As I am assembling the Volume Sets for the Industry Review, it occurs to me that I only want to retain the Hand-stitched Limited Edition Books at IMS. Looking around the studio at the shear volume of work I have to do, leads me to believe that it is best if the Machine Bound books be jobbed out, both for manufacturing, marketing and distribution. Hence, I will be licensing that aspect of the project.
As I presume you have read, here and elsewhere, these books are based on a Stage Musical. That fact alone, under the assumption that my energy needs to be put in that direction, disallows me from managing book sales and distribution on a large scale.
Add to that the fact that I have a bid in to buy my family's 70 year old machine shop operation. That's another story, but that will require my attention, until I have a Board of Directors in place.
So, I will continue with the Shopping Cart scenario and pursue the Hand-stitched Limited Edition Books as the initial offering. Depending on the capabilities of building inventory and implementing fulfillment in house, I am proceeding under the assumption that the larger aspect of putting these books before the public will likely be Licensed out. That being said, if you are part of a larger organization that may like to consider that, let me know. Hard Copy proposal is best, but initial email will work.
The other option is a Marketing and Sales Manager working in-house. I have the facilities and there are service agencies who can see to fulfillment in conjunction with an in-house operation. So, if working in that capacity, on a commission basis is appealing to someone living nearby to my studio in Southampton, let me know.
We still have a ways to go before we can implement the public release, due in most part to the finishing work on illustrations, but we can certainly begin to prepare and set-up the sales office.
Nothing is easy. AG
