The Scalzis Go Corporate

Posted on November 17, 2022    Posted by      55 Comments

John Scalzi

I have previously and briefly noted that we over here at the Scalzi Compound have had some business reorganization going on, but now that all the applicable business licenses have been filed, paperwork done and bank accounts opened, it’s time to expand on that news a bit.

The short version is that Krissy and I now have three corporate entities to cover our various business and philanthropical interests. They are:

Scalzi Enterprises: Which will handle the development/merchandising/licensing of Scalzi-related intellectual property, both existing and upcoming;

Church of the Scalzi: Which despite its name is neither a religious endeavor nor a cult, but is our real estate holding company for The Old Church and other properties;

The Scalzi Family Foundation: Our non-profit corporation, which will be the vehicle for our charitable and philanthropical giving beginning in 2023.

Why do this? Well, because at this point it makes sense to, both for organizational and legal reasons. Krissy and I have long talked about doing more with the ideas and properties that I create and develop, and needing both space and a business structure to deal with that. This is the primary reason we bought The Old Church in the first place, you may recall: So we could have office space for the companies we planned to have. Now, as it happens, having that particular space also opens up more potential for the things we can do, which dovetails right back into having these new companies, so that’s nice too.

We have lots of plans for these new companies (well, for Scalzi Enterprises and the Scalzi Family Foundation; Church of the Scalzi is just an unsexy but useful way to organize our property), but I should stress that everything is in very early days, and basically still being built out. Do not expect vast amounts of ScalziProduct™ from Scalzi Enterprises in the near term. Also, if you start lobbying me for grants, funds and donations from the Scalzi Family Foundation any time soon, you’re going to be disappointed. Sorry. Please be patient. It’s all me and Krissy at this point, and we have other jobs, too.

(On the flip side of this, you can’t donate to the Scalzi Family Foundation, either; it operates under very specific rules, which means it’s difficult for anyone but us to put money into it.)

Also, for those of you who are now mildly worried that you will get no more novels from me as I strive to become a Content Tycoon: Don’t panic, I am not giving up my very fun and really profitable day job. It’s the basis on which all the rest of this proceeds. Indeed, if everything works out right, you will get more work from me, not less, as we build processes that let me do what I am good at (writing, selling, developing more things to write and/or sell), while Krissy, as CEO, does what she’s good at (business, did you know she has a business degree? She does!), and the business builds from there. In the meantime, however, writing books is my bread and butter and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

That said, again, we have plans. If we can get them off the ground, it could be interesting. Stay tuned.

— JS

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55 Comments on “The Scalzis Go Corporate”

  4. Not sure this would qualify as “intellectual property”, but:

    Looking forward to seeing “Scalzi Mystery Burritos” in the frozen goods section of the grocery store. Slogan: “Take a chance! You might like it!”

  6. I too look forward to buying Scalzi Mystery Burritos in the frozen goods section. “A surprise in every bite!”

  7. I (possibly alone) would be interested in the wonkery of those foundation restrictions and the reasons for them.

  8. So if Church of the Scalzi isn’t the name of your cult, what IS the name of your cult?

  9. It sounds like you’ve been talking to someone who understands the black art of accounting. It’s like one of those fantasy games where choosing a different type of character gets you different rules of play. Choosing a different corporate structure gets you different rules of accounting which give one tax benefits, but just as importantly give you a better idea of what is going on with the business.

    So, you’ve got one company that holds Scalzi IP, one company that holds a real estate asset and a third company that serves as a non-profit conduit. That sounds good to me. Just don’t move the IP company to Ireland like everyone else.

  10. Eager to submit my application for the first Michigan location of the ScalziRito Restaurant ™ chain.

    I presume franchise applications will be posted soonest.

  13. hmmm… so here’s my request for your foundation’s motto: “taping bacon to America’s cats(tm)”

  15. So can we look forward to ads in the back of Rolling Stone magazine offering Ordination in the Church of Scalzi for 2.99 plus postage?

  23. @Nicoleandmaggie:

    Looking forward to my (at some point in the) future plush Kaiju complete with tiny parasites.

