Florida Publishers Association, Inc., presents

 

The FPA 2008  Publishing Ed-U-Conference
“Making Fat Sales During Lean Times”
Friday Evening and All Day Saturday,
September 12–13, 2008

 

FPA 2008 President’s Book Awards Banquet
Saturday Evening, 7:30–9:00 p.m.
September 13, 2008
Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel
on Lido Beach in Sarasota

 

 

Your Invitation to Attend

 

Publishers — Attend the FPA 2008 Publishing Ed-U-Conference for an excellent opportunity to hone your publishing skills, whether you’re a traditional publisher or a self-publisher. Media trainer and marketing expert Brian Jud will show you how to make the most of media events, improve your business and increase sales—even during lean times.

To further help you do more with less, FPA is offering the discounted member rate of $75 (regularly $100) to join the organization, or renew your membership, if you join/renew with your Ed-U-Conference registration. You’ll win all year long with our newsletters, display opportunities, book awards program and educational events.

Authors — Authors invest much effort and energy in writing their books, but sometimes traditional publishers don’t share the details of how to sell more books. Similarly, authors published by vanity/subsidy publishers simply cut the author loose, with no marketing direction, upon their book’s release. Brian Jud will help you learn what you can do to open new sales avenues for your books, and he will also teach you what you need to know to have a productive media interview.

FPA is offering the discounted member rate of $75 (regularly $100) to join the organization, or renew your membership, if you join/renew with your Ed-U-Conference registration. You’ll benefit throughout the year from our newsletters, display opportunities, book awards program and educational events. A steal of a deal!

Vendors — We understand that other publishing associations charge an arm and a leg for the privilege of allowing you sales access to conference attendees. Not so at FPA events; we are vendor friendly! For the price of admission to the Ed-U-Conference, you get the opportunity to set up a display of your company’s wares for attendees to peruse during the event, and you may attend all of the speakers’ presentations, as well.

But that’s not all! We offer a discounted vendor membership/renewal rate of $125 (regularly $150) if you join or renew with your Ed-U-Conference registration. We want to keep your costs down in hopes that you’ll pass your savings along to our members.

Vendors, if you can’t attend—no problem! You can still get your materials in front of our attendees. You can provide a door prize or sponsor a meal or break, and we’ll place your printed promotions in the attendees’ welcome packets, and we’ll recognize your contribution in the FPA Sell More Books! Newsletter. 

 

About the Florida Publishers Association, Inc. (FPA) — The Florida Publishers Association was originally organized to provide Florida’s growing group of book publishers with an opportunity for education and networking and to provide its members with a clearinghouse for publishing information. FPA began with only six members, but with the skyrocketing popularity of self-publishing and the subsequent rise of the small press, FPA’s numbers steadily increased.

FPA’s mission is to provide Florida’s book community with an opportunity for education and networking. The organization also takes a strong First Amendment stance and assists the Association of American Publishers in its efforts to ensure our publishing freedoms by contacting legislators when free speech, publishing and copyright issues are at stake.

The Florida Publishers Association is a not-for-profit Florida corporation and is an affiliate of Independent Book Publishers Association, formerly PMA (www.ibpa-online.org), Small Publishers Association of North America (www.SPANnet.org), and Association of American Publishers (www.publishers.org). FPA is a member of the Florida Library Association (www.FLAlib.org).

 

 

Agenda

 

Friday’s Schedule of Events

7:38 p.m. — Sunset on the Gulf. Join us for a relaxing beach view of the setting sun.

8:00 — A Party with the Vendors at the Sidewalk Café. Talk to the vendors, get to know the other attendees, discuss your titles and marketing efforts.

Saturday’s Schedule of Events

7:00–8:00 — Registration/Breakfast — Pick up your registration packet and name badge at the registration table outside the Ballroom, visit the vendor booths in the Candlelight Lounge and enjoy a hot breakfast in the Candlelight Restaurant (bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, home fries, pastries, cold cereals, fruit juices, coffee, tea, decaf—all included in your conference fee).

8:00–9:00 — Welcome, FPA Business, Sponsor Acknowledgments, Speaker Introductions — (Ballroom) Ballots for the board elections will be handed out to current FPA members for completion. Mark your ballots and remember to vote on the new FPA bylaws, which will have already been sent to you by mail or email. Results will be announced at the awards banquet.

9:00–10:30 —  “You’re on the Air” — (Ballroom) Brian Jud describes how to effectively work with the media, including: where to find the names of producers; how to answer any media question; the elements of a press release, press kit and media tour; what to do when your mind goes blank; how to sell more books on the air; how to avoid the mistakes most authors make; and, how to perform successfully on TV and radio.

10:30–11:00  Break — An opportunity to visit the vendor booths in the Candlelight Lounge, network with speakers and attendees, and pause for refreshments in the Candlelight Restaurant. Finish the breakfast breads and enjoy refreshed liquids.

