I've had several PMs about the new instant author kit I'm offering.

http://www.prestomagicproducts.com/insta......-booklet

That page answers most of the questions if you read through it.

One of the neatest features of the book is the ability to include all the needed supplies for the tricks, in a neat little trick pack, for around just $.50

The supplies included with the book are not gimmicked, they're things like coins, rubber bands, paperclips, etc. This makes them very easy to get at the Dollar Store, office store, etc. (The Success Guide talks about where to find them. If you get the GOLD package, I'll actually send you one of the booklets, with a trick pack so you can see exactly what it looks like. I'll post a picture soon...)

The Instant Author Kit has an introductory special price of just $45 for the Silver Package (Instant Download) and $75 for the Gold Package with customization!

Feel free to PM me or post below with any other questions.

Happy Magic!
- Kevin

I have the one from C.J. Johnson. Was wondering how much duplication there is. Could you show a list of what is in it please?

Thanks,

Bob Phillips

Bob,
You bet. The list is under the FAQ on the link I shared above. It's a little hard to find, so here they are again:

The ten tricks included in the booklet are: Coin through hole, Jumping/Linking paperclips, Magician Always Wins, Balancing Card, Rising Ring, Jumping Rubber Band, Walking Through Paper, Penny to Quarters, Vanishing Paperclip, and Vanishing Coin. The “bonus” effects include silk through glass, paper bag mystery, how to ninja slice a banana, multiplying candy, and impromptu card balance.

I think 5 or 6 of the original ones are in C.J.'s book, which I have as well. His book contains like 65 tricks/gags, I think. My book only contains the 10 (or 15 if you use the 5 bonus/alternate ones) but they're explained in much great detail with multiple drawings per trick. Take a look at the sample page picture, you'll see what I mean.

Hope that helps!
Kevin

A few people pointed out to me that Paypal was charging $4 shipping, so I've gone in and fixed that. Sorry about that! The price on the Silver package should come up as $45 now too

I've also added a video on the page that shows you the actual finished product (with the trick pack).

Feel free to post any other questions or PM me.

Thanks,
- Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I watched the video and product looks awesome for the price you are offering it at. For the linking paper clips is the bill an American bill? Not living in the USA if I was to put together a book it would not have any American money or references in it.

I would not worry about what bill it said to use in the book (although you may be able to modify the file.) IF you are supplying a bill or two in the package I am sure you would not supply real bills of any kind, but a phoney dollar bill from the dollar store.

B

I think it does matter. If you wrote the book and are Canadian, Australian, British, etc. You wouldn't use an American bill. Sure you could edit it as I have done with other products like this. But if it is an american bill and you have to edit the bill the time involved must be included into the cost. If it is a general dollar sign or even said to use a piece of paper I would be more enticed to purchase it.

I disagree. Even Canadian writers would try to cater to the larger market. If I were to actually write a book like this and sell it on the open market (on-line etc), I would try to cater to the largest market of buyers: USA and those in other countries (like Canada) who are used to seeing USA-centric images, wordings, etc and don't care. The best thing to do as a writer is use a USA bill IMO. It's a global marketplace where even the small-time writers can sell internationally (not just in your performing city).

But, hey, if it's an issue to you then it's an issue.

I really don't want to derail this thread any further than it is. I asked a question for the person who is trying to sell a product here. He still hasn't answered it. So lets wait till he comes back to answer it shall we?

This is a small booklet that you are selling to birthday moms and back of room. I don't think any one of them would think that you are selling internationally unless you are an international performer which most are not. Sure Scott, Blair, and myself our Canadian and we and surrounded with american culture so it may not make a big deal here. But when you are talking around the world it would become a bigger issue. The little things do matter and that is why I asked. If you wrote the book and are selling it to clients in your country why would there be another nations currency in it?

But lets wait for Kevin to respond to my question.

When I created my own activity book, from several sources, I intentionally made sure that words like "colour" were spelled the Canadian way. After all, it's a BOR product that I'm supposed to have created. I think little touches like this do matter.

- Donald

Ryan,

I can see your point....let's see if if can be modified in the files.

B

Hey guys,
Sorry for the delay, it was a busy day of shows...last day of spring break!

Ryan - Yes, the tricks were very much written for a U.S. audience. The bills used are definitely American currency, the coins are American coins. You could easily change any of the text (as long as you have Microsoft Word), but the pictures might be more of a challenge. You'd have to get a graphic designer to do that for you, and you'd want the style of the pictures to match the style of the other pictures.

I do include five bonus/alternate tricks that you could change out for the currency trick, but that might impede your ability to include the trick pack (if that's something you're looking at).

I think my instant author booklet may not be the best option for you, because of the exact point you brought up. One of the great things about this product is the ability to use the idea that you put together this booklet as a selling point, creating the appeal of a personal, intimate connection with the creator of the product. I think booklets sell best when marketed more as a personal creation than a commercial product. Some of my bigger BOR sales items are very commercial, and I don't mind that. I don't know what your options are there in Canada, but for marketing, I'd consider getting something local, with your currency, your spelling, etc.

Scott, you made a great point about the global currency. I didn't even think of that! This "instant author" product wasn't (at first) created to be a product for other magicians, it was one of the booklets I put together for myself to sell after shows. As such, I wrote it strictly from a U.S. point of view, being that I lived here and this was my market. When I expanded it into a product, the accompanying covers, success guide, etc., were all done for U.S. buyers. Much of the success guide references U.S. chain stores, etc. as well.

