Traditional publishers usually provide their authors with an editor, cover designer, and book formatter. If you’re traditionally published and receive a five-figure advance, they may also provide marketing and sales support for your book. But if you’re independently published, you oversee all of the above. You can do each task yourself and be a self-publisher, or you can hire independent contractors and run your own independent publishing company. When we’re talking about publishing your own books, we use the term indie author. But what we mean is that indie authors run independent publishing companies. Indie authors are a real company in the eyes of the law, the people who pay them, and those whom they pay. When you create your own company, you get to choose your editor and hire the best cover designer you can afford. You also control how your book is marketed and sold, and you have access to the data so you can see what’s working and what isn’t. But with great power comes great responsibility. Savvy independent authors know that doing everything themselves is not the path to success. Just because you’re the best author in your subcategory does not mean you’re the best cover designer in your subcategory. In fact, I feel like I can confidently say that you are not the best cover designer in your subcategory. If you’ve designed less than 100 covers, you’re not the best designer. But that’s okay because other people have the talent and experience to create the best book covers. Savvy indies know they need to create their own company and build their own team. Starting an independent publishing company may sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to know what you’re doing before you get started. Whether you’re indie or traditional, published or unpublished, or simply considering the indie publishing path, you should understand the benefits of running your own publishing company. I recently interviewed Jynafer Yanez, who walked us through the process of starting and running an independent publishing company. She’s the co-founder and CEO of Archimedes Books and Wolfpack Entertainment. She and her husband publish books through their independent company. Their books have sold 1,000,000 copies and have been translated for foreign markets and adapted for graphic novels and film. yanez.com/"> How did you start your own independent publishing company Archimedes Books? Jynafer Yanez: We founded Archimedes Books after being published by a boutique publisher for a season in a series. My husband is the author, and as he continued to write, we began to grow.  We had more titles, responsibilities, income, and costs. After researching and talking with other experts, we knew it was time to create a company that could hold all this responsibility and liability, and from there, we grew into creating a brand. For a season, it’s been all about Jonathan’s brand. Our brand isn’t about growing name recognition for Archimedes Books. We want readers to know the names of the authors. That way, if any author wanted to move off and do something different, they could carry their credibility and brand with them. Thomas: The author’s brand matters most. People don’t usually know who published the last book they read.