| Heya <<First Name>>,
Here’s an irony.
We’re releasing a book this spring called “Winnie’s Whoosh Went Walkabout” and the theme is: More is less.
Illustration: Dzana Serdarevic.
Yet here I was in November working myself into a frazzle trying to come up with a grand strategic business plan for 2022, full of growth and revenue and data-metrics-productivity etc. etc.
Sigh.
Fortunately, I came to my senses. Or perhaps my senses came to me, and I had the sense to invite them in for coffee.
By the end of November, I finally understood that what we really needed to do this year was …
less.
Coming in ’22: “Scar and the Wolf.” Illustrations by Madeline Barber. Design by Jennifer Playford.
So, my “strategic plan” for 2022 is just six words:
- Stay the course.
- Slow down.
- Simplify.
Here’s what that means.
Stay the course: We’re not going to launch any big new projects.
Coming in ’22: “Moldylocks and the Bear.” Illustrations by Madeline Barber. Design by Jennifer Playford.
Slow down: We’re going to focus on making this year’s six books as excellent as we possibly can.
Simplify: We’re going to stop doing some things, like running a Facebook page and community. Thank you to those of you who’ve been a part of it. I want you to know that there are better ways we can serve you.
As Bob likes to say, “It’s an experiment.”
Or, as we say in “Winnie’s Whoosh” …
When behind us it’s warm and ahead it may freeze,
when all our self-doubting gets hard to ignore,
we often forget there are no guarantees.
But try to remember: We’re here to explore.
Happy reading,
Jeff and Bob …
… who believe that reading with kids can change the world for the better. |
