We recently connected with Katelyn Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Katelyn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the toughest things about progressing in a creative career or as an entrepreneur is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

When I was in the “product development” stage of Katsby Covers, I had an entirely different plan for handling the printing process. And I had to change that plan multiple times.

After figuring out the dimensions I needed for my dust jackets, I looked into custom-size printing. After all, a book cover (approx 9″ tall and 22″ inches wide) isn’t exactly a “standard” photo size.

However, it’s very difficult – and very expensive – to get a printing company to create a print and cut it to size if it doesn’t fall into one of the “normal” dimensions (ex: poster size, photo size, etc.).

Dropshipping and professional printing alike…it just wasn’t going to work.

My goal with Katsby Covers was to create a more affordable alternative dust jacket option, and going with custom printing would require me to charge nearly double my intended price point.

So, I looked into print-on-demand books. I figured I could create empty books, upload the dust jacket designs, and when someone ordered a set of dust jackets from me, I’d simply act as the “middle man.” Print-on-demand services like Amazon or Ingram Spark would send the books to me, I’d pull off the dust jackets, and send them along to the customer. (Though I was wary of how many empty books that would leave me with.)

I quickly discovered that print-on-demand book options require “sufficient content” in the books, sending me down a rabbit trail of finding books in the Creative Commons that I could format and use as the books’ contents. Luckily, we didn’t go too far into the weeds before I realized that many of these print-on-demand companies didn’t offer “standard size” books.

In general, America’s standard-sized books come in four sizes: 9.5, 9, 8.5, or 8.25 inches. Affordable print-on-demand options offer 8.5″ (on a good day) with a variety of their own “standard” sizes. Since I wanted to offer my dust jackets in a variety of sizes to fit over any books my customers owned…I was back to square one.

Enter the hunt for a personal printer.

As a media arts student in college, I had access to a massive printer that put out bright, bold prints at any size you can imagine.

I looked into getting one of my own and simply turning my dining room into a print shop, but the price just wasn’t something I could afford at the time (though, as I continue to grow Katsby Covers, that large-scale printer is still on my radar!).

That was when I found a printer that could print at a size just shy of what I wanted, leaving me at an 18.5″ width instead of 22. However, it was thousands of dollars cheaper…

It would still let me get the correct height for any book size I could want…

And it would allow me to get my price point down significantly.

For a 3.5″ difference that wouldn’t affect the product’s function…I was sold.

I added the Epson WF 78-20 to my cart and waited on pins and needles for it to arrive.

I’ll spare you the details of struggling to set up the printer, going through way too many YouTube tutorials to get the proper print dimensions, or the many “error” messages it gave me during my first print session. (Did you know that sometimes the only way to clear an error message is to “shake” the ink cartridges and put them back in? Because I didn’t.)

Finally, after fighting my way through the tech side of my “smart” printer that wasn’t acting very intelligent at all…

We were in business.

I was able to print beautiful book covers and use a rotary slicer to hand-cut them to size and package them with a personal thank-you note (a process I find very meditative these days).

You might be thinking: “That can’t be scalable.”

And you’re right. At a certain point, it’ll become too much for just one person. Which is why I’m excited for the day I’m able to hire my first employee…

And use some of the “bulk” deals I’ve found with custom printers since my initial days of research.

But for right now, I’m enjoying this part of the journey. And if this process of one pivot after another has taught me anything, it’s that I can be confident in myself to find the right solutions for each stage of the business as it grows.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi there! My name is Katelyn, and I have been an avid reader and writer my entire life. By the time I was a teenager, I could hardly get through a conversation without bringing up my current read. So, I decided to make a book-related YouTube channel (“BookTube,” if you will) to review books, cover reader-related news, share my writing journey, and talk about books with other people who love them as much as I do. It’s been an incredibly fulfilling part of my life.

I’ve always put great care into decorating my bookshelves (the background for many of my videos), and for the past couple years, I’ve seen companies make alternative dust jackets. They used different art or a different color scheme, and I loved that idea. However, as a lifelong artist, I had something else in mind: I wanted book covers that stacked together to create detailed pictures and designs, like paintings on my bookshelf.

That’s when I started working to create dust jacket sets with a variety of themes – from fantasy landscapes to famous paintings to simple “ombre” styles for readers who prefer a minimalist aesthetic. While the jackets can certainly cover a specific series, many of the sets are void of serial numbers so that a reader who has several stand-alone or random books can turn them into a cohesive set that furthers their aesthetic goals. I feel that this art-centered approach is what separates Katsby Covers from other alternative dust jacket options, as well as my dedication to remaining at a lower price point than many of the currently established dust jacket design companies.

I am most proud of my current business plan to turn Katsby Covers into an artist marketplace alongside a bookish business.

This past month, I’ve been working closely with an incredibly talented artist (who, quite frankly, can create far better work than myself). We’re building a system that will provide her with a commission for each jackets set featuring her designs. My goal is to turn this into a wider program that offers a new stream of income for lots of artists involved in the book community.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I have found the “12 Week Year” by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington to be a valuable resource for me in the process of creating Katsby Covers.

The idea behind the book is narrowing your focus to the main “needle movers” related to your life goals and creating a plan that will let you achieve a year’s worth of progress in just 12 weeks.

As someone who loves a challenge (and a good to-do list), it was the perfect way for me to dive into creating Katsby Covers. I’d used the 12 Week Year before to learn new skills and even write a draft of a novel that I hope will be my professional author debut (fingers crossed!). But building a business was a completely different beast, and it was the hardest “12 Weeks” term I’ve taken on.

However, by having a pre-built plan with clear milestones I needed to achieve, I felt myself staying away from “side quests” that would take too much time without offering any real return. Instead, I found that I was more motivated to push myself – to work harder for longer, to absorb as much information as I could to help my growth, and – most importantly – to ignore excuses.

In a matter of 12 Weeks, I’d completely restructured my website and connected my products to Etsy and YouTube, doubled my product line, created and executed a marketing plan, made my first few sales, and figured out all the logistics related to printing, packaging, and shipping. The pressure of an intense timeline forced me to pivot quickly and decisively when needed, and by the end of those three months, I felt that I had a solid foundation for a business. Immediately after that time period, I started to see the sales finally begin to roll in. It was an incredibly satisfying and exciting process, and nowadays I always encourage others in my life to try a “12 Week Year” to see the amazing things they can do in a short time period.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I published my first YouTube video at 19. This year, I’m turning 28. It’s crazy for me to think about how long I’ve been making videos (however poorly for those first few years).

And while I wouldn’t say I have an insane amount of followers on any platform, I really started to take TikTok and YouTube “seriously” a little over a year ago, and have seen readers and writers alike respond to my content and personal story, creating steady growth.

For me, the name of the game has been consistency. I think a lot of new creators have high hopes for going viral and seeing instant success. And for a very small amount of people, that will happen. But a lot of the people we see online who “went viral” and had that “instant” success…have actually been making videos consistently for years. And if they haven’t, then whatever trend they were playing on fades, as well as their visibility on social media.

One of my favorite mantras that I’ve found this year is that “an overnight success is 10 years in the making.” I truly believe that. Consistently making content, finding your voice, and creating genuine connections with followers to foster a community is how you build the skill and stamina for sustaining success.

Additionally, something to remember: Even small communities can create great outcomes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://katsbycovers.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thee_great_katsby_reads/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theegreatkatsbyreads
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theegreatkatsby
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thee_great_katsby