Every Writer Is An Entrepreneur

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Within the writing community, there is an age-old discussion about whether a writer needs talent or can learn the skills to be a writer. From my perspective, talent is a God-given ability but the skills and how-to information about craft are elements that each writer can learn. In fact, each writer when you enter this business as you submit or pitch your work, you are forming your own business and entering the world as an entrepreneur.

While I’ve written about the up and down sides of the writing life in these hundreds of entries, in 2008, I compared my life as a writer to a roller coaster. When you submit your work to an editor or agent, your optimism is high as you wait for a response. It is like when you’ve gotten on a roller coaster and that car is climbing the steep area toward the top of the experience. Then when the agent or editor engages with you about your submission, you have the excitement about what could happen with your work as it gets into the marketplace. It’s the same sort of exhileration when you fly down the first steep area of the roller coaster. 

The business aspects of publishing are comparable to the ups and downs of a roller coaster. Last week, I pulled a book from my shelf called The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster. I’ve had this book for several years yet had not read it. Maybe you have a few books like that on your bookshelf.  I also have the audio version of this book. Over several days I listened to the audio while I read the words in the book. I used this method of reading to be fully focused on the contents and absorb as much of it as possible. 

For my life in publishing, I found the stories and the how-to information relevant and practical. In this final entry on the Writing Life for the year, I want to give you the ability to have the same experience. On his website, Darren Hardy offers you this book for only the postage of $6.95. His offer includes more than the hardcover book, but also the audiobook files and other resources such as worksheets for each chapter. 

I highly recommend you take advantage of this offer. Don’t follow my example and leave the unread book on your shelf for several years. Instead I encourage you to find the time to read and listen to this book. Then as you consume this book, apply the lessons to your writing life. The experience will help you understand and succeed with your journey as a writer. 

As you think about your writing life, do you identify with the comparison to a roller coaster? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

The writing life is like jumping on a roller coaster according to this prolific writer and editor. He says every writer is an entrepreneur and points to a valuable resource as you join the ride. (ClickToTweet)

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Five Sure-Fire Ways to Fail as a Book Author

For many years I've written on the positive ways to succeed as a book author in these articles. Yet there is another path which many people take on the road to publishing their book. Here's five sure-fire ways to fail as an author:

1. Believe if I build it, they will come. These authors pour energy and effort into building a great website for their book. While a website is important in your book marketing, it isn't everything. You may have the slickest well-written website but without telling people about it, no one will come. There are millions of websites online. If the author doesn't drive traffic and eyeballs to see your content, then it does not help you or your book sales. There is much more to the process than simply building a website and hoping (without action) that people will come.

2. Believe I know everything there is to know about publishing. I've met authors (some of them even well-known bestselling authors) who believe they know everything there is to know about publishing. These people ooze confidence. I've spent decades in this business and read the trade magazines and other things constantly. Things are constantly shifting in publishing and there is always more to learn—and I do learn new things all the time. Overconfidence can be a pitfall for authors. It is great to believe in yourself but be balanced in that view.

3. Believe the publisher will sell my books for me without marketing. Publishers make and release amazing books. Yet without marketing and telling someone about that book—then no one will purchase it. No matter how you publish your book (traditional, hybrid or self-publishing), the bulk of the marketing effort will fall on the author. Authors are fooling themselves if they believe their publisher will sell the books—with or without marketing. Yes publishers can get your book into bookstores—but it is the author's marketing efforts that get readers to purchase the books.

4. Believe attending a writers' conference is a waste of time. For an author to go to any event (local or far away), you will invest time and money in this process. If you attend these events with the wrong expectations or attitude, then you will set yourself up to not get anything out of it. I believe every author can cut down their learning curve from attending writers' conferences, meeting the right people and applying the information they learn to their book and marketing efforts. Knowledge without action is worthless but you can certainly meet many of the right people at a conference. If you haven't been to a conference or haven't been for some time, I encourage you to make plans and a commitment to get to a conference (check out this link for a list of some conferences). Attending a conference can invigorate your writing life and success as a book author.

5. Believe the title, cover and publisher do not matter. Each of these elements are critical in the book purchase process. I've bought books because of a title or a cover design. I've also not purchased books because of the publisher.  Many consumers do not notice the publisher and I admit to being a more sophisticated consumer than many people. These elements are a critical part of the book production process and essential for your success.

I've written about only five of many different ways a book author can fail. The details are an important part of the process. Maybe I'm missing a critical way for an author to fail? Let me know in the comments below.

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