“As KBN continues to add more free books to its free book website it has become clear that we can do a lot more for literacy than just by giving free books away directly to children,” explained KBN media executive and author/illustrator Uncle Henry.
“We are announcing today an open call to non-profit community service organizations of every kind, who support special programs for families and children, to contact us immediately. If their program is designed to help children, and meets appropriate community criteria, we will issue a special license for them to print, form and sell selected free books from the KBN website free for their fundraising.”
Under the new KBN program, instead of buying and trying to sell costly and calorie-packed candy, cookie and popcorn fundraiser products, which many contributors resist, non-profits can sell witty, amusing KBN books like “Possibly the 100 Worst Jokes of All Time” and keep almost all of the sale price for their program, less a few cents to print the book out and staple it together.
Selling a KBN book that might cost 25¢ or less to make for perhaps $2 or $3 can raise important funds much more quickly and easily than earning just 50¢ or $1 on box of candy. And fundraisers can feel better knowing that they’re not making America’s overweight problem any worse in the process.
“We encourage national service organizations like the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, YMCA and YWCA, Optimists, Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions and others to contact us immediately at hello@read4free.net and find out how to get started right away,” said the KBN executive.
“Free KBN books can be used to raise funds for sports programs, scouting trips, camping trips, school field trips and other important youth programs of every kind.”
KBN also invites schools and school districts to contact KBN for fundraising permission as well. Even without fundraising children in the Los Angeles Unified School District could qualify for $48 million in free picture books from KBN.
“Some educational institutions are proving slow to get the idea,” admitted the KBN executive, “but it’s easy to understand. Free books for kids and educators is what KBN is all about and that’s completely new.
“We’re not selling KBN books, we’re giving them away with sponsor support just like saturday morning TV gives away free cartoon programming. In the same way, KBN lets internet visitors of all ages, who can register for free, download free books that can be printed and formed into authentic, traditional-
“This is completely new and different from anything you’ve seen in either traditional publishing or on the web to this point,” the KBN founder continued. “These are real books, which later you may also see published in traditional, full-size formats in your public or school library as well as local bookstore.”
KBN books are now available at http://www.read4free.net in what will be a rapidly expanding catalog of titles, by a suite of international author/illustrators, in an increasing number of genres, sizes and formats as more families and children join the free network. Rather than competitive with broadcast media and conventional publishing, say KBN fans, the KBN model presents a wide range of opportunities for new cross-media alliance.
KBN can do so much more for children because the traditionally highest costs of publishing – printing, distribution, inventory, warehousing, returns – are reduced to zero. Children simply make the KBN books they want themselves, right from their computer printer. Technology has reduced the bookmaking process to something that is completely simple. A child can actually print and manufacture a complete KBN book in as little as two minutes.
For kids and teachers it’s quite fun and surprisingly easy. Plus, classroom teachers can use these same lively books for all kinds of fresh learning projects.
