painful decisions to help get us in better shape for 2009. It was a watershed month (at least according to me) for e-books and electronic publishing. And, I got to make my first trip to Germany for the Frankfurt Book Fair. The trip and the fair gave me a world of new insight into the important international dimension of the publishing business. Read all about it here. Following are the posts from October. Thanks for reading.

More on Electronic Publishing

And here are all posts sorted by subject:

Happy Halloween.
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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

September Wrap-Up

These are strange days, aren't they? The market is down. People are scared. It's tough out there. Still, we are holding strong at CHP and we are encouraged about where we are compared to what we are seeing and hearing in the market.
How is it going out there? I'd sure like to hear from you. My hope for this blog was to create an interactive forum. I invite you to please post comments. In fact, I'd like you to please post comments on this post and tell me what you like about the blog and what you don't like. Tell me what you want to discuss. What would be more helpful to you? Share your ideas. Ask questions--of me and each other.

[Note: to post a comment, scroll down to the bottom of any post where it says:"Posted by Paul Mikos at 9:54 PM 0 comments Links to this post." Click on "0 comments," type your comment where it says, "Leave your comment" and follow the other instructions.

Here are the headlines from September's posts. Thanks for reading.
Book Promotion 101 - Telephone Conference
VGT's Omnivore's Hundred
Meet Jennifer Behar
My Second Favorite Day of the Year (2 comments)
Has the HarperStudio experiment failed? (3 comments)
Falling In and Out of Love with Your Manuscript (2 comments)
Platform Building Tips from PW's Next Generation of Cookbook Authors (2 comments)
Making Mock Ups and Thinking Like a CEO, Maybe (1 comment)
News Flash: CHP Author on FOX News and C-SPAN
A Thought Exercise for Authors and Book Marketers (7 comments)
News Flash: CHP Author on the CBS Early Show
Meet Kimberly Goldstein (1 comment)
Review Copies to Readers, not Newspapers
Rate Your Publicity IQ (1 comment)
Control or Collaboration?
Congratulations! You're not just a "published author," you're a Cumberland House author
Crowdsourcing
Meet John Mitchell
News Flash - CHP Author in Live Online Discussion at WashingtonPost.com Today
Who to Contact When

And here is the growing list of posts by topic:
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Friday, September 26, 2008

Meet Jennifer Behar

Jennifer has been a bookworm since she was a kid, which brings a sense of passion to her work. After earning a B.S. in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations from Florida State, Jennifer earned her Master’s degree and held various positions in the music industry. Jennifer, aka Jenn, got married this summer. Her maiden name is Padgett, which helps explain one of the nicknames below.

Name: Jennifer Elaine Behar

Childhood nickname(s): Jenn-Jenn, The Padge

Title: Marketing & Publicity Specialist

Hometown: Pensacola, FL but my dad was in the Marines so we moved every 3 years since I was 2 years old

Education: B.S. in Publicity, M.M. in Music Industry & Entertainment Industries

How long in current job: Over 1 year

Previous job: Marketing Assistant with Warner Bros. Records - Nashville

Dream job: Owner of my own publicity firm, specializing in entertainment and creative industries

Passionate about: Music, books, movies, photography, friends, laughing and having a good time

What are you reading? The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
What’s on your iPod? What’s NOT on my Ipod? Haha. John Mayer, Jack Johnson, System of a Down, Nelly, Linkin Park, Notorious B.I.G., Goo Goo Dolls, Michael Buble, Billy Idol, Elvis Presley…for starters

Tell us something about you that no one would guess: My OTHER dream job would be to get paid to travel around the world and capture my experiences with photography. I also love to learn.
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Monday, September 15, 2008

Meet Kimberly Goldstein

Kim is an avid reader, and while she is new to the publishing game, has found it to be a great fit. Kim fields calls from customers and authors to place orders, check availability, and answers other general questions. Kim also pursues new sales with specialty retailers. She is curious and engaged in the publishing process and a great asset to Cumberland House.


Name: Kim

Childhood nickname(s): Kim is my nickname

Title: Customer Service and Sales Representative

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Education: Bachelor of Science in Sociology, Northeastern University

How long in current job: Almost one year!

Previous job: makeup artist

Dream job: I've got it right now!

Passionate about: books, music, and animals

What are you reading? David Sedaris' When You're Engulfed in Flames

What’s on your iPod? Do not own an ipod, someday I'll get in touch with technology, but I listen to Coheed and Cambria, The Used, and Tori Amos, to name a few.

