Dear <<First Name>> <<Last Name>>,

Last newsletter for this year - time for a quick update and also to say: Thanks to our ever growing Calvendo community! Great ideas, great calendars and great to see how so many of you are letting their creative juices flow. We therefore felt like using the occasion to give you, among other things, a snapshot of the talent to be found on Calvendo in this newsletter below.
 
Also, we thought we’d let you know that it’s not just Amazon but a variety of other UK retailers that have included Calvendo products on their platforms now, such as Hive, Waterstones and Speedyhen.
 
And apart from that, we hope that the run-up to Christmas is not too stressful for you. If you need a break between hunting for pressies, writing cards and going to Christmas parties, take a look at our special Calvendo Advent calendar on our blog or Facebook page – one little moment for yourself each day.
 
Enjoy reading, have a wonderful festive season and best wishes from
Your CALVENDO Team
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Your ideas = great calendars

Calvendo UK is a mere ’infant’, having launched only four months ago. And we know that there’s still the occasional hiccup and things not completely running smoothly yet, so thanks for bearing with us and your patience on these occasions!

However, the range and variety of work our self-publishers (you!) have created using the platform is, after such a short time, quite amazing. Photography, painting, graphic art, lots of different themes – it’s all there. So, here’s a snapshot of our Calvendo authors’ work (and there's much more than we've got space for here): 
 

• One for all garden lovers: Delightful Hampton Court Flower Show images by Roy James Shakespeare, including a real eye catcher of a cover

• Hardship and beauty: Captured by Johannes Mueller in his calendar showing the faces of Afghanistan

• Bold and colourful: British artist Laura Hol paints places and has put together a collection of ‘Iconic British architecture’.

• Gotta love the little fella on the cover of this one: ‘Reptiles and Frogs’ by wildlife photographer Mark Bridger

• 12 enchanting paintings for each month: Colourful landscapes and street scenes by Chris Scott

• Overlaying the present with the past: Kieron Pelling’s calendar is showing Hastings and St Leonards with a twist, combining historic images with the present view.

• Remixing nature? Why not: Dex Hannon likes to get a digital paintbrush out to funk up his plant photography.

• A touch of impressionism: Photographer and artist Nadia Attura introduces layers to texturise her work, and her ‘Nature in Art’ calendar is a wonderful example for her fine art photography.

• Things you can do with an iPhone and the Hipstamatic App: Enchanting still lifes by Ralf Pfeiffer

• Charming illustrations involving a pig? Yes, possible: Verena Koepp’s calendar depicts a pig’s attempts to fly – rather lovely

• Icelandic views, a bit different: Andre Baldet paints the country’s landscapes and magical mountains and it makes for a great calendar.

• Abstract patterns: Textile designer and lecturer Leigh Bagley does some fabulous things with patterns – take a look.

• Delicious, darling: Artist JJ Galloway has created a calendar featuring her bright pop art that is ‘Absolutely Edible’ …

Ok, need to stop this now before we get carried away. There’s always more in our product gallery!
 

Here’s a clever little tool when researching titles, topics and trends: Google Trends analyses Google searches and provides insights into search volumes and developments over time. The popularity of individual search terms then allows conclusions how popular certain topics are. Which is obviously relevant for you guys when trying to establish which type of calendar might find an audience.
 
Google Trends also lets you compare different search terms within a certain period of time and for individual geographical regions which is quite handy. Likewise, take a look at the ‘Regional Interest’ and ‘Related Searches’ sections when checking specific search terms. They will help you establish trends and interests. Plus: It doesn’t do any harm including search terms with a high frequency in your calendar’s title and/or advertising blurb! 

                     

P.S.: Just in case you’re bored (unlikely given the time of the year, we know), there’s still time to submit 2015 projects! And if you choose the flexible calendar grid option, your calendar will always automatically be updated to show the right year for the relevant season. Or try our non-seasonal product, the poster book.

Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook – our Calvendo community is made up of you!