10 Commandments

jlundberg posted a list of 10 rules that German publisher and author Michael Kruger came up with for Independent Publishing. I decided to come up with my own rules:

10 Rules of Independent Publishing
1. Only publish works you love
2. Do not expect to make a living publishing
3. Do as much as you can yourself (learn to do layout, cover design, book-keeping, inventory, royalties, taxes & contracts)
4. Ask for favors, help and volunteers, be grateful for any help you can get
5. Present as professional an appearance as possible despite a small budget
6. Cultivate satisfaction in a job well-done, there will be very little recognition or reward of your efforts
7. Remember that to love a work does not require you to love the author
8. Do not publish a work you don’t believe in for any reason (profit, convenience etc.)
9. Avoid becoming bogged down with queries and submissions
10. Never let them take you alive

I’ve definitely broken at least 4 of these rules, probably more.