Good Morning,
I hope all of you had a great turkey day! I will be giving some tips an helpful info on marketing your book in my next entry. Since I have started this blog some of you have contacted me to say that now you too will be writing and self-publishing your own book....YOU CAN DO IT!!!!
I am proud to share our new and updated website with you: www.pugstory.com where you can purchase a copy of "Chloey's BIG Move" and learn more about the series and other fun info. I am so thankful to those of you who have contacted me and hope you like the site and love the book!
And don't forget to just WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
JACI
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Pug Story has arrived!
Hi there,
I will keep this short and sweet. I felt it only appropriate to share with all of you who have continued to read my blog (as some of you have mentioned that you are now starting on your own book) some great news!
My book is out and will be on shelves here in local Chicago stores in the next week or two and by the end of this week our updated website will be live at www.pugstory.com It is the most amazing feeling to see all of your hard work come to life and hold a beautiful book in your hands that you helped create! If I can do it.... so can you! People's faces light up when they see it and trust me....there are few better feelings than making someone smile. Never give up on your dreams!
My next entries will discuss how to market your book and get it out there into the world.
And don't forget to just WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
JACI
I will keep this short and sweet. I felt it only appropriate to share with all of you who have continued to read my blog (as some of you have mentioned that you are now starting on your own book) some great news!
My book is out and will be on shelves here in local Chicago stores in the next week or two and by the end of this week our updated website will be live at www.pugstory.com It is the most amazing feeling to see all of your hard work come to life and hold a beautiful book in your hands that you helped create! If I can do it.... so can you! People's faces light up when they see it and trust me....there are few better feelings than making someone smile. Never give up on your dreams!
My next entries will discuss how to market your book and get it out there into the world.
And don't forget to just WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
JACI
Friday, November 2, 2012
Bank financing for your book and business part III
Hi there,
Hopefully by now you have reached out to your most inner circle of friends and family for the initial capital to self-publish your book. Maybe you have even posted your project on a crowd funding site like: www.kickstarter.com, www.indiegogo.com, www.rockethub.com, or www.startupaddict.com (there are many more but those are a few that tend to focus a bit more on creative projects). The good news is that in doing this you will expand your reach, grow awareness about your book and business, and raise money without giving up too much on your end, like royalties or equity in your business.
Self-publishing, marketing, and selling your book will not be cheap. Aside from the hard cost of creating and printing your book, the business side of things can get costly. To market and sell your book you may decide to have your own website with E-commerce capability, optimize your site, create marketing materials, purchase software like Quick Books, Sales Force, Constant Contact, or others like those. You will want to protect your intellectual property, pay vendors on time, ship products, and manage any additional overhead you may incur.
While it is true that obtaining institutional financing for a new business is much more difficult these days, it is not impossible. I would start by talking to someone at your bank who handles business loans etc. I know from experience that Chase bank has a strong relationship with the SBA (Small Business Administration) www.sba.gov which is a great resource. Even if you are not a candidate at that moment you will learn what you need to do to become one in the future.
If you are a homeowner it may not be out of the question to pull some equity out of your home to offset some of your business costs. Give your mortgage broker or banker a call to see if this is a viable option for you. To learn a little bit more about what that will mean check out the site; www.getsmart.com.
There are organizations, both private and government that, believe it or not, are still allocating funds to small businesses. It is up to us to find the right one for our needs. For example, as a female business owner you can apply to join the WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) www.wbenc.org. The same goes for other "minority" owned businesses, so take a look at; www.ethnicmajority.com to learn more.
Since we are writers we have an ability to effectively articulate our project, needs, and capabilities. There are grants being given around the world and knowing which one is right for you coupled with writing a great grant proposal could certainly give you an edge. To better familiarize yourself with the process and identify active organizations offering grants take a look at; www.businessgrants.org
YOU CAN DO IT! And remember to just WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
JACI
While it is true that obtaining institutional financing for a new business is much more difficult these days, it is not impossible. I would start by talking to someone at your bank who handles business loans etc. I know from experience that Chase bank has a strong relationship with the SBA (Small Business Administration) www.sba.gov which is a great resource. Even if you are not a candidate at that moment you will learn what you need to do to become one in the future.
If you are a homeowner it may not be out of the question to pull some equity out of your home to offset some of your business costs. Give your mortgage broker or banker a call to see if this is a viable option for you. To learn a little bit more about what that will mean check out the site; www.getsmart.com.
There are organizations, both private and government that, believe it or not, are still allocating funds to small businesses. It is up to us to find the right one for our needs. For example, as a female business owner you can apply to join the WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) www.wbenc.org. The same goes for other "minority" owned businesses, so take a look at; www.ethnicmajority.com to learn more.
Since we are writers we have an ability to effectively articulate our project, needs, and capabilities. There are grants being given around the world and knowing which one is right for you coupled with writing a great grant proposal could certainly give you an edge. To better familiarize yourself with the process and identify active organizations offering grants take a look at; www.businessgrants.org
YOU CAN DO IT! And remember to just WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
JACI
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Crowd funding-raising funds for your book part II
Hi,
Hopefully by now you have created your database as best you can, and have reached out to your family and close friends for financial support to get your book project off the ground.
