How to Create and Maintain the Ultimate Customer Relationship
Why don't companies simply give the customers what they want? They can't.
The marketplace is changing in ways that marketers have a limited ability to see and react to. Major, established corporations are blinded by their current success, the current paradigms they operate within, and by the reality that they can't learn and change fast enough. These monolithic corporations are paralyzed by existing business models that have served them well. The status quo is the enemy of reinvention and innovation, not the driving force for change. This book is written for entrepreneurs and major corporations who want to thrive in new everchanging economy.
This book poses the critical question, “Is it all about your company—the product or service provider—or all about your customer? If it’s all about your company, watch out! Someone will come along who is better focused on your customer and take market share from you. How can a company tell there's an underlying problem? There’s an enthusiasm gap between what is offered and what customers really want and expect from a company. This enthusiasm gap undermines the relationship—it is a source of friction and discontent in the relationship. Here are some examples of the customer enthusiasm gap:
§ Cable TV companies offer bundles in groupings of 100 stations—there is no option to buy less than 100 stations or to pick the 43 stations that you really want. No one watches 100 much less 200 stations. Customers resent having to bear the cost of additional stations when they only want a few.
§ A restaurant offers a “#8” on the menu with the warning “no substitutions.” Why is this? Any substitution within a “#8” would negate the what a “#8” is and undermine efficiency in the kitchen. We see similar examples outside the restaurant industry where choice is severely constrained.
§ Insurance companies include hidden features in fine print that may/may not be useful or appropriate for a consumer. For example, Progressive auto insurance does not automatically insure drivers of a vehicle that are not covered on the policy enabling them to rate the risk of known drivers and reduce the premiums. Why don’t all companies at least ask the question?
§ Vehicle manufacturers sell different models with different packages of options but don’t allow customers to waive-off certain features. Part of this is due to how cars are manufactured—the vast majority of passenger vehicles are mass produced for retailers who carry inventory just like Target carries tooth brushes. At some point, vehicle manufacturers and the buying public will be better served by building to order on demand rather than producing inventory in the hope a customer comes along to buy it without the need for significant discounting.
Why don't companies simply give the customers what they want? They can't. Exceptions undermine efficiency and erode profit. To simplify “complexity,” companies offer their customers “packaged products” and “packaged services” to overcome their inability to allow customers to specify goods and services based on their preferences, or, they endlessly take orders that are for configurations “just like this, but, _____” and end up making no money on the order as they attempt to figure what it takes to make just something “just like that but….”
This book is about how business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) relationships are best served by giving the customer “choice.” 21st century customers aren’t content with “one-size-fits-all” offers—they want what they want. Bundles are out; customer choice is in. Companies in product and services industries that embrace this philosophy will thrive; those that don’t risk becoming irrelevant.
As more and more entrepreneurs seek ways of connecting with the marketplace and established corporations look for ways to increase their relevancy in the marketplace, they want to learn about how best to connect with the market opportunity that lies in front of them. The a la carte customerTM movement can be the impetus for jobs all over the world. It can even bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.A. from overseas.
There are 2 dimensions to this challenge:
1) the customer-facing or front end, and,
2) the back-end—setting up the business to efficiently and profitably deliver customer-configured products and services.
This book addresses both dimensions. Whereas most other books address customized products but not services leaving a tremendous marketplace opportunity for service providers to better connect with customers.
This book will include vignettes of issues industry specific issues, highlight and reinforce key points in made within chapters, and include some stories from industry executives. The premise of the book will come alive for the reader as we anchor key points in reality. The intent is to make the book’s content appropriate and enduring—I tend to write a book that has a very long shelf-life. Also, the following outline will be subject to some variation in final form as issues come clearer from research or in the way the content comes together. We have a myriad of product and service industries and therefore stories and metaphors to draw from throughout this book (see Section 5 for a listing).
Introduction
Chapter 1: Historic relationships—the aristocracy of the provider
Chapter 2: The notion of multiple offerings and the myth of lower margins
Chapter 3: The a la carte continuum: “take it or leave it” to “tell me what you want”
Chapter 4: The “á la carte customer” in products
Chapter 5: The “á la carte’ customer” in services
Chapter 6: The “á la carte relationship”
Chapter 7: Super efficiencies and how you gear up
Chapter 8: “Á la carte’” and technology
Chapter 9: “Á la carte’” and globalization
Chapter 10: “Ultimate á la carte’”—the customer as partner
Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Historic relationships—the aristocracy of the provider.
