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Woodwind Forum Calendar Fundraiser ...

I've found that a lot of Lulu coupon codes are at http://www.retailmenot.com/view/lulu.com. Current goodies:

* 25% off calendars & photo books - Save up to $100! Code NOVPHOTOS25 (Exp. 11/30/2011).
* 15% Off on order. Code NINCECAL.
* 30% Off on photo books and calendars. Code: FALLEQUINOX325.
* Save 30% Off photo books and calendars. Code: FALLEQUINOX330.

FWIW, it's generally the newest code(s) that work the best.

If I get any codes sent to me, I'll post 'em, too!
 
> It's got to be easier than doing a calendar, right?
Ha! Ha Ha! Ha! Ha! *Snort* Good one, Jim!

I've had an idea to do a photo book for a couple of years, either with using pictures from the calendars or from other sources. Logistically, it's a small problem: if all I want to do is take a picture and write something about the picture, it's just formatting the page for the appropriate sizes. Takes time, but it's not incredibly difficult. The big problem is the selling.

I used Lulu.com for the calendar projects because it's an on-demand press: they don't make it until you order it (kinda like Burger King). However, that also means that there's a base price for everything. For a 9"x7" photobook that's 20 pages long, it's $24.95. Then you have to ask yourself, "How many people want a 20 page book for $25?"

(Oh. Lulu.com really is the cheapest on-demand press for calendars and photo books. I've checked. Additionally, if I wanted them to promote my stuff more, I could give 'em some cash and they'd sell the calendars on amazon.com and in a real bookstore. That costs about $1000, IIRC.)

I could use a traditional (sometimes called "vanity") press and buy, say, 100 books to sell. While that would make the cost of the books lower, I have no assurance that I could sell all 100. Hey, the best selling calendar I had was about 150 units sold. That could leave me out of a lot of cash, easily $5000 or more. That's a bit too much of a load for me. Additionally, I'd have to handle the shipping, etc., unless I paid the publisher to do that.

I've been sidetracked in some of the above stuff, too: whenever I sit down to even do some thinking about writing a book, something seems to happen to take me away from doing it. Last year, it was my father's funeral and related stuff that really kinda killed the calendar project. Before that, I was working mega overtime because of a reorg where I work -- and because my wife wasn't working. This year, I have a grandson whose due date is ... today. (No news, yet.)

The best I could think of for a book project is either:
* I start some sort of paid-for electronic trial, like maybe a newsletter or magazine and see where that goes or
* I assist someone else with their book idea or
* I get some sort of grant or stipend from someone to do a book

In that first instance, I've had a free "mailing list" in the past for folks that wanted me to find interesting horns on eBay and such. I enjoyed that, but that was during the few years I was unmarried. In the second instance, I was published in a long forgotten magazine a long time ago. In the last instance, I did talk to a couple lawyers and accountants about 503(c) tax exempt status and getting "arts" grants. That went nowhere because ... I didn't have the cash for it. You either need the legal and accountant folks to take care of it or you have to have a lot of free time.

So. Holding pattern, I'd say, on the book project. I do have several ideas for books, though!

As far as the calendar is going, they've officially been promoted for about 8 days: SOTW's got my small banner up, as does the WF and my blog. I've sold 8 copies, total, including the two I bought as proofs. That's really not that bad, as sales are generally through January of the following year -- and sales pick up right before New Year's.
 
Coupon codes:

* THANKS355: 15%
* NOVPHOTOS25: 25%

I THINK that volume discounts start at 5 calendars, so that's a few more percentage points off ....
 
STUDIOVIP305: 35% off
THANKS355: 15% off
HOLIDAYNOW: 25% off
CYBERWEEKUK: 25% off
CYBERWEEKNL305: 25% off (expires 11/28/2011)

Edit: CYBERMONDAY305 & MORECYBERMONDAY305. 35% off. Expires 11/28/2011.

Possibly still work:
CYBERWEEK: 25% off
RUSH305: Free shipping

The ones in the posts above may also still work.
 
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HOLIDAYSUPERSAVINGS355: 50% off. Expires 12/31.

(This is the largest % off coupon code I've ever seen from Lulu.)

If you choose one of the express shipping methods, you should be able to get it by Christmas.
 
DECPHOTOS30: 30% off (expires 12/31)
21DECUK: 50% off (expires 12/31)
HOLIDAYSUPERSAVINGS355: 50% off (expires 12/31)

I used the "HOLIDAYSUPERSAVINGS355" code last week and it was still working. YMMV.
 
Well, it's February 1 and that means it's the unofficial end to the calendar season.

62 calendars sold, not counting the ones that the calendar artists and I bought.

Over the next few days I will e-mail all the calendar artists and I'll PayPal everyone their share. If you don't want it, please refuse payment and I'll split it 50-50 with Sax-on-the-Web and The Woodwind Forum. (It's easier on my filing system to do it this way.)

Thanks to everyone that participated and everyone that bought calendars over the past several years.

If anyone has any questions, please post or e-mail me at thesaxinfo@gmail.com.
 
What I did today was go through my 2012 calendar, page by page, and sent out PayPals for each month. Yes, I know I wrote down the wrong month for a couple folks. Note to self: be fully awake before sending people money.

I included a message in each PayPal:

If you prefer me to donate the funds, just refuse this PayPal and I'll split it 50/50 between woodwindforum.com and forum.saxontheweb.net -- or a different charity of your choice!

Please contact me if you were in this year's calendar and didn't get a PayPal or if you have any questions. My e-mail's thesaxinfo@gmail.com.

My thanks go out to both Harri of http://saxontheweb.net and Ed or http://woodwindforum.com/forums for having my banners the past few years. Equally big thanks to everyone who contributed photos over the past 6 years.
 
I've never actually done it :oops:. I was going off memory from someone that did that for me in the past.

Thanks for the info!
 
There was only one person that had an extra charge, all of 4 cents, I think. I don't know why. In any event, I used the "pay friends and family" choice because PP said it was free. Hey, y'all are my friends, right?
 
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