Pick-a-Woo Woo's new book, The Star Who Lost Her Sparkle, is going green with Eco-Libris!

We are happy to announce a new collaboration with our partner, the Australian publishers Pick-a-Woo Woo, on a great new green children's book that was just released: The Star Who Lost Her Sparkle.

100 trees will be planted with Eco-Libris for this book. As you can see in the picture above, our logo is also added to the book's cover.
Based in Western Australia, Pick-a-Woo Woo Publishers are publishers of Mind Body Spirit books for children. Their inspirational books are designed to help children connect with their intuition and inner guidance, develop their awareness skills and enhance their Mind, Body, Spirit connection.

This book is a green book, not just because of the trees planted for it, but also because of the story it tells and the messages it sends to the readers. Here are more details about The Star Who Lost Her Sparkle:

Sprinkle here and Sparkle there. We work with love This cosmic fairytale of a sick star and her sad people is a story we can relate to with our planet today. Luckily, the Fairies from the Great Medicine Star work their wonderful healing arts for happiness. A simple meditation is provided to help spread the sparkle.

A powerful message that reaches out to young and old who care about our beautiful planet Earth.

Author: Tricia mary Lee
" I have always loved writing. I love it as an art form for it's creative expression, as a communication tool for reaching across cultures and continents, as a power tool to inspire the heart and transform our way of thinking."

"The Star who lost her Sparkle" is my first published children's book and it was written in England, where I have a strong Celtic bloodline, hence the fairies!!! "

A self-confessed gypsy, Tricia mary, [who is proud mum to two big men, Tom, a photographer and James, an artist,] currently lives with her husband of 27 years in the beautiful southern forest region of West Australia in communion with this wonderful earth.

Her work journey spans teaching special needs students in the early childhood age range in the UK to literacy consultant in the Kimberley [ far NW Australia ], from practicing various healing modalities to training volunteers in Tender Touch Therapy for work with the aged and especially those with palliative care needs. In 2010 she received the ‘Volunteer of the Year' award for this work.

She is the author of two books for women : "Stop Punishing Yourself" and "The Sacred Goddess Manuscripts" and has more works yet to come. (Note from Pickawoowoo - these books are fantastic)

Copies of the book are available for purchase on Amazon.

Other Pick-a-Woo-Woo titles that go green with Eco-Libris:

The Boy Who Was Born To Love Frogs
Angel Steps
Ocean's Calling
KC the Conscious Came
Archie Angel to the Rescue

More information on these books and other titles published by Pick-a-Woo Woo can be found on their website - http://www.pickawoowoo.com

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Pick-a-Woo Woo's new book, Angel Archie To the Rescue, is going green with Eco-Libris!

We are happy to announce a new collaboration with our partner, the Australian publishers Pick-a-Woo Woo, on a great new green children's book that was released last week: Angel Archie To The Rescue.

625 trees will be planted with Eco-Libris for the book's first edition. As you can see in the picture above, our logo is also added to the book's cover.

Based in Western Australia, Pick-a-Woo Woo Publishers are publishers of Mind Body Spirit books for children. Their inspirational books are designed to help children connect with their intuition and inner guidance, develop their awareness skills and enhance their Mind, Body, Spirit connection.

This book is a green book, not just because of the trees planted for it, but also because of the story it tells and the messages it sends to the readers. Here are more details about Angel Archie to the Rescue:

Mother Earth has sent Angel Archie on an incredible mission - to show children how to care for her Planet. Archie tirelessly works from morning to night with his fun, magical and sometimes musical methods.

‘This story empowers children, giving them the wisdom to ‘Reduce-Reuse-Recycle' and to ‘Think Green' at every opportunity. It is an extraordinary teaching tool for parents and teachers as Archie opens the opportunity for discussion about respecting our Mother Earth. Many interactive and fun activities are offered at the end of the story'

Author: Lisa Sheehy
Lisa is an energetic, positive person who lives her life with purpose and embraces everyday. She is passionate about environmental issues and the need for everyone to reduce-reuse and recycle.

With the help of ‘Angel Archie', Lisa aims to educate children on Earth the important role they play in saving our planet. Her hope is children will then teach parents and reinforce Greener living in the family home. ‘Angel Archie' and Lisa are currently working on how diet and lifestyle are affecting our children's spiritual, emotional and physical health.

Illustrator: Aaron Pocock
Aaron was born in Reading, England on May 11th 1970, now living in Brisbane, Australia and has been creative for most of his life. He's been illustrating in one way or another for most of his life.

It's the typical story of drawing since he was a child, making up imaginary worlds, populated with Wizards, Kings, Queens, Pixies, and Elves. He's been illustrating professionally since 1991 and has been blessed with the opportunity to do what he loves for a living.

