Blog

Vervante • May 10, 2022

We love working with you! And we love it when you share what you like about working with us. So in case you’re new to Vervante, or want to learn more about the different products and services we offer, we've rounded up 20 things that make us stand out. #1: Publishing that helps your business grow: Here's why we are different: We encourage you to sell from your own site.  We will then take care of the details of printing, packaging and shipping your orders.  This way you capture the customer data, build your list, streamline the ordering process for your customers and build and grow your loyal fan base.   #2: You can use ANY shopping cart: You choose the shopping cart solution that works best for you. Then, using email, Zapier, our API or a simple text email format, we accept orders from any shopping cart.   #3: Publishing your way: We offer a variety of printing methods: digital printing, inkjet and offset, plus several cover and binding options so whether you need one or thousands, we’ve got appropriate printing and manufacturing solutions.   #4: Worldwide order fulfillment: 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 of the order information such as status and tracking numbers are posted to your account online.   #5: Inventory Management: We can print, store, and drop ship your products 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.   #6: Custom printed boxes and personalized packaging: Printed boxes for bundles, new products, VIP or subscription boxes are very popular. Vervante can help create, package, and ship these to your customers. We also offer a wide range of packaging options to help you create a box or package that stands out from the crowd. Customize your packaging on the outside with creative graphics, branding or stickers. And customize the inside with colorful tissue paper, attractive bags, mantra cards, or other unique inserts.   #7: Free Design Guides: Got design questions? We've got the answers! Free and easy to download, we've provided guides on our website for using Canva, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Illustrator that take you step-by-step through many of our most-asked about products and processes. #8: You Can Create Disc-Bound Products! We are one of only a few companies that provide punching for a disc bound product, giving you the ability to create these highly-desirable and super-hot items. If you have a product with us that you'd like to convert for disc binding, we can help you do that too! Check out these articles: "How to Create a Disc-Bound Planner," and "How to Convert a Planner into Disc-Bound." #9: Daily Planners Galore! If you want to create and sell a planner or journal, we can help you make it happen. We even offer the ability to sell spiral-bound or disc-bound planners on Amazon (something Amazon's self-publishing service does not offer.) We provide step-by-step guides for creating planners on our website and videos filled with ideas and expertise to help you create exactly what you want. #10: Card Decks with Unique Packaging: Our card decks are highly customizable – they can be printed at any size, with square or round edges and in either full color or black-and-white. And when it comes to packaging – the only limit is your imagination! We’ve packaged card decks in drawstring bags, clear pop-up boxes, button/string poly envelopes and custom-printed boxes.   #11: No Hidden Costs: 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. #12: Comprehensive Online Access to Reports, Orders, Tracking & More: The Vervante Author Dashboard is like having a central "mission control" for everything you create with us. It's an all-in-one location for placing orders, checking invoices, customizing products and more.   #13: No Package Requirements: Other 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. We offer individual products and services so you only pay for what you need.   #14: Samples / Preview Copies of Products: You've finished writing your book or creating a new product. The design files are done and everything looks amazing... on your computer screen. But how does it look in real life? We offer print-on-demand for many of our products that allow you to order one copy of your book, card deck, planner, or other product. We want you to be happy with what you’re creating and taking the time to print a preview copy is a great way to make sure it’s everything you want it to be. #15: Books, books, books! We print books any size, any number of pages – no pre-set page sizes and limited cover options.  Whatever you want, how many you want and when you want. Paperback, hardcover, coloring (for kids or adults!), children’s books, collaborative books, cookbooks, journals, planners, and whatever else you can think of.   #16: All the legal stuff you need to know: ISBNS, LCCNS, Copyright... If you’re going to share, sell, or distribute a book in any way, it’s best to protect it legally and set it up correctly for industry specifications. We educate our customer on everything from purchasing ISBNs for retail sales to protecting their intellectual property using copyrights, and we can help you through the process to make sure it’s done right.   #17: 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.   #18: Printing & 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. #19: Personal customer service & support: 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 experienced, attentive, and passionate about publishing is waiting to help. #20: Always Something New: We are always working diligently to stay on the leading edge of our industry and offer you the latest and best in what your customers want - and you need.   There's lots more, but we think this will give you a good idea of how we can help you create, sell and share the books and products you want - in the way that's best for you. Thank you for your kind words. We appreciate you and your business!

