YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND TOMORROW

Yesterday: I don't have the Sales Brochure finished yet that I promised on last Friday. This may surprise some but these things take 4-6 hours to create and I ran out of time. So, this week... I hope to have the rest finished as I got a big box of books the other day and should have more today, and maybe some DVDs.

Today: Am working on Brochure #6 for The Chess Clinic after making a visit out to the Clarion a few minutes ago. John has provided me some great photos, and Jessica is most likely going to get me a platform for FREE. She told me we already have 15 registered to stay overnight... which made her day! She said if this keeps on we will get a price reduction on the room space! (Good news for me as these things, all expenses, often run into the thousands (and you thought I was keeping it all!?))

This new brochure will have some additional enticements and an updated benefits list. Some people are "vacationing" closer to home this year and that's why I have mailed and emailed brochures to the states which surround Iowa... so that drivers can be here within the day! Gas is affordable and if you are attending the events at the workshops and funshops you won't be gambling (Davenport, IA was the first city in the US to have gambling riverboats). Food prices and hotel prices are really reasonable. Everyone is bending over to get tourists and customers. Most businesses won't see you again, but I hope to. I have an excellent relationship with many of those who are coming and want to develop new ones. To my knowledge, no other chess business in the US conducts events like this and I won't bore you with the reasons why--some I am sure you can deduce yourself. (Example: I ordered a demo board, a specific kind, this morning. By UPS it will get here next Monday or later. It blows my mind how slow some of these outfits are. Many of them know next to nothing about chess also)

If you send a check it's better if you make it out to Thinkers' Press, inc. as that is the corporation name who is running this event. I am just the president/slave guy.

Tomorrow: Have you thought about writing any kind of book, not necessarily chess? I have almost 20 people on a list who have told me so. Soon a newsletter will go out to them asking them, "How's it going?" Let me give you a little help on writing. My soon to be published book Chess Secrets is done except for one chapter. I need it by October to hand out to the clientele who come to this event and who will get the LOWEST possible price ($39.95). I will be giving a presentation on it. This is basically the first time I have personally done something like this for one of my events. Hopefully, I will get you ramped up. I have worked with many printers over the years and in general what they do best is "disappoint" customers. At their end they blame the customer for everything that delays the project. Except I have done over 140 of these and I learned how to do it right a long, long time ago. But they have equipment breakdowns, people who don't show up for work (imagine that), vacations and screwups (this is one of the biggest ones). So I really need the book say in late September. I have almost all the MS Word files created and I need to lay it out. What layout do I want to choose? Hmmm. I think I know but there might be a little time spent on making sure I've got the one I want. Then add photos, and captions and sidebars to it. Clean it up. So I need to have that done around the first week in September. I have the rest of August to work on that one chapter and a quick look over. The last chapter is "serious meat" and so I want to g et it right. It will probably be done by next week as I have many other things to do. That's the way it is done. Set deadlines and stick to them.

In Your Face Chess Novelties goes to the printer today for a proof copy. Maybe I will have it by the end of the week. This morning, at the last minute the author called with several changes he wanted made! They've been made. I CAN work with you potential authors. If you want your book done "right" listen to me. If you want it done your way, you will be like the person who later regrets getting a tattoo. Your friends (?) may tell you they like your tattoo but take my word for it, everyone else is just acting nice toward you! As you age, they really start looking bad.

A check is being dropped in the mail today for a Clinic registration. I should have it tomorrow or next day. Who wants to be the 26th? The one who puts us over the 50% mark? I hope it's you.

Watch for the Clinic brochure today, it probably won't be finished until near midnight as it takes a couple hours per page.

By the way, did you look inside the back cover of the latest issue of Chess Life?

bob@thinkerspressinc.com