Other Pick-a-Woo-Woo titles that go green with Eco-Libris:

The Boy Who Was Born To Love Frogs
Angel Steps
Ocean's Calling
KC the Conscious Came

More information on these books and other titles published by Pick-a-Woo Woo can be found on their website - http://www.pickawoowoo.com

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

14-year old author Taylor Michie is going green with Eco-Libris!

We're very happy to announce our new collaboration with author Taylor Michie to green up his first book 'Racing Winds'.

Trees will be planted with Eco-Libris to balance out the printed copies of the book, starting with 50 trees that will be planted with our planting partner AIR in Guatemala. Also, starting next week, he will be offering Eco-Libris sticker (free of charge) saying “One tree planted for this book.” with every copy purchased!

This is a unique collaboration given that Taylor Michie is 14 years old and actually becomes the youngest author we have partnered with. But make no mistake - not only that Taylor has impressive accomplishments to his age, including this book, he also has a very impressive commitment to the environment, which is the reason he approached us in the first place.

So what's the book all about? Here are some more details:

Dave Rhodes is a weathered boat captain, with a ton of races and regattas under his belt. He is chosen to lead the Puma apparel-sponsored Volvo Ocean Race team. An easy task at first, Dave soon realizes that all his years of experience have not prepared him for what comes up in this race. Conspiracy is becoming a factor in this race, and it is now up to Dave and his race team to save the race (and win it for themselves!). Join us for this action-packed mystery written by then-13-year old Taylor Michie.

book size: 109 pages

formats available: paperback

website: www.racingwinds.com

awards won by book/author: book featured at Volvo Ocean Race in Boston, MA, May 2009; author won United States Sailing's Sailor of the Week award, May 2009;

For more information on Taylor Michie and his book visit http://www.racingwinds.com/

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Natanya by Dror Burstein is the first book in Hebrew to go green with Eco-Libris!

We're happy to announce on a very special collaboration with author Dror Burstein to green up his new book 'Natanya' - 250 trees will be planted with Eco-Libris for each print run of the book.

This is a special collaboration as this is the first book in Hebrew that is going green with Eco-Libris! As you might know, Hebrew is my mother tongue, so I'm very excited about it. We're proud to add Hebrew to many of the languages of books we worked with to green them up by planting trees, such as Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Italian and English.

This is also the first book that we work with in Israel, so there's another reason for us to be excited about.

'Natyana', the third novel published by Dror Burstein, was released earlier this month and is already available online (on this link you will find more details (in Hebrew) on the book). Even if you don't read in Hebrew, I'm sure you can appreciate the beautiful cover of the book by Ernst Haeckel (see photo above).

Here's more information about the author:
Dror Burstein was born in 1970 in Netanya, Israel, and lives in Tel Aviv. He first became a fully qualified lawyer, then he left the legal field and started studying literature. He received a PhD in Hebrew literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2001 and now teaches there as well as at Tel Aviv University. He also edits programs for Israel Radio`s music station and writes literary and art reviews. Burstein has been awarded the Jerusalem Prize for Literature (1997), the Ministry of Science and Culture Prize for Poetry (2002), the Bernstein Prize for his novel, Avner Brenner (2005) and the Prime Minister`s Prize (2006).

You can read Dror's blog (Under the Table) at http://drorb.wordpress.com/

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting sustainable reading!

Eco-Libris is collaborating with Pubmission, online submission manager for publishers and writers

We are happy to announce on a new collaboration with Pubmission, a great new online service for publishers and writers. With every ream of paper that Pubmission saves, they will plant 5 trees with Eco-Libris.

Pubmission is offering a very valuable and green service, taking the submission process online and makes it more manageable and proactive for publishers and writers.

Pubmission can't guarantee publication, but they can save you time, frustration, and unnecessary slush-pile suffering. (And they spare a few trees, too, not to mention the new ones they plant with us).

Wolf Hoelscher, the founder and owner of Pubmission, has 13 years of experience in the publishing industry, most of it as a senior editor or an acquisitions editor at both print- and web-based companies. He’s also a writer well-acquainted with the challenges posed by the submission process. As he has been on both ends of the slush pile, he is well-aware of how inefficient, unfair, and frustrating manuscript submissions are for writers, agents, and editors.

For more information about Pubmission, check their website at http://www.pubmission.com. You can also follow them on twitter and facebook.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read

A new collection of poetry and prose of author Janice Winokur is going green with Eco-Libris!

We're happy to announce on a new collaboration with author and educator Janice Winokur on her first collection of poetry and prose, In the Light of an Alabama Rain: A Meditation. One tree will be planted with Eco-Libris for each copy of this book!

Here's more about In the Light of an Alabama Rain: A Meditation:

Containing a rich tapestry of insights and reflections, this highly readable collection of vignettes is both memoir and spiritual exploration.

The pieces in this book are drawn from Winokur’s journal, recorded in Alabama during the late 1980s. As the author was getting ready to discard some old papers recently, she began to read through her journal. According to Winokur, “I was surprised to find that a number of entries still felt true, even with the passage of years, and that together they seemed to compose a meditation.”

