Self-Publishing Author Collaborations — The New Business Model?

Change isn’t necessarily a bad or good thing, it just is. Expect it, deal with it, make decisions, set goals, take action and move on.

With the rapid changes in the publishing and digital world, it’s hard to anticipate the next change, other than it will happen. It’s also difficult to make a five year plan when publishing can shift and reorganize from month to month. I think my five year plan has changed four times this year and I’m reworking it yet again.

I always say to new writers, and established writers, think positive. I still believe that, but expect the rug to be yanked out from underneath you from time to time, because it will. One thing I know is I have to be flexible, anticipate change and always, always look for opportunities. When they arrive, take the risk and take action. More on what I did this year concerning that.

Author Collaborative Groups or Mastermind Groups-Mini Publishing Companies

Authors with smart business sense, who’ve decided to ride out the storm of change and make a career of writing, have created new innovative ways to run their writing business. One way is to join forces with other writers into collaborative groups. They’re Mastermind groups of authors working together on a common goal(s): Promote each other’s books, plan writing projects, box sets, series/serials, brainstorm individual projects, do online workshops or workshops at conferences, podcasts, group blogs, newsletters, reader Facebook pages, Facebook parties.

Many in these groups bring special skills: Technical. They can format and upload to online retailers. Artistic and Cover Design. Make professional book covers. Editing/copyediting/proofreading/beta reading. Social networking savviness. Organizational skills. Legal expertise. Marketing knowledge. Project development. Basically a mini publishing company. If the group is lacking in any of these areas, like editing or cover design, they can outsource.

 

This isn’t a NEW thing really. There are a number of author groups out there now who are successfully doing this.

The group I’m in is called Sexy Scribbles   http://www.sexyscribbles.com/

Check out and ‘Like’ our page and follow it:

 https://www.facebook.com/sexyscribbles

 

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Opportunities and Risks. So what did I do this year that I’d consider a risk? I wrote a book different than what I’ve been writing, really pushing the envelope, knowing the topic would probably annoy a few readers and would probably get panned. Why did I write it? It was a story that had to be told, something from my gut. I didn’t hold back while writing it. I thought it might never get published, but I had to write it. Then I edited/revised it and it sat for months. I didn’t know if I should submit it to agents/editors. I thought it might be too controversial. I did send it to a couple agents as a test and promptly got rejected without much feedback.

I pitched RED TAPE to a NY editor and she did like the idea, compared the storyline to Tiffany Reisz. I submitted the three chapter proposal and waited—months. I’ve been doing the same pitch-request-submit-wait-and-hope-nice rejection for years. Although I’ve had a few ‘almosts’ and kind rejections in the past, I was anticipating the ‘R’ as the months dragged on. Then a friend and CP contacted me while I was at a conference and she frantically asked, “There’s one slot left for a 16-book box set I’m doing. We need a completed erotic book. Do you have one and are you interested?”

I could continue to wait and hope on that NY submission or go in on the box set. I pulled my submission and went in on the box set—RED TAPE became my first self-publishing endeavor. It paid off. We hit #6 on the New York Times and #13 on the USA Today bestseller lists.

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While working on the next book in the RED TAPE –FLC series, I’m also working on a joint non-fiction project within the Sexy Scribbles group and planning a box set that I’ll be spearheading for 2015.

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How to Create a Self-Publishing Name/Imprint

     

Or how NOT to create a name for your self-publishing company. I’ll share the mistakes I made, so hopefully these tips will help those who are considering this step in self-publishing.

The question on whether or not to create a publisher name/imprint for yourself will probably come up, especially if you’re new to self-publishing. When I decided to self-publish, I started searching on Amazon/BN and other retailers and noticed that some self-published authors either used a specific imprint, their author name or no name at all. After some research, I found an author does not need a company name to self-publish. Readers probably won’t notice or care. They search books by their favorite authors or by genre, not by a publisher name. It’s personal choice. On Amazon, for example, if you don’t select a publisher name, Amazon will show: “Amazon digital services” in that information listing. I decided to create a name for a few reasons:

·         I felt it looked more professional.

·         I decided to get an EIN# (Employee Identification Number) from the IRS for accounting purposes, and wanted to use a specific name. More on this later.

·         I wanted to have a DBA (Doing Business As) name for my separate bank account. Again for accounting purposes.

·         My own mindset to remind me I was starting a business and to treat it as such. I wrote up a five page Business Plan and also a Marketing Plan.

 

What Went Wrong When I Created My First Imprint

I came up with a list of possible names I thought I could use, personal choices and those I thought somewhat fit with my brand as an erotic romance author. I then started searching those names on Google, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. I thought I came up with a good name. I then went to http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Apply-for-an-Employer-Identification-Number-(EIN)-Online. I was filing for an EIN# as the sole proprietorship (only employee) for my small business. It’s free to do this. The online website gives lots of information.

Some authors prefer to file as a Limited Liability Company (LLC). Every state has its own rules and fees. Some are pretty steep. It’s best to check with your accountant to see the best plan for you present situation, tax savings and future plans. S Corporation, or Sub Chapter S is another entity for small businesses. Again it's best to contact an accountant in your state. Every state has their own laws and forms to file.

