BookCAMP, Vol. 3, Issue 3

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PUBLISHER'S LETTER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

This issue truly embodies the spirit of growth and

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Call for “The Next Generation: The ‘40 Under Forty’ in Publishing”

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Publisher’s Letter

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BookCAMP 2025 Photos

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Beyond the Bookstore: Unlocking Your Book's Full Potential

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The Art of Observation: Crafting Compelling Series and Building Your Brand

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Directory Included: BookCAMP’s Publishing Services & Products

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From Author to Publisher: Navigating the Literary Landscape

innovation that defines the contemporary literary landscape. We kick things off with a fantastic BookCamp Photo Recap, highlighting

key

takeaways

from our recent gathering.

Then, dive into Brian Judd, in "Beyond the Bookstore," challenges

conventional

wisdom, urging authors to explore the vast, untapped potential

of

non-book-

store markets. His transformative "faces in the trees" philosophy reveals how shifting your focus from selling books to solving problems can unlock significant, non-returnable sales.

Next, "The Art of Observation" with Lee Woodman, who masterfully illustrates how keen sensory engagement not only enriches your writing but also builds a distinctive authorial brand. Her journey, from a childhood immersed in diverse cultures to a career spanning media, offers a powerful testament to the unique voice and heartfelt connection only a human author can forge—a crucial distinction in an AI-influenced world. Finally, "From Author to Publisher" offers invaluable wisdom from Gloria Mindock of Červená Barva Press.

With 41 years in publishing, she shares the critical skills, networking prowess, and unwavering professionalism required to thrive in the dual role of author and publisher.

BookCAMP reminds us that success in the literary world hinges on both artistic integrity and strategic outreach. We hope this issue inspires you to not only hone your craft but also to boldly navigate the exciting paths available to bring your stories to the widest possible audience.

Join us at www.ipabookcamp.com and www.printedwordreviews.com.

Keep writing and be great!

Ted Olczak

TED OLCZAK Publisher

Book CAMP by Printed Word Reviews magazine, Online format Library of Congress ISSN: 2994-4406 is published 5 times a year. Questions or comments are welcomed, please contact the Publisher Ted Olczak at Ted@PrintedWordReviews.com.

No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without express permission from the publisher.

To submit your book, visit our websites: Fall 2025: www.nycbigbookaward.com/ (More consumer focused; different judging; allows for all authors and publishers to participate; announced in the fall of every year)

April 24-26, 2026

Spring 2026: www.independentpressaward.com/ To advertise, please contact Ted@GabbyBookAwards.com or Ted@PrintedWordReviews.com, or visit our website, www.independentpressaward.com/advertise

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Beyond the

Bookstore: Unlocking Your Book's Full Potential

For many authors, the journey of their book begins and ends with traditional bookstores and online giants.

But what if there was a vast, untapped market brimming with potential, offering not just sales, but large, non-returnable orders? This is the world of non-bookstore marketing, a strategic approach that shifts the focus from selling books to solving problems, and from individual sales to bulk purchases.

The Wake-Up Call: From Garage to Goldmine

representing a unique, overlooked opportunity. This became his core philosophy: look for the "faces in the trees," the non-bookstore avenues where your content can thrive.

Imagine launching your first book with high hopes, only to find yourself staring at 5,000 unsold copies stacked in your garage. This was the reality for Brian Judd, a turning point that forced him to rethink his entire marketing strategy. Layoffs from a corporate job led him to authorship, driven by the simple thought: "How hard can it be to write a book?" He quickly discovered writing was the easy part; finding buyers was the real challenge.

The fundamental shift in this approach is profound: stop selling your books, and start selling what your book does. People don't want to buy a book about finding a job; they want to get a job. The book is merely the solution. Just as Arm & Hammer baking soda isn't just baking soda but a cleaning agent, a deodorizer, and a recipe ingredient, your book's value lies in its applications.

His initial foray into the market mirrored many authors' experiences: aiming for Barnes & Noble and Borders. His commitment to research was evident even then, as he painstakingly analyzed covers, prices, and even book sizes on the shelves, ultimately designing his book to stand out physically. Yet, the traditional bookstore model, with its returns and focus on individual sales, proved unsustainable. The overflowing garage and his wife's pointed remark, "I want to make one thing perfectly clear: the garage," served as a powerful catalyst for change.

Tailoring Your Message: Beyond the Single Press Release A common mistake is crafting one press release and sending it everywhere. Judd emphasizes that each audience has different needs and priorities. Retailers care about store traffic and profit per square foot; libraries want to help their patrons; and television hosts seek engaging content for their viewers. Your book remains the same, but your message must adapt to the specific needs of each audience.

Shifting Focus: The Faces in the Trees

This approach also breathes new life into "backlist" titles. The copyright date becomes irrelevant when the focus is on applying your content to solve a problem. If you find a need and fill it, your book has a long and valuable life.