She assembled these entries and they became In the Light of an Alabama Rain: A Meditation. Readers who look for inspiration in stories and words will be lifted up by the glimpses of light discovered here in the smallest, and sometimes the darkest moments of life. A childhood memory, a parent’s decline, the absence of a loved one, and many other experiences, are probed by Winokur for their sparks of illumination.

Read from beginning to end, the book is a single, Spirit-filled love poem that embraces all of life, both the mundane and the profound.

The book retails for $12.95 and can be purchased at area bookstores. Orders can also be placed by contacting Simple Harvest Publications at:

PO Box 284
Grantham, NH 03753
E-mail: simpleharvest@comcast.net.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Is going green really worthwhile for authors?

The post this week on James Kaela, who is going to ride his bike for 1900 miles in 40 days to promote his new zero emissions book reminded me of the last piece missing in our series on the green future of the book industry - the one about authors.

Yes, just like publishers and bookstores, we believe authors can be a significant force in moving the book industry ahead toward a sustainable future. Just think about J.K. Rowling and the role she had in making Harry Potter so green (including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows which was called the greenest book in publishing history).

It's true of course that not every author has the power J.K. Rowling had (she for example blocked the Finnish version of Harry Potter no. 7 from being printed on local paper because it lacks the ecological FSC certification), but on the other hand it doesn't mean that authors are powerless unless they're best-sellers. Authors can make a difference, whether they're called Margaret Atwood or James Kaela.

But the (maybe) more interesting question is whether green choices are better for authors? When we talked about the future of publishers and bookstores, we made an argument that making greener choices in their cases is not just great for the environment, but also has a strong business case. Is this the case with authors?

We believe that although such a move won't necessarily generate benefits to authors in all cases, there's still enough evidence to support the assumption that going green is worthwhile to authors. Here are couple of examples:

1. Greener choices receive positive media mentions, which help to spread the word about the book and promote it. The book tours of Margaret Atwood and James Kaela are good examples.

2. Making sure your book is printed on recycled paper or FSC-certified paper can get the author a warm endorsement from NGOs, like in the case of RAN that published a list of 25 children’s books that are “rainforest-safe.” All books on the list are printed on post-consumer recycled, FSC certified or recycled paper, allowing parents the assurance of knowing that their childrens’ books are not contributing to the loss of Indonesia’s or other endangered rainforests.

3. Print On Demand (POD) not only reduces waste and books' footprint, but also gives authors (and publishers) a way to save money. Though not suitable for every author, in a future, where Smashwords's Mark Coker estimate that "most authors will be indie authors", this is certainly a win-win solution for many of them.

4. Creative green ideas can generate more sales - Even just using the Internet and social media networks for marketing instead of more traditional off-line marketing channels with greater carbon footprint is a win-win solution, generating usually better ROI and reduced environmental impacts.

5. Diversifying to other forms of publishing such as e-books might prove itself as another way of generating sales while reducing the book's footprint. Of course, as we say every time, we don't know yet how green e-readers really are, but from what we do know, we can definitely assume that they will come a more solid green alternative in the near future.

Given the relatively easy and cheap process of creating an e-book, it should be a good way for authors to go green while generating more sales from the growing numbers of readers who like to read their books on screens instead of paper. These are just couple of examples. We're sure that there are plenty more. In all, we believe that the future of authors is no different from the future of the book industry, meaning that they go through the same trends.

These trends no matter how you look at them are either already green (POD, online marketing) or will be in green in the near future (e-books). What I like about these trends is that you don't necessarily have to be green to utilize them, but no matter what is your reason, both you and the environment will benefit. We do believe nevertheless that authors that will also know how to position themselves as "green" authors will even benefit more. What do you think? We'll be happy to hear your thoughts!

Here are the articles we published so far in our series on the green future of the book industry:

Why should the book industry go green?

Can publishers build an effective green brand?

Is there a future for Barnes & Noble and Borders? Is it a green one?

Can monetary incentives + local benefits generate a brighter future for independent bookstores?

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Read more about JK Rowling wants Green Paper for Harry Potter by CreativeCloud from the UK's leading supplier of printer cartridges

Read more about JK Rowling wants Green Paper for Harry Potter by CreativeCloud from the UK's leading supplier of printer cartridges

Why should the book industry go green?

Our mission is to make reading more sustainable and to green up the book industry. Simple as that. But is it really that simple? and how exactly you do it? is it just good for the environment, or also for business?

We think of these and other questions every single day. We have our tree planting program, we support books that are printed responsibly and promote the implementation of sustainable practices, but we always look for more ways to get the right things done. Therefore, we start here a discussion about these issues that hopefully we'll get us as well as other people who are occupied with these questions some ideas on how make reading more sustainable.

