Self-Publishing Business Checklist

A friend about to embark on the beginning of her self-publishing journey asked me for a checklist for first steps. I figured if I was going to put it together, I might as well make it a blog post. Anyone with something to add to the checklist, feel free to do so in the comments!

• Decide whether you will be a sole proprietorship, LLC, S Corp, etc.
• Decide whether you want a press name, in which case you need to file for your "DBA" (Doing Business As) with Secretary of State (search already existing business names on the site first)
• File for your EIN at IRS.gov
• Create a separate business account (once you have your EIN)
• Sign up for a Square account
• Sign up for a PayPal account separate from your personal one
• Create files for any business related documents/receipts/forms
• Keep track of startup expenses, which are tax deductible
• Budget self-publishing and business start up costs--what is your break even point?
• Figure out the price of your book/s once you know the production costs
• Figure out where you will publish (Amazon, Smashwords, Lulu, Lightning Force, Ingram, etc.) and open accounts with them
• Get a sales tax license for city and state
• Purchase ISBN numbers from R.R. Bowker (cheaper in bulk, and you will likely need at least two for each book, as each format requires its own)
• Contract book cover, editor, etc., as needed
• Research/complete formatting--ebooks are formatted differently than paperbacks, plus different POD sites may have different requirements (Smashwords has additional formatting instructions beyond what's required by Amazon, for example)
• Decide on front matter (keep it simple and brief), including any disclaimers
• Decide on back matter, such as bio, thank yous/acknowledgments, website/social media links
• Upload final cover/formatted book
• Order a proof and carefully review the ebook after uploading
• Make it live once it's ready!

Some resources I found helpful:

Books:

• Business Tips and Taxes for Writers, by Carol Topp, CPA
• Self-Publisher's Legal Handbook, by Helen Sedwick (If you buy only one of these books, I'd recommend this one first, though both are helpful)
• How to Publish and Sell Your Articles on Kindle, by Kate Harper

Websites/Articles:

• CreateSpace Formatting Tips, by Teresa Miller (note that CreateSpace no longer exists, but this should help with any paperback formatting)
• Adding Hyperlinks 
• How to Format an Ebook for Kindle, by David Masters
• How to Self-Publish an Ebook, by David Carnoy
• KDP Ebook Manuscript Formatting Guide
• Preparing Your Manuscript for Conversion to Standard Ebook File Formats

I threw this together pretty quickly, so I'm sure I forgot something. Like I said above, feel free to make further suggestions or link to resources you liked in the comments.

And good luck!

May you find your Muse.