Category Archives: Publishing for non-profits

A Box, is a Box, is a Box?

Leave a comment
  • “Previously, it was rush to buy anything. Now I think that quality will stand out.” ~ Michael Hartnett

    If you think a box, is a box, is a box, you are mistaken! The importance of the strength of a box for shipping purposes, came clear to me when a delivery of books arrived from China, and all the books were nearly destroyed. The cartons were clearly marked for 25 lb. test weight, but the books contained within weighed almost 40 lbs. By the time the boxes arrived at the fulfillment house, they were all riped and torn.  If they had had to be moved one more time, that would have been the end.

    I recently read a statistic that a carton can loose 50% of it’s strength in one week, in a high humidity environment. So, you can imagine how cartons break down when they are being exported on a container from a place like China to the United States. Knowing how cartons will be stacked while in transit and while in storage, needs to be taken into consideration. Each time a shipment is moved, the integrity of the carton can deteriorate if a box is filled beyond it’s test weight, and even more so if it has been subjected to a high humidity environment. The compression strength of a carton can be compromised if boxes are stacked higher and wider than designed for.

    Thankfully, there are lots of professionals in the packaging industry who do their homework and know about carton-drop tests, carton test weights, board weights, etc. Most book printers discuss their need for appropriate cartons for shipping wtih their packaging vendors, too.

    The point of this blog: A box, is a box, is a box – NOT! One size does not fit all! From experience, I know, that poor outer packaging can turn perfectly good products into unsaleable items. It is never a good idea to skimp when selecting exterior packaging for shipments, large or small! Being pound wise and penny foolish, just does not pay!

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

    • Walk the Walk

    Leave a comment

    “The most important thing about goals is having one.”                                 ~ Geoffry F. Abert

    Today is World Health Day! It marks the beginning of a week long world-wide health campaign called 1,ooo Cities, 1,000 Lives. The World Health Organization calls upon all cities worldwide to open up portions of streets to people to promote health activities. For more information visit http://1000cities.who.int/

    I love to walk, and it is a form of exercise that costs nothing. For me, daily walking eases any stresses in my life. I walk and ponder! It is how I keep my mental attitude healthy! I can go out the door as Oscar the Grouch and return after 20-30 minutes of brisk walking, as little Miss Suzy Sunshine. That’s not a bad trade off, is it?

    Every month, almost all of the women’s magazines on the news stand tout articles about the benefits of walking. It is hard not to be informed about the issue. Although many people mention the lack of time to exercise, walking can become a fulfilling habit, with little change to your regular routine. Research has shown it takes 21 days to form a habit. Set a goal to walk a little more each day. It will help you to stay focused along the way. By reaching your goal, your self-esteem will be boosted and you will feel confident that when the tough gets going, you can overcome.

    When it comes to walking, it is hard to find excuses “why not”, no matter where you live. Even in cities, you can take to the streets and get in your daily dose of exercise. The largest cities around the world have some of the most gorgeous public parks! Go see what they have to offer!

    Springtime is the best time to establish a walking routine. Start today by becoming part of a global health campaign! Celebrate each extra step you take, knowing you are one step closer to your goals of becoming fit and healthy.  Have fun!

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

    Rallying the Troops

    4 Comments

    “One of the things we desperately need is spiritual renewal in this country. We need a spiritual renewal in America.” ~  Billy Graham

    It is Spring! What better time for Kiwanis International to have their new member campaign drive. May is coming up, and Kiwanis International of Steamboat Springs, CO is on a mission! As an organization, we are all going to put our focus into recruiting new members who have energy, heart and a common interest in “improving children’s lives, one child at a time.” Kiwanians believe “through guidance and example, we can work together to develop future generations of leaders.”

    Guess what? We have started already! We have sprung ahead a month early by talking with prospective new members. To some people, spring means warming temperatures, longer days, crocuses, tulips, daffodils, baby chicks and a re-awakening of the earth from a long winter’s sleep. Those are all beautiful things!

    To Kiwanians, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, spring means:

    • Stewardship
    • Possibility for New Members
    • Recruitment
    • Interest in Improving the Lives of Children
    • Non Profit Work and the Fulfillment it Brings
    • Growth and Renewal

    Membership in Kiwanis International requires little time, and it brings great rewards in personal fulfillment! Join in, meet new community members who share some of the same values, and re-awaken the spirit in your step and guide by example, future generations of leaders.

