Jerry Gale
Author
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Once I realized that I needed to start a company, I made a call to the person who prepares my taxes. She was very helpful because, luckily, her company specializes in accounting and taxes for family-owned businesses.

Here are the actions and decisions I made as I started my own company:

• Named the business Jerry Gale Marketing
• Got a Minnesota Tax ID number from the Minnesota Secretary of State
• Got an EIN number from the IRS
• Opened a checking account and a business credit card
• Set up a new email address at jerrygaleauthor@gmail.com
• Hired a designer to design a website. Selected jerrygaleauthor.com as the URL to match my new email address

I had to make additional decisions in consultation with Beaver’s Pond to get ready to launch the book.

What will be the selling price for the printed book? Beaver’s Pond suggested between $15 and $20. I selected $17.95.

Should I sell an ebook version of the book? I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do this, but Beaver’s Pond recommended it because it opens a lot of marketing opportunities on Amazon. I approved it and priced the ebook at $4.99.

Do I sell the books myself? I decided against doing this immediately because I would have to keep track of the Minnesota sales tax on each book I sold. I will probably change my mind about this decision in 2022 if I decided to attend book fairs or other events.

Do I sell the book elsewhere besides Amazon? I wanted an option for people who prefer to purchase books from an independent bookstore. I selected Moon Palace Books in Minneapolis and I’m glad I did. At least half of my friends who have bought the book have told me that they bought the book from Moon Palace.

When do we launch the book by posting it on websites for Amazon and Moon Palace Books? This was the last major decision to make, and it depended on the printer. Beaver’s Pond said we could post the book for pre-sale a few weeks before the books were scheduled to be delivered from the printer. Once they were delivered, the status on the web pages would be changed to “in stock.”

On October 4, 2021, I announced to the world on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and emails to friends that I was the author of a delightful and sentimental children’s picture book called “Swimming in Grandpa’s Pool.” The book was in stock and ready to ship on October 13.

Since that date, I have been learning about how to sell the book. Moon Palace Books hosted a book signing on October 30 which was helpful and I have been submitting it to children’s book award programs.

My final thought in my journey to a printed children’s picture book is that selling my book will be more of a marathon than a sprint. I will need to keep trying new ideas to promote my book and hope that one day, it will catch the eye of someone famous who will recommend it. So, if you have Oprah Winfrey’s email address, please forward it to me.

By Jerry Gale
8754 Kilbirnie Terrace
Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
763-354-4637
jerrygaleauthor@gmail.com
www.jerrygaleauthor.com

About Jerry Gale

Jerry Gale is a retired grandfather with a backyard pool and three grandchildren. They are not named Vera, Chuck, and Davie. He borrowed those names from the Beatles song, “When I’m Sixty-Four.” He thought other grandparents would find this amusing. He hopes you enjoy his MCA award-winning book, Swimming in Grandpa’s Pool, and enjoy swimming with your family. Jerry lives in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and his website is jerrygaleauthor.com.

View all posts by Jerry Gale here.

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