Blog

Vervante • November 11, 2021

If you plan on selling products this holiday season, this is one of those emails you need to keep on hand. No matter what you need - from extra print runs to calculating postage and shipping - we can help. CHOOSING SHIPPING METHOD Vervante gives our customers the ability to choose the best shipping method for your needs. Our shipping system will automatically default to Media Mail for domestic shipments. However, if you want your orders to arrive by Christmas, we don't recommend Media Mail after November 30. If you want to set a specific shipping method for a product, you can do this from your Author Dashboard. Here's how: STEP #1: Log into your Vervante Author Dashboard and select the link that says "Select Specific Shipping Methods." You will see a list of your products, their estimated weights, and the default shipping methods. Initially the shipping methods are set to the default of "Best Way." This means that we will use Media Mail unless you change (or have previously) changed the shipping method to something else. (Remember, if you want your packages to arrive by Christmas, we don't recommend using Media Mail after Nov. 30). STEP #2: FOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING please click on the link at the top of the page for International Shipping Methods. STEP #3: TO SET DEFAULT SHIPPING METHODS for each of your products, select the desired method you prefer in the right hand column, then click on the "Update Ship Methods" button at the bottom of the page to save your preferences. (VERY IMPORTANT: Don't forget to save your changes) For more details and tips on things like using Media Mail and making sure you're choosing the best shipping method, be sure to check out our article on the blog here: "How to Set Up Shipping for the Holidays." CALCULATING POSTAGE We offer a postage calculator on the Vervante website for our customers. Here’s how to use it: Log into your Vervante account Scroll down to the Support section and select Calculate Postage You will see your products listed and their weight Below your product list you’ll see a USPS shipping calculator.  You can then enter information such as destination, dates, weight, etc to calculate shipping costs. PRINTING TURNAROUND TIMES Be sure to allow time for your products to be printed as you plan your holiday sales deadlines. Turnaround time for products printed on demand is usually 5-7 business days.  Due to increased volume in December, orders may take an additional 2-3 business days to print. HOLIDAY SHIPPING Did you know that because Black Friday falls on Nov 26 this year, you only have less than a month to make sure all orders make it to your customers on time? For that reason, it’s a good idea to get familiar with shipping deadlines. UPS: If you use UPS, check here for their November and December deadlines US POSTAL SERVICE: For USPS, you can check here for shipping deadlines and postage information 2022 DAILY PLANNERS If you’re planning on selling a daily planner for 2022, here are some important dates and information to know. Turnaround times for hardcover planners is approximately 4-6 weeks. For all other planners (laminated, board covers, poly paper, etc.), turnaround time is approximately 4 weeks.  If you are planning on selling a hardcover planner, we are still accepting orders, but cannot guarantee that they will be finished and shipped in time for the Christmas holiday. Please email our team at [email protected] for questions or assistance. FULFILLMENT HELP If you already printed your products and need an easy to manage distribution resource for the holidays or for any time of the year, we can help. Here’s how: Store your products in our modern warehouse facility located in Utah Provide us with order information and we will pull the required products from inventory, package and ship directly to your customers This can be done for individual orders or bulk orders Click here to learn more about our Fulfillment Services Click here to learn more about our Warehousing and Inventory Management Services

Vervante • March 30, 2021

We get this question a lot: “What’s better, print-on-demand or bulk orders?” The right answer depends on a number of things – your business model, your budget, the type of product, and your customers to name a few. Here’s how each one works and the benefits they offer. Print-on-demand (POD) To put it simply, printing-on-demand is when we print only the amount ordered, at the time we receive the order. You pay only the cost of printing plus postage for shipping. While other publishing companies often require costly minimum orders in large numbers, here at Vervante we offer POD print-on-demand services for any size order, printing only when you need it, to meet your budget and demand. How print-on-demand works An order is placed for a book or other product. We print the exact amount ordered. The order is then shipped to the person who ordered it (either you or your customer). Benefits of print-on-demand Get only the amount you want, when you want it. You sell the product from your site, your Etsy store, or we can list it for you on Amazon. When we receive an order, we’ll print and ship it to the buyer.  Print-on-demand products NOTE:  Products with softcovers, poly paper covers, plastic spiral binding, metal spiral binding, perfect binding, and saddle-stitch binding are all available on demand. Here is a quick list of products we can print on demand:  Paperback books Spiral bound books Coloring books Children’s books Saddle-stitched books Planners Journals Workbooks Binders Notepads Calendars Card decks Greeting cards Posters Post cards Certificates Newsletters Bookmarks Bulk printing Placing orders for large amounts of books or products to be printed at once can be a benefit for businesses that anticipate large amounts of orders - as well as lowering your printing costs. We can print in bulk and send to you, or we can store them in our warehouse to use for future orders from your account. How to get bulk pricing quotes When you request a quote for printing costs, we always provide a print-on-demand price, but you can also request bulk costs as well. The more you print, the lower the price per product.  How to use bulk printing Once you’ve received your quotes and are ready to proceed, please email [email protected] to let us know you would like to place an order. Contact our customer service team to make the order and they will set it up so a discount will apply when you place the order. You can choose to have your order stored in our warehouse for free, or shipped directly to you. You can then send us individual orders for fulfillment.  We’ll pull your product from your stored inventory in our warehouse and drop-ship it directly to your customer. Storing bulk orders in our warehouse Even if you don’t anticipate all of your printed books selling right away, you can still take advantage of the lower pricing by placing a bulk order and storing it in our warehouse. Bulk orders can be printed and stored in our secure warehouse, ready to be pulled and drop-shipped when you need them.  Tracking your inventory When a bulk order is placed, if you choose to store your order in our warehouse, you will see a category on your Vervante Author Account Home Page that says “Inventory Report.” This is where you can find an accounting of how many products remain in inventory. You will need to track your inventory and let us know when and if you would like another bulk order printed. We hope this helps clarify the differences and benefits for both POD and bulk printing when it comes to books and many other products. If you have any questions about using POD or bulk printing for your current products, or new ones, we’re here to help. Just email us at [email protected].

Vervante • August 27, 2020

There's a lot of media and news swirling around USPS these days and how the pandemic has affected shipping rates. We've heard from many of you, so we checked our numbers to give you an idea of how shipping times are being affected. This chart shows the average number of days it took for packages to be delivered both in the U.S. and internationally using USPS services between June 1, 2020 and August 20, 2020. Bottom line? Packages are still moving, but it's always good to include some extra time into your plans as the holiday and end-of-year sales season approaches. For more information on shipping, postage and setting up your shopping cart click HERE. If you have any questions or need help, we're here for you at [email protected].