Vervante • April 21, 2022

Ever wonder what going on behind the scenes from the moment a product is ordered until it arrives at someone's door? Today we're pulling back the curtain and giving you the grand tour of how order processing, fulfillment, and shipping work with Vervante. First: An Order is Received We accept orders in a wide variety of ways, so you can set up your ordering systems to fit your business model and preference. We can work with: ANY shopping cart system online retail options such as Amazon orders sent to us using Excel or a .csv file orders placed manually via your Vervante Author Dashboard Orders placed through the Vervante Bookstore If you have questions about setting up your retail solutions and how they work with Vervante, that information and much more details about processing orders from your shopping cart can be found HERE.   Second: Printing, Processing and Fulfillment Once we receive the order information, your product 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 shipping and handling. Click here to read "What Is Print on Demand?" for more details. Bulk orders can be printed and stored in our secure warehouse, ready to be pulled and drop-shipped when you need them. For more information about placing bulk orders and storing stock in our warehouse, see "How to Lower Costs Through Bulk Orders." Processing & Fulfillment: After your order is printed or pulled from stock, it is assembled and packaged for shipping, and goes through a series of quality control checks to ensure both quality and accuracy for every order. Every package we send out includes a packing slip that you can personalize with your logo, message, policies and more to ensure customer satisfaction. To learn more about how to customize your packing slip, see "How to Create Personalized Packing Slips." Now it's Time for Shipping Orders are shipped according to the method you or your customer have indicated. We charge postage based on weight, shipping method, 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 packing slip is scanned, and shipping labels are applied. Products are shipped according to your preferred shipping method. Shipping confirmation emails are sent to recipients with tracking information. This feature is optional and can be turned off if you don’t want Vervante to email your customer the tracking number. Order information such as status and tracking numbers are posted to your Author Dashboard online. We hope this peek at what happens to your products as they move 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 via our Contact page. We're here to help!

Vervante • April 12, 2022

You've seen the term "print on demand" or POD a bunch, but what exactly does that mean? We get asked this question a lot, so we're happy to break it down here and walk you through exactly how Print on Demand (POD) services work. And how POD helps authors, entrepreneurs, and business owners share and sell books and products on their own terms. What does the term "Print on Demand" mean? Printing on demand uses both digital and inkjet 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. Click here to see a list of products that we print using POD services. 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. Here are two scenarios to illustrate how this works: 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 wherever you need them. Print on Demand pricing For books or products printed on demand with Vervante, you pay only the cost of printing plus postage for shipping. We offer free quotes for print on demand pricing, all you need to do is click on the "Get a Quote" link on our homepage. 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 customer 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. Best of all - no more stress! How to Use Print on Demand with Vervante We offer Print on Demand services for books, planners, journals, information products and much more. Here is a quick list of products we can print on demand. Click HERE to see a full list of POD products.  Spiral-bound products Saddle-stitch booklets Products & books with softcovers Products & books with poly paper covers Vinyl 3-Ring Binders Die-Cut Tabs Notepads Card decks Greeting Cards Postcards Certificates Newsletters Bookmarks