Judd's epiphany came when he realized his mindset was too narrow, fixated solely on bookstores. He began to see the book market not as a single trunk, but as a vast tree with numerous branches—each

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@AudibleACX

Continued from page 6

lies in non-bookstore channels. These include:

Defining Your Target: Beyond "Everybody"

• One of the biggest hurdles for authors is defining their target audience. "Everybody" is not an answer. Judd highlights the importance of asking the five W's: Who, What, Where, When, and Why do they buy?

A 25-year-old starting a career has different needs and buying habits than a 55-year-old nearing retirement. Knowing when and where your target readers shop allows you to strategically place your book.

For example, a book about pets belongs in pet stores, not just general bookstores.

• • •

Book Clubs and Associations: Tailoring your content to specific interests.

Home Shopping Networks and Catalogs: Reaching a broad, direct-to-consumer audience.

Corporations, Schools, and Libraries: Bulk sales with specific needs.

Specialty Retailers: This is where the "faces in the trees" truly shine.

Judd provides compelling examples of leveraging specialty retailers: The "Why" is paramount. People buy solutions, not just books. Judd developed the Problem-Action-Result (PAR) analysis. What problem does your book solve? What action do you recommend? What's the result? This framework helps you articulate the core benefit of your book in a concise, compelling way—a perfect elevator pitch that sparks dialogue rather than a monologue.

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The Golden Question: "Who else needs the information in my book?"

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This single question transformed Judd's career. It led him to discover unexpected markets for his job search book: State Governments: By simply changing the binding of his book to lie flat for workshops, he secured standing orders for thousands of copies from state labor departments. Colleges: Recognizing that college students dislike reading lengthy books and spending money, he broke his book into smaller, affordable booklets, which colleges purchased in bulk, even adding their logos to provide to students.

This also led to opportunities for him to teach his own material. Prisons: A surprising call from a prison librarian revealed a need for job search skills among inmates preparing for release, leading to significant sales to the Federal Bureau of Prison Libraries.

Military Spouses: Constantly relocating, military spouses often need assistance finding new jobs, creating another overlooked segment.

Corporations: As companies downsized, Judd offered packages of his books to provide support to laid-off employees, moving thousands of units in a single transaction.

The key takeaway for specialty retailers is to seek out non-competitive environments where your book can be an added value, prompting bulk, non-returnable purchases.

Rethink Distribution: ReaderLink and Beyond For authors looking to penetrate these diverse markets, Judd highlights www.ReaderLink.com as a crucial resource. As the largest distributor of non-trade books in North America, they are a primary conduit to specialty stores like Walmart and Target. Their website provides the necessary procedures and forms for submitting your book, potentially becoming the only distributor you need.

This innovative thinking extended to fiction as well. A whitewater rafting novel found a home with raft and kayak manufacturers, who offered it as a bonus with their products, and at airports and nature centers in Idaho.

By embracing this expansive view of book marketing, authors can move beyond the confines of traditional channels and discover a world of opportunity where their content truly solves problems and generates significant, non-returnable sales. The question remains: where are the "faces in the trees" for your book?

The Power of Dual Distribution: Retail and Non-Retail While traditional retail (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, personal websites) accounts for roughly 40% of sales opportunities, the remaining 60%

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Airport Stores (Beyond Hudson News): Instead of paying exorbitant fees to major chains, target smaller, independent airport stores that align with your book's theme (e.g., a golf book in a golf store, a Caribbean travel book in a sunglass shop). These stores are often willing to buy in bulk to give away, making sales non-returnable.

Pharmacies: Don't just think health books; consider topics like career advancement or financial planning.

• Pet Stores: Connect with industry distributors to reach individual mom-and-pop shops.

• Home Depot/Lowe's: A barbecue cookbook bundled with a grill or a luggage packing guide with a suitcase offers a compelling incentive that goes beyond selling just the book.

• 800 Flowers: Creating a romance novel bundle to boost flower sales during offpeak seasons solved a specific business need.

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L

Art

OBSERVATION The

of

Crafting Compelling Series and Building Your Brand

ee Woodman, author of the "Scapes" series, champions intense observation as the cornerstone of compelling writing. Her approach, deeply rooted in her upbringing abroad and extensive career in media, encourages writers to truly see, hear, smell, and feel the world around them. This keen sensory engagement forms the bedrock of her creative process and, ultimately, her distinct authorial brand.

Woodman's unique perspective was shaped by an unconventional childhood, living first in Paris and then India until age 14. This early exposure to diverse cultures profoundly influenced her ability to listen intently, observe deeply, and appreciate the nuances of different environments. Her academic background in visual arts, art history, and art education further honed her eye for detail. Despite initially considering a career in French, a transformative first art class steered her toward a path that blended her artistic sensibilities with a passion for radio and television, where she spent 47 years, including stints at the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress. This extensive media experience instilled in her a profound understanding of marketing and its critical role in reaching an audience.

