Mili Fay's Blog, page 4
June 10, 2014
"DREAM, LITTLE DREAMER" CONTESTTo her the "Dream, Little ...
"DREAM, LITTLE DREAMER" CONTEST
To her the "Dream, Little Dreamer" Lullaby click here.***PLEASE NOTE: BECAUSE OF LACK OF INTEREST I'M POSTPONING THIS CONTEST UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE CONTEST TO CONTINUE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I NEED AT LEAST 10 INTERESTED PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE.***Have you ever wanted to own original Mili Fay Art artwork? Well, here is your chance.
What you can win:
Original final-ink sketches* and a grand prize: ORIGINAL WATERCOLOUR ILLUSTRATION (valued at $300-$500) from the upcoming "Dream, Little Dreamer" picture book.
How does it work?
As I'm illustrating I will come up with a series of questions that I will post as a comment underneath this blog post. Be the first person to answer correctly and you will win the final-ink sketch for that question. You will also be added to the draw for the GRAND PRIZE. At the end of the project (when the book is published and ready for sale), in real time, on Google Hangouts, I will draw the winer from a bowl. The winner will be contacted by e-mail address provided and will be asked to claim the prize. If the winner does not claim the prize within two weeks, a new name will be drawn.
Who is eligible?
Everyone, but please note: free shipping is only available in Canada and US! Kids make sure you get your parent's/legal guardian's consent. If you win I will require your address to ship the wining sketch to you.
RULES:You must have your parent's/legal guardian's permission if you are under the legal age for your country.DO NOT SHARE PERSONAL IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION.You can post as many answers as you like. The first correct answer wins.You can only win an original final-ink sketch once.Be kind and courteous, and DO NOT SPAM!I can change the rules and cancel the contest at any time at my sole discretion.If there are two or more likely winners, another question will be asked of the potential winners. The first person to get the answer wins.You can follow the progress of my work on Pinterest .
Prize Samples:
Final-Ink Sketch
Possible Watercolour Illustration Prize* Final-Ink Sketch is a sketch I trace onto watercolour paper to create the final painting.
June 6, 2014
UPCOMING APPEARANCESDecember 2014December 6, 2014 Mili Fa...
UPCOMING APPEARANCESDecember 2014
December 6, 2014 Mili Fay will be available online to answer any questions from 8am to 8pm (EST). Just post your questions in the comments here.
December 14, 2014 Mili Fay's last appearance for the year will be at Wychwood Barn's Holiday Art Market.
UPCOMING APPEARANCEShttp://youtu.be/g6DQXXQUJvgNovember 2...
UPCOMING APPEARANCEShttp://youtu.be/g6DQXXQUJvgNovember 2014November 13-16, 2014 Mili Fay Art will be a part of INSPIRE! Toronto International Book Fair. Save up some money, because you will want to get your Holiday Gifts here! :-)
December 2014
December 14, 2014 Mili Fay's last appearance for the year will be at Wychwood Barn's Holiday Art Market.
UPCOMING APPEARANCESSeptember 2014September 21, 2014 Mili...
UPCOMING APPEARANCES
September 2014September 21, 2014 Mili Fay Art will be at Toronto's The Word On The Street. It is an outdoor event, so let us start praying now that the weather is going to be better this year than the last. ;-)
October 2014October 4, 2014 Mili Fay Art will be at Wychwood Barns for the last time in 2014. For details, please see above.
November 2014November 13-16, 2014 Mili Fay Art will be a part of INSPIRE! Toronto International Book Fair. Save up some money, because you will want to get your Holiday Gifts here! :-)
PUBLISHING RESOURCESResources Mili Fay used to publish he...
PUBLISHING RESOURCESResources Mili Fay used to publish her book.
Learn About Publishing
Self Publishing in Canada: A complete guide to designing, printing and selling your book by Suzanne Anderson. This book focuses on getting your book ready to publish in Canada (step by step), with some tips on what you can do after. You can also purchase a new edition e-version from her site.
