Review of 'Business Skills Guide for First-Year Creators' (No Bias Included)

My friend Yamada from law school wrote a book, so I'm reviewing it on my own initiative.
We have known each other for a long time, but I intend to provide a fair, impartial, and objective review.

Binding and Layout

It is extremely pop-style. Diagrams and illustrations are used extensively, giving the impression that it can be read through quickly.
It is a far cry from the traditional 'book written by a lawyer.' Also, difficult topics do not (really) appear.
The emphasis is placed on how to convey information clearly.

As an aside, lawyers as a breed dislike inaccurate descriptions due to the nature of their profession.
Writing concisely and clearly often involves a trade-off with details becoming sloppy, but you cannot write an easy-to-understand book by just talking about such things.

The more detailed you write, the higher the accuracy, but it becomes overly complex and readability is sacrificed. His determination to deliver this book to creators everywhere can be felt in his stance of daring to go against the 'lawyer' habit to pursue clarity.
I also feel that his experience to date is condensed into the know-how of conveying things clearly.

Chapter 0: Definition of a Creator

Even though we say 'creator' in one word, we must first clarify what it refers to and who this book is intended for.

In this book, 'creator' is defined as 'a person who creates.'

And he asserts that 'business is a part of creating works.'
Certainly, unless you are drawing pictures in a sketchbook and showing them to no one, the moment you upload them to social media, you are incorporated into business (commercialism).
In that sense, it becomes inextricably linked to the following: 'earning money,' 'business basics,' 'law and contracts,' 'taxes,' 'independence and incorporation,' and 'trouble response.'

Chapter 1: 'Earning Money'

The first chapter is an explanation of business models.
Three models are introduced: (1) client model, (2) platform model, and (3) fan model, but the part on the (1) client model is excellent.

Bringing a book publishing proposal to a publisher is cited as an example.
The proposal that led to the publication of this book is included, so it is a must-see for anyone who wants to publish a book.

There are over 4 million companies in Japan, and it seems like 'you'd hit a business owner if you threw a stone now.'

Chapter 2: Business Basics

The following chapter is 'Business Basics'.
'Tips for time management in production,' 'how to acquire work,' and other points that are abstract and elusive but extremely important in work are written clearly and concisely.

Accumulation of marketing know-how, deadline management, business etiquette, etc.—we small individual business owners, including us lawyers, are often not good at these things compared to salarymen at large companies.

I feel that many individual business owners tend to neglect such things with the attitude that 'I just need to create good things.' However, business only takes shape when formal aspects such as contracts, invoices, receipts, and business etiquette are in place. Only when the formal aspects are in place is trust in the work born. Individual business owners must keep this firmly in mind.
Unfortunately, I feel that there are many individual business owners, including lawyers and other professionals, who cannot 'properly' do the etiquette that a corporate salaryman would do normally. I am reminded once again of the importance of recognizing that such things are important.

Chapter 3: Law and Contracts

This part mainly covers explanations regarding copyright and contracts.
Regarding the copyright section, the part about citations is summarized in an easy-to-understand way and is very helpful.

As for contracts, I think reading this book will help you recognize their importance.
If you neglect them for reasons like 'not much money is changing hands,' you will end up in trouble.

Many web-related business owners who come to our office for consultation say they don't create contracts, and it seems there are still many business owners who don't create contracts for orders in the hundreds of thousands of yen range (which is precisely why they end up in trouble).
However, not creating a contract just because someone is an acquaintance or was introduced by someone means you have absolutely no guidelines for dealing with problems when they arise, and it makes it ambiguous who is in the right if there is a discrepancy in understanding between the two parties.

I often hear the opinion that it's better not to have a contract or not to define things in detail because it allows for more flexibility, but by defining at least the agreed-upon amount, you can prevent discrepancies in understanding between both parties. Also, once you have created a template for a contract, you can just reuse it, so there is no need to feel anxious about creating one. If you read this book, I think you will understand that there is no need to be overly stiff about the concept of a 'contract'.

Furthermore, perhaps because I am a lawyer, I would not want to do business with a vendor who says 'isn't it fine without one?' when I say I want to create a contract (it is precisely those kinds of vendors who try to shirk responsibility when trouble occurs). I don't think a vendor who neglects such small things will do detailed, good work...

Since there is that way of thinking, it can be said that it is extremely important to organize the formal aspects of business in creator businesses as well.

Chapter 4: Taxes

The absolute basics of knowledge about taxes are written here.
Since the author, Yamada-kun, is not a tax expert and likely doesn't have that much know-how about taxes beyond just running a company, I have to say that the content of this chapter is thinner compared to the other chapters.

On the other hand, if you consider this a book aimed at 'first-year fledgling creators,' it can be said that this level of knowledge about taxes is sufficient.

I also felt the tediousness of tax returns firsthand when I quit being a salaryman lawyer and became independent.
It seems to be just the right amount of information for a fledgling creator to get a starting point so they can file their taxes properly without feeling unnecessarily anxious.

Chapter 5: Independence and Incorporation for Creators

Regarding 'independence,' it is divided into 'procedural matters' such as business opening notifications, national health insurance, and national pension, and 'business preparation for independence' such as 'visualizing money'.

Regarding 'incorporation,' it feels a bit early for a 'first-year creator,' but it is concisely described, including how to receive loans and how to create a business plan.

Chapter 6: Troubleshooting

The final chapter is about troubleshooting.
Since the author, Yamada-kun, is a lawyer to begin with, he has many opportunities to receive consultations from creators, and because of that, the content is very dense.

From common consultations like non-payment of fees and defamation, to how to deal with being banned and consultations that ordinary lawyers rarely see, such as 'my work was turned into an NFT without permission,' countermeasures are concisely posted.

Summary

To conclude, it is a good book packed with necessary and sufficient information in an easy-to-understand way.
I thought the best point of this book is that the information you should know if you are starting a creator business is listed without excess or deficiency.
Anyway, I am impressed by how much they managed to pack in. You definitely won't regret buying it.

I was planning to write a harsh comment, but it's just a genuinely good book...

For someone like me who writes little by little on a blog, I can't help but realize the greatness of publishing a book like Yamada-kun did.
I truly take my hat off to the difficulty of dedicating resources to publishing one's own book and the energy required for it.
Please enjoy this crystallization of such efforts, Yamada-kun's book written with all his might.