Interview - Nicole Langan - Publisher at Tribute Books

Beginning in 2012, Tribute Books shall be changing their Young Adult titles into eBook format.  Today I have Nicole Langan from Tribute Books here with me to help better explain what is about to occur with their new transition.

Tribute Books began in 2004 and they have over 30 published titles accredited to them.  Winning many awards, including Christian Small Publisher of the Year Award and Moms Choice, they cover a wide range of genres, from children's books to sports to history.

During their 2011 year season, they realized their sales for eBooks was outpacing their print books by 2 to 1due to the rise in eReader sales.  The decision to begin 2012 on the right foot was an easy one to make and YA eReader formatted books shall be their new vision.

1.  Why is Tribute changing their Young Adult titles to eBook format?

Over the course of 2011, we've watched our ebook sales outpace our print sales by 2 to 1 due to the explosion in popularity of e-readers such as the Kindle, Nook and iPad. The under $5 price point of most of our e-titles and the ease of purchase and delivery surely facilitated this rapid change.

Overall, our transition is based on three factors. On a business level, the young adult genre sells especially if it is well written and has a paranormal romance theme. On a marketing level, the devotion of the young adult fan base is unparalleled. On a personal level, I thoroughly enjoy a good young adult novel and review many on my blog at http://tributebooksreviews.blogspot.com. I'm a believer in doing what you love and working with like-minded people, when it's at all possible.

Manuscripts that have already been professionally edited will receive greater consideration. Our preference is to work with authors who have already been published through a royalty-paying press and who know the ins and outs of book promotion. An established social media platform is a must, and we will not consider writers who do not have a well-followed blog, Facebook page or Twitter account.

We're looking for submissions that are not explicit or erotic in nature. In keeping with the young adult age range, manuscripts should be appropriate for a PG-13 audience.

Interested authors can submit their manuscripts via email to info@tribute-books.com. There will be no charge for the authors we select to work with, and they will receive 50% of the net profits of their ebook sales in quarterly royalty payments. We're looking for Microsoft Word documents with a maximum of 350 pages of text with no photos, charts, illustrations, graphs, etc.

We try to keep an active online presence with our web site (http://www.tribute-books.com/), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks)  and blog (http://tributebooks.blogspot.com/). We'd love to have anyone who loves young adult literature to join us for the ride. 

2.  When you say solely, does that mean readers will be unable to purchase print copies?

Yes, all titles published from 2012 forward will only be available as ebooks. However, the titles we published from 2004 through 2011 will continue to be available for sale as hardcovers, paperbacks and ebooks.

3.  Are there any future plans to change any of your other titles and selections to eBook format?

For the most part, all of our previous titles are already available in ebook format and can be found at http://www.tribute-books.com/shop.html

4.  Why do you believe that eBooks have become so popular?

I can only see the ebook trend increasing in momentum as the price of e-readers continues to lower and more and more people start using this new technology. The industry shift is similar to what occurred in terms of music buying habits when iTunes downloads became more popular that CD purchases. There will always be a market for print books, but I think the majority of book sales will soon be electronic. People want the cheapest, quickest and easiest way to obtain their reading material.

5.  In all honesty, your own personal preference Nicole, do you prefer print copy or eBook formats best??

Although, Tribute Books is transitioning into a solely e-publisher, personally I'm a fan of the print book and have all the respect in the world for publishers who are able to financially continue to stay the course. I, too, bemoan the impending cutbacks that the printed book is facing. It's a head vs. heart issue. The financial picture and technological shift favor the ebook, but die hard readers will always crave holding a real book in their hands.

**  I have to agree that the ONLY genre I consider reading in eBook is the YA genre...or if it has to do with zombies...hehe  However, I'm a die hard and real books will ALWAYS outshine the electronic kind!!

 

We, here at the Moose Marsh, wish you and Tribute Books all the best in success Nicole...may it follow you WHEREVER you go~!!  Thank you for stopping by and clearing a few things up for us...we truly appreciate that~!!  **