Current Curriculum
Each video comes with detailed notes and links to relevant IRS sources.
(new content is constantly being considered for addition but to prevent overwhelm, I'm trying to keep this course curriculum a little more high-level)
- So you want to be a writer... (15:55)
- The basic entity types (the deep dive into each is a separate master class) (5:32)
- Quiz - What type of entity do you think you should be?
- Business vs. hobby (5:46)
- High-level Tax Breakdown: Income Taxes, Estimated Taxes, Self-Employment Taxes, Sales and Use Taxes, and VAT (5:18)
- EIN (Employer Identification Number is also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number)
- Timing: cash vs. accrual (aka WHEN do you record income and expenses) (5:57)
- LLC "protection" (2:33)
- Choosing a pen name, DBA, company name, and trademark searches (7:39)
- What to keep for records (1:26)
- Balance Sheet and Income Statement (6:19)
- Accounting tools to track income and expenses (3:02)
I help number-nervous authors go from money mess to financial success
In this transformative introductory course, you'll learn:
- The importance of record-keeping and what documents to retain for your author business.
- The ins and outs of obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and its significance for your business (it's FREE - if someone charges you to get one, run!)
- A high-level breakdown of essential tax concepts, including income taxes, estimated taxes, self-employment taxes, sales and use taxes, and VAT.
- The critical decision between cash and accrual accounting methods and how it impacts your financial reporting (most authors are CASH basis)
- Insights into establishing your author identity, from choosing a pen name to conducting trademark searches.
- Understanding the different business entity types (from a high level, there's a whole other class that deep dives into each)
- How to interpret and utilize key financial statements like the balance sheet and income statement to monitor your business's financial health.
- An overview of essential accounting tools and software to streamline your income and expense tracking.
*Reminder note - this particular course is NOT a deep dive into the various entity types (pros, cons, tax implications, liability protection, due dates, how to set one up, etc), if that's what you're looking for, go to our other course about choosing the right entity structure*
Other Author Essentials
Discover other essential tools and resources to elevate your author journey and streamline your business operations.
Our offerings are designed to make your life easier, save you time and headaches, and empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to succeed.
Invest in your success today!
Bookkeeping Organizer for Authors
Are you struggling to maintain order in your author business finances? Does the chaos of bookkeeping give you a headache every tax season? Do you second guess where to put certain expenses and put it off so you don't break out into hives?
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Enter the ultimate income and expense tracker tailored for tactile authors who love paper journals / log books
Author’s Business and Financial Handbook: Tips for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Taxes
Everything you need to know about managing your author business.
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Covering everything from the various entity types, to 1099 requirements, advanced tax savings strategies, direct sales, and more - this is the guide for you.
Training/Customized setup of QuickBooks Online
I love QuickBooks Online and will share that passion with anyone who gives me half a minute. For authors, there is so much that we can automate through the bank feeds feature and more.
When your time is better spent storytelling rather than bookkeeping - this is the tier for you
Send me an email at [email protected] and let's talk!