You've finished writing your book or creating a new product. The design files are done and everything looks amazing... on your computer screen. But how does it look in real life? This is the moment that ordering a sample copy of your book or product can be a lifesaver.
Here at Vervante, we offer print-on-demand for many of our products that allow you to order one copy of your book, card deck, planner, or other product. We want you to be happy with what you’re creating and taking the time to print a preview copy is a great way to make sure it’s everything you want it to be.
Ordering a sample of your book or product can help you to:
Check that the appearance and quality are as expected
Use as advanced copies for invaluable reader feedback
See if the design looks as good in person as it did on your computer screen
Check that the fonts and sizes are easy to read
All you need to do is upload the print-ready files, place your order, and your book or product will be printed and shipped right away. Our standard turnaround time is usually 5-7 business days for softcover products.
For questions about ordering sample copies, our publishing experts are ready to help at customerservice@vervante.com. If you're new to self publishing or print-on-demand, be sure to check out our special 5-part series that walks you through all the steps from inspiration to publication using these links below:
Yay! You made it to the final steps for creating a new product - the part where it's now time to share and sell your new creation. As we wrap up our special 5-part series taking you through all the steps of creating new products, we're excited to share with you all the ways you can now put your brilliance out into the world.
Printing Options
One of the first things you should think about is printing methods. When it comes to the print and publishing world, becoming familiar with printing terms like POD, MOQ, Bulk Printing, or Free-Plus Shipping is a great way to minimize confusion and help you make the right decisions for budgeting, printing and sales down the line.
The right printing choice for you depends on a number of things – your business model, your budget, the type of product, and your customers, to name a few. Check out the following articles to learn more about how each works and the benefits they offer.
How to sell from Amazon, Etsy, or your own website
Amazon is often the first place you may think of for buying books. Etsy is the place people go to for creative products like notepads, card decks, and daily planners. But that doesn’t mean they are the ONLY places you can sell your books and products. In fact, the best place to sell online can often be from your very own website! The benefits of listing your product on Amazon and Etsy are real, but selling online does not have to be an all-or-nothing choice.
With Vervante, you can have it all by selling on all three!
We recommend that you use your own website and shopping cart as your primary sales location. Then, add Amazon or Etsy as secondary sales solutions. Selling through your own website/shopping cart (or Vervante’s Online Bookstore if you don't have or want to process credit cards), means more profit, control and connection with your readers. Even if people don’t buy right away, by directing them to your website you’ve got a chance to create a connection, offer a free download, or opt into your newsletter. Anything that will put them on the path to staying connected, becoming more involved, and eventually become loyal fans that support your long-term success.
Next, adding Amazon and/or Etsy as secondary sales options is a great way to help people discover you and your products. That first sale on Amazon or Etsy is like an introduction that you can follow up with strategic communications that invite them to become a part of your tribe. For more details about how to list your products online and create successful sales strategies, check out these articles:
Understanding fulfillment & shipping
Fulfillment is a very important part of the publishing process. Fulfillment is what happens from the time that an order is placed until it arrives at its destination. Our fulfillment services bring you decades of industry expertise, reliable resources and flexibility in order to provide customized and easy-to-use solutions for your fulfillment needs. Please see the articles listed here for a complete rundown of how fulfillment, order processing and shipping works.
How Vervante can help you stay in touch with customers
We want you to know who your customers are - and how to contact them again. What really makes us one-of-a-kind in this industry is our desire for you to build and grow the most valuable asset for your business - your email subscriber list. Staying in touch with your customers directly is the key to internet marketing success.
The only way to capture this critical customer data is for you to sell the book from a site you control, while still getting all the benefits of Amazon, other resellers and wholesalers, by using them as secondary sales options. Here's how we do it:
You sell from your site and we'll print and ship the book/product to your customer. You keep more of the profits, capture all customer info, and we take care of the rest.
You can use ANY shopping cart, all we need is a copy of the order confirmation email.
Love Amazon? We do too! That's why we also list your books on Amazon as an alternative sales channel for a best-of-both-worlds solution.
FREE RESOURCES
Our Help Page offers a variety of free resources including product videos and guides on everything from design to step-by-step instructions. Below are links for guides and useful blog articles for more information about what we've discussed above:
Welcome to the next step in our special 5-part series, as we walk you through the process of creating a new product from start to finish. In Part 1, 2 and 3, we discussed getting started, setting up your product and the importance of design and all the little details that come with it. Now we're ready to talk about one of the most exciting steps - printing and publishing your new product!
First step: Order a sample copy
Your design looks great on your computer screen - now it's time to make sure it looks just as nice in real life by ordering a sample copy. Do not skip this step! Printing a single copy of your book or product is important to confirm that the appearance and quality are what you want them to be.
If your final product includes a cover or binding option that we don’t offer on demand, we recommend at least a softcover proof before you order a bulk order. Softcover proofs can generally be printed in 5-7 days. We also offer a hardcover proof option that will be exactly like the final product. This option can take 4 weeks to produce.
To order samples, upload print-ready pdfs to your author account. Our team will review your files and add the product to your account so you can place an order through your author dashboard. Or you can contact us at sales@vervante.com for assistance.
Next: Consider author imprinting
Some authors use our services to self-publish one book. But most end up creating multiple books and products. This is the time to consider imprinting. 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.
Authors who publish their works under a publishing imprint 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. Read more here about the benefits and how to set up your own publishing imprint: Why self-published authors should consider imprinting.
Set a price for sales
Once you’re ready to sell, the next step is something a lot of people really struggle with – setting a price. It’s like a scary math problem where the answer isn’t always clear. Price it too high and no one will buy. Price it too low and you devalue your work and your profits. Finding the right price doesn’t have to feel like a guessing game, though, especially if you follow the tips we provide in this article: "How to price your book or product for retail sales."
A very common question we hear is how to much should I charge? A couple of things to remember when determining your retail price:
Your product is unique, custom and printed in small batches.
You are not appealing to a broad audience but rather a niche group that will find value in the product you’ve created.
You cannot compete with pricing for products mass produced in China.
Your product is valuable and will provide your customers with a unique solution.
We recommend that you double your cost (or more) to determine the retail price.
Decide if you want to add extras
You're ready to launch your book, planner or other type of product, yay! This is a good time to take a pause and consider if you want to create any extras that will help you launch or promote your product. Stickers, coloring books, bookmarks... these and more are fun items that are easy to create, budget-friendly, and can be great for adding value to your product and pizzazz to your launch. Check out these articles for inspiration:
FREE RESOURCES
Our Help Page offers a variety of free resources including product videos and guides on everything from design to step-by-step instructions. Below are links for guides and useful blog articles for more information about what we've discussed above:
In the next article, we will take the next big step - listing your book for sale online, all about Amazon, and other details such as fulfillment, shipping, royalties, and more.
You've finished writing your book or creating a new product. The design files are done and everything looks amazing... on your computer screen. But how does it look in real life? This is the moment that ordering a sample copy of your book or product can be a lifesaver.
Yay! You made it to the final steps for creating a new product - the part where it's now time to share and sell your new creation. As we wrap up our 
Welcome to the next step in 