11:00–12:00 — “What I Learned at PMA’s Publishing University” — (Ballroom) Meg Bertini, recipient of the FPA 2008 PMA Publishing University scholarship, shares what she learned at the 3-day publishing extravaganza. 

Noon–1:30  Lunch — (Candlelight Restaurant) A hot luncheon buffet in the restaurant, with extra time to visit vendors in the lounge. Featured: baked lasagna, herb roasted chicken, green beans amandine, roasted potatoes, tossed salad with assorted dressings, cole slaw, cucumber mint salad, marinated mushrooms, rolls and butter, assorted desserts, and coffee, tea, decaf and iced tea.

1:30–3:30 — “The Buck Starts Here”  — Brian Jud teaches about special sales, including brainstorming the types of potential buyers for your title; why dual-distribution strategies can sell more books; how to negotiate larger sales with corporations; and tips for selling more books to discount stores, gift shops, airport stores, museums, book clubs, catalogs and other nontraditional markets.

3:30–4:00 — Break — Visit vendors in the Candlelight Lounge and enjoy the cheese, fruit and vegetables with dip and crackers, plus coffee, tea, decaf, iced tea and assorted sodas.

4:00–5:00 — “Mine Your Own Business” — (Ballroom) Brian Jud presents the basics of marketing strategy and planning, including creating new products to expand profits; finding and working with distributors; and generating “buzz” through publicity, advertising, sales promotion and selling.

5:00–5:30 — Wrap up. Door prizes galore! You must be present to win.

7:30 — Awards Banquet. (Ballroom) Enjoy a fantastic seafood buffet featuring red snapper seared in lemon pepper, snow crab legs with melted butter, steamed clams and mussels in a garlic herbed butter broth, peel ’n’ eat shrimp with a Bloody Mary cocktail sauce, chef-carved prime rib au jus, grilled asparagus with a basil hollandaise, garlic and parsley potatoes, Caesar salad, tossed salad with assorted dressings, a seasonal fruit display, marinated mushrooms, black bean and mango salad, citrus-marinated hearts of palm, caramel flan, fudge brownie torte, and coffee, tea, decaf, iced tea. Then we’ll announce the results of the board of directors election and the winners and finalists of the FPA 2008 President’s Book Awards.

9:00 — Board Meeting. After the awards ceremony, members of the newly elected board of directors will meet to choose its Executive Committee. Location TBA.

 

About the Guest Speaker, Brian Jud

 

Brian Jud is an author, book-marketing consultant, seminar leader, television host and president of Book Marketing Works, LLC.

 

Special-Sales Marketing Expert — Brian is active in special-sales marketing. He is the author of the Publishers Weekly title, Beyond the Bookstore and The Marketing Planning CD-ROM that accompanies it. Brian is the editor of Book Marketing Matters, a newsletter on special sales topics. Brian developed and introduced the Special-Sales Profit Center, the web-based, targeted-marketing system that helps deliver incremental sales and profits. This system is being used by publishers around the country and by R.R. Bowker to sell books to non-bookstore markets.

 

Experienced Media Performer — Brian is the producer and host of the television series The Book Authority and has aired six hundred shows. In addition, he is the author, narrator and producer of the media-training video program You’re On The Air. He also wrote and published its companion guides, It’s Show Time and Perpetual Promotion. These books describe techniques for authors to get on and perform on television and radio shows. Brian is the co-host of The Writer’s Roundtable radio show on World Talk Radio. He is a frequent media guest and has appeared on Today.

 

Successful Author — In addition to Beyond the Bookstore, Brian wrote and self-published five books on career transition that are distributed internationally and translated into Spanish. He wrote seven booklets on job-search strategies, and is the author, narrator and producer of the video program The Art of Interviewing. He is a prolific writer of articles about book publishing and marketing. He is a syndicated columnist and a regular contributor to the PMA Newsletter, SPAN Newsletter and Book Marketing Update. He is the author of the eight e-booklets with Proven Tips for Publishing Success, and is the author of the printed booklets with the same eight titles, published by R.R. Bowker.

 

Professional Speaker — Brian is a regular speaker on marketing topics at PMA-University, the annual SPAN Conference, and for publishing groups around the country. He has conducted numerous seminars, and is the co-host of the Book Marketing 201™ series of seminars held nationally. Brian is an adjunct lecturer of sales and marketing courses for graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Hartford and the University of Connecticut. And he is the founder and president of the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association.

 

Event Registration

 

 

 

 

Payment can be made by check or money order — made out to FPA — and send to:

 

FPA Ed-U-Conference
POB 430
Highland City, FL 33846-0430

 

OR fax/email the registration form to (863) 647-5951 or FPAbooks@aol.com and ask to be invoiced by email through PayPal (www.PayPal.com, accepts major credit cards and checks). Our PayPal pay-to email address is FPAbooks@aol.com.

