Every publishing venture, whether start-up or mature, needs a business plan. One is needed as a fundamental guide for operating the business. Attracting investors and key personnel can be aided by having an appropriate business plan. Indeed, the process of preparing the plan is actually an essential activity in the operation of a business. It gives the entrepreneur or manager an opportunity to see whether his or her concept for operating the business fits together, it provides a test to see if operational assumptions are capable of producing the intended results, and it provides a framework for an organization’s operating budget.

Here is a generic outline for a publishing venture business plan. It is derived from numerous successful business plans that were developed for clients of William Dunkerley Publishing Consultants. Each heading is annotated to indicate generally the nature of content that should be included.

Introduction

Tell the reader what the plan is generally about. Provide sufficient orientation so that the reader will not be confused when proceeding into the body of the plan.

Executive Summary

Give the reader an overview of the whole project, including the projected outcome. This should be an uncomplicated, quick read. If your plan is too complex to allow this encapsulated section, omit it and increase the level of detail provided in the Introduction.

Company Structure

Will this be a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship? Who are the owners? Who is in control? Is this company affiliated with any other companies? Will the company have any subsidiaries?

The Principals

Give succinct bios with details that are pertinent to this venture. Tell why these principals have the capacity to accomplish what this plan sets out to do.

The Market

What makes you think that there is a market for this publication? Does it fill an existing or expected need? How do you know that? Provide concrete justification for your claims. Who are the competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Give details on the competitive landscape. What niches exist in this market, and who is filling them? Provide a description of how this market functions, who are the principle players, and what is the financial track record of the marketplace itself.

Use of Channels

Online, print, email, mobile, webinars, conferences, etc. are channels. Describe how and why you will make use of the various channels in connection with your content.

The Product

Describe your publication in terms of periodicity, visual format, audience size, volume of content, target readership, editorial concept. Where will your content come from? Use words to give the reader a sense of the look and feel of your publication.

The Future

Is this publication the ultimate objective of your venture or will there be additional publications to come? Will you branch off into books and conferences, etc? Tell what is your grand plan for the venture.

Organizational Plan

Explain your management structure. Who is responsible for all the key result areas? Who reports to whom? How will emergent problems and challenges be addressed and successfully resolved? How will work flow through your organization?

Production and Distribution/Dissemination

Provide a complete but concise description of how your publication will be produced and distributed or disseminated.

Price and Promotion Strategies

--Advertising Sales: What will you charge for advertising? How do your rates compare with those of competitors? Explain why you chose the pricing that you did. Characterize the market for advertising and identify the key players. Tell who will sell your advertising and what sales strategies will be employed.

--Content Sales: Will your content be free or paid? What are your subscription, issue, and article prices? Why did you pick those prices? How will you promote access to your content? What is your target audience? Provide demographics and psychographics. What means will you use to aggregate audience, and what strategies will be employed? What are your expected conversion and renewal rates?

Sales Forecasts

--Advertising Sales: How much advertising will appear in your inaugural issue? Forecast revenue for each month during the first 5 years.

--Content Sales: How many readers will your inaugural issue have? Forecast monthly readership and revenues for the first 5 years.

Spreadsheets

Your spreadsheets should include the first 5 years of operation. Include both an operating statement and a profit/loss analysis, month-by-month.

Spreadsheet Notes

Define your terms, explain the basis for your calculations, and present any other details the reader will need in order to understand your spreadsheets.