Update on Pre-press

The second design run of the Gnome-sized books (which is actually comprised of numerous printings) has revealed a few more minor changes. An example is that the title GFX used in the first design of the "Gnomes in a Gnutshell" packaging is the best for easy reading at a glance. That is important. So all the titles got swapped. Other adjustments to spacing of various elements were made as well. Those adjusts needed to be made while conforming the Big People Book to match the Gnome-sized book. That matching process is underway.

The Gnome-sized book is back at the printer's being evaluated for production. The MSRP for that book has been raised to $8.95. I tried setting that price at $4.95 (and then $6.95), but with the increase in size, made to improve reading and the unique binding (which research has revealed is very important to retain), it is simply impossible to produce the book for less. Even that price is low, but I'm afraid that anything higher than that for the Gnome-sized book risks it not selling. So we're trying to make the price fit. Even then, production quantities will require significant sales right-out-of-the-box. That is another aspect of this project that needs to be addressed, but that cannot happen until the new edition of the Big People's Book is out of prototyping and locked into production as well.

Both books need to be released to the public at the same time, as a package, with Point-of-Purchase materials as well. That means that the Garden Gnomes need to be manufactured in quantities that match the retail outlets... another complexity!

More later.   AG

Discussions on Production

Here is a link to the IMS Virtual Studio post on the subject of Parade Activities and other subjects

Special Limited World Premeire Edition

The first release to the public will be a Hand-stitched version of the books.

Because the books must have the ISBN and pricing fixed, and those items need to be based on higher production methods, there will be little or no profit in those hand-stitched books. So they will be limited in number and used only to open the market. If I can discover production methods that allow for a reasonable profit, I may continue to offer the hand-stitched version. If there is enough demand and I can raise the price somewhat, I may assign that version a new ISBN. We'll see what happens.

There is also a Limited Edition of Signed & Numbered Books in both the Gnome-sized and Big People's Books. That series is priced significantly higher and is intended to fund additional artwork for the next book.

It is unlikely that the boxed-set will be hand-stitched, because the stitching interferes with the books fitting smoothly in the box, but we'll experiment with that and see what works best. I do think the special nature of the hand-stitching would make the boxed set extra special. Maybe I need to rethink the box to accommodate that.

More later, AG

Publishing Update

After nearly 10 months of work making corrections and adjustments to both the Gnome-sized and Big People's Books, I finally printed the next proof of the Gnome-sized. I'm very pleased with the results so far.

Along the way, a few months back, I printed what I thought was the finished product. Well, of course there were errors. On that version the spine was not correct, so I altered the gutter on the pages to accommodate the incorrect spine width. It was ok for a prototype. So I glued the cover on, as I had done on the last batch of books. Only this time the cover came off, after a time. Why? Right now the only answer seems to be that the paper on this cover has a different coating, which didn't allow the glue to soak into the fibers. Well, that's an issue to look at when it goes into production.

As I proceeded to correct the spine, I decided to increase the size of the Gnome-sized book. Now, I like the smaller book, but frankly, the bigger one is easier to read. I made other corrections and adjustments, which arose as a result of changing the size.

Now, with the new size conformed to a single book print file, I printed a batch of sample books. Of course, as usual, I have modification to make. Only this time the adjustments are not to the book, rather they are to the format. I'm satisfied that I have the files I need to print small quantity runs without any real issues, at least from a printing standpoint. Now I need to address issues pertaining to production.

There are a number of options, in terms of the layout. Firstly, there is my need to have files I can work with to put the material into multiple applications, without having the layout components shift around on me. That has been a big ongoing problem with the layout. I chalk that up, in large part, to computer anomolies. Secondly, I need a layout that conforms to what the printer wants to work with. That is yet to do, not that my main files don't conform, but that with all the adjustments that have been made, and all the revisions, I need to cross reference the material and craft new printing files that can be used to create the material required for high quantity printing. Those materials are conformed differently than small production runs (ie: if it goes to web).

