Since you’re already in the business of producing a publication
product -- i.e., your magazine -- you have these distinct advantages:

--You own editorial material (articles) that can be repackaged into books.

--You have the know-how for processing editorial material.

--You know how to transform a manuscript into a printed page.

--You are in contact with good writers in your field (i.e., potential book writers).

--You have the insight into your market that comes from publishing a magazine.

--You have in your magazine’s pages and mailing list a relatively inexpensive advertising medium for promoting the sale of books.

The most troublesome factor for any book startup is, of course money. Because book publishers often pay expenses before seeing any revenue from sales, it is imperative for a given title to recoup these up-front expenses when it hits the shelves.

Traditional book publishing can be a lengthy process -- often, it is months or even years before a title sees the light of day. Fortunately, there is a management technique called the “managed book”, or “short-cycle” publishing. With short-cycle publishing, a new title can be on the market in as little as four to eight months’ time.

Keep your options open to all the kinds of books you might publish -- hardbacks, paperbacks, audio books, books with fold-out charts or diagrams, or even ebooks. As devices like the Amazon Kindle become more popular, lucrative possibilities for book publishers arise.

For more information about this topic, please read our special report, Book Publishing for Magazines.