Are you a publisher or an Entrepreneur?
Whether online or offline, the act of producing, distributing, and making information available to the public, generally qualifies you as a Publisher. If you’re into Internet Marketing and have a blog your a a Publisher too.
If you take the financial risk to make it happen and your motivation is profit, then I would say you are also an Entrepreneur. Your job is to make money online.
In any event, it is about getting your ideas out-there and if you are prolific, writers block aside, there can be serious monetary rewards.
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Publishing and the Internet
I remember in the early 90s when the Internet was starting to gain a measure of stickiness. Artists, writers, graphic designers, computer programmers, and personal computer users were excited and thrilled at the possibilities this web thing would offer.
It didn’t take long before Publishers started checking it out as well. Publishing goes hand in hand with advertising so before long Advertisers began watching closely with extreme interest.
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Pre-Internet Publishing
Publishing before the proliferation of personal computers and desktop publishing was not the same as it is today. The personal computer and the Internet, especially the Macintosh, has dramatically transformed the business from what it was back then.
No longer is it necessary to:
- type a couple of pages of content,
- run off to your local printing company,
- have them output the PMT(photo mechanical transfer),
- go back to the shop,
- cut, wax, and paste it all up on a broad sheet,
- go back to the printer,
- get them to shoot the broadsheet with a camera,
- proof it then approve it, “hopefully”,
- the printer would output it to a negative or a positive,
- make a plate, pop it on the press,
- print it, wrap it, and deliver it to me,
- I would then have to distribute the end product.
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Publishing on the Internet
It could take a couple of days to finish a multi-page publication and many people to keep the whole enterprise moving. There were days when I thought that I was a lunatic to try and make money
As you can see, those days are gone for those of us that publish online and traditional publishing has also been revolutionized by the Internet.
I now go from typing a couple of pages, to proofing, then distribution, and all in a matter of an hour or so. Publishing has now become ubiquitous. There are thousands and maybe millions of blogs. Everyone with access to a computer, that is connected to the internet, can publish.
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Publishing Ethic
When I published a magazine or a paper that someone could hold in their hand, I had a feeling that the words and ideas expressed on those pages commanded a certain amount of trust and respect. I believed that I had a responsibility to fact-check everything because it was a hard good and I could be held accountable for the contents.
I also believed my readers assumed everything in the published work was truthful and accurate. I still believe, as a publisher, you have a responsibility to your readers to be truthful and accurate.
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Entrepreneurial Publishing
As an Entrepreneur you also have a responsibility to make a profit. You are taking a financial risk and in return seeking a monetary reward. After all, If you don’t make a profit you will cease to be a publisher. As inexpensive as it is to publish online, there are costs which need to be paid.
One of the most exciting realities for an Entrepreneur, as an online publisher, is that there is no paper, and all the associated costs and infrastructure that go with paper. It’s is absolutely mind boggling at the freedom this gives you as an entrepreneur.
As you can see, Publishing and the Entrepreneurial Spirit fit together perfectly.
Your customers want you to make money so they can consume your product.
As you build your traffic with the great content you publish, you will turn many visitors into loyal readers. They will trust your publication and you will have created a loyal customer base.
Then you will Make Money Online. And then the Real Fun Starts!
Stay Tuned
Jim
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