Vervante • August 15, 2020

If you’re getting ready to launch a new book or product, setting up your shopping cart and shipping methods correctly are an essential part of the process. We’ve gathered up some tips here to help you make sure you – and your customer – get the best results.   Q: How do I know which shipping method to use? A: We automatically ship all books and products using the least expensive shipping method based on the weight and zip/postal code used. However, you can always select a different shipping method that best fits your needs. NOTE: We do not default automatically to Media Mail even if this is the least expensive option. If you’d like your orders shipped via Media Mail you need to select this as your default. (For more details about Media Mail, and why we don’t use this as our default, please refer to “The Pros and Cons of Using Media Mail” on our blog. To designate a default shipping method for any of your products, click on the link for “Select Specific Shipping Methods” under the My Profile section on your Author Dashboard. There you will see a list of your products and a place to designate what shipping method you would like to use. If you make any changes, be sure to click on the "Update" button at the bottom of the page.  Q: How do I calculate shipping costs? A: We provide a postage calculator to help determine shipping costs. From your author dashboard click on the “Calculate Postage” link under the Support section. Your items and their weights are listed there for easy referral. All you need to do is use the official USPS calculator on that page to determine shipping costs. Q: How do I know what my product weighs? A: When we first set up a new item, we estimate the weight. That’s the number you’ll see in the “Est Ship Weight” column on the shipping methods page we referenced in the previous question. Once the item is in production, the final shipping weight can be viewed on the “Calculate Postage” page found on your Author Dashboard. Q: How do I make sure I’m using the best shipping method? A: Using the shipping calculator to find the best rates is usually the best way to do. However, for some of our customers who ship internationally, it’s good to review your accounts from time to time to verify the costs. Q: Do I need to worry about shipping delays due to the COVID pandemic? A: It's always a good idea to factor extended shipping times into your launch plans – especially this year with the disruption the pandemic is causing. Many shipping companies are struggling to maintain normal schedules during these uncertain times, so it’s a good idea to factor in the possibility of extended shipping times for product launches. Q: How much time will it take for my products to print then ship when they are ordered? A: Different products take different amounts of time for printing and production. Here are some examples of standard lead times for a variety of products we produce – and why it’s important to factor lead times into your holiday sales plans: Paperback books: 5 days Softcover spiral bound or saddle-stitched books: 5 days Card decks: 5-10 days Custom printed tuck boxes for card decks: 10-12 days Hardcover books, planners, journals:  4-6 weeks Custom printed corrugated boxes for VIP, membership and mailing: 10-15 days For example, if you're thinking of a Black Friday launch for a hardcover planner, you would need to begin printing October 19 in order to ship orders on November 30. Q: Does Vervante charge “handling” fees? A: For print on demand products, we do not charge handling fees. Here’s how we calculate charges: “Cost of printing book + Cost of shipping/postage = what we charge.” There are no other hidden costs. For products printed or produced in bulk, there is an order fee plus a pick fee to pull the item from inventory, plus postage. Order and pick fees only apply to individual drop ship orders pulled from inventory and shipped on demand.   Q: Can packing slips be customized? A: Every package we send includes a packing slip inside and you have the option of customizing it however you’d like. Think of this as valuable real estate perfect for sharing information like: 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 Special holiday messages To add personalized content for your packing slip, click on “Customize My Packing Slip” on your Author Dashboard.  (If you’d like more information about using packing slips, handling returns, and suggested content you can adapt and use for your packing slip, click HERE to read more on our blog.)

Vervante • July 28, 2020

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 is your own website! The power of Amazon and Etsy are real, but selling online does not have to be an all-or-nothing choice. It’s not just your website, or just Amazon or Etsy. You can have it all by selling on all three!   First: Sell from your own website Your primary sales option for customers should be your own website. Selling your book or products online 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: Sell via Amazon or Etsy The online reach of Amazon and Etsy is impressive, and using them 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. But wait, how do I compete on Amazon / Etsy? Selling from your website is obviously the best option for bigger profits and business-building results. Just remember this - It’s not about competing – it’s about standing out! Give people a reason to shop with you vs. Amazon by creating an experience that makes you stand out. Exclusive offers, unique bonuses, VIP perks, and exceptional service are just a few ways to attract customers and create loyal, long-term fans. If you use your own sales pages and shopping carts in addition to Amazon or Etsy, and you’d like to attract more buyers to your own cart vs. Amazon, here are a few ideas: Exclusive Offers / Extras That Add Value Attract potential readers by offering exclusive extras they can’t get from Amazon such as limited access to programs, complementary products such as stickers, notepads, and bookmarks, or free downloads such as worksheet, templates, checklists or sneak-peeks with each purchase. Unique Bonuses How about creating a special box of goodies to include with the book order? You can create a custom-designed box/package and add a few products that elevate the reader experience. Top it all off by having it wrapped with colored tissue, stickers, and extras for a fun, hand-crafted “Etsy” type experience. You might even end up seeing your product as the star in a social media “unboxing” episode! VIP Perks People love a VIP experience. Another idea to help your sales page stand out from Amazon is to offer a special ‘VIP’ print run that will be sent to special customers, connections and influencers to help spread the word. You can autograph your books, include handwritten cards, bookmarks or stickers, and give your readers an early, exclusive peek. Exceptional Service When you run the show from the moment they arrive at your website to the moment they receive their book in hand, you’re able to control the content and amount of customer service they receive, so make sure it counts. Be personal, be positive, and shower them with the kind of service you wish you could get. Share helpful information in fun ways such as by including colorful branded postcards with content that shares everything they need. Personalize your packing slips, follow up with emails after the fact to make sure they are enjoying their purchase, and share more info to entice customers to continue to follow you.     Creating unique and satisfying experiences is the best way to get the right kind of attention for your book sales and keep customers coming back for more. If you have ideas for creating products or experiences to help boost your sales, let us know, we’re here to help! Vervante makes it super easy to sell on Amazon and Etsy! We've got the Amazon process automated and other than the 15% Amazon commission, our service is free. For Etsy orders, all we need is a copy of the order confirmation email - super simple and easy.   Sincerely, Your Team at Vervante p.s. If you’d like to learn more about your options for selling on Amazon AND selling via your own website, check out the following linked article on our blog where we lay it all out. (hint: You can do both – and you should do both! Read here to learn why: “Retail Book Sales Success.”)