Canadian Government Sites You Should Know
The Canadian ISBN Service System Find out all about getting your free ISBN in Canada.Copyright Information For CanadiansCataloguing In Publication You will need to get this for your copyright page.
MarketingStart marketing before you finish your book!
Build A Business With Your BookD'vorah Lansky's site is geared towards non-fiction books, but fiction authors can find a lot of useful information.
Build Book BuzzSandra Beckwith gives you an idea where to start. She also always suggest other resources you can rent or purchase to expand your knowledge.
Printing Company Mili Fay Used
Sure Print & Design
*****
I will add more resources as I come across them. I hope these few gets you off to a good start. If you know of another great publishing resource, please let me know.
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:16px A...
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:16px Arial,sans-serif; color:#336699; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Join Mili Fay Art Fan Club and/or Review Crew:* indicates requiredEmail Address * Mili Fay Art
Fan ClubReview CrewEmail Format
htmltext
MILI FAY ART FAN CLUB
Mili Fay Art Fan Club is for those of you who love Mili Fay Art.
As a member of the Fan Club:you will receive monthly gifts and discounts on Mili Fay Art Products and Services. you will have many chances to participate in contests to win great prizes.you will be notified of art tutorials, upcoming signings and markets, and any other online or offline events before any other Mili Fay Art social site.you may join a Facebook Group to connect with other fans, share ideas, ask questions, and more.you will have a front row seat for anything Mili Fay comes up with next.
Fan Club Rules:
Fan Club rules are simple. Be courteous and considerate, check your e-mail account, and participate in a club activity at least once in 3 months. Individuals who do not participate will be deleted to make room for those individuals who do.
To see if you are the right person to join Mili Fay Art's Review Crew, you need to answer "Yes!" to the following questions:Do you like to read books and write reviews?Do you have an Amazon and/or Goodreads account?Do you want to have a chance to get Mili Fay Art's future books for free?Do you like getting gifts?If you have answered "Yes!" to the above questions, you should probably consider joining the Mili Fay Art's Review Crew.
As a member of the Review Crew:every time a new book is about to be published by Mili Fay Art you will have a chance to get a FREE copy! (Check your e-mail for details.)you will have FREE access to all Mili Fay Art signing events.you may join a Facebook Group to connect with other reviewers, share your ideas and opinions.you may win great prizes related to the book you have reviewed.
Review Crew Rules:
Be courteous and considerate. Follow the guidelines that will accompany each book's email review request. Submit your review to Amazon and/or Goodreads within a specified time frame.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Updated: October 14, 2014.
Fan ClubReview CrewEmail Format
htmltext
MILI FAY ART FAN CLUB
Mili Fay Art Fan Club is for those of you who love Mili Fay Art.
As a member of the Fan Club:you will receive monthly gifts and discounts on Mili Fay Art Products and Services. you will have many chances to participate in contests to win great prizes.you will be notified of art tutorials, upcoming signings and markets, and any other online or offline events before any other Mili Fay Art social site.you may join a Facebook Group to connect with other fans, share ideas, ask questions, and more.you will have a front row seat for anything Mili Fay comes up with next.
Fan Club Rules:
Fan Club rules are simple. Be courteous and considerate, check your e-mail account, and participate in a club activity at least once in 3 months. Individuals who do not participate will be deleted to make room for those individuals who do.
To see if you are the right person to join Mili Fay Art's Review Crew, you need to answer "Yes!" to the following questions:Do you like to read books and write reviews?Do you have an Amazon and/or Goodreads account?Do you want to have a chance to get Mili Fay Art's future books for free?Do you like getting gifts?If you have answered "Yes!" to the above questions, you should probably consider joining the Mili Fay Art's Review Crew.
As a member of the Review Crew:every time a new book is about to be published by Mili Fay Art you will have a chance to get a FREE copy! (Check your e-mail for details.)you will have FREE access to all Mili Fay Art signing events.you may join a Facebook Group to connect with other reviewers, share your ideas and opinions.you may win great prizes related to the book you have reviewed.
