Why indie authors should consider publishing under an LLC.

This was something I wanted to avoid, but through research realized that I simply couldn't.

If you've chosen to not seek a traditional publishing path and tackle the work yourself, you're probably being eaten by an oversized to-do list as we speak.

If you're like me, you probably tried to shorten this list by any means necessary.

Just about anyone can publish on Amazon these days.

You don't need to own your own publishing company or be affiliated with one to publish on Amazon. In fact, if you're okay with publishing sub-par work, you could write and publish a book today if you wanted.

However, this isn't a great idea. Sure, royalties are nice, but you could be putting yourself at risk if you choose to publish books on a whim.

And let's be honest, we aren't exactly getting rich from our books.

You could also end up tanking your credibility before your career even begins, which could land you in the "do not read" zone in the eyes of book buyers.

Here are a few short reasons why you should consider purchasing an LLC to publish your works.

It legitimizes your work.

When you independently publish, you front the costs and hope to recoup your investment. This means that you need more people than your mom and Aunt Tilly to buy your book.

If someone stumbles across your book on their own, it looks more professional to have it linked to a publishing house instead of just saying "written by Johnny and published by Johnny."

It helps protect your personal assets.

If you publish something, and someone believes that you stole their intellectual property, they might be inclined to take legal action.

Someone like Johnny would be putting all of his personal assets at risk in such a suit. Someone who publishes under an LLC though would only be risking the value of their business, which might be a small sum of money in a business account, and possibly any royalties earned from the book.

Basically, the cost of legal fees would likely be more than the reward.

It opens you up to more opportunities.

I want to publish more than one book, so having my LLC allows me to operate as a real business rather than just one person promoting their own book.

Besides, making a logo is super fun.

Where should you start?

First, figure out what you want your publishing career to look like. Maybe you really aren't that interested, and publishing for free on Amazon using their free ISBN is the ideal choice for you.

If not, start by researching LLC laws in your area. Figure out the costs and responsibilities of an LLC owner in your state. If you don't comply with the laws, you might end up costing yourself money when you were trying to save it.

This is just a short overview. Let me know if you would like to hear more about this topic!