Faith, Hope and Redemption Embodied

A couple of days ago I made a blog post that, while I tried to temper it, was somewhat inflammatory and emotional. I (unfairly) singled out the original BookWise founder, Richard Paul Evans. Admittedly, there were numerous partners in the business venture and I have no doubt that their involvement towards the end was just as pronounced. However, because Richard was the original founder of this brainchild, I may have painted the actions I wrote of as being his individual actions rather than the actions of an entire corporation. For that, I apologize before saying anything else.

Last night, something happened that I had honestly not expected to happen based on the progress of the past few weeks. Tonight, I received a phone call from Richard Paul Evans. (Actually, multiple phone calls because I was originally unavailable). We had an in-depth conversation about the situation and we helped each other to understand each others' perspective. I explained to him that this wasn't about the money for me but was more the principal of the thing in trying to stay true to the business ideals that were touted with the company.

After talking for a few minutes, I feel like we both grew sympathetic to the situation we found ourselves in. I was impressed with the tact and professionalism as well as the sincerity and depth with which Richard spoke. He took me through many of the complexities of the situation and in the end, we came away with a better understanding of where things stand.

I still am sincerely saddened that BookWise is closed. The original BookWise...the one I originally signed on for...had some great ideas and potential and truly had the power to change lives for the better. I am hopeful and confident that other similar opportunities will present themselves in the future.

For now, I just wanted to say that whatever else the future holds for myself and others involved in BookWise... I am satisfied with the current outcome.

A darker side of a favorite Utah author?

This is a long post, I hope somebody reads the whole thing

I am writing you concern what appears to be a shady bit of business dealings. While I acknowledge that nobody is above being a little shifty to save their neck, I expected better behavior from the founder of the company Richard Paul Evans. After all, this is the inspirational writer that brought us such books as The Christmas Box, The Locket, and The Gift. I must admit that I have never made it all the way through any of his novels...still, I know many people who have and who claim he must be one of the best and most philanthropic people on earth.

The company he founded is/was BookWise. It existed as a "Multi-Level Marketing" company, later transitioning to an "Affiliate Program." I was a member of BookWise from their initial launch in the fall of 2006. As with most MLMs, there is a monthly purchase requirement in order to maintain your status as an active member. During my membership, I never missed a month (as I could prove using credit card records if necessary).

In 2007, as a way to try and promote membership and "prove" to the members that he cared for them and wanted them/us to succeed, Mr. Evans unveiled his "Better Life Guarantee" which stated that if you have been an active member for 12 months, you are entitled to cancel your membership for a full refund of the member fees (not including shipping/handling) with "no questions asked" and you could keep the product (books). Sounds a little too good to be true, but he put it in writing and sent it out to the company. I am attaching a copy of the document here. In May of 2008, they removed the Better Life Guarantee from the business plan for all new associates. However, they indicated that any associate who had enrolled prior to May 2008 was still eligible for the guarantee. The text of this change can be read here: http://benefits.bookwise.com/blog/2008/05/better-life-guarantee-update.html.

In 2008, BookWise began making changes to their business model and by mid-June of 2008 I had decided that the company was no longer for me. I called to cancel and was told that I had to send in a formal email and include my reasons for canceling. I also asked about the "Better Life Guarantee" and (despite their 'no questions asked') was given a brief survey to fill out and identify what I had done as an "active member" and what I had received from BookWise. I was told that I could expect my refund in "10-12 weeks."

On August 6 2008, a notice was sent to BookWise members and posted on the BookWise blog indicating that BookWise was "merging" with another MLM. You can read the notice here: http://benefits.bookwise.com/blog/2008/08/urgent-major-bookwise-announcement.html. If the blog goes down, I can send a copy of the message separately.