Vervante • April 30, 2019

Not sure what print on demand means? We get asked this question a lot, and we're happy to share more about how Vervante provides Print on Demand services to help authors, entrepreneurs, business owners and more share and sell books and products on their own terms. Printing on Demand (POD) uses digital printing methods to print books and other products only in the amount needed, when they are needed. While other publishing companies may require costly minimum orders in large numbers, here at Vervante we offer Print on Demand services for any size order, printing only when you need it, to meet your budget and demand. How does Print on Demand work? An order is placed for a book or other product. We print the exact amount ordered. The order is then shipped to the customer. It’s that simple. For example: If you list your book for sale on your website and a customer orders one book, we print one book and ship it to your customer. If you have a speaking event coming up and need 25 books, we will print 25 books and send them to you. Print on Demand pricing For books or products printed on demand with Vervante, you pay only the cost of printing plus postage for shipping. With Vervante’s Print on Demand services, there are no set-up fees, no monthly minimums, no management fees and no minimum run lengths. Why use Print on Demand? No more garages filled with towering boxes of books, gathering dust and taking up space until your customers order them. No more late nights assembling shipping packages, filling them with orders and packing materials, then adding each unique address. No more hours spent in line at the post office trying to figure out postage and best shipping methods for each order. No more waste. And no more stress! Using Print on Demand with Vervante We offer Print on Demand services for books, planners, journals, information products and much more. Here is a sampling of products we can print on demand. If you don’t see what you want, please ask us about it. We love to go the extra mile for our customers!  Paperback books Spiral bound books Coloring books Children’s books Saddle-stitched books Planners Journals Workbooks Binders Notepads Calendars Card decks Greeting cards Posters Post cards Certificates Newsletters Bookmarks

Vervante • April 14, 2019

At Vervante, we’re dedicated to making the process of creating, selling and shipping your books and products as easy as possible. Today we’re pulling back the curtain to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how the process works. Sales Orders To start the process, an order is placed. We accept orders from ANY shopping cart, retail channels such as Amazon, or distribution in excel or a csv file.  You can also log into your Author Account and manually place an order via your Vervante Author Dashboard.  Details about processing orders from your shopping cart can be found HERE. Printing, Processing and Fulfillment Next, the book is either printed on demand, or pulled from stock we are storing for you in our warehouse. Here’s how that works: Printing on demand is when we print only the amount ordered, at the time we receive the order. For books or products printed on demand, you pay only the cost of printing plus postage for shipping. Bulk orders can be printed and stored in our secure warehouse, ready to be pulled and drop-shipped when you need them. If we print books or products in bulk, hold them, and then drop ship on demand there are small order and pick fees. These are to cover the cost of the shipping package/box and the labor to pull the item from inventory. For products printed or produced for inventory, including items you supply to us to ship, we have an online inventory reporting system.  We keep track of your inventory and the online reporting is updated in real time and your inventory is decremented in real time as orders are shipped.  You can set reorder levels for each item so you will be automatically notified when your inventory reaches a specific level. Amazon Marketplace: If your book or product is listed and sold via Amazon, they take a 15% discount plus $1.80 per transaction fee for each sale. Amazon pays Vervante for transactions and we post the Amazon credits to your Vervante Author account weekly. You set the retail price for the book in Amazon Marketplace and customers pay for the shipping. Shipping Once we receive and process your order, it will be shipped according to the method you or your customer have indicated. We charge postage based on weight and destination. We do not have a flat shipping fee and we do not inflate the postage rates. We ship anywhere in the world using USPS and UPS services and keep you up-to-date on its status. Here's how it works: Orders are completed and prepped for shipping, the package is scanned, and shipping labels are applied. Products are mailed according to your preferred shipping method. Shipping confirmation emails are sent to recipients with tracking information. Order information such as status and tracking numbers are posted to your account online. We hope this brief overview of the journey your books and products take from shopping carts to satisfied customers was enlightening. If you have any questions about the process, please feel free to reach out to our publishing pros by email or phone. We're here to help!

Vervante • April 8, 2019

If you’re looking for a way to make it easier for your readers to find and buy your book – or any product you create with us – the Vervante Bookstore has exactly what you’re looking for. The Bookstore is a free online storefront solution we offer exclusively to Vervante customers. It allows you to direct customers from your website or social media to a page in the Bookstore that showcases your books and products and manages credit card transactions, fulfillment and distribution. Here are a few highlights of what the Vervante Bookstore provides Author Bio Page: Similar to Amazon’s author bio pages, connect with your customers by sharing your story. Peek Inside: Just like Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature, customers can see a sample of your book’s interior. Easy Sales Solution: You don’t need to set up complicated shopping carts or sales pages, we handle that for you. Database Growth: You have full access to your customer’s data. Higher Profits: You set the retail price for your product and pay us a simple 10% per transaction fee. The buyer selects and pays for the shipping and postage. Full Access: You can login to your Bookstore account at any time to view activity, and we send monthly statements to always keep you in the loop. Book Launch / Pre-Order Support: You can also use the Bookstore for pre-orders. Shipping estimates can be changed to show pre-order status and expected ship dates. To list your book or product in the Vervante Bookstore Log in to your Vervante author account on our website, then navigate to the Vervante Bookstore page under the Services Menu. On that page you will see information about pricing and sales, a calculator to help determine your royalties, and directions for submitting your books or products to be listed in the Bookstore. Once your listing is ready, each product will have a unique URL that you can use to direct online traffic to the sales page. If you would like to revise the product descriptions or your author page, please send your requests with the final, approved content to our customer support team. You can then promote your products from online locations such as your website, social media, blog, etc., using a link back to your unique Bookstore page. Your customers can then purchase from that page. No matter if you're new to online sales or looking to add another distribution channel to your current sales strategies, the Vervante Bookstore provides an easy, effective and streamlined way to connect with your customers and get your books and products where they need to be.