“You can any color as long as it’s black” -Henry Ford
However, this level of inflexibility advocated by Henry Ford only works as long as you control the market, e.g. $400 car. But, when someone comes along with a $600 car and offers choice, you have a problem.
§ Key points in chapter:
o One-size-fits all fits no customer particularly well
o The customer experience—fulfilling the needs of the customer, increasing loyalty, commitment, and excitement
o Aristocrats don’t worry about the “enthusiasm gap”
o Product manufacturing and distribution practices and how they impact “a la carte’”
o Services—how things have traditionally been offered to the marketplace and why this isn’t serving customers as well
o What got you here, won’t get you there
Chapter 2: The notion of multiple offerings and the myth of lower margins
Talk about why people have shied away from multiple offerings in an effort to control costs and therefore margins. The entire operation comes to a grinding halt when someone asks for something that is an exception.
§ Key points in chapter:
o Issues facing manufacturers and service providers
o Industry examples
o Research on customer perceptions and the customer experience
o Who will adopt “a la carte?”
Chapter 3: The a la carte continuum: “take it or leave it” to “tell me what you want."
I’ll write about the continuum of offerings encountered in the product and service marketplace.
§ Key points in chapter:
o The a la carte continuum
o Why manufacturers are often trapped by a paradigm
o Why service providers are so rigid
o Winning with individual customers vs. amorphous markets
o Research on customer perceptions and the customer experience
Chapter 4: The “a la carte’ customer” in products
I’ll write about the continuum of offerings encountered in the marketplace for products and where there are enthusiasm gaps from customers.
§ Key points in chapter:
o Issues facing manufacturers
o Review specifics around the “enthusiasm gap” facing manufacturers
o Industry examples
o Research on customer perceptions and the customer experience
Chapter 5: The “a la carte’ customer” in services
I’ll write about the continuum of offerings encountered in the marketplace for services and where there are customer enthusiasm gaps.
§ Key points in chapter:
o Issues facing service providers
o Industry examples
o Review specifics around the “enthusiasm gap” facing service providers
o Research on customer perceptions and the customer experience
Chapter 6: The “a la carte relationship”
I’ll write about what has to be different to accommodate the a la carte customer for both products and services with the customer. There will be many industry-specific examples in this chapter.
§ Key points in chapter:
o Issues facing manufacturers and what manufacturers need to do about it
o Issues facing service providers and what they need to do about it
o Overcoming resistance in your own organization
o Industry examples for product and service providers
Chapter 7: Super efficiencies and how you gear up
This chapter is about implementation of the a la carte customer and what is essential to gain traction with the concept with customers, partners and the product or service company.
§ Key points in chapter:
o What do customers expect?
o Crossing the chasm efficiently
o How to articulate the challenges
o Change management issues
Chapter 8: “A la carte’” and the role of technology
I’ll write about the key role technology plays in the “a la carte customer.”
§ Key points in chapter:
o Using technology to maximize choice
o Customer-configurable technology
o Maximizing technology in the back room
o Making technology a la carte—multiple ways to access your business
Chapter 9: “A la carte’” and globalization
The key to reaching global markets efficiently is an “a la carte” approach to product and service design.
§ Key points in chapter:
o How not being “a la carte” negatively impacts market reach
o How an “a la carte” approach better aligns with global markets
o How an “a la carte” approach supports greater agility
o International examples and case studies
Chapter 10: “Ultimate a la carte’”—the customer as partner
We are at the beginning of the “a la carte customer” movement.
§ Key points in chapter:
o What is the future of this movement?
o Customer co-creation
o Historical examples
o The future of customer co-creation
Companies that either manufacturer products or offer services that are seeking to better connect with B2B and/or B2C customers will buy this book. It will open executives’ eyes to what has probably been the elephant in room for many, many years. It is not necessary that “products” be customized; the way in which commodity products are delivered and/or packaged can be part of the product differentiation. This book will help illustrate this as well as show companies how this can set themselves apart from their competition.
