How to get physical version of digital product

mangozilla · 11-01-2009, 02:22 PM

I have a product that's a set of 2 instructional DVD's (if it were on DVD - only dnld video files for now) with an accompanying workbook. Right now customers can download the video files and PDF workbook, but I think there's a market for a physical product option.

It looks like Kunaki and Lulu could work with individual pieces, but can anyone recommend a service that can offer the same kind of POD/fulfillment service with combined media like this?

I'm a noob, so if there are other ways of providing this product that I'm missing, any input is aprpeciated!

VinnyBock · 11-01-2009, 02:37 PM

If I where you, I would make sure the downloadable version is selling at least a little bit before you invest more money..

Just a thought...

mangozilla · 11-01-2009, 02:45 PM

Agreed... I'm not looking to invest more, but if I can get a print on demand service, the purchase price covers my cost.

Elmer Hurlstone · 11-01-2009, 02:53 PM

mangozilla,

The PDF workbook files can be included on the DVD. I have a so designed product on my desk as I write.

In the case of the product I'm referring to the workbook is only 17 pages. Yours may be longer.

The advantage to including the PDF's on the DVD are primarily financial. You, and ultimately your customer, are going to have to pay for shipping. Bits and bytes on a disc ship more cheaply than a printed book.

If the customer wishes to print the book it is their option.

The downside is loss of, as Paul Myers so aptly named it, "Thud Factor".

Although the content is exactly the same there may be a "greater value" perception by customers receiving both DVD and printed books.

One way to counter the perception is by claiming "green". You're saving trees (paper) and additional load on fuel reserves (transportation) by sending the lightest possible package.

HTH,

Elmer

mangozilla · 11-01-2009, 03:39 PM

Thanks, Elmer. I could use the "green pitch" to support the absence of the physical workbook.
Would there be any issues with a service like kunaki in combining video and pdf on the same dvd media?

Elmer Hurlstone · 11-01-2009, 05:00 PM

I wouldn't think that's an issue.

On the DVD I mentioned there are 23 content files.

1 "ods" OpenDocument Spreadsheet
1 "xls" Excel Spreadsheet
12 "mpeg4" Videos
9 "pdf" Adobe Acrobat documents

Additionally there are a slew of "housekeeping" type files which make it all work.

The back of cover bar code area states, "Distributed by Kunaki, LLC"

Good luck,

Elmer

mangozilla · 11-01-2009, 07:12 PM

I think I should have clarified - my hope with the DVD is that it would offer my customers the convenience of being playable on their home DVD players. Elmer, sounds like yours is a data dvd, playable on a computer via a player that handles MP4, but not via a DVD player to a TV - is that right?
If it does play vids in the DVD player, as well as allow printing documents from the DVD with a PC, I'm sold! I might be sold anyway...

freudianslip27 · 11-01-2009, 07:38 PM

I am running into the same problem, and agree that having a product that is both a physical book and DVD or CD will make your distribution costs a lot higher.

I am toying with the idea of having a "members only" link where people can go to download the pdf book. I was going to put it in the videos themselves, and also have it written in the background of the dvd index page.

Matt

Elmer Hurlstone · 11-01-2009, 08:29 PM

I just tried the DVD in my entertainment DVD player attached to the TV.

Didn't work.

Sorry folks.

I don't know if that degree of integration will work.

Elmer

FaJeeb · 11-01-2009, 08:56 PM

Not directly related, but I plan on selling my eBooks on eBay as actual books in a self-printed spiral bound format that doesn't cost me much to produce, doesn't cost me much time to put together, and still looks professional. Plus, I'll have a tracking number associated with the payment so it will be harder for people to demand refunds when not offered the option.

Michael Mayo · 11-01-2009, 08:59 PM

Hi mangozilla/Warriors,

Here is a list I compiled a while back when Ebay stopped allowing digital ebooks in auctions.
It's called the P.O.D. report. It contains over 150 Print On Demand Publishers.

P.O.D.report

Enjoy!
Have a Great Day!
Michael

mangozilla · 11-02-2009, 10:43 AM

Michael,

Thanks for the list. 150 is a lot, but I looked through a few. Looks like most specialize in either print or CD/DVD, but not the combination. I'm sure many of them would work with me on a custom solution if my money's green enough!
I hadn't considered CreateSpace, but their integration with Amazon's video on demand service sounds interesting...

