Quality Control in Order Fulfillment

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“Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for.” ~ Peter F. Drucker

If you have ever stepped inside the doors of an order fulfillment center, you know there is a lot of inventory being moved around. It is the nature of the industry. If you are an independent publisher who plans on outsourcing your order fulfillment, there are some steps you can take to reduce the chances of having your product damaged in a warehouse environment and increase the odds of your customer receiving your book, dvd or cd in good condition.

  • Request a sample of the packaging, from the fulfillment house, that will be used to ship your book, cd or DVD. Does it pass your “crush test?”
  • Shrink wrap your publications; further safeguarding the product from getting beat up and bent up – especially important for paperback books.
  • Visit the fulfillment house, if at all possible; take tour. Check for cleanliness and order.
  • Every so often, have friends or family order your publication and take note of the exterior packaging. Does it meet with the standards and speed of delivery you agreed upon and are paying for? Does the exterior packaging hold the “goods” securely in place during shipping?

Shrink wrapping may not be necessary for books that will be sold by a wholesale book distributor, in case lots. However, for orders that will be fulfilled individually, shrink wrapping is a great way to protect the edges and corners from being damaged, as it moves through the channels of the warehouse.

Any respectable fulfillment company should give potential clients a tour of their facility and provide you with a sample of the packaging they use, if you ask. A reputable company understands that a lot of time and money has been put into producing and publishing your product, and you are trying to protect your investment.

As an independent publisher offering a quality product, do you what you can on your end to help reduce the likelihood there could be some damage to your stock.

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

Regard for the Book

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Acceptance of prevailing standards often means we have no standards of our own. – Jean Toomer

Snakes, fingernails scraped across a chalk board and bedbugs are just a few things that make people cringe. What makes me cringe? Books being transported, in tote bags, to book selling events and ill-fitting cartons, which allow books to slide.

Last week, over the internet, on an on-line forum for independent publishers, a person posed a question “Should books be shrink wrapped or not?”

“ Yes…..yes…,” I said “it is worth the extra expense!”

A pet peeve for me is seeing paperback books and hard-covered books with dust jackets being sold with dog-eared corners and pages, when the buyer is expecting brand new.  Independent publishers, it has become even more important to sell your publications at book events in pristine condition. If someone wants to buy a used book, they will go to a place like Amazon or a bookstore that sells used books and pay less than top price.

If you are selling your book at top price, have your books shrink wrapped, so your buyer is guaranteed the purchase of a brand new book. Don’t want to go to the extra expense, you say? If you are handing your own order fulfillment, consider doing the shrink wrapping yourself. Here is a resource for  supplies. http://bit.ly/GHz3WX.

Respect the product you have lovingly created, respect your customer and the money they are spending for a new publication and respect yourself as a top quality independent publisher. It is as simple as that.

Return tomorrow for a tip or two on how to select an order fulfillment company that respects your publications, too.

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

Individual Integrity in Publishing

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I received an interesting blog comment two weeks ago from a reader regarding the post “Paranormal Book Sales.”  The response from the reader was that if “he was going to put his work out there,” meaning publish it, “he wanted his book in-print.” I respect that! Deciding whether to publish an e-book or a book in- print, or audio book  is an individual decision, there is no right or wrong. Depends on your purpose and objectives for publishing and what feels right.

The same reader went on to say that not only does he want his book in print, “he wants the second opinion of an editor.” My reply to his remark “publishing an e-book does not preclude you from having a book edited.” This brings up a good point for our blog subject today.

Editors are key players when it comes to putting quality publications and productions into the market place. Authors use editors. Filmmakers use editors. Music producers use  audio editors.

From the point of view of a person serving the independent publishing industry, putting quality publications out into the marketplace is of foremost importance, if non-traditional publishing is to continue to grow. Having a publication edited is all part of the process.

The Colorado Independent Publishers Association www.cipacatalog.com has been a leading force in getting high quality independent e-books into library catalogs. Excellence is crucial in order to advance this trend. I endorse this position whole heartedly!

Eric Leppert’s words about fulfilling a responsibility to an industry in my opinion, is spot on. “Professionalism is not about adherence to the policies of a bureaucracy. Professionalism is about having the integrity, honesty, and sincere regard for the personhood of the customer, in the context of always doing what is best for the business.”

More independent thoughts, words and views from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com will be posted tomorrow. Please return!

Engage in Results Based Marketing

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“Being entirely honest with oneself is good exercise.” ~ Sigmund Freud

I’ve never thought that I have an addictive personality – could care less about chocolate, drugs have never been my thing and I tend to avoid big blasts of caffeine. A morning and afternoon cup of honey-laced tea is for me. Don’t even mingle with a just few sips of alcohol. It puts me off my feet. I’m not fitness-crazed; only the recommended daily walk.  Yet I have developed a co-dependency, there is no doubt!