About 1 week after the merger was announced, I sent an email (on Aug 12) asking how this would affect the Better Life Guarantee (since I was now on the cusp of my 10-12 week window). Nearly a week later (on August 18), I received a one line email stating that "You will hear from BookWise founders on your BLG request this week. Thank you for your patience." I replied indicating that I would wait. One week later (August 25), I sent another email indicating that I hadn't heard from the founders but that I was still hoping for the best and looked forward to hearing any more details. Two days later (August 27), I had still received no reply and there was no answer when trying to call the BookWise phone number. So I sent another email, this time adding "Richard Paul Evans" and "Robert G. Allen" to the CC list on the email. I indicated that I was a bit flustered but I still tried to stay positive. On September 3, I had still heard nothing so I sent an email again (to BookWise customer service and CC-ing Richard and Robert). In this email, I indicated that I was very frustrated that there wasn't even any communication and that my perception was that they were just trying to sweep it under the rug and run for the hills. I talked about possible legal action though I'm not sure how much of a case I would have. I got an "auto reply" to that email from the BW customer service address. The reply indicated that the BW office was closed and that if I had questions about the guarantee I could expect info in September 2008.

One week later (September 10), I received an email from "Better Life Guarantee 'blg@bookwise.com.'" The email was 'signed' by "Grimes & Reese Attorneys at Law" and was filled with legalese worded with the main intent of playing on the sympathies of associates in claiming that BookWise had millions of dollars in debt and that the company is now completely insolvent. They also tried to suggest that the guarantee was invalid because associates were trying to take advantage of it. I have copied the text of their email into a document and I'm attaching it here. The law firm indicates that BookWise is making a "goodwill" offering and will provide associates with "product offerings" consisting of either 5 books or 20 cd/dvds. Their suggested values are ~$400 and ~$1000 respectively. These product offerings are in fact indicative of the BW direction change that led me to cancel my membership in the first place because I honestly do not see the value of these products and definitely did NOT feel they were a good product offering. Furthermore, the "value" they are suggesting is totally subjective and based on the pricing structure setup by BookWise itself. While the books are of high quality, trying to claim that they are worth $80 is laughable. As to the cds and dvds being worth $1000 (or $50/each), I haven't seen the actual content so I can't refute it, but based solely on the suggested pricing structure, the value seems inflated there as well.

So, after this lengthy message (which I hope wasn't too long to turn you off), I come to multiple points.

1. * First of all, the "Better Life Guarantee" was fully in effect at the time I canceled (in late June / early July) and I was fully eligible for it.


2. * Secondly, the language from the lawyers seems to suggest that they want to nullify the guarantee in whole just because it was a stupid guarantee to make in the first place and left itself open to abuse....that fact is the fault of the company and not of the associates.


3. * Third, BookWise "merged" with another company. The language in the merger announcements as well as communication with the support staff at BookWise suggests to me that new parent company (iLearningGlobal) actually "purchased" the BookWise assets and member list, meaning the BookWise founders actually made some money off of this merger.


4. * Fourth, I see no indication of BookWise or its founders declaring bankruptcy or otherwise proving to be legally insolvent, which to me suggests that they should still be held responsible not only for the "several millions dollars of debt" as claimed by the law firm, but also responsible to the associates to honor the guarantee that they put in place (no matter how legally and financially foolish that guarantee was)

Each of these points lead me to various questions. I am not a greedy person although some will surely say I'm whining about the money and I should've known better before getting into an MLM. While the money is a motivating factor, my bigger complaint here is that it seems these guys are just trying to save face and pretend that they are wonderful and perfect and are honestly out to help everyone in their "BookWise family", when in reality, they are only interested in walking away from nearly 500k in debt which they should legally be required to pay out as outlined in their (hopefully) legally binding Guarantee.

I have sent this information to Utah's "Get Gephardt" (a news team that likes to expose the underbelly of things that hurt consumers in the state). I have also attempted to contact the law firm that BookWise has employed. It seems "Grimes & Reese" are specifically MLM Lawyers who focus on bailing out MLM bigwigs. I made a phone call to their Idaho office and was hung up on. I called and left a voice mail on the direct line to their Utah rep. We'll see if anything happens.

There's a NEW Bookstore in Town! Mine!

Happy Holidays everybody. This weekend marks the grand opening of my brand new BookStore..Okie's BookStore. (and it is MORE than books)

Shop my bookstore by clicking this hyperlink http://mybookwise.com/OkiesBookStore

Like the bookstores of yesterday, when you buy books, CDs, and DVDs from me, you're buying from someone you know and trust.

Just imagine shopping in your pajamas, while accessing 1.5 million titles of books, DVDs, CDs (and games in 2008), at savings of up to 42% off bestsellers and no membership fees, ever!

