Blog

Vervante • April 28, 2021

No matter what type of product you have, there are always ways you can make it better. Even just the smallest little extra can be the key that inspires customers to hit the "buy" button and choose your product over the rest. We've rounded up a few ideas below for popular products that you can easily add for your products.  Card Decks Custom-designed card decks are fun, valuable, easy to use, and very memorable. A great way to uplevel your card deck presentation is by creating custom packaging. Many people provide bags for card decks that we can package them in, but did you know that we can also print custom-designed boxes and packaging for cards? Check out our expert guide, "How to Create Custom Printed Card Decks," on our Expert Guide page to learn more about card decks and the packaging options we offer.     Spiral or Wire-o Binding Journals, planners, coloring books, and workbooks are just a few examples of products that increase in both function and value when you have the ability to lay them flat. When it comes to spiral and wire-o binding, we have a lot of options. Plus, we can help you list and sell spiral-bound products on Amazon - something most other print-on-demand publishers don't offer. Spiral binding can be used for:  Soft Covers Poly Paper (water and tear resistant) Hard covers Laminated Soft Covers 2-Ply Board Covers We offer a range of colors for spiral and wire-o that have the power to deliver a high-impact first impression, as well as a reliable binding option for your customer. Your product, already packed with value, becomes awe-inspiring and unique with the simple addition of a color or metal option. Plastic spiral binding (50+ colors) Metal spiral (3+ colors) Metal wire-o (7 colors) For more information about using spiral or wire-o binding for books, journals, planners, coloring books and more, see "How to Sell Spiral Bound Products on Amazon" on our blog.   Custom Labels or Custom Printed Boxes Custom labels are an excellent way to maximize your brand, logo, or message. Take advantage of this valuable – and often overlooked – brand-boosting opportunity by creating a fullcolor label that features your unique design. Custom labels are a simple, yet vastly effective way of dressing your letter and packages for success, and making sure that your brand is the one that stands out. A custom printed box stands out from the crowd. Add your message to the outside and inside of the box and wow your customers! For more information about custom printed boxes, watch the video "Custom Printed Boxes" on our video vault page on the website.   Printed Newsletters Direct mail pieces such as newsletters are a great way to connect to your readers at a deeper, more emotional level. Sending them in a standard white or brown envelope is great, but sending them in a clear mailing envelope is a great way to let your newsletter shine through and wow your readers before they even start reading them.   Check out our expert guide, "The Secret Weapon to Successful Newsletters," on our Expert Guide page to learn more about creating, mailing and packaging printed newsletters.  For more product and packaging ideas that will help your products stand out from the crowd, be sure to watch the videos in our website Video Vault. We are also happy to provide free quotes and answer questions about any of the products mentioned here,

Vervante • April 6, 2021

Spiral binding is popular for many types of books because it makes them so much easier to use. Planners, journals, workbooks, cookbooks, and coloring books are often so much easier to read and write in with spiral binding as it allows them to open fully and lay flat. Picture a coloring book or planner that is perfect bound, like a novel, next to one with spiral binding that lays flat, and you’ll see why spiral binding is often the better choice. Did you know, however, that spiral binding on-demand is rare in the publishing world? That’s why we’re happy to share with you that we offer on demand spiral binding and the ability to sell your spiral-bound product on Amazon and anywhere else you want too. Spiral binding options Spiral binding is sometimes also called spiral coil, plastic coil or coil binding. Spiral binding is durable, won't break or bend under pressure, and comes in more than 50 different colors allowing you to customize your book by matching the binding to the cover for a unique and attractive finish. Spiral is also available in metal.  This is a very popular option over metal wire-o binding. The reason is because it is a continuous metal spiral so the binding cannot come apart. Sometimes with wire-o binding, the loops can be pulled apart or they inadvertently don’t get clamped together properly. We love metal spiral binding because this doesn’t happen. Metal spiral is available in three colors: silver, black and white. We stock silver metal spiral. Black and white can be special ordered. Plastic spiral is available in more than 50 colors. We stock black and white. Other colors can be special ordered. Both Metal and Plastic spiral binding are available on-demand or for bulk orders. Wire-o binding A similar binding option for books is wire-o binding, also known as twin loop, double-loop, or wire binding. It also allows a book to lay flat, comes in a variety of colors, and is a popular choice for journals and planners. The minimum order quantity for wire-o binding is 25. Click on these links to see the color options for plastic spiral, metal spiral, and metal wire-o binding: Metal Wire-o Metal Spiral Plastic Spiral Using spiral or wire-o binding with custom covers We offer both soft and hard cover options with spiral and wire-o binding. Spiral and wire-o binding can be used with all of our cover options: Soft covers Poly paper covers 2-ply board covers Hard covers If you want the best of both worlds – a spiral bound book that lays flat, but has a spine like a traditional book that looks good on a shelf – we offer a unique wrap-around cover that provides everything you want. Spiral binding videos Be sure to watch the videos in our website Video Vault to see multiple highlights of products with spiral binding, wire-o binding, and all of the customizations we mentioned here. We offer samples for spiral bound products to help you see and feel how it might function with your own products. You can see our sample offerings page here.  We are also happy to provide free quotes for spiral-bound products, or answer questions at [email protected].

