DIRECTOR’S DESK
by Rudy Shur
Board of Directors
Announcing the IBPA Awards
Finally, you have a title
that has sold over 10,000 copies—your first bestseller. Your author knows
it, your printer knows it, your mother-in-law knows it, and you know it, but outside
this select group, few others know it. You can put a starburst on the cover
announcing the fact; you can take out ads promoting your stellar sales; or you
can try to tell everyone you meet that you have a bestseller; but when all is
said and done, only a handful of people will know.
It’s been that way in our industry
forever. Most bestsellers are simply not recognized. If we were in the record
business, things would be very different.
For decades, the record industry
has publicly celebrated its hit songs and albums with gold and platinum
records. These prestigious plaques are proudly hung in recording studios,
company offices, and songwriters’ and performers’ homes throughout the country.
Well, things in the book biz are
about to change. Now, PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association, will be
providing the book industry with a new symbol of publishing success that can be
seen and noticed by everyone inside and outside of our business.
PMA is proud to announce the
creation of the IBPA Bestseller Awards program.
The program offers beautifully
designed plaques you and your authors can use to show off bestselling titles.
Awards come in five different levels: Bronze (10,000 copies), Silver (20,000
copies), Gold (50,000 copies), Platinum (100,000 copies), and Black
(500,000)–each color signifies the level of sales achieved by a single title.
As is customary in the record
industry, the sales information for each bestseller will be vetted. Publishers
applying for these awards must supply proof of sales to qualify for a plaque
and can choose from several sales criteria to gain approval.
The plaques are available in two
sizes—12 by 15 inches and 9 by 12 inches—and their prices are
discounted for PMA members. On the front of each plaque, a silver plate that
sits on a solid three-quarter-inch piano-wood backing presents the full-color
image of your bestseller’s front cover. And below the image, a personalized
statement bestows the rank of bestseller to your title.
For more information about the
vetting process and this new awards program, visit <span
style=’font-size:11.0pt’>www.pma-online.org.
All publishers may apply for IBPA
awards, and publishers that qualify will now be able to celebrate their books’
successes in a way that is professional, dignified, and worthy of impressive milestones.
Whether you have one bestseller or 20, anyone who sees this award displayed
will know immediately what you and your book have achieved.
Congratulations to all of us! It’s
about time for the fruits of our labor to be recognized.
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