Hope that helps! Feel free to ask any other questions.
- Kevin

There is one option that could be considered, since you are able to add your name to the cover then you may be able to modify the "written by" to "compiled by". I actually prefer this, and did this, when I had a BOR book for sale.

As an aside, I do not believe we should over think this, this booklet will be bought for kids as an unplanned impulse buy (as a BOR product) and it will more than likely end up in the bottom of a drawer in a day or two, if not thrown out in the next recycle pick-up. Even if a pack is sold to a birthday Mom many will get dumped as soon as they get home with the guests. With the props it "MAY" last just a bit longer around the house. We, and our products, are just not that important or special. I also don't think kids will be able to tell the diffence in the photo or wording if an American bill is used.

Anyway just a couple of thoughts. But if you have concerns that will bother you, than as Kevin says this product may not be for you.

Blair

Blair -
Have to disagree with you there. As entertainers, we often focus on the business of perfecting our acts, marketing to get shows, creating BOR products and earning an income.

The fact is, every time you perform, you touch people's lives in ways you may not even realize. Recently this topic started coming up in the Entertainment Experts interviews and it now has become a question for all of my quests. It started with Bryan Fulton, who shared a story from when he was working as a Ringling Brothers Clown: http://youtu.be/TNu6ygQU17E

So even when we don't see ourselves as important or special - which is a good thing to avoid ego - we do make a difference or there would be no need for entertainment.

Tom

Hey Tom,

I was not really talking about the performance here (but I can see you might possibly think I was), I agree with your thoughts on that. But I was meaning the importance that we place on an impulse buy as being a part of "us" going home with the purchaser. I agree the initial purchase may be because of this, but if you use my example of the birthday Mom, she sends out a dozen or so magic books, wand kits, whatever, with the guests and many of them end up immediately in the garbage, and most by the week end. Whether the book is by you, or the Great Wandini, the book will still end up in the bottom of a drawer, or getting tossed, as my line said "you are just not that important". No one will pick up the book and go "wow, this is by the Great Wandini".

An assumption I make here of course is that at most birthdays, and children attending shows where these products are sold, are under 10. Mom still cleans up the room and dumps the excess. At this point how good your performance was makes little difference to her. (But the child will still remember it for a long time, which is your point.)

I would like to think our performances do make a difference, even in some small way.

Blair

(P.S.I have sent my order into Kevin already.)

Blair - I just sent you a PM with a few additional details.

I'll supply the Photoshop files for the cover to anyone who purchases the kit (just ask!), meaning you can change the "written by" to anything you want. You can also change the text on the back cover, or any other element of the cover design.

Hope that helps!
Kevin

Thanks Kevin, your pm recd and I look forward to downlaoding, and also receiving the "hard" materials.

Many thanks.

blair

I own other Instant Author Book products and have to say I am interested in this one for several reasons: I like the color cover look as well as the idea of turning it into a kit. I see the items that one would include cost about $.55. How much do you pay to have the books printed, and how many do you order at one time? How much do you sell the book for?

I did a quick estimate before I purchased the book and if you assemble it yourself the cost would be less than $1.00, perhaps even less in bulk, and that's in Canada where I find printed costs higher than in the U.S. This is based on 6 printed sheets with one page side being in colour and on thicker paper.

Selling price for me with the props, or just the book and a wand, would be around the $7.00 mark.

B

The trick packs cost about $.45 - $.55 to put together. The booklets cost about the same. It really depends how you do it.

I have to be honest, I usually print the booklets myself. I know I could go to GotPrint (which I sometimes do for the covers, they run $.10-$.15 each...shipping included!) or Kinkos, but these little booklets are SO easy to assemble, I do it myself. Here's my latest costs...valid as of last week when I assembled another batch of about 200.

For the cover, I use glossy coverstock (HP flyer & brochure paper - glossy) that was on sale at Office Depot for $16.99 for 150 sheets, that's $.11/sheet

For the inside sheets, I bought two different paper types (one glossy, one matte) 98 brightness, 28lb, that cost me $12.99 and $14.99 for 500 sheets each, so about $.17 total for the six inside black and white pages. I printed those on my hp laser printer. I bought the glossy paper just to try it out, and really ended up liking it! I'll probably end up using it in the future.

TOTAL COSTS = $.33/book + ink
Cover: $.11 + ink
Inside Pages: $.17 + ink
Packaging: $.5

*I won't go into how I figure the ink costs...there are too many variables. If your printer sucks ink, go with a printer. If you have a low-cost model or can buy ink at dramatically reduced costs, it might be worth printing them yourself. *I don't include the cost of the staples because it's so low!

So each book cost me $.33 (+ ink) and the trick packs are costing me about $.50 each, so I'm happy to be somewhere around $1 per book, give or take a little. If I offer the trick packs with the book, I sell them for $5, some places I've sold them for $7. If I don't offer the trick pack with the book (either because I don't want to...or because I'm out of them...like last week I hadn't made any new ones up yet!) I usually sell the book for $3, but at fairs I've even sold the books alone for $5. Even at $3/book, I'm making about 600% markup (is that right? my math is terrible!) For the time involved, how easy they are to assemble, and how little space they take up...it's worth it!

Hope this helps!
Kevin