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

    Weekend Indie Publishing News!

    Leave a comment

    Tune in this Morning, Saturday April 3, 2010 to radio show for authors and independent publishers. “Cover to Cover” with host Frank Gromling will have as his guest, Sue Leonard of Cornerstone Fulfillment Service, LLC. Today’s discussion will be order fulfillment for independent publishers. Tune in to www.wnzf.com on-line at 11:30 am Eastern Standard Time, 10:30 am Central Time, 9:30 am Mountain Time and 8:30 am Pacific Time.  If you miss it you can go to Archived shows at www.wnzf.com or www.oceanpublishing.org.

    Last weekend at the Colorado Independent Publishers Association Collge, I learned something I was not aware of. Scott Flora, Executive Director of the Small Publishers Association of  North American (SPAN) informed me that it is springing into new territory. This non-profit publishing trade association is establishing a new on-line presence! For a period of time, a one month free trial membership is available.

    The mission statement of SPAN is “Advancing the Success of Independent Publishers and Authors.” There are so many member benefits to joining publishing trade associations fromm education  to  discounts on writing software, discounts on printing and discounted advertising rates. For more information on SPAN, please visit www.spannet.org.

    Join this non-profit trade association and take advantage of all the benefits this organization has to offer!

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

    Covering All Bases

    Leave a comment

    “The art and science of asking questions is the source of all  knowledge.”~ Thomas Berger

    Frank Gromling,  Host of Radio Show “Cover to Cover” www.wnzf.com called yesterday! I knew he would. He is as reliable as they come. He called and asked me to be a guest on his radio show this coming Saturday morning, April 3rd! “Cover to Cover” is an educational radio show for authors and publishers that all of you should not miss.

    If yesterday’s blog left you dazed, confused and scratching your head, it was because I wanted to talk to Frank, ask and confirm the broadcast date, before I spilled all the beans.

    Frank knows how to put together a great radio show! Every Saturday morning he has guests who know the independent publishing scene well and they share their knowledge about a variety of subjects relating to the industry. This Saturday, tune in and learn about order fulfillment for independent publishers. Independent publishers will come away from this half hour show with a better understanding of what services order fulfillment companies provide.

    The best way to become knowledgeable about independent publishing is to listen to “Cover to Cover”  www.wnzf.com weekly, attend publishing conferences, search for e-zine articles on the industry, join independent publishing associations and ask questions of those who are seasoned professionals. Cover all your bases! There is valuable knowledge to be had everywhere. Take every opportunity there is to educate yourself.

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

    Frank Calling

    1 Comment

    “Reputations are made by searching for things that can’t be done and doing them.” – Frank Tyger

    I need to talk to Frank and discuss this passion of mine, independent publishing! The subject has occupied all the nooks and crannies of my mind for the past 10 years. Trouble is, Frank’s last name has escaped me! I have been searching all over my digital files, in my rolodex, in my address book and in my file cabinets- to no avail. It is the most foolish thing because he is not the kind of guy that disappears. Since the day we met, when I have been searching for an answer to a question about the independent publishing industry, Frank has been there. Maybe some day, I can return the favor and answer his questions!

    It is so difficult when you are trying to think of the name of someone and it evades you! I resorted to the internet to search for Frank’s last name, but that wasn’t much help either! I came across so many Franks – Frank Morgan, Frank Sinatra, Frank Capra, Frank Zappa. My friend Frank is, in a sense, an entertainer too. I used search engine keywords like Florida Publishing Company Owner Frank and all I came up with is a book called “Way Out West Lived a Coyote Named Frank.” No, it is not that Frank! I read that book to my kid, umpteen times, when he was young.

    Perhaps I ought to drop it for today, if Frank does not hear f rom me, I know he will call. I better stay close to the phone, I wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to discuss helping authors get their books out of basements, attic and garages and into the hands of readers. If I hear from Frank, I will let you know what he says tomorrow – so stay tuned, I might have some information I may want to reveal.

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

    Feeding the Mind, Again!

    Leave a comment

    “The most important thing to remember is this: to be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become.”  ~ W.E.B.  Dubois

    Things will be a little quiet on this blogsite All Things Fulfilling for the next few days. I will be at the Colorado Independent Publishers Association “College.” An event I greatly look forward to. I will be busy networking, cavorting, educating, indulging and engaging in a subject that has captured my interest and my passion for the past ten years – independent publishing! It is an industry that has gained enormous popularity and has evolved greatly. There is never a dull moment, and there is always something new to be learned, gained, profited from educationally and professionally, with each new publishing event I attend.

