The Author Entrepreneur: Building a Business from Your Book Writing Dreams
Many wordsmiths and storytellers want to pursue their career in writing and often dream of seeing their name on paperback or their author websites. While some achieve their dream of becoming bestselling authors, they also evolve as authorpreneurs—implement a business mindset to start their writing career and establish an author brand. But it takes years of dedication and hard work to establish oneself as an author who can relate to reader’s thoughts and understanding.
Regardless of the genre you choose to write your book, it’s a time-consuming and thought-intensive process, but when coupled with the business for your authorship career, it adds to the complexity. Oftentimes, it is said that writing a first book is difficult, which resonates with the first step, and it sets the tone for moving forward. Even if that’s the case, an author must write a piece that inspires emotions, entertains, expresses art, or ignites a discussion. Whether fictional or functional, it must have elements that make it a best-seller.
If you have it all and want to become an authorpreneur, this blog is for you. It explores the steps to becoming a successful author and answers the intriguing question: Can you build a career from book writing?
What Does It Mean to Be an Author?
Being an author means crafting art through words that can be stories, novels, or fictional pieces. This may include long-form content writing in blogs, articles, or essays on digital or traditional platforms. An author is also a vivid reader who sparks his thought process and imagination by exploring other content through research, writing, reading, editing, rewriting, and drafting written pieces. Once a writing piece is ready, an author can go for self-publishing, in the case of a book, or choose a publisher like eBookologist to take care of the book’s editing, designing, and publishing.
Authors can choose their preferred distributors and publishers for their book placements. This decision is also crucial as your revenue depends on it. If you have a masterpiece that cannot appeal to readers, your writing career may take a hit. Navigating this issue requires consulting professional book publishing service providers who can help you print, design, and distribute your book. These services can also provide consultancy if you want to go for self-publishing.
Your Journey to Authorship – Key Milestones
Becoming an author is not easy, even if you love writing and have a talent for words and storytelling. You must be familiar with your genre, the publishing process, and the voice your readers crave. Here are some common steps in the authorship journey.
1. Dive into Literature
Regardless of your genre, immersing yourself in literature can help you develop ideas and understand what your readers value. This means you must read avidly, from classics to contemporary literature to history, culture, philosophy, and religion. By familiarizing yourself with the basic literature and different types of content, you can analyze different types of content and gain a command of writing in various genres.
2. Pursuing Proper Education
You don’t need to gain a literary degree to publish on digital platforms and some traditional platforms. However, it would give you an advantage to publish on many leading publishing platforms where you can be recognized as a degree holder in English literature and language. Another significant advantage is gaining knowledge of world mythology, classics, different voices in literature, and minority voices. Altogether, obtaining a degree from a university can significantly boost your writing career, and it can also help you pursue a book editing career. A degree in English literature allows you to familiarize yourself with literature from around the world and learn about various perspectives.
3. Mastering Your Craft
Drafting, writing, and enhancing your writing can get you closer to writing a masterpiece. By practicing your writing, you can develop new ideas, become a better storyteller, and find new ways to look at the world, even from a unique perspective. This can be very helpful if you are a fictional, comic, or mystery writer. Remember, authors don’t have to wait until they have completed a bachelor’s degree to start writing; many have been honing their skills from a young age and become successful authors.
4. Build Your Network
Another crucial step many new authors overlook is growing their network and building relationships. Engaging with like-minded professionals and writers can give you advantages in several ways. You’ll acquire insights into the book writing career, publishing trends, and effective strategies. Networking can also connect you with established authors you admire, motivating you to pursue your writing dreams. The more connections you make, the greater the opportunities that will arise.
5. Business Plan to Monetize Writing
Now that you have found your groove in writing your preferred genre, it’s time to decide how to sell your book and embrace authorpreneurship. Creating a solid business plan is crucial for turning your writing into a profitable venture. You must choose between self-publishing or traditional publishing and outline your marketing and distribution strategies.
Setting clear financial goals and identifying revenue streams like book sales, speaking engagements, or merchandise will guide your journey as an authorpreneur. If you need support, many book marketing services can help you gain visibility on various platforms. You can also opt for distribution services to make your book available online and in traditional outlets.
Our Verdict
Becoming an authorpreneur is entirely achievable for those who are willing to dedicate themselves and work hard. It requires immersing yourself in vivid literature, which enriches your writing and sparks inspiration. Establishing a strong network of fellow writers and industry professionals is essential, as it opens doors to collaboration and support. Learning effective strategies to monetize your writing will help transform your passion into a sustainable career. With perseverance and commitment to growth, your dream of becoming a successful author can become a reality. Ready to take the next step in your writing journey? Our professional book publishing and editing services are here to help you bring your manuscript to life and achieve your literary dreams!