Vervante • December 9, 2020

If you’re launching a daily planner for 2021 and like the idea of adding something more to make it stand out, how about turning it into a collection? Customers who love your planners will be excited when they see you have additional products available that add to the value of your planner. And you’ll love how easy it is to support the success of your planner while also adding to your revenue. Established planner companies like Erin Condren, Inkwell Press, and Dayspring know that people who love daily planners love to get extras to make them even more fun and valuable. You can do the same by creating and offering products such as: Stickers Booklets Journals of all sizes Bookmarks Note cards / stationery Recipe cards Printed newsletters or magazines Seasonal extras Desktop or tear-off calendars Adult coloring book Jars filled with small printed notes/note cards card deck / tarot cards Planners are very popular these days, but collections are what can give them some serious pizzazz! We are here to help you turn your planner into a complete collection with products and services you need. For more ideas, be sure to check out the Vervante Video Vault for videos that show ideas for products that can easily be bundled with daily planners. And for questions or to get started, email [email protected] or schedule a call with our CEO, Cindy, by clicking on this link.

Vervante • October 2, 2020

We love coloring books - and your response to our recent article with tips for creating these fun products showed us that you do too. That's why we're excited to let you know that we've just posted a new free Expert Guide that takes you through all the steps from A to Z. **Click here to download our new Coloring Book Expert Guide** Speaking of coloring books, we just had to share this story about our CEO and her cute grandson's 5th birthday party: Vervante CEO Cindy Tyler recently created a personalized coloring book for her grandson Axl's 5th birthday party. She put together a superhero-themed book featuring all the kids invited to Axl's party and included them in goodie bags with crayons, stickers and other fun items. The kids went wild (who wouldn't want to be a superhero, right?) and their parents did too! Want to see Axl's coloring book? Just click on the following link: Axl's Coloring Book Cindy and Axl's special offer We had so much fun with this coloring book that we’d like to share it with you. Maybe our superhero-themed book inspired you to create your own unique coloring book for a party or other fun occasion. Or maybe you'd like to use Axl's coloring book, but customize it with your own names - our graphic design team can help (design fees may apply). If you're excited about coloring, we're here to help! We invite you to access our coloring book resources using the links below, or Email or schedule a phone call to discuss your ideas with us. Access and Download the new Coloring Book Expert Guide on our website Download a free 5-pack of coloring pages on us by clicking HERE. Order our sample coloring book for inspiration No matter what, we can help you create and personalize a coloring book just for you. Just email us at [email protected] with questions or ideas. Here's to a colorful future and lots of superhero fun for all!

