Getting out there and having conversations

[Private Witt]

If we order 300 to 500, he will charge 1.72 USD. This allows us to sell and realise more than twice printing costs.

But the large number of copies is scary. 300 is not very large. Still my mind is locked to 100. Seems easier to sell 100 than 300 or 500. I have to decide whether we can sell them all with relative ease.

I wanted 100 to allow us sell with relative ease and gradually increase the number printed. But printing cost reduce as the number of copies printed increase.

Somebody with experience on book selling can say something. I have never done something like this before.

Something is getting scared in me.

The good news is a major hurdle has been breached that had you stuck longer than you could imagine and now you have options. More good news is books are not perishable and have a lot of time to move, I'd guess a full year until the second edition.

I'd put on paper the cost of all the print options and how long you think you could move both 100 and 300 books. In reality losing 75 cents on print cost is not the end of the world if you go with 100 and you have piece of mind. But than if you get 300 and move 100 fast you are sitting on a nice inventory.

I like the number 100 and once you move 50ish you can eye a new print and roll profits into a bigger supply. You don't have the stress of putting that much cash out which is a lot in your country.

Also you can market it as only 100 first print of first edition. Number them.

Now if you went 300 and they moved fast you are in great shape. How big is the market in your area for this type of book is what you should be asking? Could you get local press coverage, maybe from your university? Are other teachers already interested? These and many more questions are what you should be asking if you feel like rolling the dice and going with the big order.

 

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[adnanazmi]

If we order 300 to 500, he will charge 1.72 USD. This allows us to sell and realise more than twice printing costs.

But the large number of copies is scary. 300 is not very large. Still my mind is locked to 100. Seems easier to sell 100 than 300 or 500. I have to decide whether we can sell them all with relative ease.

I wanted 100 to allow us sell with relative ease and gradually increase the number printed. But printing cost reduce as the number of copies printed increase.

Somebody with experience on book selling can say something. I have never done something like this before.

Something is getting scared in me.

View: https://youtu.be/-TOYJHax5x8

 

[Isaac Odongo]

View: https://youtu.be/-TOYJHax5x8

Thank you for this. I learned those same skills a few years ago.

Show! Don't tell!

Beautiful writing trick there.

 

[Isaac Odongo]

Thanks

Now if you went 300 and they moved fast you are in great shape.

Talked it with my partner and agreed that we can move 300. Will definitely go for 300. Might need to finance it.

How big is the market in your area for this type of book is what you should be asking?

Total population of target learners is in the upwards of 1 million. TAM is currently some hundreds. TUM is in the millions. All those kids in secondary school are in this TUM.

Will start with a smaller TAM and then scale when necessary. Especially next year is good for scaling.

Are other teachers already interested?

The ones we have reached have shown interest. We are improving our cover page as suggested by @adnanazmi and others and we will reach out to more with it tomorrow.

I am beginning to wonder why we have even delayed.

The printer @Awakened2022 referred me to came along today and offered to print 300 copies at 1.07 USD each.

 

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[Isaac Odongo]

The ones we have reached have shown interest. We are improving our cover page as suggested by @adnanazmi and others and we will reach out to more with it tomorrow.

We will need to be making offers now. Closing sales now.

Something else
I was determined to reach this stage. Find a printer and print. Now I am scared. I am scared of having to approach clients and offering them the product.

I am scared something somewhere may go wrong. Someone may rip me off.

It is my first to plan to implement such a thing.

My first time to plan to approach a bank to finance what I am doing and it's somewhat scary.

Tomorrow I will approach a bank and ask for a loan. I have never done this before. I wonder what will happen. But it needs to go through.

It needs to go through.

 

[Private Witt]

We will need to be making offers now. Closing sales now.

Something else
I was determined to reach this stage. Find a printer and print. Now I am scared. I am scared of having to approach clients and offering them the product.

I am scared something somewhere may go wrong. Someone may rip me off.

It is my first to plan to implement such a thing.

My first time to plan to approach a bank to finance what I am doing and it's somewhat scary.

Tomorrow I will approach a bank and ask for a loan. I have never done this before. I wonder what will happen. But it needs to go through.