Not only that, each month you buy from my bookstore, you'll receive a FREE BookWise Classic, in the form of eBook, audio book and a Compact Classic summary. During the month of December, that FREE classic is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

And for every order you place, BookWise and my bookstore will donate to children's charities.

Welcome to my bookstore.

Pull up a chair and stay a while.

Shop early to avoid the shipping madness of December, but as an FYI, during December all orders will ship First Class (but at Media Mail prices)

If you have any questions, let me know.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

Aaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!

Well...as you read in my last post, I hoped to know today whether or not I won the writing contest I submitted my work to. About 3 hours ago, they announced....that.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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The judges are being annoyingly slow and haven't reached a decision. They hope to announce the winners by November 1. Ugh. Another 2+ weeks of waiting on pins and needles. Wish me luck.

In the meantime, I'm finishing the act of polishing the bumpy spots and cleaning things up...by November 1, I'll be submitting query letters to agents and the ball will officially be rolling whether or not I win.

More info to come as soon as I have it. :)

Now I'm off to listen to Henry Winkler chat about writing and reaching goals and other fun filled stuff.

The moment of truth

Well, today I'm off to see if my book won the writing contest I submitted it to. I should know by the end of the day. Assuming I win, there will be much rejoicing. ;)

Even if I don't win, I've spent the past two days getting lots of great advice and ideas from best selling authors (such as Brandon Mull, Heather Graham, Harry Turtledove, Marc Brown, Mark Ludy and others) as well as meeting and hearing from literary agents, publishers, publicists and judges of prestigious award contests (like the Caldecott). So, I at least know what the next steps need to be from my end if I don't win today.

All in all, this has been a great road. It's a good feeling to know I finally finished something and have an idea of what to do next.

Wish me luck.

BookWise excitement on the horizon!!!

In a little over a month, BookWise will be hosting its first annual AuthorWise Bestseller's Conference and BookWise Convention.

These are two separate events. The second (the Convention) is a premium *pay* event only for BookWise associates. It will be filled with some great speakers (including Henry Winkler) and training as well as a party (featuring a mini-concert from Smashmouth). It should be a lot of fun. If you were wondering about a good time to join BookWise, this is it. There are going to be some great announcements at the convention that are really going to shake things up...plus you get to attend an exclusive concert. ;)

The Bestseller's Conference is a little different. It's a free event though not entirely open to the public. There will be some public sessions open to students and educators in the area but a large portion of the event will be ticketed. BookWise associates receive free tickets to the event for themselves along with tickets to share with others. If you're going to be in Salt Lake in mid-October (18th & 19th) and would like a ticket, let me know and I'll try to hook you up. The conference will include training sessions with best selling authors, publicists and agents to help give you a better idea of life in the world of books and how an "aspiring author" can break into the industry. Some of the obvious authors attending are Richard Paul Evans and Robert Allen (both BookWise founders). The rest of the list is still in flux, but some that have been confirmed are: Mark Victor Hansen, Marc Brown, Cindy Cashman, Sean Covey, John Daly, Richard and Linda Eyre, Heather Graham, Mark Ludy, Brandon Mull, Carla Neggers, Antonio Sacre, and Harry Turtledove. (* list subject to change...I am NOT a corporate rep of BookWise and have no authority in identifying who will actually be there and who won't)

I'm super excited about some of the announcements I've heard rumored to come in the next month as well as the fun filled time I'm ready to have at the Bestseller's Conference and BookWise Convention.

Come join the fun!!! :)

BookWise excitement coming down the pipe

To Kevin and Blair...stop reading now. ;)

OK, just kidding.

Last night's BookWise training meeting was pretty good...it was one of those meetings that left everybody wanting more.

First, Rick showed (from a distance...and Mark joked that it should be under lock and key) that the copies of the new Harry Potter ARE in stock and ready to be picked up at midnight tonight.

After teasing us with Harry Potter, he then teased with his dreams for BookWise, outlining a lot of very cool ideas that could be days away or years away depending on the dream.

One that he alluded to got me very excited...the idea of BookWise writing contests that would help create published authors.

And then he went on to explain that this dream was already becoming a reality. Details about the first BookWise writing contest will become available in coming days. And first prize (don't quote me on this, as details are not yet 100% clear to me) is essentially a book deal with an agent to help market it. Second and third prizes were cash prizes (in the $500-1000 range...nothing to sneeze at).

