Sourcebooks launch their Put Me In The Story series last year with the mission to make every child “the star of treasured children's stories.” Now with established partnerships with major brands like Sesame Street, Hello Kitty, Anne Geddes, and the Berenstain Bears, and with runaway successes through non-traditional publishing channels like the Apple App Store and a Living Social sales deal, PMITS is proving the power of personalization. Sourcebooks CEO Dominique Raccah will share some of the lessons learned through the development of PMITS, and describe how the initiative is changing the way the company publishes children’s books.

1. Bestselling Books Starring Your Child
Presented at Digital Book World
LaunchKids, January 2014

2. Where The Idea Came From
Greg
Lang
Marianne
Richmond
What people were doing with these books…

3. Idea
Build a new channel (both digital + physical) for
personalized books BASED on bestselling
content that parents and children really love…
Put Me In The Story —
Bestselling Books Starring Your Child

4. What We Do
We create a personal connection between
you and the books you love

5. And What Really Matters…
…we foster a greater
love of reading
(sometimes even a
first love of reading)
We create a keepsake that people will
cherish forever

6. What customers tell us…
“These books make beautiful
gifts. My daughter loves her
book and I can barely get
through it without crying.
Love!”
– Amber Helwick
"This was a great gift and
keepsake....there's even a spot to
put a photo of you and the loved one
on the front page. I'm sure he'll
treasure it for a long time."
– Tru Peffer

7. There have always
been personalized
books

8. 3 Types of
Personalization
1. Traditional – name-focused
•
•
Name of protagonist changes
All kids get the same book

9. 3 Types of
Personalization
2. Play with name
•
Story or cover is
changes with the name

10. 3 Types of
Personalization
3. Image-based
•
Photoshop image into the book

11. Bulk of these
aren’t great
books

12. What Put Me In The Story
Does Differently
We started with great content–
great stories, favorite characters,
the books you love!
We allow many different ways of
personalizing a book
We’re exploring many forms of
personalization to create the best
experience in the stories you love

13. A Magical Connection
“It is awesome. The book is perfect
and with my son’s name in it I get
tears in my eyes. He loves reading it
over and over and I can tell it really
makes him feel special ;) Thank you”
– Elizabeth Leader
“It is the most beautiful, most
heartfelt gift you can give your
child. It’s a gift that can live on
forever. I loved it, my daughter
loved it. It is just BEAUTIFUL!” –
Natalie Nazario

14. 2013 Goals and Results
How did we define success?

15. Significant Interactions
40% of significant interactions with users are
app based
Key app titles drive conversion to print

16. 2013 Goals
Partner Goal
Provide the best
content:
Platform for at least 3
other publishers or
brands
Result

17. And in 2014…
Many more great partners
coming great !

18. 2013 Goals
Traffic Goal
Result
60,000 unique visitors
per month by the end of
the year
Over 300,000 unique
visitors in Q4 ( nearly
100,000 per month)

19. 2013 Goals
Revenue Goal
Revenue
goal
Result
Revenu
e goal
x2

20. More Importantly…
Customers love Put Me In The Story!
(now have thousands of user
ratings/reviews/feedback forms)

21. More Importantly…
…and they plan on coming back

22. How Put Me In The Story
Creates Value For Publishers and Authors
• Higher price point: $24.99 + $6.99 shipping
• Incremental sales dollars
• Some indication that all our online marketing is
lifting retail sales (10’s of millions of impressions
in Q4)
• On our way to creating a new channel for picture
books…and more

23. Why It Works
Great Books!

24. Why It Works
Incredibly easy-to-use interface in the app…
Allows you to have a special experience on the dedication
page and a chance to make a wish every night.

25. Why It Works
…and easy-to-use interface on the web…
Allows you to see every page of the book as you
personalize.

26. Why It Works
The app and the website work together
to deliver a personalized content experience whenever and
wherever you want it. Different use cases.

27. What We Know Now…
The app, the web and print all work together
It’s a single ecosystem

28. Lots New in 2014
•
•
•
•
•
New kids app features
Gift book app – launching soon
Sharing books from both app and web
More great publishing partners
International
•
•
App has users in 52 countries
Books bought online from 60 countries

29. Lots New in 2014
New programs starting with baby
featuring Anne Geddes
(How would people want to personalize an Anne Geddes title?
)

30. Interested in developing
great new personalized experiences
Searc
h and
Find
Name
+
photo
Name
in
illustra
tion
LOTS more ideas to think
about and develop…

31. We’re only at the
beginning…
We are committed
to creating the best
personalization
experiences that
touch, surprise and
delight
Searc
h and
Find

32. Not just about making great
books…
this is about a whole new business
model for publishers and authors

33. We’d love to have you join us…
Dominique Raccah
Publisher and CEO
dominique@sourcebooks.com
630.536.0524
@draccah