Well, they're booklets really, but they're selling. I've produced two so far: Ingleton's Dickensian Characters (IDC), and Voices of Old Ingleton (VOI) They are each 20 pages long, sell for £2.00 and the stock is going fast.
The fun of being a small business is quite amazing. You get into things which I thought were so boring: invoices and cash flow, etc. and you actually find them of more interest. That's because they are generating money.
I've got another one on the boil - Marking Time in Ingleton (MTI). I aim to publish it on Leap Year Day as it is about time.
My son Matthew came back after a month in Turkey yesterday. He is going to design a webite for me.
Things are really taking off.
Showing posts with label IDC Booklet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IDC Booklet. Show all posts
Monday, 11 February 2008
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Amazing Preston
An amazing thing happened yesterday.
I had to wait at Preston for a train so I went to the Local History Library. There I asked about a man grew up in Ingleton and became a vicar in Preston in the 19th century. He is mentioned in my first booklet, Ingleton's Dickensian Characters
Well, I was shown a book which described everything about him AND it was written by someone who went to school with him in Ingleton.
Amazing!
I had to wait at Preston for a train so I went to the Local History Library. There I asked about a man grew up in Ingleton and became a vicar in Preston in the 19th century. He is mentioned in my first booklet, Ingleton's Dickensian Characters
Well, I was shown a book which described everything about him AND it was written by someone who went to school with him in Ingleton.
Amazing!
Saturday, 8 December 2007
IDC goes on sale
Yesterday I started trading. I had produced the IDC Booklet to go along with the Dickensian theme of the Late Night Shopping in Ingleton.
I stood on The Sqaure next to HL Gallery, otherwise known as the Pye family. They were giving away mulled wine for a donation, and I latched onto their customers. I told them they would be interested in my book, that I had written about five fascinating characters who had lived in the village in Dickensian times and that I would even sign the booklet for them so that when I became famous they could sell it for a lot more than it was worth.
It was fun developing a sales patter. I said the same thing over and over again, with variations according to who I was talking to. But each signing was unique. I loved it.
Funny thing though, during the day I was deeply disturbed mentally because of the strain of selling the books. I thought I would find it much more difficult to sell them than to research, write and produce them. But as it turned out that the sales pitch was as much fun as the rest of the writing experience.
The details of my best buyers are thus:
I stood on The Sqaure next to HL Gallery, otherwise known as the Pye family. They were giving away mulled wine for a donation, and I latched onto their customers. I told them they would be interested in my book, that I had written about five fascinating characters who had lived in the village in Dickensian times and that I would even sign the booklet for them so that when I became famous they could sell it for a lot more than it was worth.
It was fun developing a sales patter. I said the same thing over and over again, with variations according to who I was talking to. But each signing was unique. I loved it.
Funny thing though, during the day I was deeply disturbed mentally because of the strain of selling the books. I thought I would find it much more difficult to sell them than to research, write and produce them. But as it turned out that the sales pitch was as much fun as the rest of the writing experience.
The details of my best buyers are thus:
- Members of IMC
- Visitors to Ingleton for the weekend
I am happy to report that I sold 25 copies of Ingleton's Dickensian Characters and gave two out on credit to people I know very well and trust implicitly.
This morning my head ached profously when I got up but it was buzzing with ideas of how to sell the remaining number of copies.
Watch this space.
Friday, 7 December 2007
To market, to market
Today I start trading.
The Ingleton's Dickensian Characters booklets are all ready to sell at £2.00 a piece.
Today I have to get a table, a money float and good weather to sell the goods at the Ingleton Late Night Shopping. I'll let you know how I get on.
The Ingleton's Dickensian Characters booklets are all ready to sell at £2.00 a piece.
Today I have to get a table, a money float and good weather to sell the goods at the Ingleton Late Night Shopping. I'll let you know how I get on.
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
Booklets and ISBNs
I took delivery of 100 Ingleton's Dickensian Characters booklets yesterday. They look really professional. I am proud to own them. Now I have to sell them, and be even prouder.
I also got an email detailing how to buy ISBN numbers. I'm not sure if my Brook House Booklets qualify. But I'm going to have a go anyway.
They ask you how many publications you expect to put out in two or three years. At first I thought about ten. But I have lots of ideas.
I mean I went to the library yesterday and got hold of not one, but two copies of the book Ingleton Bygone and Present. This has loads of ideas within it.
The daft thing is the 100 ISBN numbers cost a lot less each than ten do. But I don't want to stretch myself too thin. We'll see.
I also got an email detailing how to buy ISBN numbers. I'm not sure if my Brook House Booklets qualify. But I'm going to have a go anyway.
They ask you how many publications you expect to put out in two or three years. At first I thought about ten. But I have lots of ideas.
I mean I went to the library yesterday and got hold of not one, but two copies of the book Ingleton Bygone and Present. This has loads of ideas within it.
The daft thing is the 100 ISBN numbers cost a lot less each than ten do. But I don't want to stretch myself too thin. We'll see.
Friday, 30 November 2007
IDC goes to the printers
Over the last couple of weeks I have been putting together my first Brook House Booklet. It's called Ingleton's Dickensian Characters (IDC for short).
It has been a distinct learning curve. When I first went to see Andrew, the printer in Bentham, I didn't even know how to put an A5 (half A4) size booklet onto Publisher. He showed me and I got started.
Now the Master Copy is ready. This is a day earlier than I originally put into my business plan.
YES! I have a business plan! It's just a sheet of paper with deadlines to work to, but it is a great help.
The unit cost is £1.00 per copy from the printer and I am selling them at £2.00 each. I have ordered 100 copies so I hope they will sell well in a week's time at the Late Night Shopping Evening in Ingleton.
Now I'll have to get marketing.
It has been a distinct learning curve. When I first went to see Andrew, the printer in Bentham, I didn't even know how to put an A5 (half A4) size booklet onto Publisher. He showed me and I got started.
Now the Master Copy is ready. This is a day earlier than I originally put into my business plan.
YES! I have a business plan! It's just a sheet of paper with deadlines to work to, but it is a great help.
The unit cost is £1.00 per copy from the printer and I am selling them at £2.00 each. I have ordered 100 copies so I hope they will sell well in a week's time at the Late Night Shopping Evening in Ingleton.
Now I'll have to get marketing.
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