How to Start an E-Publishing Business
The Internet has changed the world of business and commerce significantly in a matter of one short decade. Some of these major changes have occurred in publishing. Many people are now self-publishing and marketing their own books online. These books can be typical hardbound/paperback fiction or nonfiction and e-books, which are shorter books on specialized topics that many times can actually be downloaded from a website.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
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New Virtual Worlds of Publishing
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1
Decide what type of e-publishing venture you wish to pursue. The term "e-publishing" includes a number of different types of businesses. You can produce e-books that can be downloaded to computers, PDAs or e-book readers. You can publish books on disk or CD-ROM or sell fiction or nonfiction books in print-on-demand (POD) format. You can also produce and sell books that you write or be an affiliate or distributor and sell other people's works.
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Set up a website regardless of the type of business you decide to start. This site will include an overview of your business, as well as the products (e.g., published books, journals, textbooks) you are writing/selling. You will also need to have a shopping cart to accept payments. In addition, marketing will be very important so that you are noticed and listed by the search engines.
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3
Start a commercial e-publishing operation, which is run similar to a commercial print publishing operation. Accept books for sale based on quality and marketability. Pay authors royalties when books are sold. Review and edit books, but do not cover any production costs. Sell the books through your website, in addition to electronic bookstores, such as Amazon.com and Borders.
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4
Offer a POD service. Writers send you a book that has been completely written. You store the book as an electronic file and print it only when ordered. Many publishers offer both downloadable and POD editions of the same book. You get a fee for each book sold. You do not do any of the editorial work; it is printed as is. Offer additional services, such as writing, photography, layout and design, ISBN acquisition and copyright registration.
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Use your area of specialty to write your own electronic books that can be downloaded or that are printed on demand with an online POD company. Market and sell these books from your website by relying on sophisticated search engine optimization to bring potential online buyers to your site. Or use various forms of online advertising, such as banners, pop-ups and pay-per-click ads.
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Develop a business plan for any of these e-publishing opportunities, which includes determining your company's name, setting a strategy, establishing goals and objectives, and creating marketing and finance direction. You will also need to obtain the proper licenses and permits and a tax ID number.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider adding other multimedia elements to your book, such as a CD/DVD, audio, animation or interactivity.
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