Steve, thanks for the tip. Looks like disk.com can create the pack, but their site doesn't indicate POD service or a way that I can avoid up front fees. I'll check into it...

Dan C. Rinnert · 11-02-2009, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elmer Hurlstone

One way to counter the perception is by claiming "green". You're saving trees (paper) and additional load on fuel reserves (transportation) by sending the lightest possible package.

I don't think I'd use the "green" argument here.

DVDs are made of plastic with mined metals and dyes and lacquers. They are difficult to recycle and are not accepted for recycling in many places. Include a jewel case, and you add to the problem, since those may be difficult to recycle and are also generally made from petroleum-based plastics.

So, paper is probably greener than a DVD.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elmer Hurlstone

I just tried the DVD in my entertainment DVD player attached to the TV.

Didn't work.

Sorry folks.

I don't know if that degree of integration will work.

It can be done. I think it depends on the capabilities of your DVD authoring software.

Elmer Hurlstone · 11-02-2009, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert

I don't think I'd use the "green" argument here.

DVDs are made of plastic with mined metals and dyes and lacquers. They are difficult to recycle and are not accepted for recycling in many places. Include a jewel case, and you add to the problem, since those may be difficult to recycle and are also generally made from petroleum-based plastics.

So, paper is probably greener than a DVD.

Dan, no argument. However, if you're going to have an integrated product–DVD and bound book–it will have marginally greater impact than a product delivered via one medium.

At the end of the day, though, straight paper is likely "more green".

If all else fails you can always suspend a no longer needed DVD from the rear view mirror of your '57 Plymouth.

Quote:

It can be done. I think it depends on the capabilities of your DVD authoring software.

In the case I was citing it was a Kunaki produced DVD written and published by another marketer. I'm fairly certain his intent was "computer use only".

Elmer

Dan C. Rinnert · 11-02-2009, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elmer Hurlstone

If all else fails you can always suspend a no longer needed DVD from the rear view mirror of your '57 Plymouth.

I thought you're supposed to use them for target practice. That's always what happens in film & TV when the technological apocalypse comes after an EMP attack.

M Thompson · 11-02-2009, 11:57 AM

Not wanting to hijack the thread, but does anyone know of a service that will prepare all your videos and ebooks for physical product creation?

I've been thinking of taking all my videos and reports and compiling them into a single product but I would like to outsource the creation and preparation.

BTW i think createspace can do what the Op is looking for

Bill_Z · 11-02-2009, 12:50 PM

Yes disk.com can do it but there are alot of up-front costs. I am in the middle of creating a DVD/workbook product with them and so far am quite pleased with their service. It's not cheap but they are pro's.

M Thompson · 11-02-2009, 01:11 PM

Thanks Bill, i'll check them out

RobFighter · 11-02-2009, 01:26 PM

Another good service I've used to do what OP is looking for is Vervante. The beauty with them is that they don't have the upfront costs of disk.com...and they also bill "net 30" so you can be in profit before any outlay of funds.

SwiftCD in San Diego is another option (althought you'll need to pay for a minimum of 100 printed books in advance).

You may want to take a look at fellow Warrior Josh Anderson's service called Nanacast which can do what you want and much more.

mangozilla · 11-02-2009, 03:49 PM

Thanks. I had actually already contacted Vervante and am waiting for a reply.

I'm thinking the simples way to start may be to order a short stack of dvd's from Kumaki, have the local Kinkos spiral bind a few books, and fulfill them myself, at least until I get an idea of what sales will actually be...

RobFighter · 11-03-2009, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mangozilla

Thanks. I had actually already contacted Vervante and am waiting for a reply.

I'm thinking the simples way to start may be to order a short stack of dvd's from Kumaki, have the local Kinkos spiral bind a few books, and fulfill them myself, at least until I get an idea of what sales will actually be...

You're right...doing it yourself for a short while you test demand and work out any kinks is a great idea. Best of luck with your project...I hope it's a huge hit!

BTW-while you're fulfilling things yourself be sure to test some inserts with different back-end offers. If you don't have something of your own then use a solid, complementary affiliate product. Just put the offer on a separate, bright colored piece of paper (yellow or orange often work well).