Anyway, I guess this means I'll be working on my writing a little more fervently to try and get it into the contest.

I'll post more details as they come available.

FREE Autographed book(s) from Robert Allen

Do you know who Robert Allen is? Do a search on Amazon.com and you'll find a library of books about making money, including: Creating Wealth, The One Minute Millionaire, Multiple Streams of Income, and Cracking the Millionaire Code.

Would you like a FREE copy of one of his books? Better yet...would you like a free AUTOGRAPHED copy of one of his books?

Here's how you do it. You head over to www.WinningInTheMargins.com today and watch the 20 minute video (use the passkey LearnMore) to learn about a wealth opportunity he's currently promoting. After watching the video, put in your information and join the revolution described.

Upon confirmation of your enrollment in the company, I'll take your information and send you out an autographed book from Robert Allen.

This is a VERY short promotion...you must sign up TODAY to qualify for the free book from Robert Allen. Sorry for the short notice...I'll give more notice on future promotions.

If you sign up later, you'll still get all the killer benefits described in the video...and I will be running additional promotions later. However, this is an incentive being presented by Robert Allen and he has set the deadline as the end of this week...so act now.

Either way, let me know what you think about the video.

Looking for a President

Hi everybody,

I am looking for somebody willing to be a president of your own company and your own life. If you think you have the skills to help build and manage a business let me know.

To learn more about the business you'd be presiding over, head over to www.WinningInTheMargins.com and enter the passkey LearnMore to watch a ~20 minute video.

To avoid potential shock, I will let you know that there IS an investment required on your part to start your own branch of this business...but the cost is relatively low ($40 startup and $35/month maintenance) and there is a money back guarantee if you're not satisfied after a year with the company.

What have you got to lose?

Either way, go watch the video and let me know what you think.

Win in the Margins

OK, as many of you know, I'm an associate for BookWise.

In the past few months, BookWise has made some killer announcements that make it easier to build your business AND take away the risk.

Imagine being able to build your business with the knowledge that if it doesn't work out, there is a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE backing it up. Add to that an increase in the payouts and a huge Bundle of Benefits, and BookWise truly is the "Most Intelligent Home Based Business."

Even if you've already looked at BookWise or already feel like you've got enough going on in your business life...hop over to Winning In The Margins dot com and enter the passkey LearnMore to watch a ~20 minute presentation about BookWise.

Come join the BookWise revolution. :)

Book Party Report

Just a quick report on the book party from Saturday night (so that those who didn't come will know what fun they missed *grin*).

We had about a dozen people there altogether. After a brief rundown of what BookWise is all about, I played a few minutes of an interview with author Dave Pelzer. He's an amazing man who has overcome so much in his life. His books are difficult to swallow mainly because it's so difficult to imagine the troubles he had to go through, but they're also very inspirational when you think about how he's overcome what he has it makes you realize how little we have to complain about.

After that we had some literature readings. I read a bit from the story I'm working on over at my blog (linked below if you'd like to read and give feedback). After that, Rich Baxter read a chapter from a book he's writen and is working through the publishing process with. He actually has it bound into book form already with a cool cover and everything. Our final reader was Kristine Armstrong who read some poetry she's writen as well as a poem written by her father.

We had a little break and gave away some free books. Because of the smaller turnout, nearly everybody left with a free book ranging from a Lion House Cookbook to East of Eden to books on the life of Jesus and the life of DaVinci.

We finished the night by mingling around and having some goodies (yummy pumpkin cookies and mint brownies). I queued up T.S. Eliot reading his poem The Wasteland and chatted with folks about books they're currently reading or recommending.

I hope to have another party like this in the early summer.

I'll keep you posted. :)

UPDATE - Book Party postponed

As I mentioned in a prior post, I'm having a book party. The party was originally scheduled for this Saturday (tomorrow), but due to some unforeseen happenings, I'm postponing until the 24th.

All other details still apply (free books, readings, interviews, refreshments). I will also open up the "Free book for signing up" offer to include anybody who signs up starting tomorrow through next weekend (so thanks to my planning change, you get a week full of perks). Sign up as an associate anytime between 3/17 and 3/25 and I'll send you an extra free book from the BookWise catalog.

More details here.