Vervante • February 8, 2022

(Part 2 of our "How to Create a Product From Start to Finish 5-part series) How to Create a Product with Vervante: Part 2 In the second installment of this special series of articles, we will guide you through the next steps once you’ve defined the product you want to create. How to get printing cost quotes Once you've defined exactly what you want to create, you can reach out to our team to find out what it will cost to print it. We provide free quotes, all you need to know when requesting a quote are general specifications. Here are a few examples: Books: Size of book, number of pages, cover type, binding method Card decks or greeting cards: Size of cards, number of cards, packaging Planners or journals: Number of pages, page size, tabs, covers, binding, etc. To request a quote, go to the Vervante website and click on “Get a Quote” in the top right-hand corner. Fill out the required information and you will receive an email response with the quote information. Create a Vervante author account To upload files and order products, you need to create a Vervante author account. It’s free, quick, and easy. Just go to our website and click on Sign Up. Once you’re set up, you can access your Author Dashboard, which is where you can upload files for printing, place orders, and access everything from sales reports to invoice details and everything else you need to manage your account. Writing and creating content No matter what kind of product you are creating - books, planners, card decks, children's books, coloring books, etc. - it's guaranteed that you will need some amount of written content for that product. Content is just as important as design when it comes to creating a product that is both attractive and functional. Here are a few of our tips to give you a head start as you create content for your product: Writing productivity tips: Facing a blank page can be hard, but we've put together a few articles that can help you get into the zone, including: "How to overcome writing obstacles," a fun guide to zombie-proofing your book or product, and our National Novel Writing Month writing productivity guide. The importance of copy editing: Nothing can be more damaging to your products and your reputation than publishing a book or other written product that is filled with typos, errors, and incorrect information. A few mistakes here and there aren't that big of a deal, but consistent misspellings, grammar errors, and incorrect information will distract your reader and leave them with a negative perception of you, your expertise, and the message or information you share. Check out this article to learn more about the different types of editing and how important it is for the success of your product: "The Importance of Copy Editing." Understanding legal issues: Understanding how to protect your unique work and the rules you need to follow is an essential part of being an author and entrepreneur. We've published several resources and multiple blog articles about the most common issues, answering many FAQs that our customers send our way. We've included links below to articles and free guides you can access that will give you a good working knowledge of the do's and don'ts as you create your new product. What to put on your book copyright page: 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. 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. Follow the link to this story, "What to Put on Your Copyright Page," and you'll see lots of examples you can use for inspiration.   FREE RESOURCES Our Help Page offers a variety of free resources including product videos and guides on everything from design tips to copyrighting.  Below are links to just a few of the many guides available: How to Use ISBN, LCCN, and Copyright "Can I Use That Quote?" What Authors Need to Know About Fair Use & Permissions Copyright Permissions and Fair Use How to Write a Children's Book Word Count Conversion Chart Custom-Designed Card Decks How to Create Your Own Coloring Books 7 Steps to Create the Perfect Planner In this section of our special 5-part series, we hope we shared information that has inspired and motivated you to move forward with your idea for a book or special product. Next week, we will cover what you need to know about designing your product, with insider tips to help you through the process. Links to Full Series Article #1: Getting Started Article #2: Creating Your New Product (this article) Article #3: Design and Print Files Article #4: Publishing & Printing Article #5: How to Share & Sell

