1. NORTHERN MAINE PUBLICATIONS
646 New Dunn Town road
Wade, Maine 04786
Financial Assistance Request
Business Startup
This has been prepared as a financial assistance request for a startup business.
I am requesting financial assistance to start a (Novel) Publishing Company, Northern
Maine Publications, trade paperback books.
I have over ten years experience as a creative writer and several years experience
publishing and hand binding books.
The Market for my product is World Wide.
Although advancements in technology have placed millions of us in front of the
television screen and compute monitors, the need to read and write still exists and is
growing.
Reading expands our imagination and knowledge and from ages five to one hundred and
five, everyone reads something and they always will.
Publishing is a very competitive market, but there are very few companies devoted to
publishing full length novels.
There are approximately seventy three publishing companies in the State of Maine.
Forty three are publishers of monthly periodicals, weekly news letters and statistical
advertisers.
Seventeen more publish quarterly magazines covering Legal, Religious, Research,
Educational, Real Estate, Military and Special Interest Groups.
Eleven of these publishing companies are Subsidy Publishers with prices for their
services starting at $699.00.
Only one publishing company in this state publishes Novels and it is Windswept House
Publishers in Mount Desert, Maine. They do picture books and novellas for pre-school to
young adult and they are not a subsidy publisher.
I am requesting Forty Five Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty Two, ($45932.00) to start my
publishing company
Please review the attached Business Plan. You can contact me at 207-455-5828.
Thank you
2. BUSINESS PLAN
Owner: Steven J Gallagher
646 New Dunn Town rd
Wade, Maine 04786
207-455-5828
Sreo1927@aol.com
Sreo1927@hotmail.com
I have over ten years experience as a creative writer in Scifi, Horror, Fiction, Fantasy and
Children’s Novels.
I have three years experience as a Printer, Binder and Marketer of my product.
I have over five years experience as a Business Owner/Manager, with an accumulative
fifteen years as supervisor/manager.
I have a Certificate in Computer Technology and am working towards a Degree in
Information Technology.
I currently own 100% of my business and I market my product by word of mouth.
Professional Services: I will perform my own Accounting with the assistance of
Peachtree or Quicken Accounting software and have quarterly audits and Tax preparation
performed by a CPA.
I have inquired with two separate Legal Firms in the area about becoming my Business
Attorney and have received favorable responses from both.
I have spoken with three Financial Institutes in this area about setting up a Business
account and have received a list of available business benefits.
Northeast Insurance has agreed to become my Business Insurance carrier, writing a
policy separate from my Homeowners.
If acceptable, Rod Thompson, of the Maine Small Business Development Center will be
my Professional advisor.
Legal Status: This business will be as it is now, Sole Proprietorship.
Purpose: The primary purpose of this business is to produce high quality Novels from all
genre; Horror, Scifi, Fantasy, Fiction, Children’s Ghost, Romance, Mystery, etc.
Secondary purpose is to put back to work as many people as I can as the years progress.
3. Status: Full production and marketing is scheduled for as soon as complete financing
becomes available.
Current Goal: Northern Maine Publications will begin with myself and two part-time
employees working on an on-call basis for the first six months.
I plan to have five full-time employees with full benefits by the end of the third year.
Long Term Goal: At the end of five years I plan to have thirty-five full time employees
with full benefits.
I also plan to have over two hundred currently unknown authors under publishing
contracts.
I will have a complete Administrative Staff, but I will remain active in the operation of
the business.
Industry: The publishing industry is a very competitive market, but most publishers are
self-publishers, producing their own work, or subsidy publishers charging the author a
substantial fee to publish his or her work. Even several of the larger, well-known trade
publishing houses have switched to subsidy or vanity publishing.
Self-publishers publish one or two of their own manuscripts to develop a name as an
author and then they sell out to a commercial publisher.
Subsidy and vanity publishers charge a substantial fee for editing, proof reading and
cover design, but these fees seldom include the cost of marketing and promotion.
With the advances in technology, almost anyone can become a Desktop Publisher, but
their business is based on periodicals, weekly and monthly newsletters, statistical
information usually gathered from the internet.
There are a limited number of actual Book Publishing Companies in the State of Maine;
eleven are subsidy, with only one or two Genre that they will accept.
