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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 13 2006 : 3:19:08 PM
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Hi All:
For the many of you who in your own way have been (or would like to be) helping spread the word on AYP, I thought to give a summary of the evolving 2006 marketing plans for the AYP books. Perhaps this information will be useful to you in your travels. Maybe you will encounter people who will have interest in some of what follows below.
As always, all suggestions and help for increasing AYP exposure are much appreciated.
I am most grateful to everyone who has put "an oar in the water" for helping spread the word on AYP, whether is has been financial or in speaking to others about the AYP lessons and books. Thank you!
As some of you know and have told me, breaking into the "book trade" is tough to do. With what has been done so far (a lot I thought), the AYP books have achieved miniscule sales -- about 700 total books sold in 2005. So the marketing program is being beefed up substantially in 2006. Here is a summary:
1. Press Releases -- Four have been issued to 3,000 US newspapers, radio stations, and college newspapers since last summer. See here for links. The most recent one was on the new Deep Meditation book -- 1/03/06. We are covered for one more press release to be issued in the spring when the Spinal Breathing Pranayama and Tantra books come out. All of these press releases have been paid for with a kind donation that was received last spring.
2. Press reviews -- Review copies of the Deep Meditation book have been sent to the book review editors of 75 large US newspapers, yoga/spiritual magazines and independent book review publications. This was also done with the other two AYP books last year. Believe it or not, the AYP books are yet to receive one press review, though there have been a few nibbles. It is very tough to break into the established literary review system that tends feed on itself and shun anything new and original, unless of course it is something achieving popularity on its own -- then everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon. We're not there yet, but heading in the right direction...
3. Book Handouts -- Over 1,000 copies of Deep Meditation are in the process of being shipped to and handed out by over 100 people. Most of these are in the USA, with copies also distributed in Canada, South America, the UK and Europe, India, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. This activity has been covered in part by donations and is being wound down now due to lack of additional funding to support it in lieu of other things going on (see below). I hope the books find their way into the hands of lots of people who will be inclined to spread the word. Many thanks to all who are handing them out!
Note: The deep discount program is still available for obtaining AYP books for handing out -- write me for details.
4. Approaching bookstores, libraries and educational institutions -- This has been happening on a limited basis via a few volunteers (see this bookstore "walk-in" success story). It is a huge mountain to climb -- the single greatest challenge the AYP books are facing -- penetrating the above mentioned channels. If anyone is inclined to participate in introducing the AYP books to any of the mentioned channels (like your local Barnes and Noble), please contact me. Sample AYP books, fliers and other handout materials are available to aid in "walk-ins." Obviously, this is not for everyone. If you are inclined to do walk-ins to help place the AYP books in your local bookstores, do write me. It is really important.
5. Submittal to book chains -- Recently, the three AYP books have been submitted with applications to the small press buyers at the Barnes and Noble and the Borders book chains in the USA. No word yet. This is in addition to approaching local stores. It's a dual strategy -- top down and bottom up.
6. Trade shows -- The AYP books are signed up for exhibition in four trade shows in 2006 so far: Two International New Age Trade Shows ("INATS" - Orlando/Feb and Denver/June - New Leaf Distributors booth), the Public Library Association Trade Show (Boston/Mar), and Book Expo America (Wash DC/May - largest book trade show in the USA). The last two were just added to increase national exposure and the AYP books will be in the Publishers Marketing Association (PMA) booth at both shows. All of these events are for the book trade only (publishers, wholesalers and retailers) - not open to the public. If you know anyone in the book trade, you can let them know the AYP books will be exhibited at these shows.
7. Getting a real distributor -- Currently the AYP books are distributed through "passive" channels that include no active marketing to the book trade. As a result, very little is happening, except what you are reading here, which is a drop in the bucket compared to what must be done to achieve visibility and acceptance in the book trade -- every little bit helps, bringing us one step closer. Achieving book trade presence will be a big step toward achieving public acceptance of open source spiritual practices. A strategy is being pursued to achieve placement with a major distributor who will actively market the AYP books through a large professional sales network in the USA and abroad. If we can get in with a large distributor with a marketing organization, it will be a huge step forward.