Vervante • February 3, 2022

As part of our mission to help you have the best publishing experience possible, we’ve created a special series of articles to take you through the process from inspiration to creation to completion. Whether you're new to Vervante or have worked with us in the past, we think this will be such a valuable series for clarifying everything you need to do, step-by-step, to make your big ideas into reality. (If you miss anything, just check the links at the end of the article.) Creating a New Product: Getting Started One of the most important steps for any project is the first step. Decades of experience in the publishing industry has taught us that just the act of gathering your thoughts and ideas and defining what exactly you want to create can be one of the hardest things you do. We’ve been there and helped thousands of customers get started, so here are our best tips: FIRST: Define your product A great place to start is to look at other similar products like the one you want to create. Determine what you like about them and start writing down details such as: size (physical dimensions), number of pages, fonts, colors, type of binding, and any special treatments. NEXT: Watch product videos A great place to get ideas and see how things look in real life is by watching the videos on our Video Vault web page. These videos spotlight a variety of products close-up and in action, narrated by our CEO, showing ways to create and elevate your products. Currently there are videos for binders, planners, journals, card decks, calendars, custom printed boxes, greeting cards, stickers, book cover treatments, and more. We’re always adding something new, so be sure to check back often for lots of ideas and inspiration. THE NEXT STEP: Order samples Holding a sample product in your hand is one of the best ways to decide if you’re choosing the right specifications. We have a Samples Page on our website filled with products you can order to help you make your final decision. One of the most popular samples is our Paper Sample Notepad that includes eight of our most popular paper options – a great way to test the look and feel of the type of paper you’ll want to use. We also offer samples for books, book binding, calendars, card decks and greeting cards, posters, binders, printed boxes, pocket planners, newsletters, notepads, certificates and more. DOWNLOAD: Product catalog We do books ... and so much more! From books to other products such as daily planners, card decks, calendars, notecards, journals, CDs, and DVDs, we've got you covered. Get to know the wide variety of products, packaging, and publishing solutions we offer by downloading our detailed product catalog. (Just go to our home page and click on "Catalog" in the top menu.) FINALLY: Explore our extensive free resources EXPERT GUIDES: Free downloads for everything from how to get started to how to sell and even in-depth technical advice for setting up print files and shopping baskets. BLOG: Hundreds of articles, updates and even highlights of other customer stories that will inspire and assist. FAQs: We have an entire page on the website dedicated to answering the most frequent issues our customers have. Start there are you’ll probably find what you need. FREE BOOK: On the Expert Guide page, you'll find a link to download our free book "How to Self Publish." It's a complete guide for printing and publishing books and products and gives you everything you need in full detail for your next project. We know we’ve given you a lot of information, but this moment where you’re just getting started really is that important. Here’s a final thought… The most important move you will make right now is to choose the right company to work with. After more than 30 years in the publishing industry, we’ve seen up close and personal what you need – and what you don’t need – in order to pick the right company to help you. And we know that no matter if you choose to work with a large corporate publisher or specialized boutique organization, these are universal truths that will help you make the right decisions to ensure that your publishing experience is valuable, productive and, above all, stress-free. So click here to download “The 7 Things You Must Look For in a Publisher,” and be sure to reach out to us if you have any questions. In the next few weeks, we’ll be publishing more articles and information, so soak it in and get ready to create the amazing, inspiring, and business-building products you’ve been dreaming of. Links to Full Series Article #1: Getting Started (This article) Article #2: Creating Your New Product Article #3: Design and Print Files Article #4: Publishing & Printing Article #5: How to Share & Sell

Vervante • January 19, 2022

You've probably seen us talk about POD often enough, but what about MOQ? When it comes to the print and publishing world, becoming familiar with printing terms like these is a great way to minimize confusion and help you make the right decisions for budgeting, printing and sales down the line. Here's what you need to know: What is MOQ? “MOQ”, or minimum order quantity, refers to the fewest number of units required to be purchased at one time in order to place an order. The main reason for minimum order quantity is due to the upfront fixed costs associated with setting up a custom print job. Minimum order amounts can vary as well, depending on the product. To find out what the minimum order amount is for a specific product, please reach out to us either using the "Get a Quote" link on our website, or by emailing [email protected]. What is POD? Print on Demand, "POD", uses digital printing methods to print books and other products only in the amount needed. This means you can order 1 book or you can order 100, whatever you need. (More details here: "How Vervante Print On Demand works") POD vs MOQ The deciding factor on whether printing will be POD or MOQ depends on the type and complexity of product. We've created a graphic you can see here that lists many of the products we provide and whether they are POD or MOQ. For example: POD: Card decks, paperback books, notepads, and saddle-stitch booklets MOQ: Hardcover planners and books, kiss-cut or die-cut stickers, and anything with foil stamping or wire-o binding To access this graphic anytime, or download it for free, visit our Expert Guides page on the Vervante website.

