Some authors come to us to self-publish one book. But most authors end up creating multiple books and products, as it’s hard to turn off inspiration (and your audience keeps asking for more!). No matter what kind of books you’re writing – from fitness to finance to fun cozy murder-mysteries – there’s something that everyone should understand early in the process: The benefits of publishing imprints for self-published authors.
What is a publishing imprint?
A publishing imprint is the name assigned to an ISBN. It will be the name listed as publisher on your book copyright or imprint page, on the back cover of your book, and in retail descriptions such as Amazon.
Benefits of creating a publishing imprint
Authors who publish their works under imprints set themselves apart from other self-published authors who have no imprint and are publishing under their own names. Having your book listed with a publisher name that is different than your own creates a level of professionalism that can overcome bias that many still have against self-publishing. Having an "official" name on the back of that book gives it a professionalism that many readers are looking for. It also helps you create continuity with your branding, and gives you more flexibility in marketing and sales.
How to create a publishing imprint
When you work with Vervante, you have the flexibility to choose between using us (Vervante) as your imprint, or creating one for yourself.
Using Vervante as your imprint: If an author uses an ISBN purchased through Vervante, then Vervante will be listed as your imprint. Using Vervante ISBNs and listing Vervante as your publisher adds credibility as we are an established, respected publisher who has been in business for 21 years. Another benefit to using our ISBN is that you, as the author, retain full rights to your ISBN and content (a benefit that many other publishing companies do not offer.)
Creating your own imprint: If you already have a business brand name and your book is a part of that business, you might choose to create an imprint that is consistent with your business. For example, if your brand is “Fitness International,” and you are writing a series of books about nutrition, health and wellness, your publishing imprint could simply be “Fitness International Press.”
If an author wants to create and use their own imprint, they must purchase their ISBNs directly from Bowker. When you purchase your ISBN directly from them, you can set up the publisher name that will be attached to it. PLEASE NOTE: If you purchase ISBNs from Bowker, you don't need to purchase barcodes as well. There are a number of free barcode generators online that you can use.
An imprint is a great way for self-published authors to brand their works and elevate their credibility by having a professional publishing name associated with their books. If you have any questions about using Vervante as your imprint, or creating your own, please email our team
We're constantly amazed by the clever, unique, brilliant and beautiful books and products our customers create. Today we’d like to introduce you to Manuel Buitrago, fitness professional, weightlifting expert, and self-published author of two books, including “Chinese Weightlifting: A Visual Guide to Technique (2021).” Manuel’s ability to see a need and rise to the occasion to help others through his research and writing is a great example, as well as his insight into what it takes to publish (it’s a team effort!), and being open to learning even the second time around.
Manuel’s story
Q: What inspired you to create this book?
I was on Instagram one day and saw a CrossFit post of a weightlifter performing a snatch in slow motion video. The lift wasn’t perfect from a technical standpoint and the caption read “What do you see?” And the responses from trainers and coaches was interesting because there was no consensus even though everyone was watching the same video.
For example, one person would say the problem is X while another said the problem is Y. And another said the problem was A (which contradicted X) while another said B (which contradicted Y). Most of these issues were symptoms rather than root causes. So, it became clear to me there was an opening in the market for a visual guide to show what is good technique and how to identify technical mistakes.
I learned professional weightlifting in China, which uses a unique weightlifting philosophy to achieve a technical standard. So I figured I could add even more value to the book by proposing Chinese training solutions to overcome these mistakes.
Q: What challenges did you have to overcome?
It was quite a quest to develop this book. First was organizing the 2-day photoshoot at a Chinese sports school (which requires permission and knowing someone). I had to book international flights, local trains, and Chinese car services in advance to make sure the Hong Kong based photography crew, a former national-level Chinese weightlifter, and my colleague and I all arrived on a date that worked for all parties. Given the complexity, we only had this opportunity to film and a limited time per day, so I had to cross my fingers that there were no delays!
The actual organization, writing, and editing of the book was straightforward, however I wanted to offer 6 translations to reach a broader audience (English, French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, and Portuguese). So, I had to make sure my writing was clear enough to be translated easily into other languages.
The next challenge was organizing professional translators. This is easier said than done because many translation services provide google translations or word-for-word translations that don’t sound authentic. Eventually I was able to find some capable translators and also had bilingual weightlifting friends proofread and edit the texts to ensure accuracy and authenticity. Thankfully I’ve received messages from non-English speakers thanking me for providing a high-quality translation.
