| The trouble with publishing a book, from
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| | further packaging.
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| a first-time writer's point of view, lies
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| | Because I wanted to use slow motion for
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| with the slowness of the publishing
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| | this last video, I took all the footage
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| industry. Once written, the book has to
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| | to the racetrack video lab (a great place
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| be accepted by a publisher, rewritten
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| | to get access to expensive video
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| according to the editor, then scheduled,
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| | equipment on the cheap) and had all the
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| manufactured, distributed, and marketed.
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| | footage moved up to one-inch tape, then
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| Most books don't get much in the way of
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| | dropped to standard VHS in slow motion -
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| marketing.
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| | all for $200. From the original HI-8
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| Years later, with the very best of luck,
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| | tapes, and the converted slow motion
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| the author begins to see some small
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| | stuff, I built my master and dubbed in
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| reward for his efforts. Maybe $5,000 if
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| | the narration and background music.
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| he or she is very lucky. If your first
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| | You have to keep in mind that this is a
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| book isn't profitable for a publisher,
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| | tiny business for profit, not Walt Disney
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| you may never have the opportunity of
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| | Studios. Profit will come from delivering
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| having another published.
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| | large bodies of valuable information, not
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| Self-publishing is a better route because
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| | fancy video effects, super quality
|
| the author typically knows his audience
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| | production, or beautiful packaging. Once
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| and how to reach them. But the up-front
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| | your customers trust you, your packaging
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| costs of a $5,000 printing can be $30,000
| |
| | doesn't matter at all. Almost everyone
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| or more, and the marketing costs can run
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| | trusts a company that gives written
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| quickly into five figures as well. Any
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| | guarantees and takes credit cards.
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| books that go unsold are "dead inventory"
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| | EQUIPMENT
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| or wasted money.
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| | Your original footage should be of high
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| I have written, self-published and
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| | quality because as you move from original
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| marketed four books, all dealing with
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| | to master a copy, you're going to lose
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| exercise physiology and race horses (a
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| | some video quality. In order to avoid
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| very narrow and specialized market). Two
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| | paying big bucks for professional
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| made money, two didn't; one of them was a
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| | equipment, my advice is to start with a
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| total loss and didn't even bring back
| |
| | Hi-8 or super 8 CCD camcorder with a lux
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| publishing costs. Still the two winners
| |
| | rating (low light capability) of four or
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| produced a net profit exceeding $200,000
| |
| | less (Your video dealer can assist you in
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| over four years, and both are still
| |
| | choosing equipment). For higher quality
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| selling today. The first book, The Fit
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| | productions and more up-front expense,
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| Racehorse, originally sold for $55 a
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| | you can rent studio equipment, studio
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| copy. My most recent book, The Racehorse
| |
| | personnel, and even a radio announcer's
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| Owner's Survival Manual, is the other
| |
| | voice. If you're highly organized, know
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| winner and sells for $59.95. The smaller
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| | precisely what you want to shot, and how
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| the market, the more specialized and
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| | you might get by with a one-day, or two
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| valuable the information, and the bigger
| |
| | half-day studio rental fee. That's $2,000
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| the retail price.
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| | to $3,000 in most cities.
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| A BETTER WAY
| |
| | SELLING: CUSTOMER AND PRICE
|
| There's a better, easier way to make
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| | In your direct mail and print advertising
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| money in self-publishing. A reasonably
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| | the offer has to be irresistible. You
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| talented communicator with specialized
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| | have to guarantee and deliver
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| knowledge of the value to others is more
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| | satisfaction. You have to make the act of
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| likely to see big profits from his
| |
| | purchasing easy by honoring credit cards
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| efforts if he chooses instead the medium
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| | and providing an 800 number. Your
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| of video. Today, almost everyone who has
| |
| | advertising should be targeted precisely
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| indoor plumbing has a videocassette
| |
| | at your potential customer: it's unlikely
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| recorder/player (VCR). The six months to
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| | you'll be able to sell a gardening video
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| a year needed to write a book can be
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| | in a motorcycle magazine! Before you
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| condensed to six weeks of planning,
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| | begin work on any video, plan your
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| writing, taping, and editing a self-made
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| | marketing approach.
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| video.
| |
| | I use an computer for keeping track of my
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| I've "published" twenty-eight videos and
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| | customer list and a laser printer for
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| the monthly income from them has been
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| | producing all my fliers and the
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| between $8,000 and $20,000 for more than
| |
| | documentation that I send along with the
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| four years now. Most are still selling
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| | videos. This documentation helps the
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| (four are new and just going on the
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| | videos "stick," providing and extra
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| market), none have lost money, and I have
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| | unexpected bonus for the customer, and
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| never had any inventory except for a
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| | virtually eliminating returns.
