Hello, everyone. Here's the most recent update on the children's books in hardback.
I'll give you the bad news first.
Unfortunately, we didn't make the minimum order requirement for the 6x6 hard case shells. Jennifer was willing to take 100 and I convinced friends and family to buy her an additional 100 for her birthday, but even with 200 to Jennifer, other orders didn't bring our total to 500. I called the manufacturer and canceled our preliminary order.
Fortunately, neither Jennifer nor I are defeated that easily. I know that Jennifer can sell 200 copies of a hardback; I want her to have this opportunity and she has always dreamed of hardback editions of her childrens' books, just like many of you. So, at 7 A.M. Wednesday morning, I'll be leaving for Oregon to meet face to face with a specialty press that exclusively publishes hardbacks. They publish in 10x10, 11x11, and 12x12 sizes with dust jackets and audio CDs.
If I can interest the press in our catalog of childrens' titles, OHP would continue to produce 8x8 paperbacks, but they would publish our hardbacks. This would be a subsidiary sale and every author would be paid 60% of any advance and/or a royalty, set by the press, according to their standard business arrangement.
Is this good news? Yes, it is. Is it great news? No. Great would have been if we could have met the 500 minimum because these can be purchased at a 50% discount and then resold for sizeable profit. This will not be an option working with an outside press who sets their own discount and may or may not be willing to sell directly to bookstores or individuals at discount (as opposed to selling to a wholesalers or distributor). We'll see what I can negotiate.
I'll debrief Jennifer Wednesday night, then write everyone with details on Thursday. Send good thoughts and prayers, everyone. I feel hopeful.
Cris