Manufacturing industries include:
§ Aircraft
§ Automobiles
§ Chemical products
§ Clothing--custom
§ Computers, storage systems, peripherals, communications
§ Construction equipment
§ Electronic equipment
§ Farming equipment
§ Food processing equipment
§ Food
§ Furniture and home furnishings
§ Homes—manufactured and traditional construction
§ Medical devices, medical instruments
§ Trucks (fire/rescue vehicles, ambulances, over-the-road/long-haul trucks), buses, defense vehicles
§ Yachts
Service industries include:
§ Airlines
§ Banks, credit unions,
§ Brokers: real estate, loans, lessors
§ Financial services
§ Insurance: home, life, property and casualty, health, fire, marine, title
§ Freight and shipping companies
§ Lodging and hotels
§ Agencies: advertising, PR, mailing, reproduction, employment, travel, etc.
David Gardner brings the following promotional opportunities to this proposal:
§ A 20-year consulting history of working with clients who will purchase books
§ Network established via Alan Weiss Million Dollar Consultant® Hall of Fame
§ The ability to speak to a wide-variety of audiences tailoring presentations to their specific needs
§ Will seek the assistance of Dan Janal, PR Leads, to stimulate print, radio and Internet radio interviews about the book
§ Via establish relationships with trade associations, both within the U.S. and internationally, whose members will find tremendous value in this subject
§ A member of Society for the Advancement of Consulting, a global group of consultants
§ A proven track record of working with large corporations including the Fortune 50. Dell is one of these companies with whom I enjoy a very close relationship including with several direct reports to Michael Dell.
§ A platform via my own blog at DaveGardner.biz/blog
§ Currently cultivating relationships internationally to pave the way for speaking.
§ Will be exploiting my relationships with the Mass Customization, Personalization and Co-Creation international community
§ Will continue to exploit and leverage Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, my blogs, guest blogging and writing to inform people of this book
§ May create a unique website for the book.
§ Call all bookstores within 50 miles of my office in Silicon Valley and ask (beg!) them to carry copies of my book. If this is successful, expand to 100 mile radius.
§ Persuade large corporations, e.g., Dell, to buy my book for their employees or to use as potential give-aways to potential clients.
§ Promote via other bloggers by writing guest posts or doing podcast interviews
§ Will seek cross-promotional opportunities with other writers and trade associations
§ Will be exploring the use of a publicist that might:
o Build an editorial calendar itemizing publicity opportunities for the book to leverage promotion
o Create a media kit for the book and author, including a bio of the author, key points articulated in the book, and materials to help an interviewer leverage their time with me
o Use timely news/press releases to support other media outreach
o Leverage a database of media targets and identify select reporters and editors at those outlets for focused media pitching
o Conduct targeted outreach to companies
o Create a reader’s blog where readers can interact with me
The book will lead to speaking engagements, workshops, and consulting opportunities, all of which will translate into substantial book sales.
David J. Gardner, Founder and Principal of DaveGardner.biz, is the only guy who has been working on approaches to satisfy each customer’s unique requirements for over 30 years for a variety of industries, products and services. He is known for his pragmatism and track record of achieving results for his clients.
He has held management and senior management positions in Product Development, Manufacturing, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service, and Product Management.
He joined Tandem Computers in 1979 where he was responsible for Corporate Documentation Standards for Tandem's highly configurable and expandable computer systems. Dave learned what happens when customers make choices that aren’t aligned with back-office processes.
In 1983, he designed and implemented a Configuration Guide for Dialogic Systems instituting a process that greatly simplified a complex, modular product such that the field sales organization and international OEM customers could easily define their order requirements. This methodology satisfied the product definition needs of sales, marketing, engineering, manufacturing, customer service and finance.
David improved the approach for defining highly-configurable products at System Industries in the late 1980’s by developing a methodology that not only accommodated "new system" orders but also fully addressed "add-on" orders. This company built modular disk and tape storage systems that could be attached to each computer system ever produced by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). 60% of the employees used the Configuration Guides as a means to validate and order highly configurable and expandable storage sub-systems used widely with Digital's computing systems.
David founded his consulting practice in 1991. Here are a few examples of consulting projects undertaken:
- Defined the end-user requirements and subsequent implementation of a configuration tool at a Fortune 500 custom semiconductor manufacturer.
- Helped a semiconductor capital equipment manufacturer with a detailed configurator requirements analysis and assessed the business process impacts associated with implementing a mass customization process.
- Assisted a provider of product configurator technology and consulting solutions with marketing and sales strategies.