Free Books This Weekend

Hi all...just a quick reminder that I'm having a BookWise party this weekend (in West Bountiful UT). We'll spend a little time explaining the BookWise business plan to show how you can make money and earn free books. I'll also be having a drawing for some FREE BOOKS. And as an added bonus, to anybody who signs up this weekend, I'll be giving you an additional free book from the catalog (in addition to the free book you get in your starter package) just for signing up this weekend.

For those writers out there, I'll also be having a literature reading at the end of the evening where people can share their own writing or writing that inspires them.

Hope to see you there.

For more details, go over to my bookwise site and click on the 17th on the calendar of events. Or just comment/contact me for more info.

P.S. - To you non-Utahns out there (or to people who can't make it to the party), I am extending the free book offer to you as well...just sign up this weekend as an associate and I'll hook you up with a free book. Contact me for details.

Book Party this month

More details forthcoming, but as a heads up, I will be hosting a BOOK PARTY this month (the evening of either the 16th or 17th). I'll be presenting more information on BookWise (I know, some of you could care less), but I'll also be playing some cool author interviews and featuring a "lit reading" session where myself and others can read their own writings or share bits from other books/poetry they really enjoy.

There will be refreshments AND I will be giving out 2-3 FREE BOOKS from the BookWise catalog!

As an added incentive to get people to join BookWise, if you sign up with me this month, I'll throw in an extra book (on top of the other cool things you already get). Let me know if you have any questions, and keep an eye out for more info on the party.

BookWise has LAUNCHED!!!

Well, it is now official! BookWise has officially launched!

The launch event on Saturday night was fabulous! I wish all of you could have been there because there is no possible way that I'll be able to adequately put into words the energy and excitement of the night. Beyond the inexpressible, the account will suffer due to failures of memory in which I will likely neglect to include details that would make it all the better. If any of you went to the event and want to add to my account, please do. :)

The event took place at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy/South Salt Lake. I arrived early to help provide support for one of the presenters. The exhibit hall was impressive. Directly inside the doors were rows of computers set up to handle enrollment and viewing of the website later in the evening (the site itself wouldn't go live until partway through the evening).

Beyond that were rows and rows of chairs...facing an awesome backdrop. The stage was backed by floor to ceiling banners with the faces and names of Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain and Emily Dickinson (I think those were the 4...remember what I said about my memory). Interlaced between the banners/tapestries were three large video screens which would be used to show close up video of the speakers as well as additional presentation material through the night.

Because I was able to help with things, I was whisked around to the other side of the hall where they had a store set up. They actually had a set of iron laced glass doors and a false fence that opened into an impressive mock bookstore/library. They had brought in carpet, bookshelves, easy chairs, tables, trunks, and other materials to make the environment feel very comfortable and enticing. They had many of the books from the catalog available for purchase (at the wholesale price, naturally) as well as some very classy looking "swag" such as leather writing tablets, pen and pencil sets, silver bookmarks and fleece throws.

I spent the next little while providing moral support for those who were prepping to present. And then...the presentation began. I won't go much into the presentation of the BookWise concept since you can hop over to the website and watch a presentation there...and if you have any questions about it, you can let me know (I might post more about it later).

After a great motivational talk about BookWise generally and how we need to strive to be "More than we can be", an introduction was made for a young man named Patrick Hughes. I hadn't heard his story before, but it's very cool. I found a couple of links where you can learn a bit more.
NPR Story
YouTube video

After introducing his story, Patrick marched out accompanied by the University of Utah's marching band. He talked about how we need to not let ourselves be held back because of "little things" that bother us. We can overcome any obstacle. He played some music on the grand piano they had on stage and left with the band and a standing ovation.

The next speaker was Dave Pelzer, who I also knew virtually nothing about. I don't want to spoil much of his story since he's written books about it and you should "buy the book."
;)

Basically, he was the worst (or second/third worst or something like that) case of child abuse in California. His mother literally put him in harm's way...trying to kill him...refusing him food/comfort...forbidding other siblings/etc. to even communicate with him. He "lived" that way for 14 years...struggling to survive, praying for miracles, fighting for life. He was always looking for ways to overcome his obstacles...and he did. He was taken into the foster care program and had to learn how to be a person...learn to speak/read/etc. He also spoke about overcoming obstacles and how so many people get hung up on little things and are unwilling to stretch themselves to overcome them and how some people hold onto baggage for years and years and let it bog them down. We need to just resolve things and move on and strive for success. Embrace life and LIVE!