Woodman's ongoing "Scapes" series exemplifies her philosophy of interconnectedness in writing. Now on her sixth book, each collection explores a different topic, yet all are united by the overarching theme of "scapes"— be they literal landscapes, emotional terrains, artistic expressions, or spiritual journeys. This thematic umbrella not only provides a cohesive framework for her diverse works but also serves as a powerful marketing tool, allowing readers to easily identify and connect with her brand.

To illustrate the impact of intense observation, Woodman often leads an interactive exercise that challenges participants to adopt

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the perspective of inanimate objects. By focusing on elements like size, color, and location, and exploring questions like "What's not going on?" or "Who's not there?", writers can uncover hidden narratives and metaphors. This exercise encourages a shift in viewpoint, allowing for richer detail and unexpected insights, as demonstrated by Ted Kooser's poem "Abandoned Farmhouse," which tells a story solely through the objects left behind. This practice helps writers delve deeper into character, environment, and the emotional undercurrents of a scene.

Woodman emphasizes that writing a great book is only half the battle; effective marketing is crucial for success. She advocates for building an email list, crafting a compelling website "About" page that highlights what makes you unique, and actively seeking blurbs and reviews. Her core message for all writers is to be a "good writer citizen." This means actively engaging with the literary community: attending friends' shows, offering help, teaching, taking classes, and reading your work aloud. These actions not only foster a supportive network but also enhance your craft and visibility.

In a world increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence, Woodman offers a nuanced perspective on tools like ChatGPT and Claude.

While acknowledging their utility for tasks such as generating book club guides or assembling pitch decks, she firmly believes that AI should enhance, not replace, the personal heart and creative spirit essential to authentic writing. The unique voice, emotional depth, and personal connection that resonate with readers come directly from the writer, a quality AI cannot replicate. Ultimately, the power of a book lies in its ability to forge a genuine connection with the reader, a bond built on the writer's unique observations and heartfelt expression.

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BookCAMP's Publishing Services Directory AUDIOBOOKS

EDITING SERVICES

Turn your story into an audiobook with Audible’s Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) service for independent creators. As the allin-one marketplace, we’ll help you create your audiobook, reach a global audience, track your insights, and optimize earnings. All you need is an eBook version of your story to get started. Learn more at ACX.com.

Write On, Inc., Nonfiction Book Editor Editing for indie authors writing on business/leadership, self-help, true crime. Work with a seasoned editor who literally wrote the award-winning book: Cover to Cover: What First-Time Authors Need to Know about Editing. Sample edit, assessment and project pricing for the level of edit your book needs and deserves. Free ebook and more information on editorial services. www.WriteOnInc.com

Pro Audio Voices, a Portland based company serving clients internationally as a go-to place for exceptional audiobook production and marketing, and producer of the AMPlify Audiobook app, which offers the highest royalties and most control to authors of audiobooks of any platform in the industry. AMPlify Audiobooks is currently available for iPhone and Android. For more information, visit https://proaudiovoices.com/

PRINTERS HF GROUP. At HF Group, we specialize in high-quality book production tailored to meet the diverse needs of publishers and authors. With state-of-the-art printing technology and a commitment to craftsmanship, we offer both soft cover and hard cover binding options with customizable formats. Whether you’re producing a limited edition or a large print run, our team ensures every project is completed with precision and care. Let us help bring your stories to life!

AUTHOR SERVICES The Cadence Group | Book Consulting Services www.thecadencegrp.com We help authors and small presses publish high-quality, professionally designed, cost-effective books that can compete and stand out in today's marketplace. Bethany Brown, 708.689.0908 or services@thecadencegrp.com

Contact Tim Malott, Business Development Manager, 260.306.3965 (direct) or email at Tim at tmalott@hfgroup.com Total Printing Services is a digital book manufacturer offering single to full color on covers and interiors in all bind styles. Our niche is short-run book printing using the latest digital technology with high-speed inkjet web and toner presses. All binding is done in-house and we specialize in short-run case binding.

Print-On-Demand, Ship-On-Demand fulfillment, inventory management, and warehousing services are also available. Visit www.tps1.com to experience our Instant Quote pricing tool.

Catalyst Press was founded in 2017 as a literary spark. Publishing genre and literary fiction, non-fiction and memoir, graphic novels, and picture books, our authors explore stories and places in ways that make our global community feel more connected. We believe change begins one page at a time. Contact Jessica Powers at jlpowers@catalystpress.org or visit www.catalystpress.org eBooks2go About eBooks2go: eBooks2go is the single source for all of your book publishings needs. We offer an array of affordable solutions to assist self-publishing authors at every stage of the publishing process including cover design, eBook conversions, hardcover and paperback book printing, worldwide distribution, marketing packages, and much more.

