[ToniD]

Those of you who are self-pubbing: what do you put in the "publisher" category for your book?

I left mine blank but it looks kinda naked. I'm thinking of inventing something. Buy This Book or Die Press?

 

[balaspa]

I have an invented publishing company these days, but used to just put my own named.  These days I use HMIL Publishing...even though it is not a registered company or incorporated at this point.

 

[Ilyria Moon]

I have an invented publishing company these days, but used to just put my own named. These days I use HMIL Publishing...even though it is not a registered company or incorporated at this point.

Me too. I decided to start a company because I'm working on some children's education books and it looks better having a 'real' company logo on the back cover.

http://www.lansburypublishing.co.uk/

I named it after the road my grandparents lived in; I had a lot of fun there as a child. Plus, it sounds quite nice.

 

[Retired]

If you enter a publisher name, it should be a real publishing company (you need to open your own business, in other words). Otherwise, just enter your own name into that field.

 

[Ilyria Moon]

If you enter a publisher name, it should be a real publishing company (you need to open your own business, in other words). Otherwise, just enter your own name into that field.

Yes, you have to register it.

 

[bobavey]

AWOC Books or AWOC.cm.

 

[ToniD]

Thanks all for the replies.

So, where do you register your pub company? And how real business must it be? I mean, do you need to have a logo and pay taxes and all that?

Oooh, do like the idea of naming it after a landmark in your life. I grew up on Milbank Street. Milbank Publishing sounds rather distinguished.

 

[Ilyria Moon]

Thanks all for the replies.

So, where do you register your pub company? And how real business must it be? I mean, do you need to have a logo and pay taxes and all that?

Oooh, do like the idea of naming it after a landmark in your life. I grew up on Milbank Street. Milbank Publishing sounds rather distinguished.

It does sound distinguished

Well, I am a sole trader, so I just register new businesses with the HMRC; if using a publisher name on Amazon, I imagine cheques are made out to said publisher, so you need a business bank account in that name to process payments. You'll also file tax returns, but if you made nothing, you just fill a £0 tax return. It's a pain having extra paperwork, but for me, I know it will come in useful shortly.

You can set up a limited company, but that brings a whole lot more paperwork. The bonus is that personal assets are safe if you go into liquidation, but I don't have any anyway haha.

 

[Guest]

Here is my publisher.

 

[DL Patterson]

In the US, you file a DBA (doing business as) with your state. It's just a little form, saying you have a business under that name. You pay taxes the same, though you might have to file an additional schedule your tax amounts will be unchanged. 

You can set up more complicated corporate structures, but it's really unnecessary unless you've got a complicated financial thing going.

 

[ToniD]

Thanks Ilyria and DL for the clarification. I'll look into it further. I'm so busy these days badgering people about my book I hardly have time to write, but I guess this is the time to put in the effort!

foreverjuly:   (do we not have a ROTFLMAO icon here?)

 

[CraigInOregon]

I have an invented publishing company these days, but used to just put my own named. These days I use HMIL Publishing...even though it is not a registered company or incorporated at this point.

I wouldn't advise that. It's much better to do the relatively minimal paperwork to register a DBA and keep things legal and tidy.

But most self-pubbed authors are operating as sole proprietorships by default; no reason to register a DBA unless you're publishing someone else's work or have an employee (assistant).

I don't see the need to pretend to be anything other than what we are: self-published authors.

Making up a company name as a DBA reeks of "mislead" to me...

 

[Ilyria Moon]

Making up a company name as a DBA reeks of "mislead" to me...

Only if you're overly suspicious. My fiction and non-fiction are written under two different names. It makes sense to have an umbrella company tying the two together.

 

[41419]

Making up a company name as a DBA reeks of "mislead" to me...

I'm not sure if I can agree with that. If I opened a shoe shop, I don't have to call it "David Gaughran Shoes". I can call it "Ghetto Stiletto" if that tickles my fancy.

Self-publishing is no different. You are setting yourself up as a business, it's not misleading to have a business name. Now, if you set up a fancy website to make it look like you were a small publisher (i.e not just publishing your own work), that would be a different story.

 

[Decon]

If you enter a publisher name, it should be a real publishing company (you need to open your own business, in other words). Otherwise, just enter your own name into that field.

Nah, disagree. As a self employed individual you can trade in any name you want as long as it is not for the purposes of fraud, hence the accepted use of Pen Names. You don't gave to be incorporated. If I want to be Declan Conner T/A 'decon publishing,' and design a logo, I can.

 

[Decon]

I'm not sure if I can agree with that. If I opened a shoe shop, I don't have to call it "David Gaughran Shoes". I can call it "Ghetto Stiletto" if that tickles my fancy.

Self-publishing is no different. You are setting yourself up as a business, it's not misleading to have a business name. Now, if you set up a fancy website to make it look like you were a small publisher (i.e not just publishing your own work), that would be a different story.

Maybe the rules are different in the various America states. However, if you publish POD with Lightning, which is an American company, you have to give a publishers name. It doesn't have to be registered, but they need a name to put a handle on the ISBN.

Create Space don't claim to be the publisher even when they provide you with a free ISBN. They only claim to be the printer for legal reasons and the ISBN is in house which is why sales are not recorded with genuine ISBN reporting companies. There would be potential legal liabilities if Create space claimed to be the publisher

 

[Ilyria Moon]

Maybe the rules are different in the various America states. However, if you publish POD with Lightning, which is an Amrican company, you have to give a publushers name. I t doesn't have to be registered, but they need a name to put a handle on the ISBN.

Yup, that was my first reason for making a publisher name.

 

[ToniD]

Thanks for all the replies and info.

Must admit, I'm torn. I've already grown fond of Milbank Publishing but I don't want to hassle with a lot of paperwork and tax issues. But it would be nice to have that Publisher line filled in with something. Guess it could be my name, but that's already there under author.

Will continue to mull this over.

 

[CraigInOregon]

They only claim to be the printer for legal reasons and the ISBN is in house which is why sales are not recorded with genuine ISBN reporting companies. There would be potential legal liabilities if Create space claimed to be the publisher

Some of these details vary when you go with Expanded Distribution at CreateSpace, though, right? You get a real ISBN of sorts because your book can be ordered outside of the Amazon universe....

 

[KevinMcLaughlin]

Nah, disagree. As a self employed individual you can trade in any name you want as long as it is not for the purposes of fraud, hence the accepted use of Pen Names. You don't gave to be incorporated. If I want to be Declan Conner T/A 'decon publishing,' and design a logo, I can.

IANAL, first off. But it's my understanding that can vary from state to state. Some states that might be OK - others you might get in trouble.

Also, registration gives you some protection from lawsuits. So for instance, you accidentally pick a name that is already in use by another company, who registered it federally. You're in violation of their trademark, and they can sue you for rather substantial damages. There's been many cases of trademark infringement that worked out to tens of millions of dollars in damages. If you registered first, even at the state level, you have use rights.

In Vermont, and I think in many other states, you're protected in using your name as a business name, like "McLaughlin Publishing" or "Kevin's Books". If you want to use anything else, you're at risk unless you've filed a simple form to the Secretary of State's office and paid them a small fee ($50 here).

Worth it. Worth at least checking out your state's laws on the situation.

Also suggest talking to your accountant about self employment taxes, as they're a bit different from employee taxes.