Publisher's unique approach captures industry eyes
Contact: Thomas Horn, 417-723-0610
SPRINGFIELD, Missouri, Aug. 11 /Christian Newswire/ -- For five days last month at the International Christian Retail Show, thousands of retailers, vendors, publishers and authors from all 50 states and 63 countries were surrounded by a wealth of opportunities for learning about the newest trends in Christian retailing.
For the second year in a row, Anomalos Publishing House - a full-service publisher that seeks to partner with unknown writers - was the "busiest booth on the trade floor." Their distributor, STL Distribution also won the "Total Exhibitor Award."
"I love it when a plan comes together," says Donna Howell, acquisitions editor for the company. "We are the hardest working publisher in the business for new authors, and it was fantastic seeing the long lines of retailers requesting autographed copies of books from our authors. Everybody said it exceeded their expectations."
Anomalos Publishing is the brainchild of Thomas Horn, the company's CEO. Horn became aware more than a decade ago of a gap in the publishing trade that allows great but unknown authors to fall through the cracks and never be discovered.
As Horn accounts from personal experience, "In the mid-1990's I decided to do something I had put off for many years. I wanted to write a book, but because I was unknown, I couldn't get a publisher to take the financial risk. Eventually I decided to partner with a publisher, which, looking back, was the best decision I ever made. Four best-selling books and a news career later, I make my living writing. There are a vast number of undiscovered authors out there who could do the same thing. We would like to partner with them to see through their publishing goals."
Such an idea - to partner with new authors - is practically unheard of these days, unless one includes print on demand and vanity publishers, a form of "self-publishing" viewed by mainstream distributors as a dead-end road.
According to Horn, "The problems for new authors have only gotten worse since mega-retailers like Costco and Walmart began carrying the A-list authors' books at big discounts. Many local store owners, where lesser known authors are typically discovered, simply cannot compete with these Titans. As a result of the downturn for mom-and-pop shops, more and more publishers are focusing on A-list authors exclusively, while viewing investment in promising but unknown writers as too risky."
Not only has this affected the number of new authors being published, but this has also impacted the budget for publicity and marketing of those who do get published. As Horn points out, "most unpublished writers assume that publishers will take care of all their PR needs. The truth is, currently very few authors, even well-known and best-selling ones, receive high priority when it comes to promotion."
The strong publicity and marketing programs at Anomalos Publishing has caught the eye of industry professionals and up and coming authors. "What Anomalos does in promoting every author to media, regardless of fame, is unprecedented, really," says Jerry McGlothlin, a media expert and CEO of Special Guests, Inc.
McGlothlin, a well known industry veteran who has chosen Anomalos to publish his new book "How To Get Booked On Talk Shows", provided a mini-symposium for the Anomalos Authors Banquet in Orlando, Florida last month. McGlothlin is considered by Anomalos Publishing to be the top resource for getting authors onto big shows few others succeed at.
Among the marketing strategies employed by Anomalos is "The Amazon Top Seller Campaign." This is when the company advertises for the largest number of people to purchase a new book on a particular day. When thousands of people buy a book during a single day, it shoots the title up the rankings and often it will remain there for more than a year. An example of this tactic can be seen in the current Anomalos campaign of eight new titles here. Advertising on other well-trafficked websites pushes traffic to the advertising page, resulting in thousands of customers purchasing the featured books on the target day.
A YouTube report from this year's International Christian Retailers Show is available at http://www.AnomalosPublishing.com that confirms the excitement authors have for Anomalos and their approach to publishing and marketing. Praise for the company's efforts included in the video are statements like "Exceeded my expectations," "I have been amazed," "Couldn't be happier," "Great press, good publicity," "They have the highest integrity," and other observations.
In the last few years, Anomalos authors have been featured in syndicated print, television and radio markets representing over two billion households worldwide. Major news outlets that have interviewed the authors include ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX, Time, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, BBC, MSNBC, Christianity Today, New Man Magazine, Freeway Magazine (Australia), WorldNetDaily, NewsMax, NewsWithViews, RaidersNewsNetwork, White House Correspondents and dozens of other newsmagazines and press agencies around the globe.
After publishing a record number of new authors this year, Anomalos is widening its search for even more great but undiscovered talent.
Anomalos is currently seeking submissions from authors of a wide variety of books. Categories include: Religious, Inspiration, Politics, Science, Fiction and Non-Fiction, History, Mystery and Conspiracy. For any author who has written a well-crafted manuscript, Anomalos would be delighted to bring his or her publishing desires and media needs to fruition.
To learn more about Anomalos Publishing House's partnering program, visit their website at: www.anomalospublishing.com.