 

 

Accommodations

 

The Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel
1540 Ben Franklin Drive
Sarasota, Florida 34236
Telephones (800) 225-2181
and (941) 388-2181
Guest Fax (941) 388-2655
www.HelmsleySandcastle.com

 

The Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel, located directly on Lido Beach with a panoramic view of the Gulf of Mexico. It offers two heated pools, golf and tennis nearby, the Candlelight Restaurant, Coffee Shop, Sidewalk Café, Lounge, Pool Bar and  room service. In addition, the Helmsley Sandcastle offers handicap facilities, shuffleboard, volleyball, exercise room, as well as fax service, gift shop and business center. It features casually comfortable accommodations in the colors of Florida. Plus, the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel features free parking and is very close to St. Armands Circle, a popular shopping area.

Each guest room is equipped with:

a coffee maker,
a safe,
a hair dryer,
a mini-refrigerator,
computer adaptable telephone,
an iron and ironing board, and
a complimentary morning newspaper.

Spacious, well-appointed guest rooms. are available to attendees at the FPA Ed-U-Conference rate of $89 per night (1–4 occupants), and are subject to Florida state and local taxes, currently at 11% (taxes are subject to change under Florida state tax laws). To receive this rate, you must mention that you are with the Florida Publishers Association, and you must make your reservation before the cutoff date of August 31.

Reservations are the responsibility of the attendee and must be guaranteed with a credit  card or one night’s room and tax deposit; and, upon arrival, attendees will be required to present a credit card to guarantee room, tax and incidental charges. Individual cancellations must be received by 5 p.m. (Eastern), 48 hours prior to arrival, to avoid a one night’s room and tax penalty. Check in is 3 p.m. and check out is 11 a.m.

Attendee room reservations can be made by phone (800-225-2181 or 941-388-2181) Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. (Eastern). Again, you must mention that you are with the Florida Publishers Association, and make your reservation before August 31, to receive the $89 rate. Reservations made after August 31 will be made at the regularly published rate.

 

 

Directions to the Helmsley Sandcastle

 

 

From I-75 — Take Exit 210 and head west. This will put you on Fruitville Road. Follow Fruitville Road until you can go no farther. Turn left onto US 41 (also known as Tamiami Trail). At the next stop light, Gulf Stream Ave., turn right. You will cross over a bridge and enter St. Armands Circle. Take the second exit off of the circle (about halfway around – marked “Lido Beach”). Follow this road; it curves to the left, and you should see the beach on your right. This is Ben Franklin Drive. The hotel is on the right side of the road, approximately one mile from St. Armands Circle.

From the Tampa Area — Take I-275 South to I-75 South. Follow to Exit 210 and head west. This will put you on Fruitville Road. Follow Fruitville Road. until you can go no farther. Turn left onto US 41 (also known as Tamiami Trail). At the next stop light, Gulf Stream Ave., turn right. You will cross over a bridge and enter St. Armands Circle.  Take the second exit off of the circle (about halfway around – marked “Lido Beach”). Follow this road; it curves to the left, and you should see the beach on your right. This is Ben Franklin Drive. The hotel is on the right side of the road, approximately one mile from St. Armands Circle. The driving time from the Tampa Airport is about 1 to 1.5 hours.

From the Sarasota Airport — Exit airport and turn right onto University Parkway. At the next traffic light, make a left onto US 41 (also known as Tamiami Trail). Follow US 41 to Gulf Stream Ave., then turn right. You will cross over a bridge and enter St. Armands Circle.  Take the second exit off of the circle (about halfway around – marked “Lido Beach”). Follow this road; it curves to the left, and you should see the beach on your right. This is Ben Franklin Drive. The hotel is on the right side of the road, approximately one mile from St. Armands Circle. The driving time from the Sarasota Airport is about 15–20 minutes.

 

 

Sarasota

 

Sarasota is a charming resort community, offering championship golf courses, tennis facilities, deep-sea fishing, superb shopping, and a wealth of cultural activities and attractions.

Downtown Sarasota features shops, galleries, theatres, restaurants and nightclubs. Stroll down Palm Avenue, Pineapple Avenue, Burns Court and Main Street.

 

The Westfield Shoppingtown Southgate, another shopping attraction, is located in midtown Sarasota, at US 41 and Bee Ridge Road. Features Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillards, Williams Sonoma, and more.
Links to popular area places for all ages to enjoy.

 Mote Marine Aquarium (www.mote.org)
 John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art/Ca d’Zan ( www.ringling.org)
 Sarasota Jungle Gardens (www.sarasotajunglegardens.com)
 Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (www.selby.org)
 Sarasota Classic Car Museum (http://sarasotacarmuseum.org)
 St. Armands Circle (www.starmandscircleassoc.com)
 
Visit the Sarasota Convention & Visitor’s Bureau (www.sarasotafl.org) for a listing of events during your visit to Sarasota. Search the word “calendar” and put in the dates to see a list of events.