Great Meeting!

We met with our publisher and editor yesterday to go over some of the cover and interior layouts that the graphic designer had put together. We loved almost every page presented, so ended up piecemealing it all together to get a great layout.

We also decided to postpone the release date from December 2008, to January 2009 in order to broaden and lengthen our window of opportunity for awards. I had never considered this, but our publisher and editor both feel strongly about it, and also believe in our book and feel we could actually win an award or two.

Our editor wants to see if Robert would be interested in doing more illustrating for their publishing house. So...I'll approach that issue with him soon.

We got a new puppy a few weeks ago, and he has been such a great addition to our family. He's only 9 weeks old now, but seems like he's been with us forever. He fits our family like a glove.

Read more

Meeting Today

Well, unfortunately, our meeting today was cancelled (our publisher is very sick). I do hope Marian is up and at 'em soon.

Read more

Cats!

O.K. So this is supposed to be book related. Well... I just have to say, book related topics will be on hold for the next couple of weeks, as starting tomorrow, I am fostering a mama cat and her three babies, as well as five 2-3 week old abandoned kittens who need to be bottle fed, AND two foster puppies whom we hope to get adopted out at the "Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo" at the end of the month. Needless to say, we will be crazy for the next couple of weeks.

On a book related note, Tom and I do have a meeting on the 18th with the graphic layout designer to go over some ideas and font syles, etc.

Read more

Reading Referee

We've added a new page on our main website, where kids can join our fanclub for free. That makes them a "Reading Referee" and they get a membership package which includes a sticker, tattoo, pencil, crayons, bookmark, reading log, coupon and certificate! It should be fun, and there are links for kids to send in artwork, book reviews, book recommendations, and more!

Read more

University of Michigan Wrestling

Tom got a hold of this really awesome picture of him and Robert Lence together with the team. I think our publisher may use this on the back of our book also. I know Robert really wanted it to be on the book, so it probably will. There are some other familiar faces in the photo too, like Tom Canty, Tim Fagan, Bernie Knoblich, Steve Fraser and Pat McKay. If you recognize anyone you know in this photo, please email us or comment below who it is, as we will list the names we know on the back of the book under the photo.

We're still waiting to hear from the graphic layout designer about some of our ideas for the book. Can't wait. I'll post again after we get in touch with her.

Read more

On Top of the World

We are on top of the world! We had a meeting with our publisher and editor today. They had a few last minute revisions for us to make, but we are still on schedule. Robert has finished all the final illustrations and is working on the hardcover two page spreads for front and back of book. So far, things are still on schedule for a December release date. Our publisher also mentioned that she sold some copies of our book to some educators at an intervention conference they attended last week!

Read more

Smooth Sailing!

Things are moving along quite smoothly these days. Our illustrator is done with all the illustrations. He's finalizing the front cover and back cover (inside and outside) illustrations. We meet with the graphic layout designer next week. Hopefully then we will know how much longer before it goes to press. Robert Lence is amazing. His illustrations are so darn cute! We love them all!

Read more

OMG

I know it has been absolutely AGES since my last post here, but that's what happens when you have a child that just graduated from college. You have parties to throw, college to prepare for, driving lessons, etc. So....anyway. Our head shots have been sent in to the publisher for the back of the book, the rest of the rough drawings have been sent to us by Robert (we have to pick the ones we like-yikes!, they're all so good!) Let's see...all of our book reviews and endorsements have been submitted for the book, and Robert is working like mad to get the cover art done for some posters that our publisher want to take to an upcoming book conference! So, that's about it for now. Next post will hopefully include a sneak preview of one of the final illustrations, or possibly even the new and final book cover!

Read more

Off To The Proofer!!!

Everything is off to the proofer. We are awaiting Robert's final illustrations, which if submitted by July 31, we will have a release date of December 1, for the book. Whoo, hoo! I can't wait. That will be perfect timing too. The clubs will just be getting started, and it will be enough time for Christmas orders too. We'l keep our fingers crossed that all will go well for Robert with illustrating. We've had to postpone our fall school visits. All the administrators were totally fine with the change of schedule. i also had to postpone my writing class at the Rec Center until the winter semester, as I'd like to have our book with us for that.

Read more

Ashton Kutcher!!

Well, here I am again, in my Vendor's Village booth at the Olympic Wrestling Trials in Vegas. It's about as boring as yesterday here, possibly even more so (although it's early yet). At any rate, yesterday was slow again, only sold about another 30 books. I really would be shocked if today was any better. But....our evenings (after the trials) have been fun. We went to the Bellagio for dinner last night with Robert and Emil (dinner was delicious-we ate at Noodles, an authentic Japanese restaurant) After dinner we went to Roberts room and he showed us all the book illustrations he has thus far. He's at R., so not much longer. He knows we want the book by Dec. in order to have it for Christmas, so that's good. Now I have to check with our publisher and see when they need everything by in order for the book to be printed and in stores by December!