8. Continuing to build the AYP websites and forum community -- As you know, AYP started on the web, and I see the AYP web presence continuing to be in the central role. So the focus on expanding the usefulness of the free online lessons and forums will continue. All of you who are participating in this community are playing an important role in lifting world consciousness. I am convinced that self-directed spiritual practice utilizing open source systems like AYP is the wave of the future. It is how everyone will be able find equal access to the divine within.
9. Financial contributions are still welcome -- As you can imagine, all of this costs money. Whatever comes in here is going right back out the door (and then some) to support all of these activities. So if you would like to help out financially, you may do so at AYP on Paypal.com. All I ask is that any financial giving be in line with what you feel you have gained from AYP already. All contributions are used to help make the AYP knowledge available to everyone around the world.
Wishing you the best on your chosen path. Practice wisely, and enjoy!
The guru is in you.
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cosmic_troll
USA
229 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2006 : 5:47:12 PM
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Hi Yogani,
You may want to look into iUniverse, which helps authors to self-publish through Barnes and Noble. I don't have any personal experience with them, so I don't know what you could expect... They claim to help with the marketing aspect of publishing, and I have seen some of their books on the shelves. Here is a link to their site:
http://www.iuniverse.com
Wishing you success!
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yogani99
USA
153 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2006 : 11:29:21 PM
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Hi Cosmic:
Thanks for the feedback. iUniverse (partially owned by Barnes and Noble) is one of several print-on-demand publishers that were considered when the first AYP book was in preparation in 2004. Most of the print-on-demand publishers use www.lightningsource.com for their printing and central distribution point. In the end it was decided to go direct with LightningSource as a new independent publisher (AYP Publishing) for a number of reasons, including complete control of the books themselves and the automatic listing with the major US and European distributors, plus Amazon and Barnes and Noble, with no middlemen or biased parties involved.
Beyond the listings (which enable orders to come in from almost any market segment, be filled print-on-demand and shipped within 48 hours), getting all of those channels to actually stock the books in their warehouses and on their shelves is another matter having more to do with generating public demand than pushing the books through the distribution channels from the inside. Of course, we'd like to be doing both, without giving up our autonomy.
We have made good progress with Amazon, who now stocks the AYP books and ships them within 24 hours in the USA. That took many months to build. We are now going through a similar process with the rest of the wholesale and retail distribution channels -- slowly building public market demand as they slowly build confidence to stock the AYP books in their warehouses and on the shelves for immediate availability. Barnes and Noble central purchasing is reviewing the AYP books for stocking as we write, and the store walk-ins that are being done by AYP volunteers are definitely helping. The Amazon reviews are helping a lot too in many venues where the books are being presented, so please keep them coming.
It all takes time. We have some time. The AYP books are not going out of style any time soon. I suspect they will ripen with age. And the more time that goes by, the more AYP books there will be, typing fingers willing. So we will just keep pecking away at it, continuing to make the lessons and books as visible to the public as possible with whatever resources we have available to do that with, and at the same time continue to build the free online resources and community here on the web...
I am very grateful to all of you who are inclined to pass the word and help out in any way you can. Thank you!
The guru is in you.
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sadhak
India
604 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2006 : 10:50:30 PM
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Hi Yogani,
There are at least two big publishers and one distributor in India that specialise in spiritual books. I posted this query in some forum (on making a film), but lost track of how I got there, and have been looking for it for the past few days (that's how I arrived here. If you tell me where the book is available in India, I'll buy it (I want to read it too) and see what I can do (which may or may not amount to much, since I don't know the ropes too well... but I'll try. Translated in Indian rupees, it may not be many dollars, whatever the expense; and there is a big market here.