Review Crew Rules:
Be courteous and considerate. Follow the guidelines that will accompany each book's email review request. Submit your review to Amazon and/or Goodreads within a specified time frame.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Updated: October 14, 2014.
MILI FAY ART FAN CLUBMili Fay Art Fan Club is for those o...
MILI FAY ART FAN CLUB
Mili Fay Art Fan Club is for those of you who love Mili Fay Art.
As a member of the Fan Club:you will receive monthly gifts and discounts on Mili Fay Art Products and Services. you will have many chances to participate in contests to win great prizes.you will be notified of art tutorials, upcoming signings and markets, and any other online or offline events before any other Mili Fay Art social site.you may join a Facebook Group to connect with other fans, share ideas, ask questions, and more.you will have a front row seat for anything Mili Fay comes up with next.
Fan Club Rules:
Fan Club rules are simple. Be courteous and considerate, check your e-mail account, and participate in a club activity at least once in 3 months. Individuals who do not participate will be deleted to make room for those individuals who do.
To see if you are the right person to join Mili Fay Art's Review Crew, you need to answer "Yes!" to the following questions:Do you like to read books and write reviews?Do you have an Amazon and/or Goodreads account?Do you want to have a chance to get Mili Fay Art's future books for free?Do you like getting gifts?If you have answered "Yes!" to the above questions, you should probably consider joining the Mili Fay Art's Review Crew.
As a member of the Review Crew:every time a new book is about to be published by Mili Fay Art you will have a chance to get a FREE copy! (Check your e-mail for details.)you will have FREE access to all Mili Fay Art signing events.you may join a Facebook Group to connect with other reviewers, share your ideas and opinions.you may win great prizes related to the book you have reviewed.
Review Crew Rules:
Be courteous and considerate. Follow the guidelines that will accompany each book's email review request. Submit your review to Amazon and/or Goodreads within a specified time frame.
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Join Mili Fay Art Fan Club and/or Review Crew:* indicates requiredEmail Address * Mili Fay Art
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If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Updated: July 06, 2014.
Part 06: Mili Fay And The Picture-Book Marketing Challenge
June, 2013.
Mili Fay: "After 5 years of toiling, my book, 'Animals In My Hair', has finally been published. I am at the top of the world! The hard part is over. All that is left is to let everyone know that this brand new marvel of literature exists!
How hard can that be?"
May, 2014.
Mili Fay: "It is not only hard, it feels impossible!"
*****
"Animals In My Hair" Front Cover
I know I have a great product. I know this, because "Animals In My Hair" has been flying off shelves at markets, and the people who have not bought the book have actually apologised that they did not have the money to purchase it, or that they do not have children in their lives to gift it to.
So, the book is not the reason why I am struggling. The reason is that I have no clue how to get my book in front of parents and teachers who are my target audience: Marketing.
I have done my research. The problem is not that there is no information on marketing--there is TOO MUCH information!
A month ago, I felt crushed by piles and piles of information (most of it useless.) I wallowed in it. I was buried in it. I was slowly being flattened by it.
I've been crying for help for what felt like forever and no one has been able to hear me.
Then like a ray of sunshine that pierces and melts the fog, Sandra Beckwith's newsletter led me to D'vorah Lansky's Book Marketing Challenge.
Now at the very end of the challenge, I have a clear path (with supportive signposts) that will lead me to the kind of success I have always dreamed I'd achieve.
I cannot share just one thing I have learned; it is not who I am. What I will share with you is the tools I have found most applicable to the picture-book/fantasy author like me.
The first week of the Challenge we were supposed to create our author's platform. Well, in my case, my book is just a tiny part of a greater entity called Mili Fay Art. Last year, I have finally established Mili Fay Art's platform and have supported it with the vision statement: "Together we support the world one artwork at a time."