CROWD FUNDING is a great platform to get your message and details of your book out to a much larger pool of people than you might normally reach. Not to mention that people from all over the world have the chance to learn about your book and become a "backer" and donate to your project. I posted Pug Story on a the crowd funding site: www.kickstarter.com to kick off my campaign and raise funds.
www.kickstarter.com, and others like it, are a great tool for people like us who want to make, create, or further an existing project. These crowd funding platforms connect us with generous and philanthropic people who want to support us.
It is not like taking in an equity investor or anything like that. You are not selling a part of your company but rather rewarding your "backer" with something to thank them for their donation. You set the denominations like $5, $25, $50, $100 and so on. For example, depending on how much they donated I offered a reward like a signed copy of my book or a rendering of their child or pet from my illustrator, even an in person reading of my book. Get creative but don't break the bank. Make sure your cash flow can sustain the rewards...it would be terrible if the donations came in and went right back out, so really think about what you can afford to offer.
Kickstarter is an ALL OR NOTHING type of funding platform so please take the time to go through the kickstarter school to learn about how best to post your project and do's and dont's. Google other crowd funding sites to learn about how their platforms work and what kinds of projects they might seem to hi-light. I did not hit my goal BUT....I maintained my database of backers, continued to reach out to them and update them and raised over $3,000 by doing that. My tenacity and conviction to continue the project after not reaching my goal gave people confidence that I would complete the task and make the book, and some people even increased their donation. Put yourself out there and start letting people know about you and your project. YOU CAN DO IT!
And don't forget to WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
JACI
Hopefully by now you have created your database as best you can, and have reached out to your family and close friends for financial support to get your book project off the ground.
CROWD FUNDING is a great platform to get your message and details of your book out to a much larger pool of people than you might normally reach. Not to mention that people from all over the world have the chance to learn about your book and become a "backer" and donate to your project. I posted Pug Story on a the crowd funding site: www.kickstarter.com to kick off my campaign and raise funds.
www.kickstarter.com, and others like it, are a great tool for people like us who want to make, create, or further an existing project. These crowd funding platforms connect us with generous and philanthropic people who want to support us.
It is not like taking in an equity investor or anything like that. You are not selling a part of your company but rather rewarding your "backer" with something to thank them for their donation. You set the denominations like $5, $25, $50, $100 and so on. For example, depending on how much they donated I offered a reward like a signed copy of my book or a rendering of their child or pet from my illustrator, even an in person reading of my book. Get creative but don't break the bank. Make sure your cash flow can sustain the rewards...it would be terrible if the donations came in and went right back out, so really think about what you can afford to offer.
Kickstarter is an ALL OR NOTHING type of funding platform so please take the time to go through the kickstarter school to learn about how best to post your project and do's and dont's. Google other crowd funding sites to learn about how their platforms work and what kinds of projects they might seem to hi-light. I did not hit my goal BUT....I maintained my database of backers, continued to reach out to them and update them and raised over $3,000 by doing that. My tenacity and conviction to continue the project after not reaching my goal gave people confidence that I would complete the task and make the book, and some people even increased their donation. Put yourself out there and start letting people know about you and your project. YOU CAN DO IT!
And don't forget to WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
JACI
Friday, September 28, 2012
Raising funds for your book part 1
Hi there,
It has been too long since my last post and for that I am sorry. I have been busy getting my book ready to go to the printer. Even though it has been a crazy time, it has been an awesome and exciting time! I can't wait for you to know the feeling. The feeling of seeing all your hard work come to fruition and knowing you are doing what you love. You can do it! Ok..back to the topic of beginning your initial fundraising efforts.
Hopefully by now you have a good idea about what kind of book, characters, storyline and product you will be developing, who your target audience and market are, what kind of vendors you will use, and who your team members will be. In addition to all the work you have done relative to the above tasks as well as write your book, you will have to think about the funds it will take to make your dream a reality. Some of us may be in a position to self fund a project like this; some of us may not.
There are many accessible ways to gain different kinds of funding for your project but for this entry I would like to focus on creating your database and begin reaching out to your friends and family. Create groups for the people you know. It is like thinking about an onion and its many layers. Your groups of people range from acquaintances to family members.
People that know you well and know your project more intimately (the inner layers) are often more likely to contribute financially to your project in the beginning. This is a great way to gain momentum in your fundraising efforts and begin to pay for your start up costs like a video, prototype, and maybe even initial payments to your vendors. This shows people who might not know you or don't know you well (the outer layers) that you have already invested time, money, and hard work to be where you are regarding your book.
The more involved you become in this process the more you will learn about the necessary funds you will need to get your book completed, printed, and into the market place.
