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Vervante • October 31, 2020

Emergencies happen. Fires, floods, earthquakes, pandemics. Even zombies. Whether you believe in them or not, we’re big believers in being prepared, so we created the ultimate checklist for zombie-proofing one of the liveliest parts of your business… just in case. Assemble Your Team: There is strength in numbers – whether publishing a book, growing your business, or fighting off brain-hungry hordes. If you can assemble a like-minded group of people with shared goals and dreams - you've got a fighting chance of surviving and thriving! Be sure you have an experienced publisher (like us!) who provides all the products and services you need, AND  gives you access to your customers and their contact information (so you can stretegize together about future book releases or zombie attacks, your choice!) Add Human Personality: Don't let your book blend into the mindless crowd. Humanize, personalize and give it life by staying true to your unique voice, branding, and message. Content, photos, graphics, they all need to be true reflections of the real, live you. Injecting personality throughout is always a good idea. True Fact: Good design = zombie repellant: Ever see a well-dressed, stylish zombie? Neither have we. So it stands to reason that great design and beautiful covers repel the living dead. Invest in professional design for the cover and interior formatting that will impress potential readers and make them want to start doing the Thriller dance right along with you. Fortify! Have you ever seen a zombie gently reading a book? Smash-proof your products by using high quality hard covers, binders, and even leather-bound editions that stand up to wear-and-tear and offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.  Get the Word Out: There is strength in numbers, and big sales equal big numbers that give your book – and business – lots of life. Learn how to plan and execute an Amazon Book Launch. Print out this colorful zombie-inspired checklist to breathe new life into your books, products and business Be inspired with tips for sharing the word by reading “17 Strategies for Boosting Book Sales” Learn how to share your message worldwide with “How to Sell Your Book Online.” Elevate Heart Rates: Keep things lively by providing extras with your books such as posters, bookmarks, worksheets, wristbands, t-shirts, anything that elevates heart rates. They can even act as useful protection tools in case of attack. Wasn’t there an episode of Walking Dead where they staved off an attack using distracting adult coloring books, Sharpies, and a big roll of stickers? Automate Your Sales: Life in underground shelters escaping the hordes can really mess with orderly business function. Use a publisher like Vervante that takes care of everything from sales to fulfillment, packaging and shipping so your books can still make their way to customers while you’re off the grid. Plan Ahead: Follow in the noble paths of our government by planning ahead like with the Pentagon’s CONOP 8888 Plan (real!), and the CDC’s official Zombie Preparedness Plan (also real!)  Check out the link to their Zombie Novella for a printable zombie preparedness checklist. See the full Department of Defense plan HERE. Or, easiest and best for your business, download our zombie-proof checklist by clicking HERE. Have a Backup Plan: Include a flash drive with your book that has bonus digital files on it. Easy to transport, keeps your files safe, and can be used almost anywhere, like zombie shelters with USB ports. Bonus Step (If you survive): When the dust settles and we emerge from World War Z alongside Brad Pitt blinking in the sunlight, the first thing we’ll need to do is accumulate enough wealth to rebuild. Be sure to request our expert guide with 100 Publishing Tips (click on the "Get it Here" link at the top of this page) to help you get a head start on creating the book or printed product of your dreams. Because when it comes to zombies - head starts are always a good thing! Did you laugh? We hope so. But we hope you also recognized the useful tips and practical ideas we hid in between the lines. Business is serious, but should be fun, too. Thanks for letting us have a little fun with you today. *Brought to you by Vervante: A source you can trust for high-quality, zombie-proof books and products.  

Vervante • October 20, 2020

Simple, and yet so beautifully full of potential, journals are an easy-to-create product that can offer a lot of value for your customer. A blank journal that gives someone a place to record their thoughts, goals, dreams and ideas is always a powerful product. But there are a lot more things that journals can do, with options that can help you create exactly the right experience for your customer that you want. IDEAS FOR JOURNALS Themes such as cooking, finance, travel, business, dreams, parenting, prayer, meditation, health and wellness, fitness, self-improvement and more can be supported with journals. Content such as adult coloring pages, lists, writing prompts, are also great ideas for adding value to journals. CUSTOM OPTIONS Here at Vervante, we can print journals in any size and with all the customizations you’d want to create just what you need. >> HARDCOVER OPTIONS Full color printed Faux/vegan leather Linen 2-ply board covers >> SOFTCOVER OPTIONS Laminated Foil stamped poly overlay >> BINDING Casebound Concealed wire-o Wire-o Plastic spiral Metal spiral Perfect Punched for disc binding >> ADD-ONS Foil stamp Metal corners Elastic strap Ribbon marker Soft-touch finish Tabs Pockets Stickers These are just a few highlights of ways you can customize journals. As examples, the journals you see here in this newsletter have the following features: Red floral journal: Hardcover with printed endpapers Starry night journal: Hardcover with foil stamp Daisy journal: Softcover with poly overlay Be sure to also check out our new Video Vault page filled with videos showing exactly how each of these ideas look and function. If you have any questions about creating your own journals, we can help. Just email us at [email protected] or schedule a phone conversation with one of our print and publishing experts using this link: https://vervante.youcanbook.me/

