Jul 15, 02:17 PM · What's in a name?

Alright, now that everything is done for Unbound, it is time to start setting up the other end of this book: self-publishing the dang thing in print!

This site started out as a log for the work, the illustration of the comic. However, it doesn’t stop there, you know? After all that work, you must put the work out for consumption, and hopefully earn some profit to pay back some of your labor. All those arduous hours are worth something. Anyway, I thought it might be nice to share my tribulations with the oft overlooked side of comic blogs or sites – how you actually get it out there. I could find a publisher, sure, but I wanted to do this all myself, just to see what it is all like. I’m one of those sort of people who want to learn for learning’s sake, and can apply what is learned to other aspects of my life. So here it is, Max jumping into business for himself!

I don’t know about you, but the hardest thing for me to do is to call someone. I’d much rather look something up online or email somebody. I have to write out a script to call someone. Today, I had to call the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office for a DBA form (Do Business As), so I can start my company. I’ve been putting it off for awhile, kept making excuses like uncertainty about what I’m going to call myself.

I made the phone call. I only messed up once from the script, and then, sufficiently flustered, was pointed to the form online.

Dammit.

So, all I need to do now is fill out the form with my company name. I’m a sole proprietor, so it is pie to set the company up (and fold, if needed). Technically, I don’t need a DBA; you could use your name and social security number (as your Tax ID) for ‘the business,’ but I also do a lot of freelance design work under my name. I thought it would be easier to seperate the two. Plus, who hasn’t came up with a jazillion names for their fictional comics company?! I’ve dreamed of this moment for years!

Once the form is notarized, I need to announce the intention to do business in this city by publishing an announcement in the local paper. Instead of spending several 32 packs of beer on an ad in the regular paper, a cheap way to do this is to place the announcement through your city’s local weekly papers or a local Thrifty Nickel.

Sigh. Looks like I need to write out another script for those cold calls…