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You're doing WHAT?
Investors FAQs and Answers
Where are you getting the money to do all this?
From people just like you. Minimum investment is $50 US.
Did you say I can invest as little as $50?
Yes.
Why so little?
Well, a "big angel" might invest the whole
amount we want, but that angel would expect to own almost all of the
company. That doesn't suit us: this is our idea, it's our baby, and we
won't give up control. We tried getting people to invest $1000, but that
wasn't enough for some and too much for others. One day, we sat down and
asked ourselves Who really needs this? Who stands to gain? What can
those people afford to invest? The answers were creators and readers;
and $50. So we changed the minimum investment to $50, and we're trying to
get speculative fiction authors; comic book creators; artists; and
speculative fiction readers to invest.
What do you mean "Who stands to gain?"
Well, think about it. With printing on demand:
- No book is ever out of print again.
- A book is available no matter how few copies it sells.
- A book can take as long as it needs to find its readers.
- Creators can create according to their vision instead of according to
some Marketing Department's Flavor of the Week.
- We can publish books that others consider "too risky" or "uncommercial."
Who stands to gain from all that? Creators and readers.
What do I get for my $50?
Stone Dragon Press will owe you $50, and we promise to pay it back after two years, with interest. See the
promissory note (that's lawyer-talk for an IOU) for the details.
So if I invest $50, I own a share of the company?
No, Stone Dragon Press will owe you money. We agree to pay it back.
What if I want to lend you more than $50? Do I have to invest all at
once? Can I make several investments?
There is no upper limit to the amount you can invest. You can lend as much as you like in $50
increments. You may invest as many times as you like while we are accepting investments.
When will you stop accepting investments?
September 1, 2000.
Will you ever make a profit?
By law, we can't say "Yes, we will make a profit." We certainly intend to run the business to make a
living and a profit.
How much money will I get back if I lend to you?
The promissory note says we get to keep and use your money for one year without
interest, then we pay you interest for a year, and then we have to pay you
back. The interest will be the same as a passbook savings account.
What if I want to own part of the company?
The lawyer-thing says that's costly and difficult. You would have to come up
with at least $25,000 US to own part of the company.
How come nobody has done POD before this?
That's a good question. The Romans could have invented the bicycle, but they didn't. We
also think that big publishers don't stand to gain anything by doing this:
they'll be more flexible, but they won't be more profitable,
so their accountants probably told them, "Don't do it."
Why are you doing this?
It's clear that there's something
wrong with the publishing industry, maybe several somethings wrong.
- Authors can't get published if their books aren't "best sellers."
- Publishers want to treat authors like entertainment factory workers
instead of letting them create according to their vision.
- If it can't be turned into a movie or a toy, publishers don't want it.
And so on, and so on.
Well, that's wrong. Books can stand on their own merits. There are
great books that don't sell many copies. Creators should create something
with authenticity, not something based on the flavor of the week. We can
make that happen, so why shouldn't we? We like books, and we like working
with books. Good for us, good for them.
What happens if this doesn't work?
If we never get started,
you will get your loan back, plus interest. If we go bankrupt, you will
receive the standard papers in the mail and so on.
How much money are you trying to get?
We need $90,000 to get started and $210,000 to cover operating expenses until 2nd quarter of
year two; total, $300,000. We need $50,000 to advertise and market
properties over two years. (We'll still be advertising and marketing--this
will just make it easier.) The total equity for sale is negotiable. (
See the reason for the big change!)
I'm ready to lend you $50. What do I do now? Make out a
check or money order to "Stone Dragon Press" Print a copy of the
promissory note and sign it.
Put the check and the promissory note together and send them to:
Stone Dragon Press
3418 Morgan Ave N.
Minneapolis, MN USA 55412-2336
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