I have determined that I will not deal directly with bookstores.
I am discussing book sales with one bookstore; Farley's Book Shop in New Hope. We have not finalized any arrangements to sell the books, but I am inclined to give them the exclusive right to sell the books, until such time as I have finished the entire collection of Illustrated Storybooks.
I will of course be setting up my Sales Office at the Studio and moving forward with the online Shopping cart. I will service orders received via those outlets. Bookstores wishing to carry the books will need to come to me and the only terms I will accept are those outlined in my order form. I will NEVER consider consignment under any condition, so don't even suggest it, or I will ban sales to you. If that sounds harsh, you can thank the disrespect that certain bookstores have proffered.
This is a result of numerous factors. Firstly, I need to finish the remaining books in the collection and I feel that I cannot get distracted, or spend resources, trying to convince booksellers to carry the books. Secondly, with the remaining books needing to be finished, I cannot be required to manufacture large quantities of books or tend to the idiosyncrasies involved. If an order comes into my studio as a result of a buyer coming to the office and submitting a paid-in-advance order, and returning to pick up that order, then I will accept and fulfill that order. I am set-up to manufacture. Otherwise, I will be looking for another publisher to pick-up manufacturing and distribution on a large scale for the general market. I will also consider developing relationship with Sales Reps, if there is anyone wanting to do that. My taking on sales and distribution, on top of the other work I need to do, is too much for me.
I very much need to stay in the areas of work that I have set up in the studio. You can see those areas in other discussions. In particular, working on the theatrics of the project and moving forward with illustration and animation.
So are the facts I have now come to realize.
If you are a potential investor in The Elder Gnomes Joint Venture and your specialty is Publishing, Marketing, or Distribution, there is a Board Position for that. Talk to me about that. AG
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Friday, May 24, 2019
Thoughts about Producing
For the last few days I was working on producing activities. Even though I always was very focused on and interested in producing, I find that today I have been working on some of the layout adjustments and design for the books. I find myself to be much more calm and happy doing that.
Producing is stressful... always thinking about money or trying to figure out where the resources are going to come from to do what needs to be done. It's a bit of a drag, really. Especially when the numbers start getting bigger and the forward momentum becomes increasingly dependent on those resources being in place. Although I have to say it's a rush getting things done when the resources are there and that's not a concern. It's only when you get close to running on empty that everything gets all jammed up.
This whole thing is at the point where substantial resources are called for. Once you start to staff a production things start hopping. You just can't do that without the budget in place. It's like a Catch 22. You need the budget to raise the budget to make the budget. There's a certain amount of guess work involved.
I could use a hundred grand right about now. Hopefully that would buy enough gas to get to the next town.
AG
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Investment Package
In response to investment discussions, the Press Packet and the Bookseller Packet are contributing to the Industry Review Package. I am reviewing the Business Plan and the Front Money Agreement to update them, taking into account the circumstances that have changed.
Since there are numerous arenas that are under development, the terms and conditions continue to address activity in those foundational areas of attention, at all times leaving the door open to go in a (possibly better) New direction.
If you are one of the people who have been talking to me (or an investor, producer, or other interested professional) let me know via email or text. I'm getting extremely busy (crazy) tending to all the details, so I need you to make the effort to stay in touch with me. Be certain to leave a message if you call. More often then not, I prefer to let the phone go to voice mail.
Many aspects of this are starting to fly. 🛩️
That's it for now. AG
Saturday, May 18, 2019
The Artwork of Jency Latta
Updated 5/19
It seems I attempted to set up a Gallery Page. I'm not sure about that, but I'll try to pay attention to it more, simply because I want to provide a way to view the images that have now been published in Book One.
Also, I will try to insert more character images in the sidebars, since the posts go on beyond what I have already posted.
An early sketch of Gnomeville and The Squirrel's Nest...
...which turned into the one below. There were numerous sketches in between, many of which found their way into other scenes or applications. For a wonderful view of The Squirrel's Nest check out my Facebook home page. (this link takes you to the IMS page, but you can get to my Home page from there) I love that watercolor, but it cannot serve as the actual Squirrel's Nest because it is too close to the ground. It needed to be higher and easier to hide from view.
ARCHIVE
10/13
A new page has been created specifically as a gallery of the artwork we are using for the Gnomes of New Hope and I am placing a link in the side bar. It doesn't seem to want to add try this The Artwork of Jency Latta
It seems I attempted to set up a Gallery Page. I'm not sure about that, but I'll try to pay attention to it more, simply because I want to provide a way to view the images that have now been published in Book One.