Email: info@ebooks2go.net • Phone Number: +1 (847) 598-1150 ext. 4141 Website: https://www.ebooks2go.net

Marketing Manager/Account Representative: Meg Souza, 618-783-0532, meg@tps1.com REVIEWS Falcon Reviews: Reviews call a significant amount of attention to your book. By purchasing a FALCON Review by Printed Word Reviews, you will have the opportunity to get noticed by agents, book buyers, publishers and other industry influencers.

Receive an affordable book review that can generously boost your writing career. www.independentpressaward.com/falconreviews

BOOK AWARDS Independent Press Award, Gabby Olczak, President Every spring; awards independent authors and publishers. www.independentpressaward.com/ • gabby@IndependentPressAward.com

RIGHTS MANAGEMENT DropCap is a global rights marketplace used by rights agents and editors around the world to find great books (dropcapmarketplace.com). Our mission is to provide independent authors and publishers access to rights licensing opportunities and help indie books go global through foreign rights, audio, and other subsidiary rights licensing.

NYC Big Book Award, Gabby Olczak, President Every fall; awards authors and publishers of all persuasions: independent, self, and traditionally published books. www.nycBigBookAward.com • gabby@nycBigBookAwards.com

SALES & MARKETING YOUR AD COULD BE HERE reaching over 10,000 authors and publishers Or here: https://issuu.com/independentpressaward reaching over 10,000 librarians and booksellers, 20,000 additional book lovers and consumers. Contact the Publisher Ted Olczak Ted@GabbyBookAwards.com

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From Author to Publisher:

Navigating the Literary Landscape

For Gloria Mindock, founder of Červená Barva Press, the journey in the publishing world spans an impressive 41 years. With her press celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, she offers invaluable insights into the dual role of author and publisher, emphasizing the crucial skills and mindset needed to thrive in both.

Becoming a Publisher: Building Relationships and Knowledge

attending numerous marketing workshops because "things change."

Networking and collecting emails (with permission) are vital for author promotion. Adhering to submission guidelines is non-negotiable; publishers get "frustrated" with submissions that ignore formatting or font requirements. A professional presentation reflects positively on the author.

Mindock jokingly suggests getting a "blacklist book" if you want to become a publisher, but quickly pivots to the serious truth: networking is paramount. Attending conferences like AWP (and BookCAMP!) and various workshops is essential for meeting peers and building relationships. She stresses that many established presses are willing to guide beginners, a generosity she experienced firsthand when starting out.

Having an established reputation as a publisher also opens doors for authors. Mindock notes that her work is sometimes solicited for magazines, anthologies, or interviews, bringing attention to both her press and her writing.

She highlights several successful author-publishers, including Mark Pawlak of Hanging Loose, Mark Vincenz of MadHat Press, and Eileen Cleary of Lily Poetry Review and Books, noting that she personally shared her experiences with Cleary.

The Do's and Don'ts of the Dual Role Professionalism is paramount. Mindock firmly believes that even when dealing with "troubled authors," maintaining professionalism is crucial for preserving your reputation. She reveals her own "blacklist folder" for problematic individuals, though thankfully, it contains only five names in 41 years of publishing. Learning to set boundaries and say no is also essential to manage demands.

Beyond connections, practical skills are vital. Publishers need strong writing skills (which authors already possess) and must learn book layout. While some hire professionals, Mindock primarily handles her own layout, although she recently hired assistance to free up time for other press activities.

On the "what not to do" side, Mindock warns against trading favors— publishing someone's book in exchange for them publishing yours.

This unethical practice, though rare among most publishers, undermines the integrity of the work. She also advises against pressuring others to publish your work.

Understanding the industry is key. This means delving into print-ondemand, traditional, and hybrid publishing models. When choosing a printing company, Mindock advises inspecting published books: check paper quality, layout, and overall presentation. She's on her third printer, finally happy with her current choice. Learning to draft contracts is another crucial step; she adapted her own after receiving a sample from another press.

Finally, social media visibility is critical for both authors and presses.

Consistently posting about your books and press, even without immediate likes or comments, builds brand recognition. Mindock, who publishes 10 to 20 books a year, relies on social media for sales. She also encourages supporting other presses and even teaches herself new skills, like creating book trailers and reels, to further promote her titles.

The Publisher as Author: Leveraging Experience

When the publisher dons the author's hat, they carry a distinct advantage. Having navigated the publishing side, they understand the expectations and processes. Marketing becomes a core responsibility, as many contracts, even from major houses, now stipulate author mar- Ultimately, whether you're an author aspiring to publish or a publisher venturing into authorship, persistence and professionalism are the keting efforts. Mindock emphasizes the continuous learning required, cornerstones of success in the ever-evolving literary world.

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