    OMG and it’s actually a bunch of separate plushies that fit together like a 3D jigsaw. Want!

  24. I love how you share all this with us, very interesting. Love that you and your wife are doing this together. Can’t wait to see what the future brings and of course the future books. ;-)

  25. Are you going to start issuing weird edicts and firing people at random? Because that seems to be a requirement these days.

  29. Wait, the Scalzi Family Foundation Action Figures won’t be available by Christmas? Could we at least get Early Bird Certificate Packages that we can trade in for figures once they’re available?

  30. I can’t wait for the inevitable customer service phone menus:

    “If your first generation ScalziPhone burst into flames, please press 1; If your Scalzi brand adult diapers gave you chemical burns, please press 2; If you’d like to submit a burrito ingredient request, please press 3; If your second generation ScalziPhone leaked your personal information, please press 4; For all other Scalzi Enterprises related injuries, please remain on the line until a Scalzi Family Member™ is available.”

  33. I read somewhere—not that I’ve ever tried it myself—that it’s good to have your office separate from your home. You know, like Athena walking to work. So good for you.

  35. @HelenS

    I hate to admit this, but that seems like an interesting remark to me … I could certainly buy more “I bonds” myself than I have been doing, given that I had never heard of them. I did have one E bond which I got 60 years ago.

    The discussion at https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/how-much-can-i-spend-own/#id-how-much-can-one-person-or-entity-own-in-savings-bonds–908580.
    seemed incomplete, and Google said in that case I should look at this: https://thefinancebuff.com/buy-more-i-bonds-treasury-direct-trust.html
    which seemed to be helpful, and close enough.

  36. Do not expect vast amounts of ScalziProduct™ from
    Scalzi Enterprises in the near term.

    So children’s Christmas stockings won’t be full of Talking Kiva Lagos Action Figures this year?

  37. Are you hiring remote workers by any chance? I find it’s a good idea to get in on the ground level for world domination…

  39. I really like the logo and think you should have stickers made up. I would totally put one on my car, much better than having stick people.

  40. Hoping for scamperbeasts merch at some point!

    also curious if Athena has any interest in the family business?

  41. Not a cult? Sure.

    All the time travelers know that Scalziology is the scourge of the 27th century. The Old Man Crusades. The Redshirt massacres. The Kaiju sacrifices. They even display your frozen head on special occasions.

  42. “So children’s Christmas stockings won’t be full of Talking Kiva Lagos Action Figures this year?”

    I f*ing hope not!

  43. Good luck with all this. Will Zoe, sorry, Athena have a position in the new corporate structure. Heard that she just got a job at a winery so may not have time for the Scalzi-Empire

  45. Congrats on the new enterprise. Unless you already have one, I highly recommend a dedicated and accredited tax accountant; DH got one for our business years ago and we have never looked back. It’s much more comfortable being able to refer those nice people from the IRS to a professional and let them duke it out on your behalf.

  48. I hope you’ve remembered to include the appropriate deterrents against hostile takeovers.

  53. I will be more inclined to believe this all makes sense when KRISSY tells us so, rather than just having to take your word for it. :)

  54. So now should we all act like fans of aging rockers and talk about how much better you were before you sold out to the man and went corporate?

  55. As a logo designer, I’ll point out that you should be very cautious of how you use a six-pointed star. I recommend five or seven points.

    So many graphic elements have been used as symbols throughout history, and if someone sees the star as a distorted version of a specific symbol, who knows how they’ll react. (My fundy mother-in-law insisted Xmas trees and wreaths were pagan.)

    Heck, any use of celestial symbols can have unexpected consequences. Atlas Obscura has a good article, “When 1980s Satanic Panic Targeted Procter & Gamble” (for the moon and stars in their logo).

    I advise my logo design clients to consider a hypothetical future when their organization and its logo go global (however unlikely that seems now). Then there was one client who insisted (without my prompting) that hers was going to go galactic, but also that the logo had to be built around the symbol “A.” Ummm…

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John Scalzi, proprietor – JS
Athena Scalzi, contributor – AMS
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