Instead of creating a platform, I have learned about creating effective blogs, have decided to really get involved with Amazon and Goodreads, and have also discovered something called a Facebook Fan Party--which I think is the best way to get more Likes for my Facebook Page.
The second week was all about becoming friends with our audience. I am intrigued by list building through giveaways (I have been giving stuff away since the beginning, but have not asked anything in return). I have created my first giveaway, a PDF Colouring Book from the outline scans of some of my most popular pieces of artwork. At my last market I have let people know that they will be getting this book if they sign up for my newsletter and the signup sheet was 200% longer.
You can download the picture book here .
Cathy Demers gave me a great idea for creating a show showcasing my very talented friends once a week as part of my "Art: Help!" blog. Thank you, Cathy! I may not be able to connect with "Animals In My Hair" audience in that way, but I will reach a lot of artists and fantasy lovers who I know will love my novel, "Warriors of Virtue". Besides, I will chat with some of the artists I have admired for years. What could be better?
Third week was not my week. I do not want to teach the subjects and themes that I use for books. My books are fantasy, and there are people out there more qualified than I to teach on the real subjects I touch upon. However, I did have a major brainstorm as I listened to the Kindle Ninja (I find Kristen Eckstein a bit scary to be honest).
"Warriors of Virtue" is my masterpiece. A massive fantasy story about a reluctant princess who learns to be a Queen. It really is massive. The first book out of the planned five-book series (and one novella) is 600 pages (slightly over 100 000 words, which is not an unusual length for a fantasy novel). I have envisioned the whole book illustrated with sketchy ink illustrations, and one beautiful, full-colour illustration for every chapter. Just thinking of the amount of work that will take makes me slightly ill.
After listening to the Kindle Ninja, I have decided to publish the whole book in individual chapters. My plan is to offer the first chapter for free, then to raise the price when the second chapter is published and offered for free. I hope in this way to create a loyal following who may eventually help me achieve best-seller status with the printed version of the book. My future fans may even help me Crowdfund the project.
Crowdfunding is what we have discussed in week four. A week where we learned the importance of press releases and book reviews. Both of which I will be working on as soon as the Challenge is through.
This last week we have been learning about Virtual Book Tours. As someone who loves to write and share what I know, a VBT is what I am looking forward to the most. Somehow, I will have to figure out how to get in touch with relevant mommy-blogs, and teacher sites (or I may spend this year doing actual tour of Toronto schools and Libraries--if they'll have me). I did have this idea to contact haircut blogs for children, and share funny haircuts I have had throughout the years. I also love, LOVE, Once Upon A Sketch blog run by Norman Grock. I would dearly love to write them an article about my watercolour technique. People marvel at the clarity of my colours and the secret is all in the...
;-)
I am also intrigued by a Review Crew, and will be setting mine up soon.
I'm also planning on starting a review blog as a result of being part of this fantastic Children's Picture Books group on Goodreads, with a weekly article about outdoor games that will keep the kids active and away from TV. If you know of any old games that may be fun and are willing to share an article for this new blog, please let me know.
The Book Marketing Challenge sparked so many ideas that I am not sure where to start first, but the above are some that are bouncing around my scull more frequently than others.
Lastly, I want to give a big virtual hug to everyone reading this blog, and to all the participants of the Book Marketing Challenge Group who have welcomed me with open arms. I hope we will stay in touch for years to come. If you are ever in Toronto I would love to meet you all in person and share with you my favourite haunts.
My June 2014 Challenge is to fully illustrate my "Dream, Little Dreamer" lullaby (you can hear me singing the full version on a YouTube video here ). If you have kids, or if you just like children's art, you can follow my progress on Pinterest for a chance to win original sketches and a watercolour painting.
