Category Archives: Business

A Friend, Indeed!

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“Happy is the house that shelters a friend”  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson  When searching for an order fulfillment company for your independently published films or books, look for many of the same qualities you would in a friend.

  • A company that is dependable – will ship in a timely manner.
  • A company that is trustworthy – will get the job done!
  • A company that understands your needs.
  • A company that is fair – is affordable.
  • A company that goes the distance – is adaptable.

If you find a fulfillment company with these attributes, you will have found a friend worth it’s weight in gold. 

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Before……Not After

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Many independent publishers make the mistake of concentrating on the writing of their book foremost. Marketing should not be thought of after the book is written. For the best outcome for book sales, it should be considered before a word is written. Think of  your audience – who you are writing to and for. It is often easier to identify target markets for non-fictional publications, and you can often market to wider, broader markets. 

With fiction, ask yourself, is your publication more age appropriate to adults, children, ‘tweens, young adults, preschoolers? Throughout your writing, keep your writing age appropriate to your identified market. Are there any special interest groups within the age group you have identified?

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

 

 

Three Candles

 

Three CandlesI just read the sad news about Farrah Fawcett loosing her battle with cancer. She was an inspiration to us all, battling a devastating disease with such grace and determination. Makes me grateful for my own wonderful health and sad for  all those stricken with cancer. For Farrah,  for my friends Amy and Brian , and all the others that are so courageous in their battle, I light three candles.

Turn Around Time

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When searching for an order fulfillment company, an important question to ask is “what is the turn around time on orders?” From the time the order is received, how long until it will ship? Don’t forget to ask about domestic shipments and also foreign shipments. After all, you don’t want to keep your customers waiting!

You will also want to check on the types of packaging materials used to ship the orders. Is the package sturdy enough withstand the shipping process?  You want your customers to receive your product in good condition. They deserve the best!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Grandma’s Hat

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Creating a “buzz” about your book is what it is all about. Independent publishers or self publishing authors play a critical role in book sales. Authors need to make a connection with their readers as well as sell themselves. 

 A few years ago, I attended a publishers “college.” I met a woman that I will never forget, nor her book! Her book was called “Grandma’s Magic Scissors.” First of all, the author was a grandmotherly type, through and through. She dressed unlike grandmothers of today, but like grandmothers of days gone bye.  Best way I can describe it was “matronly.” In short, she played the part to the hilt, and was as nice as can be – you know, “grandmotherly.” To top it all off, she wore a fabulous hat. Her book was about paper cutting. How to fold paper and cut it into fabulous designs like snowflakes, castles, birds, chess peices. All I wanted to do was buy a copy of the book and sit down, scissors in hand, with this fabulous woman and learn the craft of paper cutting!

She sold her book well, her craft well, and her brand was recognizable!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Publishing for Non-Profits

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With the decline of grants and other funding sources, many non-profits and other industries are suffering. In today’s world, there are an assortment of industries independently publishing books, films, cds and journals as a means of generating a much needed income stream.  Could your non-profit benefit by sharing it’s mission through the power of a book or film? It may even have the added benefit of attracting other companies or communities that wish to build a business partnership with your non-profit.

This blog is brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Back to Basics

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Fulfillment – What does it mean? It is “a sequence of steps involved in processing an order (invoicing and payment processing), making changes to inventory and sales records, packaging and shipping an order.”

Sounds straight forward enough, right? Well, it is actually more time consuming and more complicated than that. There are so many options available for shipping – first class mail, parcel post, media mail, 2nd day air, overnight express not to mention various carriers. Then there is the dilemma of what option and carrier will be the most economical so  maximum profitability on a sale can be retained.

Foreign shipments are another ball of wax. With the power of the internet, foreign orders are almost a given in this day and age. Especially if a publication has been well marketed using the latest techniques of social media marketing. Word spreads far and wide!

Most independent publishers would much rather stay focused on their craft of writing and publishing than the  business aspect of sales and inventory reporting, invoicing, payment processing and shipping. There are order fulfillment companies for any kind of product made in the US of A. My suggestion would be to look for a fulfillment company that specializes in order fulfillment for independent publishers.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Indy Filmmakers – Colorful and Unique

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Independent filmmaking is a whole other facet of independent publishing. I especially love  films that inspire, delight and educate!

There is a whole  breed of filmmakers that I feel can do our world a heap of good – they are the documentary filmmakers.  I love stories told through film of non-profit organizations doing humanitarian work throughout the world. Non profits are often underfunded and stretched to their limits but their strong missions and beliefs keep them alive.

Through our company’s service, it makes me feel good to help spread the word by shipping independently published DVDs globally! Let’s make the world a better place by sharing the good news!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

 

 

 

 

Time to think about Fulfillment

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976bfa94be4f44883faeb0cb041edb95[1] Clock Image Whether to outsource or not?

1.Have time and the where-with-all to invoice orders and process payments?

2. Willing to take phone, fax and internet orders?

3. Have a system for tracking sales and inventory?

4.Have knowledge of various postal and delivery options? How to get your orders there economically?

Leave the order fulfillment process to the experts, those that are well equipped to handle the business aspect that goes along with publishing. Focus on what you do best – creating, writing, publishing. While you are at it , don’t forget ,self promotion as an independent publisher is very important for successful sales.

Ask yourself these questions, assess whether you can handle your own book fulfillment. If the answer is no, it is time to do your research on companies that can. It is easy –

    google   “order fulfillment for independent publishers”

This blog brought to you by http://www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

We Are Global

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Being a company that ships all over the world, it is imperative for us to know how to ship orders the quickest and most efficient way. Last week, we shipped one of our clients DVD’s to Sri Lanka. That may have been our first shipment to that country. But, when you have a following, you have a following!

That is the hope for our blog. That there are lots of folks all over the globe interested in the subject of order fulfillment for independent publishers or simply interested in some of our other independent thought, words and views. There are lots of fulfilling things to talk about in this world. It’s not all bad!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com