How to Become an Author Entrepreneur

The landscape continues to change at a rapid pace in the world of publishing.

Increasingly publishers expect authors to contribute to the publishing process and be actively engaged in supporting their books in the world.

So much so that the description of author entrepreneur* now offers an insight into a new level of authorship welcomed by traditional publishers, and essential for success with self-publishing.

But what exactly does it mean to be an author entrepreneur?
In my view, there are two criteria:

1. Having a professional and business-like approach to published authorship at every stage of the journey from inspiration to publication - and beyond.

2. Taking responsibility for creating as many different opportunities as possible for reaching out to readers, being visible as an author and building a solid platform to connect with your audience.

In traditional publishing, agents and publishers are extremely cautious about taking on new authors and new books.

Yet the numbers of writers seeking representation and a publishing contract continues to rise.

As a result, standards are high because publishing professionals can afford to be selective about which projects to go ahead with.

So if you have fabulous ideas, write with an authentic voice which engages your reader, and can present yourself professionally, you will give people the confidence to take you seriously.

In addition, creating a community of people who are interested in your work means that your voice will be heard by those people when your book is published.

Add this 'ready audience' to the new readers who will ideally be discovered in large numbers when your book is published, and you have the makings of a successful book launch.

This is the combination of factors which traditional publishers are looking for and which you need to aim for if you are self-publishing.
So here are 3 tips to help you move towards becoming an author entrepreneur:

1. Take yourself seriously as a writer and adopt a professional approach to every stage of your writer's journey.

'Raising the bar' is one of the themes which applies to all of the work I do with writers who genuinely want to achieve success as published authors.

This involves shifting your writing, and the other activities related to authorship, towards the top of your priority list.

One way to achieve this is to write in your journal about the 'big picture' of how important it is for you to fulfil your potential as a published author.

Then refer to this regularly to inspire you to establish a mindset which ensures that your intentions become your reality.

In doing so, you will feel justified in taking yourself seriously as a writer and making a commitment to the focus required for adopting a professional approach.

2. Prioritise authenticity, excellence and action!

These qualities are right at the top of the list of requirements for becoming an author entrepreneur because without them, your chances of success are greatly reduced.

So take some time to consider how you can adopt a truly authentic approach which reflects the truth of who you are and what you want to achieve with your book(s).

Make a plan of how you are going to achieve your intentions once you have clarified what they are.

Sharpen the focus on your vision of yourself as a published author and write out the many small steps you need to take to arrive at the destination you envisage.

Include a time frame for each stage of your journey - and start taking action straight away!

3. Embrace the requirement to build your author platform at a level which fits your intentions of authorship.

Creating a platform continues to be one of the most important tasks to devote time and attention to alongside developing your ideas and writing your book.

If this feels like a challenge for you, commit to taking a course, reading relevant information, and/or working with an expert in this area to help you learn what you need to do.

Stay out of overwhelm by choosing just 3 ideas to work on first.

For example, set up a blog (or write more for your existing blog), explore social media such as Twitter and Facebook, and look at the possibility of some 'real world' events such as speaking or seminar engagements.

These are all ways of building relationships with like-minded people who will be interested in you and your book.

Of course you will need to make a conscious choice regarding the level at which you apply these principles to suit your individual requirements.

Yet some degree of acceptance and action towards becoming more entrepreneurial in your approach to authorship is the way forwards for writers who genuinely want their books to succeed in the marketplace today.

Enjoy the journey!

* I would like to acknowledge Joanna Penn, who was my October Writer's Journey Free Teleseminar Interview guest, for her work in supporting 'author entrepreneurs' and for inspiring me to write this article as my contribution to this topic. If you would like to listen to the recording of our interview on How to Identify the Right Publishing Option for Your Book you can do so by clicking here ... You can see more about Joanna's work for authors who are interested in self-publishing here www.thecreativepenn.com