Crunching The Numbers To Independently Release A Moving-Picture Demo Book

Hey everyone!  I am thus excited virtually the feedback I conduct keep gotten from many of you lot regarding my newest firm to independently release my novelty book.  I idea I would part alongside you lot a lilliputian virtually the procedure in addition to some things I'm finding out.

Okay, get-go of all it powerfulness involvement you lot to know a lilliputian flake virtually traditionally published books.  Did you lot know a typical film mass writer volition instruct a $3,000-$10,000 advance.  Then, inwards gild to instruct paid whatsoever to a greater extent than the mass needs to sale plenty copies to pay dorsum the advance in addition to and thus the writer gets royalty checks.  A mutual royalty is commonly a pocket-size fraction of the sales toll 10-15%.  You are looking at getting virtually $0.70-$1.20 per each mass sale for a typical 32 page film book.  I ever idea that was super low.  But if you lot intend virtually all the people that involve to instruct paid to orbit the mass I tin dismiss understand.  This is the printer, the formatter, the editor, the agent (typically), the illustrator (if non the author), the marketing department, etc.

Here are how the numbers are working out thus far alongside my planned publication of The Pancake Menu: What volition you lot order? Menu & Cookbook.  I only got my get-go quote from a printer (now perish on inwards hear my mass volition live on 9"x 12" alongside 100 lb thick newspaper in addition to non the typical format--here is a lilliputian video of a mini version)
Because of the complexity of the pages it would live on agency every bit good expensive to orbit inwards the USA, thus I conduct keep contacted iii off shore printers (they impress inwards China, Korea, etc.)

My get-go quote was for 2000 copies, $3.30 a book.  That sounds pretty inexpensive to me.  Then I researched on Amazon how much it costs to live on an Amazon Advantage fellow member (this is if you lot are acting every bit the printer for your ain book--you purchase the ISBN/barcode in addition to stuff).  I was shocked at how much they take--55% of the retail price!!!  Whoa.  No wonder they are thus big.  So, I instruct 45% of the retail toll in addition to they purpose the buffer 55% to gear upwards the toll how high or depression they desire in addition to conduct keep the distribution.

Now accept into consideration if I toll my mass at $24.95 my 45% is $11.23, in addition to thus subtract the toll of the printing that is $7.93.  But I volition incur other costs too.  For the formatter virtually $1400, ISBN numbers in addition to barcode $320, summation other costs that are outflow to popular up.  I am looking at roughly $6 a mass inwards profit.  I must tell that is a lot less than I idea when I get-go heard the printing would live on $3.30 a book.

There volition also live on costs alongside storing the books...  Amazon doesn't concord onto a 1000000 books for you.  They inquire for pocket-size quantities get-go in addition to and thus based on past times sales they may inquire for larger amounts.  Only when they run out orbit they inquire for more.  The most lucre for independent authors comes when you lot tin dismiss sell directly--whether off of a website or doing schoolhouse visits.  Then you lot tin dismiss hand them a discount off the retail toll but the large Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 isn't taking their huge chunk (so a lucre of $10-12 is possible).

I constitute all this interesting...It does seem similar a lot of work, but I actually desire my mass to live on able to live on enjoyed past times kids everywhere in addition to at nowadays I conduct keep to a greater extent than control.  So, Amazon does accept a large chunk but at to the lowest degree they tin dismiss transportation the mass virtually anywhere.

Here are some of the latest drawings if you lot wanted a peak

My kids conduct keep mixed feeling virtually eating pancakes that conduct keep nutrient coloring inwards them.  I intend it is thus fun!  I tell them they tin dismiss unopen their eyes if they want.  It tastes the same...

The Ladybug pancake non on the plate.

The plate for the ladybug pancake.

 Thanks for reading!  Please sign upwards for my monthly newsletter for freebies in addition to updates. : )

#Mondaymadeit & #Imwayr: Minecraft Cake, The Pancake Carte Page Reveal, & The Picayune Seahorse Past Times Sheri Fink

Wow!  What a fun weekend!  My son's birthday together with a fun writing workshop... I'm linking upwards today amongst Monday Made It equally good equally It's Monday: What are yous reading?

Here is Mon Made it #1:  This awesome Minecraft cake!

How did I brand yous ask?  Here's what I did...

• Bake ii cakes (I used 2 mixes), each inward a 8" foursquare pan (it takes a combat longer since it is a thick layer).
• I made 2 batches of frosting, i I dyed brownish (with Wilton dye) together with i batch split upwards inward one-half together with dyed ii unlike shades of green.
• After the cakes cooled on a cooling rack I cutting them amongst a cake leveler on the move past times together with sides, together with pose them on a turntable to frost.
  
• Once the ii cakes were frosted on the sides amongst the brownish I used melting chocolates together with made a sparse layer of chocolate betwixt parchment paper.  I together with then cutting them inward fiddling squares together with pose them on the sides.
  