First Illustration: "...or a chick in its pen..."If you'd like to keep in touch, and get more artistic freebies (such as greeting cards, art prints, colouring books, Kindle Books, etc.) and discounts on portraiture and Mili Fay Art products, become a member of the Mili Fay Art Fan Club. You can also join Mili Fay Art's brand new Review Crew where you may get all of her future books for free. Details coming soon! #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:16px Arial,sans-serif; color:#336699; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */
Join Mili Fay Art Fan Club and/or Review Crew:* indicates requiredEmail Address * Mili Fay Art
Fan ClubReview CrewEmail Format
htmltext
'+msg+'
Good luck with all your endeavours!
Mili Fay"Together we support the world one artwork at a time."
P. S. I will go into more detail as I follow each marketing step, so make sure to tune in from time to time. :-)
A Proud Member Of:
Back to Blog Hop List
Mili Fay: "After 5 years of toiling, my book, 'Animals In My Hair', has finally been published. I am at the top of the world! The hard part is over. All that is left is to let everyone know that this brand new marvel of literature exists!
How hard can that be?"
May, 2014.
Mili Fay: "It is not only hard, it feels impossible!"
*****
"Animals In My Hair" Front CoverI know I have a great product. I know this, because "Animals In My Hair" has been flying off shelves at markets, and the people who have not bought the book have actually apologised that they did not have the money to purchase it, or that they do not have children in their lives to gift it to.
So, the book is not the reason why I am struggling. The reason is that I have no clue how to get my book in front of parents and teachers who are my target audience: Marketing.
I have done my research. The problem is not that there is no information on marketing--there is TOO MUCH information!
A month ago, I felt crushed by piles and piles of information (most of it useless.) I wallowed in it. I was buried in it. I was slowly being flattened by it.
I've been crying for help for what felt like forever and no one has been able to hear me.
Then like a ray of sunshine that pierces and melts the fog, Sandra Beckwith's newsletter led me to D'vorah Lansky's Book Marketing Challenge.
Now at the very end of the challenge, I have a clear path (with supportive signposts) that will lead me to the kind of success I have always dreamed I'd achieve.
I cannot share just one thing I have learned; it is not who I am. What I will share with you is the tools I have found most applicable to the picture-book/fantasy author like me.
The first week of the Challenge we were supposed to create our author's platform. Well, in my case, my book is just a tiny part of a greater entity called Mili Fay Art. Last year, I have finally established Mili Fay Art's platform and have supported it with the vision statement: "Together we support the world one artwork at a time."
Instead of creating a platform, I have learned about creating effective blogs, have decided to really get involved with Amazon and Goodreads, and have also discovered something called a Facebook Fan Party--which I think is the best way to get more Likes for my Facebook Page.
The second week was all about becoming friends with our audience. I am intrigued by list building through giveaways (I have been giving stuff away since the beginning, but have not asked anything in return). I have created my first giveaway, a PDF Colouring Book from the outline scans of some of my most popular pieces of artwork. At my last market I have let people know that they will be getting this book if they sign up for my newsletter and the signup sheet was 200% longer.
You can download the picture book here .
Cathy Demers gave me a great idea for creating a show showcasing my very talented friends once a week as part of my "Art: Help!" blog. Thank you, Cathy! I may not be able to connect with "Animals In My Hair" audience in that way, but I will reach a lot of artists and fantasy lovers who I know will love my novel, "Warriors of Virtue". Besides, I will chat with some of the artists I have admired for years. What could be better?
Third week was not my week. I do not want to teach the subjects and themes that I use for books. My books are fantasy, and there are people out there more qualified than I to teach on the real subjects I touch upon. However, I did have a major brainstorm as I listened to the Kindle Ninja (I find Kristen Eckstein a bit scary to be honest).
"Warriors of Virtue" is my masterpiece. A massive fantasy story about a reluctant princess who learns to be a Queen. It really is massive. The first book out of the planned five-book series (and one novella) is 600 pages (slightly over 100 000 words, which is not an unusual length for a fantasy novel). I have envisioned the whole book illustrated with sketchy ink illustrations, and one beautiful, full-colour illustration for every chapter. Just thinking of the amount of work that will take makes me slightly ill.