Vervante • March 25, 2019

There is one universal goal that all authors share – to get their books into the hands of their readers. Deciding how that happens often brings authors to this question: “Should I self-publish?” Finding the right answer can depend on issues like budget, timeline, business goals, marketing strategies, creativity, and more. We get asked about this a lot, so we’ve highlighted the advantages of self-publishing with Vervante here to help authors decide if this is right for them. Creative Control and Freedom Full creative control: Self-publishing gives authors full creative control over every element of their book, from the content and cover images to marketing and sales. If you decide to make changes at any point during the process, even after you’ve started to sell your book online, you can create an updated version and have it available almost immediately. Flexible book sizes: We offer a wide variety of sizes, binding, and other variations to help you create exactly what you want, and what your customers will love. Authors retain full rights: When you self-publish with Vervante, you benefit from our unique system in which you simply grant us the rights to print and distribute the book on your behalf. This means that you retain all rights as sole owner of your book. Our contracts with authors are non-exclusive. This arrangement is rare in the publishing world and is very much to your benefit as the author. Pricing: You are in complete control of your listing prices, discounts, special offers, etc.  Unlike other self-publishing companies, we don’t take a percentage of the retail price as our commission. Here’s an overview of how pricing works for your book: We give you the price for printing your book based on the book’s specs You set the retail sales price The difference between the sales price and the printing price is your profit Timeline / Urgency: If you are writing a book that cites current events or has a topic that is timely, bringing the book quickly to market is critical. Once you send your print-ready files to Vervante, your book can be ready to print and listed for sale in a matter of days. (*Hard cover books can take a couple of weeks.) Business Growth Potential Authors aren’t usually the “one and done” type. If you want to publish more books or related products in the future, create connections with fans, and continue to grow your audience and your income, building a subscriber list/database is essential. Database / List-Building Support: Vervante is one of the only self-publishing companies we know of that encourages authors to sell from their own site for two reasons: 1) You make the most profit on the book by selling it direct to your buyer and, 2) By processing the credit card transaction, you capture the customer data and most importantly, their email address. If you don’t already have a shopping cart and don’t want to add one to your site, we can sell your book in our bookstore. We give you the customer data so you can build your email list – something other publishing companies don’t do. As a secondary distribution channel, we will list your book on Amazon and manage the details from creating the product listing to managing and shipping the orders. We provide this service free for our authors. We recommend using Amazon as a secondary distribution channel through Vervante because working directly with Amazon KDP means your customers become Amazon customers – and Amazon does not share their customer’s email addresses. Retail Sales & Fulfillment Services Online Sales: Vervante can list your book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Baker & Taylor, Vervante Bookstore and eBook venues including Kindle and Nook. PLUS we can also list your book through the Vervante Bookstore and personal websites, where you can control price, coupons, discounts, promotions, etc. Universal Shopping Cart Compatibility: We have no preference and can accept orders from virtually all shopping cart or merchant solutions including InfusionSoft, Stripe, WooCommerce, Shopify, 1ShoppingCart, PayPal, ClickBank, and more. Orders are processed from emails generated from your shopping cart. Inventory Management: We can print, store and drop ship on demand. We provide you with access to online, real-time inventory reporting so you know exactly what we have on hand. You set the re-order points for each item and we'll automatically send you an email when it's time to replenish your inventory. Global Shipping: We ship anywhere in the world using USPS and UPS services and keep you up-to-date on its status. Shipping confirmation emails are sent to recipients with tracking information. All order information such as status and tracking numbers are posted to your account online. No Postage Markups or Fees: We believe in providing our customers with competitive prices and no hidden fees. Some of our competitors add a markup of 33% on postage! Just think how this can really add up over time. We charge exact postage fees and no mark-ups. Custom Packaging and Personalized Packing Slips: We offer a wide range of packaging from boxes to bags to creative options that you can customize to make your book or products really stand out. And every package we send out includes a packing slip that you can customize. Beyond Books / Complementary Products Creative Printed Products: In addition to books, Vervante offers a variety of other products and services. A book usually leads to more products such as a journal, daily planner, workbook, a home study course, coloring books, audio or video program, a coaching or training program, card decks, CDs, DVDs, etc., all of which we can produce and handle sales and distribution for. Packaging “Extras:” Another way we can also help you create connections with your readers is by printing and including special products in the same package as your book. Some ideas include custom shipping labels, packing slips, letters, or cards that share a message with readers, invite them to join your community, enjoy a special discount, connect on social media, etc. You can also send us products such as apparel or branded promotional items that we can store in our warehouse and include with your product shipments. Finances (Costs, Profits, Royalties) Complete Access & Control: The Vervante Author Dashboard serves as an author’s control center for everything they create with us. It's an all-in-one location for placing orders, checking invoices, customizing products, tracking shipments, and more. No Minimums or “Starter Packages:” Some self-publishing companies require authors to purchase costly publishing packages to get started. These range from $449 - $1999 and usually include a lot of extras you probably don't need. Vervante does not! We have a no minimums, no set-up fees, no hassle policy. Our on-demand publishing services are cost-effective for short runs giving you the option to order only what you want, when you want it, saving money, time, space, resources and stress. However, if you need to place a bulk order, we also offer high-quality offset printing at bargain prices. No Set Up Fees: From start to finish, we do not charge setup fees. Setting up your author account – free. Quotes for product ideas – free. Uploading print files – free. Setting up your book for sale on Amazon – also free! Customer Service & Support Book Publishing Industry Experience: We know how important it is for authors to have access to resources and guides that they trust. That’s why we offer free resources featuring a wide range of expert guides, how-to’s, technical specifications and more, all written by our team of experts with decades of experience in the publishing industry, that keep our clients up-to-date and in-the-know for all things publishing. Comprehensive Customer Service: Need help? No problem! We're here to make sure that your questions are addressed quickly and efficiently to ensure that your project is a success. We provide several ways to get help, beginning with an FAQ page that contains detailed answers to many common questions about our products and services and is available 24/7. Next steps are to either email us at [email protected] or schedule a phone conversation with one of our publishing specialists using the link on our Contact Us page. No matter how you reach out, you can be sure that someone experience, attentive and passionate about publishing is waiting to help. Free Resources for Authors: We know how important it is for authors to have access to resources and guides that they trust. That's why we created an 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. We hope this list of advantages when it comes to self-publishing helped clarify how we work and what the right choice is for your next book or product. For free quotes, or publishing guidance, contact us at [email protected] or schedule a phone call using this link. **Please note that the benefits we’ve listed here for self-publishing are true for Vervante services only. Other self-publishing companies do not offer the same services or benefits and should be researched individually.

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 • February 4, 2019

Have you heard of “free plus shipping” offers? Internet marketing gurus like Russell Brunson, Dean Graziosi, Brendon Burchard and Perry Marshall have mastered the sales funnel and free plus shipping offers – in fact, it’s one of the biggest trends in publishing right now – which is why we wanted to share a little bit about how it works and how we can help you use it too.  What is Free Plus Shipping? Free plus shipping offers are when a product is offered for free and the buyer is only asked to pay for shipping costs. It’s a great way to excite your audience, create lots of new customers, and grow your list with minimal cost to you. While you don’t make money, or maybe just a small profit, initially from free plus offers, it’s the conversion of leads into additional sales of products, programs or services that these offers lead to that make this method profitable. You don’t need a huge list for free plus offers. In fact, this is a great way to GROW your list. You can begin by printing a small print run to get started. As demand grows, you can order larger batches of the product, reducing your initial costs while increasing list growth and future revenue potential. How to set up a free plus shipping offer: FIRST: Create a product for your free offer. This could be a condensed version of a larger product or program you can promote or upsell. Some of the more popular products are saddle-stitched booklets and perfect bound books. NEXT: Contact Vervante at [email protected] for free quotes for your product. We can give you print-on-demand quotes (for printing them one at a time) and bulk order quotes for 50, 100, 1,000 or however many you want to start with (the more you print, the lower the cost per unit). ORDER A PROOF: For any product you create, we recommend that you order one (or a few) as a sample to make sure it’s exactly how you pictured it. PRINT FREE PLUS PRODUCT: Once you’ve approved the product, let us know how many you’d like to print for your initial order. We can keep your products in our warehouse with no inventory fees. FULFILLMENT: We receive order information, pull the product from stock, and ship them to the customer. We include tracking numbers and customized packing slips free of charge. We can process orders from ANY shopping cart, no matter which one you use. And you don't need to worry about integration, API, or any of that fancy complicated stuff. For information about how we handle order processing and working with ALL shopping cart systems, click HERE.  INVENTORY MANAGEMENT: You can see how many products you have in storage in our warehouse, plus order status, tracking information and more in your Vervante Author Dashboard account.  RETURNS: We accept returns. We do not charge you for handling a return. You will receive an email when we receive a return. Returns can be sent to our headquarters in Utah, or you can modify your packing slip to have returns sent directly to you. Whether you choose to have returns sent back to us or to your office, we recommend that you include your return policy on the customized packing slip included with each of your orders. If you love this idea, we’re ready to help you get started. For questions, ideas or free quotes reach out to our publishing pros at [email protected] or schedule a phone call with us by clicking HERE.