Also, I will try to insert more character images in the sidebars, since the posts go on beyond what I have already posted.
An early sketch of Gnomeville and The Squirrel's Nest...
...which turned into the one below. There were numerous sketches in between, many of which found their way into other scenes or applications. For a wonderful view of The Squirrel's Nest check out my Facebook home page. (this link takes you to the IMS page, but you can get to my Home page from there) I love that watercolor, but it cannot serve as the actual Squirrel's Nest because it is too close to the ground. It needed to be higher and easier to hide from view.
The above image has been refined further and will be available as a puzzle.
(I'll replace this image with that one when I can)
ARCHIVE
10/13
A new page has been created specifically as a gallery of the artwork we are using for the Gnomes of New Hope and I am placing a link in the side bar. It doesn't seem to want to add try this The Artwork of Jency Latta
e-Storybook Notes
Revised update
Here's the most recent flyer and cover letter regarding the e-Storybook
OOPS... I only have PDFs. I'll post them after I convert them to JPG.
Updated 5/19
The e-Storybook was fully designed using the format shown here. As you can see the format shown here is the first generation of the layout. The published editions of the Gnome-sized and Big People Books are more refined than this design. It is likely that I will carry the newer design over to the revamped e-Storybook format. The e-Storybook will need to change from this view, a vertical or portrait view, to a horizontal or landscape view.
The change to the landscape format is needed to match the current aspect ratio of the cinema & television screens. I want people to be able to send the Storybook up to their large viewing screen, so that kids will have an easier time of joining in together to see the material as a group. But also, we plan on creating animations to be part of the Storybook and I most certainly think it is essential that the aspect ration match what has become the standard for films & television. As I have said before, it is my intention to produce the larger film by creating a composite of smaller films that link together. I'll discuss that elsewhere under the subject of Cinema.
The animations are expected to start out as "music videos" of the songs in the show, but eventually become representations of the scenes. It occurs to me that as a storytelling book, we could have links to storytelling videos, but that might defeat the purpose of having adults participating with kids in a storytelling session. Maybe if we added that later that could be part of a television presentation.
All this means that the thoughts previously posted on this subject will contain outdated references. I will edit out the worst of it.
AG
I've placed the previous content of this post under the category Archive below. So in the future, I will maintain the subject headings of the posts and shift the edited content down under the heading of Archive. That way we can keep the viable thoughts within the post for reference purposes.
ARCHIVE
2014
I have been preparing the e-storybook for release to selected individuals and organizations. What that means is that the entire layout needs to be correct and functional as a PDF based e-book.
DELETED CONTENT ...
So, preparing the e-storybook has been a matter of changing the page background on all the files. This is because, while publishing the Gnome-sized Book, I made small changes to the layout that helped to make the smaller books to have a bit more punch and clarity. Of course, those changes were made only on the Gnome-sized Book, which had different specifications than the other editions.
After finishing the Business Plan, which really needs more attention, but is sufficient for present requirements, I moved to working further on the Score. That aspect of this project requires quite a bit more work, but a great deal has already been done in that regard. Because of the intensity of that type of work, but also because of the demands of other work that is progressing, I shifted off of the score in lieu of finishing the e-Storybook.
Even though the Illustrations for the Storybook are not yet complete, a large part of the entire set of books is illustrated. So, I decided to advance all other aspects of the publishing work, setting up, both the published books and the e-Storybook to be ready for production and release, with only placement of the illustration panels needed to be done. The space has already been allotted for the illustrations, by defining the panels within the page layout.
I think this is a good approach to finishing the publishing, hard copy and digital, because moving forward with the illustrations is also moving forward with the animations, and having the publishing mechanicals out of the way is a good thing.
Now, addressing release of the e-storybook; I need to be able to implement DRM and lock the files so that they cannot be copied, printed or disseminated in any unauthorized fashion. The last thing we want is to have the materials distributed on the internet for free. It has cost a small fortune to develop this material and we need to recoup those expenditures and then some. Producing the show will not be inexpensive and we need to assure the value of the project and create income. So that is an issue in releasing the e-storybook. But I have to say that it looks really great, both on a smartphone and an e-pad.
As it stands now, I doubt that we will be able to distribute the product by way of a download. You would think that wouldn't be a problem, but the files have become extremely large because they are heavily laden with artwork. I've tried compressed files, but they don't look nearly as good as the larger files and that is unacceptable.