I also found this out when I tried opening a business bank account at my bank. In addition to the EIN paperwork I received from the IRS, I need to register for a Fictitious Business Name Form 

https://www.corporations.state.pa.us/corp/soskb/entityinfoedit.asp?dtm=24400462962963

Of course the state has to get their $70 application fee. They want their cut too. 

The next step, I registered with all the retailers: Amazon, B&N, Apple, Kobo, ARe, Smashwords.

As an afterthought, I decided to register the domain for my new publishing name. Not because I planned to create a website or sell books myself, but because I wanted to have the URL and planned to link it to my website. Someone might search it someday. This is where I found my error.

That domain .com was already taken! It had been registered during the week I came up with the name. The company had been in business for years but just recently decided to create a publishing company. Not only that, they created an LLC and trademarked the exact name that I had selected. I couldn’t use the name. Now, I had to create a new name, change the name with the IRS (EIN#) and change it at all the retailers. Ugh!

The Right Way to Create a Publishing Name/Imprint

I started over and came up with a number of names, some obscure. I did a few quick searches on Google, Amazon and B&N. But then I searched the US Trademarks site. http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/index.jsp Click on Search Trademarks (also TESS under tools) Then Click Basic Word Search. And click for Live search. Type in your imprint name. Make sure there are no listings there.

Then I went to NameCheap.com and searched the domain. It was available. I registered the .com (www.BurntStilettosPress.com). The next step was to call the IRS and explain that I needed to change the DBA for my EIN# because I discovered the current name was recently trademarked. The guy at the IRS was very helpful and the change was easy. I got my updated letter in the mail a couple weeks later. He even asked me questions about self-publishing because he said he did some writing on the side.

The decision to self-publish my first book came about when I was invited into a boxed set with 15 other authors. My novel Red Tape, a sexy romantic suspense with BDSM will be my first self-publishing venture and will be included in that set. Red Tape will be released later this summer.

How To Keep UP & Survive in This Digital Age of Publishing

Writing, Reading, & Publishing Evolution

How does an author, reader or a publisher keep up with all the changes going on these days? One minute we think we have a plan for our careers, a successful business model, a preferred way to read books, and then we have to change, and change again, and again, just to keep our noses above the water line. For writers, how do make career plans when we’re not sure what the publishing landscape will look like in a year or two?

There’s no easy answer. The best advice? Be flexible, open to change and ready when opportunities arise. Read what experts have to say—those who have survived the business over the years and learned how to adapt. They may have sound advice on their blogs or in their newsletters. Many invite authors, editors and agents to their blogs to share what they know.

Go with your gut. There are many career paths for authors: traditional, self-publishing, small press or any combination (a hybrid) of the three. The bottom line is the same. Write a great book, continue to learn craft and grow as a writer, be professional. Don’t send out a crappy/unedited book whether to an agent, editor or to be self-published.

A few blogs I follow that I can recommend are:

Jane Friedman, editor of Virginia Quarterly Review and previous publisher of Writer’s Digest magazine http://janefriedman.com/ She has a variety of guest bloggers and helpful posts about the current publishing world and tips for writers.

http://janefriedman.com/blog/ I automatically get her blog posts sent to my email. She has a ton of great posts and guest posts on a variety of topics.

Also author Bob Mayer http://www.bobmayer.org/ and his blog: http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Especially helpful for the self-published author, writing tips, the business of publishing and much more.

And author and social media expert Don Lafferty  http://donaldlafferty.com/ Everything you ever wanted to know about social media and marketing and never knew existed.

I’m sure there are tons of great sites. Please share your favorite.

Self-Publishing Event w/ Jen Talty May 12th

Pocono Lehigh Romance Writers Special Event with Speaker Jen Talty: Self-Publishing:

What Really Are Your Options?

May 12, 2012

Are you a published author considering publishing your backlist or an unpublished author considering self-publishing?

Authors have more choices today than ever before, but the process can be overwhelming. While this is not a step-by-step technical class, the workshop is designed to give you enough information to make informed decisions on how to get your e-Book on all formats possible. Pocono Lehigh Romance Writers have a special guest speaker this month, and we're opening this workshop to outside guests.

This workshop with Jen Talty, Author of Who Dares Wins Publishing, will look closely at self-publishing distribution channels: from what kind of file and the various options you will need to upload your e-Book, to all the various platforms such as Kindle, Nook, iBooks and Smashwords, and what are the best strategies to getting your book up for sale. We will discuss doing it yourself, outsourcing and team-building options.

For directions and payment information, check the PLRW.org website or follow this link http://www.plrw.org/jen-talty-special-event

LOCATION: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., May 12, 2012
Palmer Library, 1 Weller Place, Easton, Pa.

Speaker Information: Jennifer Talty co-created Who Dares Wins Publishing with New York Times best-selling author Bob Mayer, and helps run the day-to-day administrative side of the company. She is published in romance under the pen names of Jenni Holbrook and Hollie Brooks. She also teaches creative writing at various writing conferences across the country and does freelance editing and technical writing. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business education with a concentration in marketing and sales from Nazareth College of Rochester.