Category Archives: Independent filmmakers

Partners

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If you plan on hiring an outside company to handle order fulfillment of your independently published books and DVDs, it is always a good idea to begin your search for a fulfillment company well in advance.

Advanced research (and obtaining quotations) will help you in setting your price points for your products. You will want to make sure the shipping and handling fees you charge your customers will pay for a good part of having your publication shipped from the warehouse to your customer’s door.

A qualified fulfillment company knows and can discuss the mail order industry standards for shipping and handling fees. Make this a part of your discussion when searching for fulfillment companies. Sometimes, two heads are better than one when it comes to establishing appropriate shipping and handling fees.

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

A New Day Rising!

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There is a group 1,600 filmmakers that have come together to produce “films that matter.” This group of filmmakers, Nomads Land Network www.NomadsLand.com partner with non-profits, ecotourism and volunteerism groups to produce social issue media and documentary films. I am so excited about this network of filmmakers. This is the stuff we at Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC get all excited about and want to shout “Hurray!”

I told you there is alot of good stuff on the horizon in independent filmmaking!

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Comin’ Down the Track

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Traditionally published writers are jumping the track and heading down the road toward independent publishing. It is not that their manuscripts aren’t good and can not be accepted by traditional publishing houses. Quite the contrary!  They have established themselves as creditable writers and already have  a following. They just want to try the independent publishing route this time around.

My advice to this group of writers is not to jump the track completely. Continue having an outside source assist you with marketing, order fulfillment  and distribution of your publication. There are lots freelance professionals that can help you with those aspects of the process.

The “to do” list is long enough for writers. Don’t think you can engineer the entire publishing process on your own. Surely, you do not want a train wreck!

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Writers, USA – Unite!

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I don’t mean to sound like a broken record on this blog subject. But, I think it is worth repeating!

Writers, let’s unite on Saturday mornings and all be on the same web page! Tune in to www.wnzf.com  “Cover to Cover” with Frank Gromling.   Broadcast times across America –

  • Eastern Standard Time       11:30 am
  • Central Standard Time       10:30 am
  • Mountain Standard Time    9:30 am
  • Pacific Standard Time          8:30 am

Every Saturday morning, that is right! Every Saturday morning! Frank promises to make each show well worth listening to!

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Move Forward In Confidence

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Do your research and be informed. Many order fulfillment and distribution companies charge a hefty monthly minimum fee if your monthly sales volume does not meet their requirements.  Keep this in mind when  you are choosing an order fulfillment company.

Stop! Ask! And move forward when guided by knowledge.

This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

 

 

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

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

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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State signs - shipping everywhere

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