Sadhak |
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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2006 : 11:34:22 PM
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Hi Sadhak:
The Wilder movie topic you mentioned is here, along with my reply to your posting there. As mentioned there, the AYP paperback books are not available in India, but the ebook versions are. See http://www.aypsite.org/books.html
I did not see your note on publishers anywhere. The names of the publishers and distributor you know would be appreciated either here or via email. I am aware of MLBD and B. Jain, and plan to submit to them later in the year after the next AYP Enlightenment Series books comes out. "Tantra" is coming out in a few weeks. Then "Asanas, Mudras & Bandhas" in the autumn, "Samyama" later in the year, and "Shatkarmas & Amaroli" by early 2007. That will leave about three more to finish off the series by the end of 2007 -- Planned: "Self-Inquiry," "Bhakti and Karma Yoga" and "Eight Limbs of Yoga (with heavy focus on self-pacing and related matters)." Whew! 
At some point I'd like to submit all the books to as many qualified publishers in India as possible. Then the books will have a good chance to become available at reasonable cost locally over there -- very important. Until then, the ebooks are the main way to read the AYP books in India. Hopefully we can fix that in the not-to-distant future.
Thanks for any suggestions you may have!
The guru is in you.
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sadhak
India
604 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2006 : 9:11:23 PM
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Hi Yogani,
My net connection was down, so was off the forum for a while...now accessing from elsewhere. MLBD and B Jain are big ones in spiritual book publishing. Here's another:Full Circle Publishing Pvt Ltd, J-40 Jorbagh Lane New Delhi-3,India. Tel: 91-11-24620063, 55654197; fullcircle@vsnl.com. There are several more... I'll put together some addresses and contact numbers and send them to you as soon as I put them together. |
Edited by - sadhak on May 25 2006 9:17:13 PM |
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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2006 : 10:47:04 PM
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Hi Sadhak:
Oh, that is wonderful about the publishers. Full Circle is a one I was not aware of. I look forward to the others you are researching. The more good ones we can approach the better. If we contact 10, maybe one will have a serious interest in publishing and distributing the AYP books in India.
Thanks much!
The guru is in you.
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Hunter
USA
252 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2006 : 01:25:35 AM
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Hi Yogani,
East West Bookshop in Mountain View, CA http://www.eastwest.com/ puts out a seasonal event calendar and newsletter. The free newsletter is read by many people in all the cities in between and including San Francisco and San Jose, CA. The newsletter is accessed freely in almost all coin operated newspaper stands on the peninsula. The highlights of the newsletter are book reviews, interviews, and daily events in the bookstore event room.
I recall that the book shipments mainly came from Baker and Taylor, Ingram, Newleaf, and Bookpeople. |
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Hunter
USA
252 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2006 : 01:32:12 AM
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A book review in the East West newsletter is simply a matter of meeting with the co-managers, a very approachable, warm, and loving couple.
Some big names have been interviewed by the managers and their interviews become the main focus of the newsletters. Perhaps you could have a representative interview with the staff in order to present the AYP material. |
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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2006 : 10:11:20 AM
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Hi Hunter:
Great suggestion. Is there anyone conveniently located in California who would like to make contact with East West on behalf of AYP?
The same goes for similar publications in other states across the USA, and in countries around the world.
Many thanks!
The guru is in you.
PS -- The AYP books are carried by New Leaf, Ingram and Baker Taylor in the USA and by major UK based European distributors too. For more on distribution, see the first paragraph here: http://www.aypsite.org/books.html
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sadhak
India
604 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2006 : 12:19:39 PM
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Hi Yogani,
Here're some publishers I dug out.
B C Exports(India)/Butalia publications; Tel:23626782,23527048, email: bcexpo@vsnl.net .
Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan; 1-UB, Jawahar Nagar, Bungalow Road, Delhi-7, India. Tel:23971570; Head; K C Jain.
