The Simple Steps for Starting Your Own Publishing Company, and Marketing Your Own Book

Masters of Our Own Destiny

For centuries the process for an author to get published has remained relatively unchanged. The author writes his work, mails it off to a publisher, and waits, and waits, and waits. When the author gets his rejection letter, which happens 95% of the time, even for the good stuff the process starts all over. For J. K. Rowling or J.D. Salinger type work the usual submit and reject process takes up to two years. This period can be longer for the merely competent writers, or if the writer doesn't send out multiple queries at a time.

Within the last few years a movement has exploded, much in part due to the advent of the internet as well as the availability of high speed internet to the home user. The "self-publishing" house has gained in popularity with writers who do not want to wait the time it takes to get picked up by a traditional publishing house. Companies like Lulu, Publish America, and Author House dominate the market for people who want to self publish their works. Although these companies provide a rapid means to publish works, it is much more efficient, and rewarding economically for an author to start their own publishing company to release their works. If an author is planning to release more than two books, the savings over time are tremendous. The main thing to consider in starting your own publishing company is your goals as a writer, and your experience as a businessperson. Authors wanting to start a "Micro-Publisher" (a term I invented) will need to learn all aspects of publishing including: book writing, editing, typesetting, cover design, distribution, advertising, sales, accounting, tax preparation, etc.. Developing all of these skills takes effort and dedication, but if you have already produced a manuscript of quality, this should be no problem.