Help with set up. Help with Book Project.

I'd like to thank those who are helping me with the start up of the MUM project. Funding will come.
Plus the book project:
Innocence lost in the ice cream forest

I have chosen a charity. They have accepted the book. The graphics are coming along nicely.
Thanks to Tilo and Claus.
Claus is flying in to visit me today.

Lotus Genii-capital connection

I have just found a Genii-capital video.
One of the founders is on the Group Lotus board. They own the Lotus F1 racing team.
I recently annoyed them with my webpage!
http://motorsportuniversitymalaysia.com/

They appear to have all the tools to make MUM happen.



I hope these guys and girls can see what I see...

My Corporate Social Responsibility project. Innocence lost in the ice cream forest.

The Childrens book I have written "Innocence Lost in the Ice Cream Forest" is ongoing. The text is done. Tilo the graphic guy and his father are not impressed with it. At one point Claus started to rewrite the story on my behalf. I feel they would be happier writing and illustrating their own book.
Claus, Tilo's father is upgrading the illustrations to a level acceptable to Tilo for publication.
I have contacted Samye Ling a Monastery in Scotland. They have a charitable arm about them accepting the files upon completion. They could then publish them and get the royalties.
There are several options. You can go straight on Kindle. Add your details and upload files for pubication as an ebook. This option is free.
Alternatively you can open an account with pubishing distributers. I have targetted 3.

For ebook distribution: http://www.bookbaby.com/
This company will send the book to Sony / Amazon  /others they charge $100 US Dollars and then $19 per year thereafter.


For Paperback distribution I have chosen 2 distributers: These are Print on demand companies.

https://www.createspace.com/  This distributer is owned by Amazon. They ensure Amazon always have copies available for sale. It is $39 USA dollars to join their Pro Plan.
http://www1.lightningsource.com/   These people can distribute to the rest of the Market. $75 USA Dollars set up fee.

An ISBN would be about £12 British pounds.

Samye Ling would need to pay out about £150 pounds to go this route.

I have tried calling my contacts (Samye Ling) Victoria and George on several occasions. I have gotten through on two occasions. No decision has been made. Victoria is happy with the script. She said it was delightful. (Someone likes it!)

I must say, I thought this would be really simple and plain sailing. It hasn't been.

My timing was. Text complete. Two day per illustration plus cover about one month. File conversion to meet the publishers requirements a day or two.
Send to Samye Ling. One day to open account and upload.

Fortuneately, we are all working for free. It would have been nice to have got the book online before the Christmas sales 2011. Tilo said maybe 2012.

Once competed and uploaded it will be interesting to see if it sells. I think it will. Others disagree. Thats life.

I had to change the script on several occasions to make it totally suitable for young children. I approached three charities that are secular and local to me with a view to gifting them the story.
For different reasons they fell by the wayside.
Hopefully Samye Ling will co operate in this venture.

Today, Sunday 13 Nov '11 I read in the Sunday Times. Penguin, are going to put a series of short stories on ebook platforms for between 99p and £1.99p.
The heading for the story was:
 Penguin to boost short story with ebook only series

Here is a small portion of the article:
The low price means the Penguin ebook collection is unlikely to be very profitable...
It goes on to say:
(David Roth-Ey Digital director HarperCollins) He said: "For example, information books, for example a Collins bird guide, could provide very valuable real estate for advertising- in this case potentially a binoculars manufacturer."

I will probably include the "text donation" to SamyeLing info + the graphic company of tilo SAMA SAMA and also a mention of the Motorsports project.

So the charity will generate income (royalty + text donation) and publicity. My project will get publicised as will SAMA SAMA.

Claus the illustrator will send me some of his work today. Baby steps.

F1 Lotus and Caterham become standalone teams. THEY WILL WORK TOGETHER.

It looks like the two Lotus teams have become their own entities.
Renault is now Lotus. Lotus is now Caterham.
Corporate politics are sadly amusing when viewed from the outside.
Both companies are now owned by Malaysians.
Proton is a Government linked company. It owns Lotus.
Caterham is owned by Tony Fernandes. He has the blessing of Dr. M.
In many ways he could also be described as a Government linked entrepreneur.

Joe Saward, a blogger who I read, has a theory there will be a Group Lotus buyout.
According to Joe this will be Genii lead. They will lead a consortium of Malaysian Government linked Entrepreneurs.
http://joesaward.wordpress.com/2011/10/10/meanwhile-in-lotus-land/
As Proton is a government company the deal must be one that suits the current administration and so the people involved appear to be government-friendly entrepreneurs such as Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar...

Proton have denied this.

In any event it would be nice if any future Educational facility both Caterham and Lotus would be mature enough to work together.

Stranger things have happened.

Motorsport University Malaysia is a misleading title for my proposal. I would like to see physical campuses in Asia America and Europe

9 November 2011. I received an official "Team Lotus" communication.

It states:
Hingham, UK - 9th November 2011


Proton, Group Lotus, 1Malaysia Racing Team and its owner Tony Fernandes are delighted to announce that the legal dispute in the English Courts relating to the "LOTUS" and "TEAM LOTUS" brands has now ended amicably with the parties agreeing settlement terms earlier this month.

The deal also sees a working relationship established between the parties and they will work together on future projects in the automotive field.


DOES THIS INCLUDE EDUCATION??
I have had a couple of communications (which I haven't yet answered) from Malaysian Educational facilities who are very keen on participating in this.
I know from past experience that several British Universties would also be keen to participate.

Lets see some movement from the Group Lotus and Caterham entities.

I'm ready and waiting.