paul
New Member
Posts: 46
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Post by paul on Dec 27, 2007 21:06:06 GMT -5
Jeff: I learned about you & MLP from Randy Ingermanson's blog, and I'm curious to know how it's going. Will you be posting updates on a regular basis anywhere? Have you been overwhelmed with submissions?
I typed Marcher Lord Press into Google and got a lot of hits! Looks like the word is getting out.
I'm definitely rootin' for ya!
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Dec 28, 2007 12:00:38 GMT -5
Thanks so much, Paul. Marcher Lord Press is proceeding nicely. I've selected the third novel for the launch list, so that list is now full. I'm incredibly excited about these books. You guys are going to love them. I've been working to finalize my publishing contract. That project is now complete and the contract is with the three authors, all of whom are in various stages of considering, revising, or approving it. I hope to have that process complete by mid-January. Once I get those contracts in I'll begin promoting the books and authors by name on the site. Soon to come will be cover art and sample chapters, among other goodies. I'm working on the prizes and grand prize for the giveaway. I've pretty much abandoned the idea of sending a lucky winner and guest on an overseas trip to an actual marcher lord castle, though that had been my dream grand prize. Still, the one I have in mind is a speculative fiction lover's dream, so we're still good. It's cheaper, too. I'm also working on at least two electronic products that will be free for anyone who purchases Marcher Lord Press titles on launch day: October 1, 2008. These will be available for sale through the site only after that date, so it pays to buy the books on day 1. Thank you for asking. I don't have any online place I'll be posting regular updates, though I will be sending out occasional notices to everyone who has registered at www.marcherlordpress.com. I'm pumped that word is getting out! Jeff
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paul
New Member
Posts: 46
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Post by paul on Dec 29, 2007 16:45:15 GMT -5
Thanks for the detailed update! It sounds like things are going well.
I'm on your email list, so I look forward to hearing more as you get things finalized and can share details of the first three MLP books!
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Post by pixydust on Jan 2, 2008 17:47:57 GMT -5
Sounds like it's going really well! Yay, Jeff!
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Post by Divides the Waters on Jan 3, 2008 19:27:55 GMT -5
On pins and needles here, for a number of reasons. What an exciting venture!
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Jan 4, 2008 8:47:26 GMT -5
Thanks, you guys. I sent out an even more detailed update earlier this week to subscribers. It gives the first real look at both the grand prize and the three novels I'll be launching with. If you haven't registered at the site, consider doing so and I'll send you that update, too: www.marcherlordpress.com. Jeff
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paul
New Member
Posts: 46
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Post by paul on Jan 5, 2008 13:18:13 GMT -5
I got the update - great stuff!
Since you have three books picked for launch day are you still taking submissions?
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Jan 7, 2008 9:41:29 GMT -5
Yes, I'm still taking submissions. However, I probably won't be looking at those submissions until April or May. Got to get the first set going before turning to the next set.
Jeff
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Post by Teskas on Feb 9, 2008 10:10:03 GMT -5
I thought you might be interested to read this. MLP is looking more and more like the future.
News report from the Saturday Telegraph, "Striking writers received an email from union leaders in the early hours of today informing them that a deal had been made that "protects a future in which the internet becomes the primary means of both content creation and delivery", the variety.com website reported."
Even Hollywood may have figured it out.
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Feb 11, 2008 12:03:01 GMT -5
Yippee!
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Post by strangewind on Feb 13, 2008 12:03:22 GMT -5
I have to say that the instant I learned about MLP, I "got" it. (Aren't I special?) Direct sales from the Internet certainly don't encompass all (or even a huge portion) of current book distribution methods. However, because the margin for direct internet sales are low in comparison to large bulk distribution contracts there isn't a decent, costs-savings advantage to the larger or mid-size publishers. But it could (in my opinion should) work for a low-overhead entrepreneur.
I think of it this way: generally speaking, an individual investor who pays attention to what he's doing can usually outperform the stock market and even some of the best large investment firms. This is because the large investment firms are moving around massive chunks of money. They are huge ocean going vessels, and slow to turn. An individual investor can track a stock, sell one day and then buy the next. The big firms have to lay out corporate plans, paperwork and strategies.
Both the big firms and the little guy makes money, but in different ways. The big firms have no interest in micromanaging individual stocks on a daily basis. That would cost them more money in the long run.
Publishing houses must work this way too. While editorial staffs and agents are constantly looking for great material, what they really are interested in is moving big blocks of material, regardless of the author. Even if I had a book right now that I could guararantee would turn a $10,000 profit, for example, that wouldn't necessarily light a fire under a publisher. If they have to significantly alter their production schedule to incorporate one more book that, while marginally profitable, may be taking time away from three other books, one of which may hit the "jackpot" they would be making a wise business decision in foregoing a guaranteed profitmaker in exchange for three shots at more money.