After listening to the Kindle Ninja, I have decided to publish the whole book in individual chapters. My plan is to offer the first chapter for free, then to raise the price when the second chapter is published and offered for free. I hope in this way to create a loyal following who may eventually help me achieve best-seller status with the printed version of the book. My future fans may even help me Crowdfund the project.
Crowdfunding is what we have discussed in week four. A week where we learned the importance of press releases and book reviews. Both of which I will be working on as soon as the Challenge is through.
This last week we have been learning about Virtual Book Tours. As someone who loves to write and share what I know, a VBT is what I am looking forward to the most. Somehow, I will have to figure out how to get in touch with relevant mommy-blogs, and teacher sites (or I may spend this year doing actual tour of Toronto schools and Libraries--if they'll have me). I did have this idea to contact haircut blogs for children, and share funny haircuts I have had throughout the years. I also love, LOVE, Once Upon A Sketch blog run by Norman Grock. I would dearly love to write them an article about my watercolour technique. People marvel at the clarity of my colours and the secret is all in the...
;-)
I am also intrigued by a Review Crew, and will be setting mine up soon.
I'm also planning on starting a review blog as a result of being part of this fantastic Children's Picture Books group on Goodreads, with a weekly article about outdoor games that will keep the kids active and away from TV. If you know of any old games that may be fun and are willing to share an article for this new blog, please let me know.
The Book Marketing Challenge sparked so many ideas that I am not sure where to start first, but the above are some that are bouncing around my scull more frequently than others.
Lastly, I want to give a big virtual hug to everyone reading this blog, and to all the participants of the Book Marketing Challenge Group who have welcomed me with open arms. I hope we will stay in touch for years to come. If you are ever in Toronto I would love to meet you all in person and share with you my favourite haunts.
My June 2014 Challenge is to fully illustrate my "Dream, Little Dreamer" lullaby (you can hear me singing the full version on a YouTube video here ). If you have kids, or if you just like children's art, you can follow my progress on Pinterest for a chance to win original sketches and a watercolour painting.
First Illustration: "...or a chick in its pen..."If you'd like to keep in touch, and get more artistic freebies (such as greeting cards, art prints, colouring books, Kindle Books, etc.) and discounts on portraiture and Mili Fay Art products, become a member of the Mili Fay Art Fan Club. You can also join Mili Fay Art's brand new Review Crew where you may get all of her future books for free. Details coming soon! #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:16px Arial,sans-serif; color:#336699; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Join Mili Fay Art Fan Club and/or Review Crew:* indicates requiredEmail Address * Mili Fay Art
Fan ClubReview CrewEmail Format
htmltext
'+msg+'
Good luck with all your endeavours!
Mili Fay"Together we support the world one artwork at a time."
P. S. I will go into more detail as I follow each marketing step, so make sure to tune in from time to time. :-)
A Proud Member Of:
Back to Blog Hop ListJune 5, 2014
Part 05: Mili Fay Takes On A Book Marketing Challenge
Date: May 2, 2014Reposted From: Mili Fay: An Artist's Struggle To Success
Now that my book is published and looking perfect, my greatest struggle is getting it in front of my audience, a.k.a. MARKETING.
I'm all over the Internet, but though I connect with other authors and artists, I'm not reaching the people who want to buy my book.
How do I know who these people are?
I truly believe that everyone would love my book, but not everyone NEEDS my book. To find your audience you need to know who falls in the second category. By going to markets and fairs I have discovered that people who purchase my book have young children in their lives; they are parents, grandparents, teachers...
So, I should be targeting mommy blogs, baby and children's stores, schools... But how do I reach people without coming across as a self-serving creep?
I have no idea.
Thankfully, I have just discovered something called a Book Marketing Challenge. It begins this Monday, May 5th, so if you want to get the FREE Silver Pass and check it out: http://buildabusinesswithyourbook.com/access/aff/go/mili_fay
I have just signed up for Gold Membership so what you see above is my affiliate link.
