IPNE WORKSHOP: THE BUSINESS OF PUBLISHING

presenters

Steve Carlson, Publisher, Upper Access, Inc. A successful small publisher of both books and software for 20 years, Steve¹s concentration will be from  a software user’s perspective: what publishers need their software to accomplish and how to make best use of it to sell more books and keep the best records with the least investment of effort and time.

Ron Lawrence, developer and programmer, Publishers’ Assistant, business software for the publishing industry. Ron brings the technical know-how and practical considerations gained through long experience, working with small, medium, and larger presses to create and adapt software for their specific business needs. Ron has also developed Couplet software, designed to make it quick and easy for publishers to organize their book-title information into the newly required ONIX format.

Cate Monroe, Monroe Accounting Services, PC. Certified Public Accountant and former publisher of Moon Mountain Publishing. Cate will cover, among other things, basic bookkeeping needs of a publishing office and creative use of over-the-counter software, QuickBooks, to meet specific business needs of publishers.

intended audience

Independent publishers of all sizes. The focus, however, will be on needs of smaller publishing houses with one to six employees. Many publishers in this category are struggling to meet the increasingly sophisticated technical demands of the book business. The presenters will discuss how smaller publishers can make use of affordable software—over-the-counter or low-cost industry-specific software—to remain competitive in the current business environment.

subjects of special interest

What Every Publisher Needs to Know about ONIX. Major wholesalers and other resellers are now demanding that publishers provide them with all information about their titles in the new ONIX format. This can be a big break for small publishers to make their books better known. But what exactly is ONIX, and how can we meet the requirements without spending a fortune? We invite you to come prepared to enter information about a title into a computer to create an ONIX submission, which participants can view with you on screen.

Tracking and Accounting for Sales by a Trade Distributor. Small presses are increasingly relying on trade distributors for sales to bookstores, wholesalers, and libraries. But the payment systems make it hard to track how much money pays for which books. This is particularly perplexing if you have multiple books and need to calculate net receipts on each for author royalties.  How can this information be tracked without spending your weekends monkeying with calculators and spreadsheets

general topics covered

• Using business software in a publishing office.
• Increasing book sales
• Title management<Disseminating information about your books
• Tracking sales and receipts from a variety of sources
• Invoicing sales and returns
• Consignment sales
• Tracking and collecting receivables
• Keeping in touch with customers and prospects
• Tracking royalties and commissions
• Tracking and controlling inventory
• Basic bookkeeping, keeping tax records

presentation format

Presenters will alternate providing input on each general subject and will be guided in part by participants’ questions and concerns. PowerPoint slides and hands-on demos will illustrate key points, and there will be handouts. We encourage attendees to participate actively by asking questions at appropriate times during and after the presentations

ipne contacts

Cate Monroe (cate@moonmountainpub.com): 207-236-0958

Mary Ellen Lepionka (): 978-283-1531