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| supply of blank tapes. The unsold copies
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| | Essentially, the documents are close-ups
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| of my two failed books, in contrast,
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| | of the subject matter included in the
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| represented some $40,000 in unrecoverable
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| | video, getting down into detail that
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| up-front costs. From now on, I'm going to
| |
| | perhaps the tape could not deliver -
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| let someone else publish and market my
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| | sometimes charts and graphs.
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| books, and I'm sticking to the
| |
| | One-third of my business is wholesale
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| self-published video business, where the
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| | sales. My print ads complete for business
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| real profit is.
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| | with those of the retail accounts I
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| HOW IT'S DONE: THE SUBJECT
| |
| | service. When I introduce a new video, I
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| The first rule of thumb is teach what you
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| | first offer it to my old direct mail
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| know or what a friend of yours knows. My
| |
| | customers at a discount in a "pre-release
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| most recent tape, Exercise Rider, the
| |
| | special."
|
| Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, has returned
| |
| | The prices of my videos are always high.
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| more than $20,000 in three months - and I
| |
| | I want to make a profit and I want my
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| don't know how to ride a horse. In fact,
| |
| | retailers to make a profit. The lowest
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| a friend who likes to visit racetracks
| |
| | price I've ever put on a single video is
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| took the original footage on a Hi-8
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| | $39.95; the highest, $99. Thus, when a
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| Cannon camcorder.
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| | wholesale customer orders, say a dozen
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| I sent videos of fifty racetrack exercise
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| | $39.95 tapes, they'll send me $240, while
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| riders to several friends who are experts
| |
| | a dozen direct mail sales of the same
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| in the field. They critiqued each rider,
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| | video will bring in $480.
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| talking into a cassette recorder as they
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| | Remember that you can always lower a
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| watched the footage. I listened to the
| |
| | price, but just try to get away with
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| critiques and built my voice-over from
| |
| | raising it! But THINK before you lower a
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| them. The $69.95 ninety-minute tape is
| |
| | price. At one time, I thought I had
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| getting raves from buyers, all of whom
| |
| | nearly exhausted the market for a pair of
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| are guaranteed satisfaction. If they
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| | my $99 videos since their sales had
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| don't love the tape, they can send it
| |
| | plummeted I then cut the price in half,
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| back within thirty days. Not one has been
| |
| | confident that sales would go up. That
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| returned as of this writing.
| |
| | was two years ago. The tapes are still
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| If you deliver valuable information, in
| |
| | selling, but at the same slow rate - and
|
| quantity, in a reasonably decent
| |
| | now my profits are at a lot lower too. I
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| production, your production will stick.
| |
| | made the mistake by dropping the price on
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| If you go for effect, but deliver drivel,
| |
| | them.
|
| or plain erroneous or incomplete
| |
| | THE MARKETPLACE
|
| information, the customers will be
| |
| | You may feel, especially after browsing
|
| enraged. They'd much rather buy and keep
| |
| | through specialty video catalogs, that
|
| an amateur production which fills
| |
| | everyone has beaten you to the punch. You
|
| informational needs than one that's
| |
| | may think that big, sophisticated studios
|
| pretty, but shallow.
| |
| | are producing the only videos that
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| HOW IT'S DONE: PRODUCTION
| |
| | consumers will buy. What you must
|
| As I mentioned above, the raw footage for
| |
| | understand is that a whole new
|
| my most recent tape was taken with a
| |
| | marketplace is out there, and there isn't
|
| consumer-type camcorder. My first tape
| |
| | nearly enough material to satisfy it.
|
| was taped with an older Panasonic camera
| |
| | Information is information, no matter who
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| and recorder. By today's standards, the
| |
| | delivers it. Major studios feel they
|
| results were blurry pictures with mumbly
| |
| | cannot waste their resources on small
|
| sound, but the tapes did sell and most
| |
| | projects that might require
|
| stayed sold.
| |
| | specialization outside of videography. If
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| At home I Have a JVC VHS editing console
| |
| | they wanted to produce a video on
|
| that cost me $5,000 new, and five JVC HQ
| |
| | cabinet-making, they would have to locate
|
| consumer decks for making copies. I
| |
| | a cabinetmaker, pay for his time and
|
| "assembly edit" the master tape, videos
| |
| | materials, and using their millions of
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| first, then add voice and sometimes
| |
| | dollars worth of high-tech gear and
|
| music. Labels are printed by a typewriter
| |
| | expensive technicians begin production.
|
| with memory (you can do any number of the
| |
| | Meanwhile Joe Cabinetmaker, on Elm
|
| same label with just one command). The
| |
| | Street, has made a nifty little video
|
| finished product goes back into the
| |
| | that is informative and enjoyable to
|
| original box and is shipped without
| |
| | watch.
|
