iUniverse Introduces Author Roadmap to Publishing Success

Publisher Now Offers Complete Step-by-Step Process to Help Authors Improve Manuscripts, Increase Book Sales

Lincoln, Neb. ñ June 25, 2003 ñ iUniverse, one of the largest publishers in the United States, today announced the launch of the "iUniverse Roadmap to Publishing Successô": a step-by-step process to help authors succeed by progressing through a series of clearly defined achievements, or "milestones." The Roadmap program is available to all authors that publish through iUniverse.

The program combines existing iUniverse author programs ñ including the well-known "Star" program and recently announced Editorial Review service ñ with several new services and features, all designed to help authors improve book sales and reach a broader audience. iUniverse President and CEO Kimra Hawley says that turning a manuscript into a quality book that appeals to a large audience is a complex process.

"As in any journey, our Roadmap makes the road to becoming a successful author much easier to follow," explains Hawley. "While the iUniverse Roadmap doesn't guarantee that every book published through iUniverse will become a bestseller, it does take the mystery out of the process. It gives authors clearly defined steps that, if followed, give their books a much greater chance for success."

"iUniverse is providing aspiring authors a tremendous service by offering them a thorough, easy-to-understand path for reaching their goals," says D. E. Tarver, author of the iUniverse Star title The Art of War. "Plus, they back up their programs with real-dollar investments in their books and authors."

Authors begin their Roadmap journey with the decision to submit a manuscript to iUniverse for publication. Following that, the milestones on the Roadmap are:

• Editorial Review ñ Industry experts evaluate manuscripts for style, content and overall quality, and provide authors feedback on ways to improve the quality ñ and salability ñ of their books.
• Editor's Choice ñ Books that score exceptionally high in the Editorial Review process qualify for the Editor's Choice designation, which makes the books more visible to booksellers and potential customers.
• iUniverse Marketing Tools and Programs ñ Authors employ a variety of proven iUniverse products and techniques to jumpstart book sales and qualify for subsequent Roadmap programs.
• Reader's Choice ñ A new iUniverse program that rewards authors whose books have demonstrated quality (through achieving the Editor's Choice designation) and met initial sales goals. Reader's Choice authors receive advanced sales and marketing assistance and, as a further reward, receive "mileage points" for additional books sold that they can use toward iUniverse products and services to help them reach higher levels of success.
• Star Program ñ Through the Star Program, iUniverse invests in books that demonstrate strong initial sales and meet additional qualifications based upon the book, the author, and the book's marketability. Author benefits include securing reviews, book packaging, co-op advertising, direct marketing initiatives, and securing media coverage.
• Barnes & Noble in-store Program ñ iUniverse selects Star books that achieve exceptional sales and presents them to Barnes & Noble, the largest bookseller in the world, for consideration. Books that B&N selects will be stocked in its stores.
• "Farm Team" for Traditional Publishers ñ iUniverse regularly presents titles from promising Star Program authors to some of the most successful and largest publishers in the world. iUniverse titles have recently been picked up by Random House, McGraw-Hill, and Kensington Corporation.

About iUniverse, Inc.

iUniverse helps individuals publish, market, and sell their books. The company is one of the largest publishers in the United States, with more than 12,000 titles in its backlist, and publishes 400 new fiction and non-fiction titles each month. iUniverse partners with industry leading author organizations, including the Authors Guild, ASJA, and the Mystery Writers of America, to bring innovative publishing programs to their members. In May 2003, PC Magazine awarded iUniverse its coveted "Editors' Choice" designation, along with five of five stars, setting it far above all other publishers that utilize print on demand (POD) technology.