We'll begin the discussion with the WHY question - why should the book industry go green? OK, obviously the industry has its carbon footprint (12.4 million metric tons - 2006 figures) and it would be better for planet earth if this footprint will be reduced, but what else? and even more important - can going green help the industry meet its current and future challenges?? Tough questions, but we're here to figure them out!

Let's start with some of the main 'engines' we identified that can possibly move the industry forward in a greener direction. Please not that they apply not only to publishers, but also to bookstores, distributors, authors, and anyone else who is involved in this industry.

1. The value of values - Jeffrey Hollender, in his new and fascinating book "The Responsibility Revolution" explains the value of values (real values) for companies and present a study of Prof. Rosabeth Moss Kanter of Harvard Business School on companies and values, that concluded that in "companies where values and standards are widely shared, employees make better decisions, collaborate more effectively, and react to opportunities (and crises) more effectively." As Kanter explains "[values] are no longer afterthought.. but a starting point that helps companies find profitable growth".

Kanter's study focused on multinationals, but as Hollender justly adds "a genuine commitment to values can benefit a company of any size". Chelsea Green is a great example -looking at their mission statement, it is no wonder they sustainably and successfully grow their business and even manage to do well in times of recession. Are all values necessarily sustainable? well, no matter how you look it, whether your values focus on the environment, local communities, employees or other stakeholders, these values are supporting either environmental or social sustainability, so yes they're sustainable. You just need to pick the ones that are right for your organization. So the bottom line is that having values and a sense of mission can not only create a good karma but also generate a real business value for publishers, bookstores and others.

2. Regulation - Regulation is still a more of a future issue than a present issue, but with the new Kerry-Lieberman Climate Law that was revealed this week, it looks like we're talking about the near future. Now, you might not think that this regulation will effect the book industry directly as it tends to focus mainly on the big emitters, but that's not totally true.

Firstly, such a regulation puts for the first time a price tag on carbon emissions and helps businesses to finally refer to climate change as what Prof. Andrew Hoffman of Michigan University calls "a market shift." This regulation has the potential to change the business environment of many sectors, including the book industry - just think for example on possible changes in the cost of paper due to the need to take carbon emissions into account.

Now, how much impact a climate regulation can have on the book industry? we still have to see, but as Prof. Hoffman explains "the future is a carbon-constrained world and the time for action is now".
Climate regulation creates risks and opportunities for almost every business (check out "The Carbon Hunters" to see one example). Those who will be better prepared, by identifying the opportunities, managing the risks and adjusting their business strategy accordingly, will create significant competitive advantages for themselves. In all, this is also a good reason to green.

3. Business opportunities - The bad news is that for many in the industry going green means just paying more for recycled or FSC-certified paper. The good news is that a growing number of people in the industry begin to realize that going green is synonymous with the creation of business opportunities. In today's hectic business environment, where the ways we find, buy and read books is constantly and profoundly changing, business opportunities can be the reason number one to go green.

Why going green = creating business opportunities? Because as Andrew Winston and Daniel Esty explain in their book "Green to Gold" going green can mean improvement of resource productivity, lowering costs upstream and downstream, promoting value innovation and developing breakthrough products.

You don't have to be an industry insider to know that there are so many wasteful practices (the return policy for example) and need to find new ways to make money. Going green is not a magic peel but it can certainly help with both goals. Just think about innovative products like the Espresso Book Machine or audiobooks that can be downloaded, or efficient models such as Print on Demand. These are all green win-win solutions. Starting to think green can definitely bring more of those.

4. Pressure from peer businesses - if this publisher is going green, maybe I should also do it? If this bookstore chain is adopting sustainable practices, maybe we better do it as well? I guess that here the fear that competitors might get a competitive advantage of these steps can drive companies in the book industry to match peers' efforts.

Is it an effective engine? only if companies will see business opportunities in it or feel that consumers demand it. If it's only a good-doing thing, it won't really influence them.

5. Consumers' demand - consumers want to see change and they exercise it in growing numbers. As Joel Makower explains in his book "Strategies for the Green Economy" - "Vast majorities of consumers say they have adopted greener habits in their daily lives, and shop for at least some products with a keen eye on their environmental provenance and energy and climate impacts. In other words: the marketplace is getting greener."

Does it apply also for books? You Betcha. Many book readers are very passionate about the books they buy and and there are others, who might not be avid readers, but still look quite often for green products and would love to do it with books as well. Of course there are consumers that wouldn't really care, but I believe there are enough readers that would be interested to see their books going green. It's just a matter of awareness, relevance, availability of options and price.

The transition from print to digital is an important factor as many readers see e-books as a greener option, which hopefully will help to actually make it a a real greener option by pushing the e-book readers to produce devices that are more sustainable. At the same time, most readers will continue in the foreseen future to read physical books and there's a good chance we'll see a growing number of these readers ask publishers and bookstores to provide them with greener books. We'll further discuss this issue in our next post that will focus on green branding in the book industry.

