PIP - Statement of Purpose V.2

The goal of the Professional Independent Publisher (PIP) program is to help overcome the mainstream stigma of self-publishing by providing a certification process that will qualitatively evaluate applicants for their knowledge, understanding, and implementation of the professional book publishing process.

The PIP program will utilize a benchmark standard and should function to produce authors who understand the industry and how to do business in it to achieve their respective publishing goals and satisfy the needs of their respective target markets.

We intend for it to achieve these means by helping to educate a Publisher on how to better market and position themselves for book sales, and then once they are PIP certified, the certification itself would indicate to more prominent reviewers, larger distributors, and other institutional entities, that this Publisher is worth their time.

The program will have to have a method for measuring qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the publishing company as well as a process for allowing analysis of the publishers' books.

From an institutional standpoint the certification program and resulting certification award should be meaningless as a marketing tool to the general public. To begin with, its entire function should be to inform the industry “gatekeepers”, who currently limit their involvement with independently produced book titles due to increased risk of investment, that the book in question has met their standard of quality.

To make this a reality, we will need feedback from the key players within the publishing industry. In that regard, we would like to see an advisory board composed of big names within the industry as well as pragmatic voices from the small press community. While this advisory board is still in preliminary stages, we have begun the process of establishing the PIP criteria by creating Best Practices discussion threads.

To view the index of criteria topics visit here:

http://www.spannet.org/page/pip-input-criteria

If a certification program can differentiate between a mediocre product and a great product then the industry gatekeepers can use such a certification program to expand the flow of independent books into their systems in way that is profitable for the gate-keepers, publishers, and authors.

Likewise, the certification program can help make Independent Publishers more self aware of their place within the industry, helping them to best utilize their resources in selling books and/or achieving their goals.

Tags: PIP, Professional, independent, publishers, self

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kyle L. Miller on April 12, 2011 at 4:27am

Hello Bradley, As a self-publisher and mini-publisher, I am 100% for this program. After 6 years in the publishing business, I am still climbing uphill on the learning curve. If there is anything I can do to help support the PIP program, please let me know. Kyle Miller, VP Board of Directors, FPA.

Permalink Reply by Bradley Flora on April 13, 2011 at 10:46pm

Hi Kyle,

Thanks for your interest and support for this program. The best way you can help right now is to take a look at the PIP Criteria topics,

http://www.spannet.org/page/pip-input-criteria

and then pick a topic that interests you, then post into that discussion thread your thoughts on what You think the Best Practices would be for that topic. In other words, what criteria should we use to judge PIP applicants in that segment?

Thanks again for your time,

bradley flora

SPANnet.org

Permalink Reply by A marketing maven on April 12, 2011 at 10:24am

Hi Brad -

I'm glad to see this project getting revived. I would add a topic to your Post Production list. Marketing. In the post production phase, it is all about implementing the marketing plan that you created earlier. This is the ultimate test of how well your book project is executed. If you don't sell books, you have just wasted a ton of time, money and effort.

In the final phase, things to look at would include the media plan portion of the marketing plan. What types of media are begin used (internet/social media, print, broadcast, live appearances), how effective are those in getting publicity, what kinds of sales are resulting from the efforts, and so on. If advertising is incorporated into the plan, what is the ROI of that choice.

I'd be happy to help on this project when it gets going.

Carol

Carol White Marketing * P O Box 1115 * Wilsonville, OR 97070

The Marketing Maven * www.carolwhitemarketing.com * 888 522 8747

Speaker, Writer & Marketing Coach

A member of IBPA, SPAN, NSA, & NWABP

Official Marketing Coach for About Books, Inc.

Follow me on Twitter: amarketingmaven

Permalink Reply by Bradley Flora on April 13, 2011 at 11:16pm

Carol,

Well said! The marketing topic has been added!

http://www.spannet.org/group/bookmarketing/forum/topics/marketing-b...

We originally overlooked the importance of Marketing in the Post Production stage, which of course, would be unacceptable. Thank you for reminding us of it. Any other suggestions along the same lines will certainly be appreciated and taken into consideration.

Please feel free to post to it, or any other category, at will.

Thank you for your time, it is appreciated.

bradley flora

SPANnet.org

Permalink Reply by 1106 Design on April 12, 2011 at 11:53am

Hi Brad,

I second Kyle's comments. Oftentimes, self-publishers unknowingly damage their chance at success. If a program such as this can keep everyone focused on the issues that matter to the gatekeepers, I'd love to help in any way you think best.

Michele DeFilippo
1106Design.com
Your book. Designed. With hand-holding.

Permalink Reply by A marketing maven on April 12, 2011 at 12:00pm

Michelle brings up a good point, and that is that we have to focus on what is important to the gatekeepers - it really doesn't matter what WE think - it matters what THEY think is important to provide a "screening" device to help them look at appropriate books.

Carol

Permalink Reply by 1106 Design on April 12, 2011 at 12:12pm

Eight speakers, including me, are teaching new publishers exactly this on Saturday in Phoenix. Check out http://www.azbookpub.com for details and to register. Discount early-bird registration ends 4/13.

Permalink Reply by A marketing maven on April 12, 2011 at 1:04pm

Wish I was in AZ to be there!

NWABP did theirs last weekend - seminars must be "in the air" - we used a similar theme - "come in with an idea, go out with a plan"

Carol

Permalink Reply by 1106 Design on April 12, 2011 at 2:17pm

Must be springtime...birds, bees, and books! :-)

Permalink Reply by Bradley Flora on April 14, 2011 at 12:02am

Carol,

I think its important for us, collectively, to consider both sides of the issue. This is why we are gathering public input for the program first, and then will be bringing that input concisely forward to our advisory board and industry partners and saying, in paraphrase "this is what we think, what do you think?"

And then we go from there.

bradley flora

SPANnet.org

Permalink Reply by Bradley Flora on April 15, 2011 at 10:55pm

Carol,

Oops! In my above post it sounds as if I am trying to correct you, or chastise, when in actually I completely agree with you.

bradley flora

Permalink Reply by Bradley Flora on April 13, 2011 at 11:19pm

Michele,

Thanks for your support! You are right on point, we want to create a program that will appeal to the gatekeeprs of the industry so that we can overcome the stigma.

To help, I'll also repeat what I said to Kyle:

The best way you can help right now is to take a look at the PIP Criteria topics,

http://www.spannet.org/page/pip-input-criteria

and then pick a topic that interests you, then post into that discussion thread your thoughts on what You think the Best Practices would be for that topic.