Barnard Publishing Ltd. was established in July 2022 and started trading in November 2022. During that time, I was finishing my Masters and writing a dissertation that would ultimately help me in this endeavour. I was researching how to write a workable business plan and was keen to jump into the world of publishing. In my head, I was doing everything by the book, using all the tools at my disposal as efficiently as I could, and setting myself up for success.
Oh, how wrong I was.
I was incredibly unprepared for running a business in an unknown industry; not only did I have to learn what it takes to be a publisher, wearing all those different hats, I also had to – you know, run a business.
That’s all to say, I’ve learned a lot. I’m still learning. So here’s a list of things I wish I knew at the beginning;
- You can’t do it all yourself. As much as I’d like to be able to be a one-woman business, it is literally impossible for me to do everything on my own. The first person I reached out to was an accountant, because I don’t want to get fined. From there, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a tonne of wonderful creative people, from authors and illustrators to editors and proofreaders to publishing hopefuls. I love building my network of people whom I can support and who will support me in return.
- It is okay to say no. I’ve only learned this recently when I had to part ways with an author; I felt immensely guilty for turning them away over editorial disagreements, and I felt like I hadn’t tried hard enough to make the project work. But many people close to me reminded me – I don’t get paid for the work before the book gets published. As a traditional publisher, I front all the costs for the cover, printing, and distribution in the hopes that the author and I will sell enough copies to make that money back (and then some). Authors come to me for my knowledge and expertise, so if they disagree with my suggestions, they can find someone who feels the same way.
- Social media is fascinating, and you are bad at it. I’ve had the privilege of having some assistance with creating social media posts for a significant portion of my career, and I’m always astounded when someone produces something new – I clearly don’t have a brain for that kind of stuff either! I love reading about new social media trends and getting involved in discourse about algorithms and platforms, and using social media has been a huge part of my life since I got my Facebook account in 2013 (ancient). I really want to get better at managing my social media platforms and creating content for them – maybe 2025 will be the year!
- Labelling is god. From writing dates on my meetings to naming files correctly, I love labels. I started off well during my masters, adding titles and dates to my notes that I could refer back to using a contents page, but as soon as I was released into the wild, it all went out the window. Thankfully, I’m clawing my way back into those good habits, but I’m still figuring out the best way to name usable files – Empty Vessels taught me that CoverfinalfinalFINALlast.pdf isn’t a good way to keep track of things.
There’s plenty more for me to learn – let’s see what the next two years have to teach me!