There were some other great speakers such as Christopher Pair (former President/CEO of Herbalife who says he sees this as the next "billion dollar network marketing company") and Robert Allen (who you should definitely read/hear if you haven't already). Naturally Richard Paul Evans also gave some great words of advice. I loved his words about "success" and how it's not easy to recognize success at first. Success doesn't usually look like we think it should...success isn't a gorgeous booming 5 star hotel...success is the hole in the ground as they prep to build that hotel. Trying to jump in and find success once the hotel is built is a lot harder than when it's a hole in the ground...but it's always scarier dealing with the uncertainties of the hole in the ground unless you truly have the vision of that 5 star hotel.

The leaders of this company have that vision of success. The members of this company have that vision of success. I have that same vision and I can see just how great this opportunity is. The great people I've had a chance to meet and work with over the past weeks/months have just solidified to me that I made the right choice by getting involved with BookWise.

There was also some time spent introducing the tools and some of the incentives. I had already seen a lot of the tools in prepping for the event, but it was still great to see them on the big screen and see the excitement of people. Some of the incentives they introduced were absolutely exciting. In the simplest terms, they are providing killer trip incentives to people. The first is in May to Key West to experience the world of Hemingway. There will be a similar trip to London this fall to explore the world of Dickens and then next spring there will be a Dan Brown trip to Rome.

With my school and work schedule the way it is, I'm thinking May is a little too soon for me, but I am setting a goal to make it to either London or Rome in the next year. I'm stoked.

I hope you made it through this lengthy post. I actually truncated it quite a bit to try and make sure people actually would read it. I came away from that meeting feeling absolutely fabulous...and not only about BookWise. BookWise is a great business. Books are a great product. But this business and these people aren't just here to try and sell books. There is a true sense of friendship and caring. Everybody wants to help their friends and family find a way to make their lives better. With BookWise, you have a very small (especially when compared with other companies) initial investment and you get a great set of products and a wonder web of support both from the corporate office and from other associates. The compensation plan is set up to try and make it as easy as possible to achieve a "break even" point by ensuring that everybody does all they can to help the people they enroll. The business is structured to encourage cooperation and teamwork.

Please head over to BookWise.com and watch the presentation. If you have questions, either reply to my blog, or bounce over to my site and hit the link to contact me directly.

I know that this business can work and I really want to be able to bring all of my friends and family along with me for the opportunity. :)

BookWise Party This Weekend!!!

Hey there, Hi there, Ho there!

This weekend marks the "official" launch of BookWise. There have been a lot of very cool updates and modifications to things over the past couple of months and this weekend there should be even more exciting news announced.

I have a couple of spare tickets to the launch party this weekend and will give them away to the first person to ask. :) The launch party starts at 6PM at the South Towne Expo Center in South Salt Lake. I'm checking right now to see IF they are going to require tickets for entrance (due to the number of possible attendants, I'm guessing tickets will be required). If a bunch of you want to come, I'll try to get more tickets.

There are going to be some very cool presentations and door prizes available. If you want to join me, let me know and I'll set aside my spare tickets for you. :)

If you want to know more about BookWise in the meantime, hop on over to the website and view the online presentation (it's a flash presentation that lasts ~10 minutes). It answers a lot of questions and provides a ton of great information. Due to some of the recent changes and announcements, the information there is outdated....the new information is even more cool/exciting than what's there. Come to the party on Saturday to find out about it. ;) Or chat me up and I'll tell you (I don't want to "scoop" the launch party by posting it here.

Come join the fun. You know you want to. ;)

BookWise Update

OK, here is a "global" answer to the question that some of you have been asking me lately: "How is BookWise going for you so far?"

The short answer is...that it's going well, but slower than I'd like. The longer answer follows.

To give some quick stats. So far I have received 2 free books and my first check paid for more than half of my initial sign up fee. However, the residual income aspect is needing some help because one of my members decided to cancel out, so I need to work to replace him and to continue to grow. BookWise itself is planning a formal/official "Launch" on January 27.