Vervante • September 8, 2020

Adult coloring book popularity has skyrocketed the past couple years, and shows no sign of slowing down. That's why it's the perfect time to make your very own coloring book. If you like the idea of creating a high-quality coloring book - for adults or for kids - here are 7 steps to help you get started: TIP #1: Paper thickness: Coloring books can be printed single-sided or double-sided. If you choose to print double-sided, a thicker-weight paper won't bleed through. We recommend 28# paper. TIP #2: Perforated pages: Give your customers the chance to show off their work by perforating the pages so they can easily be removed and shared. TIP #3: Create an experience: Help your coloring book to stand out from the crowd by offering a complete experience by including complementary products like coloring pens, stickers, blank journals for doodling, postcards, CDs with soothing music, etc. TIP #4: You don't need to be an artist: If your artistic talents don't go beyond sketching stick figures, no worries! There are thousands of royalty-free stock images available for purchase online that can be used to create coloring books. TIP #5: Spiral binding or saddle stitching are perfect if you want the coloring book to lay flat. We can creating coloring books using any binding you want, though, including saddle stitch and perfect bound. TIP #6: Children’s books can be transformed into coloring books: Remove the color from illustrations in a children’s book to create a coloring book. For adult coloring books, use images that continue the theme of your main book. TIP #7: Turn heads by printing horizontally! Most coloring books are printed vertical, so creating one that is horizontal with spiral binding that allows it to lay flat will definitely make yours unique! Excited about coloring? We are! And we're here to help you if you're ready to create, print and sell coloring books too. Here are a few things to inspire and help you get started: Download a free 5-pack of coloring pages on us by clicking HERE. Order our sample coloring book for inspiration. Email or schedule a phone call with us to discuss your ideas, timelines and solutions for creating and selling your own coloring books. Happy coloring!

Vervante • August 13, 2019

While you're probaby still enjoying time on the beach, or just starting to think about shopping for school supplies, there's something that might not be on your radar right now, but should be - planning for holiday product sales!  Honestly, the BEST time to start planning for holiday sales is RIGHT NOW. You've got plenty of time to envision, create and plan your marketing and sales campaigns, and this little head start will help you create a stress-free, successful experience. Ready? If you haven’t started planning yet but want to give your income and your business an end-of-the-year boost, now is the time for action. First, let’s talk products. Here’s a few crowd-pleasing ones perfect for holiday sales: Planners: Wow, planners are the superstars of self-publishing right now and we've got everything you need to create the perfect planner for your audience. Journals: Timeless treasures perfect for just about anyone. Books: Small books that can be sold or used for free-plus-shipping offers are very popular during the holidays. Calendars: Calendars are also a great option for client and customer appreciation gifts and to use as lead generation freebies. Adult coloring books: Create your own using holiday themes, New Year themes, or branded content that supports your products and programs. Cards of all kinds: These are great sellers, make great gifts, and can be easily customized and configured to fit your business and audience needs. Card decks, note cards, and postcards are popular, or get creative and try tarot cards, affirmation cards, or health and wellness program cards. Planning a Holiday Sales Timeline Once you’ve picked your products, it’s time for action: AUGUST / SEPTEMBER Decide on products to sell. Make a list of ideas for how you will make them unique and start writing or designing. Contact Vervante at [email protected] and request free quotes for printing, shipping timelines, etc. If you’re just adding your logo to one of our ready-made products, upload a print-ready file to your Vervante account, then order a sample copy. For customized products, finalize graphic design files and upload to Vervante account. Order sample copies for quality and proofreading checks. Have Vervante list your books and products for sale. We can list on Amazon and add it to the Vervante Bookstore online (free for Vervante authors). If you sell from your own website, start working on your landing and sales pages, set up shopping cart, plan marketing strategies.   OCTOBER / NOVEMBER Put marketing plans into action. Announce special promotions, early bird sales and specials. Promote, promote, promote! Procrastinate much? For last-minute ideas in time for Black Friday, our ready-made planners, card decks, books, journals and calendars are easy and quick to set up and sell.   DECEMBER Confirm Vervante holiday shipping deadlines. Attend book signings. Continue promotions, especially for New Year / 2020 products. Announce surprise last-minute deals.   JANUARY Continue to promote New Year products. If 2020 planners were a hit, think about removing dates from planner and sell "undated" versions that can be sold all year long. Look back at your holiday sales experience, making notes about what worked (and what didn’t) to help with next year’s plans. Questions? Let us help you make the most of your holiday sales by emailing us at [email protected] or scheduling a phone call at https://vervante.youcanbook.me/.

