“Playing With Food” Book

About the Book:

“Don’t Stare at Your Food or It Might Stare Back at You!”

Author Vanessa Dualib loves photos, loves food, and hardly takes life too seriously. Thus, her book is a true reflection of her passions in life. It is meant for anyone who, for a reason or another, might not be having a good day, a good year, or even a good life. Thus, Vanessa hopes that when you view these pages something would have made you laugh or smile. If so, then her mission is accomplished.

Book Credits:

Author/Photographer/Artist: Vanessa Dualib

Book Designer: Boo Publication

Customer Feedback:

“I only have praises to express how satisfied I was with Cara services while she patiently and efficiently designed and created a true book with my ideas and photos. Cara is a dedicated, friendly and absolutely talented book designer that not only managed to meet my expectations but actually to surpass and truly surprise me with the final result. Her attention and dedication to the smallest details of something she knew meant a lot to me is something I will always remember and be thankful for. Once again, thank you, Cara. For everything. And I most certainly recommend Cara and BOO Publication to everyone!”….by Vanessa Dualib

Book Maker’s Note:

It is with absolute pride that I announce ‘Playing With Food’ is a contender in the 2009 Blurb Book Now Photography Competition! Please VOTE for this book at: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/760763

B5 Third Grade Classroom Yearbook

About the Book:

B5 Classroom Yearbook tells a photographic tale of the classroom activities, art projects, reading time, field trips, and many more events of the third graders in Ms. Poot’s class.

With the pictures taken by Ms. Poot herself, she hopes the parents will have a wonderful memento for their children to remember the great times in third grade!

Book Credits:

Photography: Melissa Poot

Book Design: Boo Publication

To order the book:http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/721364

Customer Feedback:

“It was an absolute treat not only for me, but for my students and their families and friends to have the opportunity to enjoy their Third Grade experience for years to come in their classroom yearbook that Boo Publication has created. Everyone was impressed and eager to have one of their own! It was a pleasure working with Cara. I really appreciate all the time and effort she has dedicated in creating a book of memories for our class that will last a lifetime! Thank you Cara and BooPublication.”……by Melissa Poot

B1 Third Grade Classroom Yearbook

About This Book:

B1 Third Grade Classroom Yearbook is a compilation of photographs captured by Ms. Hitchon through the course of the school year. It contains academic activities, learning expeditions, field trips, school events, holiday parties, and many more!

Miss Hitchon hopes this classroom yearbook will serve as a perfect memento for the kids to remember the fun times in third grade!

Credits:

Photography: Candace Hitchon

Book Design: Boo Publication

To Order: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/683412

Customer Feedback:

“I really enjoyed working with Cara when making my class book. She was very flexible, friendly, and creative. My students loved seeing a book with photos of all the things we did this year! It was our own yearbook. It is a great way to keep memories. I highly recommend BOO Publication!”…by Candace Hitchon

Boo Writes a BlurbNation Case Study

Networking among co-book designers is a fantastic way to share ideas, lessons learned from previous customer experience, and garner work by collaborating on large scale book projects. I am quite thankful that Blurb.com has provided tools and means of communicating to BlurbNation, which is a group of professional custom book designers. They have given all of us members a portal to help one another by means of a forum, sharing of business articles, webinars, and most recently featured case studies.

I am fortunate that while I’m new to BlurbNation I have been asked to share my own experience with the recent projects I worked on in Class Yearbooks. This type of book is different from the general yearbook that a school gives out. A classroom yearbook is a compilation of all the activities a ‘class’ experienced throughout the year. It can also be classified as a ‘Team Sport yearbook’ or a ‘Science/Math/Reading Club’ book, etc. The case study I wrote showed two of the four classroom yearbooks I created the previous months and how it jumpstarted my book design business this year. The concept is really simple – instead of a pay-for-a-fee design project, try to earn through book profits. This system works if the customer can guarantee a certain amount of books that will be purchased, thereby alleviating the upfront or out-of-pocket costs and instead having the profit margin covers the book design fee.

