Welcome to Freshdesk!

As we've mentioned in past newsletters, we're pleased to announce that we partnered with a new group called Freshdesk, which is as delightful as it sounds. Freshdesk has an easy-to-use interface and allows you to create tickets directly in the app or use email. So for those of you who prefer email, simply start sending your requests to help@inscribedigital.com!

Freshdesk also has an interactive knowledge base, so you start typing in words and get a group of related articles. It's even mobile friendly!

You should have received an email with the direct link and your username for Freshdesk. If you haven't, check your spam filter, or email help@inscribedigital.com and we will send you a new activation.




The first thing you'll need to do when you receive this email is to set your password. Make sure it's something you'll remember! We recommend matching it to your INscribe Dashboard password to make is easy.



Once you receive your welcome email, please start using our new help desk immediately to place tickets and browse our extensive knowledge base. Shortly thereafter, SysAid will be discontinued. But don't worry! We'll move any open tickets to Freshdesk.

Starting immediately, all emails directed to help@inscribedigital.com will automatically create a ticket for our services team to address. Tickets will continue to take priority over regular email.

Learn more about how to use Freshdesk by watching our tutorials here.
Password: eBooks123

We look forward to seeing you in Freshdesk!

IBPA Publishing University 2017

Kelly will be attending IBPA's Publishing University conference held April 7-8 in Portland, Oregon. If are also attending PubU and would like to schedule a meeting with Kelly, please email her directly at kelly@inscribedigital.com.

Are you going to Pub U 2017?
Tag @INscribeDigital on Twitter and tag us on Facebook and we'll reblog your posts.

We are pleased to announce that IPG/INscribe will be hosting not one, but two panels this year! Kelly Peterson, Director of Client Services at INscribe Digital will lead What Makes Customers Click to Buy: Driving Online Sales. Richard T. Williams, Director of Publisher Development at Independent Publishers Group will lead Is Your Publishing Program Ready for Prime Time? Understanding Wholesale & Full-Service Distribution at a National Level. If you're in attendance, please join us for one of our great panels.
 
What Makes Customers Click to Buy: Driving Online Sales
Saturday at 2:30 (Note: Same time as Richard's Panel)
Presented by Kelly Peterson, Director of Client Services, INscribe Digital; Joshua Tallent, Director of Outreach and Education, Firebrand Technologies; and Elizabeth Turnbull, Senior Editor & Partner, Light Messages Publishing; Michelle Hoppe, Publisher, Book Boutiques.
As consumers increasingly buy print and eBooks online, publishers and authors need a more a more nuanced understanding of what drives customers to click the buy button. This panel will show how customers' online behaviors relate to their in-store behavior, in order to help publishers better understand their purchasing behaviors, and drive better results. We will cover up-to-date trends including: which areas of major retail websites drive the most sales and why; how algorithms such as “customers who like this like that” work; why SEO and metadata are more important than ever; why DRM doesn’t matter (yet) – and how publishers can optimize their titles for better results in all of these areas.
 
Is Your Publishing Program Ready for Prime Time? Understanding Wholesale & Full-Service Distribution at a National Level
Saturday at 2:30 (Note: Same time as Kelly's Panel)
Presented by Robin Cutler, Director, IngramSpark; and Richard T. Williams, Director, Publisher Development, Independent Publishers Group
Today's indie publisher has access to several distribution models through which their book(s) can be made available to retailers, librarians, and readers. But how do these models differ and which are the best fit for your publishing program and plans for growth? In this session, two distribution experts present the wholesale and full-service distribution models side-by-side to help answer the following questions:
  • What is distribution and do you even need it?
  • You have wholesale distribution. How do you move to full service distribution?
  • What things do you need to know if you want to get your books into a national retail chain store?
  • What are the opportunities and risks for the distribution choices you make?

OverDrive May Spanish Titles Sale

OverDrive will be supporting a dedicated sale for Spanish language titles in May 2017.

Dates: May 1-31
Price Discount: 25-50%
Due: Wednesday, April 19 

Participants in OverDrive key sales promotions see average double-digit sales growth – don't miss out on this opportunity to grow sales and increase visibility of your catalog.
Nominate: OverDrive Spanish Titles Sale

Kobo Scifi & Fantasy Sale

It's time to participate in Kobo US’s Scifi & Fantasy:  $3.99 and under sale, running from April 30 – May 6 (inclusive).