Vervante • August 3, 2021

Ever have a feeling that you forgot something, but not sure exactly what it is? If you’re creating a daily planner (or any other kind of product), we’ve got what you need to feel confident that you’ve checked all your boxes and never miss a step. The Vervante Expert Guide Page and the Vervante Video Vault are free resources that contain invaluable guides, how-to’s, checklists and inside tips for creating and publishing planners, books, and other printed products. You’ll find everything you need to know from A to Z and help ensure a smooth and stress-free process from start to print to sales and shipping. Whether you’re working on a 2022 Daily Planner (the deadline is less than 3 months away) or an undated one that can be launched anytime, you’ll find everything you need to know so you don’t miss a step. Free Guides for Creating Daily Planners Start with our 7 Steps to Create a Perfect Planner guide Download and print out the Planner Checklist Infographic to keep you on track For deeper insight, learn how to create and use Custom-Printed Die-Cut Tabs for your planner Finally, scan through the rest of our library for resources to help you with everything from print file preparation to sales, royalties, retail distribution and even zombie invasions. All-Access Video Guides for Creating Daily Planners Another great place for daily planner resources is the Video Vault page on our website. This page is filled with real-life, full-color demos of our products and all the extras showing how they look and function to help you make your decisions. Take a few minutes to watch our videos, like this sampling listed below, and you’ll be sure to not miss a step as you create your new daily planner: Our Annual Customizable Planner Planner & Journal Add-On Options Hardcover Planners & Journals Planner Notepads Concealed Hardcover Wire-o How to Order Daily Planner Samples Did one of our planners catch your eye? In addition to reading and watching videos about planners and how to create them, you can also order samples to ensure they fit your vision. Check out our Product Sample Page to order any of a variety of styles.  We hope this helps you to avoid that “Did I forget something?” feeling and keep the excitement going as you create new daily planners for the people who really need them. We’re looking forward to helping you make your vision come to life and are here to help every step of the way.

Vervante • July 20, 2021

One of the most addictive things we love to watch on social media are “unboxing” videos. How fun is it to watch people open their packages and see not just what they ordered, but all the extra fun and special stuff inside? The packages you send out can be just as fun for your customers to open (and maybe end up starring in their own unboxing videos) by adding just a few “extras.” The beauty of this idea is that it’s very customizable. You can create as much as you want, add any products you like, and customize the design and details – and we can help you make it happen. How to add fun extras to packages This works for any type of packages including Subscription Boxes, VIP Boxes, Book Launch Boxes, Planner Debut Boxes, and even just single-purchases such as books or journals. FIRST: Decide what extras you would like to include in your package The secret to really impressing your customers is to choose items to add to your box that will complement the product ordered, or that will add value to the event or program your customer signed up for. We can produce some types of items such as: Thank you postcard, notecard or letter Wallet card flash drive Card decks Golden tickets, coupons, or bookmarks Notepads / Notebooks / Journals Stickers (see our online catalog and samples for more ideas of products we can help you create) You can also send us supplied items and our fulfillment service team can include them in your packages for you when we ship out your orders. Some ideas include: Pens, pencils, markers Apparel Crystals Bags for card decks Tissue paper to wrap the planner/book/journal Colored crinkle paper to sprinkle in the box Athletic accessories (fitness bands, supplements, etc.) Tote bags, pouches or pencil cases NEXT: Decide on box specs and presentation SIZE: If you would like a custom printed shipping box, we need to determine the correct sized box based on the content. Or, you can use one of our white shipping boxes and we’ll use the correct size. When you speak with our team about putting together your special packaging, consider how you want it presented. Do you want the products nestled inside layers of colorful tissue paper? Add a touch of glamour with confetti? Carefully positioned in shredded packing paper or bubble wrap in colors that match your brand? Take a look at unboxing videos for similar products to yours for ideas on presentation, then let us know what you’d like to do. Also, be sure to check our video vault page to see live examples of how this can work: Creative shipping boxes Creating custom printed boxes Add extra items to your packages FINALLY: Set up for warehousing, fulfillment and shipping Special boxed items like these involve multiple parts that need to be assembled, packaged and delivered just right. Here at Vervante, we provide the storage, assembly and shipping services you need for all types of boxes. If you're ready to create a box that provides an extra special experience for your customers, here are your next steps: Start by sending an email to [email protected] for a free quote. Let us know the products you plan on using, the box size and anything else you want for this project and we'll help you get set up. Better yet, put your head together with our CEO, Cindy Tyler, and she'll provide the advice you need for the box you want to create. (Schedule a phone call by clicking here) P.S. Creating special boxes like these can also be a great opportunity for a collaboration. Send this email to a friend or colleague and work together to create something special!

