Welcome to Ron’s Tip of the Day. Today I am looking at Naming Your Business.
In my last blog I referred to my blog and video on Its Your Business. Let’s dive deeper into this subject.
One of the first items of discussion when speaking of your business is the name of your business. To help you I will provide a very brief summary of my business name: Chronicles, RFrederickRiddle, and T&R Independent books (TR-Indbkstore). The first referred to my first book, the second to me as an author, and the third to our business. All were correct, but it is better if you have a vision of your future.
Chronicles – the book was Refuge: Genesis Chronicles. Great if only that book written.
RFrederick Riddle – Author’s name. Most writers should probably use their author name.
TR-Indbkstore – Our business name as an Indie Publisher.
The reason it is best to get a name that lasts is your website, Business Facebook page, your legal identity, and much more are tied to that name. These can be very difficult to change. We went this route because I didn’t anticipate writing several novels nor did I anticipate establishing myself as an Indie Publisher. This caused me to purchase new domains and rebuild my webpages, etc. All cost time and money.
Tip of the Day: Seriously consider your vision of future when naming business. Failure can cost time, effort, and money.
You can get our free Guide to Writing by contacting us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. Plus we will send you our Free Brochure which tells you about our services.
ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews for R. Frederick Riddle and Tess Riddle books. I value your reviews.
If you would like to review our books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or Epub).
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R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. In addition, he is best known for Christian Historical and Speculative Fiction. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.
Welcome to Ron’s Tip of the Day. Today I am looking at It’s Your Business.
Did you know you are a Businessperson the moment you began writing?
Technically you’re not a businessman or businesswoman until you’ve published your book. But truth be told, you should start thinking like a businessperson the moment you conceive your book.
Why?
Because you ARE definitely a businessperson at the very moment you publish. But waiting to think like a businessperson until published prevents you from getting a fast start on your business.
So, What do I Do?
I’ve put together a series of videos collectively called It’s Your Business. These videos are FREE and helpful. Beginning with the Introduction your handsome guide takes you on a journey. Well, not so handsome. But he will begin teaching you about why it is important and how to set your business up. Aside from being free, these videos can be viewed anytime you want right from our website.
For information on TR Writing Services (“we edit, proof, and publish the book within you”) contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. Our Free booklet tells you about our services. And we are upfront on our prices (all are low).
ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews for R. Frederick Riddle and Tess Riddle books. I value your reviews.
If you would like to review our books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or Epub).
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R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. In addition, he is best known for Christian Historical and Speculative Fiction. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.
Welcome to Ron’s Tuesday’s Tip. Every Tuesday I will share a tip with you. This week is about Be a Businessperson.
I’ve written before on the subject of being a businessperson. However, this is the first as part of Ron’s Tuesdays Tip. I’ve resurrected the old article and added material that I believe is important for you.
Chances are you’re thinking I’m not interested in a business, I just want to write and sell books. But surprise, writing books is a business!
While writing can certainly be fun (it
is for me), it can also be profitable. And for that reason alone, you need to
think of your writing career, no matter how many books that entails, as a
business.
This may come as a surprise to you, but the Government thinks you’re a business.
That’s right. When you do your income
taxes and show that you made money through royalties or the sale of your books,
the government regards that, and you, as a business. Which means you probably
owe taxes.
So, you should consider yourself a businessperson also!
Actually, your Business includes the
authorship, publishing and marketing of your book(s). And like any business you
need to think like a businessman or businesswoman. And this thinking will
impact your whole life.
For example, do you dress like a businessperson?
I am speaking of what you wear in
public, especially when you are out in the public signing books, being
interviewed, etc. I dress casually in normal situations, but if I am marketing
myself, I wear a shirt and tie, at least. Your appearance matters whether you
think it should or not. If you are attending a book club or making a speech or
doing an interview how you dress makes a difference.
As a general rule I’d recommend
business casual. You might consider business attire (suit & tie for men,
dress for women) or something a little more casual yet still reflecting that
you are serious about your business. In previous videos that I made I opted for
a shirt and tie. It suggests business without being overpowering.
What about having an Office?
That depends on you. I have an office
at home although I have considered having an actual office independent of my
home. There would be certain advantages, but it is not necessary. The whole matter
comes down to what works best for you. Some writers like a formal setting like
an office, while others prefer a more casual setting. I’ve found that I can
write in just about any place. For complete transparency I also you the local
library as my extended library but that is mainly for research and marketing
purposes.
Publishing nowadays requires access to the Internet. You can get that just about anywhere, such as a library. If you are on a low budget and/or have little space at home, libraries are ideal. Most provide free WIFI and may also have computers you can use for free.
How do you carry yourself?
Another aspect of thinking like a
businessperson is how you carry yourself. This is something I had to learn.
Slouching, hands in pockets, and staring at your feet are not positive selling
points. I wasn’t that bad, but I did have to learn to not only be confident,
but to act confident (although not overbearing).
But the concept goes deeper than
clothing and acting like a businessman. It also includes having an idea of how
you are going to run your business. For example, you have a book. Who’s going
to publish it? How do you plan on selling it?