Vervante • April 7, 2018

Wow, our last article sharing a comparison of Vervante’s services to Amazon’s self-publishing solution Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), formerly CreateSpace, caused quite a positive response! In fact, we received so many requests from authors interested in moving their books from Amazon KDP to Vervante that we wrote up the following FAQs and next step information for authors ready to make a change. But first, we’d like to clarify that using Vervante doesn’t mean you can’t have your book on Amazon.  Just the opposite, in fact.  We want you to sell your book on Amazon – just not as the only purchasing option. When you link your sales/buy buttons directly to Amazon via KDP, you can’t capture the customer data. We think that’s pretty important when it comes to building your business.   Using Vervante as your back-end publishing and distribution partner allows you to have the best of both worlds! You sell the book from your site, collect the customer’s data, and we’ll print and ship your book. Then, as a secondary purchasing option, we’ll list your book on Amazon. You’ll have access to customer data AND your book will be available on Amazon. Q: If I use Vervante can I still have my book listed on Amazon? A: Yes, we encourage you to sell your book from your own site so that you can capture the email address of your customers. AND we recommend that we list your book on Amazon as a secondary purchase option. It’s a win-win situation all around! Q: How do I move my book to Vervante if it’s already listed with KDP / CreateSpace?  A: There are two ways to “Unpublish” a book with KDP / CreateSpace:  Option #1 – Change Status 1. Log in to Amazon KDP and go to your dashboard. 2. Click on your listing 3. Go to the third link under 'set up', which is 'interior' and click on that. 4. The second option is 'Change' in a blue, oval button. Click on that. You will see this message: “You have selected to make changes:  WARNING: If you make any changes to the setup of your book, you must complete the review process again. Is this what you want to do?” 5. Select 'Proceed' 6. Now when you go back to 'Member Dashboard' your book will show as 'incomplete' It takes a day or two, but the book will eventually be shown in listings as 'unavailable' Option #2 – Retire the Book Email customer service at KDP and ask them to retire your book. This should also make the book unavailable for ordering. Q: Will I need to redo my current listing page on Amazon if I stop using CreateSpace? What about my testimonials, will they disappear? A:   No. If we list your book with Amazon Marketplace your current book page and all testimonials will stay the same. The only difference is that Vervante will now receive all orders and ship them for you. There are two advantages to Marketplace:  1) 15% Amazon commission vs. 40% CreateSpace commission, 2) You will have access to the names and mailing addresses of customers who buy your book. You won’t get their email address but we can include a letter with the book encouraging the buyer to visit your site and opt into your newsletter or blog. Q: Does Vervante print books on-demand? A: Yes, we can print and ship your book on-demand, print in small batches or print thousands – whatever you need. Q: Can I order books for myself at my cost? A: Yes, your book will be available in your Vervante Author Account where you can order it at your cost.  We also offer bulk order discounts for books and products. Contact us at [email protected] if you plan on a large order. Q: I’m ready to get started with Vervante, what’s my first move? A: First, you need a Vervante author account, set one up HERE. Once that’s done, you can request a free quote for your book from your Author Dashboard online, or email us at [email protected]. If you have questions or would like to discuss your project, you can also schedule a phone call with us using our online system HERE. Q: How do book sales work? A: If you already have a sales and shopping cart system set up online, great! We can process orders from ANY shopping cart, no matter which one you use. And you don't need to worry about integration, API, or any of that fancy complicated stuff. For details on integrating shopping carts into our system, click HERE. No website or shopping cart? No problem. Vervante has a public bookstore solution. We can sell your book in our store and you’ll have access to the email and customer data. Listing on Amazon: We love Amazon, and we still want you to list your book there. Our recommendation to switch from KDP / CreateSpace doesn’t mean we don’t see the value of having your book listed there. We just want to offer you the ability to collect and build your customer contact list without giving away your customer data to KDP / CreateSpace. All you need to do to list your book on Amazon using Amazon Marketplace is to let us know and we’ll take care of the details. Q: How do I get paid for Amazon Marketplace orders? A: We’ve put together a special guide called “From Retail Sales to Royalties” to help authors follow the money trail for everything from sales to royalties for their books and products. Check it out HERE. Q: What are your options for book binding? A: We offer a variety of binding options:  spiral, wire-o, saddle-stitch, perfect bound, hardcover, 3-ring binders. Q: I’d like to print my book mostly in black-and-while, but with a few color pages mixed in. Do you offer options for color or partial color? A: We can print an entire book in color, partial color (just a few pages within the book), or black-and-white. If your book has just partial color then we only charge you for those pages to be printed in color, not the entire book. Q: How do the numbers work again? A: We’ve created this handy chart to show you the numbers.                                     Q: Can I send marketing materials or a letter with the book?  A: Yes, we can include materials we print such a letter, bookmark, postcard, etc. or even items that you provide us to include in the packaging with your book. Q: What if I don’t live in the United States? A: No problem, we have lots of international customers who use us as their U.S.-based distribution option. And we can send book orders anywhere in the world. We hope this helped create a clearer picture of our services, and inspired you to let us help create your next book or product. Questions, ideas, comments? We're here for you at [email protected]. You can also schedule a phone call through our online link HERE.