While I share my ideas to my fellow book designers, I also commend those who have contributed to our BlurbNation forums and articles. I have acquired a lot of good information with regards to contracts, customer service, and market share. It is refreshing to see that while we all compete on book projects, we can also engage, communicate, and support each other.

Thoughts on Self-Publishing

Recently Blurb had an enticing offer. Three tickets to the InStock Conference for Self-Publishers awaits anyone who posts on the Blurberati Blog and comments on “Why do you think Self-Publishing is the Way of the Future.” Needless to say I am one of those who attempted to win. I know…the prize is not exactly a concert ticket. And yet when I read their challenge I soon found myself typing away in excitement, as if I was unwrapping a Willy Wonka Chocolate Bar hoping to find a Golden Ticket.

The answer isn’t exactly simple. In fact, I would even consider Blurb’s challenge to be academic.

My response, “Self-publishing is definitely the way of the future. I believe in this, enough to establish my small business as a book maker while utilizing Blurb as the on-demand publisher. The general idea of self-publishing is that the author has full control over his or her material, and therefore encourages creative freedom and personalization. Similar to how people have taken to ‘blogging’ through either regular blog sites or using micro blog sites such as Twitter, self-publishing opens the opportunity for any one to be an author and publisher of their own work. An individual’s experience, perception, opinion, and impression can now be captured in book, wherein the individual can still have full control over its contents and its audience. Even looking at Blurb’s own history, one can see how this company grew exponentially in the recent years as they see thousands of books published per week. Blurb’s on-demand publishing service has definitely tapped a market need.”

I thought my answer was pretty good…but I did not win, at least I do not think I did. Blurb was to announce the winner yesterday and yet I have not receive any harbinger of good news. On a side note, since I was not one of the 8,000+ among the 1.6 million people who registered for a Michael Jackson Memorial Ticket, I got the hint that luck is not on my side this past week.

However, I did not fret. As I reread my reply to Blurb’s question, I realize that while I wrote it in a competitive mode and was focused on getting the best answer across, everything I said was true. The opportunity to post news on the web, to blog, to create videos, and other internet medium have created such an amazing impact on how we communicate, network, and do business. Self-publishing is another product of all this technology, which is often referred to as new media. Thus, why wouldn’t we think that it is the way of the future?

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Update July 14, 2009 4:44 pm

Luck may be on my side after all (which means it was a fluke I wasn’t chosen to go to MJ’s memorial…ha! ha!) after receiving word from Blurb a few minutes ago that I am in fact one of the recipients of the InStock Conference for Self-Publishers! Fantastic! I am very, VERY happy about this! Thank you Blurb!!! So InStock…here I come

Twitter Boo

To tweet or not to tweet?

I became a fan of social media the day I first received a Friendster invite. From Friendster I switched to a much more secure Multiply site so I can have full control of those who access my blogs, photos, and other updates. Then Facebook came along and…well, who could turn down the FB bandwagon? Facebook came in an opportune time when I was converting the MyFlightFolio.Com business to Boo Publication and I was able to utilize the business and group pages as the platform of my marketing efforts. With short and snappy FB updates to my network to join my FB pages I was able to gather friends and receive exposure to their network of friends!

Now there is Twitter, which initially, I was very hesitant to try. Why tweet when FB can contain my updates and WordPress blog can relate my full message? But after reading a story on Tony Hsieh (Zappos.com’s CEO) in a recent Inc. Magazine article, I was amused to learn how Tony uses Twitter to communicate with Twitter employees and customers, and how it has effectively ‘humanized’ his CEO status through witty and trivial ‘tweets’. I decided to look into this very popular micro-blogging site and see how it can help me market my book making business.

I signed up for a Twitter account and wrote my first tweet, “Boo Publication is now on Twitter!!!! Please check us out on www.boopublication.com!” After a day I decided to look if anyone has added me. Five followers. Hmmm…not that many. Then I wrote another tweet that reflected what I was doing at that moment, “Boo Publication is up early and thinking about the text layout of her current book project….” By the end of the day I checked back on my Twitter page and saw 48 followers! Whoa! I’m into something here! So by 10 p.m. that day I wrote, “Boo Publication is finally figuring out how to use Twitter!”

