How much does Heritage Makers cost?

I posted recently about how one of the major barriers to publishing your digital photos these days is TIME.  You can read about that here if you missed it:  http://lifetalesbooks.blogspot.com/2015/05/need-time-to-scrapbook.html  In that post I invited you to try my 90 Minutes for Life program in order to find the time to do something with your photos!

But another barrier to publishing digital photos is money.  It takes money to publish your digital photos, just like it did with film photos.  I think the difference seems to be that back with film we were more cautious and reserved--we didn't take 300 photos on one family vacation.  It's a lot easier to take hundreds of photos now, but I think that tends to overwhelm a lot of people.  So before we talk price, just remember:  You don't have to publish EVERY photo you take!!  Pick your favorites.  Take 100 digital and then just pretend it's a film roll of 24 and choose your favorite 24.  :) 

And then take a serious look at Heritage Makers, not only for the quality but the price. 

Are you ready?  Open your free account at www.heritagemakers.com/jenniferwise.  Then start uploading photos.  Check out the Template Gallery at the upper right if you prefer not to design your own books/projects.  How does 12,000+ free, fully-editable templates sound?!?

You might want to watch my 4 "Getting Started With HM" tutorials here:  https://www.youtube.com/user/jwiseheritagemakers (scroll down a little to find them).  And you can ALWAYS e-mail me with questions:  jenniferwise4heritagemakers@gmail.com.

Do it!!  Be the hero of your family by preserving your photos and their stories one storybook at a time.

Heritage Makers' hardbound storybook cover options

When Heritage Makers publishes your hardbound book, whether it's a life story as show below or a family yearbook (one book, all the photos from a year--hooray!), you can have a choice of finishes for the outside cover.

A gloss cover is the default.  I have gotten all my books done in gloss just because it wipes clean so easily and I just like the look.  If you prefer, though, you could choose satin or matte.

Satin covers have a very slight sheen finish.  The upgrade to this finish is free for Club HM members.  (Club HM is free to join, so it's kind of a no-brainer because you get so many perks from it.  Find more information about Club HM in the tab along the top.)

Matte covers have a dull, no-sheen finish.  This upgrade used to be free as well, but Heritage Makers' supplier raised their prices and Heritage Makers felt that they were the highest-quality supplier, so rather than go elsewhere, there is a charge of a few dollars (this depends on the size of the book) for a matte-finish book.

By the way, the 13x11 book comes with a leather cover and a dust jacket.  Periodically, Heritage Makers offers an optional upgrade of other sizes of books to a leather cover.  The cover you create (or the one you see above, as an example) would then be printed as a dust jacket.  This upgrade to leather comes and goes based on supply, but that upgrade is only a few dollars, too, based on the size.  (Currently, I'm seeing it as a $7 upgrade on an 8x8 book.)  

The only feedback I have, if you want an opinion, is from a friend who had her book finished in matte just to see if she liked it.  She said it was very pretty but you tend to see fingerprints on it much easier than on a gloss cover.  (Her cover WAS black, so that probably had a lot to do with it, too.)  I don't have any feedback on satin covers, so if you ever decide to print a book with a satin cover, please e-mail me and give me your opinion on how you like the finish!  :)   (my e-mail address is at the "contact me" tab above)

Ready?  Set?  PUBLISH your photos and their stories with Heritage Makers!!

new Messenger Bag

I think I just fell in love a little.  I'm not kidding.

A few months ago Heritage Makers came out with a couple of new products, as they do periodically.  This one is called a Messenger Bag.

 

The example above is a more clean-cut, business-y look.  The one below is the preview of one of the templates available in the Heritage Makers Template Gallery.  As with all Heritage Makers products, this bag (the front flap) is 100% customizable.  You can put photos, text, and art anywhere you want.  How sweet is this one?

I thought it looked pretty cool, and although I had just barely bought a computer bag for my laptop, it didn't take me very long to give in to the temptation to get one of these for my business.  What a GREAT way to showcase your business.  You are your own beautiful billboard. 

And then it came, and I did fall in love a little when I opened the box.

 

I love it so much!!!!!!

I wasn't sure what to expect from the bag itself.  I was THRILLED.  I know my photos here aren't the best, but there is a zipper pocket inside there, pockets, and two divided sections (with the back one having velcro closure--it's PERFECT for my laptop!)  There are pockets of varying sizes GALORE. 