    As a blogger, I am on the job 24/7!  Well, maybe not 24/7, I do sleep! I am grateful that I never remember my dreams. If I felt pressured to blog about events that occurred in my sleep too, it would be cause for total burnout! Since I am a person who struggles with quieting my mind, as it is, it would be the worse case scenerio of stimulus overload I could ever encounter! But, during my awakening hours, I am always on the lookout for my next story.

    When I return on Monday, I will have plenty of blogging material I will want to share with my loyal readers. I have decided that until the general population catches up with the blogging world, you could just call me a reporter. The power of e-marketing and social media marketing is awesome but few understand it. Not quite yet, anyway!

    While I am away, enjoy a little bit of spring unfolding before your eyes.

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

    Counting Down

    1 Comment

    “The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you.” ~Tom Bradley

    Isn’t it fun when you get together with others that speak the same language as you do? Networking with communities of people who like to converse about the same things as you do is fulfilling and definitely has it’s rewards. For an independent publisher, attending workshops and publishing conferences is especially valuable. All the tricks of the trade can be learned in this ever evolving, fascinating world of independent publishing.

    Only two days left until the Colorado Independent Publishers Association “College” begins in Denver, CO. Each spring, the Board members of this publishing trade association of 450 members brings together vendors that are “the best of the best” in the business. Book printers, editors, copywrite/trademark experts, book marketing companies, producers of book trailers, leaders in creative writing workshops and other freelance professionals who support authors and independent publishing, through their services, will be present. Folks who can give  you advice on partnering with order fulfillment companies for independent publishing success will be there. Outstanding keynote speakers will even rev up and wow the crowd!

    The “College” will culminate with a dazzling event! The best independently published books of the year, by Colorado residents, will be recognized with an EVVY award! For more information, please visit www.cipabooks.com.

    When you come, look  me up! See you there!

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

    Shedding Some Light

    Leave a comment

    “One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can’t utter.” ~ James Earl Jones

    A week or two ago, I blogged about men. I wanted to know what things men like to write about.  My point that men, I suspect, like to write about entirely different subjects than women, could very well be proven if only I could open wide the doors of communication on this issue.

    One of my loyal blog followers wrote to me to say that her husband likes to blog all about his skiing adventures, he also writes about the rules of Australian football and is tinkering around with the possibility of delving into science fiction writing. Ok – that is a start! And then there is my acquaintance , Jon! Jon Katz is the best communicator I know who writes about his relationships with four footed creatures (canines!). Now he has decided to try his hand at writing children’s books. For more information, see www.Bedlamfarm.com.

    I have been taking particular note of the men folk in our writers group- we’ve got a poet among them, a writer focused on young adult (teen) literature using a very creative approach, and a few other interesting subjects that I can forsee the target markets as being male readers.

    Don’t for once think that women can’t write about men’s issues! Jon’s daughter, Emma, has decided to jump into the publishing world, and she has written a book about baseball, of all things!

    Come on, guys, don’t be shy – let’s hear about your writing endeavors. How are you going to sell your books if you won’t talk about them? It just does not work that way – bookstores don’t sell books, people do! If you aren’t hyped up about your publications, how do you expect others to be? Get out there, sell yourself as an author and perhaps with a little help from your friends, we can get the job done!

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

    Spirit of Adventure

    Leave a comment

    “A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind.”                                   ~ Eugene Ionesco

    There is a commonality that I have found among all independent publishers. It is the spirit of adventure. This should not be a surprise to anyone! The creative mind knows not where it is going or what the end result will be. It is the sense of the unknown that keeps the creative process going.

    Daydreaming, engaging in fantasy, reliving old memories and creating new, are all part of the creative process. The artist does not exist to support the mind, the mind exists to support the artist. Paying attention to the little nuances of life creates the experience that an artist draws from. To the artist, mindfulness is not judging, rather it is simply observing and then letting the creative process take  hold, meander, carry and go with the flow of energy.

    Are you a person who is considering joining the ranks of  independent publishers? Don’t let fear and uncertainty hold you back. Take action, jump aboard and embrace the opportunity! Your creativity,  your knowledge, your inspiration and your tales of entertainment will take your readers to places they have never been before. Enjoy the creative travel and welcome to the wonderful world of independent publishing!

    This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com