First prototype done!

I've just completed the FIRST prototype of my book. Now, I've mentioned to people that I am trying to discover a way to do hard cover books at paperback prices. And I may have finally figured it out. Yay! right? Big time. Not just for the people who want to purchase my book, but for me as well. On many levels. One, YOU get a custom book. And I mean custom. Two, I get to do something that I love. Three, I get the sale.

The one major drawback to doing books via POD (Print-On-Demand), as anyone who uses that method can tell you, is the price. The sites I use (Lulu and CreateSpace) won't allow the people who sell the books to price them lower than whatever is the minimum. The one way we can, is by allowing third-party sellers to sell the book. As in small bookstores and the like. You've seen them. They're the ones you can buy from when you're on Amazon, for a much lower price. That's them. I enjoy that you can get the book for lower though.

Well, the pictures below showcase my first prototype for my books! In this case, I used Dark Illusions: The Beginning. Remember how I have been researching printing and binding methods for blank journals? And how much I enjoyed doing so? (Note for those unawares, I am so in love with crafting and working with my hands.)

That's right! I printed and bound this book all on my own. I found out the industry standards, then how to combine that with a more traditional handcrafted and homemade method for parts of the book using recycled bits while making sure the book will last a while so it's still as high a quality as something you'd find in the bookstore. Though mine isn't mass printed so I could use better paper.

Check it out. :)

Julian's face looks pink from my weird phone camera, haha.

Psst, Julian, you is pink! hehe

Had to tilt that last picture downward because the protective cover was mirroring everything around me, lol. I mirrored the window instead of my face. :D The one drawback, as you can see by the above, is the cover doesn't extend all the way up and down. That's because my home printer is limited to 8.5" width paper. I like it though. Call meh crazy, but when I do something homemade I prefer it to look SOMEWHAT homemade. In these books, there is that. I like it. Only because it's a black cover is it so noticeable.

I love it! What about you?

Why make you buy from stores when I can print and bind my own book for you?

I think I am gonna make 5 each to keep in inventory. They may cost under $15 + shipping, but I have to figure out what it costs for ME to do each.