In July 2002, David was recruited by E-ONE, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of fire and rescue vehicles, as Vice President of Product Management to lead an enterprise-wide change initiative to:
- Reduce the cost and lead-time associated with engineering each vehicle to improve company profitability
- Reduce overall SG&A expenses
- Accurately describe the company’s product configuration capabilities to better set customer and dealer expectations
- Provide accurate material and labor costs to eliminate “margin surprises”
David has been offering keynote speeches in recent years on the subject of configurable product and services strategy and implementation:
- Dover Industrial Products: Engineering Best Practices Meeting
- Datacard Group: Credit Card Manufacturing User Group Meeting
- IBM Sterling Software: Solutions for Configurable Software
- Mass Customization, Personalization and Co-Creation International Conference
David is a member of Dell’s Customer Advisory Panel since July 2010. During this time, he has developed quite a network of executives across Dell both domestically and internationally.
He is a graduate of San Jose State University (BA) and Santa Clara University (MBA). He was recently appointed to the Leadership Board for the School of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University.
David is also a member of the Society for the Advancement of Consulting (SAC) and has been Board Approved in the Area of Configurable Product & Services Strategy and Implementation. This approval means that the consultant has worked in a specialized area for a considerable length of time; has provided detailed, documented evidence of success directly from clients in that specialty; and has conformed to the Code of Ethics of the Society, serving as a thought leader and exemplar in the profession in general and their specialty in particular.
In May 2009, David had his first book published: “Mass Customization: An Enterprise-Wide Business Strategy.”
He was a Fast Company Expert Blogger writing about business execution, business models, entrepreneurship, technology and the a la carte customer. This gives him a platform to promote his books, speaking and consulting. [Note: I lost the Fast Company platform; perhaps I need to find a replacement platform.]
In 2010, he was inducted in the Million Dollar Consultant® Hall of Fame. Out of over 1,500 consultants who have gone through Alan Weiss’s mentoring program, about 40 have been inducted in the Hall of Fame.
This book is about how B2B and B2C companies can better align themselves with actual customer need. The angle of the “a la carte customer” is unique in that no book exists that exploits this concept in this way. So, in looking at competition, I would look to books that talk about customization or mass customization or being customer-centric in terms of offerings. The “a la carte customer” is a composite of these concepts.
§ Designing the Customer Centric Organization: A Guide to Strategy, Structure and Process. Jay R. Galbraith, 2005, jossey Bass Business and Management
From Chapter 1:
“For better or worse, one thing has become increasingly clear in the last ten years: the marketplace is customer driven. The days of customers chanting, ‘We’ll take what you offer,’ have been replaced with an expectant, ‘Give us what we’d like, with a side order of customization.’ The power in the buyer-seller interaction has been moving systematically to the buyer. In many industries, global competition and industry overcapacity have given buyers more choice and they are learning how to use it…The competitive game has clearly shifted to one of pleasing an increasingly more global, knowledgeable and powerful customer. The need for customer centricity is not going away, and it is up to each company to determine the level of application—and hierarchical restructuring—required for success in this morphing marketplace.”
In the context of Galbraith’s book, customer-centricity speaks to the need of customers to be able to get what they want. It speaks to the idea of realignment and restructuring to accommodate a customer driven world, the world of the a la carte customer.
§ Mass Customization: The New Frontier in Business Competition, B. Joseph Pine, 1992, Harvard Business School Press, Winner of the 1995 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing Research
This book represents the “gold standard” for being the first book ever written about the opportunity associated with customized products and services. The expression “mass customization” was coined by Stan Davis in his book called, Future Perfect. While mass customization spoke to the need to produce customized products with the same efficiency as mass produced products, the term hasn’t really caught on in the U.S.—it is much more widely used in Europe, particularly in Germany. Today, companies offering customized or personalized products have hijacked the term “mass customization” to attempt to describe what they are doing. So, the oxymoronic expression “mass customization” has become both ubiquitous and ambiguous.
§ The One-to-One Future: Building Customer Relationships One Customer at a Time, 1997, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, Random House
The One to One Future revolutionized marketing when it was first published. Then considered a radical rethinking of marketing basics, this bestselling book has become today's bible for marketers. Now finally available in paperback, this completely revised and updated edition--with an all-new User's Guide--takes readers step-by-step through the latest strategies needed for any business to compete, and succeed, in the Interactive Age.
Most businesses follow time-honored mass-marketing rules of pitching their products to the greatest number of people. However, selling more goods to fewer people is not only more efficient but far more profitable. The One to One Future is a radically innovative business paradigm focusing on the share of customer--one customer at a time--rather than just the share of market.