What did I figure out exactly? It’s simple. Twitter works if you use it for its intended purpose – to give a short description of anything you feel, experience, perceive, or do. When people add you, you should add them in return so you learn something from the readers of your tweets. Pick the ones you like and ‘un-follow’ the ones that appear like spammers. The point is Twitter allows you to communicate to any person that you do not have any previous connection with. It gives you an opportunity to expand your network. Through your tweets you have full control what aspect of your life you want to share. For my purpose I am tweeting the daily happenings of a book maker, from my design ideas to the creative inspirations I see.

Whether I capture book design business remains to be seen. Regardless, through Twitter, my small company has a voice in an untapped network. Free, direct, personable, quick, and snappy. Now that is smart marketing.

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Just an update…since I have been following the tweets of  Tony H.’s of  Zappos, he posted a link to his blog entry of “How Twitter Can Make You a Better and Happier Person”. I found it an interesting read so I’m posting it here to share with you: http://blogs.zappos.com/blogs/ceo-and-coo-blog/2009/01/25/how-twitter-can-make-you-a-better-and-happier-person

Vote for Boo!

Vote for Boo Publication in the Savviest in Social Media Award!

The saying ‘No Guts, No Glory!’ holds true for Boo Publication when I decided to vie for the Savviest in Social Media Award in StartUp Nation’s Top 100 Home-Base Business Competition.

What is this exactly? Well, to begin, let me explain  the sponsor of this event. StartUp Nation is an online social network created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. When I start Boo Publication, I immediately joined this social network so that I can avail of the small business tools they provide and use the community as a resource to gain customers.

Now why did I decide to compete in the Savviest in Social Media? Well, among the ten categories, the Savviest in Social Media holds true for Boo Publication. Since I launched the business I have been marketing specifically in various social networks. My recent venture into Facebook through the Group and Fan pages have generated over 100 members and supporters during the first month. Furthermore, I have been fortunate to meet various clients from different regions in the U.S. through social media.

So please vote for Boo Publication. StartUp Nation will count your daily votes until October of this year. By November they will announce the winners. Please inform your respective networks as well to support my small business. In voting, StartUp Nation will not ask for any personal information. All you need to do is click on the link and vote!

Voting Link:

http://www.tinyurl.com/voteforboo

As always, my heartfelt thanks for your support!

The BOOk Maker Thanks You!

It has been a little over a month since I started Boo Publication and I feel absolutely grateful to everyone who supported me in this endeavor. During the first few weeks I was overwhelmed by the response I was receiving from my website, ads, and Facebook Group and Fan pages, which to date, has gathered over 100 members (again, my heartfelt thanks!!!). Because of this tremendous support I have been able to get my small business known through many different networks which resulted in acquiring book projects that kept me busy (and VERY happy!). To date, I have completed four books for clients and have lined up other projects that will continue through the middle of the summer.

Revealing I just started this business might discourage future customers from my services for they may choose to go with another company that has been established for years. However, I have no fear in this because I know my capabilities. When someone hires me as their book designer, they are getting someone who worked in the field of journalism for more than a decade. And while my undergraduate degree is not in graphic design, I have taken a few University of California S.C. courses in this field, and continue to self-learn various desktop-publishing, digital painting, and photo editing software. I apply this in previous books and other projects, such as photo art, videos, logos, newsletters, websites, and many others. Through the years, since the age of 8 when I first held a painter’s brush during one of my formalized watercolor and acrylic classes, I have cultivated my love for anything creative. With Boo Publication and the customers that trust me to design their books, I continue to feed this passion, and for this I am graciously thankful!

