Workshop - December 8, 2008
Thanks for joining the Creating a Publishing Business Workshop, presented by Barbara Joe Williams. Post all questions to the comments section and she’ll be answering them throughout the day.
CREATING A PUBLISHING BUSINESS
Your Checklist to Success by
Barbara Joe Williams
http://www.amanipublishing.net Once you’ve made the commitment to self-publishing, it’s time to set-up your business office. Yes, writing might be your passion, but publishing is definitely a business venture whether it’s full-time or part-time. You’ll need to follow a checklist to stay on track.
1. Licenses. _____
You can set-up as a sole proprietorship business by applying for the proper city and county licenses. If you’re thinking of publishing other authors at some point, you should apply to become a Limited Liability Company (LLC). Licenses must be renewed annually.
2. Name Registration. _____
You have to decide on a name for your business and register it with your state’s Department of Fictitious Name Registration for a fee. If you’d like to use your given name as the business name, you don’t need to pay for this. A fictitious name registration must be renewed every five years.
3. Equipment and Software. ____
You should designate office space in your home or secure another facility. Either way, you’ll need state-of-the-art equipment and software along with a quality printer, telephone, and scanner.
4. Office Supplies. _____
You will need a number of office supplies including boxes of white copying paper, white envelopes, and sales receipt books to set up your new business room. It would also be a good time for you to join Sam’s Club and purchase a business credit card.
5. P.O. Box. _____
You might as well go ahead and get a post office box now so that your business mail will not be coming to your home address. And once your book takes off, you won’t have to worry about uninvited guests stopping by.
6. Business Bank Account. _____
You’ll definitely need a separate business account (and credit card) under your business name. It’s a good idea to keep your business funds separated from your personal funds for tax purposes. Having a business credit card makes it easier to keep track of your business related expenditures. And don’t forget to order business cards.
7. ISBN. _____
The International Standard Book Number ISBN) is a thirteen digit number that uniquely identifies your product. It must be printed on the back of your book in order to be sold in bookstores. And it should also be printed inside the book on the copyright page.
8. LCCN. _____
You must have a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) if you intend for your books to be purchased by libraries. This unique number must be printed inside your book on the copyright page.
9. Accounting and Bookkeeping. _____
The accounting and bookkeeping system you decide to use is strictly up to you. There are many types of office software available for maintaining business records. You should also consider hiring an accountant for doing your annual business tax returns. And don’t forget to purchase a sales receipt book for documenting your sales and providing receipts to your customers.
10. Paying Taxes. _____
You should contact your local tax office and attend a tax seminar offered by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at your earliest convenience. You will be required to collect taxes on every book that you sell and report it to the Department of Revenue on a quarterly basis. Paperwork must be submitted on time or you will be charged with penalties.
These are the basics that you’ll need for starting a successful publishing business. Once you have completed this checklist, it’s time to move on to formatting your new book, preparing for the printing process, finding a distributor, and marketing.
From
www.PamPerryPRcoach.com (will be part of conference on Saturday...but make sure you log on every day to:
http://www.rawsistaz-affair.com)
Posted By: Pam Perry
Wednesday, December 10th 2008 at 6:45PM
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