Vervante • October 6, 2020

Mark your calendars and get ready, Amazon Prime Days (October 13-14, 2020) are just around the corner! This is a great opportunity for everyone – whether you sell on Amazon, on your own website, or anywhere else. If you haven’t started planning yet, it’s not too late, especially if you use these Prime Day-inspired ideas to add some sizzle to your sales. #1 Offer a special "prime" deal for your audience Nobody promotes quite as well as Amazon. Shoppers are excited and anticipating epic deals as Prime Day gets closer, so why not take advantage of the excitement and offer your own “Prime” deals for products you sell on your website, too? The best way to do this is to reach out directly to your loyal customers and fans. This means sending emails to your list and posting updates to your social media. Offer special "prime day" packages where for a limited time several products are bundled for one low price. If your clients love packages, take it a step further by creating a subscription service and launch it on Prime Day with free extras or a special reduced rate that will catch people's attention. Record a special audio podcast or video tutorial as an extra for one of your books or products and offer it as a special bonus on Prime Day. Offer a special personal coaching session or limited-time memberships to your masterminds or coaching groups, with any Prime Day purchase. #2 Debut new daily planners If you love the idea of selling a daily planner, but aren’t sure how to get started or worried it’s too late in the game, we can help! Use the already-designed and formatted 2021 daily planner we recently released and sell it as your own! All you need to do is download the InDesign files for our daily planner, make any changes you want, then use it as your own to sell or share. In just a matter of days you can start marketing and sales for your very own daily planner. (Learn more about our 2021 Daily Planners including full access to images, files, etc by clicking HERE.) #3 Prime Days “free-plus-shipping” specials "Free-plus-shipping" offers are great for Prime Day. It’s the process of offering your book or product for free for a limited time, and the customer only needs to pay for shipping. (This is a very powerful way to build your email list, too!) (Learn more about how Vervante can support your free-plus-shipping offer by clicking HERE.) #4 Build anticipation with sneak peeks Here's one more tip to give your Prime Day deals some extra oomph: Be sure to share "sneak peeks" of the specials you'll be offering in your newsletters, social media and emails. It's a great way to spread the word, build anticipation and join in all of the Prime Day fun everyone is having. The key here is to be creative - and add value. You don't need to reduce your prices, just give in a way that will excite your customers and make them feel like they got the best prime deal out there!

Vervante • September 3, 2020

Want to know the best time to promote your new product? Before it's officially available! Preselling is a powerful marketing strategy that everyone can benefit from. The presale period is so important, in fact, it should be the centerpiece of your marketing and promotional campaign. What is a presale? It's that period of time when you're in the final stretch, polishing up your new product and preparing for the big launch, but not quite ready to print and ship. Presales offer several big benefits #1: Takes the guesswork out of knowing how many books, etc to print ahead of time if you want to use bulk printing #2: Helps offset the cost of printing, marketing, etc. by collecting payment for the product before you officially launch it. #3: Generates good "buzz" to support stronger sales How to generate interest in preorders Preorders work wonders for building buzz and building excitement about your upcoming launch. They can lead to more sales initially and lead to sustained sales over time as well. But how can you convince readers to buy a product when it isn’t available to read yet? Offer free swag: This is a popular strategy, and it works! Give readers an extra incentive to preorder and something that offers instant gratification to hold them over until official launch day. Send a digital gift pack: If you're on a budget, this is a more economical version of swag. Send them downloads, recordings, exclusive short stories, extras they can print and add to the planner, etc. Form a fan squad: If you have a group of friends and fans who are excited about your upcoming launch, harness that power by asking them to be your official launch team. Send them early copies so they can leave reviews and recommendations. Let them share details about the new book on their own social media and give them special links to let their followers pre-order. Use your social media: Give your social media images an update by adding information or images about your upcoming launch. Have a strategy that takes readers on a journey to get them invested and excited such as cover reveals, printing snapshots, excerpts and more. Send an email to subscribers: If you have a mailing list, (every author should), then you already have a group of people who are interested in what you are doing. Send them updates, build the excitement, and give them exclusive offers to support your presale offer. How to set up your products for presales It's easy to offer presales, here's what to do: Set up a landing page and allow customers to pay you for the product ahead of time. Be sure to communicate clearly when customers should expect to receive their purchase. At the close of the presale window, let Vervante know how many you need printed. Send us an export from your shopping cart of all presale orders and we'll ship your planner or product to each of your customers. Each person's situation might be different, so if you are planning on offering presales, it's always a good idea to consult with our publishing team so we can make sure you're optimizing each step. Just reach out at [email protected] or schedule a 1-on-1 call using our online scheduler.

