Does a Publishing Imprint Make Sense for You?
One of the main reasons business owners choose self-publishing as their publishing model is because they enjoy the control the process offers. When self-publishing, an author-entrepreneur is both author and publisher. Sometimes, it’s as simple as that. A business owner writes and publishes a book, uses their name as the publisher, and calls it a day. Other times, though, business owners might want to consider starting a publishing company (or imprint, as we call it in the book publishing industry). When would this make sense? Often it’s when a business owner plans to write more than just one book (or even is open to the possibility, since ISBNs are cheaper to buy in bulk).
Sometimes, even with just one book planned, business owners want the book to be separate from them as people and more aligned with their business. In that case, a publishing company named after their company might make sense. My book Write.Publish.Market. was self-published, and Jodi Brandon is the publisher of record. My company name, Jodi Brandon Editorial, appears nowhere other than my author bio. I could start an imprint called Jodi Brandon Editorial Books. Or Jodi Brandon Books. Or JBE Books.
Another possibility might not be on a business owner’s radar: What about adding a revenue stream in a particular area by publishing books by other author-entrpreneurs, in addition to their own? Let’s look at an example: Say a business owner writes and self-publishes a book on productivity. Another business owner they meet is working on a book on time management for entrepreneurs. If business owner #1 has a publishing business, they can publish business owner #2’s book to open up all sorts of possibilities for bundling the books for a discount to consumers, supplemental materials, and more. Then they can find business owner #3, who wants to publish a book on organization. Business owner #3 doesn’t want to self-publish (because they want some help with marketing) but doesn’t feel they have a big enough platform for a traditional book publishing deal.
Once a business owner self-publishes, they realize the process isn’t complicated, per se, but that there are a lot of moving parts. This can make the decision to start a publishing company easier. Really, it’s just like starting any other business as far as business licenses, bank accounts, and legal setup. (Requirements will, of course, vary by state and local area.) Then the business owner decides what type of company it will be: traditional or hybrid. For most, the emerging hybrid model makes sense, because it involves the author-entrepreneurs investing in their own projects, thus easing the financial burden on the publisher. Just as business owners hire team members to manage course launches, community managers, and the like, they can hire team members with publishing experience to manage this part of the business while they stay focused on their core business, in their zone of genius.
Most business owners who start a publishing company never had it on their radar. The more they thought about it, though, the more it made sense. The publishing company is an extension of their business; it doesn’t become their sole business. (This is where the word imprint fits in, by the way. In traditional publishing houses, imprints to publish certain types of books fall under the main publisher’s umbrella. Cookbooks, for example, are typically published under one imprint. Sometimes a famous person gets an imprint at a publishing house to publish books they choose. Sarah Jessica Parker and the late Anothony Bourdain are two celebs you might have heard of with imprints. At last check, Penguin Random House had 275 imprints!)
Bottom line: Be open to the possibility of simply writing and self-publishing one book, under your name. Be open to the idea of publishing one book becoming something new and different for your business.