Entrepreneur Press, Publisher Cover Design: Jane Maramba Production and Composition: Eliot House Productions © 2012 by Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation of any part of this work beyond that permitted by Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Requests for permission or further information should be addressed to the Business Products Division, Entrepreneur Media Inc. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Self Publishing: Entrepreneur’s Step-by-Step Startup Guide, 3rd Edition, ISBN: 978-1-59918-492-0 Previously published as Start Your Own Self-Publishing Business, 3rd Edition, ISBN: 978-1-59918-437-1, © 2012 by Entrepreneur Media, Inc., All rights reserved. Start Your Own Business, 5th Edition, ISBN: 978-1-59918-387-9, © 2009 Entrepreneur Media, Inc., All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America 16 15 14 13 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Preface . xiii Acknowledgments . xvi Chapter 1 The Write Stuff. .1 Tradition, Tradition. 2 Travails of a Novice . 3 The Star-Maker . 4 The Reasons Why . 5 No One Else Will . 5 Control Issue . 6 Money, Honey. 6 Career Springboard. 7 Make a Difference . 7 Do It for Love . 8 Profits from Pages . 9 Starter Fuel . 10 Personality Plus . 11 To Boldly Go . 12 All Walks of Life . 12 Caring for Your Own . 13 Machine Guns and Memoirs . 14 Branching Out . 14 Seeing into the Future . 18 Chapter 2 Self-Publishing 101 . 19 Ah, Vanity. 20 The Three Graces . 20 All Fired Up . 21 Books by Mail . 21 Anatomy of a Bestseller . 22 Fib or Fact . 22 The Nonfiction Edge . 22 Start Your Own Self-Publishing Business Own Self-Publishing StartYour Constants with Clout . 24 The Format . 25 Back to the Fiction . 25 Fictional Formats . 26 Outsourcing Options . 27 The Potential of e-Publishing . 28 e Is for Internet . 28 The e-Advantage . 29 Too Good . 30 Chapter 3 Plotting Your Bestseller: Market Research . 31 The First Task . 32 Your Target Market . 33 Nudging into Your Niche . 33 Researching Your Reader Base . 35 Send Me a Letter . 35 Hello Central . 35 Statistics on Tap . 37 Library Look-Up . 38 Get on the Net . 39 Try the Target . 39 Check Out the Competition . 39 Chapter 4 Your Publishing House: Office and Business Structure . 41 Creating an Image . 42 The Name Game . 42 Name Fiction . 42 vi Contents Of Logos and Letterhead . 44 Laying Your Foundation . 45 The Soul of Your Proprietorship . 46 A Taxing Affair . 46 Expert Advice . 46 On Location . 47 The Home Office . 48 The Big Write-Off . 48 Organized and Efficient . 49 The Storage Space . 49 The Commercial Office . 51 Outfitting Your Space . 51 Chapter 5 Your Startup Finances . 53 Computer Caveats . 54 Soft on Software . 55 Go ISP! . 57 Web Weaving . 57 Doing It Digitally . 58 Photo Finish . 58 Printer Mania . 58 Fax Facts. 60 Phone Fanatic . 60 Misery. 61 Electronic Money . 62 Domain Décor . 64 Pen and Paper . 65 Get Professional . 66 Spanning the Industry . 67 IBPA . 69 Read All About It . 69 Are You Insured? . 70 Tally It Up . 70 Romancing the Bank . 73 Friends and Family . ..