Vervante • June 18, 2019

As an author, you’ve fulfilled your dream of writing and publishing a book. But your book is only the beginning – not the end! Because you can take that book and create products that will make you not only an author, but also an entrepreneur. Whether it’s your first book, or you’re a seasoned author, you can leverage the content you’ve already created to make products that increase readers’ enjoyment, expand your audience, and add new revenue streams – all without a lot of extra work. Because you’ve already done the heavy lifting by writing the book!   Books can be the foundation of a thriving business model. Our CEO, Cindy Tyler, loves brainstorming with Vervante authors to help them choose the right products that will complement their books, and boost their income. We’ve gathered up her best tips here, to give you a head start: Choosing types of products Take a look at your book and consider what else your readers might need that would add value to the book and to the readers’ experience. Remember, this is not about creating more work for you. It’s about repurposing great content you’ve already written into products like:   Workbooks Journals Planners Notepads: Shopping lists, exercise routines, learning course tasks, etc. USB flash drives Card decks: Educational flash cards, recipes, exercises, daily affirmations, etc. Children’s books and fiction can do this too. Products that go great with fiction and children’s books include: Coloring books Small journals Stickers Card decks: Educational flash cards, games, character cards Creating and selling themed products Products that continue the theme of your book can also help to increase book sales by packaging them with the book and offering as bundles. This increases the value of what you are providing – and allows you to charge a higher price. Once you’ve chosen the type of product you want to create, remember that you don’t need to write something brand new. Use the content from your book to create the product, then send us a print-ready PDF. Here are a few ways you can transform your books into a complementary product: Workbooks: Restate lessons from each chapter, leaving space for readers to write down thoughts, ideas, questions, answers, actions and next steps. Coloring Books: Remove the color from illustrations in a children’s book to create a coloring book. For adult coloring books, use images that continue the theme of your main book. Card Decks: We are rule-breakers here at Vervante – we’ll create a deck of cards in any amount you want and any design, front and back. So don’t feel like you have to do exactly 56, and the backs don’t need to match, either. Cards can contain daily affirmations, training tips, daily tasks, recipes, exercise routines, writing prompts, gratitude mantras, meditations, and more. The sky's the limit - as long as you can fit it on a card!  If you want to design some of these products yourself, Canva is a great graphic design program for creating your own card decks – and it’s free! Short on time and want a team of professionals to help? We have great designers, writers and editors we are happy to recommend to our customers. If you love to write and dream of making a living with your writing, it’s all about creating multiple streams of income. Check out our online catalog for ideas, and let us know if you have any questions or ideas at [email protected].

Vervante • March 19, 2019

We know how important it is for authors to have access to resources and guides that they trust. That's why we're excited to share with you the new Expert Guide Resource Library on our website. Think of this as your own personal publishing library, filled with a wide range of FREE ebooks to inspire, educate and support your journey creating, sharing and selling books and other printed products with Vervante. There are currently 24 ebooks in the library with plans for more coming soon. Here's a few highlights of our most popular ebooks: Bleed and Crop Marks Guide: What you need to know when formatting print files Word Count Conversion: How many words does it take to make a book? Copyright Permissions & Fair Use guide: Answers to one of the most common issues all authors face How to Create Audiobooks: When you want to give your book a voice. How to Self-Publish: The complete guide for authors & entrepreneurs Helpful Hints for Retail Distribution: Understanding the sales and fulfillment process From Retail Sales to Royalties: How authors get paid Book Publishing Checklist: Keeping you on track from the first draft to the finish line. How to Create Custom Card Decks: One of the hottest products in publishing today. And so many more... We hope you bookmark this page and come back to visit often as we're constantly adding new ebooks to provide the support and resources our authors and clients need. For questions, free quotes, or more information please email or schedule a phone call with one of our publishing pros via the Contact Us page.

