How it works
Four steps to a book in your hands.
We use Lulu for print on demand. Simple, no publishing circus, no distribution setup. Just real books.
Mike preps the print PDF
Interior typeset for paper, plus a full wraparound cover: front, spine, back. The front covers are already done.
Upload to Lulu, order one proof
A single proof copy gets printed and shipped straight to Dave. That is the whole order for now.
Dave approves it in his hands
Nothing moves forward until the physical proof passes the hold-it-in-your-hands test.
Order whatever quantity he wants
A shelf of books, gifts for friends, boxes for events. Whatever the number is.
The lineup
The books headed for paper.
Front covers are done for all six. Manuscripts range from ready to still cooking.
A Few Thoughts
By Dave Dlaney. Thirty short thoughts on mornings, kindness, work, people, love, and hard days. Warm, plainspoken, zero fluff.
✅ Manuscript draft done
Short Bus: The Musical (Kids Book)
A Studio original. Five teenagers, five days at Pine Lake Camp, one little yellow bus. The musical as a kids book.
📝 Story draft done
Your First Thousand Streams
The musician's guide to finding your first real listeners and keeping them.
Coming soon
Your First $20
The guide to making your first real money from your music.
Coming soon
Everything We Know
The Studio's collected notes on making things that matter.
Coming soon
Skull Cave
A Studio book, in the same spirit as Short Bus. More to come.
Coming soonWhat it costs
Roughly pocket change per book.
Author copies print at cost. A few dollars a book, depending on page count. No retail markup, no middleman.
That is the timeline for the proof copy to land in Dave's hands after we upload. Print, bind, ship.
Dave's calls
Five questions before anything prints.
Nothing uploads or orders until these are answered. Dave's call on every one.
- ❓Which book goes first?A Few Thoughts and the Short Bus kids book both have manuscripts. Or something else entirely.
- ❓Where is the final manuscript?Hand it over, or Mike assembles and typesets it from what we already have.
- ❓Trim size?6x9 is the standard for text books. The kids book wants to be square.
- ❓Where does the proof ship?The address for the single proof copy.
- ❓How many after the proof?The real order comes after Dave holds the proof and says go.
This page is the plan. Nothing has been uploaded to Lulu and nothing has been ordered. Each step waits on Dave's yes.