One exciting thing here at Vendor's village yesterday was that Ashton Kutcher was here watching wrestling, and he came in to Vendor's village to watch some of the stuff in here, Tom talked to him for a few minutes. Apparently he's pals with Dan Gable, cause he was walking around and hanging out with Dan's wife. He took one of our book business cards! He also signed one of our books for Robert to give to a friend. Numbskulls Tom and I didn't even think to ask for an autograph-we just talked to him!!

Read more

Day Two in Vegas

Yesterday was not as productive as I had hoped (we only sold 20 books). Tom doesn't seem to mind though (I think he really just wanted to come to Vegas!). We sure had a lot of fun though yesterday. Robert and his friend Emil came in late in the afternoon, so when our day ended here, everyone got together for dinner. Steve Fraser joined in too!

Today is just getting started. The first session is in, and then there will be a break. The location of the vendor's village is really lousy. All of the vendors were complaining yesterday about getting practically no business. Hopefully today will be better. We got here kind of late yesterday too, so that doesn't help.

Read more

Activity Books

Our Activity Books were shipped here to our store yesterday. They look great! We are all packed and ready to hit Vegas! Let's hope our book is a big hit and we won't have to ship much back home. Our editor emailed me today and wants to meet when we get back to go over Robert's illustrations for the picture book. I just know Robert is coming up with some really awesome drawings. Can't wait to see him (and the pics) in Vegas!

Read more

CRAYONS!

Our “Wrestling The ABC’s” crayons have been delivered. Tom was surprised how much room 3,000 boxes of crayons took up. I told him just wait til the books come in!! Yikes..we'll need a new addition to our house. We’re getting pretty excited for our trip to Vegas, and, the activity book should be in late this week or early next! This is so much fun!!!

Read more

School Visits coming soon!!

WOW! Tom and I just found out that included in our Vendor's Village fee is a full color 1/2 page ad in the official program for the Olympic Wrestling Trials. I can't even believe it. And their fee is already extremely reasonable and includes tickets to the event for two people for all three days. They also put us on their website and the e-newsletter update that they send out to all their members and other folks. We've been getting hundreds of visitors to our site every day, from everywhere! So...now we have to design an ad. We have until the 30th of this month, so we're good.

I have four school visits booked for early next school year. That should be fun. I can't wait. My writing class at the rec. center will be starting in the fall too.

Read more

Olympic Trials!!

We haven't received our activity books yet, but the anticipated release date is June 6, 2008. You can order the activity books on our Wrestling The ABCs website, or on our Davids Gold Medal Sports store website. Our store website is the best place to order, as you can place bulk orders for discounted prices, as well as receiving the shipping and handling costs at checkout.

We just got in from Pittsburgh (family related-not book stuff), and we decided to take a little breather from book stuff, at least until time to head out to Vegas). We already have enough venues in mind (some scheduled, some not), to take up the rest of the summer, and then we have school visits that we will do from September-November (Tom's too busy with his business after that to take time for school visits).

Our Ilustrator Robert Lence, is going to Vendor's Village with us, so I'm pretty excited about that. He's bringing some of the book illustrations with him for a sneak preview!

So from this point on, we shouldn't really be too busy. We are grateful that this activity book and our picture book will sell themselves. We just have to be in the right place at the right time. I know several writers, and it seems they have to spend so much time promoting themselves and their book. And I know (since they are all published through houses, not self published like us), I know that they really get very little regarding royalties, and even less for my friends who are agented.

That is something we won't have to deal with. We do of course have to recoup our publishing costs (about 900 picture books sold will do it, and about 800 activity), but after that, we are in the clear, and each book sold is 100% our profit. If we sell all 3,000 of our activity books, we will make a $10,000 profit! Haven't done the math on our picture book yet. But it will be a higher profit margin.

So...buy our books!

Tom and I worked a bit on the 1,2,3 Wrestle! book. Basically, we just talked about it some more. He wants to continue with it, but doesn't want to get it published until the Wrestling the ABCs has been out for about a year.

Read more

Back From Battle Creek

We just got home from Battle Creek.  We’d been there since Friday afternoon, so I am whooped!  We did get some book orders for our book though in addition to all of the great business we got for Davids Gold Medal Sports!  The Activity book Volume One proof will be arriving tomorrow. Assuming all is good, we can get the Activity Books printed and delivered here in plenty of time for VEGAS!!!!

Also a partial shipment of some of our promo stuff arrived as well.  It all looks great and can’t wait to get the rest later this week.

Read more