Vervante • March 16, 2018

If you’re a publishing consultant, book coach, or author mentor, one of the main goals of your business is to help your clients create the best book possible. All too often, though, once your client’s manuscript is ready for publishing, they move on to the next step without you and the relationship ends. Here at Vervante, however, we give book coaching professionals the ability to offer clients complete idea-to-finished-product services – expanding your impact on their journey as an author, as well as your ability to increase your income as a business. Complete oversight of publishing process We offer book coaches the ability to guide their clients through the self-publishing process by overseeing the process of ordering sample copies, approving all print and design decisions, and placing the actual, physical book in their clients' hands. This is all done using a system set up for book coaches with Vervante that allows oversight of the full publishing process, from uploading files to approving samples and ordering first runs. Once the author is ready to take over, we can make that happen easily too. Products you can offer through your business We also offer book coaches the ability to offer products that complement books, such as bookmarks, cards, journals, postcards, spiral workbooks, CDs or DVDs, adult coloring books, card decks, and other creative solutions. These are perfect for special events, upgrades, book signings, or to offer as special bonuses. You can easily add these options to your services, offering lucrative bonus services and products that authors will love. Help clients sell books AND grow their business By using Vervante, your clients have access to their customers contact information. Other publishers, such as CreateSpace, do not offer this. This is not usually on the radar for new authors, but it's a game-changer. Especially for those who are also entrepreneurs, business owners, or want to keep in touch with loyal readers. Here's why you can't collect customer information when using CreateSpace: When an author sells their book directly on Amazon, the buyer becomes Amazon’s client (not the author’s), leaving the author in the dark about who is buying their book. Here's how Vervante is different: We encourage authors to sell the book from their own sales page, process the transaction and we'll print and ship the book to the buyer. This scenario provides the author with more profit on the sale PLUS the buyer's contact information and email address. If the author doesn't want to deal with credit card transactions, we can list the book in our store and the author simply redirects the buy button from their landing page to their book in our store. The three big differences between our bookstore solution and redirecting to Amazon are: We don't take 40% of the price of the book like CreateSpace We share the customer data with the author We take pre-orders for the book. An author can take pre-orders on their site or in our store and when the book is ready we'll print and ship to the buyers. This isn't possible on Amazon. You can still sell from Amazon, though, and we recommend it be set up this way:  While we DON'T recommend redirecting buyers from the author's landing page directly to Amazon, we DO suggest using Amazon as a secondary retail distribution channel. Amazon Marketplace is a great option for selling books and products on Amazon. We'll manage all of the details from listing the book on Amazon to managing and shipping orders. We receive so many questions about using Vervante vs. other publishers like CreateSpace that we've created a special report with more details you can read HERE. Additional profit potential for book coaches and authors On-demand printing and complete fulfillment services While other publishers may offer cheap rates for initial press runs to the author, there are usually hidden costs. These special prices are commonly only applicable for bulk orders placed by authors for their own title. However, this leaves them shouldering the responsibility of storing the books in their home or office, supplying packaging, processing payments, addressing packages, and taking them to the Post Office for shipping, steadily chipping away at their bottom line - and adding time and stress to the process. Vervante will print and ship books directly to customers. A copy of the order confirmation email generated from the author's shopping cart is all we need to print and ship the book. We can print and ship on demand or we can print bulk orders at further reduced costs, with the option of storing in our warehouse until they are needed. This helps authors avoid the expense and hassle of processing and shipping their own books. Increased perceived value of book While some people opt to list books with Baker & Taylor or Ingram, this can result in resellers taking the opportunity to sell your book through their own services, underbidding the set author price, and devaluing the book. Even if your clients are not writing a book for the money, when they try to offer their books at events, as promotions, or to support other products and programs, this causes the book to lose its value in the eyes of consumers. Retaining control of the book's price is essential to retaining its value. Listing books with a wholesaler like Baker & Taylor releases control and can result in plummeting sale prices and royalties. Whereas selling and distributing through a personal sales page and shopping cart, as well as using Vervante's Amazon Marketplace listing services, retains control of the book - and ensures the continuation of its value. Have you ever noticed when searching for a book on Amazon that there are a number of resellers offering the book at random prices? This is because the book has been listed with a wholesaler such as Baker & Taylor or Ingram and resellers then sell the book on Amazon at their discretion. The end result is that prices can drastically fluctuate, causing buyer confusion and devaluing the book even more. Exceptional customer service We have dedicated publishing professionals who will answer your emails and talk to you on the phone. Something pretty much unheard of in this industry. Authors retain all rights Authors retain all rights and creative control of their books and products. And we offer complete services for ISBNs, UPCs, LCCN Assignment and Copyright registration. You even have the option to list yourself or your own company as the publisher of your book. However, if you use CreateSpace's template builder for your cover, they technically own the artwork for your book. And if you use their ISBN services, they own the ISBN and are listed as the publisher. This means if you decide to use alternative publishing services in the future, you must get a new ISBN and new design for your book. We'll work with you and your client as a team You've got experience in publishing. Your client probably doesn't. We'll work with you and your client to get their book published, distributed, listed on Amazon, shipped to speaking events, and whatever other support you need. Satisfaction guaranteed We stand behind our products and services, creating the highest quality books and products for our clients supported by the best in customer service. If you are not delighted with your experience with Vervante, we pledge to work with you to make it right - or we will refund your money. Furthermore, all products we publish are guaranteed against defects in quality and design. If any of our products are defective in quality, we will replace or repair that product at no additional charge. Contact Us We welcome the opportunity to partner with us for your clients' publishing needs. For more information, check out our Book Coaching services page, email [email protected], or schedule a phone call with a member of our team.

Vervante • April 25, 2016

When it comes to books, we love 'em! From that first burst of inspiration all the way through to sales and distribution of the final product, we take joy in helping our clients every step of the way. In fact, we go above and beyond when it comes to books by providing full-service solutions that anticipate and meet every need our authors might have, including:  LCCN assignment Copyright registration eBook conversion Word count conversion charts Listing on Amazon for Kindle and printed books List on Barnes & Noble for Nook and printed books Supporting Amazon Bestseller campaigns Both paperback and hard cover formats Printing both on-demand or in bulk Storage in our warehouse for bulk orders Assembling of your book with other products for shipping Wide variety of products that help market and sell your book, including bookmarks, postcards, special event tickets, printed newsletters and more. Check out our special "Fast Track Publishing" infographic by clicking HERE to access our easy-to-follow guide for creating and printing your book - and all the great services we offer in between. Whatever you can think of for your book - including interesting products that will help market and sell it - we've got you covered. Here's to letting your creativity flow!

