You're an author. That means you are also a business.

 There are many advantages to adopting good business practices, especially if you are self-publishing.

• You’ll have more time for writing. You’ll save yourself hours of frustration digging through piles of stuff trying to find information.

• You’ll be ready for success. As your sales increase, you will be prepared to measure and manage that growth.

• You’ll avoid losses. If you have a better handle on cash flow, you’ll know when your expenses are getting too far ahead of your income.

• You’ll know what works. If you have a method of tracking sales, you’ll know which marketing efforts paid off and which were a bust.

• You’ll avoid mistakes, like forgetting to collect and pay sales tax or to deliver 1099s to freelancers.

• You’ll save on taxes. If you operate your writing venture as a business, you are more likely to be able to deduct writing expenses from your non-writing income and reduce your tax bill.

• You’ll feel more legit. If you don’t treat your writing as a legitimate business, then no one else will, particularly the IRS.

• Your heirs will thank you. If you are hit by the proverbial bus, your heirs will appreciate your organization.I highly recommend this comprehensive guide called, Publishing Business in a Box, by Helen Sedwick. Filled with detailed, step-by-step instructions on the best practices for setting up your self-publishing company.Helen will guide you through:

  • The steps needed to enter the business of self-publishing

  • Developing a realistic budget, a full-blown business plan, and your tax options.

  • Working with vendors, editors and hiring freelancers, and other contract-based workers.

  • Purchasing your own ISBNs,

  • Setting up bank, PayPal and other business accounts,

  • Accepting credit cards, and

  • Keeping track of income and expenses.This package is a great deal at its regular price of $147, but Author Tool Kits Publishing is offering a special deal for the next 5 days, dropping the price from $147 to only $97. It is a great opportunity to get yourself setup properly and see your stories make a profit.

If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood.  I'd type a little faster. ~Isaac Asimov

The Indie Art Revolution is not just for visual artists. We are seeing the crossover into almost all forms of art. The publishing empires have held sway over the world of books for the last two hundred years. The only way you got seen was through a publisher. They held all the keys to author visibility. Not any more. Read this recent article in the Los Angeles Times about well known authors embracing a new paradigm of DIY. Writers are bypassing the traditional route to bookstore shelves and self-publishing their works online.

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BOOK PUBLISHERS ROLE AS GATEKEEPERS SHRINK

By Alex Pham

Joe Konrath can't wait for his books to go out of print.

When that happens, the 40-year-old crime novelist plans to reclaim the copyrights from his publisher, Hyperion Books, and self-publish them on Amazon.com, Apple Inc.'s iBooks and other online outlets. That way he'll be able to collect 70% of the sale price, compared with the 6% to 18% he receives from Hyperion.As for future novels, Konrath plans to self-publish all of them in digital form without having to leave his house in Schaumburg, Ill."I doubt I'll ever have another traditional print deal," said the author of "Whiskey Sour," "Bloody Mary" and other titles. "I can earn more money on my own."More...