Make a Lasting First Impression
Don’t just publish your book… Turn it into a legitimate business
With all the decisions required for indie publishing, the need to form an official business structure may be the last thing on your mind.
It was for me, too. I was more worried about character development and storyline for The Prescott Diaries… You know, all those things you have to do before you can even think about formatting or publishing a novel.
But then I read Think Like a Publisher by Wesley Dean Smith, and it got my mental wheels turning. I already have an established freelance business. Was it beneficial (or necessary) to create a separate entity for my publishing efforts?
Smith wrote his book in 2012, but his stance on creating a legitimate publishing business is still valid in today’s world of self-publishing. Unless your writing income falls below the latest IRS guidelines for declarable income in the United States, deciding how to proceed with the business side of self-publishing is just as important as picking a cover and editing your manuscript.
I don’t know about you, but I hope to make money off my books someday. Controlling my writing output is one reason I became an indie publisher, but I also recognize the legal and financial obligations it entails.