So, now that I have what I need for small quantity printing, I have set-up a binding table in-house. I can bind using a number of methods, although my intention is only to do small quantities and after some experimentation and time studies, I'm leaning toward hand-stitching for some editions of the books. (I'll address those editions in another post)

I have found that the hand-stitched books immediately attract the most attention. Every single person I have show those hand-stitched versions to, loves it. I'd say that a pretty strong cue that I need to make that available. It has a very Gnomish feel to it. So, for the sake of grabbing a niche, the first books will be released with hand-stitched bindings. Doing this, not only, adds to the aesthetics of the book, but also eliminates the fear of the cover becoming unglued.

I'll continue this line of thought in the next post. AG

Update 10/20

Last winter, around February, I thought that Book One was ready for press. I moved forward only to find, after a fine-tooth comb inspection, that there were errors that needed to be corrected. So I pulled back from advancing into publication.

As I proceeded to make corrections, I also decided to make design modifications. The work, greatly improved, both in the design and clarity. I found that adjustments had to be made to the "Gnome-sized Book" to make certain sections easier to read. I printed a prototype to check the layout and I found more errors, once I saw the printed sample. One such error was the realization that  although the Gnome-sized book is a  reduction of The Big People Book, the thickness of the pages remains the same, hence, the design of the spine is unique to each book.

As I proceeded with corrections and adjustments, I  then determined to increase the overall size by 10%, mainly because there was more room on the paper than I had previously used. That also changed the ratio of the page and cover design, which likewise changed the position of the text and the artwork. It's like throwing a pebble into a calm pond, there is a ripple effect. On the Gnome-sized books, the layout is set up with 6-up on standard 11x17 paper. So all this work on the smaller edition took months to achieve.

Add to the design complexities the fact that; the layout has exceeded the processing power of the Mac computer I had been using. I did buy another computer, and a Raid Array, but the operating system is different and it takes time to set that up and adjust everything to that. So I determined to use the new machine after the first book is completely done and in distribution.

Unfortunately, I found out the hard way, that for some reason, the files I was working on would not open again once I closed them. There were instances where I had to do the same work over six or eight times in order to effect corrections. It sounds insane and it was making me insane. I had gotten to the point where, not only did I need to save the page files in pieces, meaning smaller sections, but I also needed to exclude certain components and insert them after I opened the file, saved the file as a PDF, then removed those components and the save the file again before closing the file. Even then, the file size was so close to being too big that it would not open again. I found it odd that the auto-recovery files would open, even with the artwork, but the main DOCX would not.

I have made an attempt to use InDesign, but so far I've not been able to implement the layout the way I want using that program. As it stands, I am using three basic programs to implement the design, each program serving a different function, which together creates the overall look while giving me wider latitude with each function. I've made quite a few discoveries about how these programs need to be used together, finding that there are deficiencies which must be averted in a particular order, otherwise the design and layout is impaired and a great deal of additional work is imposed on the process and making corrections.

Now that I have gone through years of pain and struggle, I'm relieved to believe that the remaining six books will be much easier to produce and that the consistency of design and quality will be maintained.

Once the Gnome-sized book was satisfactorally reedited and ready to print, I moved to adjust the Big People Book to match. There are differences between the books, which initially, I hadn't expected to incur. But I am in the process of making those adjustments and almost ready for another printing of, what I hope will be, the final proof. Hopefully proving that the book is ready to be released to the public.

This latest version of the book is head and shoulders above all other test runs and makes all the other printings look primitive. It's hard to believe that could have happened, because the earlier edition looked great and still does. But this final design definitely hits the bulls eye!

AG

OctoberGnomefest

That sound good. Maybe we'll hold Gnome Fest in October and sell Gnome Gnog (the adult beverage version).

Well, all these plans are great, but they involve actually doing it! For now I'm still held hostage by the publishing end if things. I'm beginning to think I need to delegate the production activities sooner rather than later.

