I would like to start a publishing company. What should I do?

Question

I am interested in all kinds of books but I am aware that, to start, I should probably choose one focus/genre. But what about the equipment and the licensing, ISBN numbers and all that jazz?

Answer 1

Publishing is hard work and you will probably not have much success if you don't learn the ropes of the business and make some good industry contacts before you try to open your own publishing house.

You will have to start at the bottom like everyone else-- as someone's intern or assistant. It would help if you lived in New York because there is a large concentration of publishing houses there, but there are places elsewhere. You will just have more limited options as to who is hiring or taking on interns. You could also cut your teeth as an assistant for a literary journal or other publication.

I know that Publisher's Marketplace has job listings (but there is a subscription fee for the website). It can help you get a sense of what is going on in the market today.

I would also recommend reading the blog of Miss Snark, who is a New York literary agent (you will be dealing with a lot of these if you want to be involved in publishing). She has links to many other agents and editors who blog, and is full of useful information. Search the archives, because people regularly ask questions about how to get involved in the busienss of publishing:
http://www.misssnark.blogspot.com...

This is a tough job, and there is stiff competition. People in the literary world work long days. When you first start out, you will be doing the most mind-numbing of the jobs. I'm sure that reading a slush pile would drive me nuts eventually!

Spend some time studying up and reading as much as you can, then check out your local publishers and see if they have anything available!

Answer 2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publish
I think that you should read everything on this page, or look up on an engine "How to start a publishing company." You should actully look that up on www.amazon.com on the book section because there are "how to" books.