Rob

mangozilla · 11-06-2009, 10:42 PM

Rob - Thanks for that tip. Great strategy I hadn't considered, and it started a whole flood of ideas that would be better than just "here ya go!"

11-01-2009, 02:22 PM	#1
mangozilla Warrior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 24 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	How to get physical version of digital product I have a product that's a set of 2 instructional DVD's (if it were on DVD - only dnld video files for now) with an accompanying workbook. Right now customers can download the video files and PDF workbook, but I think there's a market for a physical product option. It looks like Kunaki and Lulu could work with individual pieces, but can anyone recommend a service that can offer the same kind of POD/fulfillment service with combined media like this? I'm a noob, so if there are other ways of providing this product that I'm missing, any input is aprpeciated!

11-01-2009, 02:37 PM	#2
VinnyBock HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 332 Thanks: 55 Thanked 44 Times in 40 Posts	Re: How to get physical version of digital product If I where you, I would make sure the downloadable version is selling at least a little bit before you invest more money.. Just a thought...
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11-01-2009, 02:45 PM	#3
mangozilla Warrior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 24 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to get physical version of digital product Agreed... I'm not looking to invest more, but if I can get a print on demand service, the purchase price covers my cost.

11-01-2009, 02:53 PM	#4
Elmer Hurlstone Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: FLUSA Posts: 1,331 Thanks: 283 Thanked 263 Times in 111 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: How to get physical version of digital product mangozilla, The PDF workbook files can be included on the DVD. I have a so designed product on my desk as I write. In the case of the product I'm referring to the workbook is only 17 pages. Yours may be longer. The advantage to including the PDF's on the DVD are primarily financial. You, and ultimately your customer, are going to have to pay for shipping. Bits and bytes on a disc ship more cheaply than a printed book. If the customer wishes to print the book it is their option. The downside is loss of, as Paul Myers so aptly named it, "Thud Factor". Although the content is exactly the same there may be a "greater value" perception by customers receiving both DVD and printed books. One way to counter the perception is by claiming "green". You're saving trees (paper) and additional load on fuel reserves (transportation) by sending the lightest possible package. HTH, Elmer
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11-01-2009, 03:39 PM	#5
mangozilla Warrior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 24 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to get physical version of digital product Thanks, Elmer. I could use the "green pitch" to support the absence of the physical workbook. Would there be any issues with a service like kunaki in combining video and pdf on the same dvd media?

11-01-2009, 05:00 PM	#6
Elmer Hurlstone Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: FLUSA Posts: 1,331 Thanks: 283 Thanked 263 Times in 111 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: How to get physical version of digital product I wouldn't think that's an issue. On the DVD I mentioned there are 23 content files. 1 "ods" OpenDocument Spreadsheet 1 "xls" Excel Spreadsheet 12 "mpeg4" Videos 9 "pdf" Adobe Acrobat documents Additionally there are a slew of "housekeeping" type files which make it all work. The back of cover bar code area states, "Distributed by Kunaki, LLC" Good luck, Elmer
	Newest Blog Post: Domain Names Mean Things Older, but still good, Including No Cost, No Opt-in, Fully Illustrated PDF Report, Blog Post: How to Change Your Twitter Background

11-01-2009, 07:12 PM	#7
mangozilla Warrior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 24 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to get physical version of digital product I think I should have clarified - my hope with the DVD is that it would offer my customers the convenience of being playable on their home DVD players. Elmer, sounds like yours is a data dvd, playable on a computer via a player that handles MP4, but not via a DVD player to a TV - is that right? If it does play vids in the DVD player, as well as allow printing documents from the DVD with a PC, I'm sold! I might be sold anyway...

11-01-2009, 07:38 PM	#8
freudianslip27 Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,315 Thanks: 26 Thanked 176 Times in 116 Posts	Re: How to get physical version of digital product I am running into the same problem, and agree that having a product that is both a physical book and DVD or CD will make your distribution costs a lot higher. I am toying with the idea of having a "members only" link where people can go to download the pdf book. I was going to put it in the videos themselves, and also have it written in the background of the dvd index page. Matt
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11-01-2009, 08:29 PM	#9
Elmer Hurlstone Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: FLUSA Posts: 1,331 Thanks: 283 Thanked 263 Times in 111 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: How to get physical version of digital product I just tried the DVD in my entertainment DVD player attached to the TV. Didn't work. Sorry folks. I don't know if that degree of integration will work. Elmer
	Newest Blog Post: Domain Names Mean Things Older, but still good, Including No Cost, No Opt-in, Fully Illustrated PDF Report, Blog Post: How to Change Your Twitter Background

