In 1991, I came across a free booklet titled "117 Ideas For Better Business Presentations". As an entrepreneur with an eight-year-old organizing business, I was intrigued. The booklet was simple, yet effective, and it sparked an idea. I realized I could create something similar, but focused on organizing tips. This was the beginning of an unexpected journey that transformed my business and opened up new opportunities.
In the midst of a slow economy, I was struggling to sell my consulting services and workshops. I had no money and was feeling defeated. That's when I remembered the booklet. I decided to create my own booklet on organizing tips, despite having no clear plan on how to do it.
I began by compiling all the organizing tips I had shared with clients or during speaking engagements. I ended up with enough material for two 16-page booklets: "110 Ideas for Organizing Your Business Life" and "111 Ideas for Organizing Your Household". Each booklet was small enough to fit into a standard Number 10 envelope.
I printed 250 copies of each booklet, which was the most expensive per-unit run I made. However, I needed samples to distribute to start making money. It took a few months to pay the printer $300.
To sell the booklets, I sent copies to magazines and newspapers, asking them to use excerpts and include an invitation for readers to purchase the booklet for $3 plus a self-addressed stamped envelope. I had no money for advertising, so this was my only option. Slowly, orders started trickling in. The first $3 I received felt like a gift from heaven.
In February of 1992, a biweekly newsletter with 1.6 million readers featured my booklet. They didn't use any excerpts, but simply wrote about the booklet. This exposure sold 5000 copies of my booklet. A similar feature in April sold another 3000 copies of my household booklet.
By June, I had sold about 15,000 copies of both booklets. However, I realized that I wasn't making a lot of money. I also learned some costly lessons, like the fact that my bank was charging me $.12 for each item deposited, resulting in a service charge of $191.
Despite the challenges, some amazing things happened. A public seminar company ordered a review copy of my booklet and decided to create an audio program based on it. This led to a 20-minute interview on a major airline's inflight audio programming. A manufacturer's rep decided to send my booklets to his customers instead of an imprinted calendar, resulting in a $1000 order. I also received paid speaking engagements and discovered that the list of people who bought my booklet was a saleable product.
In spring 1993, I designed a class on how to write and market booklets and wrote an 80-page manual. I also started touring the country, teaching 6-8 classes a year. Many people wrote interesting booklets on various topics and hired me to write a customized marketing plan for their booklet or to coach them in developing their booklet business.
In August 1994, I discovered Compuserve and used it to market my business. I connected with a man from Italy who had a marketing company. He translated, produced, and marketed my booklet in Italy, paying me royalties on all sales. This led to the sale of 105,000 copies of my booklet to a magazine that bundled a copy of my booklet with one issue of their publication.
Since then, I have sold more than 500,000 copies of my booklet in three languages, without spending a penny on advertising. I've also discovered licensing opportunities for my booklet content in other formats. I've created a company called Tips Products International, written tips booklets for clients, developed home study packages, and been invited to speak nationally and internationally about how to write and market booklets.
Looking back, I could never have predicted how this journey would unfold. My clients are now surpassing my own sales results, learning from all that has happened since the original organizing booklet was written in 1991.
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