Q: Share a high moment or interesting story about creating your book that might inspire other future authors/creators.
A book is rarely a solo effort. One of the best parts of creating a book is the people who help make it happen. The team I organized to produce the pictures worked long hours, ate little, and drank a lot of coffee to maximize our filming time. But there’s a feeling of solidarity when a group comes together and struggles to create something good. Afterwards, we were invited by our hosts to a traditional Chinese meal, which was a great and unexpected celebration that I would not have had otherwise and made the entire experience much more memorable. So, don’t be afraid to ask for help (whether it’s proofreading, editing, graphics, etc.).
Q: Any advice for others?
My book Chinese Weightlifting: A Visual Guide to Technique is my second book with Vervante. I never thought I would write books, mainly because I didn’t think I could come up with an idea (much less write about it for hundreds of pages). But after writing two books, and considering a third, I recall the words from Nobel laureate Albert Szent-Gyorgyi: “discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.”
About “Chinese Weightlifting: A Visual Guide to Technique”
If your weightlifting progress is stalling, you can’t figure out the cause of your technical mistakes, or have no idea how to fix them, then this book is what you need. Often referred to as the “little black book of Chinese weightlifting,” Manuel Buitrago’s Chinese Weightlifting: A Visual Guide to Technique helps weightlifters and their coaches learn to spot the technical issues that prevent reaching maximum weightlifting performance and excel to their highest potential.
This book is great for:
Beginner and intermediate athletes who coach themselves
Experienced athletes who have stubborn habits
Coaches looking to improve their “eye” for weightlifting technique
Trainers looking for ways to fix technical errors
Anyone wanting to learn what to do and what not to do when performing the snatch, clean, and jerk.
Learn more
You can learn more about Manuel’s book on his website, and connect via social media on Facebook or Instagram.
One step in the sales process that is important to plan ahead for is returned orders. There are a lot of reasons for returns, but no matter why, we can help you plan ahead to create a hassle-free process for both yourself and your customer.
RETURNS POLICY
First, we highly recommend that you share your return policy with customers by including it on your packing slip. For directions on how to do this, see this article on our website: "How to Customize Your Packing Slip."
Here is an example you can customize to fit your needs:
"This product was shipped to you by Vervante in partnership with YOUR COMPANY NAME. In the unlikely event of damage during shipment, please contact Vervante at customerservice@vervante.com. YOUR COMPANY NAME offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you would like to return the product, please make a copy of this packing slip and return that copy with the product to: COMPANY MAILING ADDRESS. When we receive your return (FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS HERE)."
WHAT HAPPENS TO RETURNS
When a return is received, our receiving department will e-mail you that the package has been returned. Vervante will receive your returns at no charge.
Damaged products: In the unlikely event of damage during shipment, please contact Vervante at customerservice@vervante.com (or have your customer contact us) and we will replace that item.
Address issues: Any address issues that make your product undeliverable will be returned to our office. We will notify you when we receive it, and the reason for the return. If we receive a return for insufficient address or address problems, and you are able to provide us with an updated correct address, we will reship the order at no additional charge except for the postage.
If a product has NOT been opened, used or is not damaged, we will re-use the product.
If the product HAS been opened, we do not re-use returns and they will be destroyed immediately.
ORDER PROCESSING & SHIPPING
For more information about how order processing and shipping work for all of your books and products with Vervante see this article: "How Vervante Order Processing & Shipping Works."
Returns happen, and we're here to help you handle them as gracefully as possible. For questions or requests regarding book or other products returns, please reach out to our team at sales@vervante.com.
Some authors come to us to self-publish one book. But most authors end up creating multiple books and products, as it’s hard to turn off inspiration (and your audience keeps asking for more!). No matter what kind of books you’re writing – from fitness to finance to fun cozy murder-mysteries – there’s something that everyone should understand early in the process: The benefits of publishing imprints for self-published authors.
We're constantly amazed by the clever, unique, brilliant and beautiful books and products our customers create. Today we’d like to introduce you to Manuel Buitrago, fitness professional, weightlifting expert, and self-published author of two books, including “
Q: What challenges did you have to overcome?
One step in the sales process that is important to plan ahead for is returned orders. There are a lot of reasons for returns, but no matter why, we can help you plan ahead to create a hassle-free process for both yourself and your customer.