How to Make a Luxury Journal That Actually Sells (5-Step Process)

You want to make a journal, but not a cheap one. In this episode of the Dream Printing Podcast, Polly breaks down the exact five-step process she’s used to help hundreds of students create luxury paper products that sell.

🎟️ Register for Polly’s free live workshop at https://dreamprinting.com/live and get the Dream Printing Profit Calculator as a gift when you show up.

Polly walks through the five core steps of bringing a high-quality paper product to life, from the first spark of an idea all the way to funding your print run.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why starting with a clear person and purpose separates products that sell from ones that sit
• How to prototype your journal before you ever open Canva
• What specs like GSM, binding type, and cover material mean for your finished product
• Why you should never skip ordering a sample
• How students have used Kickstarter to raise $3,000 to $20,000 for their first print run without paying out of pocket

ABOUT POLLY: Polly Payne is the CEO and founder of Horacio Printing. She has sold more than 60,000 Dream Planners around the world, along with Bible studies and journals. She now helps other dreamers do the same through Print School.

YOUR NEXT STEPS: ✨ Take the 5-Day Print Challenge: https://www.dreamprinting.co/challenge 📚 Apply for a spot in Print School: https://www.dreamprinting.co 🖨️ Get your paper fix: https://www.horacioprinting.com 💌 Need help? Email hi@dreamprinting.co 📲 Send Polly a DM: https://www.instagram.com/_print_school

Subscribe to SMS: https://www.horacioprinting.com/pages/vip-subscribe-page

Watch our Unboxing video of our 2027 Planners!: https://youtu.be/g05nco2cWvo

About me: I am Polly Payne, the CEO and founder of Horacio Printing. I have sold more than 60,000 Dream Planners around the world along with bible studies and journals. I now help other dreamers do the same, which is why I created Print School. Have a question? Drop it below — I read every comment.

YOUR NEXT STEPS:

✨ Take My 5-Day Print Challenge: https://www.dreamprinting.co/challenge

📚 Apply for a spot in Print School: https://www.dreamprinting.co

🖨️ Get Your Paper Fix: https://www.horacioprinting.com

💌 Need Help? Email: hi@dreamprinting.co

📲 Pop into my DMs! https://www.instagram.com/_print_school

Edna was a trial lawyer running on empty — until a medical leave forced her to actually learn what self-care means. What she discovered became the Serene Weekly Planner, and she built it postpartum during nap times.

Today I am sitting down with Edna, founder of Serene Paper Co. and Print School alumni. In this episode of the Dream Printing Podcast, Edna shares how six years of high-pressure trial work, a mental health crisis, and a trip to Japan's stationery aisles all collided into her first product — the Serene Weekly Planner, a self-care focused undated planner built around honoring your energy and planning with intention.

You'll hear the real story behind what self-care actually looks like beyond bubble baths, how Edna built a capacity assessment into the planner to help women evaluate what they can realistically take on, and why she designed the daily check-in around energy and stress ratings before the to-do list ever starts. If you're the woman who thinks she doesn't have time for this kind of thing, Edna would say that's exactly who this planner is for.

Use code THANKYOU15 for a discount at https://serenepaperco.com

Plus grab the free Soft Reset weekly planning template to try it before you buy. https://serenepaperco.myflodesk.com/softreset

Edna, founder of Serene Paper Co., walks through building her self-care weekly planner — available in three colorways at serenepaperco.com.

ABOUT ME: I am Polly Payne, the CEO and founder of Horacio Printing. I have sold more than 60,000 Dream Planners around the world along with bible studies and journals. I now help other dreamers do the same, which is why I created Print School. Have a question? Drop it below — I read every comment. ────────────────────────────────────────── YOUR NEXT STEPS: ✨ Take My 5-Day Print Challenge: https://www.dreamprinting.co/challenge 📚 Apply for a spot in Print School: https://www.dreamprinting.co 🖨️ Get Your Paper Fix: https://www.horacioprinting.com 💌 Need Help? Email: help@dreamprinting.co 📲 Pop into my DMs! https://www.instagram.com/_print_school

Catheryn had a prayer journal idea she literally sketched out on paper before she ever touched a design program. Here's how she went from that sketch to a successful Kickstarter — and what she learned about faith, fear, and following through.

Today I am sitting down with Catheryn, founder of Heartfelt Pages and Print School alumni. In this episode of the Dream Printing Podcast, Catheryn shares the story behind A Letter to God — a lined vegan leather prayer journal built around the simple format of Dear God to In Jesus' Name, Amen — and how eight years of personal journaling became a published product.