Tell us something about you that no one would guess: I love bad reality television
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Friday, September 5, 2008

Meet John Mitchell

John has been in publishing for more than 35 years with a background in mass entertainment, sports, tourism, true crime, and medical issues. He previously worked for Billboard Publications, Advantage Companies, The Tennessean, and Rutledge Hill Press before joining Cumberland House in 2001.

Name: John Mitchell

Childhood nickname(s): None, although my Cub Scout secret name was Kalmanu (Bold Lightning), and my nieces/nephew and grand-nieces/nephews sometimes call me Uncle Donald, because I do a killer Donald Duck voice.

Title: Editor

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Education: Peabody College, Nashville, Business Administration and Music; Blair Academy of Music, Nashville; Glencliff High, Nashville

How long in current job: 7 years

Previous jobs: Editor, Cope and Coping magazines; Editor, Rutledge Hill Press; Vice President, Publications, Tom Jackson & Associates; News Editor and Managing Editor, Amusement Business Magazine.

Dream job: Emperor; I’m planning to run in 2012 and would appreciate your vote. Campaign slogan: “Fair play for all and a return to common sense in government.”

Passionate about: Fishing, although I don’t get to go nearly as often as I would like. Trout everywhere are rejoicing.

What are you reading? I’m an avid sci-fi/fantasy buff and am currently re-reading Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas series. Favorite authors: Frank Herbert, Dune series and many others; George R.R. Martin, Fire and Ice saga; James Patterson and John D. MacDonald (whodunits).

What’s on your iPod? Call me a curmudgeon, but I don’t have one. I do, however, have an extensive iTunes collection that spans Bach to Rock and am a fan of dainbramage.com.

Tell us something about you that no one would guess: I played trumpet with the Nashville Symphony and was once kissed by Joan Baez.

Other comments: The best thing that can be said about aging is that it beats the heck out of the alternative.
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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Who to Contact When

I recently posted some advice on managing your relationships inside the publishing house. One piece of advice was to stick to emails instead of phone calls. An author emailed me shortly thereafter and suggested a list of contacts might be helpful.



Publishing contacts:
Ron Pitkin, president and publisher (All correspondence for Ron should be directed to his executive assistant, Teresa Wright at: teresa@cumberlandhouse.com)
Paul Mikos, associate publisher (paul.mikos@cumberlandhouse.com)
- Questions about contracts
- Questions about scheduling
- Questions about packaging or design
- Questions about subsidiary rights
- Questions about expenses
- Questions about advance payments or royalty statements
- Questions about the number of copies of your book sold
- New book ideas

Editorial contacts:
If you don't know who your editor is, ask me. We prefer to keep our editors' contact information confidential to save them from the flood of unsolicited manuscripts and book proposals. If your editor has not been assigned yet, be patient and keep a list of questions until the time comes. Topics directed to your editor include:

- Questions about format or style
- Questions about a foreword, table of contents, index, or other element of the book
- Questions about photos or illustrations
- Questions about the manuscript delivery, revisions, or deadlines


Marketing contacts:
Jennifer Behar -- fiction, health/nutrition, public policy, religion, sports, travel, true crime, women & family (jennifer@cumberlandhouse.com)
Paige Lakin -- biography, cooking, entertainment, and history (paige@cumberlandhouse.com)
Stacie Bauerle -- Cumberland House web site and Internet marketing (sbauerle@cumberlandhouse.com)
- Questions about promoting your book including advertising, publicity, interviews, speaking engagements, promotional copies, etc.
- Questions about Internet presence for your book

Sales contacts:
Kimberly Goldstein -- customer service and special market sales to shops and specialty chains (customerservice@cumberlandhouse.com)
Brian Ellsworth -- national accounts and special markets sales to associations, corporations, and other organizations (brian.ellsworth@cumberlandhouse.com)
Chris Bauerle, VP of sales and marketing (chris.bauerle@cumberlandhouse.com)
- Order copies of your book (Kim)
- Ideas for sales leads
- Questions about specific accounts (Chris)

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Sunday, August 31, 2008

August Wrap-Up

August has been a very busy month. With a few days of vacation, the Olympics, and just plain busy days, it flew by for me. I cannot believe that tomorrow is September 1.

It was another good month for us at Cumberland House. We've met our deadlines for our Spring 2009 list preparation and presentations. We've had one key account presentation already that went very well, and several more coming up throughout September. Front covers for all the new books have been designed. We had a good time developing the cover for Wine Savvy and I appreciate your input and participation. I can hardly wait for you all to see our new catalog--both for the new books as well as the effort in the new design and presentation of the catalog itself.

