Special Editions

Once again, forgot I have this blog, and tried to put an update in my IG stories, which is the least effective fucking way to share information. So here we are.

Some back story. When I decided to offer Book Boxes, I ran into a couple snags.

First, I needed to preorder everything so that I could take photos. I wanted people to be able to see what they were getting in order to decide if they wanted to grab one.

Second, I experienced some form of imposter syndrome. I was worried people wouldn't be as stoked as I was, and I would be stuck with thousands of dollars worth of book box stuff.

This ultimately led to my decision to make just 30 boxes. They sold out in minutes, and the volume of messages I have received from disappointed folks who wanted one has been both moving and upsetting. I hate letting people down, but am so touched that you all were so into the boxes.

Additionally, I went through the intense experience of sourcing books for the boxes. I ordered a proof from one company that was completely unacceptable in my opinion. It was boring, basic, and not what I wanted to offer. So, I tried another company based out of Ohio. The books were a little more expensive. The digital proof looked great, so I ordered the $140USD physical proof.

It's lovely, and I think people would love them. However, and this has been tough for me to accept, I am not satisfied with the quality. The proof arrived with numerous flaws, damaged corners, oversprayed paint that leaked from the edges to the interior, chips in the foiling on the cover.

These books are a representation of something I worked so hard on, something I am so proud of, I want them to be perfect. Not only that, but you are spending your hard earned money, and you deserve perfect. However, I felt out of options. The option was to drive 14 hours to pick up these books.

Until I spoke with a couple of author friends. Both told me they also used this company in the past, and said they would never use them again as they regularly received damaged books. Being in Canada, if my books are damaged, I am shit out of luck. I will have to drive back to Ohio to pick up the replacements. These amazing women referred me to the companies they have since switched to, and had excellent experiences with.

This week, I reached out to both for quotes and my mind is blown. Not only are the books more cost effective, but they offer so much more. Vellum inserts, bookmarks, better covers., black pages with white writing, you name it. So far, I've not found an option I could possibly want that they don't offer.

The only downside? They ship, by literal ship, across the planet, taking 30-45 days to complete the trip.

There is another piece to this whole book thing. I've received so many requests for audio from people who, for one reason or another, cannot read physical books. As your AuDHD friend, those reason speak to my soul, and I want to be inclusive, so I started the process of creating audiobooks. I have voice actors picked and scheduled, I have a producer, and I have a quote that makes me want to cry (but is VERY fair, and these people deserve it).

I did not write a book to make money. I did this to accomplish a goal, and ultimately wound up really loving it. I hope to continue to write, but I also understand now why people would with Agents, Audio Publishers, Publishing Houses, etc. I also understand why self published Indie Authors opt not to do Duet Narration in audiobooks - it's a massive expense.

All of this has a point, I swear.

This is the conclusion I've come to, at the suggestion of women who've been doing this longer, and better than me:

I am planning to redesign the special editions, with graphic designers, illustrators, and professionals who will create something so fucking magical. Based on the request for more special editions, I will put up preorders, allowing folks to grab a special edition. If I am able to get enough orders, roughly 200, I will be able to order the better books, with all of the features, and they, along with the book boxes will ship this fall. This will also allow me to cover some of the cost of the audiobooks.

Outside of needing a certain number of orders for this to make sense, I will also need to verify with the folks who ordered book boxes to ensure they are okay with this plan. I cannot stomach the idea of ordering the shittier books for them, and then ordering the dope books for the rest. It's not an acceptable option, and I am unwilling to stand behind a poor product.

So, there you have it. The whole story. If things work out how I hope they will, I will have preorders up for a limited time, and I do mean limited. Once they close, and I place the order for books, it's all over. The shipping time is too long, and the minimum order requirement is too high for me to place random small orders here and there.

If you made it this far, please feel free to share your thoughts. I, personally, would want the better book, but I am not everyone, and your opinion matters most. This special edition is for you. The wonderful humans who support and encourage me everyday.

With Love,

Meg

PS, an example book from my friend Kalista Neith - you should definitely check her books out - look how beautiful!!