Vervante • August 2, 2018

Did you know that today, August 2nd, is National Coloring Book Day? We love coloring books and wanted to share a few ideas and some creative free coloring pages with you today in celebration of this holiday. ADULT COLORING BOOKS are very popular right now, and a great way to create connections with potential clients, add value to products or programs you offer, or create new revenue streams to boost business income. Check out this article for tips on creating adult coloring books and ideas for incorporating the into all types of businesses. CHILDREN’S COLORING BOOKS are popular too, and we can something special we offer for children’s books authors with illustrated books. We can transform full-color books into coloring books by removing the color from illustrations and simplifying text if needed to create a companion coloring book (as seen in the illustration). It’s a quick, easy process that instantly doubles the products you can offer your audience. Plus, we can also ship coloring books with crayons or colored pencils to make them even more special. For more information about publishing children’s books and creating coloring books, check out this article. COLORING PAGE INSERTS: Products like planners, journals, books, and coaching or training materials can also benefit from the creative energy of coloring by adding individual coloring pages to the content. Check out the sneak preview of our new 2019 Planners to see what we're talking about. FREE COLORING PAGES: In honor of National Coloring Book Day, we invite you to click on the following link to download our pack of 5 gorgeous coloring pages and let your creativity soar. We really appreciate you and hope these bring a smile to your day.

Vervante • May 15, 2018

Want to write a book that is guaranteed to be read again and again, even night after night? Children’s books have a vast audience filled with passionate, loyal readers with insatiable curiosity and love of a good story. If you’ve ever dreamed of creating a children’s book, now is the perfect time to make that dream come true. Children’s book writers are passionate people, with new worlds and exciting stories to share. Self-publishing has opened the door for writers to share their stories with children of all ages around the world – and retain control of everything from formatting and art to marketing, sales and presentation. If you’re ready to publish your own children’s book, but not sure where to start, we’ve got some tips and tools to help put your passion into print. TIP #1: Start with great art. If you’re not an artist, you’ll want to hire or partner with an illustrator for your book. The story and the art that accompanies it are equally necessary for getting and keeping a child’s interest.  Be sure that your artist understands your vision and can produce art that helps bring your story to life before committing. TIP #2: Choose your format: The beauty of self-publishing is that it gives you the power to choose the type (or types) of formats you want your book to be. We offer a variety of styles including soft-cover, saddle-stitch or perfect bound, hard cover with gloss or matte UV finish, dust jackets, and even the ability to transform full-color books into coloring books by removing the color from illustrations and creating the perfect companion coloring book! TIP #3: Think beyond books: Printed books are just the beginning. We can also help you turn your printed book into an ebook for Kindle and Nook sales. And we offer services to create complementary products such as stickers, posters, bookmarks, calendars, cards and card decks. TIP #4: No limits, no boundaries. No matter if your dream is to create a set of 10 books as a legacy for your children and grandchildren, or 10,000 to sell in bookstores and online as part of your business as a writer, speaker or educator, our publishing services can be customized to fit your vision. Plus, we’ll let you order sample copies of your book to check out in real life before you make any large orders – and only charge you the cost of printing and shipping. No markups, no penalties, no stress. TIP #5: Presentation is everything. Bright, vibrant images are a must when it comes to children's books. Our state-of-the-art printing facilities produce illustrations and artwork in rich colors and vivid detail. We print all of our beautiful children's books in our U.S. facility. Your books can be stored in our warehouse and shipped on demand with packaging and shipping that can be customized as well with colorful packing material, fun extras and custom-designed boxes and stickers that will delight kids and adults. If you’re ready to publish a children's book, we provide the high-quality, affordable printing services you need to create something truly amazing that kids and parents will love. Please email us at [email protected] or schedule a call with one of our publishing professionals HERE for free quotes and to answer any questions you might have.