I honestly hope it helps me out, because doing everything on my own is a tad overwhelming. ;-)
I'll blog about my experience, so if you have any questions let me know.
Cheers!
M
Now that my book is published and looking perfect, my greatest struggle is getting it in front of my audience, a.k.a. MARKETING.
I'm all over the Internet, but though I connect with other authors and artists, I'm not reaching the people who want to buy my book.
How do I know who these people are?
I truly believe that everyone would love my book, but not everyone NEEDS my book. To find your audience you need to know who falls in the second category. By going to markets and fairs I have discovered that people who purchase my book have young children in their lives; they are parents, grandparents, teachers...
So, I should be targeting mommy blogs, baby and children's stores, schools... But how do I reach people without coming across as a self-serving creep?
I have no idea.
Thankfully, I have just discovered something called a Book Marketing Challenge. It begins this Monday, May 5th, so if you want to get the FREE Silver Pass and check it out: http://buildabusinesswithyourbook.com/access/aff/go/mili_fay
I have just signed up for Gold Membership so what you see above is my affiliate link.
I honestly hope it helps me out, because doing everything on my own is a tad overwhelming. ;-)
I'll blog about my experience, so if you have any questions let me know.
Cheers!
M
Part 04: Mili Fay In Trouble!
Date: April, 2013 (?)Reposted From: Mili Fay: An Artist's Struggle To Success
The worst part about starting your own business and working on your own is that there are many things you don't know that you don't know. I am a meticulous person. I have spent years researching illustration and publishing, before deciding to publish a book on my own. I thought that I had a good grasp about business of it all, but the truth is my views were very naive.
When I first decided to publish my own book, I thought that all I needed to do is write the book, illustrate it, and then find a printer to print and bind it. Publishing in reality is much more complicated.
There are registration papers to be filed, legal licences obtained, cataloging, archiving, getting the ISBN... Many, many things, that I gratefully discovered in the book "Self Publishing in Canada: A complete guide to designing, printing and selling your book" by Suzanne Anderson.
So, after reading the book I thought, "NOW, I know it all."
I was wrong.
As I mentioned before, the trouble comes when you do not know what you do not know. It is easy to figure something that you know you are unfamiliar with; that is what research is all about. However, what do you do when you make mistakes without knowing they are mistakes?
You get in trouble, that's what.
In my case I almost illegally used a font that I had no idea I was using illegally.
The main font in my picture book is Jenkins 2.0. I had that font forever. It was in my programs in school, and I've used it occasionally for years. It is my favourite font that mimics hand-writing. It suits the style of my book perfectly. So I figured, "If I had the program then I can use the font."
Wrong!
That font is copyrighted. I had to purchase a license to use it commercially.
I was lucky, because I stumbled on the copyright notice of the font in a friend's comic book. She used the font, and loving her comic so much, and being about to publish my own book, I decided to check out her copyright page. It was there: "Jenkins v. 2.0" by Ben Balvanz for fontalicious.com. Jenkins v. 2.0 is copyright (C) 1999 fontalicious.com.
"By Mili Fay" is written with Jenkins v. 2.0 FontThe moment I read those words I broke out in cold sweat, my stomach clenched, and I was about to hyperventilate. I saw myself being hit by lawsuits, forced to pay money I don't have, finding myself in jail, being labeled as a "jail-bird" and not being trusted with anything ever again, my fledgling career in shambles, and years of integrity washed down the messy toilet of life!
A bit dramatic?
Well, what do you expect? I am an artist. :-)
It was after I almost gave myself a heart attack, that I reminded myself that my book has not been sent to the printer. I could change the font if I could not obtain a license. It will mean more work, but I have designed fonts before, I could design a font again.
In the end, obtaining the license proved reasonable and easy enough. For my purposes a twenty dollar fee is all that it took.
However, this little episode makes me wonder what other faux pas are in store for me. How many important things are out there that I do not know and that I should know?
