Council Oak had an opportunity to expand their list through the acquisition of several previously published titles. By acquiring an existing list of “interspecies communication” books Council Oak could expand into a booming sector, the pets market. In 2005 The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association predicted that Americans would spend $36 billion on their pets and $2 billion of that was in books to teach pet owners more about their animal companions.
Three titles on the acquisitions list were a series written by animal communicator Kate Solisti and in these books Kate tuned into the “collective consciousness” of cat, dog and horse (for example the Council of Equine) and asked the Council questions about the purpose of the relationship between humans and the species. The questions and the answers were very inspiring. After reading the first book I felt like I had a true glimpse into the mind and soul of the horse. The same held true for the other books in the series.
First edition (right) and second edition (left). Which one of these covers engages your emotions?
Reorganizing the Content
At first we planned to publish the series as they were. Each title had modest sales but reaching the target audience had been tough because first, talking to animals is a very esoteric subject, and second, I felt there were a few flaws in the original packaging. So I began to identify the scope of the areas we could improve and develop ways we could reposition these esoteric books into a format where they would be positioned to sell into mass-market outlets.
The first change implemented was in the structure. In the first edition the questions bounced around from practical to very spiritual subjects. For example, in the first edition of Conversations with Horse, on page 66 the question is "How do you feel about rodeos?" and on the next page the question is "Do you perceive other animals and humans as conscious beings with individual differences?" Quite the variance in content—clearly though, if we did something as simple as reorganize the questions based on the subject of the questions it would improve the flow of the book and the reader would be able to easily reference a favorite question and answer with this simple structural change.
The author identified the unifying themes and the result was an organization with a natural flow of six easy-to-follow Q & A sections including:
* Being Horse * Relationships with Humans * Horses with Horses and Others * Caring for Body and Mind * Horses on Performing and Competing * The Spiritual Side of Life
Packaging Elements
The next challenge was the packaging of the first edition. They were published with economical materials in a black and white trade paperback format. The cover for horse was lovely but just slightly off—the horse was alone and looking away from the reader. Horses are herd animals and I wanted to find a shot with a herd for the cover that embodied the emotive experience one has when encountering a horse. They are such inspirational, graceful and powerful beings and the cover had to imply this with image.
I searched for photos and found Tony Stromberg's work and was immediately struck by his ethereal photographs of horses, unbridled, wild and free. Tony agreed to sign onto the project and finding him inspired a complete ramp up of the packaging that it would go beyond a new cover and organization. And with the help of book designer Buffy Terry, the series evolved into lovely four-color, hard cover, gift editions complete with awe-inspiring photos of these majestic and beloved beings.
Even the subtlety of the paper we chose for cover and interior were important in making a salable package. The first edition used an inflexible but sturdy paper for the jacket that felt hard, cold and slick in your hands. I chose a matte finish for the jacket because it mimicked the warm and smooth feel of the horse's coat. Buffy gave the cover image a sepia tone, which warmed the image up even more. For the interior, a satin finish paper was selected to give the text and images an earthy tone. Even the endsheets that hold the book together became a work of art (the endsheets for Conversations with Horse became an entirely new product and were produced as a ceramic wall plaque available exclusively from Back in the Saddle catalog).
Limited edition wall plaque from endsheets. Attention to the all details of packaging and the knowledge of what else a book can become, can help you make extra money.
End result
Once published the makeovers resulted in a purchase from a major pet supplier. The first objections from this mass-market outlet should have been that they were too esoteric or that the publisher didn’t have enough titles on the list to do business with such a large customer. But there were no objections. Buyers know when they have something saleable in hand.
Writers and developers keep in mind that no matter what your message or who your intended target audience is, the package and editorial structure of the finished book must be tailored to meet both the buyer in your desired market and then to be snatched from the shelves by the consumer.
Ja-lene Clark If you need assistance in fully developing your editorial content or packaging, please visit the media development services page to explore the ways Shift Insight can assist you.
Readers who have seen both the first and second editions don't even recognize that they have the same text or are the same book. When on display, people naturally gravitate to the new edition and most want the new edition even if they own the original. –Kate Solisti
Council Oak also acquired this title (right). The cover looked like an audio book and the title was a bit flat. Changing the title to In the Presence of High Beings: What Dolphins Want You to Know and redesigning the cover made a huge difference in the salability of this title.