Did we miss anything? if you think of any other engines that can drive the industry forward to the green direction please add your comment.

As mentioned, the next part of our discussion will be focused on the question: Can publishers build an effective green brand? We'll see you on Tuesday!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

The Yellow Pages are going green, but how about eliminating the wasteful printing in the first place?

Last week on Earth Day, the Yellow Pages Association (YPA) released its first sustainability report. It included updates on their progress including the news that:

"Yellow Pages publishers use directory paper that contains recycled content. In addition to recycled paper pulp, this type of paper contains fiber primarily derived from “residual chips,” a by-product of sawmills left after logs are converted to lumber. That is, the chips become paper pulp instead of going into landfills or being burned. It is not necessary to use new trees to produce Yellow Pages."

This is good news, but my question is: Do we really need to print about 130 million Yellow Pages every year?

Just think about it - how many of you really use these printed directories? I guess the number is shrinking every year, especially when all the information is available online on their website. But at the same time the wasteful practice of delivering everyone new copies every year is still going on. It's true that now you can opt-out if you want to, but doesn't it make more sense to make it an opt-in process instead of opt-out?

It makes perfectly sense from both a consumer and environmental point of view - give the directories just to those people who really want them and who will actually use them. The only one that might not see it as a win-win solution are the Yellow Pages Publishers as a smaller circulation means smaller revenues from ads.

In their sustainability report, Neg Norton, president of YPA says:

"Yellow Pages print directories remain a key part of our business and a widely used tool to connect buyers and sellers. In fact, in 2009 alone, print Yellow Pages received 12 billion references. As long as consumers continue to use print directories and our clients see value being represented in them, we will continue to offer that service – but we must be committed to doing so responsibly and with high regard for the communities in which we live and work."

I can understand that the directories are valued and used by people, but again, why give so many of them to others who don't need them? and why do it every year? But, Neg (if I may), if you're really committed to do it responsibly, then you should shift to an opt-in process. Otherwise, no matter how hard you would work to improve the current opt-out unsustainable practice, you will fail to meet your commitment to make the yellow pages green.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

A new memoir, Coming Clean by Sarah Dean, is going green with Eco-Libris!

We are happy to announce on a new collaboration with author Sarah Dean on her new book "Coming Clean: My Letter-Writing Journey".

625 trees will be planted with Eco-Libris for the first edition of this beautiful book, which is a collection of letters written for the sake of healing and growing from the past. It includes letters to people she has hurt, places she loves, and parts of herself. It is a courageous memoir, written with a commitment to extreme honesty. Moreover, the book is printed on FSC-certified paper with 30% PCW content.

Here's more about the book from the author's website: This is a book filled with personal letters I've written to people, events, and myself for the sake of "coming clean" with myself and healing and celebrating pieces from my past that have not felt complete. It is my answer to a "bucket list", what I want to take care of before I die.

We're happy to collaborate with Sarah, who is a writer, life coach, workshop leader, and certified wood product auditor. She writes and lives with a balance of extreme honesty, integrity, and compassion.

Book release party will take place at the Joy Center March 20, 2010 from 7-9:30. Open to public. Limited space. The author will read a few letters, show a story gem, and sell and sign books.

The book is now available on Sarah's website at http://sarah-dean.com/mymaps.php. You may pick up advance orders at this time. You may also fill out an advance order form for Your Letter-Writing Journey.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

Elizabeth Baines' new book "Too Many Magpies" has been published and one tree is planted for each copy!

Congrats to author Elizabeth Baines! Last Thursday was the official publication date of her new book "Too Many Magpies"!

Not only that this is a great book that was already described as 'moving and compelling' by Sarah Salway, but it's also going green with Eco-Libris - as we mentioned here couple of months ago, the author, Elizabeth Baines, is collaborating with Eco-Libris to green up her book by planting one tree for every copy printed.

Too Many Magpies will be the second book published at Salt Publishing that we're working with after "The White Road and Other Stories" by Tania Hershman.

So what's this book is about? here's the description from its webpage:

Can we believe in magic and spells? Can we put our faith in science?

A young mother married to a scientist fears for her children’s safety as the natural world around her becomes ever more uncertain. Until, that is, she meets a charismatic stranger who seems to offer a different kind of power… But is he a saviour or a frightening danger? And, as her life is overturned, what is happening to her children whom she vowed to keep safe? Why is her son Danny now acting so strangely?

In this haunting, urgent and timely novel, Elizabeth Baines brings her customary searing insight to the problems of sorting our rational from our irrational fears and of bringing children into a newly precarious world. In prose that spins its own spell she exposes our hidden desires and the scientific and magical modes of thinking which have got us to where we are now.

The book is available now with 20% off from the Salt website.

You're also invited to visit Elizabeth Baines' blog, where you can find further details on forthcoming readings and of course her update about the publication date.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting sustainable reading!