Authors Don Peppers and Martha Rogers reveal one to one strategies to:
* Find the 20 percent--or 2 percent--of your own customers and prospects who are the most loyal and who offer the biggest opportunities for future profit;
* Collaborate with each customer, one at a time, just as you now work with individual suppliers or marketing partners;
* Nurture your relationships with each customer by relying on new one to one media vehicles--not just the mail, but the fax machine, the touch-tone phone, voice mail, cell phones, and interactive television.
Leading-edge companies such as MCI, Lexus, Levi Strauss, and Nissan Canada, and thousands of smaller enterprises, have already adopted the one-to-one perspective. The strategies outlined in this book work just as well--often even better--for small companies, from two-person accounting firms to flower shops to furniture stores.
§ Customer Experience Edge: Technology and Techniques for Delivering An Enduring, Profitable and Positive Experience for Your Customers, by Reza Soudagar, Vinay Iyer, Dr. Volker G. Hildebrand, 2012, McGraw Hill
Globalization and advanced technologies have given ever greater power to the person who decides if your business will succeed or fail--the customer. Whether your company serves consumers or other businesses, you can no longer compete on price and quality alone. To gain profits and market share, you have to deliver an experience that makes customers want to come back--and that sets you apart from the competition. You need to seize The Customer Experience Edge.
Drawing on over sixty years of experience in shaping customer centric strategies and technologies for leading companies, three innovators bring you practical and proven ways to create your customer experience programs and overall business strategies. The key is to strike a balance between programs that are effective but prohibitively expensive and programs that fail to dedicate enough resources to be effective. In the middle ground lie the tools that everyone overlooks--foundational and disruptive technologies. These are the authors' main fields of expertise, and these are what make the customer experience profitable.
The Customer Experience Edge explains how to combine strategy, leadership, organizational change, and technology to:
Develop products and services that are highly valued by customers
While much has been written about mass customization as a high-level strategy, much less has been offered about implementing mass customization as a business strategy. Manufacturers that thrive in the 21st century will treat customers as "insiders." Under mass customization, a customer is an "insider." The customer can select from an array of choices to purchase products that match their individualized needs.
This book explains mass customization (also known as build to order, assemble to order, configure to order, make to order and engineer to order) from the standpoint of discrete manufacturers and reviews why mass customization must be viewed as an enterprise-wide business strategy, not merely a departmental initiative. Companies with highly-configurable products need to combine the technical superiority of their products with operational excellence. A manufacturer needs to be able to seamlessly connect the customer to the enterprise so the hand-offs from organization to organization are efficient and keep the process moving forward to a timely completion and delivery.
'Mass Customization' is for anyone whose company faces a constant, uphill challenge with respect to quoting, configuring, and producing high-configured products; any company that has made an investment in product configurator software and wants to understand why operational efficiencies and profits haven't improved, and anyone who would like to get a better understanding of what is required to implement mass customization as well as the power mass customization has to transform certain businesses and industries.
The problem with this book is that its title is built around the theme of “mass customization,” a concept that typically refers only to manufactured products, and, (as I have since learned) is a concept that has little traction with senior executives. Some 9 months after publication of this book, I decided to do as little as possible to promote this book and to work on a new and more relevant strategy: the a la carte customer.
§ Build-to-Order & Mass Customization; The Ultimate Supply Chain Management and Lean Manufacturing Strategy for Low-Cost On-Demand Production without Forecasts or Inventory, by Dr. David M. Anderson, 2008, C I M Press
This 2008 book shows how to: Build any product, standard or mass-customized, on-demand without forecasts or inventory. Simplify supply chains to resupply spontaneously, rather than trying to manage complex supply chains that order and wait for parts. Achieve substantial cost advantages from eliminating inventory and many overhead costs. Revolutionize company business models with evolutionary self-supporting steps for dramatic growth of revenue and profits.
This book is valuable for manufacturers that have any of these challenges:
Customization: Craft customizing is slow, expensive, and hard to maintain quality. Customizing by mass production is inefficient and compromises the other production.
Product Variety: Build-to-forecast producers sell products from inventory. As variety increases, it gets harder to keep enough of every variation in stock to satisfy demand.
Unreliable Forecasts: Forecast accuracy decreases dramatically as variety and market volatility increase, which are both rising.
Inventory Problems: Selling products from inventory creates many problems: out-of-stocks, obsolescence, write-offs, inventory carrying costs, and discounting unsold inventory.
