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Author Discovers That the Perfect Books to Sell Are Ones That Don't Exist ...Yet

by: Joseph Yakel

Storage space isn’t a problem at author Joseph Yakel’s New York home. In fact, he doesn’t anticipate it being a problem anytime in the future. Reason? Well, unlike some others, he doesn’t need to store large numbers of his available published works at home.

"Originally," said Yakel, gesturing toward the modest number of books lining the library in his den, "I was concerned that the volume of my books might start to tax my storage capabilities." While Yakel has opted to keep a few copies in his inner sanctum, many authors resort to maintaining a large inventory at home or may even rent storage space to hold items they are offering for sale.

"When I decided to publish, I gave some thought to how I wanted to advertise, maintain, promote and sell my works. I quickly decided against working with a vanity press, which require the writer to pay to produce copies of the books, and which also require a large print run that must be paid for up front. I also knew that inventory storage could pose a problem, because sometimes authors have works that don't sell immediately, and that could lead to items being in storage for months, taking up space, as well as being revenue inefficient” said Yakel. "I didn’t want to get frustrated and bogged down with those issues. Instead, I knew that I wanted a way to have my book inventory managed so that they only existed after they were purchased and paid for. This way, I wouldn't have to waste storage space or expend any extra up front dollars, and it would give my readers the newest and best produced copies available."

For Yakel, the solution came rather quickly. He reviewed a number of publishing options, and decided to self-publish with Lulu.com. “With self-publishing,” Yakel said, “you have control over your entire work, and I think this allows for a more vested interest in making how your writing career develops.” Lulu.com is a North Carolina technology company that specializes in print-on-demand (POD) technology, printing single copies of books, CDs, DVDs and other items only when the customer pays for them.

Yakel found Lulu's print-on-demand tools to be exactly suited to his needs. So much so that he has completed three books, and published all of them with Lulu. He said his works are geared toward a wide audience. He describes two of his books as 'serious' genealogy works. The JACKEL, JECKEL, JAECKEL, IEKEL, YAKEL Family History Book (March 2005, ISBN 1-4116-2715-6) is a family chronology, tracing more than 350 years of Rheinish ancestry. The Autograph Memories of Mary Yakel (December 2004, ISBN 1-4116-2101-8) details the 19th century memoir of his grand aunt. His third effort, The Legend of Juggin Joe (March 2005, ISBN 1-4116-2588-9) is a 'country boy comedy / melodrama’ written in a corresponding country dialogue. He calls this one a ‘real hoot’ that lends itself to the wilder side of his persona, and recommends it to those with a sense of humor, or anyone in need of one. “It’s rated G, for Great”, said Yakel, “and suitable for the young and old. Laughter has no age limit.”

With Lulu.com's technology, Yakel is able to forgo the usual boxes of copies of his books. Instead, he simply waits for orders to come in, has Lulu print fresh copies, which are then shipped directly to his customers. "I don't need to have lots of copies on hand other than those I may want for local promotion," said Yakel, "and the best part is that I am not stuck with loads of books that I might otherwise have to pay for up front, but not sell immediately."

"This is an excellent union between myself and Lulu”, said Yakel. “Every time my books sell, we both share in the mutual benefits of this business relationship. My published works are available to a worldwide audience, with virtually a few clicks of a mouse, and I don’t need to worry about storage, maintenance, or anything else that distracts me from my writing" he continued, and added, "When I think of how many other writers are wasting their energy and resources with books that sit in storage, I can’t help but think that POD technologies, like Lulu, are going to be the future of what traditional book publishers now claim as their major market share."

About the author:
Joseph Yakel is a freelance writer and author of three books. In print since 1998, Joe has written on a wide variety of topics, including genealogy, electronics technology, leadership and military history. His articles have appeared in publications such as OGS Genealogy News, Communications Technology, The Pipeline, and Army Reserve Magazine, and have been highlighted on USAR Online, and numerous other Internet websites. For more information on his works, visit For author interviews, contact Joe at armeuv1@yahoo.com

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