Green printing tip no. 16: Can green printing be done on a rush basis?

We have another tip for you on our weekly series of green printing tips, where we bring you information on green printing in collaboration with Greg Barber, an experienced eco-friendly printer.

Today Greg is discussing a question that is especially relevant for those of us who have printing job to do in the last minute, but still want to do it in an environmentally sound manner.

Can green printing be done on a rush basis?

Tip #16
Let's say you you have an urgent printing job to do and you need it ready in 24 or 48 hours. Can you still print it sustainably?

In one word: Yes! A green printer should not be any different from a regular printer and should be capable of providing you all the necessary green services even in the last minute.

Just this week, we did several rush jobs for Tony Blair and the Climate Group, for climate week in New York. We printed a 32 page brochure and a double gate fold brochure, postcards and posters. The jobs were done on time and the quality was superb, as per their group.

We used 100% Post-Consumer Waste 65# for the 32 page, self cover Programs, and for the double gate brochures , we used 100% post-consumer waste in 100# text, for the double gate fold brochures. The postcards were printed on 100# cover, in 100% post-consumer waste. All
three projects are 100% Processed Chlorine Free.

Here are couple of our capabilities which are available even in the last minute:

1. You can use Recycled or Tree Free Paper in Stock
We stock 100% post-consumer waste, recycled paper. We also can get many Tree Free papers in a rush.

2. Ability to Accept Large Files to expedite the process
Our system allows you to email us up to 100 Meg files. You just click our upload buttons and your files are attached.

3. Correct Presses
Digital presses move the fastest. We have both Igen and Indigo equipment.

In such last minute situations, it's not only us who need to work quickly and efficiently. You should be ready to do the same. Here are some tips that will help us to make it in time:

1. File Preparation
Like any rush job, it is preferable to save your files as a hi res PDF. Also, check to make sure your files have bleed, if needed. Don't impose your files. Our software does that to our preferred layout.

2. Be Ready to OK the (soft) proofs
If not, you lose valuable time. Let us know who else can ok your work.

If you have any further questions for Greg, you can email to greg@ecofriendlyprinter.com. If you have any questions you would like us to address in future tips please email us to info@ecolibris.net .

Latest tips:

Green Printing Tip #15 - Are PDF files the best fit for every document?

Green Printing Tip #14 - Can directories be green?

Green Printing Tip #13 -Are you looking for back to school environmental ideas?

You can find links to all the tips we published so far on our green printing tips page, which is part of our green printing tools & resources.

You can also find further valuable information on Greg Barber Company's website - http://www.gregbarberco.com.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green printing!

Green book review (and giveaway): Living Green: The Missing Manual

Did you ever feel like you could use a good manual that will guide you on how to live green? If you do, today this missing manual is right here on our weekly series of green books reviews.

Our book this week is:

Living Green: The Missing Manual

Author: Nancy Conner

Nancy Conner holds a Ph.D. from Brown University and is the author of numerous books, including QuickBase: The Missing Manual and Google Apps: The Missing Manual. She lives in Ithaca, NY, recently named one of the greenest U.S. cities, where she shops for organic produce at the local farmers market and browses second-hand stores. Each day, she commutes up the stairs to her home office, where she works as an author, editor, and distance educator. Read Nancy's Living Green blog at www.missingmanuals.com. You can also find her on twitter.

Publisher: O'Reilly Media

Published on: August 2009

What this book is about? (from the publisher's website)
Taking care of the earth is more important than ever, but the problems we're facing can seem overwhelming. Living Green: The Missing Manual helps make earth-friendly decisions more manageable by narrowing them down to a few simple choices. This all-in-one resource is packed with practical advice on ways you can help the environment by making simple changes in your home routine, work habits, and the way you shop and get around town. You don't have to embark on a radical new lifestyle to make a difference. Living Green: The Missing Manual shows you how small changes can have a big impact. With this book, you will:

• Learn how to make your home energy efficient and free of toxic chemicals
• Discover how to reduce waste, repurpose and recycle, and do more with less
• Build and remodel earth-friendly homes with new techniques and materials
• Learn tips for buying organic food and what it takes to grow your own
• Get helpful information on fuel-efficient cars, including hybrid and electric models
• Make your workplace greener and more cost-effective -- from changes at your desk to suggestions for company-wide policies
• Explore how to choose renewable energies, such as wind and solar power

The book also provides you with ways to connect with like-minded people and offers a survey of exciting new green technologies. Learn how you can help the planet with Living Green: The Missing Manual.

What we think about it?

At the beginning of the book the author explains what you can expect to find in it and how it fits in your green reality:

Ever since Rachel Carson's 1962 book Silent Spring sounded the alarm about the effects of pesticides on the environment, countless books have been published that show how human behavior is taking a toll on the planet. Taken together, they present a convincing argument. But even if you want to start living a healthier, more environmentally responsible lifestyle, where do you begin?