   I'm acquiring the building at 1325 and there are numerous building maintenance items that are distracting me
In addition, I have equipment maintenance work that is also a big distraction. Add to that setting up the various work stations and by the time I get all this done, I'll be too old and tired to get much of what I have intended for this done. So, I need to fall more heavily into the role of Director and less heavily into the role of Producer.  I say this because the facilities, equipment, and prototype activites are taking away my ability to follow thru with upper level producing. Not to mention the massive energy required in the publishing end of things.

So I think that after this first book is finished and released, I will start pitching this project from another angle. I have managed to build a 10k sq ft shop that gives us what we need to produce numerous aspects of this, but the reality is that we need to aquire sufficient funds to maintain our overhead before we can actually become functional. That means licensing and even though I have a grip on that, I don't have the time to manage that properly. So, I will need to locate an agent who is on board with my existing business plan and no other.

The existing Business Plan make accommodations for a variety of scenarios, so that does not post a problem, but I need players who are playing on our team, not their own or someone else's.

This project is large enough to accommodate a dedicated Sales rep, Theatrical Agent and or Business Manager. I'm required on the Creative end of things and addressing Facilities management. It seems like those aspects have pushed me to the brink of my time, resources, and mental comfort zone.

So, I expect that very shortly, this project will be put forth to larger players in the industry. The first book makes a very good argument in a pitch. That means, when combined with the Business Plan, the right agent will have a rather easy time of cutting a good deal.

That's all for now.

AG

Distribution of the Book Products

The layout corrections are almost finished, making the book products ready for press. With that in mind, I'm beginning to address distribution management. From my point of view, I am unwilling to provide product on credit or consignment. I am not in a position to inventory retail shelving, so I will be looking for a Distributor with sufficient buying outlets to satisfy around 100k units. I'm guessing that I will need a minimum of 25k in each category to meet pricing objectives.

We are looking at soft & hard cover in both the Gnome-sized and Big People Books. I was hoping for the price points to land at $4.95 & $6.95 for the Gnome-Sized and $16.95 & $21.95 for the Big People Books. That would be MSRP.  I believe that achieving that price point will depend on quantity, so I will need one or more Distributors who can satisfy those quantity objectives.

It will be necessary for the buyers to provide a letter of credit that is accepted by my bank in order to fulfill any order, or payment can be made on the basis of 50/50, but I will still need a letter of credit for the balance, in the event the C.O.D. balance is not paid. The letter of credit will provide production funding. I am unwilling to extend credit, since that has caused me problems in the past. I do expect to set up a PayPal page for this project, so that will be in place when the product enters release.

Point of Purchase support materials will be available at additional cost. Details on all of this will be available once the Shopping Cart page is set up.

There are some recent thoughts.

If anyone is interested in discussing being involved (at any level) send me an email; image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.com

Cyclorama and other related thoughts

I've been planning the components required for the parade float, but I've realized that; sized properly, the cycs can also serve as a presentation in both the parades and in Gnomefest (which is subject for other posts), but for some time I have had it in mind to open a storefront in New Hope that serves as a walkthrough display of both Volume One, an introduction to The Gnomes of New Hope and scenes from "Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure".

Today, I had a discussion about this with a friend and the idea seems even more viable. Partly because, in addition to the cyclorama aspect, I have been building a traveling exhibition containing art panels, samples of the production & publishing materials and displays showing what is involved in producing a project like this. So a storefront gallery presenting The Gnomes of New Hope, seems like a good idea. Of course, the cost of set & operation hadn't been determined yet, although I am certain it will not be inexpensive. The potential return seems to imply that it could be viable, but there is also the publicity value for a number of markets. But add to that the range of product, which are already developed or are in process. So a gift shop would certainly be added to the walk through cyclorama. Now, animatronics are part of our puppetry work, so that may be included. As it stands now, we can build those cycs in the existing studio. So the plan is to make the cycs multi-purpose, in other words, parades, museum displays, walk-through scenario (as described) and other possibilities not yet considered.

