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.
Getting your first order is an awesome feeling. But before you send anything out, there is one thing you need to set up to ensure your customers have the best experience possible – your packing slips.
Packing Slips: Every package we send out includes a packing slip inside. Think of this as valuable real estate perfect for sharing important information your customers need, including:
A greeting or message that makes a personal connection
Your logo for brand awareness
Return policies that eliminate confusion about timeframes or refunds
Business address and contact information
To add personalized content for your packing slip, log into your author account at www.vervante.com, scroll down to “My Profile” and click on “Customize My Packing Slip.”
((Quick FAQ: Prices are not included on packing slips.))
About Returns: As of March 15, 2022, any returns received will incur a $4 charge.
If an order has an insufficient address or other address issues, it 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.
If you would like returns sent back to your office so you can use them for prizes, promotions, or display please include instructions and your address information on the packing slip for customers to send the products directly to you.
Drawing a blank? No worries, here's sample copy you can customize.
PERSONAL MESSAGE
“In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s difficult to reach out and thank every customer for their loyalty, trust, and support. Even though this note can never fully express our gratitude, we want you to know that we truly appreciate the trust you’ve place in us by placing this order. With so many different choices to grow your business, we’re honored you’ve chosen us to be a part of your journey.
To Your Success,
COMPANY OR INDIVIDUAL NAME
RETURN POLICY COPY (FOR VERVANTE CUSTOMERS ONLY) Damaged shipment: This product was shipped to you by Vervante in partnership with COMPANY NAME. In the unlikely event of damage during shipment, please contact Vervante at customerservice@vervante.com.
Return policy: 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 the copy with the product to: COMPANY MAILING ADDRESS. When we receive your return a refund of ....
Too often, the value of these small slips of paper that come with packages are overlooked. We hope this gave you some great ideas and useful info for customizing your packing slips asap. And if you have any questions, please let us know. We're here to help at customerservice@vervante.com.
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.
Understanding fulfillment & shipping
Helpful Hints for Retail Distribution 
Welcome to the next step in 
Getting your first order is an awesome feeling. But before you send anything out, there is one thing you need to set up to ensure your customers have the best experience possible – your packing slips.