I blame my slow growth on two things.
First, I've been fairly busy with school and family such that the only real "marketing" I've done is some fairly innocuous "spamming" of friends and family with email invites to look at the website. While this can work (and has led to the minimal growth I've had so far), it's definitely not the optimal method.
Secondly, in Utah (and possibly through large portions of America), there is a bad opinion of MLMs that has to be overcome during recruitment. I have been a member of 2 MLMs in the past and been close friends with people in half a dozen others...so I've seen the pain of trying to sell someone on the concept. The first I joined with pure naivette, just liking the concept myself but not knowing what to look for as far as what makes a company better than another. The second I joined because I absolutely loved the concept (it was a travel MLM) of being an independent travel agent and making money selling travel and getting travel discounts/comps. I left the first one because of frustration...and the second one because the CEO was a crook and the thing got shut down (I did make a little money off of it...and more importantly, I got some "free" travel...I actually wrote off my honeymoon. *grin*).
Anyway, I understand the pain, and I can honestly say that, even though at first glance, the model for BookWise is the same as "all others", it does address some valid concerns with MLMs. For me, the price point is good...not too expensive. The product is good...if you've seen the front foyer in my house, you know we buy books. And the model for making money isn't terribly convoluted or difficult. My previous MLM ventures cost over a hundred dollars to join and required buying high priced products in order to maintain "status." With BookWise, the initial and monthly investment is $40...and you get a nice book out of it. I figured that even if I don't make up the $40/month in income right away, I know I will eventually, and in the meantime, I'm paying a little extra for books I would buy anyway.
I've had some people tell me that they'll sign up once they see my check for 5 figures. Well...that's a Catch-22...it'll be much easier for me to make that 5 figure check once all of you sign up. ;)

So....to my current "pitch." I want everybody who reads this to browse to www.bookwise.com and click into the "What Is Bookwise" presentation. You can skip around the presentation "pages" as you like, but it should give you a quick overview of the company.

Beyond the web based pitch, I am planning a meeting right now that will take place just around the corner from me in Bountiful. I am coordinating with Doug Osmond to try and get him to come and present the program and answer any questions you may have. My hope is to get this meeting scheduled for the first week in January. I hope to see you all there. :)

Anyway, that's the bookwise update.

If you have any questions, please let me know. I seriously believe in this program and look forward to having my friends and family with me as we make it a success.

More about BookWise

OK, as promised, here's another few quick words about BookWise. In addition to my own words below, you can read the FAQ on the corporate website which does a much better job of explaining things. And remember that if you do anything on the site (sign up, request info, etc.), be sure to reference my ID 101904. Thanks. :)

First, what is BookWise?
It's a new "book club" founded by author Richard Paul Evans. It's not a "reading group" book club per se. Nor does it follow the model of "Oprah's" book club. Rather, this is a "club" that gives you great discounted prices on books (at or BELOW the amazon.com prices). Not only do you get great deals on the books, but you are an authorized reseller...meaning, you can mark the book up another few dollars and sell them for profit (below brick & mortar retail prices).

What's the business model?
BookWise uses a network marketing business model that allows you to make money in addition to just purchasing books at a great discount. You can sign up Preferred Customers who can shop the BookWise site and get the same great deals as you...and YOU earn a commission on their purchases. You can sign up people as members so that they too can earn commissions and (as you may know from your knowledge of network marketing) you can earn a commission on their purchases and the purchases of their customers.

So...What is BookWise?

It's a cool new model for a "Book of the Month" club...where you can purchase books at great prices (below amazon.com deals) and even make money doing it (the model is set up such that you can quickly be getting your membership and monthly book orders for FREE just by having three other book lovers decide to become members).



For network marketers looking for differences in this plan and others, go read the FAQ...You should also know that this is the GROUND LEVEL (they officially launched last week).

For network marketing skeptics...know that I am there with you. I have been burned by network marketing plans in the past and have been doing some research over the past 6-7 months into the various plans out there (due to my position in my new job). I heard murmurs about this one a couple of months ago and the more I looked at it...the more I realized that THIS system makes sense. Not only is the pricing right for the membership and the products, but the product is actually something people WILL purchase and WANT to purchase. It's much easier to talk to somebody about how cool it is to buy books than it is to talk to somebody about buying something to help fix a rash or joint pain or to wash their clothes.

Anyway, check out the corporate site...glance through the faq...and then let me know what you think.

If you're interested in signing up as a member or a customer, let me know...and be sure to reference my ID (101904) in any sign-up or communications with the corp site.

Thanks. :)