Receipts and other Budgetary Items

In preparation for that wonderful time of year known as Tax time, I went through all the Medusa receipts, organized them into their proper piles (start-up costs, supplies, printing, promotion, shipping...)and figured out just how much I spent last year starting the press and creating Laura's book. I was happily surprised. Without really knowing what the costs related to publishing were, I was able to create a realistic budget. And even better, I only went over that budget by $198.00 dollars.

I owe my successful planning to all the incredible resources available to small publishers; books like Dan Poynter's "The Self Publishing Manual," and Thomas Woll's "Publishing for Profit." Help also came from numerous websites, including Publisher's Marketing Association and the Small Publisher's Association. I've spent hours reading blogs from other publishers and editors, joining list serves like Publish L, and asking everyone I could find what I should anticipate when starting a press.

But the biggest reason I was able to stay within budget is because of my incredible partners, Jane and Rick. Rick is an excellent book designer and web master who gave his time to Laura's book and the press. All those hours he spent would have cost thousands.

And I guess that's the big lesson here. Running a press or self publishing all on your own is possible, I suppose, but it will cost you a lot of cash. Ask questions. Look for help. There are enormous resources out there to guide you on the publishing path so you don't make too many costly mistakes. People in the book industry are actually really friendly and approachable, especially small press people. This community I'm now a part of is amazing and I thank all of you for your ongoing support.

In future posts, I will review some of the books and resources I've used that have helped me figure out this often confusing process called Publishing. And please, if you have a favorite link or book that's helped you as a publisher or writer, let me know so I can share the info with others.

Here's to the next successful year at Medusa's Muse. And here's to the next book.