Content

Business

Chrysler building

 

The author is a business

To succeed as a mind, body, and spirit author, and self-publisher you need to develop a business mindset and identity. This starts with setting up a business and publishing name, also called a publisher’s imprint. This is the name that will appear on the spine of your book and in cataloguing data.

Having a publishing name makes you and your book look professional and legitimate, as does a publisher’s logo which can also be applied to your emails, social media, and website to promote your brand. Without a publishing name and logo, your book will look amateurish. People may not take you or your book seriously.

You, as a self-publisher, will think up your own publishing name, make sure it’s available, register it, protect it legally, and own it. It’s not the cheapest option but if you’re serious about being an author and publisher, well into the future, that is, if you’ve got more than one book in you, then it’s certainly worth it!

 

Create your publishing name

In any business, including self-publishing, appearances matter. Creating a publishing name is one step toward developing a brand. Importantly, a publishing name identifies you in a vast and diverse marketplace. Your publishing name doesn’t need to be fancy, it simply needs to be available.

Australia

If you are an Australian mind, body, spirit author, once you have established your publishing name, you can then purchase your book’s all-important ISBNs through Thorpe-Bowker and apply for the Cataloguing-in-Publication entry (See Pre-Book Design page).

International

If you are an American, Canadian, British, Irish, or South African mind, body, spirit author and would very much like to have your own publishing name, you will need to connect with the relevant ISBN organisation in your country.

*Please note – The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a 13-digit number and the international standard for identifying titles. It makes your book easier to find by anyone looking for it, including readers. An ISBN identifies the format, edition, and publisher of a book.

 

Design your publishing name logo

Design an original publishing name logo (using your publishing name) which you can do with Canva (free or business options available). Use the logo on your book, social media, website, business cards, emails, and other promotional materials or wherever you choose to showcase your business brand.

If you go with the services of a professional graphic designer, they will ask you to fill out a brief brand summary and to select either a word logo or word and symbol logo, and then, the word(s) and symbol. For example, Wilara Press is my two words and my symbol is a white circle that represents the moon.

A simple publisher’s logo can be viewed easily on the spine of a book. Fancy logos may look artistic but are ineffective when the image is made small. Consider the font, colour, and layout of the logo.

Wilara Press logos

It’s beneficial to have a few colour versions of the logo. For instance, you could make one logo black and another white on transparent and opaque backgrounds – black against white, and white against black. And, you could make a bi-colour combination of your choice.

Also, make a version of the logo plain and another with the official registered trademark symbol ® and trademark symbol ™. A logo designer should allow for a revision of the final drafted logo. 

*Please note – It’s illegal to use the ® symbol without registration. Make sure you own the copyright of the logo. You will be responsible for its usage.

 

Business card design

Design a branded business card by using your publishing name/logo, author photo and/or book image (on the back of the card). Business cards are a little old-fashioned however, quite effective if you network frequently.

Business cards are an inexpensive and personal way to promote your business to acquaintances, offline. You can source cards from an online or local printer or design them yourself using Canva and its templates. A popular design size is 8.5cm x 5cm or 3.5in x 2in.

 

 

WILARA PRESS

Cityscape with a full moon

Get Your FREE

Self-Publishing Checklist

Subscribe to My Newsletter

 

NEXT  Social Media >