Vervante • July 7, 2021

If you use the online design program Canva to create your products, you’re not alone. Many of our customers use Canva with great results for creating planners, journals, card decks, calendars and more. If you have your Canva designs ready to send to us, here are a few tips and tricks to make sure your files are correctly set up and your printing experience stress-free. Page Limitations When you create a design in Canva that has multiple pages, Canva limits you to 100 pages. If you are creating a product that has more than 100 pages, such as card decks or daily planners, here’s what to do: Split up your design into multiple files within Canva. Send us the files and our design team will merge them into one final print-ready pdf for a small design fee. Please number the PDFs in the order they should be merged. We will then send you the final file for your approval before proceeding with setting up your product for printing with us. Adding Bleed If your product has color that goes all the way to the edge of the page, you need to be sure that you’ve added bleed to your design. Bleed helps to avoid having unsightly white gaps when you want your design to print to the edge of the paper. Here is how to set up bleed on designs in Canva: Click on “File” Select “Show print bleed.” A border of broken lines will appear close to the edges of your design. This margin is fixed and cannot be adjusted. If you see white gaps around the design edges, adjust your background and design elements to cover the white spaces. Due to the risk of a shift when cutting, make sure you extend the images outside of the bleed line to guarantee your document does not have a white stripe along the side of your page. Also, when you’re making those adjustments, know that anything in the bleed area will be trimmed off your print in the finishing process so if you want something to show up on your print, don’t let it creep into the bleed area. Crop Marks Crop marks show the printer where to trim (or cut) the paper or card for your product. The size for crop marks is fixed and cannot be adjusted. The time to add crop marks is when you’re ready to download your design and send it for printing. After you add bleed to your design, click the Download button on the toolbar. On the File Type dropdown menu, select PDF Print. Click the box next to “Crop marks and bleed.” Click Download. For more details and information about preparing your files for print, be sure to refer to this article “How to Prepare Your Files for Printing” on our blog.   ***Why are bleed and crop marks important? Missing bleed and crop marks seem to be the most popular reason for rejected print files. If your PDF has edge-to-edge printing, then you need bleed. This means the image should be slightly larger than the finished page size so that when we trim to the crop marks, we will cut through the image so that the printing actually prints edge to edge. Without bleed, your page/cover/document will have a white border all of the way around and the color will not print to the edge of the sheet. Print file preparation is extremely important, so even if you're not ready to start printing just yet, be sure to save these instructions to help you down the road.   Downloading Files From Canva Canva provides all you need to download a print-ready file, if you follow these directions: Start by clicking the download button in the top right. Under “File Type,” make sure “PDF Print” is selected. (Not PDF Standard). Make sure “Crop marks and bleed” are checked. Download your files in a single-page PDF format. Click “Download” to get your files. If you have any questions about using Canva for printing, or preparing your files to send to us, we’re here to help.

