In this series, 1106 Design interviews authors who have teamed up with 1106 Design to self-publish their books.
Lynn Lorenz has some advice for authors: If you don’t have a passion for the subject you’re writing about—save your ink! One visit to the website for Lynn’s company Just Multiples and you know that she has tons of passion for the subject of her new book, Twice Upon a Time.
Lynn specializes in products for parents of twins, triplets and beyond; indeed her tagline is “Where shopping begins for triplets and twins!” Lynn says, “This was a passion of mine for many years, both as a hobby and a business. I love the twin experience myself and thought others would want to purchase the books.”
Twice Upon a Time is a set of baby memory books written just for twins. These unique hardcover books combine a fairy tale with the tale of a Daddy and Mommy’s pregnancy, their twins’ birth, and first three years of life. The books include simple, cute comparisons of the twins and also address each child as a unique individual. And just so there’s no fighting over which twin gets the memory book, Lynn sends two books for the price of one.
Lynn wanted a memory book that was twin-specific, described the unique twin experience, and would be full of colorful and adorable illustrations. The book does not disappoint. “One of the nice features about this set of books is that it’s VERY EASY to fill in the details,” says Lynn. “Much of the work is already done for busy parents, with lots of ‘check-the-box’ options so filling out the book is not overwhelming.”
1106 Design was pleased to help Lynn out with the interior design and layout for this fun and meaningful project. Lynn states that the easiest part of self-publishing Twice Upon a Time was handing the writing, illustrations and concept over to 1106 Design, but that “telling the story took much longer than I anticipated. Simple one or two-line rhymes are NOT easy!” Figuring out what to include in the book was also easier than planned. “The Internet was all I needed to find all the information I needed to get started.”
Lynn printed a quantity of books using offset printing to sell on her website, and is also selling it through Amazon via print-on-demand. Upon reflection, Lynn says, “It may be best to print on demand to start, to make sure you have enough people interested in buying your book.” She advises that authors start small, planning to make little profit while testing the product before “betting the farm” before knowing you have a best seller. Lynn is marketing her book through targeted keyword searches, online clubs for mothers of multiples, and also on Facebook. Through her business, her Facebook page (which has over 5,000 followers), and other social media avenues, Lynn has built up a substantial author platform upon which to market her book.
When asked for a last piece of advice for authors who plan to self-publish their books, Lynn responded with this: “Write a book that will fulfill a need or want. If the book is too generic, it will get lost within the sea of other books being sold online.” Her strategy of filling a need for memory books for twins AND selling to a niche market of parents of multiples is a smart business move, reflective of the years of experience with her online business. We wish Lynn continued success with Just Multiples and her new book Twice Upon a Time!
Click here to view pages from Twice Upon A Time
Twice Upon a Time (Twins Baby Memories)
Author: Lynn Lorenz
Author website url: http://justmultiples.com
Facebook page url: https://www.facebook.com/JustMultiplescom-230530943376/
Twitter handle: @JustMultiples
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/justmultiples1/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justmultiples/
Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction
Genre: Children’s
