Archive for August, 2008
Outskirts Press EVVY Award Winners 2006-2008
Congratulations to the Outskirts Press EVVY Award winning books published in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The 2009 EVVY Awards will take place in the spring of 2009 to recognize top independent books published in 2008.
To learn more about the EVVY Awards and how to qualify for an official Outskirts Press nomination, click here.
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2008 Official Outskirts Press EVVY Winners
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Long Neck by Michael Willert |
1st Place |
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KillRod The Cross of Lorraine Murders by Bill Ison |
1st Place |
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Ordinary Valor How Prostate Cancer Saved My Life and How You Can Save Yours by Robert J Mignone, M.D., F.A.P.A. |
2nd Place |
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Don’t Mind Me, I’m Just Passing Through by Kregg P.J. Jorgenson |
3rd Place |
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Marshmallows and Bikes Teaching Children (and Adults) Personal Finance by Brian Nelson Ford |
3rd Place |
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An Anthology of Respect The Pullman Porters National Historic Registry Of African American Railroad Employees by Lyn Hughes |
Merit |
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The Nexus Colony by G. F. Schreader |
Merit |
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No Laughing Matter An Izzy Brand Mystery by Irv Sternberg |
Merit |
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2007 Official Outskirts Press EVVY Winners
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Building a Champion Character: A Practical Guidance Program by Susan R. Rose, M. Ed. |
1st Place |
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Defending Liars by Howard L. Salter |
1st Place |
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RV Rentals by Dave & Kay Corby |
1st Place |
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Christmas Tree Advent Calendar by Ruthy Sturgill |
2nd Place |
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The Struggle Among Ideas by J. Ivey Davis |
2nd Place |
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The War Chest by Gary W. Buehner |
2nd Place |
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Blue Max by N. G. Brown |
3rd Place |
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See Sally Kick Ass by Fred Vogt |
3rd Place |
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Simple Successes by Rachelle Zola |
3rd Place |
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Wake Up with Fleas by Carla Kienast |
3rd Place |
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Aidan’s Shoes by Brent Sampson |
Merit |
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Fly Me to the Moon by H. E. Logue, M.D. |
Merit |
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Full-Bodied and Peppery by Christine Feller |
Merit |
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Into the Light by Debra P. Whitehead |
Merit |
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The Literary Six by Vince A. Liaguno |
Merit |
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2006 Official Outskirts Press EVVY Winners
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Adios, Havana by Andrew Rodriguez |
1st Place |
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Enough Already! by Bob Tyler |
1st Place |
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I Want to Make Money in the Stock Market by Chris M. Hart, Sr. |
2nd Place |
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Yellowstone to Denali by Clay Cunningham |
3rd Place |
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Sneezy Neezy by Rick Handloser |
Merit |
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Making a Difference by Dr. Rhonda Hackett |
Merit |
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Self-Publishing Simplified by Brent Sampson |
Merit |
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Son of Orbiting Death Ray Platform by Dr. Heinrich Heildmon |
Merit |
Add comment August 30, 2008
The EVVY Book Awards
Each year, the EVVY Awards recognize excellence in independently published books. Sponsored by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association, the EVVY Awards are judged by a 3rd-party panel of professionals on a qualitative scale of merit in nineteen different categories.
All Colorado publishers are eligible to enter their books for recognition and awards. In the past, first, second, and third place winners in each category have received a framed award recognizing their accomplishment, along with award-winning stickers to affix to their book covers.
For the past several years, Outskirts Press has officially nominated approximately 5% of the books they publish each year for submission to the annual EVVY Awards. These Official Outskirts Press nominations represent the very best of our publications as determined by Outskirts Press executives, members of the production teams, and marketing department. As such, only books published with the Diamond and full-color Pearl packages are considered.
Potential nominees are notified via email in the fall of each year. There is no obligation to accept the nomination; just being recognized is a great accomplishment. Outskirts Press official nominees and winners typically receive additional exposure of their books on the Outskirts Press email newsletters and blogs.