Vervante • July 7, 2021

Some authors come to us to self-publish one book. But most authors end up creating multiple books and products, as it’s hard to turn off inspiration (and your audience keeps asking for more!). No matter what kind of books you’re writing – from fitness to finance to fun cozy murder-mysteries – there’s something that everyone should understand early in the process: The benefits of publishing imprints for self-published authors. What is a publishing imprint? A publishing imprint is the name assigned to an ISBN. It will be the name listed as publisher on your book copyright or imprint page, on the back cover of your book, and in retail descriptions such as Amazon. Benefits of creating a publishing imprint Authors who publish their works under imprints set themselves apart from other self-published authors who have no imprint and are publishing under their own names. Having your book listed with a publisher name that is different than your own creates a level of professionalism that can overcome bias that many still have against self-publishing. Having an "official" name on the back of that book gives it a professionalism that many readers are looking for. It also helps you create continuity with your branding, and gives you more flexibility in marketing and sales. How to create a publishing imprint When you work with Vervante, you have the flexibility to choose between using us (Vervante) as your imprint, or creating one for yourself. Using Vervante as your imprint: If an author uses an ISBN purchased through Vervante, then Vervante will be listed as your imprint. Using Vervante ISBNs and listing Vervante as your publisher adds credibility as we are an established, respected publisher who has been in business for 21 years. Another benefit to using our ISBN is that you, as the author, retain full rights to your ISBN and content (a benefit that many other publishing companies do not offer.)  Creating your own imprint: If you already have a business brand name and your book is a part of that business, you might choose to create an imprint that is consistent with your business. For example, if your brand is “Fitness International,” and you are writing a series of books about nutrition, health and wellness, your publishing imprint could simply be “Fitness International Press.” If an author wants to create and use their own imprint, they must purchase their ISBNs directly from Bowker. When you purchase your ISBN directly from them, you can set up the publisher name that will be attached to it. PLEASE NOTE: If you purchase ISBNs from Bowker, you don't need to purchase barcodes as well. There are a number of free barcode generators online that you can use. An imprint is a great way for self-published authors to brand their works and elevate their credibility by having a professional publishing name associated with their books. If you have any questions about using Vervante as your imprint, or creating your own, please email our team

Vervante • June 23, 2021

How is your latest project going? If you're writing a book, or creating a new product like a card deck, daily planner, or journal, sometimes a little help getting started is what you need. Or maybe you're in the middle, got stuck, and not sure what your next step should be. No matter what you need - ideas, instructions, inspiration - you can find it on our website. Free resources written by our expert team that detail every step and every angle of the process, all free, easy to access, and available right now. Just click on the images below for access to everything you need to give your books and products the advantage as you bring your ideas to life.   FREE GUIDES FOR AUTHORS                                           DETAILED VIDEOS                                                 PRINT SPECS, SAMPLES & MORE                        

Vervante • May 16, 2021

You’ve created the perfect planner, now the big question is how much to charge for it? 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 steps. (btw, these work for any product – books, journals, card decks, etc.) STEP #1: Research similar products and see what they are charging. This will give you a starting price range and an idea of what customers are willing to pay. A note about pricing: If your community is relatively small and you’re planning on printing a small batch, for example less than 500 planners, don’t compare your product and price point to planner industry leaders Emily Ley or Erin Condren who both print thousands at a time, making their costs significantly lower.  STEP #2: Calculate your costs including printing, production, and fulfillment to get a break-even baseline. If you plan to sell on Amazon, remember to add in 15% commission for Amazon.  If you sell from your own site, include fees such as credit card processing and other merchant fees. STEP #3: Consider the value your book, planner or product is offering to your customer. Will this product help them save time, money, stress? If you deliver a lot of value, this in turn raises the value of your product and the price you can charge. STEP #4: Set 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 are charging too much, you might feel nervous, unsure or scared to put it out there. STEP #5: Poll beta testers. Reach out to friends, colleagues, anyone who might fit your target customer demographic and ask for feedback.  A soft-launch is a great way to test the water.  Pre-orders are another great way to test your product, price, and even help determine how many to print. The other added benefit of pre-orders is that it helps offset the cost of the print run. STEP #6: Relax that this isn’t set in stone. 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. STEP #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 to make it unique and different than anything else – and add value with extra products that complement it. For example, for daily planners you could include extras like pens, clips, bookmarks, notepads, stickers, card decks, 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 planner'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 • April 14, 2021

