Helen Sedwick, Author and Attorney

(General meeting begins at 9 am, speaker presentation is at 11 am, after Q&A, networking time, introductions & announcements), followed by our informal lunch gathering from 12:15 pm-3 pm. Scroll down for details and to register.

(Please note that this event is on April 6, not April 13, the date it was originally scheduled for.)

(Click here for the schedule for the day)

Current BAIPA members must log in first to get a free ticket to the morning session and a discounted ticket for the afternoon workshop. Then come back to this page. There is a Member Log in link in the upper right corner of the site.

MORNING PRESENTATION:

Conquer the Business Side of Self-Publishing and Writing: DBAs, EINs, LLC, 1099s, and more explained by attorney and writer, Helen Sedwick,  author of Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook

Why operate your writing as a business?

• You’ll have more time for writing. You’ll save yourself hours of frustration digging through piles trying to find information.
• You’ll be ready for success. As your sales increase, you will be prepared to measure and manage that growth.
• You’ll avoid losses. If you have a better handle on cash flow, you’ll know when your expenses are getting too far ahead of your income.
• You’ll know what works. If you have a method of tracking sales, you’ll know which marketing efforts paid off and which were a bust.
• You’ll avoid mistakes, like forgetting to collect and pay sales tax or to deliver 1099s to freelancers.
• You’ll save on taxes. If you operate your writing venture as a business, you are more likely to be able to deduct writing expenses from your non-writing income and reduce your tax bill.
• You’ll feel more legit. If you don’t treat your writing as a legitimate business, then no one else will, particularly the IRS.
• Your heirs will thank you. If you are hit by the proverbial bus, your heirs will appreciate your organization.

Participants will learn the basics of setting up their businesses, including obtaining EINs, resale certificates, business licenses, and DBAs. I’ll cover tools to make tracking income, expenses, and taxes easier. I’ll explain how to make sure freelance agreements give writers the rights they need. I’ll discuss when business plans make sense and will explore options for financing the book.

NO AFTERNOON WORKSHOP

Instead, everyone attending the morning session is welcome to bring a bag lunch and stay for a casual gathering with discussions around the tables. We’ll provide some conversation starters at each table in case they’re helpful, but you probably won’t need them. This is a chance to hang out informally with your BAIPA friends and colleagues. Discuss the morning presentation, what you’re each working on, or pick the brains of your community around some problem or challenge or opportunity. There will be no formal afternoon workshop, but there will be a reason to stick around for a bit, relax and socialize.

About our Morning Speaker

Helen Sedwick

Author and University of Chicago Law School graduate, Helen Sedwick has represented small businesses and entrepreneurs for 30 years. Her self-published historical novel Coyote Winds has earned five-star reviews from ForeWord Reviews and is an IndieBRAG Medallion Honoree. Publisher’s Weekly lists her Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook as one of the top five resource books for independent authors. Helen’s blog coaches writers on everything from saving on taxes to avoiding scams.