Publishing is more confusing today than it was years ago for many people entering our community. In part, this is because of all the technological changes that make entry into the world of publishing seem easier and easier.

Every day at the PMA office, we find ourselves explaining to people who are new to the industry that even though they have a product that looks and feels and sometimes reads like a book, they are not really ready to enter this world as publishers. In fact, in many cases these people don’t own their books’ ISBNs, which tell booksellers who the publisher is. Yet they still think they can assume the publisher’s role.

Acting on many conversations, the PMA board developed a statement to help define the role of the publisher. That statement bears repeating. As publishers, we are the bearers and the repositories of information. We have responsibilities to our investors, our authors, our suppliers, our customers, our readers, and to ourselves as prudent business people. We also have a strong commitment to uphold rigorous publishing standards—those required to produce quality books—and working toward these standards is our goal.

Publishers put book projects together, from start to finish, an endeavor that includes many different responsibilities.

The most basic requirement for becoming a publisher is purchasing a series of ISBNs from the R.R. Bowker Company and making sure that your company is the publisher of record for them. These numbers must be purchased in blocks of 10 or more, and each version of your title must have a separate ISBN identifying it as the hardcover, trade paper, or other edition of this book. If you do not own a book’s ISBN, you are not the publisher of that book.

Beyond that, though, a publisher must either take all 10 sets of steps summarized below or cause these actions to happen. If you are not involved in all 10, you may not be the publisher of your title:

Defining a Publisher: A Ten-point ChecklistAcquisition. A publisher acquires property either through purchase of manuscripts or personal development of a manuscript or manuscripts. Depending on the size of the company, the publisher pays authors advances against future royalties as designated by contract, or makes specified payments in a designated period after production.

Financial. A publisher or the publisher’s publishing company is financially responsible for the production and promotion of books under the company imprint. A publisher provides or arranges funding for the company’s publishing program; develops a budget for each book acquired, looking carefully at the costs of production and the costs of promotion and publicity; makes longer-range plans for keeping the book on the active list; and allots funds for those tasks.

Planning. A publisher develops a business plan, including a budget and a timeline for each publication from acquisition through production. A publisher also develops and implements a sales, marketing, and production plan for each book.

Author/manuscript development. A publishing company works with its authors to develop a manuscript so that it will be in optimum condition for production and publication. In self-publishing, the author and publisher are synonymous. A publisher oversees, or has someone within the company oversee, the editing of each manuscript prior to publication, as well as all the exterior and interior design elements, to produce an attractive and marketable product.

Obligations to authors. A publisher issues an author contract that recognizes the author’s contribution to the enterprise and outlines the responsibilities of both the author and the publisher. Terms and expectations for royalties and other payments should be clearly stated.

Production. A publisher stays up to date on the newest printing and production technologies to ensure that a finished book will be competitive in the current marketplace. A publisher fulfills all technical elements (ISBN, cataloging, advance book announcements, and so on) in a timely fashion.

Standards. A publisher stays abreast of industry standards and adheres to them. Today, a publisher understands how and when to use the new ISBN-13 standard as well as how to deal with standards such as LCC numbers issued by the Library of Congress.

Vendor interaction. A publisher deals fairly with vendors, and aims to establish long-term, rewarding relationships within an industry. A publisher states clearly what is expected of a vendor and enters into contractual agreements with stated goals and objectives that will be adhered to by both parties.

Product development. A publisher produces a well-edited, well-designed product that can compete with similar products, and develops a marketing and promotion plan for distribution to both trade and consumer markets through wholesalers, distributors, and/or the Internet.

Administration. A publisher bears total responsibility for everything from the selection and acquisition of books to be published under the house imprint through their production, promotion, and marketing.

Last 5 posts by Jan Nathan

• The Small Press world loses a very dear friend. We will certainly miss her - July 17th, 2007
• Ignorance Is a Long Way from Bliss - April 11th, 2004
• A 10-Step Program for Becoming a Publisher - February 11th, 2004
• Director's Desk: At What Cost? or Does It Pay to Ignore Ingram? - May 19th, 2003