Corner Bookstore Co Pvt Ltd; 40/55 Chittaranjan Park, Ground Floor, New Delhi-19. Tel:33163982,. Email:delhi@thecornerbookstore.com ; www.thecornerbookstore.com
Cosmo Publications;23278779, email:genesis@ndb.vsnl.net.in
Creative Publication; Tel: 23279417, 23985175; email:vikas_aggarwal@vsnl.com ; www.creativepublication.com
Indica Books (Varanasi); ph:91-542-2357401; email:indicabooks@satyam.net.in ; www.indicabooks.com
Indological Book House (Delhi); Tel:91-11-30901148; email:ioph@rediffmail.com ; Head: Gajendra Singh
Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd; (New Delhi); Tel: 23671668, 23673650; email:mrml@mantraonline.com ; www.mrmlbooks.com
New Age Books (New Delhi); tel: 25895219, 25895218; email:nab@vsnl.in ; www.newagebooksindia.com ; head: Abhishek Jain
Orient Paperbacks (New Delhi): tel: 23862267; 23862201. email:sales@orientpaperbacks.com ; Hd: Sudhir Malhotra
Of these, Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan and New Age Books are what I've heard of as being OK. But still need to be reviewed. |
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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2006 : 1:44:29 PM
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Hi Sadhak:
Thanks very much for those. You can be sure they will be fully explored. And feel free to add further perspectives and publishers as they come to you.
It is about time we got AYP going in India. For heaven's sake, all this came from there, and we are only trying to send it back in a refined and highly useable form. You know, like the Japanese did with cars in America. 
I wonder if Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan (K C Jain) is part of B. Jain Books. Do you know? If so, we have them covered. In fact, just today, we got a tiny nibble from B. Jain. Time will tell on that...
New Age Books is part of MLBD (the biggest in spiritual books in India), which we also have covered -- with no interest so far.
All the rest are new territory and of great value in the over all effort to get AYP going in India. Terrific inputs!
The guru is in you.
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sadhak
India
604 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2006 : 11:44:49 PM
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Hi Yogani,
I think Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan is part of Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan. Later I realised that if this is so it will narrow the reach of the AYP books, since they have limited outlets. However, I'll call up and find out today, and let you know.
Merci. |
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sadhak
India
604 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2006 : 04:19:42 AM
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Hi Yogani,
I checked on Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan...they aren't connected with any publishing house... and should be dropped altogether. They seem some very small time publishers, with little reach, and less marketing skills. |
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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
Posted - May 29 2006 : 10:39:33 AM
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Hi Sadhak:
Thank you. As I understand, some (or many?) publishers in India are connected with spiritual organizations and only publish material related to that organization's teachings. This is fine, of course, but not the kind of publisher we are looking for -- we'd like to be with one that is non-sectarian ... and having a website store (essential) and with good physical distribution throughout India.
Also, and this might be tricky and not immediately achievable, we'd like to find a publisher that is willing to take on the entire (and growing) list of AYP books -- it's especially important for the Enlightenment Series books, which are interconnected -- a series. I realize a multi-book arrangement may not be easy to achieve on the front end, so we will have to see what they say, and remain flexible.
Time is on our side because the readership will likely continue to grow along with the list of AYP books, so the publishing opportunity will hopefuly become more attractive as time goes on. Maybe at some point it will become a "no-brainer" for the the Indian publishing houses, though I think it is a no-brainer already. A slight bias here, of course...
The guru is in you.
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sadhak
India
604 Posts |
Posted - May 30 2006 : 01:05:12 AM
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Hi Yogani,
I share your concern. I did weed out whichever publisher that seemed to be attached to any particular organisation. But it is possible that a couple have slipped in. I'm going to talk to a friend's contact in the publishing biz. Friend said the contact might give me some usable advice about the best houses to approach. I'll mention the series scenario as well. Give me a few days on this though.
If the lessons are anything to go by, I've no doubt that each of the books is going to be much sought after by all sorts of people all over the world. |
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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
Posted - May 30 2006 : 08:51:31 AM
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Hi Sadhak:
It should be mentioned that the route taken in the USA and UK has been to "self-publish" through a large "print-on-demand" company -- www.lightningsource.com. It was by necessity, due to the similar challenge of finding a traditional western publishing company that would be interested in the AYP writings.
