Seasoned Self-Published Author Prints Over 25,000 Books
Self-published children’s book author, speaker, and writing coach Rebekah “Bex” Borucki has been a loyal customer to PufferPrint since 2019.
The Project Background
PufferPrint reached out to Rebekah “Bex” Borucki when we noticed her well-executed Kickstarter campaigns for her self-published children’s book, Zara’s Big Messy Day, a book on mindfulness and breathing for kids.
It turned out that this wasn’t her first book. Rebekah had published adult non-fiction books on mindfulness with a separate publisher, but Zara was the first title under her own newly-formed independent publishing label, Wheat Penny Press.
In an email and conversation with Bex, she noted that she liked our prices and that she’d have a single point of contact throughout the printing process.
The first run of 1,250 hardcover copies of Zara’s Big Messy Day went so well that 6 months later, Bex reached out again for a reprint of Zara in hardcover. She also wanted to print another book in the Zara series, titled Zara’s Big Messy Bedtime.
The project didn’t stop there. Bex also printed Spanish versions of both Zara books in softcover. and finally, a run of hardcover books for her first signed author to Wheat Penny Press, Addye Durant’s The Day We Found Our Yay.
At the end of the day, Bex printed over 10,000 books for her first two orders.
6 months later, Bex placed a new order for 15,000 softcover copies of Zara’s Big Messy Day for a national children’s library distributor. She also ordered a smaller run of the next book in her Zara series, Zara’s Big Messy Playdate.
To date, Bex has produced over 25,000 books with PufferPrint.
The Execution
With the larger volumes of Bex’s larger book orders, we found a few ways to save her money so she could minimize her cost per book.
First, by printing in larger volumes, we were able to greatly reduce the price per book, allowing Bex to increase her margins on every sale. Remember, more books results in a better price!
Second, by printing multiple titles at once, we were able to combine shipping on those orders. We also saved her additional costs by packaging and shipping some of the orders simultaneously.
As a self-published author, the additional margins have helped Bex to make a business out of the Zara series, and sign new authors to her own children’s book label.
Bex does a lot of work with organizations and charities whose missions align with her books. Printing durable books that would stand up to many readings at schools and libraries across the nation was a top priority.
Read on to see how we made super-durable children’s books for Bex and Addye.
Book Construction:
Book Dimensions
- Bex opts for larger format books for all of her books and we’ve printed in sizes ranging from 9”x9” to 11.7”x10” (11.7” being our maximum print size dimension) for all of her children’s books.
Interior Pages
- For interior paper stock, Bex opted to print on a thicker, 157gsm (105 pound) matte art paper for both hardcover and softcover books.
- 157gsm (105 pound) paper has a super thick and durable feel and is one size up from our default 128gsm (85 pound) interior paper stock.
- It can cost a bit more to produce and ship, but many authors choose this paper type to ensure the toughest, most durable finished product.
- As with all of our books, Bex’s books were produced with true offset printing machines by our expert print team.
Cover Design
- The cover stock of Bex’s (and Addye’s) hardcovers is a 157gsm (105 lb) glossy art paper over a 2.5mm greyboard (our high-quality standard for hardcover books) using a matte lamination.
- Bex softcover children’s books feature a glossy lamination with a matte-finished interior
Binding
- As with all of our hardcover books, the book was bound with a sewn, case-bound binding.
As with all our authors, Bex submitted files formatted to our requested specifications after which we shared a set of digital proofs for her approval. We then moved onto producing physical proofs so Bex could see and touch her books with her own hands before shipping.
Shipping
Bex opted for 6-8 week sea shipping on all of her orders to keep costs low and maximize margins on her own sales.
For her second order — which included 5 different books all produced at the same time — we were able to save her thousands of dollars off the shipping costs by packing and shipping the books all together.
After being unloaded at the port, PufferPrint’s sea-shipped books must clear customs first. All our sea-shipping costs include customs and duty taxes, so you don’t have to worry about any surprise costs that other printers may spring on you when you ship.
After Bex’s books cleared customs, we arranged for the last mile delivery (typically Fedex or UPS) to reach out directly, as her largest order contained over 6,500 pounds of books.
For Bex’s third order, her books were delivered to a third party book distributor. PufferPrint worked directly with her partner to arrange for delivery to their receiving address.
The Result
Bex has been able to make solid returns on her books while simultaneously gifting thousands of books and supporting Wheat Penny Press’s mission: To help children build resilience and to reframe children’s role in the world through inspiring stories of empowerment and emotional wellness.
We’re proud to be able to work with an author like Bex, whose amazing self-published children’s books help make the world a better place. We’re thrilled to consider this ultra-savvy self published author a lifelong customer.
Finally, by printing her books with PufferPrint, Bex is also able to produce her books using our FSC-certified paper and 100% Climate Neutral Certified.