Select nominees and winners in the past have also been invited to be featured in full-page ads within the pages of national writing magazines like Writer’s Digest, Poets & Writers, and The Writer. These invitations are sent to select authors at Outskirts Press’s sole discretion and there is no additional cost to participate in the advertisement (nor is there any obligation to).
If a nominated author accepts the nomination, Outskirts Press submits the nominated book to the annual EVVY Awards contest. Outskirts Press takes care of all the 
details. Winners are announced each spring
during a ceremonial banquet dinner celebration in Denver, Colorado, which in the past has been hosted by Dom Testa of Denver’s #1-rated Dom & Jane Morning Show.
Like all book contests, the EVVY Awards are very competitive and only the highest-caliber books are recognized from the publisher’s submissions across the state. Unlike other book contests, fewer than 500 total entries are submitted, increasing the statistical odds that an Outskirts Press Official Nominee will be recognized as an award-winning publication. For the past several years, Outskirts Press has received the most awards among all participating publishers.
HOW DO YOU GET NOMINATED?
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Publish your book with Outskirts Press
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Publish with either the Diamond package (for b/w books) or the Pearl package (for full-color)
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Strongly consider the optional copyediting and custom cover options. With over 2,000 published books each year, competition to be nominated is fierce. These optional services will help your book meet the highest quality standards.
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Keep an eye on your copyright date. For example, books with a 2007 copyright date were nominated in the fall of 2007. Books with a copyright date of 2008 will be nominated in the fall of 2008. Books with a copyright date of 2009 will be nominated in the fall of 2009, etc. Once the calendar year has expired, books featuring that year’s copyright date are no longer eligible for nomination.
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Market, market, market. Promote, promote, promote. Bring your successes to the attention of the Outskirts Press Author Support department. Winning awards in other contests helps tremendously; we like nominating award-winning books!
Are you ready to publish an award-winning book?
To see past winners from 2005, 2006, and 2007, click here.
Add comment August 27, 2008
3 tips for self-publishing a full color children’s book
Have you ever considered writing and publishing
a children’s book, either to share with your children,
your family, or with the whole wide world?
Believe it or not, it is easier than you might think. With full-color on-demand publishing, children’s books as short as four pages can be designed, printed, published, and distributed worldwide.
Here are 3 quick tips for writing your children’s book:
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Write for your audience - Do not use words that are inappropriate for the age group. For instance, did you know the longest word in the English language is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcaniconiosis?
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Make every page count – While Outskirts Press can publish children’s books as short as 4 pages, the two most common lengths are 16 pages and 32 pages.
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Maintain a moral - It’s important that someone in the story demonstrates positive traits. Children seek role models in stories.
What about original full-color illustrations?
It used to be that adding full-color drawings to your children’s story was the largest obstacle of all. Children’s illustrations used to be very expensive, they would take forever to be finished, and the artist often wanted to split the royalties with you.
No longer! Now you can choose from over a dozen different styles, starting as low as $100 per full-page original illustration. Plus, you don’t have to split any of your royalties with the artist!
Take a peek at some of the award-winning illustration styles available when you publish your full color children’s story with Outskirts Press:
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See all of our illustration styles here.
(Hint: Full-color publishing works for non-children’s books, too. Any book that requires full-color interior printing will do…)
Add comment August 25, 2008
One self-published author’s story
“My entry as a newbie into the culture of publishing began when I attended several writers’ conferences. There I discovered hundreds of dejected writers clutching manuscripts of the next Great American Novel, lamenting their struggle finding an agent who would fall in love with their work. So when, within a week of my very first foray, I received a call from one of New York’s most coveted agencies asking to represent Break And Hold, I was jubilant. It was a Sally-Fields-at-the-Oscars moment. You mean you like me? You really like me?