Dates: April 30 - may 6
Price Point: $4.99 and under (excluding free)
Due: Friday, April 7
Genre: Scifi & Fantasy
The US sale will be promoted as follows:
  • Email support:
    • One dedicated email May 1
    • One email feature April 30
  • Homepage hero banner + category banners from April 30 – May 6
All nominations will be accepted by Kobo unless they state otherwise. INscribe will manage the discounting of any titles nominated.
Nominate: Kobo Scifi & Fantasy Sale

Kobo Romantic Times  Feature

From May 2 – 10  (inclusive), Kobo CA and US will be running a Romance feature in conjunction with the Romantic Times convention taking place in Atlanta! This opportunity is ONLY for authors attending RT!

Dates: May 2-10
Discount Price Point: $4.99 and under
Due: Tuesday, April 11

The feature will be a campaign with two separate elements:
  1. FRONTLIST showcase:  1 frontlist title for any author attending the conference. Be sure to indicate romance subgenre.
  2. PRICE PROMOTION:  No more than 3 promotionally-priced ($4.99 and under, from May 2 – 10 inclusive) titles from attending authors.
 
Requirements:
  • The author must be in attendance at Romantic Times.
  • You are welcome to submit for both the CA and/or US version of the (1) Frontlist non-sale feature and/or (2) the price-promotion feature.  
  • Note:  You can submit to the (1) frontlist feature only if you do not have any (2) price promotions running at this time. 
  • No more than 1 frontlist nomination per author.
 
Kobo’s support for this sale is as follows:
  • Dedicated email to each base: US on May 4, CA on May 8
    • One email feature May 7, CA + US
    • CA + US banners May 2 - 10
  • Kobo social support. Kobo is also sending a member of their PR to the event.
All nominations will be accepted by Kobo unless they state otherwise. INscribe will manage the discounting of any titles nominated.
Nominate: Kobo Romantic Times Feature

Hoopla May & June Editorial Features

Hoopla is accepting nominations for the rest of their Q2 editorial targets.

All of Hoopla's marketing programs have a single goal in mind - driving title discovery for millions of Hoopla users. They will closely consider your recommendations as to develop their collections, marketing materials, social-media campaigns, and email-marketing campaigns that are based on their editorial calendar.


MAY Editorial Targets (Due Thursday, April 13)
  • Week 1 - 5/1
    • National Mental Health Awareness Month
    • Jewish American Heritage Month
    • Star Wars Day: May the 4th Be With You (5/4)
    • Cinco de Mayo (5/5)
  • Week 2 - 5/8
    • Gardening
    • Unplug & Find Your Focus
    • Humor & Comedy
    • Build a Better Community
  • Week 3 - 5/15
    • Building Wealth: Books for Smart Personal Finance
    • Wedding Season
    • Victoria Day (Canada)(5/22)
  • Week 4 - 5/22
    • Summer Roadtrips
    • Romantica
    • Pirates of the Caribbean in theaters (5/26)
    • BBQ
  • Week 5 - 5/29
    • Build a Better Environment
    • Running
    • Memorial Day (5/29)
    • Audie Award winners announced (6/1)
    • Wonder Woman in theaters (6/2)
JUNE Editorial Targets - (Due Friday, May 14)
  • Week 1 - (Due 6/5
    • Build a Better You
    • LGBT Pride Month
    • Audiobook Month
    • Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (6/8-6/11)
  • Week 2 - 6/12
    • Urban Fiction
    • Inspiring People
    • NXNE in Toronto (6/16-6/25)
    • Polaris Long List (6/13)
    • Cars 3 in theaters (6/16)
    • Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas (6/16-6/18)
  • Week 3 - 6/19
    • NPR-Approved
    • Parenting
    • International Yoga Day (6/21)
    • National Aboriginal History Month, (6/21) is National Aboriginal Day
    • BET Awards (6/25)
  • Week 4 - 6/26
    • Summer Travel
    • Boxcar Children’s 75th Anniversary
    • Canada’s 150th Anniversary
    • Shark Week
    • Children’s Music
Please nominate no more than 2 titles per category.
Nominate: Hoopla Editorial Targets

PubWest Book Design Awards

The PubWest Book Design Awards are effective tools for marketing your books, and for recognizing your design and production staff and suppliers. PubWest will publicize the winners to the publishing media and showcase them at the 2018 PubWest Conference in Pasadena, California from February 15-17, 2018. The grand prize winner of the Design Awards will receive a complimentary pass to the 2018 conference.

The deadline for entering books into the 2017 PubWest Book Design Awards contest is Thursday, April 13, 2017.  
 
They are offering a four-for-three deal: submit three books, and a fourth entry is free! 
Submit your books as soon as possible. All details on the awards can be found here.

Tip of the Week

Freshdesk Tips

When an INscribe agent marks one of your tickets as "Resolved" you can now rate your service! We appreciate your feedback and so your honest answers will help us to better serve you in the future.