I believe that the digital product will be primarily distributed as "Gnomes in a Gnutshell" because the Micro SD is a good medium for delivery. It works really well with most phone & pads, with the exception of the Apple i-Phone and i-Pad, because they don't us a Micro SD. If you ask me that is a serious flaw in the Apple products.
Added Note: The ultimate delivery medium will be determined after the new edition of the e-Storybook has been completed. It is likely that by the time that happens, new technology will be in place. So it is best to delay conclusion on that matter until the finished product has been confirmed. I have found that the improvements in the design have also brought difficulties with formats and presentation. So...
I am reformatting some of the components and trying to develop a methods where multiple files will work continuously in synchronization, without difficulty for the end user, while allowing for upgrades. It's not easy.
AG
Here's the most recent flyer and cover letter regarding the e-Storybook
OOPS... I only have PDFs. I'll post them after I convert them to JPG.
Updated 5/19
The e-Storybook was fully designed using the format shown here. As you can see the format shown here is the first generation of the layout. The published editions of the Gnome-sized and Big People Books are more refined than this design. It is likely that I will carry the newer design over to the revamped e-Storybook format. The e-Storybook will need to change from this view, a vertical or portrait view, to a horizontal or landscape view.
The change to the landscape format is needed to match the current aspect ratio of the cinema & television screens. I want people to be able to send the Storybook up to their large viewing screen, so that kids will have an easier time of joining in together to see the material as a group. But also, we plan on creating animations to be part of the Storybook and I most certainly think it is essential that the aspect ration match what has become the standard for films & television. As I have said before, it is my intention to produce the larger film by creating a composite of smaller films that link together. I'll discuss that elsewhere under the subject of Cinema.
The animations are expected to start out as "music videos" of the songs in the show, but eventually become representations of the scenes. It occurs to me that as a storytelling book, we could have links to storytelling videos, but that might defeat the purpose of having adults participating with kids in a storytelling session. Maybe if we added that later that could be part of a television presentation.
All this means that the thoughts previously posted on this subject will contain outdated references. I will edit out the worst of it.
AG
I've placed the previous content of this post under the category Archive below. So in the future, I will maintain the subject headings of the posts and shift the edited content down under the heading of Archive. That way we can keep the viable thoughts within the post for reference purposes.
ARCHIVE
2014
I have been preparing the e-storybook for release to selected individuals and organizations. What that means is that the entire layout needs to be correct and functional as a PDF based e-book.
DELETED CONTENT ...
So, preparing the e-storybook has been a matter of changing the page background on all the files. This is because, while publishing the Gnome-sized Book, I made small changes to the layout that helped to make the smaller books to have a bit more punch and clarity. Of course, those changes were made only on the Gnome-sized Book, which had different specifications than the other editions.
After finishing the Business Plan, which really needs more attention, but is sufficient for present requirements, I moved to working further on the Score. That aspect of this project requires quite a bit more work, but a great deal has already been done in that regard. Because of the intensity of that type of work, but also because of the demands of other work that is progressing, I shifted off of the score in lieu of finishing the e-Storybook.
Even though the Illustrations for the Storybook are not yet complete, a large part of the entire set of books is illustrated. So, I decided to advance all other aspects of the publishing work, setting up, both the published books and the e-Storybook to be ready for production and release, with only placement of the illustration panels needed to be done. The space has already been allotted for the illustrations, by defining the panels within the page layout.
I think this is a good approach to finishing the publishing, hard copy and digital, because moving forward with the illustrations is also moving forward with the animations, and having the publishing mechanicals out of the way is a good thing.
Now, addressing release of the e-storybook; I need to be able to implement DRM and lock the files so that they cannot be copied, printed or disseminated in any unauthorized fashion. The last thing we want is to have the materials distributed on the internet for free. It has cost a small fortune to develop this material and we need to recoup those expenditures and then some. Producing the show will not be inexpensive and we need to assure the value of the project and create income. So that is an issue in releasing the e-storybook. But I have to say that it looks really great, both on a smartphone and an e-pad.
As it stands now, I doubt that we will be able to distribute the product by way of a download. You would think that wouldn't be a problem, but the files have become extremely large because they are heavily laden with artwork. I've tried compressed files, but they don't look nearly as good as the larger files and that is unacceptable.
I believe that the digital product will be primarily distributed as "Gnomes in a Gnutshell" because the Micro SD is a good medium for delivery. It works really well with most phone & pads, with the exception of the Apple i-Phone and i-Pad, because they don't us a Micro SD. If you ask me that is a serious flaw in the Apple products.
