Goals, Achievement, and Success!
Our Philosophy is a publisher’s formula for success: Goals, Achievement, and Success! Decide what you want to accomplish and how it will be done, go out and do what is necessary to achieve your goals, and reap the rewards. It is founded on the cornerstones of any other success in life, with some industry specific advice. Create a Strategic Plan; stick with your Plan but be flexible; implement your Plan; realize that publishing is a business and that external growth is likely to be strategically superior and far less expensive than internal growth; know your Exit Strategy; and don’t overstay your welcome.
As with any other business endeavor, the neophyte publisher’s best way to have a million dollar publishing company is to start with two million dollars! We meet many ten year, veteran neophyte publishers; seniority is a function of time, not knowledge or skill. There is a difference between longevity and success.
Strategic Plans
Every publisher must have a Strategic Plan. The Plan: sets out your goals; how you will achieve them editorially and financially; and what happens when you achieve them. A Strategic Plan is a roadmap, and while you don’t absolutely need one, it will ensure that you get to where you want to go; a Strategic Plan accomplishes the same thing.
As the “master plan”, everything else you do evolves from this Plan. Annual budgets, PR programs, editorial directions and preferences, financial decisions, and day-to-day operational answers all come from the guidance and direction in your Plan. It is the roadmap for your company’s journey to success, and success as you have defined it.
Remember, publishing is a business like any other. Revenues, return on investment, market share, and other goals MUST be met to ensure the continuation of the company. Your Strategic Plan takes your idea of publishing and guides it to become your reality of a successful publishing enterprise.
Acquire vs. Develop
Our Philosophy at NPL is that small and medium sized publishers grow better, faster, and more responsibly through acquisition than internal development. It is faster, more efficient, less costly, more focused, and achieves strategic goals, with less risk, than conventional “publish and pray” methods.
Acquiring titles, or an entire company, from another publisher provides a track record, which minimizes risk; and completed product and inventory, negating developmental difficulties and delays. Acquisition often brings distribution, and a marketing, review, and PR plan in effect. All of the above can be delivered at a cost far less than internal development costs of staff, equipment, space, services, and time and energy to produce the same number of books, and with known results.
How We Do Our Work
Quietly, discretely, and profitably for our clients. Our first mandate is to help our clients achieve their goals. Our second mandate is to maintain our clients’ privacy and confidentiality. You won’t see glowing endorsements on this site from our clients. It is not very likely we will (or can) disclose references of most of our work. But, you HAVE seen it: companies focused on success, growing profitably, in successful ‘brands’, new catalogs, in successful turnarounds, and publishing companies being bought and sold. We are successful in our work when our clients achieve their goals.
Learn more about our Consulting and Brokerage services.