In our case we created our own
publishing business, T&R Independent Books. The T stands for Teresa and the
R for Ron. We are the exclusive publishers of our books. I have blogged in the
past about having your own publishing business and probably will again. But for
today I will just say that it gives you all the power and all the profits but
also entails you doing all the work. We use Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) as
our publishing platform.
There are a number of items you need
to know to be a successful businessman. Before moving on let’s nail down the
concept itself.
When I think of myself as a
businessman, I have several pictures in mind. I see myself being interviewed
about topics other than my books. I see myself as someone people respected and
wanting to know. I also see myself making decisions, supporting charitable
works, and so forth.
Face it you’re a businessperson. Face it and embrace it!
For your benefit I’ve included two
video’s that will help you understand just how important this is. Included in
the videos are basic facts and helps. And it is all FREE! Just click the link
below.
For information on TR Writing Services contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com.
We have a Free booklet telling you about our services. And we are upfront on
our prices (all are low).
VISIT MY AUTHOR’S PAGE TODAY: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.
ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am
always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was
(Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two),World of Shem
(Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship (Book One), Pauline A New Home (Book Two), Task
Force Hunter (Book Three), Black Death (Book Four), or Rise of
I.C.E.S. (Book Five), I value your reviews.
If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an
appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email
make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy
(PDF or ePub).
– – – – – – –
R Frederick
Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing
Services providing help to struggling and/or new
authors to write and publish their books. In addition he is the author of
several books and is best known for Christian Historical and Speculative
Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also
co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the
option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.
Monday through Friday I deal with different subjects in this blog. I also post my blog to my Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. Today I am writing about the Authors Business, part 2 of 2.
You’re thinking I’m not interested in a business. I just want to write and sell books. But surprise, that is a business! While writing can certainly be fun, it is for me, it can also be profitable. And for that reason alone you need to think of your writing career, no matter how many books that entails, as a business.
Below is a breakdown of what you need to do to set up your business. Name: [Title of business]
This is important. Your name is going to be used on your website, your advertising, business transactions, bank accounts, etc. Website: [Businessname.com ]
If you are only going to write one book, the name of your website can be variable. But if you are going to write two or more books you will want a website that reflects you or your business.
I had a personal website where my name was paramount. So it was called RFrederickRiddle.com. And it was R Frederick Riddle that I marketed. However, when my wife and I formed T&R Independent Books the emphasis shifted.
Now I emphasize T&R Independent Books plus my name and later Tress’s name. Originally I had a large website and didn’t want to kill it. But we decided that having a publisher’s site with individual author sites under it was the right way for us to go. So our website is now TR-Indbkstore.com. My home page and subsequent book pages are under that. A visitor can go directly to my author pages if they have a link or they can go directly from the publisher home page or from a menu on the home page.
If you have the money you might want to invest in business cards with your business name and website on them. Key Words:
For starters think of words or phrases that best describe your book(s). You can update later. To help you do this Google any authors who write in your genre. What are their key words?
A simple way to find out is to go to the author’s website. Right click on the mouse and click on “view page source.” Don’t be overwhelmed. At the beginning of the html document that you see you will find the word meta name=”keywords” followed by a series of words or phrases. This is what you are interested in knowing. PO Box # [Not necessary, but maybe desirable.] Mission: [What is your mission or dream. This is not the purpose.] Organization type: This can be a DBA (Doing Business As), Corp. (corporation) or Partnership or Limited Corporation(LLC). You would also need a State Sales Tax certificate. Purpose: Your stated purpose is a statement outlining what you will do. Sample: “To publish and promote our own books, cards, etc. At this time, we have no plans to publish anyone else.” Structure: Officers, such as President and Vice-President
These are some of the basics you need to put some thought into from the very beginning. Don’t put it off. For example, the name of your business will be on your books, marketing tools, internet website, and more. It’s important.
When deciding upon officers you need to consider a number of things, such as Who or What are you marketing, Who will be making decisions, and What tax breaks exist that you can take advantage of?
For example, we chose the T&R Independent Books with the T representing Tress and the R myself. Since we both are authors the purpose was related to both of us. And because my wife has a Masters in Business and there are tax breaks available to business’s run by women, she became President and I became Vice-President. Logo [goes to businesslogo.html]
Just as the business name is important, the Logo is important. This logo will go on your advertising materials, your books, website, and business cards.
Experiment. Your goal is to create a logo that reflects what you want people to know about you. Legal [goes to businesslegal.html]
Here you need to be aware of your state’s legal requirements. Increasingly states are demanding sales tax on internet sales. Whether you think that is right or not it is here.
But aside from the internet, you will probably be selling books on your own and will need to get a Sales Certificate. Each state handles it differently, but you should be able to discover their requirements by going to [state].gov.
If you are collecting taxes and/or paying income tax you will need to keep accurate records. Again, you have multiple ways of handling this. You can purchase a tax program, hire an accountant, or some other tool. ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two),World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four), Death Ship to the Stars (Book One), or Pauline A New Home (Book Two), I value your reviews.
If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).
– – – – – – –
R Frederick Riddle is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.