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 25, 2020

Recently we talked about the best methods for selling on Amazon, Etsy and your own website. Today we wanted to talk to you about another retail option that deserves your attention -- the Vervante Bookstore.   The Bookstore is an online storefront solution we offer exclusively to Vervante customers. It allows you to direct customers from your website or social media to your own product page in the Bookstore. We will process the credit card transactions and manage fulfillment and distribution. This is a valuable option if you just don't want to deal with credit card processing and a merchant bank. All you need is a simple landing page and we take care of the rest.   Here are a few highlights of the advantages and rewards the Vervante Bookstore provides:  Online Storefront: Vervante authors can have product pages created for all their products  Author Bio Page: Similar to Amazon’s author bio pages, connect with your customers by sharing your story. Always In Stock: If you are using our print-on-demand (POD) services, your book or printed product is guaranteed to always be in stock. 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 10% transaction fee. The buyer selects and pays for the shipping and postage. These are some of the best royalty numbers in the industry!  Full Access: You can login to your Bookstore account at any time to view activity, including customer data and email address. Book Launch / Pre-Order Support: Planning for a big holiday launch? Debuting a new daily planner for the New Year? You can use the Bookstore for pre-orders. Shipping estimates can be changed to show pre-order status and expected ship dates. How to set up your sales pages 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 royalties, and directions for submitting 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 requests with the final, approved content to [email protected].    If you like the idea of simplified credit card processing, 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. For questions or help with using the online Vervante Bookstore, email us at [email protected] or set up a call using our online scheduler.

Vervante • July 20, 2020

It’s that time of year again. No, we’re not talking about beaches and fun in the sun – we’re talking about the holidays! You read that right, if you’re planning on launching a new book or product for the holidays then NOW is the time to get started.   A lot of people joke about Christmas in July, but honestly, it’s the BEST time to start planning for holiday sales. You've got plenty of time to wrap up your book details, strategize marketing and sales, and give yourself a nice head-start for a stress-free experience.  First, let’s talk about understanding lead-time for products 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 product – 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 SCENARIO of a Hardcover Daily Planner Launch: If you're thinking of a Black Friday launch for a hardcover planner, for example, you would need to begin printing October 19 in order to ship orders on November 30. Let's get those products you want to launch and sell in the 4th quarter into the queue as soon as possible now, so we can minimize the stress of year-end and the holidays. Shipping During the Holidays Another element to factor into your holiday launch strategy is the possibility of extended shipping times – especially during this upcoming holiday season. 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 holiday product launches. Holiday Book Sales Timeline AUGUST Finalize your book manuscript and send it to an editor to make sure it’s ready to go. Start gathering details such as print quotes, shipping timelines, etc. Assemble your self-publishing team. Some people you might need include:  Designer for the cover and interior formatting; Printer and publisher (like Vervante), Technical support for sales pages, shopping carts, etc,; a book launch expert or project manager; Launch “squad” made up of friends and colleagues who will provide early reviews and help spread the word. SEPTEMBER Upload print-ready files for the book and order sample copies for quality and proofreading checks. Coordinate with Vervante for your book retail listing: Amazon, Vervante Bookstore, or your own shopping cart. Vervante can list your book for sale 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. Attend book signings. Promote, promote, promote! Boost your book launch by creating complementary products that will get attention and ignite interest. Check out these ideas: Creative Ways to Launch a Book DECEMBER Confirm Vervante holiday shipping deadlines. Attend book signings. Continue promotions, especially for New Year / 2021 products. Announce surprise last-minute deals. JANUARY Continue to promote New Year products. 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 30, 2020

Notepads have been around for awhile, but a lot of people make the mistake of thinking they're only good for phone messages and grocery lists. But custom designed notepads, like we offer here at Vervante, have endless potential to become the next “must-have” product to add to your business or life. We can create notepads in all shapes and sizes, and in black-and-white or full color. Notepads can be glued for tear-off sheets with a cardboard back or spiral bound along the top or side. You can add a magnet to the back, use any design of your choosing, and select the size and number of pages in your notepad. To-do lists with lined pages are a classic design, but notepads can also be used in other ways - to add value to existing programs, as gifts for favorite clients and customers, as items to include in subscription boxes, or as complementary products to accompany your books, planner, or coaching program. If you're interested in creating your own notepads, here are a few inspirations: Event planning checklists (weddings, graduations, work, school and playdates) Healthy food shopping lists Tracking workout program progress Daily journal entries or inspirations Car-care maintenance tips Business networking contact lists Help kids keep track of chores, homework, sports and school Financial program support – learn, invest, record and keep your CPA happy Seasonal gardening or outdoor series Special offers for loyal / return clients and customers Productivity tracking Goal setting and achievement checklists Weekly planning pages and productivity trackers Meditations / Affirmations Upbeat messages and images to show appreciation and support We’re excited to introduce you to the world of notepads and hope this inspires you. If you have questions or would like to talk about creating your own notepad products, we’re here to help. Just email us at [email protected] or schedule a call to discuss and we’ll help you get started.