And there appears to be only one true, commercial publisher in this State and their target
audience is pre-school to young adult.
Schedule: Northern Maine Publications will operate eight hours a day, five days a week.
Management: As owner/operator of Northern Maine Publications, my primary duties
from 8:00am to 5:00pm will be format, print, bind assign ISBN and ISSN numbers,
acquire copyright registration and arrange for marketing and delivery of the finished
product to the general public.
4. My evenings and weekends will be devoted to writing my own work as well as editing,
proofreading other manuscripts, answering e-mail and snail mail inquiries and
communicating with authors and retailers.
I plan to collect no salary or benefits from my company for the first year.
All proceeds will be used towards employees, their benefits, inventory supplies,
equipment, marketing and expansion.
Employees: I currently have four people with related experience in the field that are
interested in coming to work for me once my business opens.
Two of these people have already been offered part time positions as on-call employees
and they have accepted.
By the end of the first year these two employees should be full time and by the end of my
third year I will add three more full time with full benefits.
Each part time employee will be paid eight dollars an hour for every hour worked
between 8:00am and 5:00pm Monday through Friday.
Each full time employee will be paid ten dollars an hour for every hour worked between
8:00am and 5:00pm Monday through Friday.
Full time employee benefits will include group family medical, vacation and holidays.
At the end of five years, benefits package for five full time employees will cost Northern
Maine Publications $42,000.00 annually. (Price quote from telephone conversation with a
representative of Maine Mutual).
Training: training for employees will be minimal at best.
Requirements will be, must be computer literate and must be responsible.
Any technical training will be provided by me, whereas I already have the experience in
publishing.
Operation: Product will be formatted, printed, bound, packaged and shipped onsite
location.
As manuscripts are received, they will be proofread, edited, formatted, bound and the
first few copies will be sent back to the author for his or her written approval.
Once the signed approval has been returned, the finished product will be marketed
through the Internet, Direct Mailings and retailers.
Facility: Northern Maine Publications will be established in a building separate from my
home.
The building has its own heating system, bath facility and septic system. It has its own
single line telephone service and satellite service.
It also has available room for expansion as my business grows.
5. Equipment:
1- Duplo DB 280 Automated Perfect Binder $8997.00
1- Dahle 848 HD Ream Paper Cutter $2979.00
1- Dell Inspiron Studio 17 Laptop $2319.00
1- HP Indigo 3500 Digital Press $4599.00
1- Answering Machine with voice mail and four lines $ 587.00
2- Digital Photo Processors for book covers and author photo $ 823.00
Total Equipment cost $20304.00
First Year Startup Capital:
One tank heating oil $ 867.00
High Speed Internet by Wild Blue (FairPoint Communication) $ 880.00
Electricity $1225.00
Telephone $ 892.00
Insurance-Liability/fire loss $ 624.00
Employee Wages/part time $3600.00
Payroll Taxes $1200.00
Advertising/Marketing $2620.00
Vehicle Expense $ 00.00
Building Rent/Mortgage $6000.00
Office Supplies $4400.00
Postage/Shipping $1220.00
Equipment/repair/warrantee $ 600.00
Licenses and Fees $ 00.00
Sales Tax $ 900.00
Accounting Service/CPA $ 600.00
Contracted Work $ 00.00
Total First year Startup Capital $25628.00
Total Equipment Cost $20304.00
Total $45932.00
6. Material Handling: All shipping and receiving will be handled by me.
Inventory Control: All inventories will be computerized.
Shipping: All finished product will be sent through direct mail, UPS, FED-X.
Supplies: All supplies will be purchased through local suppliers. Trade accounts have
been agreed upon when business is in full operation.
Pricing for Finished Product: Current pricing was established through market research,
via Internet, telephone interviews and actual on-site inspection.
Profit: The sale of ten thousand books will cover all equipment costs, it will cover the
first years operating expense, it will pay the authors twenty five percent royalties and
leave approximately forty percent profit. This profit will allow for business expansion.
Competitive: Prices for the finished product are flexible and based on market needs, can
be adjusted to allow for adequate profit.
Cheaper Products: There are some cheaper products on the market today, but the
difference in price is less than twelve percent.
There are also lesser quality products on the market for a substantially higher price.
