My Interesting, Exhausting but Inspiring Past by JM Lowrance

My books have been published at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible and Apple iTunes. I was in more sellers earlier but decided exclusivity with Amazon, on my published works was best for them. My books, eBooks and audiobooks on Christianity are my most important published works. I also like pointing people to my books on the invention marketing subject or for also giving signed copies away to them. The ones I once did have a small supply of, I gave away to a few people who had invention – new product ideas. But again, my preference is to give away my Christian subject-matter works. I have always also published free (no cost to anyone) – free-streaming audios and videos on Holy Bible subjects. Link to these, will be at the bottom of this article.

The invention book is about myself and my co-inventor' Johnny W. Hall, my dad, and three other men we incorporated with. We patented and manufactured a product I co-invented called “The Rod Floater”, a polyethylene foam tubing (not the same as pipe insulation), that was beveled/tapered on each end and fastened onto fishing rods, with two Velcro® straps. We started the project in 1989 and by 1990 had a region of Wal-Marts carrying it. In 1991 it was carried by Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Sports Unlimited and Academy (among other outlets) as well. The design patent ran out in 1997, however, the company we licensed it to – TTI-Blakemore (famous for “Rod Runner®” Lures), continued to pay us royalties on sales, up to 2014. During all of this, I also worked full time jobs.

Afterward, they paid me personally a nice amount to hand over all control, trademark etc. to them, because I suggested and Provisionally Patented a change/improvement to the product, regarding the strap attachments (each Rod Floater has two). Additionally, one of my partners had dissolved the corporation legally and I was not aware of this fact. I do not know if that improvement I received a 1-year patent on, was ever incorporated into the product. TTI-Blakemore, likely continued with the well-established use of the Velcro® straps. The Provisional Patent on my product-improvement (variation use of the attachment straps), is now expired. They have since given outlets personal packaging rights (their own logos and packaging names for it), through multiple licensing contracts. Plus they still sell them under their own name.

When we manufactured it, compliments of a manufacturing facility provided by one of the corporate partners, it eventually became too large for us to keep up with. In 1992 Cato Oil/Kerr McGee, placed a single pack Rod Floater in every case of their “Mystic Precision Blue Outboard Motor Oil”. It was a huge order and they saw a 7.5% increase in their sales from the promo that year. Anyway, that is the story in a nutshell. I also invented some pouches for deer hunting and fishing that leeched-out the ingredients inside each to draw-in deer and to chum fish. This was in the late 1990s.

By the early 2000s, after getting these pouches into several districts of Wal-Marts and into various catalogues, I became sick (various illnesses) and with keeping my personal full-time job, I had to sell the product outright to “Pana Bait Company” in Pana Illinois. During our marketing of The Rod Floater, I did come up with one other product. Its design came under our patent, but this time was larger poly-foam tubing beveled/tapered at the ends for wrapping around lures when transporting fishing rods (so hooks would not snag on carpets, people, etc...). If you just use “James Lowrance Rod Floater” in Google search bar, it not only shows an article I wrote on the subject, but below that my Amazon book list link should also appear.

Please see my Facebook link, here: https://www.facebook.com/james.lowrance.587 - It has many of my free audios, videos, and short written works on Biblical subjects posted there.