Why writers need Imajin Books and what we offer

I received an email today from a writer who, like many others, is considering self-publishing, though the idea of a more traditional-style publisher is still appealing. He asked why writers who are blogging would need Imajin Books. And what did we bring to the table?

This was my reply:

I opened Imajin Books to other authors when I realized there is still a need for publishing companies that run somewhat like the traditional publishers and big guys. The key difference is that most of those publishers aren’t actively pursuing the ebook market and if they’ve dipped their feet in it, they aren’t paying attention to what readers want—ie. lower ebook prices.

At Imajin Books, ebooks are our #1 priority. They’re considered the primary right, with print being a subsidiary right. We sell far more ebooks than print.
We offer:

• An opportunity for authors who have dreamed of being published by a ‘traditional publisher.

• A small advance, but above standard royalties that are hard to find with another publishing company.

• Marketing support – we do whatever we can to get our authors books into the hands of the public.

• Trackable sales – with statements, you’ll know how many books you’ve sold so that when someone asks—and they will—you’ll have the answer or at least know where to go to find it.

• Potential to be recognized as a bestselling author. Many of the lists do not consider sales of self-published titles.

• Book cover design, with a professional graphic designer, and our authors do have some input.

• Editors.

• Formatting your book for ebooks and print.

• We take care of ISBNs, barcodes and licensing art.

• No upfront costs. The only thing you’ll ever pay for is ordering your own book stock. We never ask our authors to pay for any of the above. All investments our authors make in marketing are their own choices. We may recommend something, but there’s never any pressure and we do not sell any kind of marketing packages.

• Marketing advice – we’ll give you ideas of how you can promote your book and strategies you can use to increase your readership.

• We are a traditional publishing company (in the industry sense of the term), but we are anything but traditional.

Is Imajin Books for every author? No. If an author is considering self-publishing and knows the industry well, that may be the best decision for them. I have always been a strong proponent for self-publishing. But there is a steep learning curve that can take some writers a while to get through. Mistakes will be made along the way. Coordinating and finding editors, graphic designers and the right self-publishing method can be a daunting challenge for many. We eliminate those challenges.

We favor writers who are actively blogging and visible on social networks because it shows us they’re willing to step out of the box and go where the readers are. It shows they’re willing to do what it takes to market their books and not rely 100% on a publisher.

Going back to his question about bloggers, if a writer is blogging about their journey, the craft of writing, their book ideas or their lives, they are reaching an audience. That audience becomes potential readers if that writer then becomes published--whether self-published or trad. published. But if all they're doing is blogging a handful of times a month to their 20 best friends who follow their blog, the potential for new sales goes down drastically.

Marketing books takes boldness and creativity. That's what I personally bring to the table at Imajin Books. Anyone who's met me or knows me through various social networks can tell you that "bold" and "creative" are my middle names. Along with my nickname of "Shameless Promoter."

We welcome any questions: imajinbooks@shaw.ca

Cheryl Tardif
Publisher, Imajin Books