Credit: Credit will be established for customers under certain circumstances.
Accounts will be monitored by phone calls and letters.
Credit Cards: Credit Cards will be accepted after business is in full operation.
Product Benefits: My product will awaken the imagination and expand the knowledge
of the general public.
There will always be a need to read and there will always be a need for entertainment.
Licensing Requirements: Other than acquiring Tax numbers, registering Copyrights and
assigning ISBN and ISSN numbers, there are no licenses or permits required.
There are no restrictions or regulations.
There are no Federal, State or Local agencies that need to be registered with or have an
influence on my business.
7. Promotion: All promotion will be accomplished through Internet, Television, Radio,
Newspaper, Yellow Pages and Direct Mail.
Literary Agencies and Writers Groups are being contacted which will be an invaluable
aid to promotion.
Distribution: All finished products will be made available through Wholesale outlets,
Retail outlets.
They will be made available by telephone, mail order, direct mail and eventually by e-
commerce.
Retailers are now being contacted with a proposal, by mail.
Packaging, handling and shipping has been calculated into the retail price.
Competitors: There are no competitors for my finished product or my target audience,
within a three hundred and fifty mile radius of my location.
My product will be of interest to all audiences covering all subjects.
Business Location: Northern Maine Publications will be established in a building on my
property, but separate from my home.
The building is of an “L” shape, measuring 16x32x32x16.
Five hundred and twelve square feet have been completely finished off to serve as my
initial site.
It has an eighty five thousand BTU hot air furnace, capable of heating an area three times
its current size.
There is a bathroom facility and kitchenette with hot and cold running water, a stove,
refrigerator and satellite connection.
The building has a one hundred amp electrical service, single line telephone service and
an additional two hundred and fifty square feet of space available for expansion.
The office has windows facing North, East, West and South
There is a front door for customer and vendor access and two rear doors for egress.
The office is close to my home and I own the surrounding property.
There are no renovations needed at this time or in the near future.
There are no zoning laws which prevent business operation on this road or in this town.
The business is located at 646 New Dunn Town road Wade, Maine.
8. Steven Gallagher
Northern Maine Publications
646 New Dunn Town rd
Wade, Maine 04786
Assets:
Cash on hand $ 300.00
Savings $ 15.00
Retirement $ .00
Accounts and note receivable $ .00
Life Insurance $ .00
Stocks and Bonds $ .00
Real Estate (Office Building Only 2010) $ 19500.00
Real Estate (Residence recent Appraisal 2010) $ 85000.00
Auto (1986 Dodge Truck) $ 500.00
Other Property $ .00
Other Assets $ .00
Total Assets $105,312.00
Liabilities:
Accounts Payable $ .00
Residential Mortgage, balance $42400.00
Investment Mortgage $ .00
Loans (Signature, Installment) $ .00
Unpaid Taxes $ .00
Other Liabilities $ .00
Total Liabilities $42400.00
Annual Income:
Social Security Disability $17364.00
VA Disability $ 1476.00
Total Income $18840.00
10. Projected Income for First Year:
Month One 165 units $ 2805.00
Month Two 190 units $ 3230.00
Month Three 220 units $ 3740.00
Month Four 275 units $ 4675.00
Month Five 330 units $ 5610.00
Month Six 410 units $ 6970.00
Month Seven 525 units $ 8925.00
Month Eight 700 units $11900.00
Month Nine 1110 units $18870.00
Month Ten 1550 units $26350.00
Month Eleven 2175 units $36975.00
Month Twelve 3150 units $53550.00
I currently have one author of Poetry, (Dena Mullen of Maine) whose manuscript I have
formatted, printed and bound.
I have sent the first printing back to her for her written approval, but I have asked her not
to sign the contract until she hears from me.
I have a second author of Fantasy, (Alan Mooren of Indiana) and he is in the process of
finishing his last three chapters.
I just received a third manuscript of Scifi, (Michael St Peter of Washington State).
I have two additional authors with completed manuscripts, Childrens and Horror, (Dawn
Bannagan and Crystal Swazey both of Florida).
Plus I have nine more of my own manuscripts to print, bind, publish and market.
This does not include the two books I have under contract with two other, not too
adequate publishers.