 

There's also a zippered pocket on the back which I didn't photograph.  It's where I'm going to keep my flat documents.  This is an AWESOME bag.

I read in my Heritage Makers Facebook Group (ask to join!!) that someone had used it for a diaper bag (or a Mommy Bag, if you're lucky enough to be done with diapers) and it ROCKS for that!!  I can imagine that would be true!

Wanna make a Messenger Bag?  At www.heritagemakers.com/jenniferwise click "login" if you already have a Heritage Makers account, or "sign up" if you don't.  Click "products" then "photo gifts" and "messenger bag."  Use a template shown there under the product description, or make your own from scratch.  You'll notice it's not a cheap bag (but it's a QUALITY one--you are getting what you pay for), so to get the best price, and pay for it over time if you prefer, check out the "Best Prices: Club HM" tab in red at the top of this page to get the low-down on the best price.

This is still a new product so I haven't seen many designs.  I'd love to see yours!!  E-mail it to me at jenniferwise4heritagemakers@gmail.com, or better yet, pin it to Pinterest, then send me the pin at Jennifer Wise 4 Heritage Makers or https://www.pinterest.com/jenniferwisehm/.     I would love to see your finished product!!!

Why taking photos INCREASES HAPPINESS

I just read a great article, and when I first came across it, I knew I would be nodding all the way through it.  I was right--she is SPOT ON.  This is a must-read.

http://www.kristendukephotography.com/why-taking-photos-increases-our-happiness/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-taking-photos-increases-our-happiness

Take photos.  Then publish them in storybooks so you and your family & friends have TACTILE access to them.  Photos left in digital form essentially have a "DOA" toe tag!  It's true.  Read more about the importance of PUBLISHING your photos here:  http://lifetalesbooks.blogspot.com/2015/05/photo-facts.html

Then learn about how Heritage Makers can change your life here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrfpLEMOoQ0

And who doesn't want THAT?!  :)

let your passion be a career

Back in 2005, I was approached by a couple of friends of mine (separately) who had come across this brand new start-up company called Heritage Makers where you could write your own hardbound books, complete with photos and stories.  At the time, telling life stories or love stories or adoption stories was the main idea, and as the idea of personal publishing blossomed quickly, people were quickly seeing how they could print all their digital photos this way.  Both of my friends had joined Heritage Makers as consultants.  I had just had my third baby, and I was definitely not looking for a job.  But I just couldn't turn it down.  Photos and journals and history and connections are so important.  I can call them my passion.  So when I came across this beautiful, easy avenue for photos, journals, history, and connections to be a part of everyone's life, I couldn't say no.

That said, I'd never been a fan of direct marketing.  I'm really introverted and a little shy and I HATE pressure.  So for ME to say a whole-hearted YES to Heritage Makers like I did is really saying something.

Over the past ten years, though, I've seen some great benefits to direct marketing, and I've learned that I can do no-pressure direct marketing MY WAY, even as an introvert, and actually have a lot of fun doing it.  The secret?  My passion.

That's a compilation of what I've learned in the last month or so as I've researched direct marketing (after having worked it for ten years).  Isn't it interesting?

What's your passion?  Photos?  Life's stories?  Scrapbooks?  Crafting?  Connections?  Family history?  Personal history and writing/journaling?  Helping raise children's self-esteem?  Then you'd make a great Heritage Makers consultant, and I'd love to mentor you on my team.  Go to www.heritagemakers.com/jenniferwise, and scroll down a little past my photo.  Below my photo you'll see a link next to "start a business" that says "learn more."    There are a few links there with some details, and one link that says "become a consultant."  (I know the "become a consultant" link is on top of a cute little purse, but there are male AND female consultants!)  If you have any questions, e-mail me at jenniferwise4heritagemakers@gmail.com.

Everyone takes photos, everyone needs something beautiful, high-quality, and GREAT to do with their photos, so everyone needs a Heritage Makers consultant!  Be one.

Heritage Makers CLASS 2015

Never heard of Heritage Makers?  Been thinking about Heritage Makers for a while and trying to decide if it's for you?  This Heritage Makers class is for you.  It's an introduction and a demonstration, too.  I show the products and some ideas in terms of WHO LOVES HERITAGE MAKERS.  It's for people who currently do nothing with their photos and/or hate scrapbooking, for digital and traditional scrapbookers alike, for people who are looking for the ultimate in gift-giving, and for DIY crafters.  Watch and see what YOU will love about Heritage Makers.