Unfortunately, very few people master both the creative and the business sides of the publishing puzzle, which explains why the failure rate is so high among publications. To illustrate, consider two fictitious publishers, Alice and Joe. Alice has a good head for business and management, but her editorial ideas just aren't exciting enough to draw loyal readers. Joe, on the other hand, writes brilliantly and is full of wonderful editorial ideas, but he quickly bankrupts himself because he conducts business sloppily and wastefully. Finally, underlying both the creative and business skills needed to run a publication is the ability to work with people.
Publishing is by nature a collaborative enterprise.
Fortunately, you don't need to be skilled at every key publishing task, so long as you know your own limitations and get help in areas where you are weak. Throughout this book, I will suggest many creative ways publishers have developed to make the most of their own skills, get the best from their resources and ultimately achieve success in a challenging periodical publishing market. Send us feedback . Inc. 30 years of providing quality legal information.