Q&A with Tracy Richardson, Luminis Books:

Please provide a brief history of your company.

Luminis Books was founded in October, 2008 by the husband and wife team of Chris Katsaropoulos and Tracy Richardson. Chris has over 25 years of experience as a publishing executive and Tracy’s background is in sales and marketing. Our first titles were released in late 2009 and early 2010. We publish literary fiction and YA fiction that is wise and meaningful.

Please give some examples of books you have published.

We recently published Summer Sanctuary by Laurie Gray who is also participating in the Buttonhole the Experts session and the panel “Choosing How to Publish.” (Purchase Laurie’s book here.) We’ve also published Precarious by Al Riske, Fragile by Chris Katsaropoulos, and Indian Summer by Tracy Richardson.

Please give an overview of the way you work with authors.

We will work with authors directly or through agents. We generally pay a small advance against royalties and pay royalties as a percentage of sales. As a small independent publisher, we work directly with the author in a very cooperative manner during the editing, revision, and design process. We see the author as part of the Luminis team and continue to work cooperatively during the marketing and PR phase of the book’s launch. Our backlist continues to receive full support.

What are you looking for now and how are your books distributed into the marketplace?

Luminis books are distributed through Midpoint Trade Books and are available through all online channels. They are also available through big box and independent bookstores.

Luminis Books publishes thought-provoking literary fiction as well as young adult and middle grade fiction that explores the intricacies of human relationships.

We look for beautifully crafted prose above all-writing that is compelling and thought-provoking, stories that provide glimpses of insight, while at other times challenging readers with concepts that prompt a moment of reflection to discern. We do not publish genre fiction in the following categories: thriller, romance, sci-fi, or chick-lit. We will consider mysteries and historical fiction that have a depth of meaning and go beyond the boundaries of typical genre fiction.

Q&A with IBJ Book Publishing:

Some of us have read and enjoyed the Indiana Business Journal for years. Please describe this new division of IBJ and provide a brief history and description of the services you provide.

Coming to the Buttonhole the Expert session is Patricia Keiffner, Director of Production for IBJ Media. She oversees the Art/Production Department. She has been with the company for 15 years. She has been instrumental in creating two prominent divisions within IBJ Media – Custom Publishing and IBJ Book Publishing. Custom Publishing focuses on marketing and business collateral and has been very successful, especially with small businesses and non-profits throughout the state. IBJ Book Publishing helps independent authors seeking self-publishing services and solutions. We partner with our authors. Every book we produce is totally custom. We work with many large printing companies, as well as, Print-On-Demand printers. We offer Book Coaching, Editing and Marketing Services including a marketing binder; a press release template; a website advertisement; a book launch announcement ad in the IBJ and Indiana Lawyer; a media contact list and a direct link to your site from IBJBP.com

Please give some examples of books you have published.

We publish an array of books including, but not limited to: Art; Business/Self-Help; Children’s Books; Cookbooks; Directories; Handbooks/Manuals; History/Political; Military; Novels and Travel. Every year we publish a small cadre of books in order to dedicate more time and provide personal service to our authors.

Please give an overview of the way authors are compensated and/or the fees they might pay for some of the basic services.

We can design a 6 x 9 paperback, 4-color cover over a black and white text interior with up to 240 pages and print 1000 books for $4,500 or $4.50 for each book. We can design a 6 x 9 case bound with a 4-color dust jacket over a black and white text interior with up to 240 pages and print 1000 books for $9,000 or $9 each. Authors maintain 100% ownership. IBJ BP does not collect royalties from book sales. This allows authors a bigger share of their profit. The author sets the price of their books and is responsible for all marketing and sales.

For those unfamiliar with the IBJ publishing service, how would writers benefit from them?

IBJ Book Publishing will guide authors through the process, ensuring their book publishing experience is a rewarding one. The greatest contrast between our company and other self-publishing companies is our one-on-one customer service. When an author publishes with us, they will meet with our staff as often as necessary. They do not have to communicate with us through a computer.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE NUMEROUS, INFORMATIVE SESSIONS MWW IS OFFERING for 2010!