The Independent and Small Press Book Fair will be held in midtown Manhattan on Dec. 6-7 by the New York Center for Independent Publishing. The NYCIP intends to encourage optimum sales and exposure for independent publishers and small presses with this Fair as an excellent, cost-effective opportunity to sell and promote your press, as well as meet industry contacts. This event is free to the public and there is a 20% discount for NYCIP members who wish to present. Strauss Consultants will be there and exhibiting.

Considering the current economic climate, it has never been a better time for publishers and authors to turn their focus to lower cost, high impact Internet marketing. Amazon Connect is one new vehicle for our Internet marketing efforts, which has great potential to drive sales.

Amazon Connect now makes it easier for publishers and authors to connect with consumers, while promoting their books and blogs. This free program allows publishers and authors to post messages directly to their readers. These messages appear on the consumer’s Amazon home page, on the author’s detailed book page, and profile page. Authors are also able to create their own profile page with personalized information. All you need is a blog that has the ability for people to subscribe to it through their RSS newsreader feed.

Authors and publishers are now more in control of the content on their books’ Amazon pages than ever before. There has never been a better time to start blogging!

From Nov. 9-16th the Miami Book Fair International will be showcasing authors, international books, Spanish books, children’s books, and more. The street fair portion of the Fair will be from Nov. 14-16th so bring friends and family.

On Oct. 28 from 6-8pm at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in NYC, PAMA will hold its Fall Cocktail Party presented by BookPage magazine. BookPage will be celebrating 20 years of book reviews.

RSVP: rsvp@pama-ny.org

Price: $25

On Sept. 27, Eat Right America will be at the American Diabetes Association Expo presenting their Eat for Health books. This event will take place from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Javits Center in New York City. Admission is free so come for multi-cultural diabetes information, free health screenings, cooking demonstrations and everything you need to know about diabetes under one roof.

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
11th Ave., between 34th & 39th Streets
New York, NY

Admission: Free

On Sept. 22, from 9am-6pm at the NYU Kimmel Center Publishers Weekly magazine, will hold this 1 day course for authors about how the publishing industry really works. Karen Strauss will speak at 2:30pm on the topics of book marketing and publicity. The day will include many influential book agents, authors, editors and book marketing professionals, who will speak on a variety of topics, from nuts and bolts to alternative publishing.

NYU Kimmel Center
60 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012

On Sept. 19 at 12:30pm, the Publishers Advertising and Marketing Association (PAMA) will be hosting a luncheon with Arianna Huffington as the guest speaker. Arianna Huffington is an accomplished author of 12 books, nationally syndicated columnist, lobbyist, and founder of The Huffington Post. The topic she will discuss will be, “Game Change: How New Media Affects the Marketing of Books, Candidates, and Ideas.” This is a great opportunity to hear the thoughts of such an influential person and network with others in the book industry.

Place:
Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel
569 Lexington (at 51st Street)

Cost:
$75.00 per person

RSVP with company and attendee names to rsvp@pama-ny.org

Amazon acquired Shelfari yesterday. Amazon has been buying up book related companies so this purchase seems fitting. Shelfari.com is a fantastic social networking site for book lovers. With features that allow you to build your own virtual bookshelf, get book recommendations from others, join groups, and review books, one can only imagine what this new Amazon partnership will bring in the future.

The Gossip Girl DVD with audio book goes on sale shortly, with an August 19 release date. The DVD set of the first season of this CW hit will include a CD version of the novel that inspired it by Cecily von Ziegesar, narrated by Christina Ricci. The audio book can be transferred to an iPod, for an ideal marketing fit with the show’s primary audience of females around 26 years of age.

Publishers are getting more savvy to the digital world, and how to capitalize on the successes of other forms of media. The New York Times reported that the 12 books in the series have sold 5.6 million copies; the three audio versions, based on the first three books, have only sold less than 1,000 copies a year. Because audio book sales of Gossip Girl have been dismal, publisher Hachette is hoping that hitching it to the DVD set in a format appropriate for its main audience, could prove just what the doctor ordered to boost sales.

Publishers should watch out for, or create their own opportunities, to creatively piggyback their struggling products to ones whose star are on the rise. The market for audio books has generally been drivers who listen while on the road, but this doesn’t translate well to young adults. Books for the iPod could better serve this audience. The sales and success of the Gossip Girl DVD with audio book will be something to watch in the coming months.

On Sept. 25 at 6:30pm the African American Literary Awards Show (AALAS) will be held at the Harlem Gatehouse. This show celebrates and promotes the outstanding achievements of African American authors and writers in the worlds of publishing, the arts and entertainment.

Harlem Gatehouse
150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street
New York, NY  10031