Added Note: The ultimate delivery medium will be determined after the new edition of the e-Storybook has been completed. It is likely that by the time that happens, new technology will be in place. So it is best to delay conclusion on that matter until the finished product has been confirmed. I have found that the improvements in the design have also brought difficulties with formats and presentation. So...
I am reformatting some of the components and trying to develop a methods where multiple files will work continuously in synchronization, without difficulty for the end user, while allowing for upgrades. It's not easy.
AG
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Garden Gnomes, Articulating Figurines & Puppets
I spent the day putting together a package for the Garden Gnomes. The idea is to use them in conjunction with the release of the Storybooks. Here are some images relative to that. If the letter applies to you, let me know. AG
Articulating Figurines & Puppets
As it stands now, I have five of these Garden Gnomes cast and I will be preparing them for use in the books stores and Libraries. One idea that just struck (as I write this post) is in regard to the articulating figurines. Discussions have take place about the Marionettes that are being built. I have puppets under way which are about three feet tall. They were designed to be this size, for the sake of the larger stages and the parade float. You can imagine that the puppets need to be big enough to be able to see them at a distance (ie: across the width of a street or out in the back seats of a decent size theatre) But for the Storybook reading sessions in a small group, smaller marionettes need to be constructed.
That brings me to the continuing work of Illustration. I spoke with Jency a few days ago about her coming back in to begin working on the illustrations again. One of our points was the necessity of making sure all the drawings were consistently the same (or very similar) in terms of the character designs. Thinking about it now, some slight variation is rather nice, because it keeps the work in the realm of art and away from being mechanized. But too much variation, so as to be noticeable is not good. So our discussion has led me to consider building the articulating figurines, which I was also working on.
Now I'm thinking that we will build the articulating figurines to be the same size as the Garden Gnomes. Then we can use the articulating figurines to create the Garden Gnomes. That would be much more time and resource efficient than sculpting the figurines. But if we wanted to sculpt the Garden Gnomes, for the values of the original sculptures, we could use the articulating figurines as a model to give us a visual aid that was correct as to size and shape. So that is the direction we will be taking with our puppetry- building the articulating figurines to match the size of the Garden Gnomes.
But mostly, our discussions led into building the smaller puppets for the purpose of modeling the illustrations. You can see how that leads me to think that articulating figurines are more useful for that. Marionettes can not easily be positioned. Unless I design the frames to have adjustable tension on the joints and a stand to hold them upright. So all that will be in the works a bit more now that Book One does not require my attention on the publishing end. Of course now the work on Book Two starts. Check out the post on the e-Storybook there are some changes there.
Oh, also in terms of the figurines. I have the program Poser. I need to learn how to use that so that we can add that tool to the illustration and animation process. So that will be coming into play. If anyone already knows how to use Poser and wants to work on this, let me know. I'm busy setting up a network in the studio so there's some distraction taking place in that arena.
More Later AG
That brings me to the continuing work of Illustration. I spoke with Jency a few days ago about her coming back in to begin working on the illustrations again. One of our points was the necessity of making sure all the drawings were consistently the same (or very similar) in terms of the character designs. Thinking about it now, some slight variation is rather nice, because it keeps the work in the realm of art and away from being mechanized. But too much variation, so as to be noticeable is not good. So our discussion has led me to consider building the articulating figurines, which I was also working on.
Now I'm thinking that we will build the articulating figurines to be the same size as the Garden Gnomes. Then we can use the articulating figurines to create the Garden Gnomes. That would be much more time and resource efficient than sculpting the figurines. But if we wanted to sculpt the Garden Gnomes, for the values of the original sculptures, we could use the articulating figurines as a model to give us a visual aid that was correct as to size and shape. So that is the direction we will be taking with our puppetry- building the articulating figurines to match the size of the Garden Gnomes.
But mostly, our discussions led into building the smaller puppets for the purpose of modeling the illustrations. You can see how that leads me to think that articulating figurines are more useful for that. Marionettes can not easily be positioned. Unless I design the frames to have adjustable tension on the joints and a stand to hold them upright. So all that will be in the works a bit more now that Book One does not require my attention on the publishing end. Of course now the work on Book Two starts. Check out the post on the e-Storybook there are some changes there.
Oh, also in terms of the figurines. I have the program Poser. I need to learn how to use that so that we can add that tool to the illustration and animation process. So that will be coming into play. If anyone already knows how to use Poser and wants to work on this, let me know. I'm busy setting up a network in the studio so there's some distraction taking place in that arena.