That's where Living Green: The Missing Manual comes in. Although this book gives you plenty of reasons to think about your impact on the planet, its real focus is practical suggestions for making your impact a positive one. These pages are packed with tips, ideas, and instructions for greening in all areas of your life: at home, on the road, at work, at the grocery store, and beyond.

This description is very correct. The book, like a manual, is very practical, covering many green issues, but unlike manuals it also takes the time to explain you the "why" and not only the "how".

The book is filled with tips, some of them may look a bit more obvious like "Label your recycling bins so there's no confusion about what goes there", but many are very valuable - for example: "if you ship a lot of items, don't buy foam packing peanuts. Instead , try Puffy Stuff (http://pufftystufftn.com), an all-natural, plant-based packaging material that's 100% biodegradable".

The fact that the book is covering many green issues is its main strength and weakness at the same time. It's great to have so many issues covered in one book, including your home, energy, food, shopping, transportation, workplace and so on. It really covers almost every main activity that we can think of in green terms. It will provide you with the good information and tips, but at the same time it won't be as thorough as guides that are only focused on one issue like renewable energy at home or food.

Last but not least, kudos to publisher, O'Reilly Media, on printing the book on Rolland Enviro 100 Book, which contains 100% post consumer fibers and is manufactured in Canada by Cascades using biogas energy, and also for making it available online through the O'Reilly Network Safari Bookshelf. You can check it out there and although you might find it's less convenient to scroll the book online, it will be much easier to use all the great links the book includes.

Bottom line: Just like the book is saying - if you're looking for a manual that will help you to know where and how to begin your green journey, you will definitely find this book very useful.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!

We're giving away our review copy of the book, courtesy of the publisher, and of course a tree will be planted for the copy!

How you can win? Please add a comment below with an answer the following question: How did your green journey begin? What was the first green step you took? Submissions are accepted until Monday, September 21, 12PM EST. The winner will be announced the following day.

If you're looking for other interesting green-themed books, you are invited to check out our green books page on Eco-Libris website's green resources section.


Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

And we have a winner on the giveaway of "The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget"

Our last giveaway on the green book review week was of Josh Dorfman's book "The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget".

We asked you to share with us your tips on going green and saving money, just like the ones you can find in this great book. We got great replies with a variety of suggestions from using cloth diapers to buying beer at the local brewery in returnable bottles.

And we have a winner! The winner is the reader sweetbunnabunny, who wrote the following:

We recently went from a two-income household to a one-income household... it was a difficult adjustment! While revamping our budget, I knew I wasn't willing to sacrifice healthy, organic food in order to save money. Now, I make everything I possibly can from scratch. Plus, I'm growing more veggies and herbs in my backyard, and frequenting the local farmer's market more often. Now we eat better than we ever have for very little money!

Congrats to the winner, who will receive a copy of the book. We will also plant one tree for it! Thanks also to all the participants.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green reading!

Green printing tip #8: Does it cost a lot more to print my book on recycled paper?

We're happy to bring you today another valuable tip on our weekly series of green printing tips, where we bring you in collaboration with Greg Barber, an experienced eco-friendly printer.

Today Greg is discussing one of the most important questions that is relevant to a growing number of self-publishers and small publishers that print relatively small print runs and wonder about the cost of going green and using recycled paper.

Does it cost a lot more to print my book on recycled paper?

Tip #8

To answer this question, I decided to show a couple printed quotes for books we printed on 100% PCW (Post Consumer Waste) recycled paper. Then I compared those quotes to printing on non recycled paper.

Example #1: 220 page book (soft cover)

QTY: 100 or 500 books
Pages: 220 pages plus cover
Page Size: 5.5 x 8.5
Stock: 70# in 100% PCW text, and 100# in 100% PCW for the cover
Print: 1/1 black for the text and 4 color cover
Bind: Perfect Bound
Cover: Soft Cover

Price:

QTY: 100 (100% PCW)
Price: $7.50 per book, or $750 total.

QTY: 100 (non recycled paper)
Price: $725 ................... $25 less.

QTY: 500 (100% PCW)
Price: $6.90 per book or $3450.00 total.

QTY: 500 (non recycled paper)
rice: $3300.00........................ $150 less.

Example # 2: 48 Page book

QTY: 100, 1000, 5000 books

Page size: 6 x 9

Pages: 48 plus cover

Print: 4/4 for both text and cover.

Bind: Perfect Bind

Stock: 70# text and 100# cover in 100% PCW Recycled

Price:

Using 100% PCW:

100 books was $11.00 per book or $1100.00
1000 books was $7.00 each or $7000.00
5000 books was $2.50 each or $12,500.00

Using non-recycled paper:

100 books .......... $10 less or $1090
1000 books ..........$100 less or $6900.00
5000 books ..........$500 less or $12,000.00

Bottom Line: The paper is not a factor on most books where the quantities are under 5000 books.