Vervante • December 10, 2015

Speedy shipping, cost savings, customer satisfaction... all of these and more can be affected by the way products are shipped to your customers. Here at Vervante, we make sure that you have total control of this important part of your product sales process by offering the ability to choose the best shipping method for each of your products. Our shipping system will automatically default to the least expensive shipping method (excluding Media Mail) based on the weight and ship to postal code. However, if you want to set a specific shipping method for a product, you can do this from your Author Dashboard.   Remember, you don’t have to do anything unless: You want any of your products to ship via Media Mail.   You want any of your products to always ship a specific method.  If you want to make a change, here's how to set it up 1. Log into your Vervante Author Dashboard and select the link that says "Select Specific Shipping Methods." 2. You will see a list of your products, their estimated weights, and the default shipping methods. Initially the shipping methods are set to default "Best Way." This means that we will use the least expensive shipping method (excluding Media Mail) based on the weight and ship to postal/zip code. (For insight into what's best for varying weights, see our CEO's note below.) NOTE: Media Mail is NOT the default shipping method. If you want to use Media Mail, you must select it as the shipping method on that page. Media Mail is often the least expensive postage option for most products, but it is also slower than other methods such as First Class or Priority, therefore we do not use it as default.  3. If you are shipping internationally, please click on the link at the top of the page for International Shipping Methods. 4. To set default shipping methods for each of your products, select the desired method you prefer in the right hand column, then click on the "Update Ship Methods" button at the bottom of the page to save your preferences. (VERY IMPORTANT TIP: Don't forget to save your changes) Not sure which method is best? If an order weighs less than 6 pounds then USPS is generally the least expensive shipping option. We have created a USPS postage calculator so you can view your different USPS shipping options. From the author dashboard, scroll down to Support > Calculate Postage You will see a list of your products at the top of the page with the estimated shipping weight. In the USPS Postage Calculator enter our zip code (84042) and your ship to zip code. Most products ship as a package unless you select one of the Priority Mail Flat Rate options. REMEMBER, you don’t need to do anything unless you specifically want to select a shipping method for any of your products.     More Shipping Tips We offer a lot of unique products, which means that shipping options can sometimes seem tricky to figure out. Here's a quick guide that will help you to choose which method is best for each of your products. > U.S. 1st Class Mail is for packages less than 13 ounces > U.S. Priority Mail is for 14+ ounces > International 1st Class Mail is for packages up to 4 pounds > International Priority Mail is for 4+ pounds > Media Mail is available only in the U.S. One of the most frequent compliments we get are from clients praising how we don’t mark up postage costs or charge handling or set-up fees for the products we produce. Did you know that many other publishing companies have up to a 33% mark-up on postage? Just think how this can really add up over time. We charge exact postage fees and no mark-ups. And we don’t hassle you for handling and setup either.  

Vervante • August 1, 2015

We think perfect-bound books are perfectly wonderful. And that’s why we’re pretty excited about this special offer – check it out!   For the month of August, you can enjoy: 10% printing discount: Print any perfect bound book, in any quantity. Want 1? Great. Want 1,000? We can do that too. Free: We’ll store them in our warehouse until you’re ready to send. Plus: Extra discounts on printing and shipping if you order in bulk (see below). If you have a perfect-bound book, this is a great time to plan ahead, print what you’ll need for the rest of year at a discount, and enjoy the luxury of free warehousing and discounted fulfillment services once you are ready to send them out.   Oh, and bulk order discounts still apply, which means you can boost your savings even more. Here are the details for printing costs with bulk discounts applied: 1-99 books: $5.33 per book* 100+ Books: $3.75 250+ Books: $3.00 1000+ Books: $2.27 Plus: Place a bulk order and you’ll receive a 20% DISCOUNTED FULFILLMENT FEE for books printed in bulk and then shipped on demand. *Prices based on 120 pages, 6x9 or smaller, black & white text, no bleeds, full color cover, perfect bound. Prices do not include postage.   Ready to print? Contact [email protected] to get your project started right away. And remember, this offer only lasts until August 31.

Vervante • May 21, 2015

Michelle Moore is a natural health advocate who strives to educate and help people to achieve and maintain optimal health through natural and integrative approaches. Michelle’s books, websites and consulting services have assisted thousands of people in understanding the numerous tools and approaches that are available to help in overcoming chronic health challenges, especially infections. Michelle’s interest in holistic health began when she worked for a major pharmaceutical company as a Microbiologist. For a number of years Michelle performed microbiological research on many kinds of bacteria. She later became a consultant; teaching pharmaceutical companies how to be compliant with the microbiological manufacturing regulations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After struggling for four years with recurring infections that mainstream medicine was unable to treat, Michelle discovered a way to restore her health using holistic and natural medicine. In her books, DVDs and other resources, Michelle helps people to view health challenges from a larger point of view by addressing the root cause of the condition. Rather than simply “fighting the disease,” the underlying causes of illness are explored. The use of a variety of traditional, integrative and natural methods focused on achieving both short-term and long-term results are revealed. In this interview, Michelle shares her experience using published products to share her knowledge and help change lives on a greater scale. Q: What was the inspiration behind your books? I’m a microbiologist who used to work for pharmaceutical companies. My husband Les and I published our first book MRSA Secrets Revealed in 2008. It offers a different perspective to help people in their recovery from Staph and MRSA bacterial infections. For me, it was a personal mission to help others in need as this issue struck a personal cord. I myself had battled against recurring sinus infections for several years. Antibiotics weren’t working and my doctor couldn’t offer me any other help. So, I had to start finding answers for myself. And that meant stepping outside the world I knew. What I found changed my life, and I put what I discovered into this book. Q: Give us a peek inside the publishing process for you We heard of Vervante through another colleague of ours. We discovered their publishing products met our needs and we were also very happy with their service, support and pricing compared to other companies we’d worked with. As our company is composed of just my husband and I, we can’t do it all (even though we try). It’s great to know Vervante can handle graphics and design issues for us when it comes to cover graphics and layouts. Whenever we’ve had any questions, they are quick to answer. Email support from Vervante is exceptional and it’s great to trust and know they are on top of things. We don’t have the time and resources to be stocking and shipping books to our customers with our busy work schedule. So, printing, warehousing and shipping each of our books is what we use Vervante for, and we’ve been very happy with their services over the years. Q: What do you wish that someone had told you BEFORE you began the publishing process? It would have been nice to do our homework ahead of time and brush up on editing and design. Some aspects of publishing are not obvious unless you are a designer and knowing that would have saved us some time. Thankfully Vervante was able to help us identify potential problems that would affect the quality of our book and printing-related issues so our publishing went smoothly. It’s worth having an expert alongside you to help you through issues you never even knew existed. Q: Is there anything you would do differently next time? I would do my homework and learn rudimentary of editing and graphic design, color management and printing. That being said, we also try to know it all and do it all. However, that’s not really possible if you want to be a profitable business. It’s better to let the experts do their thing so we can do ours. Q: How did Vervante support you during the launch of your product? The launch of our second book went very smooth. As usual, they sent us proofs of our new book, kept us apprised of the process and once we approved our proof, we were ready for our first print run. They handled everything like true professionals and that’s why it was a smooth start. Our books have been very successful and we get frequent reports of happy customers. Not only is our story great and helpful, but it’s put together in a professional quality package.