More Later AG
Monday, May 13, 2019
GnomeFest
I started discussing GnomeFest, but I am doing so on the Cinema Under the Stars page, because using Tamanend Park is currently the prototype model for the designs. If you are a Festival Producer or Manager and would like to be involved do contact me at; image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.com AG
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Purchasing Book One
Here is the PayPal link for you to order and pay for copies of
The Gnomes of New Hope; Book One, an Introduction
I've posted the order form here, which you can print out or you may request a copy via email. If you like you can mail that in with your check. This Post is under development, meaning the PayPal links are being constructed.
At some point in the future, I will be setting up a catalogue for assorted products with a shopping cart.
For now we will use this PayPal.me link to; Buy Gnomes of New Hope Books. Unfortunately, the spelling of my name is wrong in the PayPal.me link and I can't change it. Oh well, we'll use it anyway.
It takes time to get all the online commerce stuff properly set up. I am building (Buy Now) links which will have all the payment activities properly set up so all the costs are automatically included. I will insert them as they are finished. I gather you will need to log in for them to work. I also need to set up the other details such as receipts, tracking, assorted registrations and such, so bear with me as I move forward.
Prices are posted below. Please use these numbers to make your payment if you use the link above or mail in the Oder Form. The Order form contains all the necessary pricing information, so if the online payment links are not quite working, please use the Order Form and pay via check or money order.
The pricing is for on-demand publishing. When we get enough orders to move to off-set printing, then the wholesale pricing will come down a bit. So if you want to assist us in getting the ball rolling, please help out by ordering books. We will be able make up the difference with our collection of product lines and special offers to our retail partners who have helped us get this project off the ground.
We've begun distributing books to bookstores and those retailers who are willing to help us will most certainly receive benefits of complimentary tickets when we mount the Theatrical Musical Show . This could be helpful in marketing the books, or for any other purposes you may choose.
It takes time to get all the online commerce stuff properly set up. I am building (Buy Now) links which will have all the payment activities properly set up so all the costs are automatically included. I will insert them as they are finished. I gather you will need to log in for them to work. I also need to set up the other details such as receipts, tracking, assorted registrations and such, so bear with me as I move forward.
Prices are posted below. Please use these numbers to make your payment if you use the link above or mail in the Oder Form. The Order form contains all the necessary pricing information, so if the online payment links are not quite working, please use the Order Form and pay via check or money order.
The pricing is for on-demand publishing. When we get enough orders to move to off-set printing, then the wholesale pricing will come down a bit. So if you want to assist us in getting the ball rolling, please help out by ordering books. We will be able make up the difference with our collection of product lines and special offers to our retail partners who have helped us get this project off the ground.
We've begun distributing books to bookstores and those retailers who are willing to help us will most certainly receive benefits of complimentary tickets when we mount the Theatrical Musical Show . This could be helpful in marketing the books, or for any other purposes you may choose.
Single copies of
The Big People's Book are $29.95 + $1.80 (6% sales tax for PA residents) + $5.25 (S&H*)
Total = $37.00
(the link is under construction)
Single copies of
The Gnome-sized Book are
$8.95 + $.55 (6% sales tax for PA residents) + $4.50 (S&H*)
Total = $14.00
Single copies of
The Gnome-sized Book are
$8.95 + $.55 (6% sales tax for PA residents) + $4.50 (S&H*)
Total = $14.00
NOTE; (on links)
The links need to be constructed in order to service various quantities and pricing. This is a function of a "shopping cart" page or it might be built into this page. The proper approach to this is under review. AG
(* S&H subject to change as required, rounded up for convenience. Shipping is via Media Mail. First Class or Overnight Post is additional. Please inquire in this regard.)
The links need to be constructed in order to service various quantities and pricing. This is a function of a "shopping cart" page or it might be built into this page. The proper approach to this is under review. AG
(* S&H subject to change as required, rounded up for convenience. Shipping is via Media Mail. First Class or Overnight Post is additional. Please inquire in this regard.)
Please send an email to confirm your order, to receive a digital copy of the Order Form, and provide the mailing address where you would like the book to be delivered. Please provide your email for us to confirm receipt your payment.
If you are a Bookseller, send an email to confirm the wholesale pricing, provide your sale tax exemption form and so we can determine shipping.
email; image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.com (attention; Arthur Greisiger)
More discussions are posted on the Facebook page.
Thanks. AG
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