We wrapped up this month with a special visit from new Cumberland House author, Dr. Michael Aziz. Dr. Aziz has written a diet book that we will be publishing in Fall 2009 called The Perfect Ten Diet, about balancing ten hormones for weight loss and better health. Dr. Aziz took a few days away from his busy Madison Avenue practice in New York to spend time with us in Nashville teaching us about his diet and working on our plans to launch the book. Several of us in the office will be starting the diet together this fall. If you are interested in joining us, send me an email (paul.mikos@cumberlandhouse.com) and I'll get you an advance copy of the manuscript. Look for more blog posts on that in the days ahead.

Here are the headlines from August's posts:


And here is a list of posts by topic:
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Thursday, August 21, 2008

Meet Brian Ellsworth

Brian Ellsworth is a national accounts sales representative for Cumberland House. Brian maintains select national accounts and specializes in pursuing nontraditional and special market sales. Prior to coming to Cumberland House Brian worked in purchasing and customer service.

As far as "something about him no one would guess," I would have totally guessed what he wrote. Brian is one of the nicest, most giving people you'll meet. Now, I would not have guessed anything about "Travel agent school." Sounds like there may be a good story there. . .

Name: Brian Ellsworth

Childhood nickname(s): Lounge Lizard (never sat straight up in my chair)

Title: National Accounts Sales Representative

Hometown: Springfield, IL/Murfreesboro, TN

Education: Travel agent school

How long in current job: 7 months

Previous job: Purchasing Coordinator, Schneider Electric

Dream job: Not Sure. Having fun with this one!!

Passionate about: My Children

What are you reading? Trying to find time to start The Shack

What’s on your iPod? I’m still behind the times; I don’t own an iPod (I do accept donations though)

Tell us something about you that no one would guess: I spent a week in Mississippi helping with cleanup after Hurricane Katrina
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Thursday, July 31, 2008

July Wrap Up

Dear Publishing Associates,

We’ve closed the month of July and I am thrilled to report that business is UP at Cumberland House! We had a terrific month posting 5% growth ahead of where we were at this time last year.

Publishers Lunch reported today that Simon & Schuster sales for the second quarter are down seven percent from a year ago. It's the third straight quarterly decline for the publishing unit. At BookExpo in June the buzz was that “flat is the new up.” With current market conditions, I am thrilled with 5% growth. As Chris Bauerle, our vp of sales and marketing, relayed to the team today, “This performance comes from a combination of factors resulting from over-the-top performance and creativity in every single department. You all should be very, very proud.” We’re still in a very tough year, and we have a long way to go, but we are leaving everything on the field, and it is paying off.

My first month as a blogger is wrapped up now too. A special thanks to all of you who are reading and commenting. It has been an interesting experiment and I am enjoying it. I hope you are too. Again, I welcome your feedback and ideas to keep the discussion going.

I started the blog with “Ten Things Your Publisher Thinks You Already Know,” with the intent of expanding on each of the ten points. Well, it is taking longer than I thought but we’ve put a good dent in it.

Following is a list of the posts from July:
§ “And What About Backlist?"
§ More on Advances, Expenses, and Reserves (1 comment)
§ How Are You Using Your Advance?
§ Comp Title Research Will Help Sell Your Book (1 comment)
§ Meet Lisa Taylor
§ Author Tips from a Broadcast Pro
§ Eye Spy. . . Publicity
§ Social Media and Promoting Your Book Online
§ “Leverage the Damn Book”
§ Innovation Is a Social Process
§ Insight from 30-Year Bookseller Turned Author (1 comment)
§ Expert Publicity Advice for Authors
§ Marketing in the Digital Age (1 c0mment)
§ Meet Paige Lakin
§ "I Can't Find My Books at Barnes & Noble"
§ Some Realities of the Publishing Business (5 comments)
§ Turning Conventional Book Marketing On Its Head (2 comments)
§ "You've Got to Spend Money to Make Money" (1 comment)
§ A Great Ad
§ A Story Problem for Authors and Publishers (9 comments)
§ The Realities of Independent Publishing
§ Children's Book Documentary Wins Bronze Telly Award
§ The Book Proposal Is Your Business Plan
§ A New Vision of the Book Business
§ Ten Things Your Publisher Thinks You Already Know (3 comments)


I invite you to please comment on the posts, ask questions, share ideas, and stay in touch.

Best, Paul.
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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

And What About Backlist?"


In her June 16, 2008 column, Publishers Weekly editor-in-chief Sara Nelson asked,"And what about backlist? Is somebody ever going to figure out how to mine this most potentially profitable publishing vein?”

I can’t say we’ve figured it out, but we’re working on it. Our fall 2008 list is 65% backlist repackaging and our reps and customers are telling us this is our best list in years.