You'll hear why Catheryn chose a Kickstarter to fund her first print run (and the faith conviction behind that decision), what the difference between print on demand and working with a quality manufacturer actually felt like in her hands, and the mindset shifts she had to work through around pricing, marketing, and putting herself out there. Her reminder that faith is an action verb is one you'll want to write down.

Shop A Letter to God at heartfeltpages.com

About me: I am Polly Payne, the CEO and founder of Horacio Printing. I have sold more than 60,000 Dream Planners around the world along with bible studies and journals. I now help other dreamers do the same, which is why I created Print School. Have a question? Drop it below — I read every comment.

YOUR NEXT STEPS:

✨ Take My 5-Day Print Challenge: https://www.dreamprinting.co/challenge

📚 Apply for a spot in Print School: https://www.dreamprinting.co

🖨️ Get Your Paper Fix: https://www.horacioprinting.com

💌 Need Help? Email: hi@dreamprinting.co

📲 Pop into my DMs! https://www.instagram.com/_print_school

‼️ Join the 5-Day Print Your Thing Challenge, September 14-18 at https://www.dreamprinting.co/print

— use code YOUTUBE10 to get $30 off your VIP ticket (only $7).

Pssss: I said it incorrectly in the video, you are actually getting $30 OFF! :) WOO HOO!

Today I am teaching you the five most common mistakes new planner makers make. In this episode of the Dream Printing Podcast, Polly walks through each mistake she sees again and again from new creators entering the luxury paper product space — including ones she made herself when starting Horatio Printing in 2014.

You'll learn why skipping your audience definition kills the product before it launches, why print on demand is a trap for anyone trying to build a profitable brand, how to price your product using the right cost of goods formula, what separates intentional design from cheap design, and why August is already too late to launch a 2027 dated planner. Whether you're just starting out or you've already hit one of these walls, this episode gives you the clarity to course-correct before it costs you.

About me: I am Polly Payne, the CEO and founder of Horacio Printing. I have sold more than 60,000 Dream Planners around the world along with bible studies and journals. I now help other dreamers do the same, which is why I created Print School. Have a question? Drop it below — I read every comment.

YOUR NEXT STEPS:

✨ Take My 5-Day Print Challenge: https://www.dreamprinting.co/challenge

📚 Apply for a spot in Print School: https://www.dreamprinting.co

🖨️ Get Your Paper Fix: https://www.horacioprinting.com

💌 Need Help? Email: hi@dreamprinting.co

📲 Pop into my DMs! https://www.instagram.com/_print_school

⚠️Trigger warning: this episode discusses rape, sexual assault, and PTSD.⚠️

What do you do when the worst thing you never expected becomes the story you were always meant to tell? Jessica shares the journey from sexual assault survivor to published author — and why healing has to include God.

Today I am sitting down with Jessica, founder of Sting and Honey and author of *This Is Her: Navigating PTSD with God*. In this episode of the Dream Printing Podcast, Jessica shares her personal story of surviving sexual assault, navigating PTSD across eight years of healing, and why she wrote the faith-based resource she couldn't find anywhere else.

You'll hear what Jessica learned about complex PTSD that most people don't talk about, why she believes secular therapy alone leaves a gap for Christian women, and what it actually looked like to bring this book to life after years of feeling silenced by trauma. Whether you're in the thick of healing or just starting to ask hard questions, this conversation is an honest look at what it means to navigate the unthinkable with God — not around him.

👉🏻 Find Jessica on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/STING_AND_HONEY

👉🏻 Grab her book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVPLJ213?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

About me: I am Polly Payne, the CEO and founder of Horacio Printing. I have sold more than 60,000 Dream Planners around the world along with bible studies and journals. I now help other dreamers do the same, which is why I created Print School. Have a question? Drop it below — I read every comment.

YOUR NEXT STEPS:

✨ Take My 5-Day Print Challenge: https://www.dreamprinting.co/challenge

📚 Apply for a spot in Print School: https://www.dreamprinting.co

🖨️ Get Your Paper Fix: https://www.horacioprinting.com

💌 Need Help? Email: hi@dreamprinting.co

📲 Pop into my DMs! https://www.instagram.com/_print_school

It's Polly's birthday — and instead of celebrating herself, she's handing the mic to the dreamers. Hear from real Print School students who went from an idea in their head to a product in their hands.

Today I am celebrating my birthday by highlighting the stories of dreamers who have brought their paper products to life. In this episode of the Dream Printing Podcast, Polly shares messages from Print School 2.0 students across different niches — faith, marriage, motherhood, homeschooling, and productivity — each holding a finished product they once only imagined.