One other application of the cycs is for claymation. I have spent a fair amount of time considering this aspect of the project. A 100% claymation effort, including both the characters and the setting is very interesting to imagine, but it is a massive amount of work. I did a stop action film in college, but nothing that even comes close to attempting the entire "Gnomes of New Hope; Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure". That would take years to accomplish and only if I can find enough talented sculptors. My plan has been to create articulating figurines instead of using clay. One reason for that is the fact that the surface of clay changes when you attempt to articulate the figures. Things like fingerprints and such show up, whereas with costumed articulating figurines, the variables in positioning the characters no longer pose difficulty, or rather the difficulties are reduced. The other advantage of using articulating figurines, is that another ancillary market will be developed.

So, there are some thoughts on that subject. I'd post an image but attempts to do so always seem to cause problem from my phone.

AG

Link to Facebook posts

Since I post in a number of places...

Here is a link to a post on the Image of the Mind Studio page. Here I talk (somewhat) about how the first book will be released. Some of the details are important.

AG

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156715620640337&id=322835550336

Industry Activity

It's not an easy haul to be advancing a project like The Gnomes of New Hope. My philosophy has been to hold my cards close to my chest. As you may have been able to conclude if you've read any of these posts, this project has been developed to consider the markets across the board.

It's clear to me that, given the right circumstances and in the hands of an organization with a far reaching ability to saturate the markets in a timely manner, this project could fly very high indeed. It was designed to be so, yet there is much more that needs to be done to make that happen. Frankly, it is a phenominal and increasing burden to advance this project on the limited resources I am working with.

When one arena begins to demand a greater degree influx, it becomes very important indeed to correctly evaluate the consumption of resources in the context of the broader advancement of other critical arenas. This can lead to a greater challenge across the board, for the clarity and justification of actions are brought into a position of being required to maintain and support the value of those actions in the overall context.

Now I know that sounds obscure, but it is all a question of balancing the resources with the most viable means to advance the overall cause.

From my perspective, working from very limited resources, it is critical that providing a sound foundation for the full scope of the project be maintained. Entering into the assorted arenas needs to be done in such a way as to lead one into the other, in a specific order that is based on the resources developed. If it were the case that, any number of arenas, were already broached, then applying a greater degree of resources would result in rapid success. As it is, those markets are not established with the IMS  organizational structure, so  resources are required for both internal and external operations. "Therein lies the rub". But that's just the way it is, unless a partnership arises.

So onward and upward, as they say. I'm working on a presentation package, because this has reached the stage where aligning multiple major arenas is, if not required, most certainly, is advisable. Thusfar, the entire package is based primarily on content, with some very significant work done on markets. If I had my choice, my work would continue in that vein. But of course, in the context of First-Class/First-Run theatre/film; other elements, such as significant principles, need to be attached. But in terms of the work I need to do, moving to secure those principles is too much of a burden on my resources and abilities. So I leave those details to a future time, either under my own or someone else's purview.

I still need to shift over from book publishing to music scoring/recording, so even contending with distribution of the published product is a strain.

As it stands, IMS is the publisher with direct supervision over manufacturing, so there is a degree of management for distribution which is encroaching upon completion of the Core Creative Materials. This is something that needs serious consideration, because the strain effects the outcome of the process.

So at this stage, I'm inclined to think that introducing the right Literary/Theatrical Agent into the scenario might be advisable.

Anyway you look at it, I intend to pursue the Parade Float, because that is the simplest and most effective form of staging to advance the cause. Other than that, getting the books into wide distribution is the primary goal. Add to that the refinement of the studio space (10k sq ft) for production and you can see, my plate is full.

I welcome participation, particularly from fellow producers and finnanciers.