It needs to go through.

You have a lot of doubts most creators have and your desire for perfection is taking over. Self sabotage could be creeping in as that feeds off the fear of failure. Your only action is to take action. Fix the cover. List all your print options and go for best price with the best printer that makes you feel comfortable with going with. You already know you have sales coming and it will build off that.

As for bank, does your country have a credit system? Do you have cash already ready to throw in? Would it be like a personal loan or business loan?

 

[Isaac Odongo]

Do you have cash already ready to throw in?

Not enough.

Would it be like a personal loan or business loan?

I don't know. I don't know which is possible or better.

Will walk in to Equity Bank and see what I can get.

Otherwise I will go to a bank managed by a friend and see what I can find.

Your only action is to take action. Fix the cover.

True. The cover is about complete.

 

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[Isaac Odongo]

The banks cannot deal with a startup like my business. So WTF.

The banks cannot deal with a man who is paid over the counter. So WTF.

Agric loan maybe. Let's see.

It is bullshit to be broke.

 

[Isaac Odongo]

The best way is to find out is by doing.

Go and ask someone whether they can help you do something.

And do that fast.

Determine who to ask. I used up two weeks asking from and listening to the wrong people. I could have solved the problem in 48 hours by asking the right people.

The moment I tapped from the right people, everything fell in place. I always had the opportunity to tap from them. I had their contacts. My blindness stopped me asking them earlier.

Wonder of all wonders is these same people I didn't consider earlier cleared my way very fast.

There is always room for improvement.

Talk about dormant links and weak links.

Over planning is an action fake but avoid the pitfall I have found myself in if you a starter. But I think these below is possible. Don't know what others here think.

• Determine earlier who has the information you need and when you need it, go ask. Saves loads of time.
• Determine earlier who is capable of helping you and who isn't. When the time comes, you know who to go and ask. Saves loads of time, energy and peace.

Save something with the banks. It shows you have income. Do it regularly and it shows you have steady, regular income. They may be more willing to help you with money when you need.

I have an account with a bank but I ceased saving and never resumed. I could have found it easier to get the loan from them had I been regularly saving with them. I could just have withdrawn what money I needed. Not a sure deal. But it would have been easier. More probable.

My mom has a loan with her SACCO. She asked me to help her clear it since last year. I wasn't consistent, let alone regular. I had the illusion I was going to start a business someday, make money and clear it in a blink. I haven't. Now I needed help from her SACCO and it's not possible because that loan is still there.

Financial discipline will help you in the near future. I don't know if this kind of foresight is humanly possible. But don't be foolishly confident you'll manage on your own. You may need others. Deserve their help.

@Antifragile or @Kak or whoever else has done it before will find it largely easy to get funding. But not a starter. You need to build trust and this demands consistency and discipline with money.

Save something
Help someone who needs help.

 

[Andy Black]

Can people buy a softcopy of the book?

 

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[Isaac Odongo]

Can people buy a softcopy of the book?

Need to find out by offering. Not yet tried this. This will majorly be applicable to teachers. Most students won't manage this.

 

[Andy Black]

Need to find out by offering. Not yet tried this. This will majorly be applicable to teachers. Most students won't manage this.

Is it easier and quicker to try selling a softcopy?

Your goal is to help people, not print a book. Maybe you can help people without or before printing a book?

Or another way: How many people could you have helped while you have the book on your hard-drive looking for a printer?

 

[Stargazer]

What is mobile penetration in Uganda?

Why can't the kids use pdf or whatever on devices initially? Also as it is teaching English do you have accompanying videos/audio links as these would then be clickable.

eg It's all very well seeing how one writes something, but to clarify a student can then click an icon and hear the sentence being spoken.

Dan

 

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[Awakened2022]

The banks cannot deal with a startup like my business. So WTF.

The banks cannot deal with a man who is paid over the counter. So WTF.

Agric loan maybe. Let's see.

It is bullshit to be broke.

Are you in a privately owned school? Even then, banks in my region are giving salary loans to teachers in privately owned schools provided the school directors endorse them and they have guarantors.