Addictive personality traits help people deal with life, and in my case, addiction to social media brings gratification to the heart of the business. The substance behind the addiction of internet marketing is communication. How can anyone isolate themselves and not do business without engaging in social media? It does not work. Fact of the matter is, and I am not just trying to rationalize, in this day and age does anyone have a better choice?

All Things Fulfilling is my enabler. The blog connects me with other folks who live, breathe and talk independent publishing and find fulfillment in the creative arts.  My addiction to blogging is fueled by results.

This is one addiction worth hanging on to. If you are an independent business owner of any kind (including those who work in the creative arts) who is getting few positive results from  old fashioned marketing tactics, such as in-print ads and direct mailings, there is help available. Remember, we are now in the digital age.

Contact a company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers. Learn about the new dimension in advertising and promotion that is far reaching and relatively low cost. It is worth getting hooked ..

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

Read an E-Book Week

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“I have seen how the foundations of the world are laid, and I have not the least doubt that it will stand a good while.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

We are smack dab in the middle of Read an e-Book Week!

More and more Americans are gaining access to the internet through WiFi. No longer tethered to desktop computers, communicating through digital devices in most communities, is possible even when we are on the go. Many people have traded in their telephone landlines for wireless phones. Smart Phones and i-phones are very handy for accessing electronic bookstore catalogs if you do not have a Kindle, a Nook or any other brand of digital reader.

If you have a hand-held device already, why not join in on Read an e-Book Week? It involves no monetary investment at all. There are plenty of e-books you can download for free or for less than the cost of a cup of coffee. A trip to the bookstore or to the library is no longer necessary to pick up a good read. You probably have what you need to locate and download a fulfilling book right in your hand!

What do you like to read? Fiction, non-fiction, mystery, chick lit, mind-body-spirit, detective stories or comic books? E-books are now available in most genres or categories of literature. Books for young readers and academic textbooks in are available in digital format, too.

Think what sustainable publishing will mean to this new generation of readers as they grow up. They are witnessing the building of a strong foundation for green publishing now.  Print on demand publishing and e-books means a reduced number of books will end up in landfills. That is a good thing!

Although Read an e-Book Week is designated from March 4 to 11th, the beauty of independent on-line bookstores is you can gain access 24/7! No locked doors at any time. Pick up a book whenever you want – the store is always be open.

It is a very exciting time for independent publishers. Do you have story to tell? Join in!

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

Filtering Thoughts: Writers Mantra

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“Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you’re going to live your life.” ~ Joel Osteen

Ok – so today my mind is out of control. So what if I am thinking about filters. I’ve thought about much worse things before. I am consumed with  filters – air filters, water filters, coffee filters, filters on camera lenses and such. If I  made a list of items that have filters, it would be quite long.

What is the definition of filter anyway? According to Webopedia, http://bit.ly/y5xShO  A filter is: “A pattern through which data is passed. Only data that matches the pattern is allowed to pass through the filter.”

Consider how filters apply to lives rather than things. If we lived by the definition of filter by only permitting information that matches a certain standard to pass through our brains, we could ultimately control our life experience. In other words, setting a pattern of thinking positive things, and not letting negative thoughts and emotions enter into the equation would bring life altering change. Wouldn’t it?

Hey, now! There is some validity to that. As a writer, whenever I  begin to think  “I don’t know what to write” or  “I don’t know how to put it down on paper”  I may as well be building walls rather than blogs. Time to call it a day.

With positive feelings or with no preconceived notions of what I am going to write, and by letting the free flow of thought fill the paper, the best results come.

Affirmative thoughts bring affirmative action, fulfilling thoughts bring fulfilling things. Affirmative thoughts bring affirmative action, fulfilling thoughts bring fulfilling things. Affirmative thoughts…….

Ahhh – My writer’s mantra is working. “Visualize and achieve” thoughts have kicked in. Perhaps being consumed with filters was good for me after all. Merci beaucoup!

For more information on writers mantras, please visit this link. http://bit.ly/wZUgsQ .

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

Are ARC’s becoming Archaic?

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“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly. ” ~  Richard Bach

At our weekly meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Steamboat Springs,Colorado http://bit.ly/w1qdgz a staff member from the local Indie Bound Bookstore came to update us on a program that our organization supports.

Thousands and thousands of Advance Reader Copies and galley copies are sent to bookstores and libraries all over the country each and every year. ARCs are uncorrected proofs that can not be resold in retail in environments or placed on shelves in libraries. They serve as advance promotion and advertising for publications soon to be released.

