Starting Your Own Publishing Company: A How-To Guide
Discover how to start your own publishing company, manage authors, and create a business that supports your publishing goals.
LLC Filing Fees
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
Nothing about an LLC is free, and the cost doesn't end at formation. Every state charges a one-time filing fee, and most charge a recurring annual or biennial fee to keep your LLC in good standing — with real consequences if you miss it. Here's what to budget for, state by state.
Full Guide: LLC Filing Fees
Filing your Articles of Organization
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
Every decision covered elsewhere in this section — your LLC's name, its effective date, its management structure, your registered agent — comes together on one form. This guide walks through a sample form from the fictional state of Delmarva, plus the field-by-field guidance state instructions leave out, the cover letter, and what to expect on filing day.
Full Guide: Filing your Articles of Organization
Post Filing Steps
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
Your LLC is approved — now what? This is the complete sequence: EIN, operating agreement, bank account, licenses, taxes, annual reports, employer responsibilities, bookkeeping, insurance, business credit, ongoing compliance, S-Corp election, and growth strategy, in the order that actually makes sense.
Full Guide: Post Filing Steps
Operating Agreements
Published on June 15, 2026 by Randall Wood
Every functioning system has rules — sports, games, governments, businesses. Your LLC's rulebook is the Operating Agreement, and it's the single most important document you'll create, even if you're the only member. Here's what it covers and why you genuinely need one.
Full Guide: Operating Agreements
Obtaining your EIN
Published on June 16, 2026 by Randall Wood
An EIN is the IRS's way of identifying your LLC as a separate business entity from you personally. Getting one is free, takes about 15 minutes online, and is required for your business bank account, publishing platform accounts, and tax filings. Here's how to do it — with the actual Form SS-4, a complete line-by-line walkthrough, and what to do if you ever need to cancel one.
Full Guide: Obtaining your EIN
LLC Business Bank Account
Published on June 16, 2026 by Randall Wood
Your LLC creates a corporate wall between your personal and business assets — but without a dedicated business bank account, a court can decide that wall doesn't actually exist. This guide covers why the account matters, your banking options, what to ask before you open one, and exactly what documents you'll need.
Full Guide: LLC Business Bank Account
Obtaining a DBA
Published on June 16, 2026 by Randall Wood
If you want to drop the "LLC" from your publishing company's name on everything your readers see — your ads, social media, business cards, website — you need a DBA. This guide covers what it is, how to file it, what a Public Notice looks like, and when to use which name.
Full Guide: Obtaining a DBA
Local and State Taxes
Published on June 16, 2026 by Randall Wood
Most indie authors focus on federal and state income taxes and overlook the county business tax — a separate obligation that applies to almost every business operating within a county's jurisdiction, including home-based publishing companies. This guide covers what it is, what it costs, and what happens if you skip it.
Full Guide: Local and State Taxes
Annual Reports
Published on June 16, 2026 by Randall Wood
Learn how to file your LLC annual report, meet deadlines, and avoid penalties. ScribeCount simplifies compliance for your business.
Full Guide: Annual ReportsReady to Take Control of Your Author Career?
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