I tell myself, "At least one more." That thought keeps me humble. Nevertheless, I also tell myself to stop fretting about such things and to deal with issues when they arise.
The next time I was prepared.
A while back, I discovered that I need to do something to the barcode to have funds and taxes and other money things work the way it should. I'm not sure what I should do, but at least I have a question I can ask.
I also discovered that registering the business name, did not handle all aspects of registering a business. So, I'm going to fill out a HST form registration later today.
Life rarely works out the way you plan it should, you have to be ready for all its nasty surprises, and not fret over the past you cannot change. The one thing I have learned from all this is that life makes no sense, and follows no plan. All you can do is deal with it as it comes.
Until next time...
Mili
The worst part about starting your own business and working on your own is that there are many things you don't know that you don't know. I am a meticulous person. I have spent years researching illustration and publishing, before deciding to publish a book on my own. I thought that I had a good grasp about business of it all, but the truth is my views were very naive.
When I first decided to publish my own book, I thought that all I needed to do is write the book, illustrate it, and then find a printer to print and bind it. Publishing in reality is much more complicated.
There are registration papers to be filed, legal licences obtained, cataloging, archiving, getting the ISBN... Many, many things, that I gratefully discovered in the book "Self Publishing in Canada: A complete guide to designing, printing and selling your book" by Suzanne Anderson.
So, after reading the book I thought, "NOW, I know it all."
I was wrong.
As I mentioned before, the trouble comes when you do not know what you do not know. It is easy to figure something that you know you are unfamiliar with; that is what research is all about. However, what do you do when you make mistakes without knowing they are mistakes?
You get in trouble, that's what.
In my case I almost illegally used a font that I had no idea I was using illegally.
The main font in my picture book is Jenkins 2.0. I had that font forever. It was in my programs in school, and I've used it occasionally for years. It is my favourite font that mimics hand-writing. It suits the style of my book perfectly. So I figured, "If I had the program then I can use the font."
Wrong!
That font is copyrighted. I had to purchase a license to use it commercially.
I was lucky, because I stumbled on the copyright notice of the font in a friend's comic book. She used the font, and loving her comic so much, and being about to publish my own book, I decided to check out her copyright page. It was there: "Jenkins v. 2.0" by Ben Balvanz for fontalicious.com. Jenkins v. 2.0 is copyright (C) 1999 fontalicious.com.
"By Mili Fay" is written with Jenkins v. 2.0 FontThe moment I read those words I broke out in cold sweat, my stomach clenched, and I was about to hyperventilate. I saw myself being hit by lawsuits, forced to pay money I don't have, finding myself in jail, being labeled as a "jail-bird" and not being trusted with anything ever again, my fledgling career in shambles, and years of integrity washed down the messy toilet of life!A bit dramatic?
Well, what do you expect? I am an artist. :-)
It was after I almost gave myself a heart attack, that I reminded myself that my book has not been sent to the printer. I could change the font if I could not obtain a license. It will mean more work, but I have designed fonts before, I could design a font again.
In the end, obtaining the license proved reasonable and easy enough. For my purposes a twenty dollar fee is all that it took.
However, this little episode makes me wonder what other faux pas are in store for me. How many important things are out there that I do not know and that I should know?
I tell myself, "At least one more." That thought keeps me humble. Nevertheless, I also tell myself to stop fretting about such things and to deal with issues when they arise.
The next time I was prepared.
A while back, I discovered that I need to do something to the barcode to have funds and taxes and other money things work the way it should. I'm not sure what I should do, but at least I have a question I can ask.
I also discovered that registering the business name, did not handle all aspects of registering a business. So, I'm going to fill out a HST form registration later today.
Life rarely works out the way you plan it should, you have to be ready for all its nasty surprises, and not fret over the past you cannot change. The one thing I have learned from all this is that life makes no sense, and follows no plan. All you can do is deal with it as it comes.
Until next time...
Mili
