Supply Chain 20/20: A Clear View on the Local Multiplier Effect for Book Lovers by Kim Staflund
| Supply Chain 20/20: A Clear View on the Local Multiplier Effect for Book Lovers by Kim Staflund | |
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| Category: Reference | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: A bible if you're an author and a forward-looking solution which could revolutionise the publishing industry. A brilliant read. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 282 | Date: November 2021 |
| Publisher: Polished Publishing | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1988971490 | |
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So, you've finished writing your book and you think the hard work is all done? You're convinced that all you need to do now is get it published and the money will start rolling in?
Wrong and wrong again. You presumably wrote the book because you wanted to - and you had a talent for delivering the written word. You knew your subject back to front. Now you're going to have to get to grips with the book supply chain, which even parts of the publishing industry believe to be wrong but it's too difficult to change and no one wants to be the first to try. Then, when you finally have a copy of the book in your hands, you're going to have to work out how to sell it - because it is going to be down to you.
Do you still think being an author is a good idea? You do? Then you need Supply Chain 20/20. Now, it's not the most catchy title and I suspect that it might not appear on the radar of quite a few people who could really benefit from it. What's it about then?
The world changed in 2020. Life as we knew it went to hell in a hand cart and things we took for granted disappeared. Something we did come to appreciate was the value of spending money locally. I needed bookcases. The joiner, who lives a couple of streets away from me, employed another villager to help him and they both spent money at the local deli and one of them employed a cleaner. She did her shopping in the local supermarket. Much of the money I spent stayed in the village for quite a while before it left but if I'd bought my bookcases from an international chain the chances are that little if any of my money would have trickled down into the local economy. When books are published the current system means that very little of the money stays locally. Authors face a conundrum of needing to support local businesses whilst still selling internationally. Kim Staflund has an answer to this problem but first, you're going to have to understand what goes into publishing and making money from your book.
And this part of the book is absolute gold dust. You could publish your book yourself from beginning to end but successful books need to look as though they've been professionally created if they're to be successful. A book needs to look right, feel right and read right if it's going to be accepted in bricks-and-mortar book stores or even from the table at the back of the craft fair.
'Publishing' isn't just a case of sending your Word document off to the printer and assuming that what you get back will be perfect. Staflund has decades of experience in all sections of the industry and her explanation of the supply chain is a brilliant 'how to get a book published' manual. It's not just a checklist of what you have to do, but there are explanations and further resources in the footnotes. You get an order of doing things, even for such points as producing audiobooks, creating multiple formats of the book and pricing of the finished product. Your hand will be held through the intricacies of copyright law and negotiating foreign rights.
If this all sounds complicated, you might be surprised at how clear Staflund is in her delivery. You might still decide that you'll outsource some or all of the work but at least you will understand what you're paying for and that's a real advantage.
And how does this tie in with supporting local industry and selling internationally? Well, one of the major problems facing the publishing industry is returnability. Publishers sell books to retailers but it's on the basis of the retailers' right to return any unsold stock for a full refund with the unsold books being pulped. It isn't reasonable or - in today's world - sustainable. Staflund has an answer in the form of technology that could produce books locally, anywhere in the world - and the good news is that this isn't pie in the sky. The technology is there now. I think it could work. Supply Chain 20/20 was an easy, engaging read and I learned a lot from it. If you're planning on publishing a book this could be your bible. I'd like to thank the publisher for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
A copy of the book may be purchased here
Still worried about selling your book? Suspect you might be a little too introverted to do it successfully? Staflund even has the answer to that problem.
Supply Chain 20/20: A Clear View on the Local Multiplier Effect for Book Lovers by Kim Staflund is in the Top Ten Self-Published Books 2021.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Supply Chain 20/20: A Clear View on the Local Multiplier Effect for Book Lovers by Kim Staflund at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Supply Chain 20/20: A Clear View on the Local Multiplier Effect for Book Lovers by Kim Staflund at Amazon.com.
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