You'll hear from ten students who used Print School to go from idea to launch, including a children's bedtime book, a marriage relationship planner, a 12-month identity devotional, a homeschool and home management planner, a daily gratitude journal, and more. Each story is a real example of what's possible when you take one step at a time toward your dream.

If you have a paper product idea you can't stop thinking about, learn more about Print School 2.0 at https://www.dreamprinting.co/

Meet our Alumni:

Bethany Kimsey: https://bethanykimsey.co/products/a-warrior-mamas-prayer-journal

Jen and Terrell Turner: https://oakhavencompany.com/

Fatima: https://womanwifemomgod.com/

Kelly: https://www.wovenword.net/

Stephanie: https://www.thebusydreamer.com/

Miki Hicks: https://shop.mrsclever.com/

Leighton Lunger: https://prayherforward.com/

Jen Camp: https://dreamprinting.co/alumni

Anna Summers: https://todayandcompany.com/

Catherine: https://heartfeltpages.co/

Christina Marie Paperie: https://christinamariepaperie.com/

Tamara Lipscomb: https://cartamebstudio.com

Theresa Burrough: https://justcelebratepaperie.com

Catie Daly: https://thruhimcreative.com

Martine Jean Louis: https:///heavenlyartillerie.co

Amber: https://HUPOMONELIVING.COM

Valisha J.: https://VALISHAJ.COM

Noreen Barr: https://HIDDENLANEPAPER.COM

Carolyn - Little Light Tribe: https://LITTLELIGHTTRIBE.COM

Gaby - Found Rest: https://foundrest.co

Nicky Hines: https://SAMIRACALEB.COM

Jamie - Bold Witness Ministry: https://DREAMPRINTING.CO/ALUMNI

Danielle Patrice C.: https://BYCDANIPATRICE.COM

Chandani Thompsom: https://CLARITYPRINT.CO

Heather Griffiths: https://EVERYTHINGPLANNED.CO

Wendy Alcime: https://SHOP.PLANPREPPRAY.COM

About me: I am Polly Payne, the CEO and founder of Horacio Printing. I have sold more than 60,000 Dream Planners around the world along with bible studies and journals. I now help other dreamers do the same, which is why I created Print School. Have a question? Drop it below — I read every comment.

YOUR NEXT STEPS: ✨ Take My 5-Day Print Challenge: https://www.dreamprinting.co/challenge 📚 Apply for a spot in Print School: https://www.dreamprinting.co 🖨️ Get Your Paper Fix: https://www.horacioprinting.com 💌 Need Help? Email: hi@dreamprinting.co 📲 Pop into my DMs! https://www.instagram.com/_print_school

What do you do when your marriage is falling apart and every book you've read isn't working? Catie Daley stopped reading and started writing — one note a day to her husband — and it changed everything.

Today I am sitting down with Catie Daley, founder of Through Him Creative, for a student interview. In this episode of the Dream Printing Podcast, Catie shares how her own marriage transformation led her to create the Marriage Transformation Planner System — a faith-based, daily planner you fill out for your husband.

You'll hear the honest backstory of where Catie and her husband were (separate bedrooms, deep resentment, years of disconnection) and exactly how one handwritten note became the daily ritual that turned it around. Catie walks through every component of the system — the daily note, the honey-do list, the shared calendar, the sticker books, the fruit of love tracker, and the daily companion resource — and explains the "why" behind each one. You'll also hear her beautiful vision of the marriage chalice and what it means to pour love out sacrificially when your cup feels empty.

Use code POLLY15 for 15% off at www.thruhimcreative.com

Catie Daley, founder of Through Him Creative, shares the story behind her Marriage Transformation Planner System — a faith-based planner you fill out daily for your husband — available at www.thruhimcreative.com Contact Catie for speaking engagements or bulk orders at: thruhimcreative@gmail.com

About me: I am Polly Payne, the CEO and founder of Horacio Printing. I have sold more than 60,000 Dream Planners around the world along with bible studies and journals. I now help other dreamers do the same, which is why I created Print School. Have a question? Drop it below — I read every comment.

YOUR NEXT STEPS:

✨ Take My 5-Day Print Challenge: https://www.dreamprinting.co/challenge

📚 Apply for a spot in Print School: https://www.dreamprinting.co

🖨️ Get Your Paper Fix: https://www.horacioprinting.com

💌 Need Help? Email: hi@dreamprinting.co

📲 Pop into my DMs! https://www.instagram.com/_print_school