The Process

Hello, Everyone!

~ He knows what is on the next page. We don't have to know. We just need to trust and turn the page. ~

In June 2010, I had just left a job as a barista; was

business law homework 

English PP presentation notes

celebrating my younger sister's high school graduation; was celebrating my mother's recent book publication; and was taking summer classes at NGTC. Needless to say, my life has never been tame. My summer classes that quarter (yes, this was before NGTC moved to semesters) were business law, english, and marketing. I had no idea what kind of job I wanted to end up with or what industry I was headed, but I loved learning from these classes and instructors. I completed my homework assignments with the idea that I would manage a bakery with my younger sister who was about to begin college as a Culinary Arts major. It was toward the end of this summer quarter when an opportunity to sell and promote products became crystal clear.  I started Purple Butterfly Pages seven years ago to sell and promote the book my mother had written and was recently published at the time. I switched gears from guessing I would work as a manager in my sister's bakery to being in the book sales industry.

Purple Butterfly Publications 

is a business aiming to publish quality novels that we believe in and know that readers will benefit from in a positive way. We strive to help produce and promote literature that inspires, comforts, and entertains.

A brief summary of Purple Butterfly Pages before I began publishing division: Purple Butterfly Publications in September 2013. My company scheduled book signings, festival appearances, and speaking engagements for PBP's featured author, Stephanie Townsend Ayers, my mother. Since I started publishing, the work has been different. Because I published an ebook, Their Inheritance, the work I do in sales & marketing is different than face-to-face sales. This required me to switch to mostly online work.

While the author works on writing and bringing an encouraging read to life, I work on the potential marketing plan. The book market changes frequently. Once the author is finished writing, it takes a move to the editing department. The editing process includes editing of grammar, story flow, and overall story coherence. Once the editing is complete, it is the creative department's turn! The book's formatting steps include setting the margins, putting the paragraph separator symbols in place, the credits page, the copyright page, the contents page (if included). The cover art is also part of the creativity process. The placement of the ISBN number is also part of the book cover creation.


Boom! The book is edited, formatted, and looks great then it is published and ready to sell. I work all departments of my publishing company. The different processes can be time consuming, but unquestionably rewarding.
Now you have an idea of what I do in my corner of book world. 

***questions, comments, and shares are all welcome***

Believe.

Caitlin,

Proprietor & Publisher

Mrs. Dianne Lawson

Hello Everyone!

I had a different post drafted out for July. However, I learned of the passing of a friend this week. I want to share about someone who inspired me as a friend and business woman. 

I'd like to this time to share about a woman who supported and inspired me when I started Purple Butterfly Pages, Mrs. Dianne Lawson.

I met Mrs. Dianne in 2007 when my family opened a British antique store in downtown Toccoa, GA. Mrs. Dianne owned Dream Giver's Art Gallery which was located a few stores down from ours. I was fifteen-years-old at the time and I loved browsing through her store and admiring the different art forms from the local artists. Mrs. Dianne would usually have a background story to tell me about the artists.

A couple of years later, when I needed to interview local entrepreneurs for a college assignment, Mrs. Dianne was happy to help and graciously answered my questions. Her advice to me was to always listen to my customers' needs. When I started PBPages at the beginning of school, she was excited for me and so supportive! Even after the British antique store closed and Dream Giver's Art Gallery relocated to another location in Toccoa, I still visited with her there. Mrs. Dianne kept a beautiful shop with a warm atmosphere! My parents gave me a beautiful sterling silver cross necklace from Dream Giver's Art Gallery as a gift when I graduated college. Mrs. Dianne would always ask about my family if they were not shopping with me and she would always want to know the latest with my business. She was a huge supporter of shopping local and supported many small businesses as well as mine.

Late last year, 2014, Mrs. Dianne closed Dream Giver's Art Gallery due to an illness. Other than a couple of emails, I haven't kept in touch since then. Mrs. Dianne has passed away on Tuesday, July 28, 2015. Mrs. Dianne could have chosen to ignore the teenagers who came into her store several years ago. Instead, she chose to listen to them, encourage them, and share her knowledge with them. I am so glad she gave me her time. I will miss our chats and cherish her advice. She was one of a kind.

     Rest in peace, Mrs. Dianne.

Caitlin Ayers,Proprietor & Publisher

www.PurpleButterflyPages.com

Behind the Blog - March 2015

Hello, Everyone!

First off, my apologies for not getting a blog out in February. I did not make it a priority. So sorry! Secondly, I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's Day whether single or spoken for. :) I spent this year's day of love with some lovely little ladies whom I share a last name with!

Family Valentine's Day Party 2015

Now, down to business.

You will find this blog post a little different from the others. Hope you don't mind! I wanted to open up a little bit about myself and let you all know who is behind the blog and why I added blogging to my "must do" list at work. You can read a bit about how I got to be an independent book seller and publisher on my business' website; and here, I am going to add to that information!

The woman behind the blog...

...I do not want to sit here and blog about my childhood, and preteen and teen years, although I was blessed with earlier years worth writing about. Instead, I'll start with more recent years'  randomness. I have a dog, Merry, a three-year-old chihuahua. She is my best friend beside my sisters! I might Instagram her a bit much. Maybe. On top of being a furry mum, I spend a lot of time with younger siblings and three nephews (the youngest was born last month!). I guess you could say I am pretty much a family-oriented person. I'm an encourager! Hopefully it shows in my blog posts. I love helping people get through tough stuff. I think that if you believe you can than you will. I also enjoy being involved in what is going on in my community. As is mentioned on my website bio, I am a Chamber of Commerce member (probably one of the youngest in my county, but I love it!). I am lucky to be able to learn from the business owners in my community. Besides being a publisher, I like to sew. Momma taught me to sew when I was ten and I eventually learned to sew full dresses. I got out of the habit during teen years and college. This year, I challenged myself to make birthday gifts for my siblings (those of them who like handmade stuff that is) this year! So far, I've done a t-shirt pillow and a child's bathrobe. I am about to make myself a bathrobe because I liked my little sister's so much! Who knows, I might make an Easter dress as well. Last year, I became a part of my parents' auction company! I was raised going to auctions. I love the different atmospheres and the differences in each auction house. You never know what will be on the auction block next! Quick plug: if you are looking for a great deal on estate auction or collectible items or looking for a specific item, let me know in an email: rememberwhenestateauctions@yahoo.com! I am fortunate to get to spend after school time with my special needs younger brother, and helping him reach life goals that he sets. Well, there are a few random things about me. Oh, and when I was a kid, I never dreamed of being an online book publisher. 

Caitlin Ayers, Publisher at Purple Butterfly Publications

On a social level,

you will find me using media that is not really social, Twitter, tweeting about my favorite sports teams. In baseball it is the Atlanta Braves, who have my sports-loving heart. I go to a game at least once a year with my Dad and sisters and/or brothers whoever is able to go. Sporting events are always fun! Like a lot of other women in their early twenties, I also love football. I enjoy college and pro with my teams being the Georgia Buldawgs and East Carolina Pirates, and I'm fan of the Atlanta Falcons. Don't boo me too hard for being a Falcons' fan. With Coach Quinn, we are going to be big this year. I also will tweet all kinds of music and song related stuff; devotionals; and really random things that nobody probably cares about. I will tweet on anyways! 

Why do I blog you ask?

I started blogging over a year ago. I felt it necessary to let buyers, readers, and others know who they were buying from or communicating with. You can tell a lot about someone's blog! I also wanted a way to connect with other publishers, book readers, bloggers, and professionals in general. So, I started blogging about different topics that have something to do with my publishing world somehow. So, that's me and why I started blogging!

I'd love to know why you read blogs. Leave a comment anywhere! Let me know any other topics you would like to read about in my blog! Until next time, you can find me on Twitter: @PBPages or @GaPeach291! :)

Believe.

Caitlin Ayers, Publisher

Purple Butterfly Publications

www.PurpleButterflyPages.com

Book Adventures This Summer

Hey everybody!

I hope everyone had a great summer! To those of you still living on "summer time"- count your blessings. 

I am wondering what books you read this summer?? A classic or a new author's works? Maybe even my first publication, Their Inheritance? What genre have you spent your summer delved into- suspense, sci-fi, or possibly fictional romance? 

I made it a personal goal this summer to get some reading done myself! It happened to be the day of Maya Angelou's death that I decided to visit my local library. I browsed the shelves looking for a novel into which I could really dive. I came across Ms. Maya Angelou's works. After reading several dust covers, I decided to check out Gather Together In My Name. Whether it was in between work, times at the lake, or movies, with friends or with family, I became lost in Maya Angelou's life's struggles as a young single mother, daughter, granddaughter, and sister. Also, how she never fit in to society's rules- I was drawn in. The woman was a genius with ink and paper! She has inspired me to steadfastly continue my goal of reading at a steady pace throughout the year. I will let you all know what and when I finish the next book! 

Comment in the blanks below to share what you have been reading! 

Happy reading!

Caitlin Ayers, Publisher
www.PurpleButterflyPages.com