Ron Pitkin, the owner, president, and publisher at Cumberland House, and one of the original founders of Rutledge Hill Press, has an amazing gift for finding and developing great books. Life’s Little Instruction Book, Aunt Bea’s Mayberry Cookbook, and Why a Daughter Needs a Dad have all sold over a million copies. Ron has developed a wonderful, rich, and deep backlist at Cumberland House. Here are just some “before and after” backlist re-releases on our fall list.

The Military Wives Cookbook by Carolyn Quick Tillery
($22.95 HC, October, 978-1-58182-672-2)
Originally published as At Freedom’s Table, the book sells consistently year in and year out but has yet to be recognized for the treasure it contains—200 years of recipes and traditions for military families. The new packaging aims directly at a younger military wife—a demographic with a strong sense of identity and sorority. The new packaging is a printed case with embossing and blue foil that will make an excellent gift. The new edition also includes more profiles of contemporary military wives, not just historical subjects. Author Carolyn Quick Tillery’s father and husband were officers in the US Air Force. She is a graduate of Tuskegee University and an attorney, and currently manages the Family Readiness Program at the US CENT COM in Tampa, Florida where she helps military families deal with the various aspects of deployment. She is also the author of the best selling African-American Heritage Cookbook.


Webb Garrison’s Civil War Dictionary ($16.95 PB, September, 978-1-58182-675-3)
Originally published as The Encyclopedia of Civil War Usage the book has sold well to CW buffs, writers, and historians. It is a wonderful collection of period words, phrases, names, and events compiled by a best-selling Civil War author shortly before his death in 2000. While it is a great reference book, it is also a great bathroom reader for interested Rebs or Yanks. The new edition uses a title that more plainly tells what the book is, in a more consumer-friendly format and price.

The Conservative’s Handbook by Phil Valentine ($19.95 HC, September, 978-1-58182-662-3)
Originally published as Right from the Heart by radio talk-show host Phil Valentine, the book has sold over 20,000 copies in hardcover. We created a small format handbook, trading on the original structure of the book—a guide to the conservative position on issues from A to Z. The packaging is a foil stamped leather-like hardcover (that would make my hymnal printing brethren proud) with a belly band jacket. We spent $400 to get dummies made at the printer because we knew the packaging would sell the book, and it worked! B&N and BAM are putting it on political tables for the election season. And we have a lot of interest in custom editions from various groups outside the trade. It is a gift packaging play, but it is one that will back list and sell for years to come.

Why I Love You by Greg Lang (14.95 HC, September, 978-1-58182-699-9)
Why a Daughter Needs a Dad is one of Ron Pitkin’s true “diamond in the rough” stories. It’s sold over a million copies and spawned a series that has sold over 3 million copies, net. Why I Love You sold over 150,000 copies in its original packaging and is being redesigned and re-released this fall. Historically it sells as well or better at Christmas as it does for Valentine’s Day. The new design uses a deep red metallic ink that is stunning.

Repackaging and re-releasing backlist books is just smart publishing. As a rule, if a book didn't work the first time, it is very difficult to make it work a second time. Books that did gain some traction in the market can be recast with a different title or different format and sell all over again. It is especially effective when the release can be tied to an upcoming event, holiday, or promotional opportunity. Also, as I mentioned in the post about marketing in the digital age, timing is everything. Even repackages need to be planned and sold months and months in advance of the new release date.

So, what is happening with your book? Are there any events or anniversaries coming up in 2010 or later that would fuel a re-release? It's never too early to be thinking about it.
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Friday, July 25, 2008

Meet Lisa Taylor

Lisa Taylor is a talented and experienced book editor, and she's a lot of fun too. Lisa feels that working with your editor should be a creative, collaborative process. Her areas of interest are cookbooks, gift books, and biographies, as well as health and self-help titles. Before joining Cumberland House in 1998, she worked in editorial production for a Brentwood, TN-based magazine publisher.

Name: Lisa K. Taylor

Childhood nickname(s): When I was twelve, I insisted that everyone start calling me Gopher. But I'm over that now, so Lisa is just fine.

Title: editor

Hometown: Murfreesboro, TN

Education: BA (English), Middle Tennessee State University

How long in current job: 9 years

Previous job: copywriter and editor

Dream job: Why this job, of course!

Passionate about: my 2 dogs and 4 cats, guessing people's Myers-Briggs temperament type, my evening backyard badminton game, line-drying my clothes, eating organic

What are you reading? Tana French's The Likeness; Henry James's Daisy Miller; Catholicism for Dummies

What's on your iPod? I'm pretty sure my tunes aren't all that hip or trendy. I've got some Alison Krauss, Carole King, 3 Doors Down, Indigo Girls, Tracy Chapman, and Simon & Garfunkel. And, I'm not ashamed to admit this: I have an Anne Murray song on there. It's Danny's Song.

