Loose Change

 

 

 

I don’t spend much time reading blogs about my competitors or, I confess, checking out what my competitors are doing.  Mostly I’m too busy doing my own work.  However, I’ve noticed a few things with new publishers within the last few weeks that I’d put under the “bad start” category.

 

Before Loose Id started, our company did have some grasp of what the competition was.  There were as many or more e-publishers out there as there are now (some have fallen by the wayside with others to take their place.)  Among other things we did was look at publisher websites.  This seems like something new e-publishers should do.  I can tell that some of them have and some haven’t.

 

How?

 

By what they, in turn, have on their websites.

 

Bad ideas:

 

Proclaim that you have come up with a major new idea that actually has been done by competitors or (if you have a sense of history) has been tried by competitors and failed.  Authors remember these things.

 

Use trademarked terms as your own that other e-publishers and authors already have been using for years.   That shows you don’t know much about trademarks (bad for someone who is about to be involved with intellectual property) or just haven’t read what’s out there first.  Or both!

 

Copy, almost word for word, what is on another publisher’s website.  At least everyone will know you’ve read what’s out there, but it doesn’t say much for your company’s “unique vision.”

 

Miss basic information that prospective authors, editors, artists and readers will want to know like where you are located or how to contact you.

 

There are plenty of other things that can show you as careless or clueless when you want to highlight your new company.  A good website will look effective and effortless … which probably will take months of preparation before unveiling. It’s vital for an e-publisher to get it right the first time if you want to impress your audience and gain their trust.