It has turned out to be a very good way to go, because this approach enables us to cut through all the red tape and put the books out in rapid succession, including timely delivery into the distribution channels with no investment in inventory required. Plus, the concern about getting and keeping all the AYP books in print is taken care of with this approach. They are all there in secure digital files at the printer, available indefinitely for print-on-demand as needed, and shipped within 48 hours. It is working very well as the books move slowly but surely out into more and more distribution channels.
Last year, I looked for self-publishing print-on-demand companies in India, but could not find any that were viable. If you run across any, do let me know. The next best thing (maybe) would be a reputable self-publishing firm with distribution capability. In that case, we would probably have to pay for pre-printed inventory and warehousing, which would be a problem with a big list of books. For distribution, a web store covering India could do it for us starting out. What we need right now is a place to send readers to buy the books in India at local prices, and a web store would suffice until broader distribution could be achieved.
There are all sorts of ways to publish the AYP books in India. It is just a question of finding a reliable way that will not run us into costs we cannot afford. That is why the focus remains on the traditional publishers who can do it all, but with the associated big loss in speed and efficiency. You can be sure if we could find a company like Lightning Source operating in India, we'd have all the AYP books up and running there in no time. So it is worth keeping an eye open for that.
And, yes, the AYP books are head and shoulders above the online lessons -- the next generation of AYP writing.
Thanks for looking into all this...
Btw, I updated the books page over the weekend, so now it has the full list of AYP Enlightenment Series books on it (nine in all), scheduled out through 2007, plus the website cards (thank you Trip!) and the current AYP books flyer printable from links at the bottom of the page.
The guru is in you.
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sadhak
India
604 Posts |
Posted - Jun 07 2006 : 10:50:59 AM
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Hi Yogani,
I spoke to Mr B N Verma, Macmillan, thinking that he’d advise me about which are the best options for you to approach for the books, since Macmillan, though well known, and with a good distribution, deals mainly in academic books.
In short, he advised me that you should write to the Chief Publisher, Mr Sanjay Sethi, with details of the book, table of contents for the first one, and the subject matter of the rest, and what you project in terms of their rights… whether they sell only in India or the whole of South Asia. (I suppose you will direct them to the site so that they can see that a lot of people are already interested, and many from India).
He said that you should ask him to consider the books, and if he is unable to publish it for any reason could suggest a few alternatives. Mr Sethi will be back from a tour on the 20th June. If you send him a mail around that time, I can follow up. He didn’t tell me anything about the self-publishing and print on order option. But I can try again by the end of this month, if necessary.
Mr Sanjay Sethi, Chief Publisher, Macmillan India Ltd, 2/10, Ansari Road, New Delhi-2. email: ssethi@macmillan.co.in
Hope these people lead to something tangible. If things warm up, something IS turning up!
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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
Posted - Jun 07 2006 : 1:18:58 PM
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Thank you, Sadhak.
There is a letter here used in the last "India campaign" well over a year ago, which can be updated for Macmillan/India and others. There is also an "AYP publisher's page" made up with all that you mentioned and more: http://www.geocities.com/advancedyo...ices/publish
That was for the first book nearly 18 months ago, before the Secrets of Wilder and the Enlightenment Series books, and also before the current ad-free websites, so it needs updating and migration to an ad-free domain. But there it is...
The track we are on now is to get the next book is out in September ("Asanas, Mudras & Bandhas - Awakening Ecstatic Kundalini") and then submit to as many publishers in India as we can. That is how the above list of publishers will most likely be used. Right now I am in the thros of writing and a few other things, and am not ready to drop everything to embark on a new India publisher campaign. But we will this year!