No sooner had the ink dried on the contract than I lost control of Break And Hold. A thirteen-month roller-coaster began where the book languished on the desks of the Top Ten publishers, who all turned it down. We didn’t quite fall in love with it, they parroted. Nevertheless the agency prevailed upon me to be patient. It’s the nature of the beast, they cooed. We love it – we’ll find a home for your book. Give us six more months, they begged. Finally in a moment of clarity, I wrenched the book back.
Enter … Outskirts Press, a brilliantly conceived, all-encompassing book publishing service that delivers. Break And Hold found a home. My articulate, informed, author representative extraordinaire, was assigned. Never once was I left in suspended animation. Printing was expedited at jet speed to meet a deadline for a book signing at the U.S. Open. Nobody dropped the ball. The final product was extraordinary. There is more … a series of interviews on national radio talk shows and television addressing the timely issues raised in Break And Hold are booked throughout 2008.
You know what, Outskirts Press? I like you. I really like you.”
-Vivien Kalvaria,
successfully published Outskirts Press author of Break And Hold
Make your dreams come true, too! Start publishing today!
Add comment August 23, 2008
5 Self-Publishing Tips for Television Book Promotion
Getting on TV can definitely help build buzz for your book. No matter who publishes your book, these 5 tips will help you:
1. Be unique
If you believe some estimates, there are over 400,000 books published every year in America. Not only does your book have to be different, but so do you. And you need to be able to demonstrate that unique quality in an appealing, personable way. Television is a visual medium – your uniqueness cannot be off-putting; it needs to be engaging.
When teenage author Montana Hintermann appeared on NBC for her first book, her age made her unique. She wrote Envisioned when she was just 14 and published it professionally with Outskirts Press just 2 years later. Her success story lead to television interviews on NBC, additional press coverage in local papers, and the publication of her second book with Outskirts Press, titled Sahara’s Tears.
2. Be courteous
Television producers are busy people and they are constantly under a deadline. There is a fine line between persistent and annoying. Cross the line at your peril. Get to know the producer’s schedule and always make contact when you know they are not “on-deadline.” How do you know? You ask them. The first words out of your mouth during a phone call with a television producer should be “Are you on-deadline at the moment?”
3. Be prepared
Yes, being on Good Morning America or Oprah is a great goal. In fact, the exclusive Outskirts Press Marketing COACH offers a crash course on Oprah within the first year after your book is published with Outskirts Press. Before aiming for Oprah, aim for the local television market. Practice being in front of the camera and on live television so that when your moment to shine comes, you are brilliant!
4. Be professional
Television shows are not interested in helping you sell copies of your book. That will be a by-product of a successful appearance. Instead, they are interested in entertaining and educating their viewers. Be engaging,
professional, entertaining, and knowledgeable about your subject. Share information with the viewers. If you are a good guest, the show will promote your book for you, and they may invite you back.
5. Be timely
Television is immediate. It is here and now. You have to make a timely connection to your book, based upon a holiday or a current events story already in the news. Don’t expect the producer to make the timely connection for you. Your pitch should focus on how timely your subject matter is. If you’re not sure what is happening in the news, start watching the news. You cannot be news worthy if you are not news savvy.
Outskirts Press author Barbara Bitela appeared on CBS to discuss her book, The Art of Regifting during the shopping and holiday season. The timeliness of her topic and her steadfast adherence to the 4 tips above also lead to a feature interview on National Public Radio.
Is there a reason Outskirts Press authors are so successful at generating buzz for their books? Perhaps it is because Outskirts Press books look professional and meet industry standards and specifications (like perfect bindings and price-embedded barcodes). Or perhaps it is because the exclusive Outskirts Press Marketing COACH assists published authors for years after publication.
No matter the reasons, Outskirts Press can lead to wonderful success stories for you, too. Yes, the power
of the press works wonders for all authors, regardless of who publishes your book. It just may be harder if you publish somewhere else.
Add comment August 21, 2008