Vervante • January 19, 2015

Author Preston Ely is a real estate investor, serial entrepreneur, life coach, musician and philanthropist who was acclaimed by Fast Company as one of the 100 most influential people online. His company was recently recognized as one of the fastest growing private companies in America by Inc Magazine. His "No BS" approach to life and business has garnered him a following of over 200,000 newsletter subscribers, and he's helped many on their paths to financial freedom. Preston’s book, “How to Get Rich in Real Estate,” has helped his readers quit their jobs, be their own boss and live their dreams. He shares with us today his journey as an author bringing his own dream to life, and how self-publishing has helped him along the way. Q:  Tell us a little about your book. A:  I got my start in real estate investing almost 20 years ago. Within a year, I quit my job, got rich, and found freedom flipping houses. I’ve been on a mission to help others do the same. If you go to your local bookstore into the "real estate investing" section, you’ll find anywhere from 500 to 1,000 books there. They all have one thing in common, they all suck. They are long, boring, complicated, confusing, and impracticable. They're packed full of useless fluff just for the sake of making the book look big so they can charge you $20. I wanted to write a book that was short, to the point, fun to read, simple, easy to understand and AWESOME. That’s how “How to Get Rich in Real Estate” came to life. Q:  How did your publishing relationship with Vervante begin? A:  We shopped around. No one, and I mean NO ONE comes close to what Vervante has to offer. Incredible quality of service, impeccable quality of products, and the lowest prices in the industry! Plus, they hook right up to our shopping cart, so everything is automatic. Q:  Any problems / frustrations along the way?  A:  It took a little bit of tweaking to get the book cover and contents just right, but Vervante got us proof copies quickly so we could see for ourselves what needed to be fixed! Q:  What do you wish that someone had told you BEFORE you began the publishing process? A:  That it’s actually pretty simple! Many people are daunted by the process, but all you need to do contact Vervante and they’ll help you every step of the way! Q:  What resources at Vervante did you find to be valuable? A:  The Vervante author dashboard is particularly helpful. We can log in at any time to see our inventory levels, review our orders, and manage everything in their convenient, user-friendly system. Plus, the customer service has been unbelievable. It’s actually a rarity these days to get prompt, friendly service, but that’s exactly what Vervante gives with every communication! Q:  How has your book been received? The feedback has been astounding. People absolutely love the book. And we’re very grateful for Vervante for making it possible. To learn more about Preston Ely and Real Estate Mogul go to www.realestatemogul.com. And you can check out his book "How to Get Rich in Real Estate" by clicking HERE. If you enjoyed this article, and would like to be featured in a future Vervante author interview, please email us at [email protected].

Vervante • October 17, 2014

We've helped authors self-publish thousands of books over the last 15 years and during that time we've received a lot of feedback about their experiences with other companies. And their frustration with hidden fees and deals that don't help their bottom line. Today we're sharing two of the most common ones with you so that you can be aware of and avoid these when it's time to publish your book. Publishing packages: When aspiring authors approach publishing companies, one of the first “advantages” they are offered are publishing packages in order to get started. These range from $449 - $1999 and usually include a lot of extras you don’t need, especially if you are on a budget or have a focused goal that doesn’t quite fit these one-size-fits-all offers. Vervante has a no minimums, no set-up fees, no hassle policy. With large publishing packages, you’ll end up with books filling up your office and garage while you figure out how to process orders and send them out. With Vervante’s print-on-demand policy, you order what you want, when you want it, saving money, time, space, resources and stress. Postage, Handling & Set-up fees: One of the most frequent compliments we get are from clients praising how we don’t mark up postage costs or charge handling or set-up fees for the products we produce. Did you know that many other publishing companies have up to a 33% mark-up on postage? Just think how this can really add up over time. We charge exact postage fees and no mark-ups. And we don’t hassle you for handling and setup either. Here’s the bottom line... We love Amazon – who doesn’t? But there’s a reason that IBM and thousands of independent authors have trusted Vervante for the last 15 years to publish their books. We offer high-quality, full-service, affordable and complete solutions – and as you can see from these few examples, you get to keep more money per book! Want to see how it works? Check out our article online that compares our services and fees with another popular provider, CreateSpace. There are a lot of publishing companies out there. We want you to know that Vervante is your best overall choice for print-on-demand publishing that continually exceeds the standards within the industry and excels in providing creative, customized, high-quality, profit-boosting solutions for your book. Ready to publish? Working on a manuscript? We can’t wait to help you bring that book to life. Be sure to check out any of our author resources for publishing, selling and distributing a book in the Expert Guide section of our website or send us an email at [email protected] and let us know how we can help you.  

Vervante • August 28, 2014

Earlier we shared how easy it is to set up automatic order processing from your online shopping cart to Vervante for quick, easy and stress-free fulfillment and distribution. It went over so well that we decided to dig a little deeper and outline how it works with the top 3 online shopping carts we see used most frequently: 1ShoppingCart, InfusionSoft and PayPal.    1Shopping Cart   Orders are automatically processed using 1ShoppingCart.com’s order confirmation emails. Here’s how it works:   A Vervante part number will be assigned to your product. This part number is entered in 1ShoppingCart as the product SKU. Then add [email protected] to the email distribution list in 1ShoppingCart (found in Home > Setup > Orders > Notifications).   That’s it! Once you finish these three steps, Vervante will receive copies of all of your order confirmations, but only those that contain our part number and an accepted credit card status will be processed into our system.   InfusionSoft   For Infusionsoft users, we recommend sending an automated daily Fulfillment Report. Learn the steps for doing this in Infusionsoft’s Getting Started Guides by clicking HERE.   Another option is to set up an email notification for each order. Email notifications need to be set up as text messages. Be sure to check out the Order Processing page on our site for a complete example and instructions.     PayPal   As with 1ShoppingCart, orders can be processed from PayPal order confirmation emails: A Vervante part number is assigned to your product. This part number should be added to your product description as the Item Number. Finally, forward Order Notification emails to [email protected].   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Ready to check if you’ve set it up right? No matter which shopping cart you use, orders should appear in your Vervante Author Account within 10 minutes. If an order does not appear in your Vervante account within approximately 10 minutes, you can safely assume that we did not receive the email or the email notification is not set up correctly.   Overall, set up is simple, and you won’t believe how much time and energy it saves you in the long run. If you haven’t set this up yet, be sure to give it a try. And if you need any help or have questions, we’re here for you at [email protected].