AG

Various Editions

As I've said, there are a number of editions of The Gnomes of New Hope. Initially, I published the prototype editions of both the Big People's and the Gnome-sized books. These prototypes looked really good at the time, but as I moved closer to spending the big bucks required for a public release, it became clear that - once the layout goes to press (and by that I mean high production) the product is (more or less) "set in stone". Of course, it's paper, but nonetheless, the expenses involved across the board, require that all the elements be as correct as humanly possible. Otherwise it is wasted money and the potential of it's success would be impaired.

Now that the books, as a whole, have been thoroughly reviewed, proofed, and sampled out in all formats, one would think it is time to move into Production and Distribution. That is true. But what is also true is that; other minutiae which was only lightly considered has become increasingly important.

As it turns out, any attempt to initiate the market without deep saturation is inadvisable at this point. This series of stories is founded in the theatre. It was designed as a stage show and that remains at it's core.

The Illustrated Storybook has always been intended to support the stage production, even though the storybooks stand on their own. In fact, the storybooks provide more character information than the stage show does, well different information.

The Digital e-Storybook version will offer the best blending of the two, in fact, three markets; Publishing, Music, and Cinema.

The truth is that - Theatre rather stands independent in terms of the aesthetics of the art. The fact of it's three dimensional and live action nature does make it unique and separates the experience. It is much more transitory... and more difficult to produce. That also means that it is more difficult to sustain because the elements are always in a state of flux.

This would be the reason for approaching Publishing first. As you can imagine, music publication follows the printed books. By that I mean; the refinement of the music into it's final printed form. The music is in fact written, but it needs to be refined so as to be presentable to a Maestro and Orchestra. Once again there are countless minutiae in preparing the Score. Much of that work has been done, but not sufficiently for final publication. That's a discussion for another time.

So I have returned to the Gnome-sized Edition and determined to publish a limited run of that book first. The larger publication of all four basic editions (not to mention the Boxed set or Gnomes in a Gnutshell e-Storybook) involves a substantial outlay of capital. Production quantities need to be in the tens of thousands, at a minimum. Publishing two versions of Volume One in both soft & hard cover editions puts us into the hundreds of thousands of dollars range. Obviously, that outlay cannot happen without distribution channels in place and the support marketing aligned for simultaneous implementation.

So as you see, it is a very complex endeavor, whose success lies in impeccable timing. I do not say that lightly. The timing extends beyond the mere production & distribution of the published goods. The critical factor here is the span of attention of the target audience. Considering the scope of the markets for which this endeavor has been created, it is critical that the potential expansion of each of the markets be carefully considered. The most advantageous timing is to cause the collective markets to reach their Apex within a defined parallel. That means calculating the extent of the work involved in bringing each arena into a fully active state and assuring that by so doing, the resources for each of those arenas, most of which are proceeding simultaneously, be sufficient for continuing advancement. It is critical that the momentum be maintained and controlled in a calculated way. That is the real secret to producing a product that has such a wide latitude as;
The Gnomes of New Hope; Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure.

Pop-up Book

Within the last day or so, the idea of a pop-up came back into the picture. I was thinking that the hard-cover book might have a single pop-up in the center as a bonus. But doing that will cause further delays in releasing the books. At this point I am convinced we need to release four versions of the book simultaneously; the Gnome-sized and the Big People's, in both soft & hard cover editions. For both of those releases, there will be both unlimited general release and the signed & numbered collectable editions.

Well, now it is clear to me that a pop-up edition is also quite appropriate. After some thought on the subject, I've concluded that the pop-up will be a companion to the full collection of Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure. That means that the pop-up will essentially be a cyclorama of points in the story. I like that because one aspect of the larger show is to create a cyclorama with animatronic puppets. The pop-up book will be like a mini-version/test run.

Golly, with all this I hope we actually get around to producing the stage musical !

I welcome partnering with anyone interested in being involved, especially financial and production management persons. We do need to fund all this and manage the affairs.

AG