Response time: Manufacturers of products or industrial parts may try to build products to-order but will not be able to deliver them quickly if they have to wait for parts, setup changes, and equipment availability
This is a very technical book written primarily for engineers and industrial engineering. Its scope is limited to manufacturing.
§ Other books
There are a number of books written by academics on the subject of mass customization and personalization that, frankly, have sold poorly. Why? These books are written by academics for academics and are simply not pragmatic enough to be suitable for the business community.
Management Consultant making the complex simple around people, process & technology
250 copies • Completed manuscript.
Chiado Books specializes in the publication of contemporary English-language authors, from celebrated names to the most promising emerging talents of our time. Our publication policy has, at its heart, a vision for the democratization of the world of publishing, offering Authors the best opportunities, and offering Readers wonderful works, from a huge range of genres, at a fair price and free from prejudice.
250 copies • Completed manuscript.
Atlantic Publishing has been providing millions of readers information to jumpstart their careers, start businesses, manage employees, invest, plan for retirement, learn technologies, build relationships, and live rewarding, fulfilling lives. Our award-winning authors and publication staff strive to make our products the best and most up-to-date available. We go further than most publishers to get our customers the best products.
250 copies • Partial manuscript • Looking for business, entrepreneurship, personal development, success psychology and mindset, health, and lifestyle.
BrightFlame Books was set up with one key purpose: to help experts like you get your message out into the world, increase your impact, and ultimately, grow your business. Wherever you are in your publishing journey, we can support you. As a full-service publisher, we transform your draft manuscript into a beautifully finished book. Our editors edit and polish your words, then our creative team turns it into a professionally designed finished product, inside and out, that presents you as the thought leader and industry leader you are. Once your book is published, as a marketing consultancy we specialize in turning you into a bestselling author by orchestrating launch campaigns to drive sales and awareness of your book internationally and creating book-based lead generation and client acquisition campaigns that turn your book into a powerful business development tool.
250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Cranthorpe Millner operates a hybrid publishing model. This means, should an author pass our editors’ strict filtering system, we can offer different kinds of agreements depending on the author and the manuscript. With some authors, we work under a ‘traditional’ model, whereby we cover the full cost of publication and the author is offered industry-standard royalties (8-10%). To some authors, we offer what we call a partnership or contributory agreement, whereby the author is asked for a financial contribution so that we may share the risk and enter into a partnership together to publish the author’s book. In this case, the author receives around 60-75% royalties.
Elite Online Publishing is based in Utah & Texas, and will help put your self-published book out into the world to grow, become a #1 bestseller, and give you a foundation of credibility, powerful marketing appeal, and new contacts. We have been in business for over 6 years and have helped over 150 authors become bestsellers.
500 copies • Completed manuscript.
Emerald Lake Books is a hybrid publishing company that provides a unique blend of business coaching with publishing to help its authors succeed, whether it’s their first book or their fiftieth! Emerald Lake Books specializes in working with positive people who have an engaging, exciting, or entertaining message to share with the world. Using a unique, goal-oriented approach to publishing, we combine our business and publishing knowledge to help our authors set and attain goals for their readers, their brands, and their books. And many of those books have gone on to win international awards and recognition.
250 copies • Completed manuscript.
Isabella Media Inc is a Rhode Island-based, family-owned, mainline publishing organization with a mission to discover unknown stories. We combine unknown or little known authors’ undiscovered potential with Isabella Media Inc’s unique approach to publishing to provide the highest quality books to readers about stories they may not find anywhere else. It’s our desire to find unique stories that drive us.
250 copies • Completed manuscript.
Koehler Books is an Indie publisher based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Our team of dedicated professionals promises you a holistic publishing experience where you'll receive our full attention, collaboration, and coaching every step of the way. We offer two publishing models: a traditional non-fee model for the highest quality work, as well as a co-publishing model that includes creative development fees for emerging authors. Our titles are broad-based and include nearly every major non-fiction and fiction genre.
Mascot Books is a full-service hybrid publisher dedicated to helping authors at all stages of their publishing journey create a high-quality printed or digital book that matches their vision. With comprehensive editorial, design, marketing, production, and distribution services, our authors have the support of an experienced publishing team while still retaining one of the highest royalty percentages in the business.
Dear Author,
You worked hard to write your manuscript; finally, it's ready to release. You know that expert assistance is needed, but perhaps you didn’t realize that working with a publisher is no longer necessary—especially publishers who charge fees to produce your book upfront and "share" more of your revenue whenever a book is sold.
