Self Publishing is Self Fulfilling
Have you ever visited your local bookstore and been unable to find the book for which you were searching? But did you ever react by writing one? I did. When I couldn’t find the perfect memory book to document my beloved dog’s life, my entrepreneurial spirit kicked-in and I took the biggest, yet calculated, risk of my business life – I created and self-published It’s My Dog’s Life – Your personalized puppy memory book. A year-long project that garnered a commendation from the consummate businessman himself, Donald Trump!
It all started a few years ago while I was packing my belongings to move to a new home. I kept finding mementos from my dog Clicquot’s first few months with me – adoption papers, photos and even a lock of hair from his first haircut. I decided to organize all of this memorabilia in an album, similar to a “baby book” to document significant occasions in his life. Furthermore, if I were this interested in documenting my four-legged best friend’s life others would be too and this could be a profitable little “hobby.”
What started out as a hobby soon became a full-time job requiring me to terminate current client agreements so I could spend every waking hour on my book. I spent six months researching everything from the pet industry to self-publishing to color trends. I enlisted the help of friends and colleagues, including veterinarians, English professors, and a retail storeowner who could help me create and market the ideal puppy memory book. I visited marketing executives at Nestle-Purina. I met with the former CEO of Blockbuster, who kindly offered his venture capital company’s services pro bono to help me develop my business plan and budgets. I interviewed many self publishing companies but in the end I determined I had the academic background, the business experience in marketing, advertising, and public relations and, maybe most important of all, the fortitude to not only to create the book, but to form a publishing company to market and sell the book myself.
During the process, I found similar products, but they seemed to have various design flaws. Most books I found lacked imagination and color. One book was very nice but it was printed on coated paper stock and you couldn’t write on the pages! Imagine that – a journal you can’t write in! Another book was only 6″ x 8″ and therefore, couldn’t accommodate photos larger than 4″ x 6″ or 8 ½” x 11″ documents. And while another book was very cute, it’s perfect binding wouldn’t allow it to expand with the insertion of photos and memorabilia.
Having gone to college for graphic design I knew exactly what the color palette and graphics I wanted. However, having gone to college so many years ago, I wasn’t technically equipped to produce the print-ready art myself, so I hired graphic artist, but he was dragging his feet, couldn’t see my vision and would try to get me to change my mind. He repeatedly would say “I’m hoping to convince you,” but my mind was made up. So I contacted a graphics company one of my clients recommended and immediately realized a synergy with the artist. In less than two weeks after our initial meeting she had incorporated my color scheme, understood my graphic direction and produced the first draft. In fairness to her, not only did she integrate my ideas, she added a lot of pizzazz to the book making it all the better. It was an affable collaboration that produced an awesome final product.
Publishing a book may sound like it’ll put you in the diamond lane to financial success, but even with a carefully constructed business plan, it’s an expensive venture. So, after I had depleted my savings account, I had to sell my car to pay for the printing of the book. I truly believed in the project and knew it was worth the sacrifice of my shiny new sports car. Surely the millions of other dog owners would love an all-inclusive album-like book to document their “best friend’s” life, too and would purchase millions of copies. Okay, maybe not millions, but surely thousands.
Once the book was off the press and with my dog in tow, I began going door-to-door selling it to small boutique stores. I completely canvassed South Florida and in less than a month had sold the book to 30 stores generating more than $4,000 in sales. The following six months I participated numerous trade shows, developed direct-mail campaigns, conducted a national media blitz, and created a website. I managed to sell more than 3,000 copies of the book and created a presence in more than 200 stores nationwide.
The price of success isn’t cheap. You do the math: The cost to print 5,000 copies, $25,000; Graphic artists, including the first who was fired, $5,000; Basic business overhead at $1,000 per month for 12 months, $12,000; Miscellaneous business expenses, i.e., website, trade show booths, air fare, hotels, media kits, boxes, bubblewrap, sales brochures, order forms, postage, postage scale, postcards, etc., $22,000. Total first-year costs: $59,000. But what about the income from sales, you ask. I sold 3,000 books at an average wholesale price of $9 each for a total of $27,000 in the first year. That meant a deficit of $32,000 at the end of year one. But I knew that going into the project. The business would not, could not, turn a profit until the second printing and sales of 10,000 books. I should also mention, initially I tried to get investors, but was unsuccessful except for the former Blockbuster CEO whose company loaned me the initial start-up capital for my project.
Through my efforts I have sold more than 4,500 books to date; had articles about the book published in more than 50 newspapers and magazines, AND received a congratulatory letter from Donald Trump applauding my “ingenuity and business acumen.”
I’m still paying off my book project debt, but not regretting a single moment of my experience. You simply cannot imagine the adrenaline rush and sense of accomplishment when walking past a storefront window where your book is displayed! You want to stop everyone on the street and shout, “that’s my book!”
When I begin reflecting on my book project it makes me anxious to produce another book. Perhaps something more mainstream … maybe something about the trials and tribulations of self-publishing!
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