And we shouldn't forget the 100% post-consumer paper saves water, energy, pollution, landfill problems, incinerator problems, and avoids Dioxins from being created, that can poison us all.

If you have any further questions following our tips, or you have a specific question you want us to address, please email us to info@ecolibris.net .

More green printing tips:

Green Printing Tip #7 - What is the best alternative if you can't afford to buy Seed paper?

Green Printing Tip #6 - Is Spot Color printing environmentally friendly?

Green Printing Tip #5 - How to avoid being greenwashed when buying printing services?

Green Printing Tip #4 - What does FSC Certified mean? Is it enough?

Green Printing Tip #3 - How you make sure everyone knows you're using green printing practices

Green Printing Tip #2 - How you can make money while printing on 100% recycled paper

Green Printing Tip #1 - Go for a digital job

You can also find further valuable information on Greg Barber Company's website - http://www.gregbarberco.com.

All the tips are archived and saved on http://www.ecolibris.net/greentips.asp (part of our green printing tools & resources page).

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green printing

Green book review week - part 5: The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget

Our final book on the green book review week is a book that tries to prove what many consider as impossible - going green can be fun, easy and inexpensive.

Our book today is:

The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save the Planet.

Author: Josh Dorfman
Josh Dorfman is the author of The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living (Stewart, Tabori & Chang) and host of The Lazy Environmentalist television series on the Sundance Channel. Dorfman is also the founder and CEO of Lazyenvironmentalist.com, a resource for consumers seeking the best green products and services, and of Vivavi, a retailer of modern, green furnishings. He lives in New York City.

Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang (imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.)

Published on: April 2009

What this book is about? (from the the publisher's website)

In The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget, Josh Dorfman takes you inside the latest developments in green living to demonstrate how you can easily and affordably have your designer jeans and your planet too. From raising eco-conscious kids to greening your daily commute, Dorfman provides insights into the next wave of green innovation and the products and services that will lighten your planetary impact and lower your expenses.

Find bargain basement deals on stylish organic bedding and bamboo furnishings at the largest retailers in the world. Score instant rebates on everything from compact fluorescent light bulbs to energy-efficient air conditioners. And earn reward points for carpooling with friends.

In a time when many people are feeling financially restricted, The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget is your guide to effortlessly saving the planet while keeping some extra cash in your pocket.

What we think about it?
One of the the most bothering scenes on Food Inc. (a very recommended film!) is when there's a family buying a dollar menu meal at Burger King for the whole family and explaining that it's the cheapest and the most convenient way for them to get dinner. After I saw it I couldn't stop thinking how "greener" options can win the dollar meals in price and convenience. And that's one of the main questions Josh Dorfman is trying to answer in his new book.

Dorfman actually doesn't refer to food, but other than food there's almost no topic he's missing in his quest to show how's going green doesn't necessarily have to be expensive or time-consuming or difficult in any way. Dorfman is challenging one of the most hard-to-break myths on green products and he's coming prepared with all the info you need to get it right.

Although you'll think you have seen dozens of similar books with similar promise, this book is different. Its main strength is based on the familiarity of Dorfman of the green economy - he knows every green product and every green service out there. I thought I knew a thing or two, but I still was amazed to find how many new things I learned from reading the book. This is definitely one of the best resources for the best (in quality, pricing, availability and so on) green products and services you can find today.

The book is also very structured and organized - at the end of every chapter you'll find a list of all the resources, retailers, websites and information resources mentioned in the chapter with a short description and their website address.

Of course this is also the weakness of the book - all the great deals he's talking about, whether it's a showerhead that will save you water and energy in the shower (Ecoflow in $14.99) or affordable fruit-based facial scrubs, cleaners and body products of Alba ($8.95-11.95), this information can change fast. Products come and go, pricing changes, new companies arrive to the market with better offers, etc.

That's of course the problem with every printed guide and Dorfman's book is not different (although you can stay updated by following the Lazy Environmentalist website). Still, it has a lot of information that is priceless and relevant at least for a couple of years, and that's what makes it a valuable book.

Bottom Line: I like Dorfman's style and willingness to make the transformation into a greener lifestyle "fun, easy and inexpensive". I'm not sure if the family from Food Inc. would buy this book and if it did, if it would help them with their problem (maybe this book will), but I'm sure it can provide them with plenty of ideas how going green can actually save them money and time. But it's not only them - this book is recommended to anyone who wants to know more on how to go green in a fun, easy and inexpensive way

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!

We're giving away one copy of the book, courtesy of the publisher, and of course a tree will be planted for the copy!

How you can win? please add a comment below with your tip on how you can save money while going green. Share with us your recommendation and get a chance to win this book! Submissions are accepted until Sunday, July 26, 12PM EST. The winner will be announced the following day.

If you're looking for other interesting green-themed books, you are invited to check out our green books page on our website's green resources section.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green reading