| "The path is easy to follow, but people love to get | | | | publishing. Finally, type "publishing", "writing", or |
| sidetracked," said the guru. | | | | anything else of interest into your nearest Internet |
| Boy, do I love to get sidetracked. Interesting ideas, | | | | search engine and get your readin' done. |
| interesting people, interesting software come into my | | | | Writing |
| field of vision and grab my time and energy. These | | | | Writing is the message you put out about your |
| can spark creativity, but on the whole I know I have | | | | publishing company, whether in the books you publish |
| to stick with the fundamentals. | | | | or the e-mails you send. It is all-important in this |
| In soccer, the fundamentals are running and kicking. | | | | Internet age. What people read about you is what |
| In baseball, they are throwing and hitting. In | | | | they think about you. |
| relationships they translate to, listening and having | | | | The best rule of marketing and promotion ever is |
| patience. | | | | simply that the only thing your audience and |
| What are the fundamentals in publishing? How about | | | | customers care about is themselves. Always write |
| those basics passed down from one-room | | | | about the benefits to your customers. |
| schoolteachers everywhere: Readin', Ritin', and | | | | Arithmetic |
| Rithmetic? | | | | We are running a business. We are not creating art |
| Of course, it's a schoolyard jingle, but as a model it | | | | and waiting for the world to discover us. All of you |
| can be powerful for covering the fundamentals of a | | | | experienced publishers who read this will say, Well, of |
| publishing business. Reading is information in, writing is | | | | course, what else is new? Many novices will say, "Not |
| information out from your business, and arithmetic is | | | | me. I will not compromise my art with commerce." |
| the accounting and decision making to be financially | | | | All small business people need to be good at the |
| successful. | | | | financial analysis and decision making necessary to run |
| Reading | | | | a business. How do you do this? If you have the |
| Reading is research, trend watching, and learning | | | | time, take an accounting or small business course at |
| about all the ways to run your business. Where can | | | | your local junior college. If you don't, go to the Small |
| you find things to read? Writers are by nature | | | | Business Administration Web site ( and read their |
| readers so you probably have no lack of material. Go | | | | many articles on accounting and financial analysis. |
| to your library or bookstore to find publishing, | | | | The path is easy to follow. Do your homework and |
| marketing, and PR books. Publishers Weekly Magazine | | | | stick to your Readin', Ritin', and Rithmetic. |
| is the source to learn about the bigger world of | | | | |