Check back soon for Raising funds for your book part 2---"Crowd funding"
And don't forget to WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
JACI
It has been too long since my last post and for that I am sorry. I have been busy getting my book ready to go to the printer. Even though it has been a crazy time, it has been an awesome and exciting time! I can't wait for you to know the feeling. The feeling of seeing all your hard work come to fruition and knowing you are doing what you love. You can do it! Ok..back to the topic of beginning your initial fundraising efforts.
Hopefully by now you have a good idea about what kind of book, characters, storyline and product you will be developing, who your target audience and market are, what kind of vendors you will use, and who your team members will be. In addition to all the work you have done relative to the above tasks as well as write your book, you will have to think about the funds it will take to make your dream a reality. Some of us may be in a position to self fund a project like this; some of us may not.
There are many accessible ways to gain different kinds of funding for your project but for this entry I would like to focus on creating your database and begin reaching out to your friends and family. Create groups for the people you know. It is like thinking about an onion and its many layers. Your groups of people range from acquaintances to family members.
People that know you well and know your project more intimately (the inner layers) are often more likely to contribute financially to your project in the beginning. This is a great way to gain momentum in your fundraising efforts and begin to pay for your start up costs like a video, prototype, and maybe even initial payments to your vendors. This shows people who might not know you or don't know you well (the outer layers) that you have already invested time, money, and hard work to be where you are regarding your book.
The more involved you become in this process the more you will learn about the necessary funds you will need to get your book completed, printed, and into the market place.
Check back soon for Raising funds for your book part 2---"Crowd funding"
And don't forget to WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
JACI
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Picking a printer to self publish your book
Hello Again!
So, hopefully by now you have had a chance to tackle some of the below tasks as you strive to self publish your very own book.
I have a lot of tips I would love to share with you all, and hope that you will find the information helpful as you move forward. So, the next few entries will touch on marketing, details for registering your book, and raising funds for production of your book, if you wish to go that route. But let's not forget, the ultimate goal is to sell your book, and we will get to that as well!
Don't forget to Write, Write, Write!
JACI
So, hopefully by now you have had a chance to tackle some of the below tasks as you strive to self publish your very own book.
- Picked a topic/genre
- Zeroed in on, and researched your target market
- Developed your outline and storyline concepts
- Developed your characters
- Found the right illustrator (photographer, designer etc.) "Team members"
- Envisioned how your book will look and feel, and what message it will send
Before we get to picking a printer, I want to say that even if you have done a few of the above things, or a little bit of all of them, it is totally okay! It is about you being ready, as it does take time, energy, and money to self publish a book. To be fair, I wanted to write Pug Story almost 13 years ago. I am finally doing it, and so can you!
Now, back to our topic: Picking the right printer for your book
- Get at least 4 quotes, or more: There are a ton of book printers out there so make sure you shop around to get the best pricing. It can be helpful to create a spreadsheet of some kind to track and compare quotes including printing costs, shipping etc.
- Find someone local: Try to find a printer within reasonable driving distance. This will help with 2 major things: 1) No shipping cost to you once the books are made. 2) Tighter quality control and you can see the facility where the books will be printed.
- Be Aware that many printers will only print, or advertise, standard sized books. Based on your knowledge of your genre and target market etc. you will be able to better know what sizes are selling best, and what you like. If you do not see the size you want on a website, just ask if they can do it.
- 3 Potential problems with a standard size you didn't choose: 1) It is not the most efficient way to print the book on the press, therefore it is not the most cost effective. 2) It is not a best selling size for your market. 3) The artwork does not fit appropriately, and could therefore be compromised. Plus...you should like it, it is your book :)
- Speak candidly with said printer about efficiencies, turn times, payment terms, quality control assurances, and check examples or references of books they have previously made.
Here is an example of specs I sent to obtain a quote...this info will be helpful to learn as you get quotes, and also when you talk to your printer:
- Title: Children's book
- Size: 8.5 x 8.5 (be sure to discuss bleeds with illustrator and printer)
- Pages: 32 (2 black/white and 30 color)
- Cover Printed, laminated cover over 98 pt boards (hard cover)
- In as : Trouble-free files
- Paper : 100# gloss text over 98 pt boards (# refers to thickness or stock of paper, matte can be nice depending on type of artwork you will have)
- Inks : 4/0 process
- Finish : Lay flat gloss film laminate
- Proofs : Color match proof
- Misc.: Text bleeds OK
- Bind: Smythe sewn case bind
- FOB: Printing Plant, TN
- Quantity: 300,500,1000
I have a lot of tips I would love to share with you all, and hope that you will find the information helpful as you move forward. So, the next few entries will touch on marketing, details for registering your book, and raising funds for production of your book, if you wish to go that route. But let's not forget, the ultimate goal is to sell your book, and we will get to that as well!
Don't forget to Write, Write, Write!
JACI
Monday, August 20, 2012
Even Pugs think Mondays are ruff!
Good Morning!
My very first thought this morning while watching my Pug slowly wake up.....Monday mornings can be ruff!
Check back for my next entry as I will offer some tips on finding the right printer for your book.
And don't forget to--Write, Write, Write!
JACI
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