The Kiwanis Club of Steamboat assists with funding shipping costs to send Advance Reader Copies of books to families of military troops. www.operationpaperback.org   For those who do not have access to a variety of books ARCs are a perfect way of fulfilling a need for literature for children and adults in far off places of the world.

As we discussed this wonderful program, that saves hundreds of thousands of books from ending up in landfills each and every year, I began to think how a complete systemic change in the way ARCS are delivered would save a lot of postage and delivery charges for publishers and as well as time and money for those disposing of the ARCS once they have been read and reviewed.

Making wise choices and changes from printing to marketing is all a part of sustainable publishing. Do you think sample chapters of books on-line is enough to make an informed decision as to whether a book is worth purchasing or not?  We would like to hear from you.

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

Winking in the Dark Does Not Work

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“Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing but nobody else does.”

~ Stewart Henderson Britt   b. June 17, 1907

I found in this quote in H.A. Levin’s book Quotations for Successful Living. Even 100 years after the quote was written it has relevance today. What an appropriate quotation for independent publishers to take notice of.

“How can anyone NOT know what you are doing in this day and age of digital technology?” I ponder. With the power of the internet, it is hard not to be seen.

Knowing how to use digital technology and the world-wide-web to sell any kind of product or service can be a very powerful thing. It takes a little education and training for businesses to learn how to promote themselves and become visible on world-wide-web.

If you are an independent publisher selling your books, music or films over the internet through e-commerce, e-marketing is a must. They go hand in hand. A mistake that too many independent publishers make is forgetting to think of themselves as business owners. Being successful in a business means promotion and advertising. Publishing is not just about the manuscript.  It means bookselling, too. There is an article that is a good resource about this very issue.http://bit.ly/aPEx0B.

E-Marketing (social media marketing) has added a whole new dimension to advertising and promotion. It can be overwhelming and confusing at the start. Help is available, search for a company that specializes in e-commerce and e-marketing for independent publishers. They will help you come out of the dark and into the light.

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

What are Indie Publishers All About?

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Remember those words sung by Dionne Warwick from many years ago –

“What’s it all about, Alfie?
Is it just for the moment we live?
What’s it all about when you sort it out, Alfie?”

Over the past ten or twelve years, these same types of questions have been asked by readers and writers everywhere. They want to know – What is the independent publishing industry really all about?

On Thursday evening, February 2nd at 7pm, I will be giving a presentation at the Hayden Library in Hayden, Colorado on the evolution (or revolution, as some may see it) of independent publishing and the arrival of e-books to the publishing scene.

Join me and feel free to ask “What is it all about, Suzie?” I have spent many years sorting out this constantly changing, exciting and growing industry of independent publishing, as best as I possibly can! And, no! It is not just for the moment we live – books live on and on, and many “independent minded people” publish as a way of leaving a legacy to their families, friends and for many more reasons, too.

Again – we will be discussing fulfilling dreams of publishing on February 2nd at 7pm in Routt County, Colorado at the Hayden Library. You will see “the possibilities are endless… one merely needs to step forward.”

SHe Writes Steamboat because of their affiliate membership with the Colorado Independent Publishers Association  has all the educational resources and vendors available to help authors  along the way to becoming a successful independent publisher.

Come along. Jump on the Fast Track of Independent Publishing. It’s a New Year, and a great time in publishing! Join in.

Contemporary Publishing Doing Well

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“In a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks.” -Warren Buffett

In this new generation of publishing, e-books are being discovered by readers all over the planet. For those who have never read an e-book there is a mix of curiosity and not knowing what to expect. Once engaged in a fulfilling e-book, the reader sees the familiar and realizes a ‘good read is a good read” whether it comes by way of digital format, in-print on paper or through audio sound.

Our life’s journey sometimes takes us into the unknown.  We all have pivotal moments in our lives when we are confronted with dealing with new things. Like facing a blank canvas, getting started is the hardest part. For some, uneasiness comes with striking up a relationship with some newfangled electronic device. Whether we embrace a fresh opportunity, or not, is something that only each of us can decide for ourselves.

For those who have taken a step in buying e-books, many have found there are wonders that come with taking a risk to explore:

  • Electronic reading devices allow fonts to be enlarged and clearly displayed.
  • E-book selections are large and diverse.
  • You can order a very affordable book and download it in less than 60 seconds.
  • Electronic reading devices come in pocket size and are lightweight – some less than 6 ounces.

Still skeptical? Kindle is now available for computers at no cost and there are plenty of free e-books to download. There is no risk in that.

In 2012, www.AllThingsFulfilling.com will be highlighting authors who have given contemporary independent publishing a chance. We will be featuring writers who have invested themselves in e-book publishing and are doing quite well. Join us tomorrow for the first, of many to come, feature of e-book authors and their electronic books.

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

Cheers! Here’s to a New Generation in Publishing!