Vervante • June 4, 2020

One question we hear a lot from our authors is about copyrights. We’ve written several articles about copyrighting books, fair use and permissions, and other legal matters when it comes to publishing, but we thought it would be helpful to talk about the copyright page in your book. The copyright page is found at the front of the book, usually right after the title page. The format can be varied as there is no single accepted template for copyright pages. Just do a quick Google for copyright page samples and you’ll see. Generally, they will contain things like: copyright notice, ISBN, publisher information, contact information, rights and permissions, country book is printed in, author website, credits and disclaimers. Let’s review a few of these in more detail. Copyright notice This is one absolute requirement of a copyright page. The copyright notice includes: The copyright symbol (©) or the word “copyright” The year of copyright The copyright holder’s name or identifier A typical copyright notice will look like this: © 2020 Cindy Tyler Copyrights can have multiple years listed if there are multiple editions: © 2016, 2018, 2020 Cindy Tyler ISBN The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a 13-digit number used worldwide by the publishing industry and retailers to identify your book. If you plan to sell your book in stores or online, you must have an ISBN. (You can buy your own at bowker.com or purchase one at a low cost from Vervante. If you purchase your ISBN through Vervante, you are the sole owner of that number and Vervante retains no rights to it.) Rights and permissions This is optional, but useful. Technically, your copyright serves to let people know that this is your protected work, however it can help with “fair use” issues to state limitations of how people can use your book’s content. A very simple statement can be: “All rights reserved.” But a lot of people choose to include copy similar to this: “All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact (NAME / EMAIL /ADDRESS / ETC). Disclaimer Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, disclaimers are often included by authors on advice from their agents, publishers or lawyers as a way to add a layer of protection if the book’s characters resemble real-life people or situations, or if someone says the book’s content damaged their business, relationship, etc.   For fiction, you could write something like this: “This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.” For a nonfiction advice, how-to or educational book, you could write something like this: “Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.” For books that provide health, wellness, medical, fitness or similar content: “This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.” [[For the record: We are not lawyers and we are not offering legal advice here — any legal concerns and specific language should be directed to a copyright attorney.]] More information Other information we often see on copyright pages includes: Author website and contact information Name of publisher and publisher address Country in which the book was printed Credits for things like photos, design, illustrations, graphics, editing, etc. If you have any questions about your book copyright page or any other step of the process – from editing to design to printing, production and sales, we’re here to help. Just send us an email at [email protected]. We’re here for you!

Vervante • May 20, 2020

COVID-19 has created a lot of chaos and disruption in the world, and finding easy ways to organize and track tasks, home schooling, and all the changes in our lives is as important as ever. All of this might explain why planners are so popular right now, with an insatiable market filled with people who want the perfect planner for keeping their life, business, finances, relationships, food, fitness and pretty much everything else on track. If you’ve ever thought about creating and selling your own planner, now is the perfect time. You can get a head start creating versions for 2021, or you can create undated planners that work anytime, anywhere. Choosing the right publisher to help you create your planner is one of the first and most important decisions you need to make. Why? Because who you use to create your planners will affect how your planner will look and function in so many ways. Many people make the mistake of thinking planners are just like books, so they turn to the brand most often associated with books – Amazon. And yes, Amazon is good with printing perfect bound books (the classic style with the glued binding), but planners aren’t really books. Customers do not want a planner that is like a paperback novel. Planners must be functional and durable, which means a sturdy hardcover that will hold up to months of use, spiral or wire-o binding so they can lay flat and be written on, with tabs and pockets and stickers and all the extras that make them so unique and perfect. When it comes to creating planners, here's a list of the exciting options we offer: beautiful, durable hardcovers with printed covers, faux leather or linen spiral and wire-o binding no pre-set page sizes custom printed die-cut tabs mixed color and black & white printed pages kiss-cut stickers paper pockets foil stamp metal corners ribbon markers custom packaging  printed and shipped from our warehouse in the U.S. If this gets you fired up to start creating a planner, we’re excited too! We are here to offer guidance and support for every step, so please feel free to email or set up a call for your next steps. Watch for a fun, new planner option we’re announcing in the next few weeks!! We will be sending photos and a new video shortly. And, we’ll be making our InDesign files available for a new 2021 planner available soon too.

