How to Build a Publishing Company
Small publishing companies make up a growing segment of the publishing industry, thanks in part to the Internet. Many such companies get their starts from authors wanting to control their manuscripts throughout the process. These authors eventually are able to publish other author's works and make profits. The quickest way to become a small publisher is to focus on downloadable ebooks, but many publishers are able to make a profit with traditional printed books, as well.
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Instructions
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Research the market. The publishing industry is a complex and diverse arena and anyone entering it needs to be aware of where the market is going, what is selling quickly and what the public is not interested in. Research the latest sales figures for fiction, non-fiction, printed books and ebooks to determine which type you want your company to specialize in.
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Select your printing company if you are wanting to sell printed books. It's not feasible for a small publisher to print their own products. The average print costs for one book's printing run are between $3,000 and $5,000. Search for a printer that does printing runs of a number of books a small publisher can reasonably expect to sell. The cost to create ebooks is far smaller and is limited to only the cost of the publishing software.
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Design your website. A website is critical to the success of any new publishing venture. Readers of your books will search for reviews and books priced the best. Make sure your site is easily navigable and user friendly as well as attractive. Determine your payment methods and your shipping costs and ensure these are clear for your customers. If you are creating ebooks it is necessary that they are able to be downloaded once printed.
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Advertise for writers. You'll need products to sell, unless you are wanting only to print your own works. List your new publishing company in areas that are attractive to writers, such as Writer's Market listings or in the back of magazines designed for writers. Also have a submissions page on your website.
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Review legal requirements with a lawyer. Create your standard author contract. Before taking your website live or reviewing that first submitted manuscript you must speak with an attorney about the legalities of publishing. Search the Internet for attorneys that specialize in the publishing industry and any reviews about the attorney you can find.
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Publish your books. For printed books, you'll need to have purchased a set of ISBN numbers. ISBN numbers are unique to the book and allow for accurate orders and classification of the book. ISBN numbers are not necessary for ebooks. You can purchase 10 for $225 to start. You'll also want to consider registering your books with the U.S. Copyright Office for protection from copyright infringement.
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Advertise and sell your books. Once your books are printed you'll need to advertise them online, in magazines and at area bookstores. If possible, arrange for your authors to do book signings or other speaking engagements. The best advertising is word-of-mouth, so consider sending a few Advanced Reader Copies to reviewers so that they can offer reviews and help promote your products.
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Tips & Warnings
The most successful publishers specialize. Don't offer too many different products to your clients. Try to draw in the ones that buy specific products, and make your company the best provider of those products and your clients will keep coming back.
The publishing industry is hard to break into, and it won't be done quickly. Don't expect returns on your initial investment for a long while.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit blue book image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com