Since you are still a youth, can't you get a youth loan? I remember a niece getting 5 million shillings for us some ten years back. However, you need collateral eg a land title.

If your parents are alive and have some land, you could persuade them to let you use it as collateral in a SACCO( I hope you have such in your region).

Or if you have a rich relative, pitch them about the viability of your project and request them to loan you some money.

Since your headteacher is in support of your project, sales should be easy if they make your book a requirement in your school.

If I were in your shoes, I would pursue the salary loan option.

I wish you success, and welcome to the world of using other people's money.

What is mobile penetration in Uganda?

Why can't the kids use pdf or whatever on devices initially? Also as it is teaching English do you have accompanying videos/audio links as these would then be clickable.

eg It's all very well seeing how one writes something, but to clarify a student can then click an icon and hear the sentence being spoken.

Dan

Many schools do not allow students to own phones at school.

I think hard copy is the best way for him to sell his product.

 

[Isaac Odongo]

How many people could you have helped while you have the book on your hard-drive looking for a printer?

The students are all on holiday. Some are already getting back. I handle grammar on Monday evening. I will use it during that lesson on Monday evening.

What is mobile penetration in Uganda?

Quite pervasive. But students aren't allowed phones at schools. Not a government policy since the revised curriculum has class activities that involve phones or Internet. Schools don't allow phones. I think it is foolish but I can only live with it.

If I were in your shoes, I would pursue the salary loan option.

They refused. My salary is paid over the counter. Besides, it would 3 to 6 months of payment through bank for me to qualify for that loan.

I just need to improve my relationship with the bank for future use.

 

[Stargazer]

Ok I get it, I missunderstood. You are creating a book to be used formally by schools then?

Would the school/university that you and your friend are connected with be willing to fund the printing?

eg If you have 200 students you only need to get those prnted and in use. If the pupils and school find them to have been beneficial you now have evidence for a bank and can get into other schools.

Dan

 

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[Isaac Odongo]

Or if you have a rich relative, pitch them about the viability of your project and request them to loan you some money.

Two of my maternal uncles are quite there in the middle class.

One a medical doctor and health administrator.

The other a retired bursar. Worked as deputy bursar at a public university.

I need a huge amount of courage to talk to either.

Let me start off immediately.

 

[Isaac Odongo]

Ok I get it, I missunderstood. You are creating a book to be used formally by schools then?

Would the school/university that you and your friend are connected with be willing to fund the printing?

eg If you have 200 students you only need to get those prnted and in use. If the pupils and school find them to have been beneficial you now have evidence for a bank and can get into other schools.

Dan

Yes. Precisely that.

The schools are ready to buy the book by making it compulsory for each student to own a copy. But they aren't ready to fund printing. All they want is evidence of a book. By us delivering the book. Then they task all learners to purchase.

 

[FastNAwesome]

@Isaac Odongo where I'm from, you can get books printed by piece.
Like - you can literally get just get 1 book printed. More expensive than 100 or 500, but really - affordable.

Why would you do this?

Well, here's my experience with web design - but I think it goes for many other businesses:

Clients don't really have imagination.

You can talk all day and it's just talk.
But if you have something to show - for me it's a website, for you it's a book - it's a totally different ball game.

When I show clients a demo of their fresh new website, most LOVE IT.
And then they can't NOT have it.

So it made sense for me to literally make demo websites without any guarantee of getting a job,
because MOST prospects loved it and hired me.

If you print literally 1 book, you will have a book clients can see, touch, leaf through.
And can't not have

So I imagine you could go with your 1 book, talk with prospects, let them see it, leaf through it, and ask how much they're ordering

 

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[Private Witt]

I agree on the above post. Get it printed even if 5 to 10 copies and let it sell itself and book preorders for bigger order. Plus having it live and a few sales it could open doors to get the small funding for larger print. Use the digital as well, can get people started in some way and they will talk about. Here is interesting article on books in your country and a mention of academic books being so important.

In Uganda: Nobody Complains That Book Prices Are Too Low

In the West, years of deep discounts and audience-attracting freebies have led to concerns about books being undervalued. Not in Uganda.

publishingperspectives.com