Vervante • May 5, 2020

One of the hottest products we’re seeing used during this quarantine for keeping home, work, school and life in order are PLANNERS. Makes sense, right? If ever there was something custom-made to help people survive during the chaos the coronavirus has created, it’s planners. Working from home: Planners can help people thrown into new settings and unfamiliar work conditions with setting goals, meeting deadlines, and staying focused and productive. Homeschooling: Kids of every age benefit from seeing their tasks, goals and achievements in planners made especially for them. Food and Fitness: Tracking workouts, organizing grocery shopping and meals, and keeping track of everyone’s routine helps assure better health and fitness for the whole family Finances: The uncertainty of work, income and employment means it’s more important that ever to be aware of expenses, track finances and stick to budgets. IF YOU CREATE AND SELL DAILY PLANNERS, now is the perfect time to provide your audience with the tools and support they need to survive and thrive during the “new normal” we find ourselves living in. And we are here to help you make it happen. Offer special bundles or pricing for current planners Create an undated planner so people can start using it now without feeling like they are wasting the first few months Add new products that help your target audience use their planners for the challenges they face such as: section divider tabs, stickers, notepads, to-do lists, bookmarks, pockets, etc. FOR PLANNER ADD-ON IDEAS, check out these videos to see options for add-ons, covers, etc, and how they work: PLANNER VIDEOS. Once you’re ready to get started, you can reach out to us at [email protected] to get free quotes, instructions and expert advice. A new planner might be just what your audience needs – let us help you create something they’ll thank you for!

Vervante • April 28, 2020

Launching a new book or product can be very exciting – and also very scary. One of the best things you can do to support a successful launch is find a way to capture attention and capture sales at the same time. That’s why we’ve gathered up three creative launch ideas you can you to help you stand out from the crowd. #1: Launch Date Landing Page As you prepare for your official launch date, create a dedicated landing page. You can add bonuses as incentives for your customers such as free downloads or extras if they buy on that specific date. You can then have the Buy Now button either go to your Amazon link or your personal shopping cart – and ask customers to provide proof of purchase to receive their free extras. In addition, connecting with customers this way allows you to collect their contact information to add to your list for future communication. For a fun and creative example of using a launch landing page and bonuses to promote a book launch check out Scott Stratten’s “The Jackass Whisperer.” #2: Exclusive Print Run People love a VIP experience. Another great idea to boost your book or product launch is to do a special 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. #3: VIP Boxes Speaking of VIPs, you can take your exclusive print run to the next level by adding products to create VIP boxes. Add other products to the package that complement your book. Use special packaging that features your brand and design, so they know they are getting something unique and interesting. 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!

Vervante • March 11, 2020

We’re not going to beat around the bush here, the best way to publish your book or product is to FIRST sell from your site, THEN use Amazon Marketplace to pick up a few more sales. We suggest that you drive all of your social media promotions, advertising, email campaigns, etc. to your site so that you process the order and have access to all information - including who your customer is. We’ll take it from there to print and ship your book or product to your customer. Building a Strong Author Platform To put it very simply MORE PEOPLE = MORE SALES. You need to develop and nurture an audience filled with interested and loyal fans who will buy from you, promote for you, and sustain your sales both during a launch and for the long-term. Successful authors understand the importance of building an audience BEFORE they launch – and keeping their audience active and involved for sustained sales and growth when it comes to their books, products and business. Vervante is the only publisher that encourages our authors and customers to sell directly from your site so that you process the transaction, make more money, and more importantly – capture the customer data and build your email list. (Amazon DOES NOT share that info with you. When you publish using Amazon’s program KDP, they consider the person who buys your book as THEIR customer, not yours, so they don’t share.) For more details about how this works see: The one thing you need for a successful book launch Easy Book Sales & Processing We set up your listing on Amazon, we receive orders directly from Amazon, we process, print and ship those orders quickly and efficiently. All the details (except the email address because Amazon doesn’t share this with us) are posted to your Author Dashboard so you can check anytime and from anywhere. You can be confident that the entire process is being handled by professionals, and devote your time and attention to what matters most (writing your next book, nurturing your author platform, playing with your kids, etc.) For more details about how this works see: How order processing and shipping works with Vervante Bigger Royalties We can list your book using the Amazon Marketplace option, which offers much better royalty rates than using Amazon’s publishing program KDP. While KDP takes a 40% commission, Marketplace only takes 15% commission. We also have a strict policy against marking up postage or charging inflated “handling” 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. More Control SELL WHERE YOU WANT: Using Amazon Marketplace gives you the ability to also sell your book in other locations like your own website or other online bookstores. Keeping control of your book sales in this way gives you the ability to have the best of both worlds: A listing on Amazon that establishes your professionalism and credibility The freedom to be creative with special events and sales offers on your own website through bundles, coupons, promotions, etc. (also great for building your author platform). CUSTOM PACKAGING: The Amazon smile box is nice, but we can ensure your book stands out from the crowd with 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. GLOBAL SHIPPING: Don’t hold back! We can ship your book anywhere in the world and keep you up to date on its status. Shipping confirmation emails are sent to recipients with tracking information. And all order information such as status and tracking numbers are posted to your account online. If you have more questions about how Vervante can help you list and sell your book through Amazon in a way that benefits you - the author - we're here to help. Email us at [email protected] or schedule a call with one of our publishing experts using our online calendar.

