TALK INK, INC.
COLUMBUS, GA

Company Summary Talk Ink, Inc.began in 1994 with Global Phone Talk, a company specializing in author promotional phone cards. Later Booktalk, the company's Internet venture, was added as a separate division. For simplicity, Talk Ink, Inc. became the main corporate identity in 1998. The company is privately owned and Sally Schoeneweiss is company president. Global Phone Talk began in 1994 over a lazy breakfast in a lovely hotel with an author. Over coffee, Sally Schoeneweiss shared with her friend a new promotional idea: a prepaid phone card. Heather Graham said, "Let's do it!" and so began a company and a professional association between the two friends that has grown and flourished. Sally, herself a published author, had numerous contacts with authors, agents and publishers and was therefore able to take advantage of an already existing niche market. Global Phone Talk, now operating under the corporate name of Talk Ink, Inc., markets pre-paid phone cards as a promotional opportunity for authors and publishers to enhance sales of their books. The cards, with free long-distance phone time, have a perceived value in the marketplace and are often termed "pocket billboards." Sally took the unique approach of custom designing each carrier and envelope--as well as the actual phone card-to complement new book introductions. More recently Sally has added web-based and telephone survey cards. Phone cards have been so successful that a phone card promotion by one author was singled out as the best promotion seen by sales reps at her publisher's annual sales conference. One author who has consistently used Talk Ink phone cards to promote her books recently signed a mulit-million dollar book contract. , received a national award at a phone card conference. With current widespread use of phone cards by the general public, they continue to be a popular promotional vehicle and offer unique tools for customization, notably a recorded message by the author. The most recent phonecards done by the company were for Jasmine Cresswell's novel, With this initial acceptance and success, Sally was asked to design and implement other advertising promotions, public relations events, other print media and press releases in addition to the phone cards. Since mid 1995, Global Phone Talk expanded under the corporate umbrella, Talk Ink, Inc., to encompass all forms of literary marketing and promotion. Sally has assembled a team of specialists--including award-winning designers, media experts and Internet database technicians--who work with her to achieve maximum results for each individual client. Some of the company's clients have included: After beginning in 1994 with custom phone card promotions, Talk Ink Inc. expanded to encompass all forms of literary marketing and promotion. Besides custom phone cards, the company routinely tailors book promotions involving various print media--postcards, bookmarks, poster/mailers, flyers, press kits, book plates and stationary as well as embroidered and custom printed t-shirts, sleepshirts, hats and specially created promotional products such as dolls, perfumes, etc. Utilizing an assembled team of specialists--including award-winning designers, media and direct mail experts and Internet database technicians--company founder Sally Schoeneweiss achieves maximum results for each individual client. Global Phone Talk, originally a division of Talk Ink, Inc., began in 1994 over a lazy breakfast in a lovely hotel with author Heather Graham. Over coffee, Sally Schoeneweiss shared a new promotional idea: a prepaid phone card. Heather said, "Let's do it!" and so began a company and a professional association that has grown and flourished. Phone cards, with free long-distance phone time and personalized voice message, have a perceived value in the marketplace and are often termed "pocket billboards." Sally took the unique approach of custom designing each carrier and envelope--as well as the actual phone card-to complement new book introductions and to establish author name branding. in July 1996. Booktalk is an online booklovers' community composed of many of today's bestselling and popular authors. Personalized author home pages are complete with excerpts from bestselling novels as well as information about upcoming releases, author notes and personal hobbies and interests as well as publisher, literary agent and book industry information. Writing related articles by Booktalk authors and others in the writing community and upcoming literary events are also included on Booktalk pages. One visitor recently filled out an onsite form with this comment: