Microcosms Cloud-Based Software Aims to Help Indie Publishers Automate Tasks
Summary
WorkingLit, an expansion of the toolkit Microcosm uses in its own operations, allows indies to streamline product databases, manage orders, complete accounting and invoicing tasks, and calculate royalties, all in one place. For instance, he noted, “we don’t need an accountant, because it is the accountant.” Recent years have found Microcosm consistently among PW’s fast growing independent publishers, and Biel just received PubWest’s inaugural Innovator’s Award. Independent publishers rely on too many “redundant systems,” and “WorkingLit is a way for people to recenter their data and sales in their own hands,” said Elly Blue, Microcosm’s co-owner and v-p. “Because we’re not doing a ton of data entry or number crunching, Joe is able to focus on business development, and we’re able to run our own warehouse and ship everything in-house.” She feels that WorkingLit “has made it easier to integrate all our processes, including our shipping functionality,” noting that small publishers often outsource and overspend on fulfillment. His production team thought that they should build “a relational database” and automate processes, and “within four or five years, it was managing our inventory, our reprints, and our royalties,” Biel said. Honestly, at that time, it was pioneering to have e-commerce at all.” As Microcosm grew, Biel and Blue recognized that WorkingLit could benefit other small independent publishers as well.