Vervante • December 17, 2019

A successful book or product launch needs one thing: An Audience You can have fancy social media, dazzling design and over-the-top content, but if you don’t have an audience, you won’t make the sales. Successful authors understand the importance of building an audience BEFORE they launch – and keeping their audience active and involved for sustained sales and growth when it comes to their books, products and business. If you're looking for a New Year resolution, this is it! Start building your audience contact list now.   We're talking about much more than just posting on social media. With algorithms that are constantly changing, you can't rely entirely on social media for keeping in touch with your audience. Recent changes to Facebook and Instagram algorithms resulted in influencers with thousands upon thousands of follows realizing their posts weren't getting seen. A few small technology tweaks and they'd lost access to audiences they'd spent years building up. The answer is simple - creating and maintaining a contact list for fans and follows that allows you to reach out directly - through email, phone or mail - gives you both control and confidence that you can always reach out whenever you need to. You already have the tools for creating an audience at your fingertips, you just need to use them. You can use any number of services (free or paid) to keep track of and communicate with your connections such as MailChimp, Constant Contact, Infusionsoft, and many others. Once you have this set up, you can grow your audience using: Social Media: Ask fans and followers to sign up for your newsletters or opt-in for important updates via email. Live Events: Speaking from the stage, networking meetings, holiday celebrations - these are all great opportunities to connect with and invite potential clients or customers to join your list. Partnerships: Telesummits, joint ventures, any opportunity to put your heads together to reach more people is golden for growing everyone's list together. Current and Past Clients and Customers: Don't forget about the fans you already have. If someone purchased your book or product, invite them to join your VIP list for a backstage pass to current events and future launches. Vervante Customer Access: Don't forget about the unique opportunity we offer all Vervante customers: complete access to your customer's contact information for list and audience growth. The best audience member is a loyal, satisfied client and we give you full access to that. As you plan for 2020 and future book or product launches, prioritizing list growth is one of the best actions you can take right now. And using Vervante for your print and publishing needs will help you accomplish your goals with access to satisfied clients and customers as part of a loyal and active audience.

Vervante • November 7, 2019

Looking for ideas to give your income a boost this holiday season? Well, we've got good news and not-so-good news. This year you've got a little longer to plan for Black Friday with the later-than-usual Thanksgiving date. But that means that your holiday sales and shopping season will be a bit shorter in December. That's why we're sending this note - to give you a head start for successful product launches and sales. We’ve got what you need with plenty of products and tips that can be ready to go in time for Black Friday and remain bestsellers through the New Year. Here are 5 of our bestselling products that can be sold just as they are, or customized to create exactly what you - and your customers - need: PLANNERS: Use ours or design your own JOURNALS - soft cover and hard cover CALENDARS: Desktop or wall calendars GREETING CARDS: Packaged individually or in sets of 10 in a stationery box with a clear lid CARD DECKS: Any size, any number of cards Select the products you would like to sell, contact us if you would like to add your logo or customize the design, then add them to your sales pages and shopping carts. Reach out to our publishing experts at [email protected] and we'll help you get everything ready. Worried about time? No need to stress! Here are a few tips to help you prepare: TIP #1: If you have the general specs of the product you want to create, we can give you a free quote right away so you can set your retail price and start working on your sales and marketing strategy. TIP #2: Your product does not have to be complete to offer it for sale.  All you need is the cover design image for display on your site and – voila – you can make your offer and collect pre-orders. Just be clear in the description when your customer can expect to receive their purchase.    TIP #3: Once we have print files, we can ship most products within 3-4 days, so you're able to let customers know when pre-ordered products will arrive and can be confident in quick deliveries. The lead time for our hardcover products such as planners, journals and books is 4-6 weeks. If your products are in stock, we will ship within 24 hours. Questions? Let us help you make the most of your holiday sales by dropping us a line at [email protected] or scheduling a phone call with one of our publishing professionals at https://vervante.youcanbook.me/.   Here's to a stress-free and successful holiday season!