In the meantime, if any serious interest can be generated among publishers in India, that will be very much welcome. Feel free to pass on any and all information you have on AYP. The books flyer has been recently updated and tells the story for existing books, and details Enlightenment Series books coming out over the next 18 months (see link at bottom of the books page). Add to those books a big AYP Easy Lessons Volume 2 and the Secrets of Wilder screenplay, and that is the entire schedule at this point. The last two items are beginning to take shape here as well, so it will be busy here for some time to come.
The strategy is to remain focused first and foremost on the writing, with the assumption that many who are interested in the field of yoga will notice, and tell others until eventually everyone knows, even the publishers in India! We're all doing what we can...
As for rights, yes, I think it would be beneficial for the Indian publisher to cover all of South Asia, and perhaps beyond.
The guru is in you.
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sadhak
India
604 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2006 : 01:19:00 AM
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Hi Yogani,
I got the impression that you were in the middle of writing to publishers and wanted some reliable ones to get in touch with.
quote:
It is about time we got AYP going in India.
Sorry if I seem to be hurrying things... I can get over enthusiastic about things! I'd imagine that the publisher would take a query seriously only if coming from the author. But I see that you're not ready to get in touch with them yet... are you telling me that I can give them all the information they are seeking?
I could do a cover letter, and mail the links you've given here to Macmillan to let them know about the books. Is this a good way? Will this help? |
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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2006 : 10:54:02 AM
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Hi Sadhak:
Yes. Do it. It is time when you think it is -- it is time when each person thinks it is. I think it is time, but can only do so much ... so others must decide and do also.
As they say in China: "Many hands make light work."
Do they really say that, Alvin?
But you get the idea. The more AYP buzz that can be created, the sooner the Indian publishers will say, "Hmmm, there is something going on here." It is the same everywhere, and everyone has my okay to buzz away. I wish everyone would...
There are only two hands here, and a big world to transform. So, having to choose, I choose the writing. The rest can follow from that, sooner or later. The sooner the better!
Put another way, better to have good writing and half-baked promotion than half-baked writing and good promotion, though I know that flies in the face of the way things are often done. If AYP promotion is going to be better than half-baked, others will have to make it so. It is as simple as that. It is about the people ... about what each person chooses for their own life, and for the life of the world...
Many thanks!
The guru is in you.
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Alvin Chan
Hong Kong
407 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2006 : 03:48:36 AM
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quote:
As they say in China: "Many hands make light work."
Do they really say that, Alvin?
I'm afraid...no! At least not in exact wordings.
While classics don't usually need a fancy cover or title, it doesn't hurt to have one. Has anyone ever thought about giving a more attractive cover and/or subtle to the AYP book? The cover of The Secrets of Wilder is still fine, but that of Advanced Yoga Practices: Easy Lessons for Ecstatic Living would not have attracted enough of my attention had I not read the lessons online before.... |
Edited by - Alvin Chan on Jun 09 2006 05:30:48 AM |
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sadhak
India
604 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2006 : 07:57:13 AM
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Hi Yogani,
Will do... you must definitely not interrupt your writing. It's moving, yes, and moving many on. Thank you for that. I'll rack my noggin with the others to see that it reaches as many as possible.
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yogani
USA
5241 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2006 : 12:21:51 PM
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Hi Alvin:
The ideal cover for the AYP Easy Lessons book would have been a mirror ... but the printer could not do it, so I dedicated the book to "you who seek the truth within" instead. It was the best these two hands could do at the time...
Perhaps in the future there will be more time and money to upgrade the cover. Of course, by then it may be "branded" (widely recognized - let's hope so), so we may be stuck with it.
The real task at hand is taking AYP as it is and reaching more people. The best way to do that is to get it in the public media in the form of book reviews and possible author interviews (did I say that?). With growing public demand, distribution will follow.
Hi Sadhak: That's the spirit!
The guru is in you both, and in everyone!
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PS -- see the printable website cards and updated four page flyer providing essential details on all the AYP books (current and scheduled) at the bottom of the books page -- http://www.aypsite.org/books.html
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AYP Books - Marketing Plans for 2006