11-01-2009, 08:56 PM	#10
FaJeeb Advanced Warrior Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: U.S. / Shanghai Posts: 657 Thanks: 10 Thanked 93 Times in 75 Posts	Re: How to get physical version of digital product Not directly related, but I plan on selling my eBooks on eBay as actual books in a self-printed spiral bound format that doesn't cost me much to produce, doesn't cost me much time to put together, and still looks professional. Plus, I'll have a tracking number associated with the payment so it will be harder for people to demand refunds when not offered the option.

11-01-2009, 08:59 PM	#11
Michael Mayo WSOGold.com War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: USA. Kentucky Posts: 4,427 Blog Entries: 16 Thanks: 1,552 Thanked 1,294 Times in 659 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: How to get physical version of digital product Hi mangozilla/Warriors, Here is a list I compiled a while back when Ebay stopped allowing digital ebooks in auctions. It's called the P.O.D. report. It contains over 150 Print On Demand Publishers. P.O.D.report Enjoy! Have a Great Day! Michael
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11-02-2009, 10:43 AM	#12
mangozilla Warrior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 24 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to get physical version of digital product Michael, Thanks for the list. 150 is a lot, but I looked through a few. Looks like most specialize in either print or CD/DVD, but not the combination. I'm sure many of them would work with me on a custom solution if my money's green enough! I hadn't considered CreateSpace, but their integration with Amazon's video on demand service sounds interesting... Steve, thanks for the tip. Looks like disk.com can create the pack, but their site doesn't indicate POD service or a way that I can avoid up front fees. I'll check into it...

11-02-2009, 11:57 AM	#16
M Thompson Mark Thompson War Room Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Marbella, Overlooking The Med Posts: 1,163 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 38 Thanked 245 Times in 161 Posts Social Networking	Re: How to get physical version of digital product Not wanting to hijack the thread, but does anyone know of a service that will prepare all your videos and ebooks for physical product creation? I've been thinking of taking all my videos and reports and compiling them into a single product but I would like to outsource the creation and preparation. BTW i think createspace can do what the Op is looking for
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11-02-2009, 12:50 PM	#17
Bill_Z today is a gift War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: New Jersey Posts: 631 Thanks: 238 Thanked 153 Times in 118 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: How to get physical version of digital product Yes disk.com can do it but there are alot of up-front costs. I am in the middle of creating a DVD/workbook product with them and so far am quite pleased with their service. It's not cheap but they are pro's.
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11-02-2009, 01:11 PM	#18
M Thompson Mark Thompson War Room Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Marbella, Overlooking The Med Posts: 1,163 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 38 Thanked 245 Times in 161 Posts Social Networking	Re: How to get physical version of digital product Thanks Bill, i'll check them out
	MY FINAL WSO ===>Don't Miss It - "7 WSO's in One" - read the awesome reviews! Top Tip - Look Outside The Fish Tank

11-02-2009, 01:26 PM	#19
RobFighter RainMaker War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 274 Thanks: 1 Thanked 13 Times in 5 Posts	Re: How to get physical version of digital product Another good service I've used to do what OP is looking for is Vervante. The beauty with them is that they don't have the upfront costs of disk.com...and they also bill "net 30" so you can be in profit before any outlay of funds. SwiftCD in San Diego is another option (althought you'll need to pay for a minimum of 100 printed books in advance). You may want to take a look at fellow Warrior Josh Anderson's service called Nanacast which can do what you want and much more.

11-02-2009, 03:49 PM	#20
mangozilla Warrior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 24 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to get physical version of digital product Thanks. I had actually already contacted Vervante and am waiting for a reply. I'm thinking the simples way to start may be to order a short stack of dvd's from Kumaki, have the local Kinkos spiral bind a few books, and fulfill them myself, at least until I get an idea of what sales will actually be...

11-06-2009, 10:42 PM	#22
mangozilla Warrior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 24 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to get physical version of digital product Rob - Thanks for that tip. Great strategy I hadn't considered, and it started a whole flood of ideas that would be better than just "here ya go!"