Vervante • September 24, 2019

The world has become obsessed with planners and here’s why: In a society where people dream big but feel like they have little time or can’t get organized, the idea of a tool that can help them clarify their goals, focus their thoughts, and prioritize their actions is something they can get behind. Add to that all kinds of options catering to specific types of goals, projects or personalities, and you’ve got the makings of an obsession.   Creating a daily planner to sell as part of your own business is a great idea. But standing out from the crowd can be hard, especially if you’re just getting started. While most daily planners start with a very similar foundation, it’s the extras that transform them from just another planner to an entire experience – something that your customers will feel an emotional connection with and know that THIS is the planner that will support their success and THIS is the planner they must have!   Want your planner to be “extra” special? Here’s a few ideas: Specialized content: Create a planner that makes your ideal customer say to themselves “they know me, they really know me!” Customize it to fit specific personalities, passions, dreams and ideas by adding focused content like lists, affirmations, challenges, recipes, workouts, projections, formulas, charts, horoscopes, etc. Paper Pockets: 2-sided pockets can be added to any size planner and used for holding extras like receipts, notes, etc.  Foil embossing: A great way to add extra flair Plastic slide-in bookmarks: Works great for spiral or wire-o planners Binders: Another planner binding option is to use 3-ring or 6-ring custom printed binders. They allow for a lot of flexibility in customizing, adding, and editing planner pages as they are used throughout the year. Great for ongoing subscription or membership programs. (Binders can be made in several sizes with a custom printed sheet wrapped to create a professional turned edge binder.) Stickers: Colorful, customized stickers make everything from holidays to reminders to celebrating success so much more fun! Notepads: Matching designs make them fun, ability to take notes on the go make them practical. Colored binding: Spiral binding is available in 50 colors. We stock black and white, but any of the other 48 colors available can be special ordered. Wire-o binding is available in 8 colors including black, white, blue, red, green, gold, silver and bronze. Tabs: Design colorful tabs that allow quick access to any section. Elastic closures: A great way to keep everything secure. Excited? Inspired? We are too! If you’re ready to create – or update – your daily planner, our newest planner just debuted and you can check it out here: Vervante 2020 Planner. If you have a vision, we can help. Start by sending an email to [email protected] and let us know if you have questions or need help with customizations. We can provide free quotes or free advice to help you get it done.

Vervante • September 3, 2019

They're here! Our new 2020 Planners that you can sell as they are, or customize to fit your branding, are ready to go! Planners are a hot-ticket item pretty much all year long. Everyone loves planners, they make great gifts, sell out during holiday promotions, and are perfect for boosting business growth. If you want a ready-to-go planner for 2020 to share or sell from your shopping cart – we’ve got it. If you want a custom-designed planner for 2020 that fits exactly what you need – we can do that too! Our new 2020 "My Best Life" planner has been designed for universal appeal. It can have hard or soft covers, is 7" x 9" in size, and spiral bound for easy use. Inside is a mix of full-color and black-and-white pages that include stickers, monthly and daily planning pages, adult coloring pages, tracking lists, space to journal, and more. Plus it's printed right here in the USA.  You can see page-by-page details of what these planners contain as-is by clicking on this link: Vervante 2020 Planner Think of this planner as a baseline for your own planner, but feel free to get creative and make all of the changes you would like. Here's a few ideas to get you started:  Use one of our cover options - or replace it with one of your own Change the color scheme to match your branding Add your logo and/or message to the back cover Choose hard cover* or soft cover Change colors for the binding: Spiral binding for soft cover planners can be in black or white. Wire-O binding for hard covers can be printed in a variety of colors (black, white, blue, red, green, gold, silver and bronze) *Minimum order of 25 for customized hard-cover planners There's no limit to how many changes you can make! If you’ve got a vision that involves lots of customization – we can make it happen! There is no limit to how many changes you can make, such as: Inside pages: Add address/contact info pages, exercise and nutrition-trackers, recipe and shopping lists, journal pages, budgeting guides, writing prompts, weekly mantras, accountability check-ins, and more. Stickers: You can use our stickers, revise them to fit your own brand, or opt for no stickers at all Change the size Use elastic closures to keep inserts secure Add foil embossing for extra flair Print without dates for flexible anytime use Add tabs for easy access to special sections Include pockets for extra organizing power HOW TO ORDER SAMPLE PLANNERS Order sample planners directly from the Vervante Bookstore using this link: My Best Life 2020 Planner HOW TO CUSTOMIZE PLANNERS Send an email to [email protected] and let us know what ideas you have for customization. We can either send you the InDesign files to make changes directly or our graphic design team can make changes for you ($75/hour graphic design rate). Questions? Email our planner pros or schedule a phone call by clicking HERE.