Since I am on the topic of gratitude, I would like to extend this feeling to Blurb.com. They have given so many incredible opportunities for their BlurbNation members to help jumpstart their respective book design businesses! Recently they redesigned the BlurbNation pages to a more engaging and informative directory. Our logo is now bigger and each member can indicate their area of specialization. The recent sponsorship of the Blurb Yearbook Campaign is also very exciting (Note, the deadline ends in June 30, so for those who are interested contact me soon!)! And, Blurb recently included the LARGE SQUARE to add to the type of books we can design! This is a perfect format to use for wedding albums, large coffee table books, or for an art/portfolio gallery book.

If you are pondering the perfect gift to give someone special, or wanting to create a photo book over your stack of materials in storage, send me an inquiry and I would be happy to create it for you or guide you if you want to create it yourself!

Boo goes MOO!

As a small business owner I wear different hats. Apart from performing the bread and butter part of the business, a.k.a. the book designing, I am also tasked to handle the marketing and operations. The former is critical because I am just beginning to grow my business and getting my network aware that I have expanded my niche from doing just travel books to pretty much any book that captures a person’s experience. Therefore, I am particular to the kind of marketing efforts I should invest in.

One of the decisions I contemplated was whether I should market the traditional way through hardcopies such as ads, fliers, and business cards since networking through the internet was already becoming quite effective and definitely cost efficient. But I thought why not start with the ever reliable business cards since they are reasonably priced and easy to carry.

But which business card vendor to use? Although there are value priced (and sometimes free!) business card makers that can easily do the job, I decided to try Moo.com after a recommendation from Blurb (and partially because I like the sound of their name! Hmmm..obviously you know why!). They are a London-based company who is fairly new to the market, yet beginning to be quite popular because of their innovative products, such as offering to print a different photo/logo/graphic design for every single piece of business card. Wow! That makes each card unique. Definitely COOL.

I decided to create one design instead of creating fifty different kinds. I figure if I made the effort to do 50, then I may not have the heart to give any of the cards away, which definitely defeats the purpose!

Ten days later my cards arrived in the mail and I was excited to open the package! Moo did not disappoint. The paper quality is fantastic! The card stock is sturdy, matte but with a nice silky sheen, and it shows off my card design perfectly! They came in a cool black case that reminds me of a backgammon dice shaker. Honestly, it’s the kind of case I have been looking for because it can stock up to 50 cards (okay, I do not normally carry that much, but I need space enough for my own cards to distribute and to place the ones I collect). And though Moo may be pricier than the average, I definitely think the quality of the card is worth every penny and the impression you leave is marketing at its best!

If my rave review does not show I have become a total fan, then my future business idea will. Why not utilize Moo’s services to create personalized ‘book’ business cards for clients who want to make a profit on their books, such as cook books, artist books, non-profit books, photography books, etc. After all if I am already partnering with Blurb because they are the best on-demand book publisher, then I might as well use the best business card creator! The more I think about it, the more excited I get!

And so, with every pun intended, Boo goes Moo!

Boo Paints with Sumo!

Adobe Photoshop is indubitably my favorite tool when it comes to photo editing and crafting photo art. I have trusted this software through the years and it has never let me down. However, from time to time, with my Photoshop loyalties intact, I experiment with other photo editing software such as Corel Paintshop Pro, Google’s Picassa, Serif PhotoPlus, the recently popular Picknik, among others. Some are free to try for 30 days and some are free to download (who could resist that??!!!). They are all cool, simple to use, and a lot of fun. However, among the recent ones I have tried is an online image editor that has been creating noise in the online creative community called SUMO Paint. Without a doubt, it slides into second place among my favorites! And here are the reasons why:

1. It’s FREE! 

2. No download necessary. Just click on this link http://www.sumopaint.com/app/ and paint, edit, or create away! 

3. You get an online canvas that serves as your display gallery. I created one, which you are welcome to visit: http://boopublication.sumopaint.com

4. Very EASY to USE. I opened an account for my nine-year old and she’s painting away and having a blast!

5. Simple and Organized. Even though this is a web application, there are NO ads to distract you from your work! And registration is fast, with just your name and email address. 

So give it a try! Make an art of your photographs or just simply paint from scratch. And if you designed a lot and want to showcase it into a book, then give me a holler and I’d love to create one for ya!