Tell us something about you that no one would guess: I came close to being crowned Little Miss Cinderella at the age of nine; I was first runner-up.

Other comments: Season 2 of AMC's Mad Men starts July 27th. It's the only TV show I watch.
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Sunday, July 20, 2008

Innovation Is a Social Process

I’ve been reading The Game Changer by Proctor & Gamble CEO, A. G. Lafley, and expert business consultant and author, Ram Charan. I was first introduced to Lafley through an article a couple years ago in FastCompany. I was impressed with his commitment to creativity and design, and his installation of a vice president of innovative design and strategy.

I’m only 100 pages into the book but I’ve been making notes and reading when I can really focus. (With a three year-old and an eighteen month-old at home, I figure I should finish the book in 2011.) The book is about innovation. Here are a few of my favorite passages from the first thirty pages.

“The consumer—not the CEO—is boss.” (For us, it’s the reader.)

“Delight your consumers at two ‘moments of truth’: first, when they buy a product, and second, when they use it.”

“Seek out innovation from any and all sources, inside and outside the company.

“An invention is a new idea that is often turned into a tangible outcome, such as a product or system. An innovation is the conversion of a new idea into revenues and profits. Invention is needed for innovation to take place. But invention is not innovation.”

“To succeed, companies need to see innovation not as something special that only special people can do, but as something that can become routine and methodical, taking advantage of the capabilities of ordinary people.”
This week our operations team met to talk about ways we can more effectively run our warehouse at Cumberland House. Pictured from left to right are returns processor Christy Badger, warehouse manager Tracy Neddo, shipping manager Scott Hartsell, and finance director Linda Cobb.

“Innovation is a social process. And this process can only happen when people do that simple, profound thing—connect to share problems, opportunities, and learning.”

So I ask you, dear blog reader, what problems, opportunities, or ideas for innovation in the publishing industry will you share for us to discuss?
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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Meet Paige Lakin

From time to time I want to introduce you to members of the Cumberland House family. Paige Lakin is a part of our marketing team and has a strong career focused on public relations in the book industry, the music industry, and journalism. Prior to Cumberland House Publishing, Paige worked with The Tennessean and Laughing Penguin Publicity, and holds a degree from Belmont University. Her interests include photography, dancing, reading, and The Talking Heads! Please meet the one we like to call "Paige the Rage."

Name: Paige Lakin

Childhood nickname(s): Paiger, Paigemaster, Página

Title: Marketing and Publicity Specialist

Hometown: San Diego, CA/Nashville, TN

Education: B.A. in business administration from Belmont University

How long in current job: Going on a year and a half

Previous job: Junior publicist for the music industry

Dream job: Freelance music/ fashion journalist. Fantasy novel writer. Charity dog shelter owner.

Passionate about: my dogs, Jasper, Jersey and Phoenix and rainbow sherbert ice cream

What are you reading? Best Little Stories from the Life and Times of Winston Churchill and The Martian Chronicles

What’s on your iPod? Just added some Flogging Molly, The Kills, Jeremy Lister, and the new Coldplay

Tell us something about you that no one would guess:
I’ve recently started training to become a professional belly dancer

Other comments: Give ‘em hell Obama!
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Tuesday, July 8, 2008

The Realities of Independent Publishing

One of my favorite things about Cumberland House is that we are independent. We are owned by our president and publisher, Ron Pitkin. We do not answer to shareholders, or a corporate parent, or a holding company, or even a board of directors. This gives us great flexibility and agility and fosters great creativity. We have an entrepreneurial spirit and don’t get bogged down in corporate bureaucracy. We make decisions and we act on them.

One of the most eye-opening aspects of being independent is the reality of cash flow. In my previous jobs budgets were numbers on spreadsheets. They were important but they were never real money to me or, as much as I could tell, any of my colleagues. My previous employer is very disciplined about meeting profitability hurdles, but they were just percentages on a proforma, or profit and loss statement. At Cumberland House, we use a P&L as a tool to help us make smart financial decisions, but must we also look at the real impact of printing 10,000 copies of a book at $2.50 a unit and the $25,000 printing bill that will come due long before the first bookseller ever pays for (or returns) their books.

There are a lot of benefits for an author to work with an independent publisher, the best of which is that we have one goal—to sell as many copies of our books as possible. It is not uncommon at a corporate publisher for a good idea or sales opportunity to get passed around, person after person saying, “That’s not my job.” You won’t get that at CHP. If it is a good idea, we’ll do it.
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