1106 Design is an author services company. We offer all the editorial and design services you’d expect from a publisher, transforming your manuscript into a market-ready book. But here's the difference: we help you secure print-on-demand printing and worldwide distribution in your name. This means you earn several dollars more for every book sold instead of a meager “royalty.”
We understand that your book is not just a passion project but also a potential source of income. That's why we offer a range of services tailored to your needs at affordable prices. Depending on your manuscript's word count and complexity, our packages range from $4,000 to $10,000. And here's the best part: after this one-time investment, every penny of net revenue from book sales goes directly to you, never to us.
If this sounds like a better way to publish your book, I invite you to browse our services, design samples, no-surprises pricing, outstanding customer reviews, and educational articles at https://1106design.com. You can download a free PDF of my book, "Publish Like the Pros: A Brief Guide to Quality Self-Publishing and an Insider's Look at a Misunderstood Industry," and request a free, no-obligation consultation.
1106 Design has been in business since 2001 and is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. We are a “Highly Recommended Expert” at IngramSpark.com and rated "Excellent" at Alli, The Alliance for Independent Authors, at SelfPublishingAdvice.org, where you can find a "watchdog list" of the best and worst publishing services companies.
How can we serve you today?
Sincerely,
Michele DeFilippo, owner
250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Atmosphere Press is an independent publisher dedicated to author rights. We publish in all genres and have an exceptional editorial, design, and promotional staff. We stand for Honesty, Transparency, Professionalism, and Kindness. We want our authors and their readers to be blown away when they first hold that book in their hands. It needs to look good inside and out, and feel good to the touch. And, of course, the words need to be top-notch, and our editors are devoted to making that the case.
250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Authors Unite helps you become a profitable author and make an impact. We take care of printing and distribution through major online retailers, developmental editing, and proofreading with unlimited revisions. We take care of the entire process for you from book cover design all the way to set up your backend so all your book royalties go straight to your bank account. We can also help with ghostwriting if you prefer not to have to figure out all the steps on how to write a book yourself.
With our book marketing services, you don’t need to worry about figuring out all the steps on how to market a book or how to become a bestselling author. We’ve helped hundreds of authors become bestselling authors on Amazon, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. We take care of the entire book launch process for you to help you sell thousands of copies of your book and become a bestselling author.
View case studies here: https://authorsunite.com
100 copies • Partial manuscript.
Bookmobile provides book printing, graphic design, and other resources to support book publishers in an ever-changing environment. Superior quality, excellent customer service, flexibility, and timely turnarounds have attracted nearly 1,000 satisfied clients to Bookmobile, including trade houses, university presses, independent publishers, museums, galleries, artists, and more. In addition, we manage eBook conversions and produce galleys, and regularly provide short-run reprints of 750 copies or fewer for major publishers such as Graywolf Press.
100 copies • Completed manuscript • Looking for novels, memoirs, fantasy, and other fiction.
Crescendo Publishing is a boutique-style, concierge VIP publishing company assisting entrepreneur authors with writing, publishing, and promoting their books for the purposes of lead-generation and achieving global platform growth, then monetizing it for even more income opportunities.
Gladiator Publishing Co. has held a reputation in the Literary Industry for nearly 100 Years as a Writer-Loyal company. Nearly 100-years later, Gladiator Publishing Company still maintains that strong characteristic. We place our Authors publications first and foremost. You may hear many other "Publishing entities" state that they are "the first" to do this or the "originator/pioneer" of that. If everyone is using the same marketing, promotional, and advertising pipelines what makes them so original?
As the proud recipients of six-awards in 2018 for our innovative marketing techniques, media outreach, extremely low budget compared to the Global Industry Standard (72-83% cheaper), and an Author-inclusive style, it is no wonder we are the #1 Requested Publishing Service on the East Coast. We are staffed with industry-specific professionals that are dedicated to market and brand development.
Full Editing Services (substantive, copy, formatting, proofreading, story flow, line) are INCLUDED in the price. No hidden fees, no extra cost for something that Publishing Services should be more than happy to provide to benefit the manuscripts success. The industry has turned toward greed and away from literature. It's sick and inappropriate, it's ok to agree, they know it too.
Maintain 100% of your royalties in all formats.
Maintain 100% of your Copyrights, Intellectual Property, and Creative Control.
