Successful October BORDERS book-signing for Valerie Connellys debut novel, SACRED NIGHT, brings NIGHTENGALE PRESS, LIGHTNING SOURCE and INGRAM closer to solving the small POD publishers stocking dilemma just as NIGHTENGALE PRESS begins work with students to create a book for WAUKEGAN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT 60.

Small publisher, Nightengale Press engages cooperation of the book world giants, Borders and Ingram and Lightning Source POD printers to bridge gap in supply/demand issues. Work begins on the All School Student Writing Project and sparked a vigorous debate about topic areas and objectives for the book. Not a literary journal, the anticipated book will be targeted to a national audience of teens, parents and educators.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:        October/2003

NIGHTENGALE PRESS, BORDERS, INGRAM and LIGHTNING SOURCE, Inc. in La Vergne, Tennessee, are working together to solve a thorny stocking dilemma caused by the newness of print-on-demand technology. While readers can order Print On Demand books at any online bookstore or walk into any bookstore, chain or independent, nationwide to order Print On Demand, the process is smooth and uncomplicated as long as the book is on-order or on-hand in one of the Ingram warehouses in Tennessee or in Oregon. When it comes to a larger special order, as for the BORDERS book -signing held in October 2003 for Valerie Connellys SACRED NIGHT, the process is harder to manage. Without hundreds of books stocked in a distributors warehouse, and a large chain policy that customarily does not issue backorders, the catch twenty-two had trapped SACRED NIGHT in publishing limbo.

It became clear to me that as a small press using Print On Demand technology to publish its first title, NIGHTENGALE PRESS had stumbled into a marketing problem that faces all POD publishers. To swim in the big publishing pond was going to be difficult if a cooperative link could not be found between the local BORDERS store and INGRAM. The solution is in the connectivity that exists between INGRAM and LIGHTNING SOURCE, Inc. (who produces the POD books for NIGHTENGALE PRESS), and in the willingness of the local BORDERS to contact INGRAM to assure the large order number was in fact going to be placed. This was the go-around needed to accomplish the NIGHTENGALE PRESS goal of marketing larger orders of a Print On Demand title," Ms. Connelly said. While this assistance will be needed on a store-by-store basis, at least there is a fissure in the wall that still exists between book distributors and the POD publishers. Ingrams willingness to work with us is very encouraging. They are looking toward the future, and so is NIGHTENGALE PRESS."

This reluctance of large booksellers to place back orders is the prime dilemma facing small publishers as they establish their titles, and begin the uphill journey to consistent order patterns. Once the POD orders become regular at higher levels, then Ingram will stock a certain number of books to meet the demand. So, if sales reach a steady flow over a moderate period of time, then the on hand numbers go up at INGRAM so they can meet the demand.

BORDERS opened a door, one commonly kept closed, when it decided to host the book-signing of a local author. I had seen the results of their generosity and had the support of the school district, the students and a whole community backing NIGHTENGALE PRESS and SACRED NIGHT. This good faith pushes NIGHTENGALE PRESS forward on behalf of the Students All School Writing Project Book, which is now under way. Students motivated to join the project are meeting in the next couple of weeks to begin the teamwork of putting their thoughts into form and substance. It will be a very vigorous project, with much creativity flowing. Students from all layers of the school community --- artists, writers, and curious future publishers --- have joined the project to learn the hard work ethics and patience it takes to mold an idea into a reality. Our first meeting sparked a vigorous debate about topic areas and objectives for the book." Ms. Connelly said.

The Catch the Vision" initiative, supported by Hewitt Corporations generous $500,000 funding over five years to build a career center to help students develop a vision of their own career goals and see them through, inspired Ms. Connelly to use Nightengale Press to help with the process. The All School Writing Project Book is the first of its kind in Waukegan, perhaps the first of its kind in a larger context as well. Not a literary journal, the anticipated book will be targeted to a national audience of teens, parents and educators.

Nightengale Press is designed to be an independent publishing house dedicated to helping talented unknown writers publish their work and is attracting attention from authors all over the United States and even in the United Kingdom. Nightengale Press is developing a free database service for authors, editors, layout artists, illustrators, website designers, reviewers, and public relations specialists so that aspiring authors can personally find the help they need to bring their work into print. Aspiring authors and interested professionals register online to make their services available at www.nightengalepress.com.

SACRED NIGHT by Valerie Connelly
July 2003 -- Paper back and eBook; 220 pages -- Published by Nightengale Press
US $13.95 Paperback ISBN:0-9743348-0-4, US $13.95 eBook ISBN: 0-9743348-1-2
Joy Green, Publicist, Nightengale Press, jgreen@nightengalepress.com, Phone 847-845-4162.