Working Together on
Beyond the Cotton Fields

Section I

The Opportunity

Here is what we are looking at. To run an effective marketing campaign for Dr. Crawford's book, we need the book available across multiple distribution channels — not just IngramSpark, but also Draft2Digital and other digital platforms. These channels are what allow our marketing to actually drive sales in bookstores, through libraries, on Amazon (a physical and digital retail channel), and across digital storefronts like Apple Books, Kobo, and Scribd.

Since you are already handling the IngramSpark setup for Dr. Crawford, we thought it might make sense for you to take on the additional distribution work as well — specifically Draft2Digital and ensuring IngramSpark is configured to distribute to Amazon and all major retail channels. We would compensate you for that work on top of the finder's fee. You would be part of the project team for the full 6 months, and we would work closely together to make sure every platform is configured in a way that supports our campaign strategy. We would provide you with the specific setup configurations we need, and you would handle the execution.

On our side, we are also building a professional author website for Dr. Crawford that will include embedded purchase links for each distribution channel — so readers can easily buy the book through IngramSpark, Amazon, Apple Books, or any other retailer directly from the website. This makes the website a central hub that drives traffic to every sales channel, and it gives Dr. Crawford a professional online presence that supports the entire campaign.

If that does not interest you, that is completely fine — our internal team would take on that work instead, and you still receive your finder’s fee. Nothing changes with your existing agreement with Dr. Crawford either way.

Why We Think This Could Be a Good Fit for You

The rest of this document lays out what this would look like if you are interested — the month-by-month plan, what we would need from you, what we would provide to you (including the correct setup configurations to align with our campaign), and the compensation. Take a look and let us know what you think. And if it is not for you, no worries at all — we are glad to have you involved in any capacity.

Section II

Who Does What

If this moves forward, here is how we envision the responsibilities breaking down. We have structured this based on what makes operational sense — and we are open to your input on the details.

Staying in Sync

Since this would be our first time working together, we think a bi-weekly check-in call (30 minutes, nothing heavy) would help keep things on track. Just a quick touch-base to see where things stand, flag anything that needs attention, and make sure handoffs happen on time. We will also align on distribution settings and pricing strategy before anything goes live, so nothing conflicts with the campaign.

We would also want to include your updates in our progress reports for Dr. Crawford. That way he and his family see the full picture — both the publishing infrastructure side and the marketing side — and everyone feels confident in the progress. It also makes sure your work gets the visibility it deserves.

The Strategic Part

Why the Distribution Setup Really Matters

The distribution setup directly affects whether this book can reach the channels that matter most. Here is the strategic picture.

The NYT list tracks sales from a curated network of retailers — independent bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, university bookstores, and select online channels. The book needs to be available and orderable across as many of these as possible. IngramSpark handles physical retail and Amazon. Draft2Digital handles digital. Together, they cover every channel that matters.

The Two-Platform Strategy

Each platform owns its territory. IngramSpark handles all physical retail including Amazon. Draft2Digital handles all digital eBook stores. No overlap, no duplicate listings. Both accounts are set up under Dr. Crawford's publishing company from day one — nothing needs to be transferred later. You manage the accounts as part of your publishing infrastructure role.

The EPUB file you create for digital distribution gets uploaded to both IngramSpark (for its eBook distribution network) and Draft2Digital (for Apple Books, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Scribd, and library digital lending). One conversion, distributed everywhere digitally.

How Dr. Crawford Gets Paid

IngramSpark Settings That Matter

Where the Book Will Be Available

With both platforms configured correctly, the book will be available across every major sales channel:

These are the channels that report to the New York Times bestseller list, with independent bookstore sales weighted most heavily. The two-platform approach puts the book everywhere the industry is watching.

Every Sale Is Tracked in the National Database

Because the book carries a registered ISBN and is distributed through IngramSpark, every sale is tracked through Nielsen BookScan — the national database used by the publishing industry to verify sales. Dr. Crawford's numbers will be independently verified and industry-recognized, which matters for media coverage, speaking invitations, future publishing opportunities, and bestseller list consideration.

A Realistic Conversation About the NYT List

You already know how hard the NYT list is. At $30,000, we cannot guarantee a spot — but we can place the book in every channel the NYT tracks, drive coordinated sales across diverse retailers during a focused window, and position the book for Amazon category bestseller status (#1 in Military Biographies, #1 in African American Biographies). Everything we do to pursue the list makes the book more successful regardless of the outcome.

Section III

The 6-Month Plan

If this partnership moves forward, here is the operational plan. Each month shows what the publishing infrastructure side delivers, what the marketing side executes, and the critical handoffs between them. Adjustments happen inside this framework as needed.

Section IV

Let’s Talk About Compensation

We understand you asked for a $1,000 finder’s fee, and that you have a separate $400 agreement with Dr. Crawford for the initial publishing setup. We fully respect that.

That said, if this campaign moves forward, there would be a lot of ongoing work over 6 months beyond the initial setup — inventory management, distribution troubleshooting, sales reporting, reorder coordination, and managing the Draft2Digital platform alongside IngramSpark. Given that you would already be in the system managing the publishing infrastructure, you may be the best person to handle that ongoing work as well.

So we wanted to put an option on the table. This is not an obligation or an expectation. If you prefer to keep things as they are — the finder’s fee and your existing agreement with Dr. Crawford — that is completely fine. Our internal team would take on those ongoing responsibilities. But if you are interested in a larger role, here is what we had in mind:

Here Is How We See It Breaking Down

The $400 agreement with Dr. Crawford covers the initial setup. But the campaign would need ongoing publishing infrastructure support for 6 full months — not just a one-time setup. The $500 monthly retainer would be for that ongoing work:

Section V

Things That Could Slow Us Down

No project goes perfectly. Here are a few things that could cause hiccups and how we would deal with them together. Better to think about this now than scramble later.

Section VI

Next Steps

Here is what the next steps look like:

We are genuinely excited about the potential of this project. Dr. Crawford’s story deserves a team that is coordinated, committed, and pulling in the same direction. We think there could be a strong partnership here.

And honestly, Kazemde — if this goes well, we see this as the beginning of something bigger. There is no reason this has to be a one-time thing. If we work well together on Dr. Crawford’s project, we would love to explore partnering on future projects in this same capacity. Good working relationships are hard to find, and we are always looking for people we can build with long-term.

Take your time with it and let us know what questions come up.