Free Guide: The Ultimate Checklist for Creating Print-Ready Files If you're ready to send in your print files, but not sure exactly how they need to be formatted - this expert guide is for you. Print file preparation is extremely important, so even if you're not ready to start printing just yet, you'll want to download and save this guide to help you when you're ready. This free guide provides checklists for preparing print files for: Perfect bound books Card decks Spiral-bound softcover Hard-cover spiral / Wire-o bound Kiss-cut stickers Saddle-stitch softcover Turned-edge binders Board covers, Laminated covers & Poly paper covers Hard cover casebound books We also have a full article on the blog discussing the importance of proper print-file preparation and details that will help here: How to prepare your files for printing. This free guide - and many others like it - can be viewed and downloaded from our Expert Guides page on the Vervante website. We're here for questions, free quotes, and any self-publishing assistance you might need at [email protected].

Vervante • April 6, 2021

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

Vervante • 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 • March 10, 2021

One of the most important steps for any project is the first step. Decades of experience in the publishing industry has taught us that just the act of getting started and gathering your thoughts and ideas can be one of the hardest things you do. So for anyone who has a vision for a new product, and needs a little guidance for what steps to start with, we’re gathered these tips for you. Define your product Gathering your ideas is the first step toward turning an idea into the real deal. A good place to start is to look at other similar products like the one you are about to create. Determine what you like about them such as size, number of pages, fonts, colors, type of binding, and any other special treatments. Then take those ideas and incorporate them as you plan out the details for your product. Watch product videos A great place to get ideas and see how things look in real life is by watching the videos on the Vervante Video Vault web page. The videos spotlight a variety of products close-up and in action, narrated by our CEO, and showing ways to create and elevate your products. Currently there are videos for binders, planners, journals, card decks, calendars, custom printed boxes, greeting cards, stickers, book cover treatments, and more. We’re always adding something new, so be sure to check back often for lots of ideas and inspiration. Find useful guides on our blog Our blog is absolutely packed full of information, updates and how-to’s for all of the products and services we offer. Here are just a few examples that can prove very valuable for illuminating and guiding you through your project: How to Sell on Amazon, Etsy & your own website all at once Step-by-step guide for creating custom card decks How to use ISBN, LCCN, and Copyright How to create a 2022 daily planner How to prepare your files for printing How to create customized journals Steps for setting up pre-sale offers How to set up shipping & postage Order samples If you’re unsure how some thing will look in person, we offer samples that can be ordered to try out. We have a Samples Page on our website filled with products you can order to help you make your final decision. Our newest and most popular sample is the Paper Sample Notepad that includes eight of our most popular paper options. We also offer samples for books, book binding, calendars, card decks and greeting cards, posters, binders, printed boxes, pocket planners, newsletters, notepads, certificates and more.  Get a free quote Finally, did you know that you can get a free quote estimating your printing costs before you are ready to print? This will help you plan for budgeting and costs as you design your product. All you need to know to get a quote are general specifications. Here are a few examples: Books: Size of book, number of pages, hardcover or soft, binding type, color or b&w Card decks or greeting cards: Size of cards, number of cards, color or b&w, packaging Planners or journals: Size of planner, number of pages, page size, tabs, covers, binding, etc. To request a quote, go to the Vervante website home page and click on “Get a Quote” at the top, right of the page. Fill out the required information and we will send you an email response with the quote information.    We hope this helps you to avoid that “I’m not sure where to start” feeling. And we’re excited to help you create and share books, planners and products that you’ve always dreamed of. For questions or ideas, you can always reach us at [email protected].