Step1
Decide what type of publishing business you would like to start. There are many different types of publishing businesses to choose from. You could choose to publish newspapers, magazines, books, promotional materials or most anything else that involves a marriage between paper and ink. Consider what form of publishing would be the most enjoyable and rewarding career choice for you, and decide whether or not you can devote a significant portion of your life to that type of publishing business.
Step2
Select a name for the publishing business you want to start. A name is more than just a couple of words that appear on your checks. The name of your company is how your readers and advertisers will recognize who you are. It is, in a sense, your first impression. You should think carefully and select a name that really speaks volumes about who you are as a publisher. It is generally a good idea to also select a few alternate names, just in case your first choice is already being used by someone else.
Step3
Register your publishing business. When you register your business, you are setting up an official company that is a legally recognized business entity. You can register your company at your local county courthouse, or by sending the appropriate paperwork to the Secretary of State in the state where you would like your company to be formed. There are various options as far as the type of company you can register your publishing business as. You can use Sole Proprietorship, General Partnership, Limited Liability Company, or any number of other corporate structures. Limited Liability Company, commonly referred to as a LLC, is by far the most popular option, regardless of what type of business venture you are starting.
Step4
Obtain the starting capital that will be required to start your publishing business. Most small business owners get starting capital from their own savings, or from loans made to them by family and friends. A few incredibly lucky business owners may be able to take out a small business loan or a personal line of credit. These are good options for a number of publishing ventures. If you will be starting an exceptionally large publishing business, then you will probably need to find a venture capitalist or other financial partner, who will be capable of providing a large investment in exchange for partial ownership in the company.
Step5
Find a suitable office location. Once you have obtained your starting capital and have proper finances to move forward with your plan to start a publishing business, you will want to find an office to serve as your company headquarters. Consider how many employees you will have physically on-site. You should have adequate space for everyone, including reception, sales, writers, graphics and layouts staff, technical staff and your administrative staff. Make a roster of the positions your publishing business will have, and locate an office that is capable of providing a positive work area for everyone. It is generally a good idea to locate an office that will give you room to expand as your publishing business grows.
Step6
Acquire furnishings for your office. You will need desks, chairs, telephones, computers, printers and all of the little odds and ends that make an office function. Go through your list of employees that you expect to have, and mentally go office by office, person by person, making note of the furnishings that will be required to accommodate everyone in a manner that allows them to do their job successfully.
Step7
Hire the staff for your publishing business. Since you’ve already put together a roster of employment positions, you’re half way to getting the positions filled. It is usually a good idea to start by hiring your human resources manager. Together, you can draft job descriptions and salary ranges for all other positions. You can then let your HR manager go to work interviewing and hiring staff for your publishing business, leaving your time free to focus on the core business operations.
Step8
Assemble a distribution network for your publishing business. The type of distribution channels you utilize will depend, to a degree, on the type of publishing business you decided to start. If you are publishing books, then you will need to form distribution agreements with bookstores. If you are publishing newspapers or magazines, you will need to have distribution outlets in grocery stores and newsstands. Think of the different methods by which a reader in your target audience may access your publication, and then locate distribution channels to get your materials into those locations.
Step9
Build a relationship with local printers. Outsourcing the actual printing of your publications will save you an enormous expense in terms of printing equipment and skilled labor to operate the equipment. You can usually use a local print shop for a fraction of what it would cost you to print your published materials in-house. Any metropolitan area will have multiple print shops to choose from. Meet with a representative to discuss the binding requirements, paper type, color ink requirements and other aspects to the materials you publish, so that you can come up with a competitive rate to get the job done on time and within your budget.
Step10
Begin sales for your published materials. The type of sales strategy you use will vary depending on the type of publishing business you operate. If you are focused primarily on publishing sales or product information, then your sales staff will need to focus on selling your publishing services to customers. If you are publishing books, then the sales team can focus on getting your finished product into the distribution channels in sufficient number, and in a way that will draw attention to the product. If you are publishing periodicals, such as newspapers and magazines, then you will actually require two different sales teams. One team will focus on subscriptions and getting your products distributed, while the other will focus on selling available advertising space within the publications.
Publishing
Novice 