• Then on the move past times I made a grid hence that I could brand only about grass sections lite greenish together with others deeper green.  To brand the grass I used a ziploc handbag (the freezer quart size works the best) amongst a small-scale corner cut.
  
• Once it was done (hooray) it went inward the fridge.  One of my kids made a dandelion candle to acquire on it besides : )
  

Whew! The cake was a big made it--from start to complete I intend it was most iii hours for baking together with frosting together with it was good received : )

My other made it this by calendar week is my kickoff pose together page of The Pancake Menu: What volition yous order? Menu & Cookbook.  Many of yous induce got seen the drawings inward progress together with I wanted to break i page.  Drum roll.........

This film isn't railroad train inward stone, hence if yous induce got recommendations for changes allow me know now... Or create yous intend it is perfect?

My final made it--was I made it out to the CBW-LA final result amongst the Award Winning Author Sheri Fink!

I had a blast!!! I learned a lot together with Sheri was hence upbeat together with positive.  I walked out of the workshop taller together with feeling on move past times of the world--Thanks Sheri!

We learned all most her journeying to independently publishing her books together with most her life's story a bit.  Each mass of her "Little books Series" is most planting inward kids the seeds of self esteem.  As business office of the workshop fee nosotros each received her The Little Seahorse book!
  It's Monday: What are yous Reading comes in!

My oldest immature lady read it to herself together with she enjoyed it.  Then my iii twelvemonth onetime wanted to read it.  She enjoyed the brilliant pictures (which are hence awesome) together with recognized at that spot was a mommy seahorse inward there.  Then, my xviii calendar month onetime picked it upwards together with wanted to "read" it too.  He wasn't patient plenty to induce got me read it to him but he had fun going through the pages.  It has a neat message of overcoming shyness.  With it's empowering message, it's no wonder that Sheri has done hence well!  She is a neat author together with a neat motivational speaker.

I kickoff met Sheri final Nov together with when I spoke amongst her I didn't intend independently publishing was a feasible alternative but she was hence positive together with has the personality of if yous desire to accomplish something cipher tin flaming halt you.  I induce got a few friends similar this together with oftentimes I am too, but when at that spot is something I haven't done earlier I am sometimes hesitant.  Fast frontward only about months together with hither I am getting create to independently pose out my kickoff mass inward my Kids Menu Books Series!  Sheri powerfulness non know it, but she was a big component subdivision inward my determination to acquire ahead together with create it myself : )

Have a neat calendar week everyone!  If at that spot is something neat yous desire to accomplish, don't allow anything or anyone halt you--just create it!

Author Adventures!

Being an writer is a lot of function together with it tin hold upward extremely rewarding!

If you lot are next along my writer floor I am thus grateful together with I cause got updates!

So, a few months agone kidsmenubooks.com (my mass site) was revamped together with straightaway looks amazing (yay)!

In September I heard give-and-take dorsum from B&N Small Press Dept. that they would similar to club 8 copies of The Pancake Menu, although they solely select books from mass wholesalers together with distributors.  So, I contacted Baker & Taylor (a mass wholesaler who ofttimes caters to the schoolhouse together with library markets).  They accepted me equally a vendor together with I am nonetheless inward the procedure of finishing the vendor laid up. I am upward on their database, precisely they haven't sent me the kickoff buy order.  So, pretty shortly B&N volition cause got my mass available if you lot walk into a shop together with tell you lot desire it ordered. : )

On the weblog Math Coach's Corner Donna did a wonderful review of the mass together with I got a proficient amount of people that signed upward to have my monthly newsletter!

I'm scheduled to become to Center Street Elementary (El Segundo, CA) inward early on March to produce 3 assemblies for the 1st & 2d grade, third & quaternary grade, together with the fifth bird classes. I'll larn to ship my pre-order shape habitation amongst them shortly together with I'm thus excited to utter amongst them together with encourage them to travel past times away along reading together with playing amongst math!

Then, a met a somebody from Mathnasium.com together with nosotros are planning to produce a weblog post for them together with a giveaway at around request (the details haven't been finalized).

There are fifty-fifty a few other items of mass details going on... My search for a ameliorate ebook formatter for fixed format inward ePUB together with Mobi files. And thus a rights manager.

There are a lot of things that become into having a book... Things are moving along together with I appreciate all the back upward together with promise that this resources is loved past times kids from all over!

If you lot haven't already I would dear to cause got you lot larn my monthly newsletters. I volition hold upward giving a production away gratis periodically to that mailing list.  Have a slap-up hateful solar daytime everyone--and if you've read til hither I'd dear whatever feedback you lot cause got for me. I promise you lot savour kidsmenubooks.com together with the hands-on math sense that The Pancake Menu tin convey : )