In economics, they call this an opportunity cost. The opportunity cost of a big or mid-size Christian publisher taking a shot on my Christian spec-fic is high - it could delay the publication of another, more proven, money maker. Doing it POD, especially, even though it would lower cost of production, also adds layers of complexity to the big firms business model.
However, in MLP's case, by making the venture POD-only, spec-fic only, Jeff becomes something of a jet-ski among aircraft carriers. It is pretty clear that MLP won't span the Atlantic (figuratively, of course - in terms of publication, POD makes direct distribution across the pond pretty simple!) but he's able to reverse direction, weave in and out, and deliver materials to individuals far more effectively.
Wow. Am I preaching to the choir, or what?
Really, I just wanted to endorse what Jeff is trying accomplish. I'm terribly impressed.
One question: is there any chance in the future that MLP will sell subcriptions to its line? I, for one, would sign up for an annual subscription of 3 or 4 books, if it was under $40 a year. Because it is such a niche market, I would imagine that being able to stick to and involve dedicated customers would be helpful.
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Post by Teskas on Feb 13, 2008 12:14:55 GMT -5
I really dig the idea of a subscription service. Not to detract from MLP's core business system, but as a neat way of getting my "fix".
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Post by strangewind on Feb 13, 2008 12:21:23 GMT -5
Yeah, definitely. The business "lead" is the direct sales of books, but a MLP "sampler book club" might be a good add-on in the future.
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Post by kouter on Feb 13, 2008 18:21:35 GMT -5
The jury is still out on the POD model for me. I understand how its supposed to work in theory, but the part that is missing for me is the marketing. To use the same analogy the internet is like the ocean, its vast and full of any and everything. My question is how do you create a market in the internet that will attact the people you want to the product you are selling? For example, book stores exist for people who like books. So publishers sell to book stores because theres a pretty good chance that people in the store are looking to buy a book. Now who knows why a person logs on to the internet. And who says they're even looking to buy a book? How do you get them from the point of logon all the way to your web page and then further convince them to drop their credit card on something? Even a mass market approach seems unusable when the net is already saturated with so many spam mail and pop ups that they are pretty much invisible. I mean, you could look at this forum as an example. We are all people who would buy a Christian speculative novel, but how many people happen by here and how? Perhaps Jeff could shed some more light on the numbers, but is it enough to support the venture? I guess what I'm asking is are there virtual "book stores" out there where you have a pre-established customer base to plug into? And can you do it cheaply enough to preserve the low overhead advantage of the POD model? Or maybe there is a hybrid method? I kinda get the vision of those empty boxes that appear on the shelves of EB games right before a new game come out. What if you could still tap into the regular book market by shipping these little cards that look like book covers to book stores? Have them right on the shelf in the Sci-fi section. "Wanna buy it? Log on to www.blahblah.com" In closing i think the POD model can work, but you need a good marketing strategy, else your product will be drowing in the sea of information.
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Feb 14, 2008 8:50:53 GMT -5
Great points, you guys. And I'd never thought of a subscription service or a book club. What a great idea! I'll have to run it by my business advisors, but you guys might be onto something incredible.
As for the online model, I agree with Kirk (kouter) that it's a big ocean.
(By the by, POD itself is simply a technology, not a system of marketing, but it is often associated with publishers who are circumventing the traditional warehouse/bookstore system, as MLP is.)
What is marketing but the act of finding the people who would like your product and letting them know that you've got it? The traditional way to do it is to find out where those people are, and then go there, flags-a-waving (ads, etc.), to get their attention. That's expensive and hit-or-miss, even on the Internet.
An alternate model, and the one I'm using, is a reverse of this. The idea is to create something that will naturally draw the target demographic and then, when they're here, to roll out the products they will like and give them the ability to purchase.
I would've created WhereTheMapEnds even if I hadn't had Marcher Lord Press as my long-term goal. I love WTME and the books it covers and the people it draws. But it's also working quite nicely as the "draw" to attract the very audience that will love the kinds of books MLP will produce.
Most companies aren't willing or able to devote one or two years advance work to experiment with this reverse marketing strategy. But that's what I've done. It seems to be working well so far, and if a large enough fraction of WTME subscribers buys MLP books, MLP will do fine.
I'm also about to announce the grand prize and several of the other prizes for the drawing in the Marcher Lord Press launch day event, October 1. I'm hoping that excitement over these prizes will be another major source to help draw the target demographic to the site. Once again, I'm hoping they'll come to me.
Finally, I'm doing what I can to promote MLP. I'm doing interviews and will be sending out review copies of the books--mainly to other Christian spec-fic sites but also to at least one major book review magazine. Plus I'm working with many of those other Christian spec-fic sites to try to do a real blitz in September, all to drive the right folks to the right place at the right time.
Then of course there's lots of prayer!
Jeff
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