A client pointed out that the projects my team and I create – websites, one-sheets, and other marketing tools – successfully “encapsulate” what the target audience really wants; they don’t simply describe the product or service being sold. In other words, the copy focuses on the benefits and results the target audience receives. I asked my team member Patrice Rhoades-Baum to address marketing tools focus points. Patrice is a marketing consultant specializing in branding for solopreneurs and micro-businesses, and she’s an expert copywriter for websites and one-sheets. Do your marketing tools focus on YOU or your PROSPECTS? Take a quick quiz!…
Are you stumped by new acronyms that have suddenly popped up and become part of the current lexicon in the publishing, marketing or advertising arenas? I’ve notice new acronyms are born whenever there is a new leap in technology, such as the emerging field of ebook publishing. Here are definitions of some and newly coined and common acronyms used in self-publishing, printing and graphic design. AI — Adobe Illustrator A vector-based graphic file format developed by Adobe. BMP — Bitmap A raster-based file format. CMYK— Cyan-Magenta-Yellow-Black A four-ink color system used by printers to print full color images. This is…
Just as you have many choices for printers, paper, and folding, you’ll find lots of options for book binding too. Each binding method has a specific benefit, whether it’s low cost, durability, or the ability to lie flat when open. Be sure to ask your printer for advice on choosing the appropriate binding for your project. Here are some of the most common binding methods and applications for each of them. Case Bound (Hard Cover) You would likely choose this kind of binding for reference books, archival materials, textbooks, children’s books, and gift books. With case bound binding, the signatures of…
In this digital age most photos are created as electronic jpg files inside our cameras, but sometimes we need to scan old photos, drawings or paintings as digital images for projects. Currently we are designing the cover and interior or a biographical book. Many of the old photos we plan to use in the book were taken decades before the invention of the digital camera. I would like to share some basic information about scanners so you know what to consider when buying a desktop scanner. Some of our clients prefer to scan the old photos and give us the…
As an author and independent publisher I’m always looking for ways to leverage my work and the material in my printed book, Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal. Turning my intellectual property into various products is a pretty obvious solution. The emerging popularity of Kindle, iPad and Nook ereaders convinced me now was the time to convert a printed book into an ebook. Many Ways to Sell and Distribute eBooks I discovered there are several routes I could take to sell and distribute my ebooks, depending on how much time and effort I wanted to put into the distribution process. I…
Hi readers, this article is written by Kelly Johnson who is my virtual assistant and a member of my virtual production team. She explains the mysterious little black and white patterned squares we see popping up all over the landscape. What are they, how do we use them, what benefits do they offer for our business and personal use? One of the topics I hear discussed frequently is that technology offers many options in running and promoting our businesses, but the constant changes and skill set that is needed to implement much of this technology can be overwhelming. Many business…
Hi readers, this article is written by Helena Mariposa who is a member of my production team. She offers some nice insights into converting manuscripts and book layouts into ebook formats. Many of my authors have asked me to transform their books into a ebooks now due to the popularity of the Kindle, ipad and Nook. Helena is my go-to gal for this service. Here is her advice: Authors and self-publishers are proud of the work they have done to make their books read and look as well as they do. Now they have heard there is another way to make their book readily accessible to…
You may want to consider printing special effects to add pizzazz to a special job. They are implemented during the “finishing” stage, and will add to the cost of your piece. Ideal jobs for these special effects are pocket folders, brochures, and invitations. Embossing Embossing uses a metal die, heat, and pressure to reshape the surface of paper. Embossing raises the image above the paper surface while debossing lowers the image. Unless combined with foils (described below), it is referred to as “blind embossing.” A small magnesium die (for example, a logo on your business card) may cost $100. You will…
Be sure to choose the right paper for your book, direct mail piece, annual report, stationery, brochure, or package design. This summary will help you make the right decision about what kind of paper to use for your printed marketing pieces. Defining Papers by Grade Grade refers to a category of paper, based on the paper’s primary use. It also represents a quality rating, from premium (the best), to #1, #2, #3, etc. By category, there are five basic grades of paper: bond, offset or uncoated book, coated book, text, and cover. Within each grade are other characteristics: brightness, opacity, bulk, color,…
My client Mike Gannon took home 3rd Place in the Inspirational and Memoir categories for his book If These Ears Could Sing at the 2011 Colorado Independent Publishers Association CIPA EVVY Book Awards banquet last night. Melanie Mulhall edited the book, Kerrie Lian designed the interior and I designed the cover. Mike Gannon and Jeri Costa flew in from Reston, Virginia to attend the banquet last night. We had a fabulous time supporting and cheering on Mike as well as Melanie, who took home a 1st Place Editing Tech Award for Called: Women Hear the Voice of the Divine by Gretchen…