You be the Author and we'll be the Publisher.
Happy Writings!!
100 copies • Completed manuscript.
Happy Self Publishing has helped 500+ authors to get their books self-published, hit the #1 position in the Amazon bestseller charts, and also establish their author website & brand to grow their business. And the best thing is, we do all this without taking away your rights and royalties. Let's schedule a call to discuss the next steps in your book project: www.meetme.so/jyotsnaramachandran
Bestsellers are great. Long-term sellers are even better. We'll help you do both.
Project Bestseller is about creating bestsellers. More importantly, it’s about building author platforms and long-term success. We’re building books that sell well over time, generate income for their authors, and create a lasting impact for their readers.
How? The surface answer to this question is:
- crafting each book for maximum appeal to readers
- editing, design, and production with quality to match or exceed traditional publishers
- building an author platform to build loyalty and reach
- optimizing marketing elements such as keywords, categories, and sales copy
- leveraging promotion and advertising to generate sales at a profit
A deeper answer is: with strategy, curiosity, and intense passion.
Why? We believe good books should sell. If you're like most of our clients, you have a big vision for your book. It represents you. It says something about who you are. Now you’re ready for it to start touching lives.
You can probably think of half a dozen books that have become part of the grain of your life, because they gave you exactly what you needed at the time—whether it was a feeling, an experience, a different perspective, or just the information you needed to unlock your next possibility.
Now it's your turn. We can help you impact your readers with your book. It's what we do.
We've been helping authors finish and publish their books since 2012. Services include: ghostwriting, editing, cover design, book design, formatting, publishing guidance, launch planning, marketing.
The author hasn't added any updates, yet.
Great to see your book is on its way. I look forward to reading and recommending to clients
Looking forward to the book, Dave!
Jack
David - ordered . Looking very much forward ! best wishes - warm regards chari -India
Best wishes Dave!! Keep rocking!
Congratulations! I'll be looking forward to reading it. I hope all is well with you.
Dave - I'm very excited about this new book. It looks great. Thanks for all the help you've been to me on the forums!
- Curt
So excited for you. Your expertise will help so many.
I'm looking forward to reading your book!
You need a chapter on The “á la carte’ customer” in experiences!
Joe PIne
Looking forward to this!
All the best success to you Dave!
Go for it David!
Congrats and Good luck!
David,
Looking forward to reading this.
Best Regards,
Jim
I'm looking forward to this book Dave.
All the best with your new book. Hope it leads to more clients, speaking engagements, and more!
$21
27 readers
1 Copy of the autographed limited edition of the book "A La Carte Customer" + Free invitation to the book launch. You ALSO get exclusive access to updates and an invite to join my community.
Includes:
$39
3 readers
2 Copies (One for you and one for a friend) of the autographed limited edition of the book "A La Carte Customer" + Free invitation to the book launch. You ALSO get exclusive access to updates and an invite to join my community.
Includes:
$67
3 readers
3 copies of the autographed limited edition of the book "A La Carte Customer" + Free invitation to the book launch + A Big Thank you mention in the book.
Includes:
$117
1 reader
5 copies of the autographed limited edition of the book "A La Carte Customer" + Free invitation to the book launch + Your name mentioned in the book + FREE one hr A La Carte Coaching Session(zoom) or FREE Executive Coaching session Valued at USD500
**A La Carte Customer -- Give your customers the control they crave while expanding your reach, desirability and value-add so you can dominate your market
Includes:
$227
1 reader
10 copies of the autographed limited edition of the book "A La Carte Customer" + invitation to the book launch + Your name mentioned in the book + 2-hour remote, FREE Executive or Operations Coaching valued at 500USD per hour
Includes:
$497
0 readers
25 copies of the autographed limited edition of the book "A La Carte Customer" for you and your team + Free invitation to the book launch for you and 5 members of your team + Your company's name mentioned in the book as a Sponsor + A half day remote workshop or remote speaking session for your team teaching the tools from my book (value USD2000).
Includes:
$994
0 readers
50 copies of the autographed limited edition of the book "A La Carte Customer" for you and your team + Free invitation to the book launch for you and 5 members of your team + Your company's name mentioned in the book as a Sponsor + A half day on-site workshop or on-site speaking session (not including travel) for your team teaching the tools from my book (value USD5000).
Includes:
on Oct. 10, 2018, 6:29 p.m.
Book sounds exciting! Looking forward to it.