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 • August 7, 2019

Once you’re written a book, or created a new product, the next part is something a lot of people really struggle with – setting a price. It’s like a scary math problem where the answer isn’t always clear. Price it too high and no one will buy. Price it too low and you devalue your work and your profits. Finding the right price doesn’t have to feel like a guessing game, though, especially if you follow these tips. #1: Research similar books or products in your niche and take note of their prices. That will give you an idea of what’s working and a price range to start with. This doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to that range, but it’s a good starting point.  #2: Calculate your costs including printing, production, and fulfillment to get a break-even baseline. Add in extras that retail sites will charge you. If you sell from your own site, those costs will be minimal. Selling from online stores such as Amazon, however, will incur higher costs to deduct from your bottom line. If you have a certain profit margin you’d like to attain, this number will help you to set your retail price. #3: Consider the value your book, planner or product is offering to your customer. Will they save time, money, stress? If you are delivering a lot of value to their business or life, that raises the value of your product and the price you can charge. #4: Decide on a price that feels right to you. If you think you’re charging too little, then you’ll feel resentful and that will come through. If you think you’re charging too much, you might feel nervous, unsure or scared to put it out there. #5: Poll your beta testers. Ask them to suggest a price range. Or run your price idea by them for their feedback. These are people who have read your book or used your program, so they have personal knowledge of the value of what you’re selling. #6: If you’re selling from your own website, the price you set isn’t permanent. Pricing can be nerve-racking, we know, but you can always adjust. You might start out with an introductory price to test the waters and then adjust it to fit demand. Coupon codes, special packaged deals, and other similar methods can be used until you’ve got it just right. #7: Add value to support your price: Make the price you set a no-brainer by adding so much value that your customer is excited to buy! Create packages out of your book or product to make it unique and different than anything else - and add value with extra products that add value to it. For example, if you have a children's book, include stickers, coloring pages, crayons or colored pencils. For planners you could include extras like pens, clips, bookmarks, notepads, stickers, or even experiences like an introductory coaching session or limited-time membership in a mastermind or online program. Adding a little something extra like this will elevate your book or product's value in your customer's eyes. Yes, there might be similar products with lower prices (that are most likely bulk-produced in China), but you have the ability with self-publishing services to create something unique, elevate your customer's experience, and make yours the choice they want.

Vervante • July 30, 2019

Once in awhile someone catches our attention for a number of reasons: their story, unique sales and marketing strategies, personality, or product. Today’s spotlight shines on this Vervante author who checks off all those categories and more. Dulce Johnson dreamed of creating a planner and set out to accomplish that dream with no experience at all – and with a baby on the way. We’re excited to share her story here (and you won’t believe what happened on the day she launched her planner!). Dulce's story Q: Tell us the story of your planner I had been using goal-setting vision boards at home for a few years, but couldn’t find a planner that had everything I wanted, like an accountability section, to go with them. So I decided to make my own. I had no idea how to do this when I started. I just started Googling like crazy, reading everything I could, with a lot of trial and error along the way. That’s how I found resources I used for my planner, like Canva and Vervante. Every step of creating this planner I’ve done on my own. I’m not a graphic designer, so that was a big learning curve for me. I reached out to Vervante and asked a lot of questions. I had no shame, figured I was just going to keep asking questions until I figured this thing out. There was a lot of trial and error doing it this way. I had piles of printouts everywhere as I was developing it. I had to dig deep for creativity. I really had to step out of my comfort zone and push through. Q: What else was going on in your life at that time? When I began developing my planner, I found out I was pregnant. I’d already set a timeline/deadline, but now I had to speed that timeline up to get the planner done before my due date. In addition to that, I had a full-time job, active in church, husband and a busy toddler getting into everything. I had to set my priorities, decline a lot of social invitations and really focus. When I finally launched the planner, I opened preorders on a Friday and gave birth to my son two days later – 3 weeks earlier than my due date! Q: What advice would you give to someone else wanting to create a planner or product like this? Ask lots of questions! Make a product that you’d be comfortable using yourself and you’re proud to put out there. Also, don’t be afraid to go with your gut. In the process of making my planner I’d get feedback that just didn’t work for my vision. I’d thank them but did what felt right to me.   Q: What are your plans for this planner? It’s an undated planner, so I can promote it all year long. I share images from the planner on my Instagram a lot, with ideas and motivation for using it. I’m having a live launch party in August at a local coffee shop and plans for workshops using the planners starting October. I also plan on creating a men’s version next. I’ve had men interested in goal setting and wanting to use something like this, but mine is too pink and girly! About the Designed for Vision planner The Designed for Vision Planner is for the dreamer, the visionary, the goal getter who is ready to build great habits while also being able to plan out their days! Each page was created with the intention to help you create lasting habits and a lifestyle that will help you conquer the goals in your life. This full color planner is not only pretty in color but made to inspire you to live your best life. Learn more Learn more about Dulce and her planner visit https://www.designedforvision.com/shop or connect on Instagram at @designedforvision.