Vervante • January 17, 2018

As we plan for 2018, we couldn’t help but notice that there were a few of our products from this past year that really caught your eye. From tried-and-true classics to recent debuts that made a splash, we thought it would be fun to give you a chance to revisit old favorites, or try out new ones, at a discount price (but only for a limited time, details below). Here they are: 2018 Daily Planner (Soft cover): This soft-cover, spiral-bound daily planner for creative minds was a big hit from the moment we debuted it late last year. While it's great as it is, many of our customers customized it for their own businesses by adding logos or changing the content inside. 2018 Daily Planner (Hard Cover): This planner has been so popular that we’re offering a hard cover spiral bound option too.We think you’ll love our design with month at a glance and week at a glance pages and creative inspirations throughout. Book Sample Set: Ready to publish but not quite sure on the specifics of binding? This set will help you make the choice with samples of books featuring three kinds of binding (perfect bound, spiral and saddle-stitch) plus a sample bookmark. Card Samples: This set puts a variety of options in your hands to help you choose what’s best for sharing your message and supporting your business. It includes several sets of cards and a fun deck of 34 cards featuring inspirational quotes and packaged in a custom printed tuck box. Adult Coloring Book: Order a coloring book for fun, but don't forget to consider the possibilities they offer for your business. We can create custom coloring books, and make them really stand out by adding stickers, pens, crayons or other products that pair up well. Live Love Inspire Journal: This gorgeous journal has been in high demand since we debuted it last year. Its hard cover, wire-o binding, and beautiful soft-touch UV coating finish are a great example of the quality and customization we offer. Set of 10 Greeting Cards: Need a beautiful set of greeting cards? This set includes 10 cards plus envelopes packaged in a stationery box with a clear lid. Great for yourself, as gifts for clients, or inspiration for your own set. Little Book of Big Ideas: We're giving you a sneak peek at our newest product with this special offer before the official debut. "50 Ways to Build a Business & Life You Love" is a small hard cover book filled with ideas to help you take charge of your own destiny, follow your passion and realize your potential. The book is hard cover, 5x 6.5, foil stamped with a soft-touch UV finish. Intrigued? We hoped so! To see more details and take advantage of these special discounts just log into your Vervante author account, and click on the “Order Samples” link in the Support section. Or CLICK HERE to see all the products on one page. To help you get the New Year off to a great start, these discounts will be available throughout January.

Vervante • April 18, 2016

Coloring isn’t just for kids anymore. Adult coloring books have become a fun and lucrative product that many of our clients are using to create new revenue streams, attract new followers, and have a little fun while they’re at it. According to a recent article in the Washington Post, coloring books have jumped into the spotlight as a big business opportunity that is skyrocketing in popularity. Nielsen Bookscan estimates that 12 million were sold in 2015, a dramatic jump from only 1 million sold the previous year.   Adult coloring books offer value to your readers by allowing them to embrace their inner artist, release stress, find their focus, and recharge their creative batteries. Coloring books can be created quickly and easily around any theme that will fit your business, such as nature, fitness, food, family, travel, love, relationships, growth and inspiration. They can be offered as revenue-generating products on their own, or as a value-add to other products or programs you offer. If you're ready to create an adult coloring book, here are our recommendations to ensure a high-quality product readers will love: Spiral binding or saddle stitching is best so that the book will lay flat. Coloring books can be printed single-sided or double-sided. If you choose to print double-sided, we recommend using a thicker-weight paper to avoid bleed-through. We can print any size but recommend 8 x 10 or 8.5 x 11 (perfect for fitting in a standard size picture frame). We can also perforate the pages to make them easy to tear out. And remember, you can print your book vertical or horizontal. Adding pens, pencils or other products to your book Help your coloring books stand out from the crowd by adding your own branded products such as pens, pencils, tote bags, etc and including them with the shipment. You can order unique promotional products from our partner Prodigy Promos, and have them stored in our warehouse until they are ready to be packaged and shipped together.  Another great idea we've seen is to create audio CDs packaged with coloring books. Music or meditations to color to, now that's pretty creative! If you have any questions about creating coloring books, CDs, or other products with Vervante, please email us at [email protected]. We can provide you with free quotes and help you create this fun and lucrative product for your business.